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Raph Koster is open to making another 'worldy MMO'

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, Ultima Online, Miscellaneous

On his personal blog, Raph Koster announced that he has left Disney to become an unemployed game developer. The big question is, of course, what's next for the driving force behind Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies. The answer is... he doesn't know.

However, Koster does indicate that he is open to working on another traditional MMO, but not one born of Kickstarter. "I suspect that those of you who want this all want me to make a worldy MMO," he writes. "I may yet make one of those in the future, but I don't think that you can raise enough money on Kickstarter to do it justice."

Koster says that he might be doing some consulting, writing, and speaking, but what he wants to do most is to "simply start making games." He claims that GDC inspired him to get back into the game-making business, big-time. He also says contrary to some rumors, he is not working with Richard Garriott on Shroud of the Avatar.

Raph Koster is open to making another 'worldy MMO' originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Apr 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: Why Catfish is a term your kids should know

Karen Bryan — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, Opinion, Kids, MMO Family, Family, Miscellaneous

By now, everyone's probably heard the strange story of Manti Te'o, the football player who had an online relationship with someone who wasn't really that person. The question that people keep asking is whether or not he was in on the hoax, but I think that's irrelevant. The real question is why people are surprised to begin with.

Ironically, gamers probably have a leg up on the Catfish scenario, since there are plenty of examples of players misrepresenting themselves through their in-game avatars. And there's often a grey area when it comes to roleplaying and honesty. In this week's MMO Family, let's look at the lessons of gaming, identity, and social media and what children should learn about all three. (And I promise I won't mention Manti again in this column.)

Continue reading MMO Family: Why Catfish is a term your kids should know

MMO Family: Why Catfish is a term your kids should know originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Jan 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What degree best suits an MMO developer?

Brianna Royce — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, Opinion, Massively Meta, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

Until relatively recently, the idea of a degree in game development seemed bizarre. That means that most of today's industry vets didn't start out planning to make games their career. You might expect programming degrees, art degrees, management degrees, creative writing degrees... but you're likely to find stranger degrees by far, marine biology and ancient history among them. That's even true in games journalism. Massively is staffed by pilots, farmers, historians, claims adjusters, clergymen, artists, salesmen, ex-military, radio announcers, teachers, musicians, and yes, even some full-time writers and editors. It's a weird place, and that diversity widens our perspective.

Raph Koster of Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies fame recommends that budding game developers acquire a broad education, not necessarily a specialized game design degree. Learn to program, draw, and write, he says, but "don't choose a narrow education. Choose a broad one. History, economics, psychology, art, science. A classic liberal arts education is the best training for a designer."

What do you think -- what degree best suits an MMO developer?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

The Daily Grind: What degree best suits an MMO developer? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Nov 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC Online 2012: SWTOR, Diablo III, Koster honored in GDC Online awards

Elisabeth Cardy — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, News Items, Star Wars: The Old Republic, League of Legends, Diablo III

Wednesday night saw the Game Developers Choice Online awards being handed out to MMO, social, mobile, and free-to-play games. Star Wars: The Old Republic came away with the awards for best online game design, best online visual arts, best online technology, and best new online game. Riot Games won for best live game, the audience award, and best community relations for League of Legends.

Raph Koster was officially recognized with an online game legend award, and World of Warcraft received a hall of fame award. Blizzard also scored with Diablo III, receiving an award for having the best audio for an online game. The award for best social network game went to Draw Something, and thatgamecompany won an online innovation award for Journey.

Massively sent two plucky game journalists -- Beau Hindman and Karen Bryan -- to Austin, Texas, for this year's GDC Online, where they'll be reporting back on MMO trends, community theory, old favorites, and new classics. Stay tuned for even more highlights from the show!

GDC Online 2012: SWTOR, Diablo III, Koster honored in GDC Online awards originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC Online 2012: Raph Koster's keynote on a Theory of Fun, 10 years later

Karen Bryan — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Events (Real-World), Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Opinion, Events (Massively's Coverage), Miscellaneous

Ten years ago at GDC, Raph Koster gave a talk called A Theory of Fun. The presentation turned into a book, and after a series of printings and reprintings, that book has arguably become the best-selling game design book of all time. At GDC Online this week, Koster revisited his Theory of Fun to look at what still applies and what's changed. Read on for highlights from this GDC keynote address.

Continue reading GDC Online 2012: Raph Koster's keynote on a Theory of Fun, 10 years later

GDC Online 2012: Raph Koster's keynote on a Theory of Fun, 10 years later originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raph Koster reminisces about Ultima Online 15 years later

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Ultima Online, Anniversaries

Fifteen years of any MMO is a legitimate enough excuse to wax nostalgic, so we can't blame original Ultima Online developer Raph Koster for writing down a few thoughts about the game's 15th anniversary.

His article is a collection of early behind-the-scenes vignettes, including how a player from one of his previous MUDs followed him to UO to sue the game, how the architecture presented challenges, and the pain of cutting unfinished content prior to launch.

Koster is bluntly honest about the middling reception of the game at the time of its launch, although he said he reveled in the positive press: "The EA lawyers were very unhappy with me over a quote from that newspaper article in the pic. I ended by saying Ultima Online was 'a grand experiment.' They said, 'Don't you realize that's the sort of thing they will use in court against us?' But it was. Grand."

Raph Koster reminisces about Ultima Online 15 years later originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Sep 2012 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Koster, Blizzard to be honored at GDC Online event

Jef Reahard — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, News Items, Miscellaneous

Raph Koster and Blizzard may be polar opposites in terms of design philosophy, but both will take home awards at this year's GDC Online convention.

Koster, instrumental in the development of sandbox worlds like Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies, will take home the Online Game Legend Award. Blizzard, which turned the MMO space on its ear via World of Warcraft's resounding financial success, will see its flagship title inducted into the Choice Online Awards Hall of Fame. The ceremonies take place on October 10th in Austin, Texas.

Don't forget to cast your vote for the GDC Audience Award prior to September 14th!

[Source: GDC press release]

Koster, Blizzard to be honored at GDC Online event originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Koster, Vogel, Long headline GDC Online Ultima panel

Jef Reahard — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, News Items, Ultima Online, Sandbox

The 2012 edition of GDC Online is filling out its schedule, and one of the more interesting dev panels is a "classic game postmortem" concerning Ultima Online. While the term postmortem is a bit of a misnomer since the game is still very much alive, the panel features an eclectic mix of dev personalities who helped shape both UO and the industry itself.

Original UO team members Starr Long, Rich Vogel, and Raph Koster will discuss how a "combination of insane ambition and idealistic cluelessness can sometimes result in creating something that changes people's lives and the course of an industry," according to the GDC website.

If you'll be in Austin, Texas, from October 9th through the 11th, stop by and learn a thing or two about MMOs and the folks who make them.

Koster, Vogel, Long headline GDC Online Ultima panel originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Guild Counsel: Gender choice and guild drama

Karen Bryan — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Guilds, Opinion, The Guild Counsel, Miscellaneous

There are many reasons for guild drama, but one of the most challenging comes from a single choice that we make before our characters even see the light of day. In MMOs, character creation can consist of full customization, or it can simply be a choice among some pre-sets, but the majority of games give you the choice to pick your gender. Even if you select a non-human race, there are usually male versions and female versions. For many players, this is a no-brainer, and they play as their own gender. But many others opt to go cross-gender, and that can lead to drama later on, even if it's unintended. In this week's Guild Counsel, let's look at the topic of gender to see why it can be so problematic and how guilds can avoid potential drama from it.

Continue reading The Guild Counsel: Gender choice and guild drama

The Guild Counsel: Gender choice and guild drama originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 Aug 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raph Koster wants to know why we can't all just get along

Elisabeth Cardy — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Real-Life, Culture, News Items, Opinion

Raph Koster, MMO guru and erstwhile creative director of Star Wars Galaxies, has had it up to here with you people and your intolerance of one another. Yes, you, game designers. In a recent blog post, Koster makes shame carrots at those on both sides of the science-versus-humanities schism in the game design community. He states that people on either side of the spectrum can be right and that there's room for both emotional value and scientific fact in games. Too many people, he says, are entrenched in their viewpoints, and that makes progress more difficult for everyone. The result is an abundance of "hipstery, self-indulgent, artsy, self-referential, slight, pretentious work all over the place that people are claiming as the One True Way or the best way to push the boundaries of the field."

Koster says that rather than fiercely defend a specific type of game design, designers need to embrace a both/and mentality, in which multiple viewpoints and approaches are accepted as valid and worthwhile.

Narrative designers should try making a game with nothing but counters and dice and no story. System designers should try making a game that is about telling a story.

While we're at it, the world should really learn how to sing in perfect harmony.

Raph Koster wants to know why we can't all just get along originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Jul 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raph Koster categorizes his best game design blog posts

Jef Reahard — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, News Items, Miscellaneous

If you're looking for an entry point into the voluminous back-catalogue of game design posts sitting on Raph Koster's web server, look no further than his newest entry, which serves as something of a greatest hits listing.

For those unfamiliar with Koster, most gamers associate him with watershed sandbox titles like Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies, and he has also written a book called A Theory of Fun for Game Design. Koster first published his website in 1997, and some of his articles date almost as far back. He's arranged the links in what he calls a "rough reverse chronological order," so grab your favorite caffeinated beverage and settle in for a lengthy design-focused read.

Raph Koster categorizes his best game design blog posts originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Who will be our MMO development heroes of tomorrow?

Shawn Schuster — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

The lifespan of the MMO genre is still fairly short when you take general gaming into consideration. Fifteen years ago, most of us wouldn't have dreamed of what's available online today, thanks to the innovators who brought together graphical roleplaying games and the MUDs of the day. People like Richard Garriott, Raph Koster, Starr Long, J. Todd Coleman, and a handful of others helped create what we know today as MMORPGs.

But who will be the innovators and trend-setters of tomorrow's MMOs? We see a lot of innovation these days, but ascribing those ideas to one person isn't as easy (or applicable) as it was in the early days of five-man studios. Still, there are geniuses in these modern studios making some much-needed improvements that will carry on for many years.

So if you're a player and you know of someone who will be known for his or her innovation in the future, let us know. If you're a developer who wants to call out a co-worker for something he or she has done to change the genre, get that name out there!

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

The Daily Grind: Who will be our MMO development heroes of tomorrow? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 25 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Guild Counsel: SWTOR is stealing my (character) identity!

Karen Bryan — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, Guilds, Opinion, Roleplaying, Star Wars: The Old Republic, The Guild Counsel

Guild leading is often as much about managing personalities as it is about managing the nuts and bolts of the game. In previous columns, we've looked at all sorts of issues that guild leaders have to solve, and at the root of almost all of them is some sort of personality clash. Show me a nice blend of personalities, and I'll show you a happy guild that will stick together for years.

What makes guild leading so difficult, though, is that unlike real-life leaders, guild leaders need to manage two identities for every member. There's the real-life identity of the player, and then there's the identity of the in-game character, and they aren't always the same. If you talk to a guild that's met at a guild gathering or convention, one of the things you'll always hear is how a particular member is so different from his in-game character. In game, for example, he might be a rough-around-the-edges general, but in real life he's a quiet teddy bear.

MMOs give us the opportunity to be someone completely different from who we are out of game, and even non-roleplayers will sometimes behave differently when they're playing. But Star Wars: The Old Republic has taken away some of our power to construct our own identities in game. In this edition of The Guild Counsel, Let's look at how that's happened and whether it will affect the way we game.

Continue reading The Guild Counsel: SWTOR is stealing my (character) identity!

The Guild Counsel: SWTOR is stealing my (character) identity! originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What's your favorite item-quality system?

Brianna Royce — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

Grey, white, green, blue, purple, gold. World of Warcraft may not have invented what's become the standard colors for item quality, but it's surely cemented the hierarchy in gamers' minds. Last week, Raph Koster suggested that these tiers of items are part of the "yuck" that leads to the loss of immersion across the games industry.

I think he's right. I miss the days of Ultima Online (which not coincidentally was Koster's baby), when players geared up with basic platemail of invulnerability, chainmail of fortification, and katanas of vanquishing. Halfway through UO's lifespan, that system was gutted in favor of a Diablo-esque item that turned wearables into a numbers game. The charm of my deadly poisoned kryss made by a Grandmaster Blacksmith was gone, replaced by a few dozen stats to juggle.

Do you agree with Koster? Are color-coded item tiers a design shortcut that contributes to the loss of immersion in MMOs and other games? What game has your favorite item-quality system?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

The Daily Grind: What's your favorite item-quality system? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 21 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leaderboard: Play the game vs. play the system

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Opinion, Miscellaneous, Leaderboard

Recently, MMO guru Raph Koster made some waves by lamenting the loss of immersion as a core game virtue. In a follow-up post to his first one, he clarified that he was speaking about the two different sides of game play and game development:

"These are also two ways to play a game. You can come to it as purely a math puzzle to solve, or you can come at it as an experience. And ironically, with all the advances we have made in terms of presentation, it feels like more and more games are less about the experience and more about the acronyms and mechanics."

So in today's Leaderboard, we're going to have it out: immersion versus statistics, the love of the game versus the love of the numbers. Do you play MMOs more for the experience of it -- to be immersed in its game world, reveling in the stories, characters, locales, and feel? Or do you find yourself gaming the system more and more, min-maxing to win at the numbers game while seeking the most efficient path through content?

Vote after the jump and let your voice be heard!

Continue reading Leaderboard: Play the game vs. play the system

Leaderboard: Play the game vs. play the system originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raph Koster: Immersion is not a core game virtue

Jef Reahard — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, News Items, Opinion, Miscellaneous, Sandbox

Yeah, you read that right, virtual world fans. One of the more celebrated sandbox MMORPG developers is apparently throwing in the towel when it comes to immersion. Raph Koster wrote what can only be termed a lament on his personal blog today, saying that "immersion does not make a lot of sense in a mobile, interruptable world."

Koster characterizes immersion as a style whose time has come and gone, and he concludes that games are no longer for dreamers due to their far-reaching popularity. "I mourn the gradual loss of deep immersion and the trappings of geekery that I love," Koster writes. "I see the ways in which the worlds I once dove into headlong have become incredibly expensive endeavors, movies-with-button-presses far more invested in telling me their story, rather than letting me tell my own."

Whether you agree with him or not, it's a sobering read coming from one of the chief creative forces behind Star Wars Galaxies and Ultima Online.

Raph Koster: Immersion is not a core game virtue originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raph Koster talks about free-to-play models and whales

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business Models, MMO Industry, Opinion, Free-to-Play

The idea of free-to-play business models can prompt a lot of venom from players who are certain that the model, essentially, is a trick. You'll be forced into paying for the game somehow, or you'll be able to pay extra money and walk away with all of the best stuff in the game. Raph Koster has a different view of things from a business standpoint, and he outlines how the free-to-play model works out in practice in a recent blog entry.

Koster explains that you wind up with a handful of players who sink a huge amount of money into the game, while most users (upwards of 60%) never pay a dime. The users who do pay that much money, referred to as "whales," are essentially being treated as if they're in a retail store, compared to the more traditional model where you pay $60 for a game only to find out you don't like it. Whatever your views on the model, it's an interesting look at the changing face of monetizing games and is well worth a read.

Raph Koster talks about free-to-play models and whales originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist crosses Meridian 59: A chat with Brian Green (part 2)

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Meridian 59, Interviews, MMO Industry, Free-to-Play, The Game Archaeologist

Welcome to the second part of our interview with former Meridian 59 developer Brian "Psychochild" Green as he reminisces about running one of the oldest graphical MMOs in history. If you missed the first part, I heartily recommend you catch up on it before continuing further.

And now, for the exciting conclusion...

The Game Archaeologist: What's one of your favorite stories from your experience running Meridian 59?

Brian Green: One time I was at Dave & Busters restaurant one evening after a day at the Game Developer's Conference (GDC). I was chatting with Raph Koster about the conference, when from behind us someone says, "Oh my god, are you Psychochild?!?" Raph, who has always been more high profile than I am, gives a grin and leaves. Turns out they were fans of the game and bought me a drink as thanks.

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist crosses Meridian 59: A chat with Brian Green (part 2)

The Game Archaeologist crosses Meridian 59: A chat with Brian Green (part 2) originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 27 Dec 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Enter at Your Own Rift: The casual revolution in RIFT

Karen Bryan — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, Opinion, RIFT, Enter at Your Own Rift

The Fae Yule world event has arrived in Telara, and there's one part of the event in particular that really captures the holiday feeling. It's not the daily quests but the festive "shinies" that players can harvest around town, like mistletoe and the holiday candle. At first I enjoyed the fun of clicking and getting nice little rewards, but by the third shiny, I was cursing other players who were racing me to the spot and grabbing the goods before I could! Talk about a Black Friday flashback! Twenty minutes later I was in the middle of the most intense, knock-down brawl for shinies that could rival a top-tier PvP Warfront.

You wouldn't think that harvesting little festive oddities could be turned into a hardcore game, but that is exactly what I and a few other players ended up doing. And that got me thinking about Jesper Juul's book A Casual Revolution. In it, he looks at how video games have gone back to their roots and reinvented themselves, leading, for example, to the rise of the Wii. His book focused more on console gaming and didn't address MMOs that much, but in this week's Enter at Your Own Rift, I'd like to look at how his ideas apply to RIFT, particularly with recent changes to the game.

Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: The casual revolution in RIFT

Enter at Your Own Rift: The casual revolution in RIFT originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video series chronicles the evolution of MUDs to MMOs

Jef Reahard — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, Culture, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, News Items, Miscellaneous

If you're looking for a reasonably short video primer on the history of MMOs, look no further than a series of clips recently uploaded to YouTube. According to some genre heavyweights, though, you shouldn't take all the info presented at face value. Former sandbox (and current social games) developer Raph Koster weighs in on the clips at his personal blog, and he offers up a laundry list of "oddities, errors, and omissions."

MUD pioneer Richard Bartle shows up in Koster's comment thread, and he's even more direct. "I wonder why so few of those who make this kind of documentary actually ask the people they're talking about whether what they're saying about them is factually correct? It's not like we're dead or anything," Bartle muses.

Why watch the vids, then? Mainly for the exposure to pre-2004 MMORPGs, according to Koster. The clips are "worth a look, even if only to get a rare glimpse of actual video footage from some of the older games that many folks today don't even know existed," he says. Check out all three installments after the break.

Continue reading Video series chronicles the evolution of MUDs to MMOs

Video series chronicles the evolution of MUDs to MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC Online 2011: Raph Koster speaks on the gamification of real life

Jef Reahard — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, News Items, Miscellaneous

Raph Koster spoke at the recently concluded GDC Online 2011, and if the summary on Gamasutra is any indication, his message was somewhat mixed.

Unsurprisingly, the former sandbox maestro (and current social gaming evangelist) had a lot of positive things to say about Facebook. On the other hand, he said that going too far down the accessibility road can lead to "bad art."

He also opined that "design is about constraining people," but that games still have the potential for player creativity, and that Facebook has more user-generated content than games or virtual worlds. If you're confused yet, you're not alone, as Koster also mentioned something about wizards, magic circles, and his belief that the world is becoming more game-like (and thus there's no one better to shape it than game developers). "Let's watch out not to let the pointsification and rulesification, quantification, and reductionism that we have always loved about what we do -- let's not let that change who we are," Koster said.

Check out his notes and slides from the talk via his blog, linked below.

GDC Online 2011: Raph Koster speaks on the gamification of real life originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Oct 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyperspace Beacon: Post mortem

Larry Everett — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, Lore, New Titles, Opinion, Star Wars Galaxies, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon

When a company ends a project or when a theatre production ends, the producers and directors will usually do an analysis of the project. They will give a rundown of what performed well and what performed poorly. The idea is to ensure that the next project delivers better results than the previous one. Granted, we will not be able to sit in on the official post mortem meeting for Star Wars Galaxies, but we can do our own analysis of what happened.

As I said above, the idea is to take what we learned from the previous project and apply it to the next one. In the eyes of a Star Wars MMO fan, the next project will be Star Wars: The Old Republic. Now to be fair, I already have a series of articles that feature the mistakes SWG made that we don't want to see in The Old Republic, so this time around, I figured it would be best to show off the good things SWG did that should probably be repeated in SWTOR. This is by no means exhaustive, but it's a couple of the big ones in my mind.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: Post mortem

Hyperspace Beacon: Post mortem originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 Jun 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raph Koster on the legacy of Star Wars Galaxies

Jef Reahard — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, Culture, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, News Items, Star Wars Galaxies

Amid all the internet commentary sure to be forthcoming over the next few days regarding Star Wars Galaxies and its upcoming swan-song, none of it is really as relevant as the thoughts of the man primarily responsible for designing the original game.

Raph Koster offers up a bit of commentary on SWG's demise via his personal website, and despite the brevity, he manages to touch on exactly why the game mattered to so many of us and why it will be sorely missed. "It gave us features that continue to amaze people who don't realize what can be done: Real economies complete with supply chains and wholesalers and shopkeepers, that amazing pet system, the moods and chat bubbles [...], player cities, vehicles, spaceflight," Koster says.

It also gave us dancing, and while many progression-focused gamers scoff at SWG's social features, Koster rightly concludes that they may well be the game's legacy since they allowed us to "stop saving the world or killing rats and realize the real scope and potential of the medium." In the end, Koster says that SWG's potential may have overshadowed the final product, but what remained was nonetheless a mold-breaking MMORPG. "I'd rather work on something with great potential than on fulfilling a promise of mediocrity. There's a reason people are passionate about it all these years later," he wrote.

Raph Koster on the legacy of Star Wars Galaxies originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 24 Jun 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Guild Counsel: Teacher by day, guild leader by night

Karen Bryan — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guilds, Opinion, The Guild Counsel, Miscellaneous

Last week, as I listed my guild leader New Year's resolutions, I made a passing reference to my background as a former teacher. This led to a great question by Massively reader Mike Azariah, who wrote: "I still do teach. Do you find that helping others (especially new players) starts to fall into a lesson?"

I've had discussions with other guild leaders in the past, and it always strikes me how often they talk about how the job of guild leader parallels, and often enhances, real-life occupations that involve leadership skills. This week's Guild Counsel will take a closer look at Mike's question of how much the job of teacher relates to guild leadership.

Continue reading The Guild Counsel: Teacher by day, guild leader by night

The Guild Counsel: Teacher by day, guild leader by night originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist and the NeverEnding Quest: The highlights

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, Culture, The Game Archaeologist

To many veteran MMO players, the opening horns of EverQuest's score are enough to trigger vivid memories, violent hallucinations, and an unstoppable desire to leap through the computer screen to return to Norrath. It all depends, of course, on which MMO you first cut your teeth, and while many gamers would claim titles like World of Warcraft as their first, there is a large contingent who will confess that EQ was their first MMO lover.

In fact, before WoW came on the scene in 2004, EverQuest was the gold standard of MMOs for a half-decade -- it was insanely popular, perfectly addictive, and absolutely revolutionary. It was a giant that roamed the virtual lands of those days, a giant that continues to forge new grounds well over a decade from its inception.

It was 1995 when John Smedley realized the potential for online gaming and roped in Brad McQuaid and Steve Clover to start putting together an online RPG for SOE. What began as a small project ballooned into a crazy endeavor as the growing team created a monster RPG the likes the world had never seen before -- a game that would forever shape the MMO genre.

This month, the Game Archaeologist is going after one of the biggest treasures of recorded history as we unearth the secrets to EverQuest's popularity, legacy, and longevity. The first step on our journey is to look at some of the highlights that made EQ what it is today.

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist and the NeverEnding Quest: The highlights

The Game Archaeologist and the NeverEnding Quest: The highlights originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Who's your dev crush?

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, MMO Industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind

In our tiny part of the pop culture world, players seem to be as absolutely fascinated with the people and personalities at work behind their favorite games as they are with the games themselves. These developers are, for all intents and purposes, the celebrities of the MMO world, and as such, are subject to much scrutiny and intense feelings.

I've noticed that the mere mention of a famous developer, community manager or industry leader on Massively is often enough to set off a huge string of comments that typically revolve around how we feel about the person rather than what he or she is currently doing. For example: Paul Barnett. Bill Roper. Richard Garriott. Raph Koster. Eliot Lefebvre. Right now, there are dozens of readers who have skipped the remainder of this article to provide a reactionary comment down below.

But for the rest of you, I'd like to know: Who is your "dev crush"? Which developer do you follow most closely? Which one do you believe in the most? Who excites you with his or her work? If you had to have just one developer's babies, whose genes would be most welcome in your household? (OK, that last bit is probably too much, but you get the idea.)

The Daily Grind: Who's your dev crush? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There.com is closing

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, Server downtime, There, News Items, Virtual Worlds

Virtual worlds have had a rocky time in the marketplace. Focusing on user-generated content, it takes a while for enough users to become active and enough market traction to be established for them to start becoming financially viable. Earlier this year marked the shutdown of Metaplace, Raph Koster's entry into the field of virtual worlds. Now another long-running part of the field is closing down, as There.com has just announced the service will be closing on March 9th.

A retrospective on the game's history is available on CNET, discussing the world's status as being a competitor for Second Life without ever quite gaining the traction that its bigger cousin managed. While the environment was seen as slightly more kid-and-media friendly due to restrictions on adult-only content, the project had a difficult time turning a profit. After seven years, it's finally overwhelmed the company.

The official announcement includes a number of resources for those who have invested money in There.com to regain it prior to the shutdown, with extensive buyback programs and refunds available for all participants. Our condolences to the team on this sad turn of events.

There.com is closing originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Virtual Whirl: Virtual worlds must accommodate, adapt and evolve, or die

Tateru Nino — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, Opinion, Second Life, Virtual Worlds, The Virtual Whirl

This week, in The Virtual Whirl, we're looking at virtual environments (and their subset of virtual worlds) as products and platforms.

As their developers and operators seek to grow and mature their markets, they carry the risk of rendering themselves irrelevant to the very customers that they court.

Continue reading The Virtual Whirl: Virtual worlds must accommodate, adapt and evolve, or die

The Virtual Whirl: Virtual worlds must accommodate, adapt and evolve, or die originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 27 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raph Koster on the future of Metaplace

Rubi Bayer — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Real-Life, MMO Industry, MetaPlace, Virtual Worlds

January first of this year brought about the closing of Metaplace, sad news for everyone involved. Shortly before the announcement was made, Eurogamer had an interview with game designer Raph Koster regarding Metaplace. In the end, they made the decision to release the interview in spite of the closing, as it contained some very good insight into the goals of the staff as well as information about the inner workings.

The interview is especially interesting in light of the fact that Metaplace has repeatedly stated that it is not going anywhere, and that we should expect to see more very soon. "Metaplace Inc. isn't about to go away. In fact, we have some pretty exciting plans to announce in the not too distant future," Koster stated. Since we can assume that the basic philosophy and overall goals of the team remain the same, the interview is definitely still relevant for anyone who was a fan of Metaplace. Take a look at the full interview here, and enjoy!

Raph Koster on the future of Metaplace originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Marketplace traction with the UGC model and the closure of Metaplace

Tateru Nino — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Business Models, Culture, Opinion, MetaPlace, Virtual Worlds

As you read last night, the UGC (user-generated-content) virtual environment side of Metaplace is shuttering on New Year's Day, 2010, just a scant couple of weeks away.

"The reason?" says company president Koster. "Well, it just hasn't gotten traction."

Nor should it have at this stage, really. Metaplace only went into open beta in May this year, meaning that it is closing before it really launched. We believe that is several years too soon for traction with its (now canceled) model.

Continue reading Marketplace traction with the UGC model and the closure of Metaplace

Marketplace traction with the UGC model and the closure of Metaplace originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Metaplace announces January 1st shutdown

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, News Items, MetaPlace

The Metaplace development team made the announcement today that no fan of a game likes to hear: "Today we have unfortunate news to share with the Metaplace community. We will be closing down our service on January 1, 2010 at 11:59pm Pacific." The bottom line to the reasoning behind the decision is that Metaplace simply is not making enough headway to be a viable (read: profitable) product. Fans will surely have a number of questions about this, and the community team has provided a FAQ to answer most of them.

While it's sad news for both staff -- a significant number of whom have been laid off due to the closure -- and fans of Metaplace, the community team is holding their heads up and maintaining an optimistic outlook. The goodbye party on January first is being treated as a celebration of the fun that's been had, rather than a gathering to mourn the ending. Community Manager Tami Baribeau also shared some hopeful news in a blog post: "Metaplace, Inc. as a company (and as a tool) isn't going away. We have whole new shift of focus ahead of us and a smaller team set out to accomplish some big goals."

Our sympathies are with the staff members affected by this, and with everyone who has invested their time, creativity, and effort in Metaplace. However, we join their team in looking forward to the good things anticipated by the company.

Metaplace announces January 1st shutdown originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMOrigins: Dissection of a gamer

Brooke Pilley — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, Opinion, MMOrigins

The Misty Mountains
You are on a steep rocky slope and just above lies the remnants of an ancient rock slide. Far below you can see the Redhorn pass through breaks in tree canopy as well as the winding Anduin River. The sky is overcast, with a strong northerly wind raining down icy lances. The air is thin, making it difficult to breathe.
*Labero the Black Numenorean* is here riding a pack horse tending his wounds.

o S W C Move: Tired> Backstab $target
You begin to silently move behind your victim...

Oh the memories! That text-based multi-user dungeon (MUD) experience may have been the most influential on my gaming career, but it certainly wasn't the first. No, for that we'd have to travel back in time several more years; the day I unwrapped my first gaming console. It was a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and the year was 1989. Follow me as I take a trip down memory lane and recount the main influencers on my MMO timeline.

Continue reading MMOrigins: Dissection of a gamer

MMOrigins: Dissection of a gamer originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch "Another Perfect World" live in Metaplace at 3 PM ET here on Massively

Seraphina Brennan — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, Culture, Events (In-Game), MMO Industry, MetaPlace, Academic, Virtual Worlds

"Another Perfect World", a documentary featuring some of our favorite MMO developers, is going to be shown today in Metaplace at 3 PM ET, 12 PM PT. Jump in with other virtual users and watch the video live via streaming connection, all from the comfort of your home computer.

The documentary focuses on the creation of virtual utopias and how man strives to create the perfect world, even if it's only a virtual one. Speakers in the documentary include Raph Koster from Metaplace, Philip Rosedale from Second Life, Jae-Kyung Song from Lineage, and Hilmar Veigar Petursson from EVE Online, making this an interesting tale for many MMO users.

The best part about all of this is that you don't even have to leave Massively to jump into Metaplace! We've embedded The Stage here after the break, so you can watch the movie and chat with fellow virtual world enthusiasts (and Massively readers) right from the comfort of this very post! It can't better than that! So make the leap and continue reading to log into Metaplace and watch "Another Perfect World" today at 3 PM!

Continue reading Watch "Another Perfect World" live in Metaplace at 3 PM ET here on Massively

Watch "Another Perfect World" live in Metaplace at 3 PM ET here on Massively originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raph Koster speaks on Metaplace's new functionality and the state of virtual worlds pt. 2

Seraphina Brennan — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, MetaPlace, Free-to-Play, Browser, Casual, Virtual Worlds, Interviews (Massively's)

Metaplace is quite large now, with well over 30,000 worlds created. How does Metaplace avoid spreading the population out too thinly, as, after all, these are social worlds? Is that a challenge for you guys?

It is. It is a challenge. Many of our worlds are empty at any given time. Many of them are people's "apartments" or "personal spaces." Everyone gets a world when they start out in Metaplace, and a large majority of them are unimproved.

What we've found out is that people really congregate in the well done worlds. Because of that, we've spent a lot of time on searching algorithms to find the worlds that people consider to be the best and the worlds that are the most populated at that point in time and then bring them up top to the user. We're also working on expanding our support for events, so when something interesting is going on in Metaplace all users will get a notification. This way they can click the link and go and check it out quickly. Yet, sometimes great worlds get lost for a time, but then they get rediscovered as people re-find them.

"Virtual worlds need to make that jump to become "ordinary," in a way"

We've also included a new feature, called the golden egg. This allows veteran users to market their worlds to others by purchasing this new item. The egg, which is 25,000 coins, can be placed in your virtual world for others to find. Once they find it and click on it, they get 500 coins as a present and are also given the location of another world that has a golden egg. Every world that has a golden egg in it is also listed in the golden egg world list. There's also a golden egg in Metaplace Central that "kicks off" the quest, so to speak.

Where do you see virtual worlds going in the future?

One of the big questions at the last convention I attended was, "What's next?" In some ways, we've already accomplished a lot of the dream. A lot of the things that people expected out of virtual worlds have come true.

We have mass marketed virtual worlds that aren't extremely popular, but, you know, popular enough. We've reached a level of penetration in entertainment that's quite high. But they haven't jumped to total mainstream acceptance yet.

I think that's the next step. Virtual worlds need to make that jump to become "ordinary," in a way. Having them become a key part of the web would be a key part of that. It's always been a mistake for us to think that virtual worlds will swallow the web. I don't think that's the way things are going. But I do think we'll be seeing a much tighter integration between virtual worlds and the rest of the Internet. I really think Metaplace is kicking the ball forward, in regards to that.

So what's the future for Metaplace, specifically?

We're always focusing on making it easier for users, in addition to hosting building classes so people can learn how to build new worlds. We also have a roadmap on our forums that contains a list of proposed features that anyone can check out, all of which is scheduled to come out in the next few months. We're still in the early days -- second month of open beta with a very soft launch -- and we're gonna keep building on what we got and make it easier for everyone to have a virtual world of their own!

Thanks for your time, Raph!

Raph Koster speaks on Metaplace's new functionality and the state of virtual worlds pt. 2 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raph Koster speaks on Metaplace's new functionality and the state of virtual worlds

Seraphina Brennan — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, MetaPlace, Free-to-Play, Browser, Casual, Virtual Worlds, Interviews (Massively's)

Metaplace introduced the world to a brand new technology two days ago -- the ability to embed a fully functional virtual world into any website or forum, anything that can handle HTML.

This upgrade allows Metaplace to act like a more enhanced version of Google's old Lively service. All you need to do is make a world, take the embeddable HTML code from it, drop it into your website, and you now have a full virtual world running in flash right inside of your blog post or forum thread. The world can be edited to your whims through the Metaplace builder, letting you create whatever you want to create inside of your space. Think of it like Second Life Lite.

We had more than a few questions for Raph Koster, the founder and creator of Metaplace, about this new upgrade for his virtual platform, so we caught up with him to pick his mind on Metaplace and virtual worlds at large.

Continue reading Raph Koster speaks on Metaplace's new functionality and the state of virtual worlds

Raph Koster speaks on Metaplace's new functionality and the state of virtual worlds originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A closer look at revenues in free-to-play MMOs

James Egan — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Puzzle Pirates, Interviews, MMO Industry, MetaPlace, Free-to-Play, Casual

The free-to-play business model in the MMO industry is one that lets users play a game for free in hopes that a percentage of that userbase will opt to embrace microtransactions, allowing F2P game operators to potentially bring in more revenue per month than they would maintain through subscription fees. We periodically see announcements of yearly revenue from some of the larger companies, but these figures are typically announcements of average revenue per paying user (ARPPU), emphasis on 'paying'. But how much money are free-to-play MMOs really making? This is the subject of an article at Gamasutra written by Paul Hyman titled, 'What Are The Rewards Of 'Free-To-Play' MMOs?"

Hyman catches up with Raph Koster (Metaplace), Daniel James from Three Rings Design (Puzzle Pirates), and Jeremy Liew from Lightspeed Venture Partners (a funding source for F2P MMOs) to discuss the microtransaction model.

Continue reading A closer look at revenues in free-to-play MMOs

A closer look at revenues in free-to-play MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tokens matter

Tateru Nino — Thu, 07 May 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Virtual Worlds

Recently there's been some talk about avatars in virtual environments and MMOGs as playing pieces or tokens. Tobold says that "Ultimately your avatar is just a playing piece", while Raph Koster takes the position that "Avatars aren't tokens".

We hold a marginally more complex opinion. Avatars are tokens (or playing-pieces, if you will), but tokens matter. Avatars don't, as Tobold points out, intrinsically represent cultural, social or political viewpoints. What they do represent, we aver, is us: The users/players.

If tokens didn't have that some sort of deep significance for us, there'd never be any arguing over who gets to be the race-car in Monopoly, or who gets a particular color playing piece. If how we were represented didn't matter very much, then arguing over the choice of Monopoly tokens wouldn't have reached anywhere near the sort of cultural entrenchment that it has.

Continue reading Tokens matter

Tokens matter originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 May 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC09: Raph Koster kicks off Worlds in Motion Summit

James Egan — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Economy, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, Legal, Virtual Worlds, Events (Massively's Coverage)

Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2009 has begun and Massively is in the trenches to report on all the big announcements for the massively multiplayer online gaming industry, plus we have some great interviews lined up all week as well. Our GDC 2009 coverage begins with today's Worlds in Motion Summit, kicked off by Raph Koster, MMO and virtual worlds luminary.

Koster's speech is short, essentially a quick review of the virtual worlds trends he's observed over the past year. It's important to see things in perspective, Koster points out, mentioning that virtual worlds have recently turned 30, and are now a far cry from their MUD origins. Hardcore, geeky stuff Koster says, and we've come a long way since then. "We've kind of arrived, haven't we?" Koster asks. "One half of American adults are gamers today, which is an incredible step."

Continue reading GDC09: Raph Koster kicks off Worlds in Motion Summit

GDC09: Raph Koster kicks off Worlds in Motion Summit originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ways of designing social into virtual spaces

Kyle Horner — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, MMO Industry, News Items

One of the strongest glues between a person and their favorite MMO is friendship and community. However, those two things don't come without strong socialization, which in turn is something that doesn't happen in an MMO entirely by accident. A recent blog post by Raph Koster discusses the many ways of making virtual spaces more social by thoughtful design, a subject that we here at Massively take a lot of interest in, strangely enough.

While the first two chunks of Raph's post are arguments for actionable design to encourage socialization, it's the last piece of the post where the fleshy part resides. While there are numerous good suggestions for designing better social opportunities, the ones that strike us as our most desirable for MMOs are gifting, mentors, looking for conversation tools and alternate advancement systems for social elements. Those four items are certainly something that more titles could use -- especially as more and more games integrate web tools similar to Facebook.

It's hard to say whether or not we'll actually see any of these taken to heart in many MMOs, but it's nice to wish for things -- and maybe if we pester developers hard enough they'll figure it out sooner rather than later.

Ways of designing social into virtual spaces originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Metaplace offers new round of beta keys

Shawn Schuster — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, MetaPlace, Browser

Raph Koster and the Metaplace team are offering yet another round of beta keys for their web-based open platform virtual world. This is a limited use key, according to an announcement on their brand new Facebook page (which you should totally join). Simply visit www.metaplace.com, enter the code "MPWELCOME" into the "redeem your invite key" box, fill out a bit of info about yourself and you're in!

If you're not sure what Metaplace is, you can head over to their website, our tag page, or a recent interview we did with Raph for more information. As Raph says on his own blog, "Quick, hurry!"

Metaplace offers new round of beta keys originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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