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Jagex CEO predicts the imminent demise of physical game retailers

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Events, real-world, MMO industry, Miscellaneous

Brick-and-mortar outlets, be warned: your days are numbered. Or so says Jagex CEO Mark Gerhard, who told an audience at BAFTA Question Time that physical retailers were living on borrowed time -- and that before long, such stores would be "museum pieces."

Gerhard says that these retailers, such as UK's GAME, will be gone within a decade. "The writing has been on the wall for quite some time," he said. "I think, 10 years out from now, we'll be talking about [physical] retail nostalgically, as a museum piece."

He sees this as a positive development for the industry, saying that retailers take a slice of profits away from studios and make it hard for indie games to succeed. "People are still playing games. They're still doing business; they're just doing it in a different place. If you don't adapt you die. It's as simple as that," he said.

Jagex CEO predicts the imminent demise of physical game retailers originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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God save the green: Deal makes Jagex a US company

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, RuneScape, Free-to-play, Legal, Miscellaneous, Transformers Universe

Jagex is trading up the Union Jack for the Stars and Stripes, as controlling interest in the studio has changed hands to a US firm.

Insight Venture Partners, a venture capital firm from the US, completed a deal last year to increase its ownership to 55% of the UK-based company. Previously, the firm had 35% interest in Jagex. Now that the scales have tipped to the new ownership, this technically makes Jagex a US-controlled company and has US investors leading its board of directors.

While revenues were up 2% for Jagex in 2011, both operating and net profits were significantly down from the previous financial year. Jagex is a major player in the MMO free-to-play market, with RuneScape, Transformers Universe, and 8Realms as part of its project portfilio.

Develop reports that the controlling interest was made possible by Jagex co-founder Andrew Gower selling off his ownership claims to the firm for $115.65 million. As part of the deal, Jagex paid $3.85 million in expenses. The studio will remain in Cambridge while its controlling firm is in NYC.

God save the green: Deal makes Jagex a US company originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SWTOR UK sales take a dive

Jef Reahard — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Business models, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic

Just when you thought we couldn't have any more Star Wars: The Old Republic articles (because three out of 15 per day is a lot, amirite?), here's one more for your reading pleasure.

MMOCrunch has sussed out what appears to be a decent-sized drop in TOR's UK sales numbers. According to Chart-Track, BioWare's new MMO fell from the number 10 spot to number 38 in its second week on the market. MMOCrunch speculates that the drop-off in post-holiday shopping is the primary culprit, and we've also yet to see a true advertising blitz like we've seen for games like RIFT and World of Warcraft.

What do you think, Massively folk? Is trouble brewing in a galaxy far, far away, or is it far too early to tell?

SWTOR UK sales take a dive originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GAME introduces centralized digital payment system for MMOs

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Economy, MMO industry, RuneScape, All Points Bulletin, Miscellaneous

UK's largest video games retailer, the appropriately named GAME, is taking a crack at the ever-widening digital market. The retailer introduced a new feature for players looking to purchase content online called GAMEwallet, with plans to offer gift cards for the system in 2012.

By giving players incentive to focus on just one account that can be used to fund multiple MMOs and other games, GAME is hoping that GAMEwallet will become the one-stop shopping center for gamers. Several MMO studios are on board with the program, with titles like RuneScape and APB Reloaded fundable through it. GAME is targeting a majority of its customers who don't use debit and credit cards to buy digital content because of security concerns.

GAME's Tricia Brennan sees move as not just a smart one, but a necessary one: "The digital games market is growing fast, but two things are holding it back: the reliance on customers using credit or debit cards online, and the lack of a one-stop shop offering advice across a wide range of titles from different publishers. We're about to change that."

GAME is currently struggling financially, as it recently announced losses of over $81 million from sales.

GAME introduces centralized digital payment system for MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMOs may be on the horizon for OnLive

Brendan Drain — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, MMO industry, News items, Miscellaneous

The OnLive gaming platform officially launched in the US last year, bringing a new on-demand gaming service to homes with broadband internet connections. OnLive hosts and renders games on a computing cloud and delivers the resulting video feed over the internet. The potentially revolutionary system lets people play high-end games on low-end computers, but has a minimum bandwidth requirement of 2Mbit.

OnLive celebrated its UK release this week during Eurogamer Expo in London, and we were on the floor to ask the OnLive staff some questions about the service. Representatives were able to confirm that there are plans to bring MMOs to the OnLive service in the future but no solid deals had been made. The only thing keeping MMOs out of the game catalogue is the fact that no deals have been signed with MMO publishers.

OnLive representatives stated that it would be unlikely to see Activision-Blizzard's games like World of Warcraft on OnLive, but that Star Wars: The Old Republic and other MMOs could eventually be licensed to both the PC client and the home console. Talks are already underway with Electronic Arts, which released its first game on the system this week to coincide with the UK launch. When asked about latency issues, staff explained that the service already supports a large number of multiplayer titles with similar connectivity requirements to MMOs and latency is not a problem in those games.

MMOs may be on the horizon for OnLive originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wizard101 goes anti-disco in the June producer's letter

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Expansions, Free-to-play, Kids, Wizard101, Promotions, Family

The community at Wizard101 is still riding high on the recent Wintertusk world expansion, and according to the June producer's letter, KingsIsle wants to keep the good times rolling.

Apart from relaying a few testimonials about the recent expansion, the producer's letter is all about the Benjam-- er, Crowns. Leah Ruben spotlights a couple of promotional sales from the company, including a Dragon's Hoard booster pack that has the potential to deliver rare goodies, and a GameStop card that unleashes a genie (among other things) in your Wizard101 world.

Ruben says that a recent graphical issue known as "discoing" on older machines is now fixed. "While sometimes it's fun to dance the disco with flashing colors and lights," she jokes, "it's a bit distracting when you're trying to adventure through the new worlds."

Finally, Ruben says that the UK version of the game has added a German language version for those who perfer to play in their native tongue. Assuming that you're German and not Swedish. Or Kenyan. Or... well, you get the point. You can read the full producer's letter over at Wizard101.

Wizard101 goes anti-disco in the June producer's letter originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Jun 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SWTOR tours London! OK, maybe not tours -- more like shows up [Updated]

Larry Everett — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, real-world, New titles, News items, Hands-on, Star Wars: The Old Republic

Stephen Reid, the Community Manager for Star Wars: The Old Republic, tweeted last night and today, teasing the citizens of the United Kingdom that something special was coming their way. Rumours abound on the official forums as to what would be revealed. Then today, at 1:08 p.m. EDT (5:08 GMT), the secret was unveiled: Fans of Star Wars: The Old Republic will be able to play the yet-to-be-released MMO for one day only on April 5th.

Now, you're wondering how you can take part in this amazing event. Send your name as it appears on a photo ID, your name on the official forums, your age (you must be over 18 to attend), and which session you would like to attend (7 p.m. or 9 p.m. GMT) to bwacommunitysupport@bioware.com. The event is invite-only; if you get in, you will receive an invite by March 31st. Be sure to include every piece of information BioWare asked for or you will not be eligible for an invite.

All the origin worlds and classes will be open for play at this event, and spots are first come, first serve. Hyperdrive over to the official forums now for more information!

[Update: According to Senior CM Stephen Reid, "tickets were gone about 40 minutes before you posted that story."]

SWTOR tours London! OK, maybe not tours -- more like shows up [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIFT opened!

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Launches, RIFT

"So when you take all these new types of things to do and you put them all together, that's when you know -- this is RIFT," Scott Hartsman proclaims in a launch day video for Trion Worlds' MMO.

Although you either already know or are more into macrame than MMORPGs, today is RIFT's official release in North America following last Thursday's head start program for pre-orders. RIFT will be rolling out across the globe in the next few days, with Australia slated for Wednesday, March 2nd, pan-European countries March 3rd, and in the UK March 4th.

To celebrate the launch, the overworked Trion crew put together a special video titled "This is RIFT" that highlights the strong selling points of the game, such as the wardstone system, the dynamic rifts, and the high-level raid content. Check it out after the jump, and if you're stuck at work, we have a terrific launch day roundup to feed the info beast lurking in your belly.

Continue reading RIFT opened!

RIFT opened! originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Virtual Whirl: Death and taxes

Tateru Nino — Sat, 01 May 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Opinion, Legal, Virtual worlds, The Virtual Whirl

"Nothing is certain but death and taxes"; a rather sardonic and bleak proverb, quoted and paraphrased by a number of famous figures over the years. The earliest on record was Daniel Defoe, in The Political History of the Devil in 1726.

Well, this week the death part doesn't concern us so much as the taxes.

Many Americans have spent this month scrambling to get their taxes filed, and for many of the rest of us our own turn comes due in just a couple of months. With that in mind, I thought I'd talk about the taxation status of virtual assets.

Continue reading The Virtual Whirl: Death and taxes

The Virtual Whirl: Death and taxes originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 01 May 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CCP opens UK office

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: EVE Online, MMO industry, News items, Consoles, DUST 514

Growth in the MMO industry hasn't been limited to companies named after weather phenomena. CCP Games, makers of the popular sandbox title EVE Online and its upcoming spinoff DUST 514, have done quite a bit of growing themselves. Their merger with game publisher White Wolf and their office in China are old news, but they've just added a little more space under their control. It's confirmed that CCP has opened a new office in Newcastle, their first branch in the United Kingdom and a new home of development with a slight console focus.

Much of the staff in the Newcastle office has been absorbed from the former offices of the recently-defunct Midway Studios branch in Newcastle, including executive Robert Troughton. It's slated to work on "current and future" console products, which no doubt includes DUST 514 as well as future games from the studio. After a number of closures and failures, it's good to see the industry regaining its footing, and expanded studios can only be good for CCP's fans and its games. And if you happen to be a software engineer in the area with some console experience, well, they are hiring...

CCP opens UK office originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Namco Bandai to distribute Cities XL in United Kingdom

Kyle Horner — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, New titles, News items, Cities XL

Fresh off their merger and complete with a new-ish name, Namco Bandai has announced a UK publishing deal for urban management MMO Cities XL. More specifically, the publisher is set to distribute the Monte Cristo developed title in the UK, Italy, Nordic countries, Iberica, New Zealand and Australia. Distribution elsewhere will be handled by Monte Cristo themselves.

If you're looking for more information on Cities XL, we've got a detailed hands-on preview written by our very own Shawn Schuster. Plus, we're still offering the opportunity to win a shiny beta key so you can try the game out for yourself. It's a good time to be both an MMO and city builder fan, which is strange to write but feels oh-so-good.

Namco Bandai to distribute Cities XL in United Kingdom originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What does Spellborn still need for a successful US/UK launch?

Shawn Schuster — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Business models, Game mechanics, MMO industry, The Chronicles of Spellborn, Free-to-play

Here we are a month after the European launch of The Chronicles of Spellborn, and we find ourselves gearing up for the US and UK launches very soon. What has changed since the EU launch and what have the developers learned throughout the month after launch? MMORPG.com's Patrick S. Marshall takes a look and gives us his opinions on what the game still needs to make it in this hard-knock era for start-up MMOs.

"The bottom line is that the game could use some more players, especially on the international servers, which are considerably less populated than the French or German servers," Marshall says in the article. "The UK is separated from Europe publisher-wise by a territorial IP-ban (Acclaim is publishing TCoS in the US and the UK - Frogster does the rest of Europe and Asia)." For more information on The Chronicles of Spellborn and their upcoming US/UK launch, check out their main website.

What does Spellborn still need for a successful US/UK launch? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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4,000 copies of Age of Conan stolen in biggest, most pointless MMO heist ever

Samuel Axon — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, News items, Humor

Thieves in the United Kingdom city of Bradford stole 4,000 retail copies of Age of Conan from the back of a truck late at night on Tuesday the 28th of October. The original source, Telegraph & Argus, claims that it was an Xbox 360 version of the game, but we're going to keep our sanity caps on and presume that was an error.

Police are trying to track down the thieves, but we're thinking it ought to be pretty easy to find them if they actually try to play the game themselves, seeing as how they'll need to register with a credit card number and other personal information to do so. We're guessing the thieves didn't realize that when they stole the boxes, eh? No good can come of this for anyone!

[Via CVG]

Having fun in Conan's homeland? Make sure to check out all of our previous Age of Conan coverage, and stick with Massively for more news from the Hyborian Age!

4,000 copies of Age of Conan stolen in biggest, most pointless MMO heist ever originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Richard Bartle laments poor state of game education in the UK

Samuel Axon — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, Academic

Richard Bartle -- the man who co-invented MUDs at the University of Essex in 1978 -- described the poor state of game-related academic study and education when speaking at the Edinburgh Interactive Festival a few days ago.

Bartle made a distinction between games-focused training (the acquisition of skills by instruction) and games-focused education (the development of understanding through learning). He said that the United Kingdom's colleges are short on education, even though training is available at some universities.

He noted that symptoms of this problem are already apparent: the academic community, such as it is, has been unable to agree (or even engage in cohesive discourse) about the reasons men and women often play as characters of a different sex than their own in MMOs.

Richard Bartle laments poor state of game education in the UK originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 16 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vivendi UK sees cuts as part of ActiBlizz merger

Chris Chester — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, News items

While much of the coverage of the union between Activision and Vivendi Universal has focused on the people reaping the benefits--including those indirectly affected by Blizzard's rockstar status as well as those who saw direct monetary advantage--little attention has been paid as yet to the victims of this mega merger. According to recent reports, Activision Blizzard will be making cost-saving staffing cuts in Vivendi's UK divisions. Several Sierra titles are also reportedly getting the axe as part of the merger.

Just in case any Massively readers in the UK were wondering, this won't affect your World of Warcraft experience at all, as Blizzard's European division is being left to its own devices. This seems to only reaffirm the long-espoused notion that Blizzard was really the only prize in which Activision was actually interested. If Vivendi's other games fall by the wayside, we doubt the ActiBlizz senior management would bat an eyelash. Still, our hearts go out to the folks who have lost their jobs, and we wish them a fruitful and speedy job hunt!

Vivendi UK sees cuts as part of ActiBlizz merger originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brits may see another WAR delay

Kyle Horner — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: New titles, Warhammer Online, News items

Don't worry too much, there's just a slight probability -- nothing too serious! We just thought you may want to know that due to government-proposed changes to the age rating system for videogames, there's a slight chance that Warhammer Online could see a delay in the UK. However, what's more likely to happen is the game will have to jump through one or two more hoops, so to speak. So this is actually something that's more a pain for Electronic Arts than anyone looking forward to playing Warhammer Online later this year.

Still, being ever-watchful of some of our more anticipated MMOs means that we're keeping this worry on a backburner somewhere in our brains. Somehow we imagine that if anything were to delay EA Mythic's Waaagh-filled MMO, it would be something unexpected like a ratings system change. After all, seeing as how WAR is aiming for a teen-and-up demographic the Byron Review could come into play here.

Brits may see another WAR delay originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCsoft begins selling 14-day MMO trials at retail

Samuel Axon — Thu, 15 May 2008 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: City of Heroes, City of Villains, Guild Wars, Lineage 2, Business models, MMO industry, News items, Tabula Rasa

NCsoft Europe announced that it has begun selling in the U.K. what it calls "starter packs" for some of its games - City of Heroes, City of Villains, Guild Wars, and Lineage II. Tabula Rasa will follow later in the year. The packs cost £1.99 at retail, and come with all game content plus a two week trial subscription period, encouraging players to return to buy the game at retail when the period ends.

This is essentially your standard 14-day trial -- a staple in the industry -- made available through retail for would-be subscribers who might not come across such opportunities on the web. NCsoft hopes that this move will net some new customers -- especially for its struggling properties.

"In an ever increasingly digitally orientated retail environment, encouraging players to return to retail is a win-win for both outlet and publisher," said an NCsoft rep. We had heard that the whole digital download thing could be the saving grace of the PC platform, but whatever!

NCsoft begins selling 14-day MMO trials at retail originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 May 2008 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tanya Byron addresses addiction, walks a fine line on TV

Samuel Axon — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Culture, News items, Opinion

Some members of the gaming community were offended by the content of a BBC TV special written by psychologist Tanya Byron. The special spent a fair amount of time addressing the issue of game addiction. Among other things, it suggested that World of Warcraft addicts have some things in common with heroin or cocaine junkies, and even called WoW "a childish fantasy game."

Gaming addiction is a real problem that needs to be addressed, but it's difficult not to cringe when comparisons like that are made in a society still rampant with misconceptions and prejudices about the medium. That said, don't start demonizing Tanya Byron just yet.

Continue reading Tanya Byron addresses addiction, walks a fine line on TV

Tanya Byron addresses addiction, walks a fine line on TV originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Apr 2008 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Won't somebody please think of the children?

Chris Chester — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, Academic

Last year, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown commissioned the Department of Children, Schools, and Families to write a report on, among other things, the potentially harmful effects of the internet and video games on children and young people. Many harbored fears, based on past precedent, that this report wouldn't cast the game industry in a particularly flattering light. Despite these fears, the study, called the Byron Report, is not quite as damning as we might have thought.

In particular, the chapter on online games identifies the fact that the discussion about online games and children should be moving away from seeking to find causal links between games and harm in favor of finding ways to empower children to make smart choices when it comes to games. At the same time, they recognize that its in their nature for children to push boundaries, and parents have to be willing to overcome their lack of awareness (with the help of retailers and the game industry in general) in order to police their children's online behavior.

While we don't agree with all the recommendations of the report, which include some more Big Brother aspects like regulating content on the internet, we think that online games at least got a pass.

[Via Terra Nova]

Won't somebody please think of the children? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Connect08 Wrapup: LotRO lowdown, Jumpgate juicies and D&D delights

Jennie Lees — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Galleries, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Jumpgate Evolution, Lord of the Rings Online, Events, real-world, Massively Event Coverage

Codemasters' Connect08, held last Friday and Saturday in Birmingham, was an interesting event in a number of ways. We Europeans rarely feel much love from Stateside publishers -- we're shuttled off on to our own servers, we have to wait longer for patches and news, and we're even not sure we're even being listened to half the time. That's why it was great to see not only an event for European players (I met people who'd travelled from Italy, Holland and Germany to be there) but also a major news announcement on my home turf.

Of course, Codemasters aren't the only ones doing this -- NCsoft have a blockbuster event next weekend, and have held others in the past, plus Blizzard occasionally run the odd knees-up in that Gallic pays du vin to the south. Here's hoping we'll see more of the same.

Connect08: The coverage you don't want to miss

	*Lord of the Rings Online* Volume II, Mines of Moria, was announced; we investigated the teaser site, got you more information (including pixplz) and topped it off with a Q&A and interview with producer Jeffrey Steefel.
	*Jumpgate Evolution* We previewed this upcoming title from NetDevil and quizzed president Scott Brown on the game. More on its way in coming months!
	*Dungeons & Dragons Online* All your burning Monk desires are sated with the player Q&A and preview, which also talks about the crafting changes. Tonsure-tastic!

Gallery: Codemasters' Connect08

Connect08 Wrapup: LotRO lowdown, Jumpgate juicies and D&D delights originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Second Life: BBC documentary about virtual adultery

Eloise Pasteur — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: News items, Opinion, Second Life

Well, it's been said often enough before, but Second Life is all about sex. That, at least, would be the impression you would gain from the documentary that has just finished (2:30 SL Time) on BBC2. The programme dealt with 2 Second Life couples. One couple were both in a RL relationship with others, in the other couple she was married, he was single.

The first couple were both unhappy, have separated from their former partners, married in Second Life, Real Life and are expecting a baby. The other couple, she was depressed (not necessarily about her marriage), he agitated for her to come and visit in RL. She wouldn't, he left her and so she went to visit. Whether or not it would have been different if she'd gone earlier, who will know. They're now separated in SL, not interested in RL, and she is working with her husband in therapy to make her marriage work.

In that sense, a fairly balanced programme I guess. And there are definitely people I know where this describes their SL relationships well. Then there are couples where they meet in SL as single people, get together in SL, get together in RL and get married. The whole gamut of human relationships (and some others too) are expressed, because the thing that is so often forgotten is that it's people doing this, bringing their human strengths and weaknesses to the world. An interesting programme though, even if it feels a bit like they needed the spice of adultery to sell it... shame really. Oh, I had a chuckle, if you've seen the programme and remember the lighthouse, it's one of my lighthouse lights that's all over the BBC.

I've tried, I can't find any links on BBC pages but it has shown up on iPlayer. Thanks Andy.

[EDIT: added link to iPlayer to allow you to watch it]

Second Life: BBC documentary about virtual adultery originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Codemasters to reveal new MMO in March

Samuel Axon — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Events, real-world, MMO industry, New titles, News items

Codemasters -- the U.K. company that runs DDO, LotRO, RF Online, and ArchLord in the European market -- has announced a coming announcement. Is that anything like having a meeting to talk about having a meeting?

Wisecracks aside, here's what the folks at Codemasters want every one to know: they will be announcing a new MMO at the Connect 2008 event in March. Connect 2008 is Codemasters' own online gaming expo of sorts. It will take place in Birmingham. Oh, and the game will be playable at the event, too. If you're in the U.K. and you're an avid player of one of Codemasters' games, it might be worth a trip.

So mark your calendars for March 14th; then and only then will we know what this mysterious European release is! There's a sign-up sheet for event-related news alerts in case you want to be really, really on top of this, but rest assured that we'll bring you all the info as soon as it comes.

Codemasters to reveal new MMO in March originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NHS plans future in Second Life

Eloise Pasteur — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Events, real-world, News items, Second Life

The National Health Service, the largest health care provider in the world, held an International Clinic Summit earlier this week with the remit of making sure the future of the NHS is clinically led and can meet the demands of delivering health care over the next decade. This summit was held in parallel in real life and Second Life and you can parts of the presentations and webcasts via the summit's website.

This isn't the first such meeting that has spilled across real life and Second Life of course, famously Eduserv was here in May and reported in the mainstream UK media, and the iCommons summit in June ran in parallel too. However, Second Life is becoming a common method for virtual attendance at meetings, despite the doomsayers and naysayers, and becoming widely accepted at the highest levels, at least in the UK.

NHS plans future in Second Life originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 24 Nov 2007 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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