Massively

One Shots: Paging the burn ward

Justin Olivetti — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Screenshots, Asheron's Call, Guild Wars, Culture, Tabula Rasa, One Shots, Vindictus, Miscellaneous

It's a little amazing, when you think about it, that all of these magic-users who prance around in extremely flammable robes don't suffer from third-degree burns more than we see. Or maybe the game is hiding the awful, scarred truth from us. In any case, our opening screenshot this week should have resulted in a quick trip to the ER for both parties.

"This is a simple yet fun battle in Vindictus' early levels," reader Carolina says. "I love the detail of the damaged shoe on my spellcaster character."

Forget the human element; now the shoes are the ones suffering for our casual disregard of fiery magic! If you can get past the misery of the moment, we've got plenty of other great one shots this week for you to admire.

Continue reading One Shots: Paging the burn ward

One Shots: Paging the burn ward originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 07 Apr 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist: When sequels attack!

Justin Olivetti — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Asheron's Call, Darkfall, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Guild Wars, Lineage, Lineage 2, Neocron 2, PlanetSide, RuneScape, Guild Wars 2, Global Agenda, Final Fantasy XIV, The Game Archaeologist, Miscellaneous, PlanetSide 2

Sequels are both the bane of and a fact of life for movies and video games. Well, "bane" is a strong word, and you're probably thinking of Batman right now anyway, but personally, I'm always willing to give the benefit of doubt to any continuation of a favorite franchise. While we don't see sequels pop up as often in MMOs, they do exist and have significant effects upon the original title that bears the same name.

It's here that MMOs diverge from movies and other video games. With those, the original is not in any sort of danger, other than the perception of having its legacy dragged down into the muck (Caddyshack II, anyone?) and perhaps overstaying its welcome. An MMO sequel, on the other hand, can cause serious consequences to its ancestor.

Here at Game Archaeologist, we look at classic games that have often seen their time come and go. But what happens to one of these titles when a sequel attacks? Almost anything, it turns out.

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist: When sequels attack!

The Game Archaeologist: When sequels attack! originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 23 Mar 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Turbine's servers down 34 hours and counting, studio comps players

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Asheron's Call, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Lord of the Rings Online, MMO Industry, Free-to-Play

A period of global maintenance for Turbine's servers is now pushing well into its second day of downtime for all of the studio's games. Dungeons and Dragons Online, Lord of the Rings Online, and both Asheron's Call titles have been offline since 6:00 a.m. on February 14th. The servers were scheduled to be brought back online after 24 hours, but as of the time of this writing, they are still down as the studio works on issues that "cropped up during the night."

The downtime was to overhaul the billing system and other back-end projects.

LotRO CM Sapience posted this update at 4:20 p.m. EST:

"We are working to resolve ongoing issues with our system maintenance. At this time we do not have a specific estimate for when the game servers will be available. Our goal is to make the games available as soon as possible. However we would like to advise players that the service may continue to be unavailable this evening. We will continue to provide updates as we have them.

"As a thank you for your understanding and patience during this downtime, all Premium and VIP players who have logged into their account in the past 30 days (as of 6:00 a.m. EST on 2/14/2013) will receive 250 Turbine points. In addition, all VIP players who have logged in during the same period will have their accounts credited one day of VIP time for each day of downtime, plus one additional day. All points and additional time will be granted automatically as soon as our regular service is restored and stable."

Turbine's servers down 34 hours and counting, studio comps players originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Feb 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist's top MMO stories of 2012

Justin Olivetti — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Anarchy Online, Asheron's Call, City of Heroes, EverQuest, Final Fantasy XI, Meridian 59, Culture, MMO Industry, Ultima Online, Vanguard, Shadowbane, Everquest Online Adventures, The Game Archaeologist, Miscellaneous

As another gaming year spins to a close, we here at the Institute for Digital Interactive Entertainment have been holding our archaeological department hostage with a trained buffy-tufted marmoset until it delivered a final report. After hours of begging and infected monkey bites, the head of that department, Prof. Justin Olivetti, Ph.D., handed us a scrap of urine-soaked paper with the following article inscribed.

While the Institute strongly suggests that you ignore this report and instead work on your button-mashing exercises, the board of directors stated that all such papers must be posted for the public to see.

This report is presented in the Yetbari typeface and contains a sequential series of items that number between 11 and 13.

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist's top MMO stories of 2012

The Game Archaeologist's top MMO stories of 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 29 Dec 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Stream Team: Peace on Earth edition, December 24 - 30, 2012

MJ Guthrie — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Polls, Massively Meta, Livestream, Miscellaneous, The Stream Team

I don't know about you, but I am pretty glad the world didn't end, either by a butterfly flapping its wings or by World of Warcraft shutting down (your top two votes!). Despite all the troubles in it, I'm still pretty fond of this place. After all, this is where the MMOs are! And Massively TV. Of course, there are many other reasons, not the least of which is this very special time of year.

On that note, The Stream Team wishes you all a wonderful holiday season. May your homes and lives be filled with peace, happiness, and lightning-fast internet! Oh, and also the sound of this week's streams...

Continue reading The Stream Team: Peace on Earth edition, December 24 - 30, 2012

The Stream Team: Peace on Earth edition, December 24 - 30, 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Dec 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively Speaking Episode 229: SexyTime

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Podcasts, Age of Conan, Darkfall, MMO Industry, Massively Meta, The Secret World, Massively Speaking, Miscellaneous

December was supposed to be a quiet, tame month, but has turned into a poop-flinging monkey madhouse! Co-hosts Bree and Justin dissect the craziest news from this past week, including a long-dead MMO come back from the grave, a major title going buy-to-play, and winter holidays springing up all over the place.

Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot an email to podcast@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air!

Get the podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to Massively Speaking directly in iTunes.
[RSS] Add Massively Speaking to your RSS aggregator.
[MP3] Download the MP3 directly.
Listen here on the page:

Read below the cut for the full show notes.

Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 229: SexyTime

Massively Speaking Episode 229: SexyTime originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 Dec 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leaderboard: Is Asheron's Call 2 a long-term home or a short-term novelty?

Jef Reahard — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Asheron's Call, Business Models, MMO Industry, Opinion, Leaderboard

So Asheron's Call 2 is back. And if that's not the strangest sentence I've typed all year, then I don't know what is. Turbine's 10-year-old fantasy sequel dropped off everyone's radar seven years ago and was suddenly reanimated last week seemingly out of the blue.

It's hard to know what motivated the resurrection, as AC2 wasn't a hugely successful MMO even by the genre's incredibly modest pre-World of Warcraft standards. Is Turbine simply looking for a bit of extra end-of-the-year income or does it plan to actually develop the game over time? Is this merely a way to wring a bit more revenue out of the original Asheron's Call minus any significant production costs (you must sub to AC to access AC2, currently), or is AC2 going to implement its own subscription plan or some sort of cash shop?

Whatever the reasons, it's a feel-good story and an early Christmas present for fans who wrote the game off years ago. With the rash of MMO closings over the past 12 months, though, I suspect that some folks are wary of settling down in AC2 even though they might want to. For today's Leaderboard, tell us how you're playing Asheron's Call 2. Is it looking like your long-term MMO home, or is it merely a novelty that you're checking out while you can? Vote after the cut.

Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!

Continue reading Leaderboard: Is Asheron's Call 2 a long-term home or a short-term novelty?

Leaderboard: Is Asheron's Call 2 a long-term home or a short-term novelty? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Dec 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Stream Team: End of the world edition, December 17 - 23, 2012

MJ Guthrie — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Polls, Massively Meta, Livestream, Miscellaneous, The Stream Team

It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine! Why? Because we've got The Stream Team to keep us company in the final week! So even if the world ends on December 21st, there are plenty of wacky Massively antics to keep us entertained. What's on the schedule this time around? Plenty -- see for yourself.

But wait, if the world is ending, why bother extending the schedule past the fateful date of destruction? Well, it just looked too unbalanced when chopped in half! And besides, if the world ends with a zombie apocalypse, who's to say that we won't enjoy some shows even when we become zombies? Speaking of endings, what is your prediction for the final finale?

Continue reading The Stream Team: End of the world edition, December 17 - 23, 2012

The Stream Team: End of the world edition, December 17 - 23, 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Dec 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Asheron's Call 2 producer weighs in on the revived game

Eliot Lefebvre — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, News Items

It's always a sad day when a game you worked on shuts down. You shed your tears and move on, most likely wishing you could have the game back but knowing it's gone for good. But Asheron's Call 2 has come back against all odds, and while it's not yet clear what the future will hold for the dead-and-revived game, former producer Eric Heimburg quickly jumped in to see how well the game holds up in a more modern sense.

Heimburg's main complaints are that the game's interface hasn't held up very well (requiring players to click through several screens just to compare item stats) and the huge world can lead to some travel issues. He also shares some insights regarding some of the strange elements of the beta, including the absence of a friend list feature. It's an interesting look not just behind the scenes of a game no one expected to return, but at the differences between a game long remembered and the game that actually existed.

[Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]

Asheron's Call 2 producer weighs in on the revived game originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 16 Dec 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist: Asheron's Call 2 returns from the dead

Justin Olivetti — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Asheron's Call, Launches, MMO Industry, Opinion, The Game Archaeologist

No, the above picture is not some sort of long-forgotten, dusty archive picture of Asheron's Call 2 from back in the day; it's from the live game this past Thursday evening. How incredibly, insanely weird is that?

Turbine absolutely stunned the MMO community the other day when it casually announced that it was bringing back its second title, cancelled since 2005, on a new server. Our editor-in-chief burst into the office chat room screaming, "AC2! AC2! AC2!" It took us a minute to realize that she wasn't just discovering the Assassin's Creed series but had in fact learned that the impossible had happened: An old, deceased MMO had been brought back to life.

As the resident MMO historian here at Massively, I felt this was kind of like going to Jurassic Park and seeing all of those dinosaurs after spending most of my time merely reading about them. In the blink of an eye, Asheron's Call 2 went from the ancient past to the playable present. We've got a lot to talk about today, including my hands-on experiences with the title and thoughts about what this means for classic MMOs. Let's not waste any time!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist: Asheron's Call 2 returns from the dead

The Game Archaeologist: Asheron's Call 2 returns from the dead originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 15 Dec 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Turbine brings back Asheron's Call 2

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 16:20:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Asheron's Call, MMO Industry

Well this is one story we never thought we'd be writing: Asheron's Call 2 is coming back from the dead. No, really! Turbine announced the return of the long-dormant title, which will be on a brand-new server called Dawnsong. The studio also provided a link to download the old client.

There are a few caveats that come with this MMO resurrection. You have to be an active subscriber to Asheron's Call to take advantage of the AC2 server, and the game is currently in beta status, so there might be a few hiccups as Turbine figures things out.

Asheron's Call 2 came out in 2002 and was closed in 2005. Our Game Archaeologist column has a great retrospective to bring you up to speed if you're unfamiliar with this short-lived MMO.

[Thanks to Padre for the tip!]

Turbine brings back Asheron's Call 2 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Dec 2012 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leaderboard: MMO most worthy of resurrection

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Polls, Opinion, Miscellaneous, Leaderboard

I had an interesting revelation this past week. While it seems that we've had so many MMOs shutting down over the year, when I look at the big picture of all of the major titles that have been released, the vast majority of them are still in operation. It made me realize just how resilient and strong this industry is.

Yet there are those games that have seen their final days and exist now only in our memories and dusty screenshot folders. Some might be good riddance to us; others are still painful wounds. We've all harbored fantasies of MMOs coming back from the great beyond for a second lease on life, but if you had to choose just one, what would it be?

That's the topic for today's poll, so look at the following list and think long and hard about your choice. Resurrection isn't something that happens every day in MMOs, after all.

Continue reading Leaderboard: MMO most worthy of resurrection

Leaderboard: MMO most worthy of resurrection originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Sep 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Road to Mordor: Making music together

Justin Olivetti — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Culture, Game Mechanics, Free-to-Play, The Road to Mordor

I sat on the pebbly ground of Amon Sul, occasionally panning my camera around to drink in the sight of hundreds of players gathered in an impossibly small area. While the game chugged to support all of the bodies, we passed the time with chatter until the event began. It was, of course, Weatherstock IV, and I had a front-row seat for the show.

Weatherstock is probably the most famous of Lord of the Rings Online's many, many player events. The four-year-running concert gathers together some of the game's best bands for hours of music as they compete for top prizes. In between the sets, the concert's sponsors occasionally blast the theme song (Weatherstock Forever) and encourage folks to vote for their favorites.

For an event that had me doing little more than sitting still and turning up the speakers, it was incredibly involving. A thought kept bouncing around in my head: Why don't more games let players do this?

The richness of LotRO's music system belays any claim that it's just frills and fluffery. Player music is part of what gives this game life instead of just actions. When we make music together, we take ownership of the virtual world we inhabit.

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Making music together

The Road to Mordor: Making music together originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 23 Jun 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Is maintenance mode better than nothing at all?

Brianna Royce — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST

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

In the last few years, long before rumors that Vanguard would be heading down the F2P path were confirmed, players groused about the state of the game, complaining that SOE was allowing the game to languish with no devs and no updates. Those were exaggerations, of course, but the players were vocal about their perceived neglect, throwing around dirty words like "abandonware," and worse, "maintenance mode" -- the idea that an MMO is just kept as is with no updates and only enough attention to keep the servers running.

Of course, players whose games were sunsetted entirely (Tabula Rasa, Asheron's Call 2, and The Matrix Online, to name a few) might have wished for maintenance mode rather than death. Getting no updates might suck, but at least you still have a game to play.

What say you -- is maintenance mode better than nothing at all?

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: Is maintenance mode better than nothing at all? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist seals up 2011

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: A Tale in the Desert, Asheron's Call, Dark Age of Camelot, EverQuest, Lineage, Meridian 59, PlanetSide, Shadowbane, Everquest Online Adventures, The Game Archaeologist, Miscellaneous

You know what I love about the end of each year? The lists. Man, but I'm a sucker for lists, especially when they come in "best of" varieties. In the lull between Christmas and New Year's, there typically isn't a lot happening in the world of entertainment, so it's a good time to look back before we head forward.

And so it is for The Game Archaeologist. 2011 marks the second year I've been doing this column, and it's been one of my personal favorite series to write. Every week I'm learning more and more about the history of the MMO genre, and I'm encouraged to see just how much passion and interest there are for the titles that started it all and got us to where we are today.

So before we head into 2012, let's take one last glimpse back at the road we've traveled. If you've missed out on any of these columns or want to revisit your favorite classic MMO, I've compiled a huge list of everything I talked about this year, from histories to interviews to player stories. There's also a special request for you (yes, you) at the end of this column, so do me a favor and hit that jump!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist seals up 2011

The Game Archaeologist seals up 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist answers Asheron's Call 2: The community

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Asheron's Call, Culture, Opinion, The Game Archaeologist

Time machines are expensive, and with gas the price it is today, it's not always viable to fuel up your DeLorean and travel back to the early 2000s just to check out some of those long-gone MMOs. Fortunately, jawing about them with former players and developers is the next best method of revisiting canceled MMOs.

It's been a personal treat to spend the month covering a game I never got to see when it was live. Asheron's Call 2 seems like it was a special game that tried hard and resulted in spectacular ideas and flaws alike. We've gotten to hear from former fansite owners and a developer on the team, which leaves just one group to check in with: the players themselves.

So today it's all about reminiscing over AC2 with the players who still carry a torch for this title and perhaps have a poster of it on the ceiling over their beds. I wouldn't be surprised if there's one or two people out there who made "children" out of discarded Asheron's Call 2 boxes and have enrolled them in elementary school only to be declined because they couldn't be authenticated. That's just how much love there is out there for this game.

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist answers Asheron's Call 2: The community

The Game Archaeologist answers Asheron's Call 2: The community originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Global Chat: October 16-22, 2011

Rubi Bayer — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Opinion, Global Chat, Miscellaneous

Welcome to this week's Global Chat! We love hearing what you have to say at Massively, and we love it even more when we can share the best comments with all of our readers. Massively staffers will be contributing some of their favorite comments every week, so keep an eye out every Sunday for more Global Chat!

While almost all of our news stories and columns are game-specific, the conversation that follows in the comments often expands beyond the game in question. Discussion turns to mechanics, development styles, and industry trends. Even if the game in the original story isn't your thing, you may find some interesting conversation, so follow along after the jump to see what some of our readers had to say last week.

Continue reading Global Chat: October 16-22, 2011

Global Chat: October 16-22, 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 23 Oct 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist answers Asheron's Call 2: The former dev

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Asheron's Call, Expansions, MMO Industry, The Game Archaeologist

I've been a long-time follower of Eric Heimburg on his blog, Elder Game, where he and a friend have spent years delivering insightful commentary about MMOs and supermodels (well, mostly MMOs). Because I'm not that observant a fellow and I assume that most fellow bloggers are mere players like I am, I didn't realize until a little while ago that he and his co-writer were former Turbine developers who had worked on Asheron's Call and Asheron's Call 2.

You can see where this is going.

Once I learned that, I knew I had to get him to contribute to this series. I began a multi-year wooing campaign that involved skywriting, cupcakes, celebrity kiss-o-grams, envelopes stuffed with unmarked bills, and all the tea in China. Of course, this was well after he'd already said "yes" to it, but I like to keep up appearances.

So hit the jump as I talk to a guy who was on the flipside of Asheron's Call 2 as a producer and generally swell fella!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist answers Asheron's Call 2: The former dev

The Game Archaeologist answers Asheron's Call 2: The former dev originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Are MMO sequels doomed to fail?

Brianna Royce — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST

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

Massively's Justin Olivetti has been covering the late great Asheron's Call 2 in this month's Game Archaeologist series. In it, he and his interview subjects suggest that the early closure of the game was due in part to the fact that AC2 was a sequel -- and worse, it was a sequel to a game that was still running alongside of it.

It isn't as though all sequels are failures; EverQuest and EverQuest II are both still around, after all, though EQII has never quite risen to the relative prominence of its predecessor. And Guild Wars 2 is right around the corner ("when it's ready"). But we can certainly point to other sequels that never even made it to launch, like Ultima Online 2 and Ultima X: Odyssey, which were canned specifically because the developer believed they would hurt their big brother, classic Ultima Online. What do you think? Are sequels generally a bad idea, too risky, doomed to fail? Are GW2 and EQII among the few exceptions that prove the rule? Or should we embrace a modern, graphically enhanced "re-envisioning" (as PlanetSide 2 is putting it) of old and beloved games?

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: Are MMO sequels doomed to fail? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist answers Asheron's Call 2: The fansite managers

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Asheron's Call, Interviews, The Game Archaeologist, Post-Apocalyptic

Back when I covered Asheron's Call for The Game Archaeologist, I got an impassioned email from a former fansite operator who made me promise that I'd drop her a line when the time came to talk about Asheron's Call 2, as she was not only a huge fan of the title but still in contact with many former players who carry a torch for Turbine's long-departed MMO. One thing led to another, and I ended up talking to both her and a fellow AC2 fansite manager about the ups and downs of covering the second coming of Dereth...

The Game Archaeologist: Please introduce yourself, your current job position, and how you got involved with Asheron's Call 2 back in the day?

Kiersten Samwell: I'm Kiersten Samwell, Community Relations and Social Media Manager for KingsIsle Entertainment, the creator of Wizard101. I used to be the Site Manager for Warcry's Crossroads of Dereth/Asheron's Call site as Ellen Ripley, so it was natural to work with the site manager of their Asheron's Call 2 fansite as well. His name is Roberto, and he was just an incredible site manager. Of course, being an avid AC1 player, I enjoyed AC2 for both its similarities to and its differences from AC1.

Robert Hackett: Hi, I'm Robert Hackett, the Managing MMO Editor of GamersInfo.net. I actually got invited to one of the betas along with a friend of mine. The lag was so bad (the day I logged in may have been a stress test; I can't remember) that I told my friend that there was no way my rig could handle that. Fast forward to the month after release and Ophelea from the old AC Crossroads site begged me to come over to AC2 and be an editor for the database she was trying to build. Logged in and the game was a million percent better. I stayed to work on the database and eventually fell in love with it beyond "work!"

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist answers Asheron's Call 2: The fansite managers

The Game Archaeologist answers Asheron's Call 2: The fansite managers originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist answers Asheron's Call 2: The highlights

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Asheron's Call, Classes, Expansions, The Game Archaeologist

MMO sequels are funny animals. Sequels (along with prequels and "reimaginings") are ingrained into the entertainment industry so deep that it makes sense that MMO studios would follow suit. And yet these types of games -- with their ever-growing nature and heavy involvement with loyal playerbases -- are not always conducive to such projects. More often than not, a sequel to an online game becomes its ancestor's main competition, which is not a desirable outcome for the studio.

Perhaps back in the early 2000s, studios simply didn't know better. There's good evidence that the typical "hit video games need a sequel" mindset ran rampant across the industry, from the multiple attempts at Ultima Online 2 to the release of the don't-call-it-a-sequel sequel of EverQuest II. Perhaps developers didn't realize that MMO players didn't necessarily want to be uprooted and moved to a new game every few years.

While sequels, spin-offs and remakes are still present, the genre learned a hard lesson with Asheron's Call 2 in the first half of the decade. Asheron's Call was a success on Microsoft and Turbine's behalf, and a sequel -- with vastly improved graphics and deeper gameplay -- seemed like a logical next step. Unfortunately, it was a Greek tragedy in the making, destined for a short but memorable life in our world.

This month we're going to look at the brief shining star of Asheron's Call 2 and get all sorts of misty-eyed romantic over it!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist answers Asheron's Call 2: The highlights

The Game Archaeologist answers Asheron's Call 2: The highlights originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: Ultima X: Odyssey

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Ultima Online, Humor, The Game Archaeologist

Last week on The Game Archaeologist: Murder most foul! A promising sequel to a hit MMO cut down in its prime, left to die on the front steps of EA's headquarters while its team was banished into exile! With special guest star, Richard Garriott's hair braid.

And now, for the exciting conclusion!

As disappointed that some MMO fans were over Ultima Worlds Online: Origin's cancellation, the truth is that the industry still was young, these MMOs still had their "new car smell," and hey, there was always Ultima Online to play. It was probably the right call at the time to not create your own competition, but if that was the case, EA should've never begun it to begin with.

So did the company have a major case of cancellation remorse? Or did it look at other industry sequels like Asheron's Call 2 and EverQuest II and feel as though it was being upstaged?

Whatever the reason, EA decided that it had been too hasty, and it greenlit development on yet another Ultima Online sequel, this one titled Ultima X: Odyssey. It would go deeper and further into development, gather more acclaim, and generate more hype than UWO:O, and in fact would get within spitting distance of launching.

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: Ultima X: Odyssey

The Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: Ultima X: Odyssey originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Perfect Ten: The sadistic shopper's list for Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fury, RF Online, The Matrix Online, Hellgate: London, Tabula Rasa, All Points Bulletin, Humor, Promotions, Perfect Ten

With the holiday shopping season upon us, gamers are hot for great deals and cheap entertainment. As my wife's logic goes, if something is 80% off, you buy it, even if you didn't really want it in the first place. It's the principle of the thing, an automatic 80% dose of smug satisfaction at being a savvy shopper!

Not every deal should be pursued, however. Although most video games are playable for years and decades after release, not so with MMOs that have had their service shuttered. It's recently come to my attention that even though these games are completely unplayable -- rendered nothing more than a few cents' worth of a DVD and cardboard packaging -- online retailers haven't kept up with the times and keep these products on the virtual shelves long past their expiration dates.

That's not to say you should avoid these products at all cost, because studies show that a large percentage of Massively readers have a sick and twisted sense of humor. What would make a better gift this Christmas than a multi-million-dollar-budget MMO that died a horrible death years before?

So don't be the typical gifter who settles for a Blu-ray player or an iPod -- give a package of misery, disillusionment and broken dreams! Hit the jump for 10 items that absolutely belong in your shopping cart if you wish to be feared!

Continue reading The Perfect Ten: The sadistic shopper's list for Black Friday and Cyber Monday

The Perfect Ten: The sadistic shopper's list for Black Friday and Cyber Monday originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist and the Asheron Recall: Player sagas

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Asheron's Call, Interviews, The Game Archaeologist

It's an odd thing to realize how far MMOs have come right in front of our eyes in a relatively short span of time. After all, 1999 wasn't that long ago, despite what Prince and Y2K would have you believe. One day we'll be telling our children -- if we aren't already -- about the primitive MMOs that didn't feature RealGore[TM], motion sensor-linked emotes, and mostly nude elves dancing for tips on mailboxes. They may gasp and sputter in disbelief, but you'll assert that it is true: You experienced an era when polygons were blockier than LEGO pieces, people logged in over dial-up connections, and the community was small enough for GMs to host personal live events.

There's been a lot of love flowing into my email inbox and Twitter since posting the first Game Archaeologist on Asheron's Call, enough to tell me that this title is a dear old friend to many a seasoned gamer out there (including a few on the Massively staff who won't stop writing epic haikus about AC in its honor this month). As a result, I got in touch with two die-hard fans of the game, and they agreed to scribe their memories of this MMO for future generations to discover, generations who will undoubtedly marvel at the hardship and perserverence that such scrappy gamers showed in being part of the first wave of MMO players.

Without further ado, please give a warm round of applause to Amanda and Jon. No, nobody can hear you clap over the internet, but it's the thought that counts.

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist and the Asheron Recall: Player sagas

The Game Archaeologist and the Asheron Recall: Player sagas originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist and the Asheron Recall: The highlights

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Asheron's Call, MMO Industry, The Game Archaeologist

It's hard being the youngest child -- you get the hand-me-downs, suffer through swirlies by older siblings, and eventually develop such a neurosis that it requires seven different brands of horse tranquilizers to make it through the day. Not that I would actually know, being an oldest child and all. But I suppose it would be a hard-knock life.

In a couple ways, Asheron's Call was the youngest of the three MMO siblings that comprised the first major MMO generation. Ultima Online, the big brother, had prestige and legacy behind it, and middle child EverQuest quickly became the most popular at school. And then there was Asheron's Call, poking its head on the scene in late 1999 as a cooperative project between developer Turbine and publisher Microsoft. AC never got the recognition of Ultima Online nor the numbers of EverQuest, but this scrappy title became a fan favorite and endured even to this day -- beyond its own sequel, believe it or not.

Instead of plowing through a stale history report of Asheron's Call today, I thought it'd be fun to come up with a list of the eight most unique aspects of this fairly innovative 11-year-old MMO. Ah lists, how I adore thee -- let me count the ways. Eight ways, to be precise!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist and the Asheron Recall: The highlights

The Game Archaeologist and the Asheron Recall: The highlights originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: The Dead Pool

Justin Olivetti — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind

Now it's widely known that MMORPG players are a cheerful, optimistic bunch [citation needed]. It also goes without saying that no Massively reader would ever be caught wishing the downfall of a particular MMO or company [citation needed]. After all, the more titles that survive and thrive, the more the genre as a whole grows. With games like EverQuest, Ultima Online and Asheron's Call pushing well over a decade of run-time at this point, MMOs have proven that -- given a chance and enough initial steam -- they can go the distance.

However, realism is a nasty mistress, and we can't ignore the fact that sooner or later MMOs will shut down. We've seen some flare up and burn out quickly (Tabula Rasa, Auto Assault), some struggle for years before capitulating (The Matrix Online, Asheron's Call 2), and some quietly put to pasture after all attempts at prolonging life failed (Shadowbane). The dark truth is that even the games we currently play have a finite lifespan, and one day will see their light extinguished.

Cheery, right? So today, let's engage in a bit of macabre speculation and wager on a MMO dead pool. Without using this as a platform to rail against a MMO you hate and were personally wronged by on one midsummer's eve, what MMO do you think will be the next to close its doors? Will it be one of the newer titles, or one published by a company that has the tendency to shutter struggling games, or an aging beauty? Enter into today's dead pool, and earn the right to say "I told you so!" when the sad day happens. Because that will totally make you look tactful, don't you know.

The Daily Grind: The Dead Pool originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 06 Jun 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Where do you go after the end of the world?

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Server downtime, Opinion, The Daily Grind

Let's say that the unthinkable -- or at least, the undesirable -- happens tomorrow. Your favorite game's servers shut down today for good, and you're left with fond memories and little else. In the ancient refrain of the bartender, you don't have to go home, but you can't stay here. So that leaves you with the obvious question: where do you go now?

Some people would prefer to take a break from MMOs as a whole for a while, since the idea of investing time and effort into another one seems a bit less reasonable after you've watched one die. On the other hand, some people would like to get right back into the business of questing and slaughtering, even if they have to move back to an old standby to do it. Still others jump on to the next big thing with renewed vigor and start talking about how it'll be everything the now-dead game wanted to be but wasn't.

So what's your feeling? If your favorite game went belly-up this morning, would you soldier on to a different game, start looking for an upcoming release, or just move on with your life and leave MMOs behind?

The Daily Grind: Where do you go after the end of the world? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The failure of the beta defense

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Bugs, MMO Industry, Opinion

There are always people willing to defend a game, no matter what its flaws. You could have a game where the fundamental means of communication was broken for two months straight, and it would still have fans piping up and explaining why that isn't such a big deal. But with one high-profile game (Star Trek Online) finishing its beta, and several others slated to finish or start theirs, one of the classic defenses for a game's problems is losing much of its strengths: "well, it's still in beta."

Some of you may well recall our recent feature on betas, in which several developers alternately lamented and stated that the "open beta" is now essentially nothing more than a preview. Bio Break expounds on this point, noting that more often than not the defense of "it's just a beta" would only be valid if there was some large launch-day patch on deck to fix everything. Those patches, it's worth noting, occupy the same space as unicorns and fairies.

Broken parts of a game in open beta, more often than not, now mean that there will be something broken in the game at launch. That doesn't mean that the developers aren't working on fixing things, but it does mean that defending the beta as sacrosanct is lacking validity.

The failure of the beta defense originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When crafting community, little goes a long way

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Forums, Grouping, Opinion

Yes, that looks like a typo in the subject line and it ought to be "a little goes a long way." It isn't. Little itself goes a long way in making a community, as discussed in this recent post by Eric Heimburg. Speaking from his experiences both on Asheron's Call 2 as a producer and Aion as a player, his core contention is that smaller communities decrease anonymity and make politeness far more common for interactions among strangers.

One of the core reasons behind this is the question of reliance. The community of group-based games tends to be stonger than that of games where you can be almost wholly independent, since you rely upon others to work with you. By way of contrast, examine some of the behavior found in World of Warcraft's random dungeon tool, where you find yourself working with people whom you're statistically unlikely to ever see again.

One of the laments about solo-friendly games is the death of community, and while that's not altogether true, Heimburg's post certainly makes a number of compelling points. Well worth examining if you're interested in building a community or just in the ways groups develop.

When crafting community, little goes a long way originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What MMO would you like to see be brought back to life?

Seraphina Brennan — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business Models, Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind

Today is a day where we should honor our fallen. Motor City Online. Tabula Rasa. Auto Assault. Asheron's Call 2. Earth and Beyond. Underlight. Shadowbane. Castle Infinity. The Matrix Online. The Sims Online. Seed. All of these games, and more, are MMOs that have launched, played, and then died.

Each of these games has a reason for why it was cancelled, but the outcome remains the same -- they aren't online today and their clients are nothing more than wasted code sitting on a disk. Some of these games were our introduction to the genre. Others were our favorite games -- the ones that could trump even the largest names in the MMO business.

So Massively readers, which dead MMO would you like to see be resurrected? Tell us some stories as to why you pick your game of choice, and drop them all in the comment box below. Mourn with others, we encourage it!

The Daily Grind: What MMO would you like to see be brought back to life? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What unloved game do you adore?

Eliot Lefebvre — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST

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

If you had to describe the MMO field in one word - without using the words "virtual" or "massive" or "Warcraft" - you could do worse than picking "fickle". It's all but a law of nature that for every game that manages to get big-time exposure, there's another whose very name provokes boredom at best and vitriol at worst. For every Aion, there's a Tabula Rasa... or, if you want to be more ironic, for every Asheron's Call there's an Asheron's Call 2.

But no matter those obstacles, someone will love those games. There is always a fanbase, always people who play the game, always people sad when and if it dies. Maybe it's some quirky system that the game introduced that was interesting enough to overlook the game's other flaws, maybe it's a surfeit of flavor and roleplaying options, maybe it's even just the fact that the game is so badly designed the player gets a strange, Mystery Science Theater 3000 thrill out of the train wreck.

Whatever the reason, we've all got our pet games, whether we think they're underappreciated gems or bad games we love anyway. What's your favorite MMO that no one else seems to like?

The Daily Grind: What unloved game do you adore? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 04 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Can Champions Online overcome launch issues?

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Game Mechanics, Launches, Champions Online

Eric Heimburg over on Elder Game has weighed in on the state of Champions Online - more specifically, the problems that the game has been experiencing with new players, and some of the mixed reactions that the public has been experiencing. As a former design lead for Asheron's Call 2, he understandably draws some parallels between the two games, and speculates about where CO is going to head over the next few months and whether or not it can truly "take on" City of Heroes.

It's an interesting post, and one that asks some questions that we think a lot of those who had anticipated the game have been asking. Certainly the game's open beta and release dropped with a much-muffled hype, and it's undeniable that the game still has a lot of polishing left to do. Mr. Heimburg might be a little more fatalistic about the game's prospects than necessary, but 2009 has not been a kind year to MMOs thus far, and he's had first-hand experience with a game that just requires a few bits of polish never getting the chance to finish polishing.

Can Champions Online overcome launch issues? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The origins of Turbine, as told by its founder

Shawn Schuster — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Asheron's Call, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Lord of the Rings Online, MMO Industry, Academic, Education

Have you ever wondered how some current game studios were first created? Who started them? What was their initial aim? Many of these most successful companies were founded on the success of console games in the 90s. Take Blizzard, for instance. They started out in 1991 by three guys who had just received their bachelor's degrees from UCLA the year before. Ironically, they also created one of the early Lord of the Rings ports, as well.

With Turbine, the story is very similar. Jon Monsarrat, as the founder, CEO and officially Turbine's first employee, writes his narrative on the founding of the company back in 1995. Initially funded by some insurance money Jon got from a car accident, Turbine eventually evolved from the creator of Asheron's Call four years later, to the behemoth that it is today. This website is quite dated, and is listed in Turbine's official wikipedia entry, but the story is filled with some great tidbits that can only be told by the man who experienced it all, and it's certainly worth a read if you're a fan of any of Turbine's projects.

[Thanks Bam!]

The origins of Turbine, as told by its founder originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Turbine expands with West Coast office

Shawn Schuster — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Lord of the Rings Online, MMO Industry, News Items

Need more proof that Turbine is becoming a behemoth game studio? They've just announced the opening of their newest West Coast studio in Redwood City, CA. This studio is not a relocation from their Massachusetts office, but an expanded studio to bring new titles to market and expand into other platforms.

To head this new studio, Turbine has hired some industry giants, such as Dave Bervik as Creative Director, Jeff Lind as Engineering Director and Matt McKnight as Studio Director. Take a look at the complete press release after the jump to learn more about Turbine's plans with this new studio, as well as a working history for each of these industry vets.

Continue reading Turbine expands with West Coast office

Turbine expands with West Coast office originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Which deceased MMO do you miss the most?

Samuel Axon — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Opinion, The Daily Grind

It's official: Flagship Studios' Mythos beta has ceased to be. It's expired and gone to meet its maker. Bereft of life, it rests in peace. It is, in fact, an ex-MMO. Hellgate London subscriptions have halted, and it might soon join Mythos in the great void. There are hopes that they'll be back under a different banner -- or that Hellgate might not close at all -- but if only the worst happens, these two games will certainly be missed by many.

They are not the first ones we've lost, though. Underlight, Earth & Beyond, and Asheron's Call 2 have all gone the way of the 8-track tape. Saga of Ryzom went under as well, though it looks like it might make a comeback. Think about those games for a moment, or any others you've lost; which lost MMOs do you want back the most? Do you want them back because you played them and now you miss them, or because you never got to play them at all?

Consider this the Flagship Studios memorial Daily Grind!

The Daily Grind: Which deceased MMO do you miss the most? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 19 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Player vs. Everything: Game-hopping like a madman

Cameron Sorden — Fri, 16 May 2008 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Opinion, Hands-On, MUDs, Player vs. Everything

Chances are good that if you read Massively, you either currently play or have played multiple MMOGs in your life. Whatever your reasons are, you're one of those players for whom "MMO" is a genre instead of a game. Not all players are like this. A lot of players get their start somewhere and then stick to that game for years, denouncing all other games as being incapable of being better than their chosen virtual playground. I used to be like that with EverQuest (can you tell?). For four years I played it pretty much exclusively, not even trying other games. But eventually, I got bored.

Thus started my lengthy and storied history of game-hopping. Traveling from world to world like some sort of virtual nomad, fueled by my love of the online massively multiplayer game, I sampled much of what the genre had to offer. While I eventually found a new home and anchor in World of Warcraft, it only served as a nice place to return to every few months. I still ventured out into each new and exciting world that various companies served up to me. They all had things I liked and didn't like about them, and I honestly have yet to play a game that I couldn't find something good to say about. Every online game has its own cool quirks that are pretty neat from a design standpoint. This is why it's tough to identify an objectively "best" game -- they're all so different! I thought today I'd talk a little bit about what I've played over the years and how I ended up with the many and varied opinions on the MMOG genre that I have.

Continue reading Player vs. Everything: Game-hopping like a madman

Player vs. Everything: Game-hopping like a madman originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 May 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On the subject of risky MMO sequels

Kyle Horner — Sat, 03 May 2008 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, News Items, Opinion

One of the biggest problems an MMO developer faces -- after successfully launching their game and achieving a healthy bases of subscribers -- is keeping their game fresh. In some cases, developers have attempted a sequel, but the problem with that lies in getting the player base to move over.

EverQuest 2, Asheron's Call 2 and Linage 2 all faced seemingly lower subscription numbers than their predecessors. It would seem that sequels -- while able to be successful -- don't live up to the same success that the original games had. It's possible there could be an exception to the rule someday, but so far there hasn't been.

Continue reading On the subject of risky MMO sequels

On the subject of risky MMO sequels originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 03 May 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One Shots: This place looks familiar...

Elizabeth Harper — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Screenshots, Asheron's Call, One Shots

This game looks awfully familiar, doesn't it? The peaceful landscape, the cloud-covered sky, even the interface looks like something we've seen recently, doesn't it? But we're here to tell you, this is not the game you are looking for. Though this shot in particular bears a lot of similarity, both in setting and interface, to Turbine's latest MMO offering, Lord of the Rings Online, this shot is actually from the now defunct Asheron's Call 2. Schad, who sent in the shot, tells us, "It died, but I still have the screens!"

We're pretty excited to see screenshots in the One Shots mailbox for games other than Guild Wars. Not that we don't like Guild Wars -- but variety is the spice of life and we love to see shots from games we haven't highlighted lately. We only post what you send us send your screenshots and stories from games long dead to oneshots@massively.com. You may see it posted here tomorrow!

Gallery: One Shots

One Shots: This place looks familiar... originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 03 Dec 2007 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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