Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The Force is with SWTOR: EA stock bounces back, budget revealed]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/20/the-force-is-with-swtor-ea-stock-bounces-back-budget-revealed/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/20/the-force-is-with-swtor-ea-stock-bounces-back-budget-revealed/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/20/the-force-is-with-swtor-ea-stock-bounces-back-budget-revealed/#commentsFiled under: , ,

SWTOR
It seems like everyone is obsessed with the exact amount of money EA spent creating its most expensive title ever, but the Los Angeles Times may have a final number to end the discussion: Apparently, Star Wars: The Old Republic cost $200 million. Other interesting details from the Times' investigation into what it calls a "galactic gamble" include the fact that it was made by 800 people on four continents with an additional 1,000 voice actors (doing three languages) handling 4,000 characters.

The project was such a massive undertaking that BioWare co-founder Greg Zeschuk likened it to "teaching elephants to do ballet." One of the interesting details of this behind-the-scenes expose is that BioWare said that certain movies and TV miniseries influenced class storylines, such as Big Trouble in Little China for the Smuggler and Band of Brothers for the Trooper.

There's also some good news following yesterday's word of EA's stock hit. MarketWatch reports that several brokers have defended the title, resulting in a 2% bounce back in EA's stock. As part of that, a Pacific Crest analyst raised his predictions of quarter sales for SWTOR from 1.5 to 2.2 million, with 800,000 subscribers. Another analyst claims that over two million units of SWTOR have been sold since launch with an expectation that 75% to 90% of players will stay on as paid subscribers following the first free month.

MassivelyThe Force is with SWTOR: EA stock bounces back, budget revealed originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>band-of-brothersbig-trouble-in-little-chinabiowarebudgeteaea-biowareelectronic-artsGreg-Zeschukla-timeslos-angeles-timesmarketwatchpacific-creststar-wars-the-old-republicstockstock-analystsstock-brokersswtorvoice-actorsFri, 20 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EA quotes '200 hours of gameplay per class' in SWTOR]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/29/ea-200-hours-of-gameplay-per-class-in-swtor/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/29/ea-200-hours-of-gameplay-per-class-in-swtor/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/29/ea-200-hours-of-gameplay-per-class-in-swtor/#commentsFiled under: , ,

For most single-player video games, eight to 20 hours of gameplay is currently considered "sufficient." For Star Wars: The Old Republic, those numbers are merely a prologue to the main event.

In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Electronic Arts' Frank Gibeau said that players should expect around 200 hours of core gameplay per class, not including side activities like PvP and raiding. He was responding to a question about the game's allegedly high budget, which Gibeau says is worth the investment: "It's vast. It's a gigantic game. And that costs money. But when you get one of these launched they persist for a long period of time."

Gibeau also commented on the decision to exclusively release the digital version of SWTOR through EA's Origin service: "In the case of Star Wars we're trying to build an audience for Origin. And it's also an opportunity for us to better manage the downloads and how we bring people over from the beta and that sort of thing. For a lot of reasons it made sense for an MMO, which is a highly complex deployment."

MassivelyEA quotes '200 hours of gameplay per class' in SWTOR originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 29 Jun 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>200-hoursbiowarebudgetdigital-downloadeaea-biowareea-originelectronic-artsFrank-Gibeaugameplayintervieworiginstar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-old-republictorWed, 29 Jun 2011 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hyperspace Beacon: From a certain point of view]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/08/hyperspace-beacon-from-a-certain-point-of-view/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/08/hyperspace-beacon-from-a-certain-point-of-view/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/08/hyperspace-beacon-from-a-certain-point-of-view/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

It's interesting to me how a very tiny bit of misinformation can skew people's perception of -- well, anything, but let's say a game, for today's purposes. Just like a snowball rolling down a hill, misinformation collects more and more misinformation until it's totally out of control. People accept it as truth because there is no denying it's there. Sure, it's packed with lies. But it's big, so there has to be some truth in there, right?

There are many misconceptions and untruths about Star Wars: The Old Republic. People have posted in blogs about EA or SWTOR citing unnamed sources. It seems that a good chunk of these people are looking to knock down the giant that is The Old Republic. This surprises me because the game isn't even out, yet people see it as some sort of oppressive overlord -- like a certain Sith Emperor, maybe.

Today, I would like to analyze a couple of these myths and really attempt to understand why they are accepted. Although I want to show how these stories are wrong, there is a bit of truth in most of them, and I don't want to discount that. Follow me after break as we talk about release dates and wingless insects.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: From a certain point of view

MassivelyHyperspace Beacon: From a certain point of view originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 Feb 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BioWarebudgetEAea-louseElectronic-ArtsfeaturedLucasArtsrelease-daterumorsStar-Warsstar-wars-the-old-republicSWTORthe-old-republictorTue, 08 Feb 2011 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EA puts faith in The Old Republic's lifespan and profits]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/08/ea-puts-faith-in-the-old-republics-lifespan-and-profits/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/08/ea-puts-faith-in-the-old-republics-lifespan-and-profits/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/08/ea-puts-faith-in-the-old-republics-lifespan-and-profits/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

With all the cries of doom and gloom against Star Wars: The Old Republic -- not to mention accusations of a wildly bloated production budget -- one may be led to believe that TOR will fail even before it sees the light of day. EA, on the other hand, is expressing a calm confidence in the game's potential longevity and financial success.

According to Eurogamer, EA's CFO Eric Brown predicts that TOR will not only last over a decade, but will be profitable even if there are fewer than a million subscribers: "Our assumptions for break-even and profitability are not seven-digit subscribers. We think we can run and operate a very successful and profitable MMO at different levels. The key thing here is to really perfect the product. We're shooting for an extremely high quality game experience. We view this as a 10-year opportunity."

Brown previously admitted that TOR is the single largest project in the history of EA, and industry analysts have predicted that the title would need at least a million subscribers to break even.

MassivelyEA puts faith in The Old Republic's lifespan and profits originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Dec 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>budgetcfoeaelectronic-artseric-browneurogamerprofitstar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicsubscribersten-yearsthe-old-republictorWed, 08 Dec 2010 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Lost Pages of Taborea: Save those pennies]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/22/lost-pages-of-taborea-save-those-pennies/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/22/lost-pages-of-taborea-save-those-pennies/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/22/lost-pages-of-taborea-save-those-pennies/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Seeing players farm high-level dungeons can be a constant reminder that your gear sucks. If you really want to get into running instances and being the baddest of the bad, it's easy to feel pressured into spending money. Spending money isn't inherently bad. It's what makes the world go round. But it may behoove you to spend your hard earned dollars judiciously.

I want instant gratification as much as the next bloke, but it isn't going to happen for me. I have bills and a limited income stream. I have to budget time and money. Everyone will have to do it someday, no matter what his or her income potential is. Runes of Magic offers periodic sales that the savvy gamer can take advantage of. This guide offers advice, reminders and tips for getting the most out of your money.

Players play differently and want different things from RoM. I'm looking at these money-saving ideas with the basics in mind, but you should be able to easily adjust how and what you want to spend money on -- based on your personal income and game preferences.

Continue reading Lost Pages of Taborea: Save those pennies

MassivelyLost Pages of Taborea: Save those pennies originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>budgetcash-shopfeaturedfrogsterfrogster-americafrogster-interactiveguidejeremy-strattonromrunes-of-magicrunewakerrunewaker-entertainmentsaving-moneyMon, 22 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Anti-Aliased: Don't hate the playa, hate the developa]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/19/anti-aliased-dont-hate-the-playa-hate-the-developa/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/19/anti-aliased-dont-hate-the-playa-hate-the-developa/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/19/anti-aliased-dont-hate-the-playa-hate-the-developa/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

So I noticed something last week, in the comments section of my piece on UI design, that finally kicked me back into "endless rant" mode. It's a sentiment that I've noticed in the video game community at large for a while now, but I never really knew how to approach it until recently, thanks to my own life experiences with games. It's an idea that's pretty misinformed on how the industry works.

It's the idea that the developers behind any given game are an idiots. According to commenters, they're all blind, non-gamer morons, bumbling around in the dark without the slightest sense of what game mechanics are actually fun.

Why are these bumbling morons in the industry? Why don't they listen to the endless array of golden ideas that pop up on game forums? Don't they realize that these revolutionary ideas will turn every game into double-rainbow-crapping unicorns? Why haven't 15% of my readers (a totally accurate statistic, mind you) figured out how sarcastic I'm being at this point in the introduction?

This week we're going after some of the common misconceptions about developers and game design, and how making a game as complex as an MMO is really never as easy as you claim it is.

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: Don't hate the playa, hate the developa

MassivelyAnti-Aliased: Don't hate the playa, hate the developa originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anti-aliasedbudgetbusinessdeadlinesdevelopersdevelopmentfeaturedforumsgame-designgame-developmentgames-are-easy-to-makemilestonesmmo-designmmo-developmentopinionpen-and-paperpen-and-paper-roleplayingperceptionseras-statistics-are-always-accurate-and-indisputableThu, 19 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Anvil of Crom: Completionism and avoiding the F2P plague]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/13/the-anvil-of-crom-completionism-and-avoiding-the-f2p-plague/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/13/the-anvil-of-crom-completionism-and-avoiding-the-f2p-plague/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/13/the-anvil-of-crom-completionism-and-avoiding-the-f2p-plague/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

I'd like to start this week's column with a disclaimer: I expect to get a lot hate for what follows. A few of you might agree with me, and that's great, but as something of a traditionalist (both in and out of gaming), I'm used to my views being unpopular when measured against current trends. And let's be honest, nothing is currently more trendy, in vogue, or bandwagontastic than F2P when it comes to MMORPGs.

F2P, or more accurately, F2T (free-to-try) is sweeping over our industry like a ravenous zombie horde, sucking brains, wallets, and customer common sense right out the window due to its insane profitability and a glitzy PR assault. Right now, in fact, someone, somewhere in the Funcom offices is no doubt running the numbers on whether or not tacking a cash shop onto Age of Conan makes financial sense. They may even be contemplating pulling a Turbine and going completely F2T. I mean, how could they not be considering it? With subscription-based games dropping like flies, it's only a matter of time before every game on the market is engaging in Sony-style double dipping (yes Cryptic and now Icarus do it too, but frankly the alliteration just wasn't there).

Hit the jump to learn why F2T isn't as great as you think.

Continue reading The Anvil of Crom: Completionism and avoiding the F2P plague

MassivelyThe Anvil of Crom: Completionism and avoiding the F2P plague originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 13 Jun 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conananvil-of-crombudgetf2pf2p-do-not-wantfeaturedfinancial-modelfree-to-playfree-to-play-is-really-free-to-tryfuncomopinionsubscription-modelthe-anvil-of-cromSun, 13 Jun 2010 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Are MMOs becoming too big-budget?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/25/the-daily-grind-are-mmos-becoming-too-big-budget/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/25/the-daily-grind-are-mmos-becoming-too-big-budget/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/25/the-daily-grind-are-mmos-becoming-too-big-budget/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

When it came out that Warner Bros had purchased Turbine Entertainment, the incident was not always received with smiles, but very few players were surprised. Trends have been set for big titles, budgets have been released, and they paint a picture of games that are further and further removed from the fairly low-cost initial developments that started the industry. Star Wars: The Old Republic could well be one of the most expensive games ever, judging by their alleged expectations for subscribers.

And while all this money produces some gorgeous games, we've seen what happens when a game launches without the numbers to support it. Expectations about performance rise, and the battle for dominance in the MMO market is no little affair -- Electronic Arts, Sony, NCsoft, Square-Enix, and now Warner Bros are throwing quite a bit of money into the ring.

So what do you think about the growing budgets and stakes being thrown into our favorite genre? Is it a good thing that results in better overall games? Or is it choking out smaller studios that have to compete with games that can afford a much larger staff and development team?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Are MMOs becoming too big-budget? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 25 Apr 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>budgetdevelopmenteaelectronic-artsexpensivencsoftpricesoesonysony-online-entertainmentsquaresquare-enixstar-wars-the-old-republicsubscribersswtorturbineturbine-entertainmentwarner-broswarner-bros-interactiveSun, 25 Apr 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[US free-to-play MMO market oversaturated?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/12/us-free-to-play-mmo-market-oversaturated/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/12/us-free-to-play-mmo-market-oversaturated/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/12/us-free-to-play-mmo-market-oversaturated/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


With new free-to-play titles, like Earth Eternal, in development while other titles are being ported over from Asia to the US at a rapid-fire rate, the question of oversaturation is being spread amongst the lips of the industry. Are we looking at a market too filled with low-budget free to play titles?

The answer is yes, if you're speaking with Reality Gap's J. Mark Hood, co-founder of the company specializing in free-to-play MMOs. Thanks to a AAA game market mostly locked down by the immense budgets of Blizzard and EA, the small developers turn to the F2P market as a place to compete. However, the market is now crowded with all sorts of titles not only developed here, but also many titles ported from Asia.

The Asian titles, however, don't seem to strike the same chords here as they do in Asia. Our market is more focused on gameplay, while theirs can be focused on a number of other different options.

"Things that are more important here are actually how the game plays, getting yourself more advancement and skill," Hood said to Gamasutra. "So, it is really different."

For Hood's full comments, check out both his thoughts on free-to-play MMOs and the entire Gamasutra interview.

MassivelyUS free-to-play MMO market oversaturated? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 12 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aaa-titlebudgetfree-to-playj-mark-hoodmarketportsreality-gapsaturationSat, 12 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[38 Studios estimates it will take 50 to 100 million to finish Copernicus, Schilling looking for investors]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/28/38-studios-estimates-it-will-take-50-to-100-million-to-finish-co/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/28/38-studios-estimates-it-will-take-50-to-100-million-to-finish-co/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/28/38-studios-estimates-it-will-take-50-to-100-million-to-finish-co/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Curt Schilling is out on the field again -- the investing field, that is. The former baseball star turned game developer is looking for more investors to back 38 Studios and their first game, the title codenamed Copernicus. The company's estimates for their game requires 50 to 100 million more in funding for the staff, all with their tentative December 2010 launch in mind.

Keep in mind, of course, that 38 Studios has acquired Maryland developer Big Huge Games, the company known for Rise of Nations, Rise of Legends, and Xbox Arcade's version of Catan. That acquisition doubled the company's headcount and has possibly driven operating costs into the 15 to 20 million a year range, according to the Boston Globe.

So far Schilling hasn't had any luck with potential investors. However, as he said to the Boston Globe, "I'm not going to complain about the economy. It's like pitching on a rainy day. The other guy has to pitch in it, too."

[Via Cuppycake]

Massively38 Studios estimates it will take 50 to 100 million to finish Copernicus, Schilling looking for investors originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>38-studiosacquisitionbig-huge-gamesboston-globebreakingbudgetcatancopernicuscopernicus-mmofundinginvestorskurt-schillingr-a-salvatorerise-of-legendsrise-of-nationsTue, 28 Jul 2009 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[MMO episodes to mimic TV shows]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/29/mmo-episodes-to-mimic-tv-shows/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/29/mmo-episodes-to-mimic-tv-shows/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/29/mmo-episodes-to-mimic-tv-shows/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Massively's recent ION Game Conference coverage featured an article on developing MMO's as if they were TV shows. This idea was introduced by FireSky's Joseph Ybarra, Senior VP of Strategic Operations. FireSky hopes to run with the concept of dishing up MMO content updates in episodes, with predictable development cycles of roughly six weeks. This marriage between MMO and TV production could also lead to developing 'pilot games,' which makes sense from a company perspective. After all, it involves smaller budgets and entails less risk. The developer can expend a small amount (by standard game development budgets) and gauge player interest. If that title proves to be popular, future iterations of the game could be developed with larger budgets, building upon the storyline of the previous episodes.

Do you think that gamers would have more of a say in what the creators do with these stories than they do with TV shows, since an episodic MMO is an interactive medium? Would this be a welcome change in the MMO industry, as opposed to waiting for a few years for that next game?

MassivelyMMO episodes to mimic TV shows originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 May 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>budgetbusiness-modelscontentepisodeexpansionfireskyionjoseph-ybarrastargatestargate-worldsstorystorylinetvThu, 29 May 2008 15:30:00 EST