Massively

Pitchblack Games' Dominus abruptly shutting down

Matt Daniel — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, News items, Sandbox

We hate to be the bearers of bad news, but sometimes it's just unavoidable. Sanya Weathers, Director of Community for Pitchblack Games' in-development sandbox title, Dominus, posted on the forums today to inform players that, effective immediately, Dominus is no more.

Weathers states that the team "simply cannot deliver the game [players] deserve with the resources [the studio has]." She goes on to apologize vehemently, adding that the forum is now read-only, though the game's Facebook page will remain open long enough for players to say their last goodbyes. Sanya signs off by thanking the players for proving that "there is a market for a game like [Dominus]." She concludes, "I will miss you all, and I know we'll meet again." Here's to hoping. Best of luck to the folks over at Pitchblack; we look forward to your next endeavor.

Pitchblack Games' Dominus abruptly shutting down originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Earthrise shutting down today

Shawn Schuster — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, Free-to-play, Earthrise, Post-Apocalyptic, Sandbox

Bulgarian developer Masthead Studios has announced that it's shutting down the servers for its post-apocalyptic sandbox MMO, Earthrise. Said Atanas Atanasov, Director of Masthead Studios:

"One year after the launch of the game, we have decided to stop the Earthrise servers. Earthrise was released too early and did not meet the expectations of its fans. We did our best to revive the game in 2011, but the time was not enough to keep up with the user requirements. There is a huge interest in high quality open world sandbox MMORPGs, unfortunately the big publishers do not show any interest in the genre. It is unfortunate that low budget companies like ours are trying to bring innovativeness in the already saturated MMO market. I hope that one day an independent studio will be able to release the long anticipated open world sandbox MMO, which everyone is talking about, but no one is making. We tried, but did not succeed. We would like to apologize to those who were disappointed from Earthrise and to thank everyone who supported us during the years."

The studio does mention that the planned free-to-play version for this year may still launch if any investor interest is shown, but there has been no word on this yet.

[Source: Masthead Studios press release]

Earthrise shutting down today originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pack up your toys: LEGO Universe is shutting down at midnight

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, Free-to-play, LEGO Universe, Kids, Family, Miscellaneous

The clock is chiming, and kids (and the young at heart) everywhere are asking for just a little more time with LEGO Universe. Unfortunately the struggling MMO has gotten no reprieve from the imaginary video game governor, and its servers will go offline tonight at midnight EST.

The shutdown FAQ encourages LEGO Universe players to share their favorite memories on the forums and ends with a heartfelt message from the team:

"Our decision to end LEGO Universe is similar to decisions we also make with LEGO Product collection, where favourite sets come and go to make space for new sets. It was time for LEGO Universe to end and hopefully new digital LEGO experiences will come in the future."

We first heard of LEGO Universe's closure last November, when the studio announced that the game's freemium model was not bringing in enough paying customers to keep the title afloat. LEGO Universe is a youngling in the MMO genre, having released in October 2010, making the game one year and three months old at the time of its shutdown.

Refunds for those who had a paid subscription on file after December 31st, 2011 will be distributed early next month. Unused LEGO game cards may also be exchanged for LEGO e-gift cards.

Pack up your toys: LEGO Universe is shutting down at midnight originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Some Assembly Required: One last jump to lightspeed

Jef Reahard — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, Star Wars Galaxies, Some Assembly Required, Sandbox

Eulogizing Star Wars Galaxies is difficult. In fact, I've written some 2,200 articles since signing on with Massively a couple of years ago, and none of them has come close to being as painful as this particular wall o' text.

The fact that I even used the word eulogy in reference to a video game says it all, really. Join me after the cut for as brief a remembrance as I can manage.

Continue reading Some Assembly Required: One last jump to lightspeed

Some Assembly Required: One last jump to lightspeed originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Dec 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LEGO Universe shutting down January 2012

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, MMO industry, Free-to-play, LEGO Universe, Kids, Family

Playtime's over, people -- time to pack up your LEGO bricks and move on. The word's come down from the LEGO Group that LEGO Universe is closing its doors on January 31st, 2012 due to a lack of paying customers. While the game has been free-to-play for a while, apparently not enough players were interested in dishing out cash to keep the MMO operational.

The news was posted just moments ago on the official forums along with a more in-depth FAQ:

Hello Adventurer, today we are very sad to announce that LEGO Universe will be closing on January 31, 2012. This was a very difficult decision to make, but unfortunately LEGO Universe has not been able to attract the number of members needed to keep the game open.

We are thankful to have had the opportunity to share this adventure wiith an amazing community of players. We hope you will continue to enjoy LEGO Universe for the last few months. As a thank you, if you are a paying subscriber on December 31, 2011, we will provide you the full game for the final month for free.

Again, we want to thank the fantastic community of players who made LEGO Universe such a vibrant, fun and creative experience.

Sincerely,
The LEGO Universe Team

Unfortunately, this closure means that the associated studios, including one in Colorado and one in Denmark, will be shuttered and 115 employees will be affected. LEGO Universe launched in October 2010 and converted to a free-to-play model this past August. We've included the official press release behind the break.

Continue reading LEGO Universe shutting down January 2012

LEGO Universe shutting down January 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mytheon closing up shop

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Free-to-play, Mytheon

Faxion Online wasn't the only UTV True Games project to be axed following the company's acquisition by Disney. It turns out that Mytheon, too, is in the process of closing down for good.

In the sole announcement on the Mytheon forums, the team posted a note that the game would be spinning down starting this past July 27th in preparation for a final shutdown at an undisclosed date in the near future. Players can no longer register for the game nor download it. Mytheon planned to launch in 2010 but was kept in beta testing far past the projected release date.

This announcement ends on a bittersweet note: "Finally, we'd like to send out a huge thank you to all our players who've joined us on this journey. Keep challenging fate, The Mytheon Team."

[Thanks to Paul for the tip!]

Mytheon closing up shop originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Faxion Online closing the doors of heaven and hell

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Faxion Online

It may not have had a long life, but Faxion Online's certainly was memorable. The PvP-centric MMO with the unique heaven-and-hell theme has announced that it is closing its doors within the month, following rumors that the entire team had been laid off.

In a brief statement posted on the forums, players were notified of the game's closure, which will occur in a couple quick stages. This week, players will not be able to register for the game, download it, or use the store, while the servers will be powered down within 30 days from today.

"We're eternally grateful for all the support, feedback, and competition our players have provided through thick and thin," the announcement stated. "Faxion's development was a Herculean effort that some said was impossible given the timeframe and resources we had, and we're proud to have delivered a PvP-driven experience that people could enjoy. Alas, all good things must come to an end."

Faxion Online launched on May 26th this year, making this one of the quickest demises of an MMO since last year's All Points Bulletin. We at Massively wish the best for Faxion's staff in the coming months.

Faxion Online closing the doors of heaven and hell originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Soapbox: Be here now

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Events, real-world, MMO industry, Opinion, The Soapbox, Miscellaneous

Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

Games die. It's an unpleasant reality but a reality just the same, with the highest-profile death on the horizon being Star Wars Galaxies. Business decisions get made, and unfortunately, sometimes those decisions boil down to "this game is no longer worth the money to keep it running." If you're lucky, the announcement comes with a great deal of time for you to wrap up what you've always wanted to do in the game; if you're unlucky, you might have a couple of weeks before the servers go dark.

So what do you do as a player? How do you cope with the fact that the game is shutting down? There are a lot of approaches, but I think it's unfortunate that most of the reactions seem to center around some last-ditch effort to save the game from oblivion. It's entirely missing the point to try and pull the game back from the brink of death, and it does a disservice to both the game and the players when you spend your last days desperately fighting a foregone conclusion.

Continue reading The Soapbox: Be here now

The Soapbox: Be here now originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Warrior Epic closes its doors

Justin Olivetti — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, Free-to-play

After a year and a half in service, Warrior Epic looks to be destitute. The free-to-play MMO had its service shut off on Friday by ijji, which posted the following announcement in the company's forums:

"As of November 12th, 2010, Warrior Epic will no longer be serviced through ijji.com. The ijji Warrior Epic team would like to thank you for your support during this journey. As a token of our gratitude for your loyalty, we would like to reward you an ijji loyalty package. If you had registered for an ijji Warrior Epic account, you will receive an email with full details on this loyalty package. Thank you again for your support, and we look forward to seeing you in our other exciting games!"

Details of the loyalty package can be found on this thread, where ijji promises to hand out items for former Warrior Epic players if they register for GunZ or Lunia.

Warrior Epic was developed by UTV True Games, the same studio behind Mytheon and Faxion Online.

Warrior Epic closes its doors originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 14 Nov 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NIDA Online shutting down tomorrow

Krystalle Voecks — Mon, 17 May 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: News items, Free-to-play

In what must be one of the fastest closures we've heard about, it would appear that GameKiss has decided to shut down their "action MMO" Nida Online tomorrow -- just short of 8 months after it launched into open beta. While they don't give specifics as to precisely why they've opted to shut down the game, MMOCrunch is citing financial issues as the reason that GameKiss has decided on this course of action.

In either case, while it's never good to see any MMO community lose its home, we suspect that Nida Online players will likely bounce back. After all, there are a great many other free-to-play games with solid populations to choose from -- and a new one launching (seemingly) every other day.

NIDA Online shutting down tomorrow originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 May 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Near Death Studios closes down

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Meridian 59, MMO industry, News items

If 2009 hadn't claimed quite enough lives for your tastes quite yet -- in terms of companies, jobs, and games -- you might have a bit of a morbid approach to things. We're just over the border into the new year, but it looks like there was one last item on the chopping block. Near Death Studios, the team behind Meridian 59, is no longer simply "near" death, but over the line into pining for the fjords. Brian 'Psychochild' Green broke the news on his blog yesterday, announcing that while the game wouldn't be going anywhere, it would no longer be a commercial venture run by the now-defunct company.

So what went wrong? As Green puts it, while Near Death Studios was able to raise the money and the operational talent to get the game running and keep it in maintenance mode, the game never really grew -- the one shot it might have had at attracting new players was unfortunately timed right around the launch of World of Warcraft. He's not bitter about the experience, however, and he's glad that he had the chance to keep Meridian 59 running for such a long time and help shape something people really enjoyed. It's a sad announcement for a venerable game, though, and we can only hope that this is the last of the fallout we see from the closing-filled year.

Near Death Studios closes down originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Metaplace announces January 1st shutdown

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

Filed under: Betas, News items, MetaPlace

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

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

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

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

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The Daily Grind: Penny for your Tabula Rasa thoughts?

Samuel Axon — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, Opinion, Tabula Rasa, The Daily Grind

The announcement that Tabula Rasa will close in February came suddenly, what with NCsoft employees saying there were "no current plans" to close the game only a couple of months ago. We're sad to see the game go, though we're not surprised in the wake of Richard Garriott's departure.

Are you a current or former Tabula Rasa player, and if so, what's your take on all this? Did you see it coming? Is it a tragic early death, or an appropriate end to an era? And where do you plan to go next? NCsoft is offering a fair deal to refugees -- months of free playtime in City of Heroes, Lineage II, or the forthcoming Aion. Does that tempt you, or are you going to take your business elsewhere -- to Turbine, Blizzard, SOE, CCP, or Funcom, perhaps?

The Daily Grind: Penny for your Tabula Rasa thoughts? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 22 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Codemasters to close US service for RF Online

Shawn Schuster — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Business models, Events, real-world, MMO industry, RF Online

If you're a fan of RF Online, you may be saddened to hear that Codemasters Online will be closing down operations of the sci-fi MMO on November 10th of this year. This closing will affect both North America and Europe. According to the official website, the game's license is set to expire shortly, and Codemasters and Korean developer CCR could not agree on any terms to keep the game alive.

This game, while not wildly popular, did make history as one of the first Eastern-style MMOs to make it to the Western market. It's also the first MMO serviced by Codemasters, who has since gone on to publish such hits as Lord of the Rings Online and Dungeons and Dragons Online in Europe. For more information on the closing of RF Online, check out the game's official Closing FAQ.

Codemasters to close US service for RF Online originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fury MMO shuts down

Shawn Schuster — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fury, Business models, Events, real-world, Forums, MMO industry, PvP, Server downtime, News items, Free-to-play

It has happened again. Another MMO with a unique idea is shutting its doors for good. Sadly enough, it's not the first and won't be the last. According to the official announcement made today in the forums, Fury has reached their time limit for finding a solution to keep the servers open. Since no solution has been found, the servers and website will be shut down in 48 hours from the time of the announcement. Interestingly enough, they say they've also informed all stores more than a month ago to remove the boxes from their shelves, and plan to refund all purchases made within the last month.

We wish the Fury developers and everyone at Auran the best of luck with future products. It's a highly competitive market out there for MMOs, and you did your best.

Fury MMO shuts down originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mythos is dead but its memory lives on

Matt Warner — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Culture, Events, real-world, Events, in-game, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Mythos, Free-to-play

The announcement blared last Friday. The Mythos beta would shutdown and placed on hiatus that very night. It didn't leave much time to say goodbye, the suddenness left many unable to attend but Massively was present in your stead.

"Farewell friends, farewell Mythos" echoed throughout the Stonehill Market. Players congregated and crowded the area to praise Mythos and say their goodbyes. "I don't know what game to play next," cried several others. It's the people behind the characters that matter, the emotions are real, honest, and believable. The death of any MMOG is always a disheartening experience but it also brings cause to celebrate and forge a lasting adventure into a lifetime memory.

Several appreciative and ever thankful Mythos developers were of course present. Lead Developer, Travis Baldree spawned a cataclysmic event for the players to partake in that lasted well into the night. Mythos players joked that it took a crashed server to defeat them as they settled in for the fireworks. Mythos CM, Tiggs made her presence felt by continually talking and laughing with the community. As the final seconds approached the world quaked, and before Mythos collapsed offline the lasting words ringed out: "You will be remembered." It was a very fitting tribute and gracious sentiment indeed. It was a good nine months, and we hope to see Mythos back again one day.

Gallery: Mythos

Mythos is dead but its memory lives on originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What MMOG would you kill off?

Matt Warner — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Opinion, The Daily Grind

Yesterday we asked what deceased MMOG do you miss the most. Let's flip that question around and make it somewhat evil. It could be before the MMOG ever launched essentially erasing it and making it unknown or sometime after it launched. Any MMOG is fair game. What about the reasons for your conclusion. Maybe you played it for hundreds of days on end and that caused a rift in your awesome social life. Perhaps it's the fact that your buddies left you behind and you want to enact revenge to get your old group back. There has to be one MMOG that you don't like, find annoying, whatever the reason. Or maybe you wouldn't pull the plug on any MMOG. That's okay too.

Let's know, and be sure to explain your reasoning for doing so other than "I hate that game" or "I don't care." Example: Richard Bartle would sacrifice World of Warcraft because at one time or still believes the demise would benefit independent MMORPG developers. Please keep the nerd rage at a minimum when explaining why you chose that particular MMOG.

The Daily Grind: What MMOG would you kill off? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 20 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Max Schaefer thanks Mythos community

Matt Warner — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Events, in-game, Forums, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Mythos, Free-to-play

It wasn't long ago that Max Schaefer, a Flagship Studios cofounder and operations chief, admitted to mistakes that the company encountered with Hellgate: London. Now, in a strange twist of irony the players are learning firsthand the lessons of Flagship's failures. The Mythos beta ended as it was placed on hiatus last night, possibly being the last time players will grace the world of Uld. Not long after that the Mythos beta forums went dark but before they did Max Schaefer left a wonderful message to the community.

"They say it's not so much the destination as it is the journey that's important. We're really hoping that's the case around here these days. I can't really believe I'm writing a post like this, but here we are faced with the unpleasant task of taking a hiatus from this crazy project. Unlike most games, Mythos has been running with our testing community for almost its whole life. I really feel like we've all done this together. And despite this bump in the road, I think we've succeeded wildly. This is undoubtedly the best game community I've ever seen. This is the best game development team in the world, in both Seattle and San Francisco. The things we've learned here, and with you all, will be with us forever.

Continue reading Max Schaefer thanks Mythos community

Max Schaefer thanks Mythos community originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 19 Jul 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mythos beta is shutting down tonight

Matt Warner — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:15:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Events, real-world, Events, in-game, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Mythos, Free-to-play

The woes continue at Flagship Studios. It was just announced that the Mythos beta will shutdown tonight. The official time slotted for its cease of operations is at July 18th, 2008 at 11:59 CST. Community manager Tiggs left the message on the forums which are also due to close at the same time.

"We, the ancient elders of Uld are issuing this warning to all citizens and travelers. Hurry! The great darkness that once plagued Uld is returning. Everyone is ordered to close down their shops and prepare. We predict the when night is at its peak the darkness will arrive. The ancient elders of Uld will be leaving immediately in order to preserve the lore of this wonderful world. Citizens please prepare thyself and know that the elders will be back from their travels some day."

Flagship Studios claims that the Mythos beta is going on a hiatus. That's pretty vague term associated with the closure of a beta that stems from a financial and legal crisis at a development studio. It does signal a possible return later, and we do hope Mythos continues development in the near feature and sees a well-deserved release. Lead developer on Mythos, Travis Baldree recently posted on the forums expressing his thanks and gratitude along with his uncertainty for how long the Mythos beta would remain operational. Now we know, and so soon.

Mythos beta is shutting down tonight originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mythos, Hellgate forums scheduled to die tonight

Samuel Axon — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Forums, News items, Hellgate: London, Mythos

Flagship Studios rep Tiggs announced last night on the official Mythos and Hellgate London forums that both forums will be shutting down effective midnight tonight. The message was very brief, and didn't give any specific clues as to when, if ever, the forums will be back. Tiggs simply said: "We would like to thank everyone for being a part of this wonderful community and we hope to see you all again soon."

This comes after Flagship was forced to lay off almost its entire staff. Presently, HanbitSoft is trying to get its hands on both projects, but both companies face legal hurdles that must be overcome before the plan can move forward. Lead Mythos developer Travis Baldree made a forum post earlier this week expressing his hope that the team will be able to get back together and resume work on its game. We hope so too!

[Via WarCry]

Mythos, Hellgate forums scheduled to die tonight originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Disney set to close Virtual Magic Kingdom today

Michael Zenke — Wed, 21 May 2008 17:15:00 EST

Filed under: Virtual worlds, Kids

Last month it was announced that Disney's Virtual Magic Kingdom would be closing down. Fans rallied around their online escape, while the company claimed that the project was actually years overdue for a shutdown. The LA Times is reporting that Mickey's online abode will shut down at close of business today. Speaking to the newspaper, president of the Walt Disney Internet Group Steven Wadsworth offered that the project 'never achieved scale.' The company never had plans to monetize it, and the small but loyal audience it's developed was never intended.

The Times piece also speaks to folks on the other side of the equation, including a young fan of the world with neuromuscular disease. Her experiences in the world were uplifting - she even celebrated her birthday there, apparently. "At Disney, we'd rather do anything in the world than disappoint a guest," said John Spelich, a Disney Internet Group spokesman. "But we hope our VMK players will choose to sample some of the other ways to engage with Disney online through disney.com or through virtual worlds."
[Via Worlds in Motion]

Disney set to close Virtual Magic Kingdom today originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 May 2008 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fans speak out passionately on Disney's Virtual Magic Kingdom closing

Mike Schramm — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Events, in-game, MMO industry, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, Virtual worlds, Kids

We reported on the closing of Disney's Virtual Magic Kingdom the other day, and at the time, it seemed like business as usual -- Disney had created the virtual world for an event, and the event was over, so it was time for the world to close. But the comments thread over on this Virtual Worlds news post about the closing has to be seen to be believed: fans of this place loved it completely and are painfully heartbroken over its closing. There are tons of eloquent, emotional comments lauding VMK for its sense of community, the friends made there, and the opportunity to connect on a virtual level with other people and Disney's attractions when, for various reasons, the same can't be done in real life.

What's most amazing here is that, from these comments, it seems VMK was one of the strongest virtual communities out there. This is why we play these MMO games -- to connect with others online, to experience things that can't be experienced any other way, and to create connections that otherwise wouldn't be there. It's an amazing story -- here's an MMO that worked perfectly in terms of building community and developing social connections between players, and yet Disney chooses to close it down.

There is a petition online, with 11,000 signatures as of this writing, to keep VMK open. Disney has responded to this emotion with a short statement only saying "we hear you," and the game itself is still set to close down as planned on May 21st.

[Via Waxy.org]

Fans speak out passionately on Disney's Virtual Magic Kingdom closing originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virtual Magic Kingdom comes to an end

Chris Chester — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, Events, in-game, MMO industry, Pirates of the Caribbean Online, Toontown Online, Browser, Casual, Kids

It's a sad day for for those who enjoy some digitalized Disney magic. It's been decided that Virtual Magic Kingdom, the virtual world developed and released in 2005 to celebrate the 50 year anniversary of the real Disneyland's opening, will be closed for good on May 21. According to an FAQ posted on the official website, the reason VMK is closing is because it was originally intended simply as a promotion for the event in 2005, and has continued to run far longer than they originally intended.

Of course, all is not lost for those who subscribe to the cult of Disney. They've already announced a commitment to spend over $100 million in the virtual world space, and they recently consolidated all of their online efforts, including Pirates of the Caribbean Online and Toontown Online, into one division. Their execs already have a firm grasp on the role virtual worlds have to play in building up their brands, so it seems likely that they'll be actively chasing after the casual gaming dollar for the foreseeable future.

[Via Worlds in Motion]

Virtual Magic Kingdom comes to an end originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Apr 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No more winter nights for Stormfront Studios

Samuel Axon — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, News items

Bay Area game developer Stormfront Studios is closing its doors after 20 years of operation.

This is an unfortunate turn of events in the video game industry -- especially the MMO sector -- because in 1991 Stormfront produced the very first graphical online RPG, Neverwinter Nights. The company was helmed by Don Daglow, an esteemed developer who created arguably the first ever computer RPG. That game was called Dungeon, and it operated on the PDP-10 mainframe in the mid-late 1970s.

We're sad to see a studio of such pedigree go. We just waxed nostalgic about Neverwinter Nights on Monday, so we're a bit shocked to see the group behind it bite the dust. NWN was shut down long ago, but its influence -- and therefore, Stormfront's influence -- is undeniable. It was even even honored at the Tech & Engineering Emmy Awards in January. We wish Daglow and the other folks at Stormfront success in whatever lies ahead for each of them.

[Via Joystiq]

No more winter nights for Stormfront Studios originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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