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 2015 AOL, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The Perfect Ten: MMO prisons]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/09/the-perfect-ten-mmo-prisons/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/09/the-perfect-ten-mmo-prisons/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/09/the-perfect-ten-mmo-prisons/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Perfect Ten Prisons
Chillin' in the clink. Spending time in stoney lonesome. Thrown into the slammer. Checking in to the big house. Doing (perfect) 10 to life in the hole. Learning the ropes in juvie.

Prison: The only fun thing about it is the slang that people have come up to describe it. And while you may never actually want to spend any time in the crowbar hotel in real life, chances are you've already done so in MMOs. Jails are an ever-popular locale in online gaming, and they almost always deal with an epidemic of escaped -- yet still milling around casually -- prisoners.

So in today's Perfect Ten, we talked to the warden and got you a special glimpse into pixelated pokeys, if only to scare you straight. No more exploits and bots for you, young man or woman!

Continue reading The Perfect Ten: MMO prisons

MassivelyThe Perfect Ten: MMO prisons originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocarkhamarkham-asylumbelsavisbrickstownchampions-onlinecity-of-heroesclinkcocohconanconan-the-barbariandc-universe-onlinedcuoeqeverquestfallen-earthfeaturedffxifinal-fantasy-xigm-jailgm-prisoniron-towerjailkingman-prisonlistlistsmmo-prisonsperfect-10perfect-tenprisonprisonsstar-wars-the-old-republicstockadesstronghold-prisonswtorthe-iron-towerthe-perfect-10the-perfect-tenultima-onlineuoworld-of-warcraftwowzigzigguratThu, 09 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan: Unchained conquers 300,000 new players, doubles revenue in a month]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/11/age-of-conan-unchained-conquers-300-000-new-players-doubles-re/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/11/age-of-conan-unchained-conquers-300-000-new-players-doubles-re/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/11/age-of-conan-unchained-conquers-300-000-new-players-doubles-re/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Age of Conan
The secret is out and the jig is up: MMO studios have solid evidence that adding a free-to-play option on top of a subscription model is the way to bring in hordes of new players. Age of Conan: Unchained proved this today as Funcom announced the addition of over 300,000 players to its bloody family in the first month of service.

Apparently the servers are packed full and Funcom is raking in the moolah, too. The studio announced that servers have quadrupled activity during this time period, and revenues have more then doubled. This is certainly good news for the 2008 title, which is now being supported by a mix of subscription and cash shop options.

Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas is pleased as (a) punch: "The launch of the hybrid business model has been very successful so far. The activity levels on the servers are booming with a fourfold increase in players during July, we more than doubled the revenue generated from the game, and we have experienced a positive development in subscriber numbers. This definitely gives us great hope for the game's future."

Age of Conan is set to release a movie tie-in update later this month called Savage Coast of Turan to take advantage of the Conan the Barbarian movie coming to theaters on the 18th.

MassivelyAge of Conan: Unchained conquers 300,000 new players, doubles revenue in a month originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventure-package-of-conanage-of-conan-unchainedaocconanconan-the-barbariancraig-morrisonf2pfree-to-playfuncommovie-tie-innew-playersrevenuesavage-coast-of-turansubscriber-numberssubscriberstrond-arne-aasunchainedThu, 11 Aug 2011 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Funcom prepping new Age of Conan adventure pack inspired by film reboot]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/24/funcom-prepping-new-age-of-conan-adventure-pack-inspired-by-film/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/24/funcom-prepping-new-age-of-conan-adventure-pack-inspired-by-film/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/24/funcom-prepping-new-age-of-conan-adventure-pack-inspired-by-film/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

It looks like rumors of new film-related content for Age of Conan were pretty accurate, as Funcom has officially announced The Savage Coast of Turan adventure pack for its fantasy MMORPG.

According to a new press release, the pack "includes but is not limited to" content from the forthcoming Conan the Barbarian film reboot and will see players traveling to the lands of Turan some 20 years after the events of the movie. Players will explore the city of Ardashir and take on new quests, encounters, raids, and dungeons, all inspired by the film and on display in the recently released Conan trailer.

Conan the Barbarian debuts August 19th, and while there is no firm release date for The Savage Coast of Turan, film producer Fredrik Malmberg says that fans will appreciate the synergy between the movie and Funcom's MMORPG. "Many of the concepts, locations, and designs from the game development were utilized by the film team for consistency," he said. Check out our AoC gallery below for a glimpse of some Ardashir concept art that includes new Turanian armor.

Gallery: Age of Conan Gallery

MassivelyFuncom prepping new Age of Conan adventure pack inspired by film reboot originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 May 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I don't know about you, Age of Conan-faithful, but I'm a hopeless film trailer junkie. I collect them. I watch (and re-watch) them on my computer, my phone, my television, and of course, at the cinema proper. A lot of the time, trailers are substantially better than the full-length films they're meant to sell, and I've even been known to pay full price for a ticket only to walk out after the preview (particularly when said preview concerned a long-awaited prequel and was inexplicably tacked on to the front of Meet Joe Black).

Given that Conan already plays a significant role in my gaming life, I think deconstructing the recently released trailer for the upcoming film franchise reboot makes a certain sort of sense. Sadly, Massively isn't a haven for film criticism, but I'd like to get around that by doing a bit of theorizing on how the new flick could conceivably affect our favorite MMORPG.

Continue reading The Anvil of Crom: Can Funcom capitalize on the Conan film reboot?

MassivelyThe Anvil of Crom: Can Funcom capitalize on the Conan film reboot? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 08 May 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-moviesage-of-conananvil-of-cromaocconanconan-the-barbarianconan-the-barbarian-filmcraig-morrisonfantasyfantasy-filmsfeaturedfilmfilm-tie-infilm-trailerfilmsfuncomjason-momoaknut-avenstroup-haugenknut-haugenopinionsilirrionthe-anvil-of-cromtraileruwe-bollvideoSun, 08 May 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan vs. Schwarzenegger's Conan]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/20/conan-game-vs-movies-top-5-comparisons/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/20/conan-game-vs-movies-top-5-comparisons/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/20/conan-game-vs-movies-top-5-comparisons/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

With most great movies, the videogame version will fall drastically short of expectations. Here we are, looking the official retail launch of Age of Conan right in the eyes, and we have to ask ourselves: will Age of Conan deliver on the promise of this 80's cinema staple? From everything we've seen AoC delivers in regards to action, scenic beauty, gameplay and excitement. If you have the computer muscle, this will be a gaming tour-de-force. Just the same, the Arnold Schwarzenegger Conan movies are writ large in your mind. You may still have lingering questions.

Today, we'll put those questions to rest. We've compared five aspects of the game versus the film classics. Not only that, but we've kept score. Plus, as an added treat, each argument in the movie's defense includes a wonderfully cheesy video clip to get that full effect. Read on to see who wins: the Austrian all-star or the Norwegian newcomer?

Gallery: Conan vs. Conan

Mounted Combat: The GameMounted Combat: The MoviesStaying True to the Lore: The GameStaying True to the Lore: The MoviesAwesome Voice Acting: The Game

MassivelyAge of Conan vs. Schwarzenegger's Conan originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 May 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaoccomparisonconanconan-the-barbarianconan-the-destroyerfeaturedfuncomgalleryjoystiqfeaturesmovieTue, 20 May 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Stephen King goes batty about video games]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/10/stephen-king-goes-batty-about-video-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/10/stephen-king-goes-batty-about-video-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/10/stephen-king-goes-batty-about-video-games/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Stephen King is "the man." He's one of my favorite authors and a very big reason why I'm a writer today. I've followed the ebb and flow of his career, from his meteoric rise (and eventually perpetual stay) on the New York Time's Best Seller list to the the mostly abysmal adaptations of his books to film. Anytime he talks, I tend to listen.

So you can imagine my intrigue when King, a man who has never tested the virtual waters (F13 doesn't count) with his magnificent worlds - how great would an MMO set in the world of The Dark Tower be? - voiced his opinion about the proposed Massachusetts bill to ban the sale of "violent" video games to anyone under the age of 18.

Continue reading Stephen King goes batty about video games

MassivelyStephen King goes batty about video games originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanconan-the-barbariandisneydisney-onlineentertainment-software-ratings-boardesrbmassachusettsopinionpirates-of-the-carib...prohibitionrobert-e-howardstephen-kingvideo-game-banwar-on-drugsThu, 10 Apr 2008 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[New Age of Conan trailer drops Thursday]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/05/new-age-of-conan-trailer-drops-thursday/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/05/new-age-of-conan-trailer-drops-thursday/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/05/new-age-of-conan-trailer-drops-thursday/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


Ten Ton Hammer is reporting this morning that Funcom and Eidos have announced that a new Age of Conan trailer will appear on Gamespot.com Thursday. According to the announcement on the AoC official forums, the video will launch at 1700 California time ( -8 GMT). Since I'm bad with that whole international time thing, the TTH guys have done my work for me... apparently "1700 California time" translates to roughly 12pm EST. If it's as bloody as the above pic - wow!

We'll let you know when the ball drops so you can make a beeline for Gamespot.

MassivelyNew Age of Conan trailer drops Thursday originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 05 Mar 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Age-of-ConanAge-of-Conan-Hyborian-AdventuresAoCConanConan-the-Barbariandeveloper-blogEidosFuncomgamespotHyborian-Adventuresten-ton-hammertrailerWed, 05 Mar 2008 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[There's no crying in head lopping]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/15/theres-no-crying-in-head-lopping/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/15/theres-no-crying-in-head-lopping/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/15/theres-no-crying-in-head-lopping/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


The fine folks at Funcom have posted a brief update about the beta for their upcoming head-loppalooza, Age of Conan.

The biggest news: female avatars are now available! Gotta love this line from Funcom: " ... while there are some bugs to work out -- people always seem surprised to find out a beta is actually used for finding and squashing bugs! -- they are playable..." They also gave a count of how many patches have dropped in the last few weeks. January had three, while there's been two so far this month. Wednesday's update dropped over 2.5 gigs of data! Lastly, PVP and the PVP servers will - for the first time - be opening soon.

So if you're one of the lucky ones in beta - rejoice! But whatever you do... don't cry. As Tom Hanks might say: There's no crying in head lopping!

MassivelyThere's no crying in head lopping originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Feb 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Age-of-ConanAge-of-Conan-Hyborian-AdventuresAoCbeta-updateConanConan-the-BarbarianFuncomHyborian-AdventuresFri, 15 Feb 2008 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[New Age of Conan developer blog on MMORPG]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/15/new-age-of-conan-developer-blog-on-mmorpg/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/15/new-age-of-conan-developer-blog-on-mmorpg/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/15/new-age-of-conan-developer-blog-on-mmorpg/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


MMORPG.com just launched a new developer blog for Age of Conan. Writing about the ins and outs of this mature hack-n-slash is Jason Stone (aka "Athelan"), one of the game's designers. In his first entry (posted yesterday), Jason introduces himself by explaining his roll in AoC and what his gaming background is.

His goals for the blog are to "highlight the goings on in the Age of Conan community, respond to community questions and feedback, give you sneak peeks into my own Beta experiences..." For now Jason will be the only contributor, but he hopes that other members of the development team will chime in from time to time.

Almost all of these dev blog's are worth the time to read because they really give a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the game's design and progress. Us old timer's never had anything like this back in the day, so it's a real treat to get what amounts to first hand information straight from the "horse's mouth" - so to speak.

MassivelyNew Age of Conan developer blog on MMORPG originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Jan 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barbarians. Love 'em or hate 'em, but it's likely going to be the most played class when the gates finally open to Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures. This adult themed, head-lopping affair may be an MMORPG where you can play several archetypes, but without Barbarians there would be no Conan. Thankfully, Funcom knows this and are making sure it lives up to what every fan of Howard's legendary literary lout would expect. TenTonHammer's Cody "Micajah" Bye sat down with Evan Michaels (Funcom System Designer) and talked about this classic class.

While most people think of Barbarians as savage and brutal, Funcom has labeled them under the "Rogue" archetype in AoC. According to Michaels, Barbarians are by nature roguish in that they are very individualistic, much like Rogues. They are unequaled melee fighters. When asked how they'll be balanced compared to other "tank" characters Michaels stated that Soldiers will specialize in wearing down their opponent and last longer in a prolonged battle, while a Barbarian would rely on pure aggression to dispatch their foes. Another interesting tidbit that Michaels revealed was that Barbarians will be more effective when the odds are stacked against them. Barbarians have several different abilities that can hit multiple targets, so they become more effective when surrounded.

Yep, look for Eli the Barbarian when AoC lets loose the dogs of war in late March. And be sure to read the entire interview if you plan on partaking in your own Hyborian Adventure.

MassivelyTTH talks with Funcom about Barbarians originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 Jan 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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