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MMO Family: Why safe chat isn't so safe (and why that's OK)

Karen Bryan — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Opinion, Kids, MMO Family, Family, Miscellaneous

One of the toughest issues that game developers have to treat when it comes to kid-friendly MMOs is chat. I touched on this in a past column, but it's worth further discussion. If you're making a game where lots of players are interacting and doing stuff together, you need to allow them to communicate, otherwise you're pretty much making a single-player game with the other players as background scenery.

On the other hand, when it comes to kids MMOs, having open communication means other players can use it to harass each other. Worse is the scenario of the deranged adult abusing it to exploit young people. As a result, virtually every kid-friendly MMO has some sort of filter in place that restricts what players can say to each other. But are these chat filters really that effective? Are kids better off without them? Let's take a look in today's MMO Family.

Continue reading MMO Family: Why safe chat isn't so safe (and why that's OK)

MMO Family: Why safe chat isn't so safe (and why that's OK) originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bill Roper named Disney Interactive head of game development

Jef Reahard — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, News items, Miscellaneous

Bill Roper's been flying under the radar since leaving Cryptic Studios in 2010. He briefly surfaced as VP of the Marvel Franchise division of Disney Interactive Media Group last summer, and he's now stepping into the role of head of game development.

Roper replaces Alex Seropian, who helped found Bungie in the 1990s before joining Disney when it acquired his Wideload Games studio in 2009.

Roper is a former Blizzard vice president and founder of Flagship Studios, which was mostly known for developing the original incarnation of Hellgate: London.

Bill Roper named Disney Interactive head of game development originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MV Guide: January 23-29, 2012

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Massively Meta, Livestream, Miscellaneous, MV Guide

MV Guide is a weekly rundown of the MMO gaming events planned on Massively TV.

Every week, the Massively staff logs in to play various MMOs live and in person, and we'd love for you to drop by the channel and visit. We have a combination of regular weekly games and new surprises, so you'll find a variety of titles to take a look at. During our streamed events, you can participate in the live chat, ask questions to learn about the game, and simply spend some time with Massively staff and readers. (Of course, streaming is subject to the whims of outside forces like server-side gremlins once in a while.)

Follow along after the jump to see what's on this week's schedule!

Continue reading MV Guide: January 23-29, 2012

MV Guide: January 23-29, 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lucky fan gets a super-secret tour of WildStar's Carbine Studios

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Previews, WildStar

Being given a full tour of your favorite MMO studio must be a lot like finding the Golden Ticket and getting a week pass to Disney World, all rolled into one. So if you feel a little jealous that WildStar Source got to poke around Carbine Studios, it's understandable.

While the writer who was given the tour said that he had to "stay silent on 99%" of what he saw, there are plenty of juicy tidbits for WildStar aficionados to tide us over for a while. Apparently the studio is covered with gorgeous screenshots and art from the game, and the team is already busy collecting fan art to post in the hallways.

The author did get some hands-on time with the game, during which he spent exploring the world instead of killing the local flora and fauna: "While I did not find a secret treasure or a portal to another dimension, I did find an attention to detail in both my character and the surrounding world that made me pause, several times, in appreciation... Even while playing as a spell-wielding bunny-woman who was trapped on a fictional planet, what I found most engrossing when I got my hands on WildStar was really the humanness of it all... as corny as that may sound."

Lucky fan gets a super-secret tour of WildStar's Carbine Studios originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Perfect Ten: Pirates ahoy!

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Dungeons and Dragons Online, EVE Online, Lord of the Rings Online, Pirates of the Burning Sea, Pirates of the Caribbean Online, Warhammer Online, Humor, Free Realms, Runes of Magic, Perfect Ten, Miscellaneous

Fantasy pirates: Love 'em or hate 'em, they're deeply ingrained in geek culture to the point that they're almost impossible to dislodge. This past Monday was International Talk Like a Pirate Day, when everyone's inner pirate was encouraged to "Arr!" heartily, look for treasure in long-forgotten places, and embrace the fashion style of bandanas and eyepatches.

It seemed like a perfect week, therefore, to look at piratey life in MMOs. From entire games to mere outfits and from the token pirate union that has a chapter in each game to delusional madmen, this list aims to sate the swagger of keyboard swashbucklers. It's a testament to the pirate phenomenon that most developers can't help but include a buccaneer or two, even if the setting isn't always asking for it -- a phenomenon even the U.S. Navy has accepted.

Hit the jump to start, and sail straight on 'til morning!

Continue reading The Perfect Ten: Pirates ahoy!

The Perfect Ten: Pirates ahoy! originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 18:00:00 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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Rumor: Entire Faxion Online team laid off

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, Free-to-play, Rumors, Faxion Online

Although the Faxion Online team has weathered layoffs before, today it looks as though none have survived a recent culling.

According to a forum post citing a former UTV employee, it's rumored that the entire team has been given their pink slips. "It is now officially dead," the unnamed source wrote. "They laid off the rest of the Faxion team, so there is no one left to do anything."

Disney recently bought out UTV Ignition, which oversees Faxion Online, and there was some speculation that the Mouse House might be making cuts in this struggling PvP MMO and elsewhere. So far this is an unconfirmed rumor, and it remains to be seen what impact this will have on Faxion going forward if true.

Rumor: Entire Faxion Online team laid off originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Disney looking to buy out Faxion Online developer

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, Legal, Miscellaneous, Faxion Online

Disney could become a major player in the future of Faxion Online if it goes ahead with a proposed deal to buy out the rest of UTV Software Communications' stock. Currently, Disney has a majority stake in the company -- 50.4% -- but this move would bring it up to a nice round 100%.

The Ignition Entertainment label would fall under this deal, which has already been struggling with numerous layoffs and studio closings. We recently reported that UTV Ignition had to cut a good portion of its programming, maintenance, and customer service staff as part of these problems.

Whether or not this deal will prove a boon or a hammer blow to Ignition remains to be seen. Disney has previously closed down developers Black Rock and Propaganda Games, although Mickey's parent company is looking to move in the direction of more social and casual gaming. We'll keep a close eye on this deal to see how it plays out.

Disney looking to buy out Faxion Online developer originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 28 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Disney Interactive Media Group appoints Bill Roper as Vice President, Marvel Franchise

Matt Daniel — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, News items, Miscellaneous

Fans of Marvel Comics have been on the edge of their seats ever since the announcement that Disney had acquired the comic publishing giant, and they're surely anxious to know that their beloved characters will be in good hands. Well, thanks to a press release from Disney Interactive Media Group today, we now know exactly whose hands they will be in.

DIMG has appointed Bill Roper, former VP of Blizzard North and former Chief Creative Officer of Cryptic Studios, as Vice President, Marvel Franchise. Alex Seropian, Senior Vice President and General Manager says of the appointment, "We are pleased to have Bill join our team. With 17 years of experience in the worldwide gaming industry, we are confident that Bill has the creative vision necessary to help guide the next wave of development and product for DIMG's Marvel Games." It seems like Disney has big plans for the Marvel franchise. What those plans are remain to be seen, though Roper will obviously play a large part in Marvel's future in the gaming industry.

Disney Interactive Media Group appoints Bill Roper as Vice President, Marvel Franchise originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Jul 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Marvel Universe Online will be free-to-play, penned by Bendis

Brianna Royce — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Business models, Events, real-world, Interviews, Lore, MMO industry, New titles, Free-to-play, Marvel Heroes, Massively Interviews, Massively Event Coverage

Move over, Batman: After a few false starts, Marvel's finally poised to become the next big MMO superhero thing.

Thursday evening, I attended Gazillion Entertainment and Marvel's live San Francisco reveal of Marvel Universe Online's head writer, the jovial Brian Michael Bendis. Joining Brian for a lively Q&A panel were Gazillion President and COO David Brevik, VP and Studio Head for Secret Identity (fka Gargantuan) Jeff Lind, and VP of Games at Marvel TQ Jefferson. Brian's involvement in the game's story wasn't the only announcement the panelists had in store for attendees -- they almost casually confessed that players will slip into the spandex of iconic Marvel characters and that the game will be free-to-play, making it perhaps the first Western triple-A title to be designed for such a model from the ground up.

Because I knew you'd be disappointed if I didn't, I dutifully asked an amused Jeff Lind about PvP, housing, crafting, voice acting, character customization, travel powers, advancement, and all those other goodies, but as you can probably guess, the devs aren't in a position to talk about sweeping systems just yet -- they want to "retain the ability to change [their] minds." So manage thy expectations accordingly! Fortunately, both Jeff and Brian were willing to chat about story, tie-ins, and MUO's niche in an increasingly crowded superhero MMO field, so hit the break for their thoughts and my round-up of the hot topics from the panel.

Continue reading Marvel Universe Online will be free-to-play, penned by Bendis

Marvel Universe Online will be free-to-play, penned by Bendis originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What's your MMO guilty pleasure?

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

I am a man forged from several guilty pleasures -- you know, activities and entertainment that are considered uncool by the masses and yet are fun anyway. I adore the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes movie series (yes, there are four of them). I, a 34-year-old man, will dance and sing with my kids to Disney musical numbers. I have no compunction against asking for Star Wars LEGO sets for my birthday.

We all have our guilty pleasures that we may or may not try to hide from our friends and colleagues, and I'm willing to bet this happens just as much in MMOs as anywhere else. Maybe you're the hardcore raider who secretly enjoys decorating his in-game house with a Martha Stewart touch. Maybe you're the PvPer who considers herself mature yet isn't above stooping to some smacktalk in the thick of things. Maybe you like an MMO that is either too fringe or too mainstream for the rest of your friends.

So what do you enjoy in your online gaming career that could be called a guilty pleasure? Confess! This is a judgment-free zone, people, except for commenter #35 in this thread. That dude is going to judge the jeebers out of the rest of you.

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: What's your MMO guilty pleasure? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: A parent's look at World of Cars Online

Lisa Poisso — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: New titles, Kids, MMO Family, Family

MMO Family is your resource for leveling a gaming-specced family, from tips on balancing gaming with family life to finding age-appropriate online games for everyone in the family.

How could you not fall in love with a Disney/Pixar movie? I'm not sure that's even possible. Cars revved up belly laughs in the theater back in 2006, earning two Oscar nominations and raking in more than a dozen other industry awards. Kids were captivated by the feisty little car characters, and grownups chuckled at voicing from such high-octane stars as Owen Wilson, Paul Newman and even Cheech Marin.

The MMO version of the franchise, which officially launched last month, pulls away from the starting line without this full tank of charisma. World of Cars Online hits on all cylinders yet somehow fails to throttle up into the type of completely engaging world we've come to expect from a Disney/Pixar creation. It's a 2-D, minigame-centric experience with lots (and we do mean lots) of point-and-click racing. Still, if you've got a young boy around the house who's hankering to burn a little online rubber, World of Cars is an inexpensive, kid-friendly way to do it.

Continue reading MMO Family: A parent's look at World of Cars Online

MMO Family: A parent's look at World of Cars Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Cars takes off with a full tank of gas

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sports, Launches, Family

It's not every day that you're invited to make an anthropomorphized vehicle that you're expected to both race and comfort its feelings. Leave it to Disney Pixar, then, to make the first move in that department, which is why they've launched World of Cars for the hot-rodding set.

Based on the 2006 hit animated film, World of Cars invites drivers of all ages to create their own personable car and go head-to-head with friends and strangers. There are even cameos from the movie, as Cheech Marin and Jennifer Lewis return to reprise their roles in the game. Players can explore the open world, upgrade their cars, and enter races for fame and money as they like.

Right now, World of Cars is free-to-play with optional microtransactions and subscriptions, and features a full set of parental controls so your mommy or daddy can tell you when you need to stop playing and go into work. Or school. It's okay, we won't tell anyone you're actually having fun with cartoon cars if you won't tell on us too.

World of Cars takes off with a full tank of gas originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A cautionary tale of account security in Club Penguin

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Club Penguin, Legal, Virtual worlds, Family

Many MMO gamers have children who are eager to jump into the online world but are unaware of the dangers that lurk there. While many kid-friendly MMOs have systems to guard children from unwelcome contact and identity theft, they still require the assistance of parents to teach their kids how to be safe in games.

The Ancient Gaming Noob's Wilhelm recently shared a cautionary tale involving his daughter, Club Penguin, and a breach of account security. Even though she was cautioned not to share a list of details with anyone in game, all it took was the offer of a special item to get her to give up her account name and password to a stranger. This resulted in a headache, as the account was banned, and Wilhelm went back and forth with Club Penguin to re-establish his daughter's account and security. In the end, he found that Club Penguin's security was just as questionable as his daughter's judgment, and passed this story along to the rest of us in an effort to guard our own young ones from this unfortunate event.

Considering that account security, personal identity and privacy are hot topics these days, we feel that this story is an eye-opener as to how far both game companies and families have to go to protect our loved ones from being exploited. You can read Wilhelm's full account over at The Ancient Gaming Noob.

A cautionary tale of account security in Club Penguin originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: A parent's look at Pixie Hollow

Lisa Poisso — Fri, 14 May 2010 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Kids, MMO Family, Family

MMO Family is your resource for leveling a gaming-specced family ... From tips on balancing gaming with family life to finding age-appropriate niches for every family member, MMO Family offers you advice on MMO gaming of the family, by the family and for the family.

I wasn't planning to include a 2-D Flash game in MMO Family's initial sweep of children's games -- but then my daughter tried Disney's Pixie Hollow. Initially dismissive of the idea of slumming it in 2-D, she found herself utterly captivated by its magpie collection quests and friendly community of players. In the eyes of this 8-year-old road tester, Pixie Hollow delivers an enjoyable, social experience in an online world ... And I was forced to admit that this world suits her own interests as well as deeply immersive MMO worlds hold mine.

We're not going to get into gender wars here. Obviously, some girls won't like the fairies theme, and we're sure grownups will continue their snarky debates over the game's recently added male characters ("sparrow men"). Beyond that, what's most apparent is that Pixie Hollow successfully snares both kids who are enthralled with the Disney Fairies franchise and those who simply enjoy a glittery, web-based spot to flutter and chatter.

Continue reading MMO Family: A parent's look at Pixie Hollow

MMO Family: A parent's look at Pixie Hollow originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 May 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Cars Online enters open beta

Rubi Bayer — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, New titles, Free-to-play, Kids, World of Cars

Remember Cars? Lightning McQueen, Radiator Springs, and Tow Mater -- the movie spawned a million licensed bedsheets, toys, and tennis shoes. Cars was released in 2006 and the franchise is still going strong today: Disney is taking it into the MMO market now.

World of Cars Online, an MMO for the younger set, has entered open beta. It's free-to-play, with the option to subscribe for access to higher levels in minigames and better items here and there. The game allows you to design your own car, have a house (garage), participate in races, and more.

The monthly sub fee -- referred to as a sponsorship -- is $5.95 USD, and as with many games, if you show some support via your wallet by subscribing during beta, you'll get some goodies at launch in addition to the normal sponsorship perks, such as a special paint job and license plate.)

Check out the official site for all the details.

World of Cars Online enters open beta originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Disney Interactive shows overall loss, Club Penguin gains profits

Rubi Bayer — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, Club Penguin, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, Kids

Disney ventured into the world of casual MMOs for kids back in 2005 with Virtual Magic Kingdom. While VMK is no more, the Disney staff responsible for those MMOs are no doubt patting themselves on the back this week for making that leap.

Disney released its Q1 2010 earnings earlier this week, and Disney Interactive Media -- a division that covers console, handheld, and PC/online games -- reported profits down 29%. The standout in these numbers was MMO Club Penguin, which saw "strong growth in paid subscription contributing to better results," according to SVP and CFO Jay Rasulo.

This follows the trend toward casual games as of late, and is serving to help steer Disney away from high end console games. Disney CEO Bob Iger says "we're going to continue to make games for the high end, we'll be very, very judicious in how many and which ones we choose."

Disney Interactive shows overall loss, Club Penguin gains profits originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New screenshots from Pirates of the Caribbean Online

Rubi Bayer — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Screenshots, Events, in-game, Pirates of the Caribbean Online, Free-to-play

Disney's free-to-play MMO Pirates of the Caribbean Online isn't a game we hear much from, but it's got a fairly respectable following and is a fun departure from the standard-issue fantasy genre that marks so many free-to-play games.

Never let it be said either that they don't know how to party in between all the privateering and swashbuckling and whatnot. Disney has released a handful of screenshots from their recent holiday events, and a great party was had by all. Festive streamers, bows, stockings, and greenery made an appearance in between the palm trees and sand. Characters were given a fun /noisemaker emote, and this year had a fun new addition: sandmen.

No, not the kind that arrives to put you to sleep, these are the Caribbean version of snowmen. You see, the Caribbean has a distinct lack of anything resembling snow, and the locals have learned to compensate with cleverly designed pirates made of sand. Enjoy the screenshots provided, and maybe head over and check the game out if you haven't yet!

Continue reading New screenshots from Pirates of the Caribbean Online

New screenshots from Pirates of the Caribbean Online originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 27 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What does Disney buying Marvel have to do with us?

Shawn Schuster — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Business models, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Comics, Marvel Heroes

Earlier today, it was announced that Disney is buying Marvel for $4B, divided among the current Marvel shareholders. This type of news is nothing groundbreaking, and it probably doesn't affect you, as an MMO gamer, right?

You're mostly right. Disney's purchase of Marvel will certainly affect the enormous hold that Marvel has on general gaming now (in a good way, we hope), but don't forget there's also a Marvel MMO in the works. When we asked Gazillion Entertainment how this purchase will affect their Marvel Universe Online project, we were told that all they can relay at this point is a quote from Lowell Singer, Disney's senior vice president of investor relations: "On the video game front, Marvel has some smart licensing agreements with some of the best video game manufacturers in the business. As these licensing deals expire we have the luxury of considering what's best for the company and the products."

Gazillion also reminded us that their MMO licensing deal with Marvel is until 2019.

What does Disney buying Marvel have to do with us? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Disney Fantasy Online becoming a reality in Spring 2009

Alexis Kassan — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: New titles, News items, Kids

Last we heard, Disney was interested, but not planning, to come up with their own themed MMO. Now we are told that Mickey and friends are heading to China to star in a new game in Spring 2009 - this from the news that NetDragon and Disney have teamed up to launch Disney Fantasy Online. The Disney cast of characters are set to play NPCs in a game of high adventure and romance where players can quest and level their way through campaigns.

The dynamic sounds similar to that of Hello Kitty Online, where players are able to farm, build, and raise pets in a themed environment without actually being the well-known characters. According to NetDragon, additional expansions and content will be released often to keep the game fresh. No word yet on whether/when DFO might be available outside of China, but we will stay on top of it for you.

Disney Fantasy Online becoming a reality in Spring 2009 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively.com giveaway: Pirates of the Caribbean Online skulls

Michael Zenke — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Historical, Contests, Pirates of the Caribbean Online

Arr me hearties! It be time once again for another of Massively.com's giveaways, and this time around we've got a pair of unique sculptures on offer! They're former shipmates of mine, but they'll still do some work ... as paper weights! Harrr Harr Harr! They were made up all good and proper for the first anniversary of Disney Online's Pirates of the Caribbean Online. Each of these skulls is marked with dark magics and is accompanied by a scroll explaining how these mates o' mine met their fate. We estimate their retail value to be about ... arr ... $70 all told.

All you'll have to do to enter, my swashbuckling swillhound, is leave a comment on this here post! Why don't you let us know what yer favorite pirate expression is? This blogger is a big, big fan of the traditional YARRR! You'll need to comment before 7:00 AM EST Thursday, November 6th, me bucko. You can only enter once per person, and after the contest closes we'll ship out these shipmates to two randomly-selected skulltenders! Give us at least a week to ship out this massive pile of booty. To win you must be age 18 or up (Shanghai-ing age). Plus ye must be a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec). For full eligibility details, we suggest you read our official rules, ye scallywag! Good luck, and keep your eyes on the treasure!

Psst, did you know we're giving away additional treasure all week from Twitter? You can only win if you follow us! Yarr!

Massively.com giveaway: Pirates of the Caribbean Online skulls originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Pancakes?

Kyle Horner — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind

Pancakes, just about everyone loves 'em. They're deliciously light and fluffy and can be sweetened with everything from blueberries to chocolate chips. Just like their flat 'n tasty counterparts, Pancake MMOs are light, fluffy and sweet all over. Hello Kitty Online, Go Pets, Neopets, Free Realms, Club Penguin and the near bouquet-size of franchise-based MMOs coming from Disney seem to be piling up on our proverbial plates. These MMOs can taste great and do tend to venture into fun, experimental game design territory. However, are they also like actual pancakes in that too many will cause everyone to grasp their collective stomachs and painfully moan, "Too many pancakes!" or can we stomach endless amounts of soft, tasty sweetness?

The Daily Grind: Pancakes? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pirates of the Caribbean Online announces privateering

Shawn Schuster — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Historical, Game mechanics, Patches, Pirates of the Caribbean Online, Free-to-play

Yarr! Privateering has come to Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean Online, so get your eye patches and poofy shirts ready for action! This new feature is sure to shiver your timbers (ok, ok, we'll stop), as it introduces a faction-based way to earn gold and reputation points for players.

This new feature will be accessible to both Basic and Unlimited Access players by siding with either the Frenchman Pierre or the Spaniard Garcia. These Pirate Lords will challenge players with quests where you can earn your very own French or Spanish tattoo. Plus, if you would like to learn more about privateering, you can check out their new Lore Journal The Rise of the Privateer on the PotCO website.

Pirates of the Caribbean Online announces privateering originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Jul 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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E308: Disney Interactive Studios shows off Club Penguin on the DS

Shawn Schuster — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: Expansions, Game mechanics, Club Penguin, Virtual worlds, Kids

At E3 today, Disney Interactive Studios announced their lineup of new titles releasing later this year. All of these titles were developed with family in mind, and most are exclusive to the console market. Yet, in relation to MMO news, they've also shown off their new Club Penguin expansion which will be released for the Nintendo DS.

Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force will introduce kids to all new adventures in the Club Penguin world. They will be able to connect with friends via DGamer, Nintendo Wi-Fi connection and ad hoc play. They will be able to wirelessly connect with the existing virtual Club Penguin world using the Nintendo DS to unlock special features and upload coins to their online penguin account. Elite Penguin Force is set to release just in time for the holiday season later this year.

E308: Disney Interactive Studios shows off Club Penguin on the DS originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toontown Online makes it harder for griefers

Robin Torres — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Toontown Online, Browser, Kids

We were swimming in the apartment community pool this weekend and were unfortunate enough to be there when a kid was practicing his griefing skills. He was about 10 years old and was doing the standard stuff: throwing trash in the pool and blaming other kids, stealing the other kids' pool toys, and of course calling everyone "gay" when they left the pool and took their toys with them.

We see griefers of all ages in the MMOs we play and the kids games are no exception. We've discussed before how games like Toontown Online take steps to prevent griefing with canned chat phrases and passworded friend features. The worst thing a toon in Toontown can say to you is "You stink!" which is really not very hurtful. But it is rather bothersome when it is spammed at you until you are able to escape the griefer, say by going home and gardening. .

Continue reading Toontown Online makes it harder for griefers

Toontown Online makes it harder for griefers originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 06 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Pernicious Privateers of Pirates of the Caribbean Online

Brenda Holloway — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Historical, Events, in-game, PvP, Pirates of the Caribbean Online, News items, Kids

Arr! Closer come ye, for I have risen with news of Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean Online!

Be ye an honest captain or be ye a pirate, be there one amongst ye who can clear the seas of the scum that floats upon 'er? Aye, I be talking about Privateering! Turn your sheets into the wind and lash the wheel tight and bring yourself to Isle D'Etable De Porc if ye be friendly to the French, or Isla De La Avaricia if the Spanish have y'r loyalty. Seek ye there crew, provisions and ammo fer the fighting ahead! And may the wind be ever at your back but pass over the sails of yer enemy! Privateering only be available to Unlimited Access members on the Test Server, but it be coming soon enough to the Live servers.

I wager there be more news after yon break. Click ye through to see thar th' rest.

Continue reading The Pernicious Privateers of Pirates of the Caribbean Online

The Pernicious Privateers of Pirates of the Caribbean Online originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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38 Studios welcomes Thom Ang as Director of Art

Samuel Axon — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, New titles, News items

Noted industry artist Thom Ang has started work at 38 Studios as Director of Art, according to a press release from the company. He has joined company founder and pro baseball player Curt Schilling, comic book artist Todd McFarlane, and fantasy author R.A. Salvatore to work on Copernicus, a secretive MMO project.

Ang has previously been employed by THQ, where he worked on several titles including Disney adaptations, and Electronic Arts, where he worked on the Medal of Honor series. He's just another of many samples of veteran blood the studio has attracted.

Details about Copernicus are hush-hush. We know 38 Studios is using the BigWorld and Unreal engine technologies. There have been hints in interviews about the direction the project is taking. That's about it, though.

38 Studios welcomes Thom Ang as Director of Art originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Jun 2008 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blackstar environment art makes our sci-fi hearts melt

Kyle Horner — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: New titles, News items, Blackstar

Spacetime Studios has certainly been hard at work developing their tasty looking sci-fi MMO Blackstar. How do we know this? Well, RPG Vault recently got a look at three pieces of concept art for the game and they all look exquisite. It's just refreshing to see a sci-fi space MMO with such lovingly saturated color. It's a shame that our header images are only so big, otherwise we'd plaster these pieces of art all over the place like a young tween girl obsessed with Disney Channel personalities.

Each of the three images are accompanied by some intriguing descriptions of the harrowing vistas seen. We highly recommend reading them if you're hankering for a digital bite of what will surely be even more amazing in rendered form. Obviously, we here at Massively fully support the design, development and proliferation of non-fantasy MMOs. While do we love our swords n' sorcercy -- as its known to be called by geeks of certain hailings -- there's a powerful cry of joy that spreads from the Massively HQ whenever a sci-fi MMO as promising as Blackstar continues unabated.

Blackstar environment art makes our sci-fi hearts melt originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"Free-To-Play" model pulls in a dollar per user in the west

Seraphina Brennan — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, News items, Free-to-play, Casual, Virtual worlds

One dollar per user per month may not sound like a huge revenue for any game, but when you start thinking in the terms of the user base of games like Habbo Hotel, Club Penguin and RuneScape you start to realize how much a dollar is really worth.

Lightspeed, a venture capital firm, recently did a few calculations to come up with the figures of how much revenue is generated by a single user in today's most successful free-to-play, microtransaction supported MMOs. What they came up with is a pretty interesting look at how much a "successful" MMO will make. For example, Habbo Hotel pulls in around $1.30 on average for each of their active users per month, while RuneScape pulls in 84 cents per active user per month.

The one figure that stood out from the pack was Second Life, which pulled in 9 dollars per user per month thanks to things like land ownership and the premium subscription that land owners have to buy to be able to own property. Even with Second Life in the mix, it's interesting to see that these types of MMOs don't make much per user, yet still can pull in great amounts of revenue by entertaining huge player bases.

[Via Kotaku]

"Free-To-Play" model pulls in a dollar per user in the west originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Disney merges their internet and games groups

Shawn Schuster — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, Events, real-world, MMO industry, Casual, Virtual worlds, Kids

As we reported last month, Disney's Virtual Magic Kingdom has closed up shop after several years of operation. This is said to be in anticipation of their upcoming virtual worlds, including one based on the movie Cars and one on Tinker Bell. Yet recently, we've heard a new piece of information in the Disney business plan puzzle.

What they're working on is a merger between the Walt Disney Internet Group and the Disney Interactive Studios, effective immediately. This new group, entitled the Disney Interactive Media Group will be led by Steve Wadsworth, previously the president of the Disney Internet Group. It will cover all of their gaming endeavors from console to virtual worlds, which seems to be a positive step towards the company's focus on online gaming for kids.

Disney merges their internet and games groups originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Club Penguin's screen-size conundrum

Chris Chester — Wed, 21 May 2008 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Club Penguin, Opinion, Browser, Casual, Kids

For those not keeping up on their Club Penguin developments (and why not, it's a fairly amusing and eminently kid-friendly flash-based browser game), they've recently implemented a new "Big Screen" version of the client. The gameplay area used to be about 760x480 and now clocks in by default at a robust 910x575 (rough estimates using our Print Screen-fu), allowing us to see our online penguin counterparts in greater detail and clarity than ever before.

Much to our surprise however, there was not universal praise for this graphical upgrade. Mesagirl over at Ten Ton Hamster lamented the larger size playing field, saying higher resolutions are for the elderly and that the bigger size gives her headaches after extended play. They ran a little straw poll to get readers' thoughts on the subject, and the vast majority of them agreed with us that the bigger size is a positive development. It's a moot point anyway, since you just change the screen size with a push of a button. You don't hear most people complaining about the default resolutions for games like Age of Conan; the same rules apply here in this blogger's mind.

Club Penguin's screen-size conundrum originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 May 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Are Club Penguin's days of growth numbered?

Chris Chester — Wed, 21 May 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, MMO industry, Club Penguin, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, Kids

An interesting report on social media by the Nielsen group recently found that Club Penguin, the kid-friendly browser-based MMO acquired by Disney last year for a robust $350 million, may be plateauing or even declining in growth in the face of newer, more competitive social media experiences. While the Nielsen methodology is never made expressly clear (and no direct competitors managed to crack the Top 10), the report does indicate that using the same methodology, they found a 250% growth rate year-over-year just last August.

MMO vet Raph Koster is less than surprised by this development, attributing the slight decline in unique visitors more to the increased competition in that space, rather than any specific detriment in Club Penguin itself. Raph speculates that we'll continue to see the market fragment as more kiddie MMOs enter the market. And, judging my store shelves these days, they're coming in droves. While he seems to be of the opinion that the days of these niche MMOs competing in the same arena as MySpace and Facebook are over, that doesn't mean there isn't a lot of money to be made and kids to be entertained.

Are Club Penguin's days of growth numbered? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 May 2008 19:00:00 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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Has the MMO industry been irresponsible with children?

Michael Zenke — Fri, 09 May 2008 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, Club Penguin, Casual, Kids

Frustration and disappointment was squarely behind the creation of the kid-friendly online space Club Penguin. Co-founder and general manager Lane Merrifield was sick and tired of the MMO industry's "cynicism" when it came to children. Merrifield and his partners went forward with the gamespace as a side project, a world unsupported by VC money or expectations.

GamesIndustry.biz sat down for a chat with the man, and delved into the context behind one of the most successful kid-oriented titles on the market. In his words, he'd be "silly" not to be surprised by the game's runaway success and the purchase by Disney. The human element, he offers, has been critical to their success. "Merrifield also thinks that there is an over-reliance on technology that ignores the human element, which is why they've decided to devote two-thirds of the company's staff to positions such as safety moderators and customer service. 'We know the limits of technology, even though I would put our filtering software up against anybody's, especially because of that human element - we're adding 500 to 1000 words every day to the filters, simply because of slang that works its way into the language.'"

Has the MMO industry been irresponsible with children? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 May 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Q&A with PotCO lead developer Jason Yeung

Eli Shayotovich — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Fantasy, Historical, Interviews, Pirates of the Caribbean Online, News items, Free-to-play

Jason Yeung is one of the lead developers for Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean Online. During a recent Q&A he dishes out some very interesting info on what's coming for this free-to-play piratey good time.

Both Davy Jones and the Kraken will eventually be included in the game, but the when remains locked up as tight as Jones' fabled locker however. Adding pets (such as a parrot, which every pirate must have) is something they want to do in future expansions, but they're more focused on creating end-game content for their hardcore players, which is a sign that they do listen to feedback. In fact, their biggest challenge at the moment is rolling out new content fast enough.

If you've never given PotCO a try you really have nothing to lose -- it's free-to-play. If you like what you see, and over the last few months a great deal of new content has been added, a monthly fee will get you unlimited access to all the game's content (like the poker games).

Q&A with PotCO lead developer Jason Yeung originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 May 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A bounty of new booty for PotCO

Eli Shayotovich — Thu, 01 May 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Fantasy, Historical, Expansions, Launches, Patches, Quests, Pirates of the Caribbean Online, News items, Free-to-play

A treasure chest of booty has just been dumped into the world of Pirates of the Caribbean Online. If you're an Unlimited Access player new weapons have been added that deal more damage, have faster reload times and sparkly new graphics. New quests have been included that can earn players things like a Fine Cutlass, Coltello Dagger, Harrow Voodoo Staff, and the walloping Heavy Tri-Barrel Pistol.

If inking up the bod of your Caribbean Pirate is more important, new Tattoo Quests have also been added. These quests will award players special inkings that can not be bought -- they must be earned.

Plus, some incredibly cool lore regarding who (or what) Jolly Roger actually is has been written up, and a tale of two islands explores the intrigue of a pirate from Spain and a pirate from France.

A bounty of new booty for PotCO originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 May 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Caribbean pirates get some morale

Eli Shayotovich — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Historical, Game mechanics, Patches, Pirates of the Caribbean Online, Free-to-play

Pirating ain't easy. Even rough and tumble scallywag types need a morale boost every once in a while. As such, Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean Online will soon offer a few new changes - all provided by community feedback.

Tonics will soon be made available that recharge morale faster, and the groggy penalty (due to jail time) is being shortened. Added functionality to the Crew Panel will make the whole act of crewing easier. Players will not only be able to let other players on their server know that they are in need of a crew, but crewing up will also receive a bigger bonus. Now that's an incentive every pirate can get behind!

Additional changes will improve player communications (the whisper feature in particular)... oh, and there are new Quests coming as well.

Caribbean pirates get some morale originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cinemassively: Toontown Friends Forever

Moo Money — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Video, Toontown Online, Free-to-play, Cinemassively, Machinima, Virtual worlds, Kids

Not only is the machinima hard in Toontown, but the gameplay is even harder! This free-to-play virtual world for kids doesn't appear to have a way to turn off the User Interface (UI). However, even then, you'd need a buddy code just to communicate with anyone to coordinate movements!

These setbacks don't deter members of the community, though. There are over 4,000 Toontown videos on YouTube! In this music video, Friends Forever, dating back almost two years, ToonTownGeekFangs gives thanks to the world and friends that have kept them safe.

If you have machinima or movie suggestions from any MMO, please send them to machinima AT massively DOT com, along with any information you might have about them.

Cinemassively: Toontown Friends Forever originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 19 Apr 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When a game is no longer a game

Shawn Schuster — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, MMO industry, Kids

With the advent of the next generation of social networking MMOs on the rise, and the retirement announcement of Disney's Virtual Magic Kingdom, we can't help but wonder what is the real definition of an MMO these days? Where is online gaming headed, and what is there a real demand for anymore?

After VMK's closing announcement last week, users let it be known that they were not happy with Disney's decision. As we reported yesterday, there were several comments concerning the fact that taking down this virtual world was like taking down their real world. Many of them were not only fiery and disparaging, but the retorts to these comments were even more dramatic. Yes, this happened on the internet! Can you believe it? The fact is, this makes us wonder if we're approaching dangerous ground with the immersion factor of these virtual worlds, especially as they pertain to our children and their interpretation of the world. The real world, that is.

When a game is no longer a game originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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