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The Mog Log: Eye of the earthquake

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Game mechanics, Patches, Opinion, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, The Mog Log

This has not been a normal year. Not for me, certainly -- I certainly didn't expect back in January that I'd be facing a week without power later in the year -- but not for Final Fantasy XI or Final Fantasy XIV either. None of us was expecting both games to be shut down for a while in response to a horrible earthquake hitting Japan, for example. But barring something truly bizarre happening over the next week, the year is finally winding down to a close, so we can look back on what's taken place with analytical minds.

Even without the earthquake, though, this hasn't been a usual year for either game. Admittedly, Final Fantasy XIV hasn't had a "usual" year to use as a baseline, but it was certainly a tumultuous one for players and developers. And Final Fantasy XI... well, it's had an unusual year more in terms of what didn't happen. Take a look past the break as I take a look down memory lane.

Continue reading The Mog Log: Eye of the earthquake

The Mog Log: Eye of the earthquake originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 24 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Warcraft pet sales contribute over $1.9 million to Red Cross

Matt Daniel — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Culture, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items

In May, Blizzard announced that sales of the Moonkin Hatchling in-game pet had raised $800,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Around the same time, Japan suffered a devastating earthquake and Blizzard was quick to introduce a second in-game pet in the form of the Cenarion Hatchling, the sales of which would all be contributed to the Red Cross's Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami relief fund.

Well, it looks like the World of Warcraft community -- with a little help from the adorable feathered Cenarion Hatchling -- has done it again. Blizzard announced today that as of today, sales of the Hatchling have totaled over $1.9 million, with every last penny going to the Land of the Rising Sun in its time of need. Blizzard -- and we here at Massively, for that matter -- send out heartfelt thanks to the players who helped contribute to this staggering amount to the Red Cross.

World of Warcraft pet sales contribute over $1.9 million to Red Cross originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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gPotato players pitch in to help Japan relief effort

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Events, real-world, MMO industry, Rappelz, Miscellaneous

While March's earthquake and tsunami in Japan is no longer in the headlines, relief and recovery efforts go on -- and will continue for some time to come. Gamers have been generous in answering the call to help by their favorite MMOs, and today we've received word that gPotato players have donated €22,151 to help with the Red Cross' relief efforts.

This hefty sum was raised through the sale of special in-game items created in response to the disaster. These items appeared in Rappelz, Flyff, Castle of Heroes and Terra Militaris. Players who purchased one of these items between March 25th and April 30th saw their money go entirely to the Red Cross. This was a part of a global effort by Gala Networks that ultimately raised over €50,000.

Gala Networks Europe CEO Hyun Hur has a few words for those who participated: "We're hugely proud of the amount our players have raised for the Irish Red Cross and that our community is so kind-hearted."

gPotato players pitch in to help Japan relief effort originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony loses $3.2B, spends $170M in response to hacker attacks

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 23 May 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, Legal, Miscellaneous

Sony's bad year is getting a smidge worse. The company, which had previously predicted a healthy profit for the past fiscal year, is now expecting a loss of $3.2 billion for the period of April 2010 through March 2011.

The reverse in fortunes is mostly due to writing off a $4.4 billion tax credit, although the company has been struggling with both the recent earthquake and hacker attack that disrupted operations of both its physical operations and online services. Sony CFO Masaru Kato doesn't beat around the bush: "In the first quarter, we saw quite a major impact on our manufacturing activities."

Sony also has spent over $170 million in response to the hacking intrusion last month. These funds went to rebuilding the network, providing identity protection coverage, investigating the attacks, free game time, and customer support.

This is the second straight year that Sony has operated at a loss, although last year's $439 million wasn't nearly as severe as this promises to be.

Sony loses $3.2B, spends $170M in response to hacker attacks originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 May 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online players raise over $44,000 for Japan relief fund

Brendan Drain — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Economy, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items

Never let it be said that gamers don't have big hearts. When Japan was hit by an earthquake and the ensuing tsunami, people around the world stepped up to donate to disaster relief programs. Several MMO developers have made substantial donations using profits from their games. NCSoft made a huge donation of 500 million yen (6.3 million USD), and Sony Online Entertainment donated 300 million yen (3.6 million U.S. dollars). SOE, gPotato, Perfect World Entertainment and Hi-Rez studios have all been running schemes to help players donate, ranging from special once-only microtransaction items to just donating a percentage of all cash shop proceeds to charity.

EVE Online's developer CCP Games has encouraged donations through their unique PLEX system. Players who couldn't afford to donate cash were encouraged to buy PLEX in-game using ISK and donate them to the relief fund. CCP would then scrap the PLEX items and donate their full purchase value to charity. The scheme has been very successful at raising money in previous disasters, raising over 40,000 USD for the Haitian earthquake fund and roughly a further 20,000 USD for the flooding in Pakistan.

In a new devblog, CCP Fallout has released the final results of EVE's charity drive. A total of 2549 PLEX, each worth 17.5 USD, was donated to the scheme by players. CCP will be donating the full value of 44,607.50 USD to the Red Cross in the name the EVE Online community, and will be paying for all of the tax and management costs themselves. EVE players have now donated a total of 108,000 USD through the PLEX for Good scheme. Head over to the devblog for the details of the charity drive and some interesting information on three players who helped make it a success.

EVE Online players raise over $44,000 for Japan relief fund originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 03 Apr 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Perfect World Entertainment offers Japanese disaster relief across multiple games

Jef Reahard — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Perfect World International, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Ether Saga Online, Jade Dynasty, Battle of the Immortals

MMO industry efforts to rebuild Japan continue, as free-to-play titan Perfect World Entertainment is lending its considerable weight to the cause. The firm is donating 50% of the proceeds from special cash shop items to the ongoing Japanese earthquake and tsunami relief drive.

Players of PWE's games can pick up a little something extra for their characters while simultaneously making a donation to the Red Cross. The promotion runs through April 13th and features a variety of items in games including Battle of the Immortals (bag expansions), Ether Saga Online (ancestral crystals), Forsaken World (star of hope), Jade Dynasty (meditation orbs), and Perfect World International (super inventory stone).

Perfect World Entertainment offers Japanese disaster relief across multiple games originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Mog Log: Back in the high life again

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Opinion, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, The Mog Log

The good news is that both Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV should be back online as of Friday. (I'm writing this on Thursday, so watch some last-minute wrench get tossed into the works.) The bad news is... well, really, that's all the news over the past couple of weeks. While the team has been working, it seems like improving a video game hasn't been at the top of anyone's priority list in the wake of the earthquake and subsequent devastation.

If I hadn't made this clear enough last week, that's pretty much the only reasonable response to what's been happening. It's astonishing that anyone has even been going on and working on the games, much less actively keeping players up to date about the status of the servers.

There's the distinct chance that you weren't able to log in as soon as the servers went live again yesterday, and even if you did, it was mostly a matter of checking back in and lounging for a few moments. So let's take a look at some of the ways to re-acquaint yourself with the games.

Continue reading The Mog Log: Back in the high life again

The Mog Log: Back in the high life again originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 26 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Square-Enix restoring Final Fantasy XI and XIV game services on March 25th

Jef Reahard — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items, Final Fantasy XIV

It looks like the lights are coming back on in both Vana'diel and Eorzea in a few days, as Square-Enix has published a press release on its website updating fans and customers on its power conservation initiative.

Final Fantasy XI and XIV game servers were shut down on March 13th in an effort to curtail non-essential power usage in the aftermath of the Tohoku earthquake. According to Square, services for both MMORPGs, as well as its PlayOnline portal, will be back online this Friday, March 25th.

The FFXIV website also details Square's efforts to reduce its energy footprint, which includes reductions in both lighting and air conditioning usage in addition to the server shutdowns. The company also states that services may be interrupted again if recovery efforts warrant it, and that monthly fees for the April billing cycle will be waived.

Square-Enix restoring Final Fantasy XI and XIV game services on March 25th originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Mog Log: Blackout

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Events, real-world, MMO industry, Opinion, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, The Mog Log

It's really hard to find the heart to talk about anything related to Final Fantasy this week.

Last week, things went intensely cross-eyed for Japan. If you've somehow missed it, the short version is that a massive earthquake struck, killing a huge number of people and sending Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plants into a crisis that's still escalating as of this writing. There's the very real possibility of the plant's suffering a meltdown, resulting in a disaster some people are likening to the explosion at Chernobyl.

And yet the Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV teams are working. We've seen communication out of the teams, and while Tokyo wasn't directly hit by the quake, it's hard to believe none of the employees has family in the region. The country faces rolling blackouts and a nuclear threat, and yet the teams keep working at making the games better for everyone. There comes a point when dedication doesn't adequately explain what keeps someone working through a crisis.

Continue reading The Mog Log: Blackout

The Mog Log: Blackout originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 19 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCsoft makes multi-million dollar Japanese relief donation

Jef Reahard — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items, Miscellaneous

Earlier we told you about Hi-Rez Studios and its efforts to help victims of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. NCsoft is also throwing a considerable contribution into the relief drive in the form of 500 million Yen (or 4.5 million Euros/6.3 million USD, for those of you counting along at home).

NCsoft's Sung Joon Park explained that the sum equals a month's worth of sales, adding that the South Korean gaming giant would not be shutting off game services. "We'll maintain the service with minimal electricity and personnel. Maintaining daily life is also important, therefore we plan to uphold the service."

Kotaku puts NCsoft's gift into perspective, noting that the South Korean MMO maker is a big deal in Asia, where its contributions to the Japanese recovery outstrip notables including Nintendo, Sony, and Hyundai.

[Thanks to cic for the tip!]

NCsoft makes multi-million dollar Japanese relief donation originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Earthquake interruption delays Final Fantasy updates

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Events, real-world, Patches, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV

With the massive earthquake that shut down both Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV, players of both games are awaiting news on when service is expected to resume while the nation of Japan struggles to recover. But there have been other repercussions for Square-Enix, and in wake of the disaster, coming patches for both games have been pushed back. Final Fantasy XI's next major update, previously scheduled for mid-April, has been pushed back to a provisional date in May depending on further developments.

Naoki Yoshida has put together a producer's letter explaining some of the situation in the country now, noting that while the Tokyo-based employees were unharmed, many of the staff members had family in the affected regions, not to mention power outages rendering several team members unable to get to work. The next two patches have subsequently been delayed until April, with a promise that Final Fantasy XIV players will learn more about the upcoming Grand Companies (formerly called public companies) before too long. As always, we hope that the staff and families of Square-Enix remain safe through this unforeseen crisis.

Earthquake interruption delays Final Fantasy updates originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Donate EVE ISK to help disaster relief efforts in Japan

Brendan Drain — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Economy, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items

When it comes to collecting aid for disaster relief, EVE Online developer CCP Games has a unique way of helping players donate. While many MMOs ask for donations or release limited-edition cash shop items, CCP has managed to devise a way for players to donate in-game currency to help people in the real world. During the relief effort for last year's earthquake in Haiti, CCP began accepting donations of 30-day Pilot's License EXtensions (PLEX) for their full monetary value in game time. With the recent devestation in Japan, CCP has once again asked for the EVE community's help to raise money for relief aid.

Each PLEX bought on the in-game market and donated to charity represents 30 days of game time that someone in the world originally paid for with cash but that won't be redeemed into game time. Because of this, CCP can donate the full cash value of that game time to a registered relief charity without taking a big loss. CCP absorbs all management and tax fees to ensure that 100% of the donated game time's value is passed on to registered charities (in this case, the Red Cross).

To donate to the relief effort in Japan, EVE players are encouraged to buy PLEX on the open market and contract them to the character "CCP PLEX For Good" before March 31st. As usual, EVE Online's normally permissive rules on scamming have been suspended in relation to the charity drive. Anyone attempting to scam players out of ISK or PLEX using this charity drive will be dealt with harshly. With notable rich players and corporations able to potentially donate thousands of dollars' worth of PLEX, this charity drive is sure to raise a substantial amount of money for disaster-stricken Japan.

Donate EVE ISK to help disaster relief efforts in Japan originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Japan's earthquake having aftershocks in the MMO world

Eliot Lefebvre — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, Miscellaneous

Unless you've deliberately avoiding learning about what's going on in the world, you've doubtlessly heard of the massive earthquake that hit Japan on Friday. Our thoughts and good wishes go to any and all of our readers, and their friends and families, directly affected by the disaster. But it hits people in many ways, and it's even reaching into the MMO sphere, with both Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV shutting down completely for at least a week of service.

While the servers for both games had been kept running briefly after the disaster, the massive power failures across Japan resulted in widespread shortages. The service is expected to be down for at least a week from today, and players will receive no bills for the month due to the interruption. Sony Online Entertainment has no games based out of the island nation, but it has also suspended billing for all players in the region and has pointed players to disaster relief centers. We can only hope that other companies follow suit where possible, as a tragedy of this scale demands a response.

Japan's earthquake having aftershocks in the MMO world originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 13 Mar 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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China declares day of mourning, closes all entertainment venues

Rubi Bayer — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items

News of the earthquake that hit China last week was devastating enough to gain worldwide attention immediately, even more so as the numbers of killed, injured, and missing rose with every new report.

As China begins recovering this week, officials declared a day of mourning for today. Flags flew at half mast, citizens wore white paper flowers, and even rescue workers paused for three minutes to remember the victims. So what does this have to do with MMOs?

Matt Mihaly, the CEO of Sparkplay Media, is in Shanghai this week and dropped us a line to let us know that those aren't the only things being done for today's day of mourning: "...all entertainment options in China have been shut down today (4/21). That includes everything from karaoke bars to entertainment tv channels (non-news channels are blacked out here today) to online games." That's right, no MMOs in China today. And while we at Massively love our games, we can't help but approve of this measure of respect for those affected.

[Thanks to Matt for the tip!]

China declares day of mourning, closes all entertainment venues originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Apr 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Despite devastation, Chinese return to online gaming

Shawn Schuster — Wed, 28 May 2008 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: Events, real-world, MMO industry, Server downtime

After the devastating earthquake that took the lives of over 40,000 people in China two weeks ago, the Chinese government is doing all they can to restore civility to over seven million people who were directly affected by one of the largest natural disasters in recent history. In addition to this, we can all rest assured that the MMO market in China didn't miss a beat and is back in full swing.

Yes, you heard me right. CDC Games, the Chinese game distributor responsible for the distribution of such popular titles as Shaiya Online, stated recently that its revenues for its online games have rebounded almost immediately. They say their game service was only suspended for three days during the tragedy, and are now back on track to making the income they made previous to the disaster. Whew!

Despite devastation, Chinese return to online gaming originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 May 2008 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Earthquake not the only impact on China's online games

James Egan — Thu, 22 May 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Economy, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items

In the wake of the 7.9-magnitude earthquake in Sichuan Province, China, the government mandated an observance of the tragedy. In addition to Monday's three minutes of silence in national mourning, the Chinese government placed a three-day moratorium on all 'public amusements' in the country. This imposed break extended to online gaming and virtual worlds throughout the mainland, which prompted some commentary by Frank Yu, the China Angle columnist at Gamasutra.

While residents of Sichuan or those with friends and loved ones in the quake-affected region were not likely to want to play games in the aftermath of the disaster, the three-day imposed blackout on entertainment media was an unusual move for China. The suspension of these activities essentially made the entire country give up something, albeit briefly, in order to share the pain of those whose lives have been affected by the catastrophe. "The earthquake has had another major impact on the China gaming industry as well in what seems like an exercise of government media control... This includes, concerts, television shows, movies and for the first time, even online games," Yu said. The virtual worlds of China's major online game companies remained dark between May 19th and 21st. Although the game companies and operators complied with the suspension of their activities, they clearly assumed substantial profit losses.

Continue reading Earthquake not the only impact on China's online games

Earthquake not the only impact on China's online games originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 May 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chinese decree on mourning curtails MMO play

Akela Talamasca — Mon, 19 May 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items

Out of respect for the over 32,000 lives lost in the recent Sichuan earthquake, China has officially decreed a 3-day period of mourning, during which no entertainment media may be offered. This directly affects players of World of Warcraft, to name one game, as the Chinese distributor for WoW, The9, is complying fully with this edict.

Massively extends its condolences to the surviving families of this tragedy.

Chinese decree on mourning curtails MMO play originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 May 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zu Online community mourns earthquake victims

Samuel Axon — Thu, 15 May 2008 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Culture, Events, in-game, Zu Online, News items

As most people have heard by now, a massive earthquake struck the Sichuan province of China four days ago, killing 12,000 people and leaving as many as 18,000 more missing. The colossal tragedy shocked not only the Chinese, but all the people of the world.

Players of the Chinese MMO Zu Online were no exception. Without any prior planning, they collected together in the game's wuxia fantasy setting -- the mythic past of the the very region struck by this week's terrible disaster -- to mourn those lost in the earthquake, and to pray for their families.

A Zu player put together a tribute video, cross-cutting between footage from the in-game memorial service and photographs from the media coverage of the disaster, and posted it on the game's official forums. It's a noble tribute to the deceased. Watch it if you feel compelled.

[Via MMORPG]

Zu Online community mourns earthquake victims originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 May 2008 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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