Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Wings Over Atreia: Immersion 101]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/03/wings-over-atreia-immersion-101/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/03/wings-over-atreia-immersion-101/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/03/wings-over-atreia-immersion-101/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

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This week's course: What were they thinking?!?

Maybe it was running smack into the garish sugary confection amid the beauty of Pandaemonium. No. Honestly, it was a combination of many things that finally exploded my synapses; the sight of that gaudy cake that made me whip my head around looking for little Hansel and Gretel was just the catalyst. I may be missing something, but I just don't quite understand why a game -- one that obviously put a lot of effort into not only making a visually stunning world but interweaving lore throughout the entire experience -- would toss in such jarring breaks of immersion.

There is no denying (even the hating haters agree) that Aion is an extremely beautiful and detailed world; the team even rolled out a graphics upgrade to enhance it. The developers have also obviously spent time developing lore for the players to experience: The campaign quests give personal cutscenes sharing this lore. This implies, at least to me, that the devs want you to immerse yourself and envelop yourself in their world. So why in the Seraphim Lords' names would they toss in things that not only break the suspension of disbelief but yank players out of it so forcefully that they are left dizzy and disoriented?

Join the class beyond the break for Wings over Atreia's look at immersion, why it is important, and what destroys it in our favorite game, Aion. (BTW -- the cake is not a lie!)

Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: Immersion 101

MassivelyWings Over Atreia: Immersion 101 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionaion-gamebreaking-immersioncash-shopescapismfeaturedimmersionimmersion-breakersnc-softnc-soft-aionncsoftncsoft-aionroleplayerroleplayersRPMon, 03 Oct 2011 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Soapbox: A violent scene]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/14/the-soapbox-a-violent-scene/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/14/the-soapbox-a-violent-scene/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/14/the-soapbox-a-violent-scene/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

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

When Star Trek Online was first released, it had more than its fair share of critics, and one of the chief complaints was the fact that the game seemed to focus largely upon combat. Sure, Star Trek had always featured combat, but it had also featured negotiation and diplomacy and unknowable phenomena alongside human drama. The idea that the entire universe could be pared down to ships and ground teams firing disruptor beams at one another didn't sit well with a sizable portion of the fanbase.

Of course, Star Trek Online is hardly the only culprit. MMOs have always had a heavy focus on combat as far back as Ultima Online -- the PvP that people look back on with fond memories wasn't a game of cards, after all. Sometimes it can seem as if we have a sea of games with nothing to them except fighting and killing things, without any other meaningful interactions with the world. In a genre that offers us such a wonderful tool for social interaction, why are our games so violent?

As it turns out, for a lot of very good reasons.

Continue reading The Soapbox: A violent scene

MassivelyThe Soapbox: A violent scene originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>columnscombatcultureescapismfeaturedimpulsesnon-combat-activitiesopinionsoapboxsocial-activitiessocial-interactionsthe-sopaboxviolenceviolent-gamesTue, 14 Jun 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Are MMOGs escapism or a refuge?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/17/are-mmogs-escapism-or-a-refuge/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/17/are-mmogs-escapism-or-a-refuge/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/17/are-mmogs-escapism-or-a-refuge/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

When you play a Massive game, are you escaping the real world? Are you running from it? Or are you just seeking a temporary refuge from all the frustrations and challenges of modern living? That's the question asked by well-known Virtual Worlds researcher Edward Castronova in his new book Exodus to the Virtual World: How Online Fun is Chaning Reality.

In a discussion with the BBC, Castronova elaborates on concepts implied by the book's title. The professor sees a lot of people withdrawing from physical reality as the opportunity to do so arises - a move the BBC refers to as an Exodus. Castronova likens this to the settling of the North American continent.

"What I tried to do in this book is say, 'listen - even if the typical reader doesn't spend any time in virtual worlds, what is going to be the impact on him of people going and doing this?'" And he predicted that everyone will be involved in a virtual environment within ten years - although the level of that involvement will vary.

In the meantime, though, he focuses on the reasons that people go online today. On the one hand you have people who go online to escape reality, to disconnect. On the other, you have people who seek to connect in ways they couldn't offline.

"A father of two spending 90 hours a week in a virtual world because he doesn't like his wife - I would say that's escapism, and it isn't anything you would say is good. "But if it's a heavy-set girl from a small town who gets victimised just because her body isn't the 'right' kind of body, and she goes online to make friends because she can't get a fair shake in the real world, then I would say the virtual world is more of a refuge."

If you're willing to share, why not add a comment letting us know why you log into your MMOG of choice?

Continue reading Are MMOGs escapism or a refuge?

MassivelyAre MMOGs escapism or a refuge? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Dec 2007 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cultureedward-castronovaescapismrefugesocietyvirtual-worldsMon, 17 Dec 2007 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Office's Dwight takes to Second Life, hilarity ensues]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/29/the-offices-dwight-takes-to-second-life-hilarity-ensues/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/29/the-offices-dwight-takes-to-second-life-hilarity-ensues/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/29/the-offices-dwight-takes-to-second-life-hilarity-ensues/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


As fans of NBC's hit 'The Office' are probably well aware, last Thursday's episode "The Ad" gave a fair bit of screen time to Second Life. Games don't usually get a terribly fair treatment in popular media, as writers tend to perpetuate popular stereotypes about players as unsociable, unhealthy, or both for the sake of making an easy joke.

And while we have to concede that The Office's take on Second Life did focus on the escapism for which many people play the game, the punchlines were in all the right places. (See: Dwight's Second Life character playing an MMO within the MMO, to help escape further.) Check out the full episode on NBC's website, it's a good one.

MassivelyThe Office's Dwight takes to Second Life, hilarity ensues originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dwightescapismnbcofficepop-culturesecond-lifethe-officetvMon, 29 Oct 2007 18:10:00 EST