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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 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[MMO Family: First Impressions of World of Trinketz]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/mmo-family-first-impressions-of-world-of-trinketz/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/mmo-family-first-impressions-of-world-of-trinketz/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/mmo-family-first-impressions-of-world-of-trinketz/#commentsFiled under: Business Models, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Browser, Hands-On, First Impressions, Kids, MMO Family, Family, Miscellaneous

MMO Family First Impressions of World of Trinketz

I have to begin this week's column with a disclaimer: I am not a fan of Facebook, and I'm even less a fan of Facebook games. The only one I found enjoyable was Ian Bogost's Cow Clicker because it was a giant middle finger to the bottom-feeding practices so commonly found in Facebook Villes.

But when I got a Google alert in my inbox about the world's first family-friendly 3-D MMO for Facebook, I had to head back to the blue-and-white wasteland of Facebook and see it firsthand. Could it be that the era of isometric views and mindless clicking is finally over? Have we finally moved on from agriculturally themed games? I decided to check out World of Trinketz to seek some answers.

Continue reading MMO Family: First Impressions of World of Trinketz

MMO Family: First Impressions of World of Trinketz originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 May 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>casualchildrenchildrens-mmoscow-clickerdark-matter-entertainmentfacebookfacebook-gamesfacebook-mmofamilyfamily-friendlyfarmvillefeaturedian-bogostkid-friendlykidskids-gamesmmo-familymonetizationopinionworld-of-trinketzWed, 15 May 2013 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Smedley: Social network games not in SOE's future, PlanetSide 2 doing 'very well']]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/12/smedley-social-network-games-not-in-soes-future-planetside-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/12/smedley-social-network-games-not-in-soes-future-planetside-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/12/smedley-social-network-games-not-in-soes-future-planetside-2/#commentsFiled under: Sci-Fi, Business Models, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play, MMOFPS, PlanetSide 2

PlanetSide 2 - Galaxy devil girl

How successful is PlanetSide 2? "I can't give away revenue numbers, but it is doing an order of magnitude greater revenue daily than any of our other titles," SOE president John Smedley tells GamesIndustry.biz. "It is really doing very well."

He also hints at SOE's future, which is not likely to include social games or Facebook titles. "I gotta tell you, I'm not a fan of the Facebook game. To me, they're monetization vehicles and not the kind of games I want to play or make. That's just me personally. So we'll stick to what we do best," he says.

Smedley: Social network games not in SOE's future, PlanetSide 2 doing 'very well' originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Dec 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>casualcasual-gamesfacebookfacebook-gamesfpsjohn-smedleymmo-shootermmofpsplanetsideplanetside-2ps2sandboxsci-fishootersmedleysocialsocial-gamessoesonysony-online-entertainmentWed, 12 Dec 2012 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Facebook backing away from Facebook Credits and adding subscription billing]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/06/19/facebook-backing-away-from-facebook-credits-and-adding-subscript/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/06/19/facebook-backing-away-from-facebook-credits-and-adding-subscript/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/06/19/facebook-backing-away-from-facebook-credits-and-adding-subscript/#commentsFiled under: Business Models, Culture, MMO Industry, News Items, Browser, Miscellaneous

I really hope someone starts complaining that these new games are all sub-to-win.

Facebook may not be your first choice for gaming, but it's impossible to ignore the influence that its games have had on pricing and the social landscape. Starting next month, the development team behind the site is empowering companies to give players a very novel way of paying for items: a recurring subscription for a fixed amount each month, which one might call a "subscription fee."

Yes, that's right: Facebook is opening up the option for subscriptions to its games in the hopes of drawing in more money. Subscriptions are already being tested in several games, such as KIXEYE's Backyard Monsters. This coincides with the development team's shift away from Facebook Credits as a universal microtransaction currency for all of the many games floating around, mostly since developers preferred to use in-brand virtual currencies instead.

None of this is particularly new to MMO veterans. It's still rather interesting after years of business model changes to see subscriptions being touted as the future of payments.

[Thanks to Space Cobra for the tip!]

Facebook backing away from Facebook Credits and adding subscription billing originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Jun 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>business-modelsculturef2pfacebookfacebook-gamesfree-to-playhumormicrotransactionsnewssocial-gamingsubscriptionsTue, 19 Jun 2012 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Game of Thrones Facebook title in the works]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/game-of-thrones-facebook-title-in-the-works/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/game-of-thrones-facebook-title-in-the-works/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/game-of-thrones-facebook-title-in-the-works/#commentsFiled under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, Casual

Joffrey golf-clapping

HBO's Game of Thrones is getting the online gaming treatment for the second time in the space of a calendar year. First it was Bigpoint's free-to-play browser MMO, and now it's a Facebook game called Game of Thrones Ascent, which is being developed by Disruptor Beam, a social gaming company headed by former GamerDNA CEO Jon Radoff.

The company says that players will "lead the life of a noble during the time of upheaval as portrayed in the books and the series thus experiencing a new type of game that unites both story and strategy."

Precious little info is given on the title, including a release date, but we'll bring you the latest as it becomes available.

[Source: Disruptor Beam press release]

Game of Thrones Facebook title in the works originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 May 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>disruptor-beamf2pfacebookfacebook-gamesfree-to-playgame-of-thronesgame-of-thrones-ascentgreat-ideajon-radoffsocialsocial-gamesMon, 21 May 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Miracle fundraising finish for Gridiron Heroes' Kickstarter drive]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/09/miracle-fundraising-finish-for-gridiron-heroes-kickstarter-driv/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/09/miracle-fundraising-finish-for-gridiron-heroes-kickstarter-driv/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/09/miracle-fundraising-finish-for-gridiron-heroes-kickstarter-driv/#commentsFiled under: Real-Life, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, Casual

Sports MMOs haven't gotten off the ground as of yet, and whether their lack of mainstream success is due to design challenges or some other factor, they remain obscure oddities for the most part.

Somewhat less obscure is Tecmo's 1980s Nintendo series based on the National Football League. The aptly named Tecmo Bowl was a mainstay on Nintendo's first 8-bit console, and now a group of fans have helped assure that Gridiron Heroes, a new Facebook game inspired by the classic series, will in fact be made.

Kotaku reports on the last-minute miracle finish to the project's Kickstarter drive, with the development team collecting $7,613 (measured against a goal of $7,500).

Miracle fundraising finish for Gridiron Heroes' Kickstarter drive originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Mar 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>american-football-mmocasualf2pfacebookfacebook-gamesfootball-mmofree-to-playgridiron-heroeskickstartermmo-industrysports-mmotecmotecmo-bowltecmo-mmoFri, 09 Mar 2012 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[SteelWar Online kicks off alpha testing]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/steelwar-online-kicks-off-alpha-testing/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/steelwar-online-kicks-off-alpha-testing/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/steelwar-online-kicks-off-alpha-testing/#commentsFiled under: Betas, Sci-Fi, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, Browser

Once those robots have you in their grasp, you can't escape. Because robots are made of steel, and steel is strong.

Are there enough robots in your life? If your answer is "yes," you're most likely not concerned about the alpha testing of SteelWar Online. For those of us who instead welcome our new mechanical overlords, the kickoff of the alpha test is good news, as it means that the game is drawing ever closer to release. And seeing as it's a browser-based game available directly via Facebook, you'll have an easy time if you feel the urge to take part in said testing.

Not a big fan of testing free-to-play games? Well, developer PopPace is trying to sweeten the pot slightly. During the alpha test, players will be given the equivalent of $2000 to blow in the game's cash shop, unlocking every option at will. While that's only good for the alpha test, players will receive an extra stash of microtransaction currency once the game goes live, and an extra stipend will be granted to players who find and report bugs. It's just the thing to fill that robot-shaped void in your life.

[Source: PopPace press release]

SteelWar Online kicks off alpha testing originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alphaalpha-testingbetabrowserbrowser-gamesearly-testingf2pfacebookfacebook-gamesfree-to-playnew-gamespoppacerobotssteelwar-onlinetestingWed, 15 Feb 2012 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Monster Galaxy Facebook game coming to the big screen]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/07/monster-galaxy-facebook-game-coming-to-the-big-screen/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/07/monster-galaxy-facebook-game-coming-to-the-big-screen/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/07/monster-galaxy-facebook-game-coming-to-the-big-screen/#commentsFiled under: Culture, MMO Industry, News Items, Casual, Miscellaneous

The list of films based on video games is long, if not particularly distinguished. The list is about to get a bit lengthier thanks to an upcoming collaboration between Gaia Interactive and Radar Pictures.

The two firms have just released a new press blurb trumpeting the fact that they've formed an alliance to bring Monster Galaxy to the big screen. What the heck is Monster Galaxy, you say? Well, it's a Facebook title that "has reigned as a top 10 game on the platform for six consecutive months," according to the release.

The film version of Monster Galaxy will feature its unique "Moga" characters as well as "rich story and charming artwork." Gaia Interactive was founded in 2003 and claims to be one of the world's most active social gaming communities. Radar Pictures is owned by Ted Field, an entertainment executive with producer credits on films including Pitch Black, The Last Samurai, and Jumanji.

[Source: Gaia press release]

Monster Galaxy Facebook game coming to the big screen originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>casualculturefacebookfacebook-gamesfilmgaiagaia-interactivemonster-galaxymoviesradar-picturessocial-gamingsounded-like-a-good-idea-at-the-timevideo-game-moviesMon, 07 Nov 2011 22:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Zynga reports record revenue in last quarter]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/04/zynga-reports-record-revenue-in-last-quarter/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/04/zynga-reports-record-revenue-in-last-quarter/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/04/zynga-reports-record-revenue-in-last-quarter/#commentsFiled under: Economy, MMO Industry, News Items, Miscellaneous

A recent SEC filing from Zynga, creator of the social gaming epidemic known as FarmVille, revealed that the company is reporting a record quarterly revenue of over 306 million USD, though -- bizarrely enough -- profits are almost 54 percent lower than they were this time last year.

Revenue isn't the only thing that's on the rise, either. The company reports 152 million unique monthly players, compared to the 151 million the company reported in June. The average number of daily players, however, dropped from 59 million to 54 million. At any rate, the company seems to be going strong, with new titles such as the recently announced (supposed MMO) CastleVille just on the horizon.

Zynga reports record revenue in last quarter originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>castlevilleearningseconomyfacebook-gamesfacebook-gamingfarmvillefinancefinancesprofitsrevenuesocial-gamessocial-gamingzyngaFri, 04 Nov 2011 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Not So Massively Extra: An interview with Dungeon Overlord's Chris Mayer]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/01/not-so-massively-extra-an-interview-with-dungeon-overlords-chr/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/01/not-so-massively-extra-an-interview-with-dungeon-overlords-chr/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/01/not-so-massively-extra-an-interview-with-dungeon-overlords-chr/#commentsFiled under: Game Mechanics, Interviews, New Titles, PvP, Endgame, Free-to-Play, Browser, Not So Massively

For the past two weeks, I've found myself inexplicably addicted to online Facebook game Dungeon Overlord. Players in Dungeon Overlord design and build their own dungeons and then lead raids against other players' dungeons to steal resources, kill defending creatures or just generally smash stuff up. It's a competitive twist that developer Night Owl Games hopes will attract the more hardcore gamer. We interviewed Night Owl Games CEO Chris Mayer to find out more about the game, which is currently in a playable open beta stage and is still under development.

Massively: Several game mechanics take a long period of time to complete, from minutes to hours, or even days. Why was this slow pace selected for the game?

Chris Mayer: This game was designed to be a browser game that hardcore gamers could play when they aren't able to sit down for a "traditional" gaming session. We wanted people to be able to play for a few minutes before work, during their lunch, on a study break, or for a few minutes before logging on to their favorite PC game. So we designed the game around the player planning actions and then coming back later to check on them. Also, since this is a massively multiplayer strategy game you need time for other players to react to what one player does.

Read on to find out how you can raid other players' dungeons, build up your defenses, and even revolt against the self-appointed king player in charge of your mountain.

Continue reading Not So Massively Extra: An interview with Dungeon Overlord's Chris Mayer

Not So Massively Extra: An interview with Dungeon Overlord's Chris Mayer originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chris-mayerconqueringdungeondungeon-overlordfacebookfacebook-gamesfeaturedhardcoreinterviewnight-owl-gamespillagingpvpraidingMon, 01 Aug 2011 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Not So Massively: HoN goes free to play and Diablo III meets eBay]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/01/not-so-massively-hon-goes-free-to-play-and-diablo-iii-meets-eba/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/01/not-so-massively-hon-goes-free-to-play-and-diablo-iii-meets-eba/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/01/not-so-massively-hon-goes-free-to-play-and-diablo-iii-meets-eba/#commentsFiled under: Business Models, Game Mechanics, Previews, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, Hands-On, Not So Massively

Welcome to Not So Massively, our weekly roundup of the top news from popular multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs) and other multiplayer online games that aren't quite MMOs. Published every Monday, the column covers games such as League of Legends, Heroes of Newerth, Rise of Immortals, Bloodline Champions and more.

Last week, we revealed the Realm of the Titans closed beta and heard news from the front lines of development on the Rise of Immortals open beta. We took a first look at the incredibly unlikely online game Family Guy Online, and I gave my first impressions of World of Battles: Morningstar. In a bizarre coincidence, both League of Legends and Heroes of Newerth revealed gameplay details of their surprisingly similar Monkey King characters last week. League of Legends also launched its second Song of the Summoner theme song contest.

In this week's Not So Massively, we give out beta keys for Realm of the Titans and I give my first impressions of competitive multiplayer Facebook game Dungeon Overlord. With LoL now boasting over 15 million registered accounts and a peak concurrency of 500,000 players, Heroes of Newerth jumped on the free-to-play bandwagon this week with a complete re-release.

Continue reading Not So Massively: HoN goes free to play and Diablo III meets eBay

Not So Massively: HoN goes free to play and Diablo III meets eBay originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betachampion-spotlightdragonballdrunken-masterdungeon-overlordfacebookfacebook-gamesfeaturedfree-to-playgokuhero-spotlightheroes-of-newerthhonleague-of-legendslolmobamonkey-kingnewsnimbusnot-so-massivelypvprealm-of-the-titansskarnervideoMon, 01 Aug 2011 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Richard Garriott's Portalarium project gets more funding]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/01/richard-garriotts-portalarium-project-gets-more-funding/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/01/richard-garriotts-portalarium-project-gets-more-funding/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/01/richard-garriotts-portalarium-project-gets-more-funding/#commentsFiled under: MMO Industry, News Items, Browser, Casual, Miscellaneous

Portalarium, the social networking startup founded by Richard "Lord British" Garriott, is picking up a bit of momentum thanks to a round of new funding. London-based m8 has contributed an undisclosed amount of capital to Garriott's Austin, Texas studio, which thus far has published two Facebook gambling games (Port Casino Poker and Port Casino Blackjack).

Total funding for Portalarium stands at $3.6 million, and the company plans to release CenterPort sometime in 2012. CenterPort is a graphically advanced social networking app that "will be the virtual world social hub for the OpenLife ecosystem, a broad yet fully integrated meta-community," according to the studio's website.

Garriott, most famous for the seminal Ultima series (which for MMO gamers peaked with Ultima Online in 1997), launched Portalarium in September 2009.

Richard Garriott's Portalarium project gets more funding originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>browserbrowser-basedcasualcenterportf2pfacebook-gamesfree-to-playfundinglord-britishmmo-industryopen-life-ecosystemopenlifeport-casino-blackjackport-casino-pokerportalariumportalarium-playerRichard-GarriottWed, 01 Jun 2011 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Zynga sued over Facebook privacy breaches]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/20/zynga-sued-over-facebook-privacy-breaches/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/20/zynga-sued-over-facebook-privacy-breaches/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/20/zynga-sued-over-facebook-privacy-breaches/#commentsFiled under: MMO Industry, News Items, Browser, Legal

Zynga and its stable of Facebook games have never exactly won the hearts of MMO fans, but they've managed to avoid a lawsuit up until now. Unfortunately for them, a class-action lawsuit has been filed today seeking monetary relief for the unwarranted and undesirable release of private information. Filed by Nancy Graf of St. Paul, MN, the suit also seeks an injunction to prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future, in a direct response to Monday's news that several games and applications have been leaking private information.

Although Zynga was listed among the companies sending out private information, the company is claiming that the lawsuit is wholly without merit and will be fought accordingly. The full details on the suit are available from Gamasutra, with the security breaches still apparently being labeled as unintentional results as they were on Monday. We'll have more on the story as it develops, although it seems to be a definite black eye for one of the largest social gaming companies on the web.

Zynga sued over Facebook privacy breaches originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>class-action-suitfacebookfacebook-gamesfarmvillelawsuitlegalprivacyprivacy-issuesprivacy-leaksocial-gamingzyngaWed, 20 Oct 2010 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Acclaim shuts down all games and main site]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/27/acclaim-shuts-down-all-games-and-main-site/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/27/acclaim-shuts-down-all-games-and-main-site/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/27/acclaim-shuts-down-all-games-and-main-site/#commentsFiled under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play

It looks like Acclaim is going the way of the dinosaur.

Things have been increasingly uncertain for Acclaim titles since Playdom acquired Acclaim back in May, and visitors to Acclaim's site yesterday were met with a bare-bones message: "We regret to inform you that all Acclaim games will no longer be in service effective August 26, 2010." Other than a few instructions on refunds for Acclaim coins and an invitation to check out Playdom's Facebook games, the site is blank.

The company's former games aren't all completely gone; 9Dragons was recently picked up by GamersFirst, but the publisher itself seems to be gone for good.

[Thanks to CowMooFlage for the tip!]

Acclaim shuts down all games and main site originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>9dragonsacclaimCowMooFlagef2pfacebook-gamesfree-to-playftpgamersfirstplaydomFri, 27 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Free for All: Not everyone drinks at the bar]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/07/free-for-all-not-everyone-drinks-at-the-bar/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/07/free-for-all-not-everyone-drinks-at-the-bar/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/07/free-for-all-not-everyone-drinks-at-the-bar/#commentsFiled under: Fantasy, Business Models, Culture, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Browser, Casual, Mabinogi, Kids, Wizard101, Free for All, Family

I understand the opinion that all free-to-play games are "not fun," or that they are "nothing but a grind." Even though this is a generalization that is nowhere near the truth, and despite the fact that the giver of these opinions couldn't have played every free-to-play game in existence to base this information on, the idea behind the sentiment is pretty solid: "I do not like free-to-play games." I cannot argue with that, being that it is an opinion. If someone wants to lump games into a category based on "how a developer might make money" then so be it.

It is not only my opinion that there is good and bad in every payment model (just check some of the comments section on some of our columns) but that, more-than-likely, the generalizer has probably played only a handful of these games, and filled in the gaps of his opinion with ideals that are closer to racism than actual experience.

There are two things that I can present as evidence to a free-to-play game's quality, however. Two things that are so important and yet so basic that no game could live without them. Two things that make up the very foundation that MMORPGs should be built on, so that gameplay and style can be stacked on top.

Continue reading Free for All: Not everyone drinks at the bar

Free for All: Not everyone drinks at the bar originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>f2pfacebook-gamesfeaturedfree-for-allfree-to-playftpmabinogiopinionwizard-101wizard101Wed, 07 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Offer based incentives added to Nexon games]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/07/offer-based-incentives-added-to-nexon-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/07/offer-based-incentives-added-to-nexon-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/07/offer-based-incentives-added-to-nexon-games/#commentsFiled under: Business Models, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play

It's long been a known fact that most "free" services are supported largely by advertising. MMOs, by and large, have stayed away from the advertising model, instead opting for item shops and subscription fees to turn a profit. Nexon America, however, has decided to go in a different direction -- and you can probably guess what it is straight from the introduction. The company, producer of the popular games MapleStory and Mabinogi among others, will be adding offer-based advertising in exchange for item shop cash starting at an undisclosed time.

The nature of the offers isn't stated, but it seems poised to run in a similar methodology to Facebook-based games, albeit hopefully without the sometimes rampant scams. No word on whether or not the ads will intrude on gameplay itself, but it seems unlikely -- and at least for now, they simply remain another option on the main site to earn item shop currency without money. Still, it's a notable change in model, and not something that's commonly seen outside of the realm of social gaming. Only time will tell how players will react.

Offer based incentives added to Nexon games originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Apr 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ad-based-offersadvertisementsfacebookfacebook-gamesmabinogimaplestorymsnexonnexon-americasocial-gamingWed, 07 Apr 2010 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Richard Garriott and the choppy waters of social gaming]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/06/richard-garriot-and-the-choppy-waters-of-social-gaming/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/06/richard-garriot-and-the-choppy-waters-of-social-gaming/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/06/richard-garriot-and-the-choppy-waters-of-social-gaming/#commentsFiled under: Game Mechanics, Interviews, MMO Industry, Opinion

The term "social games" or its frequently-used cousin "Facebook games" is one that gets talked about a lot by MMO gamers these days. Specifically, it gets talked about in a similar tone to the UbiSoft DRM nightmare or the entire Infinity Ward fiasco. So it's going to turn some heads -- and raise some hackles -- when Richard Garriott moves into the social gaming scene. Creator of the genre-setting Ultima Online and the much-discussed Tabula Rasa, Garriott has explained in an interview with Gamasutra why he made the shift and what he thinks of the social gaming scene as it stands now.

In short, he sees in social and mobile games the same things that marked other major shifts in the overall philosophy of making games, making them the next big wave. It's not an uncommon sentiment, but he goes on to point out that many of the virtues these games have, such as no installation and no up-front cost, are desirable traits in any game. He goes on to discuss stories in games and how he thinks that even social games can have them, even as he advocates less emphasis on freeform player-generated narratives. Take a look at the full interview to get a clearer picture on what we can expect from Garriott next -- and considering his place in the field of MMOs, it should be notable.

Richard Garriott and the choppy waters of social gaming originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>controversyfacebookfacebook-gamesgarriottinterviewsrichard-garriottsocial-gamessocial-gamingtabula-rasatrultimaultima-onlineuoTue, 06 Apr 2010 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Fringe: Farming games]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/22/the-fringe-farming-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/22/the-fringe-farming-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/22/the-fringe-farming-games/#commentsFiled under: Guides, Free-to-Play, Browser, Casual, The Fringe

Welcome to The Fringe, where we totter on the edge of MMOs with a guide for playing Facebook games. If you aren't one of the millions playing games on Facebook and aren't interested in joining the throng, that's ok. We won't judge you. But we'd appreciate you returning the favor.

In before all the "you got Facebook in my Massively again!" complaints: GDC was full of Facebook game announcements and with all the money being made by Zynga and others, we have a long future of Facebook MMOing ahead of us. With massive amounts of people playing and interacting in these online games, it's time to take off the blinders and check out what's going on in your peripheral gaming vision. Or not. That's fine. If you don't want to read about Facebook games, you can skip to all of the other great content here on Massively. But unlike my last column, where I let the haters vent their frustrations in the comments, only constructive criticism will be allowed from now on.

I was going to write up a guide to Country Life next, but it has been going through much development over the past few weeks. So even if illness hadn't delayed my writing about it, the information would have been obsolete soon after. There are many farming games to choose from, varying in features and popularity. So this week I'll be covering how to choose a Facebook farming game by giving an overview of three notable ones.

Continue reading The Fringe: Farming games

The Fringe: Farming games originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appscountry-lifefacebookfacebook-gamesfarm-gamesfarmingfarmtownfarmvillefeaturedlil-farm-lifetiki-farmMon, 22 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Runes of Magic will be heading to Facebook with RoM: The Challenge]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/11/runes-of-magic-will-be-heading-to-facebook-with-rom-the-challen/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/11/runes-of-magic-will-be-heading-to-facebook-with-rom-the-challen/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/11/runes-of-magic-will-be-heading-to-facebook-with-rom-the-challen/#commentsFiled under: MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, Casual, Runes of Magic

When it comes to Facebook games, some MMO players look at them as being a scourge; a strange offshoot of a genre they know and love. To others, it seems the next logical step in gaming. And nobody can doubt the revenues involved are sweet for companies who manage to hook casual gamers into their games. But now, we have a heads-up from the team at Frogster Interactive that they plan on trying to cross their successful Runes of Magic IP into the Facebook casual gaming market.

Dubbed Runes of Magic: The Challenge, this new social media game (currently under development) will use the lore from Runes of Magic in a whole new casual game. The Facebook game is said to use networked gaming and viral communications and will give players "adventure, exploration, and strategy elements." Through playing the casual game, people will gain cards with key codes that work inside Runes of Magic -- thereby potentially drawing some new players off of Facebook and into the full MMO.

Our team at GDC has an interview with the Frogster Interactive and Runewaker Entertainment teams coming up later today, where we're sure we'll hear far more about this interesting new gaming development. We'll bring you all the details as soon as we have them!

Runes of Magic will be heading to Facebook with RoM: The Challenge originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>facebookfacebook-gamesfrogster-interactivegdcgdc-2010romrom-facebookrom-the-challengeromtcrunes-of-magicrunes-of-magic-facebookrunes-of-magic-the-challengerunewaker-entertainmentThu, 11 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Activision: Farmers Could Kill WoW?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/04/activision-farmers-could-kill-wow/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/04/activision-farmers-could-kill-wow/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/04/activision-farmers-could-kill-wow/#commentsFiled under: Business Models, MMO Industry, News Items

No, not those kind of farmers, but rather the 82 million+ users currently growing the garden of their virtual dreams on Facebook's wildly popular Farmville sim.

Activision-Blizzard's annual 10k report, filed on March 1 and analyzed by Robert Purchese over at Eurogamer.net, is chock full of worrisome anecdotes about the future of their massively multiplayer behemoth as well as some interesting tidbits regarding payment models.

While the report stops short of painting a completely dire picture, Acti-Blizz clearly considers the growing social gaming scene a major threat to its stranglehold on the massive genre.

"A substantial portion of our revenue and profitability will depend on the subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game category," proclaims the report. "If we do not maintain our leadership position in this category, our financial results could suffer."

Sound like common sense? Maybe, but it should be interesting to watch the current market leader adapt to the rapidly expanding online gaming space.

Activision: Farmers Could Kill WoW? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>10k report10k-reportactivision-blizzardblizzardfacebook-gamesfarmvillefinancialssocial-gamesworld-of-warcraftThu, 04 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Faunasphere goes Facebook]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/18/faunasphere-goes-facebook/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/18/faunasphere-goes-facebook/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/18/faunasphere-goes-facebook/#commentsFiled under: Betas, Business Models, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play, Browser, Kids

We've received word today from the team over at Faunasphere that they're taking their game over to the land of Facebook, to show the "social gamers" what a MMO really is.

Faunsphere Facebook and Faunsphere.com will be linked together into one large world, letting users from both realms interact with one another. The game will continue to run on the same microtransaction system, where users can buy additional items for their fauna and commission scientific tests to know more about the hidden skills that lie in their favorite animals.

All we can do now is pray that this style of game catches on in Facebook, so when we ask our friends if they play any MMOs, they don't respond with, "Oh, yeah, Farmville!" Then, we won't feel the need to throttle people.

Faunasphere goes Facebook originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>animalsbig-fish-gamesfacebookfacebook-appsfacebook-gamesfaunafaunasphereflash-based-mmoflash-mmosocial-gamessocial-gamingThu, 18 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Fringe: The Dos and Don'ts of Facebook games]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/14/the-fringe-the-dos-and-donts-of-facebook-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/14/the-fringe-the-dos-and-donts-of-facebook-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/14/the-fringe-the-dos-and-donts-of-facebook-games/#commentsFiled under: Guides, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Browser, Casual, The Fringe

Welcome to The Fringe, where we totter on the edge of MMOs with a guide for playing Facebook games.

When we asked on the Daily Grind if you played Facebook games, many of you said you did. But Facebook is very polarizing. Some people love the games, while others don't see them as games at all and hate everything having to do with them. It doesn't help that there's so much spam associated with most of the games. But those of us who do play know that there are a wide variety and that many of them include the same gameplay that our favorite MMOs have. We get XP, levels, acquire loot, make avatars, play minigames within the games, quest, trade items and even participate in PvP. The sim games are extremely popular and require quite a bit of strategy for proper allocation of resources. But if you don't like text adventure games or never got into games like old school SimCity, you're not going to get the Facebook versions either.

If you do play these MMO-lite games, there are things you can do to get the most out of your play sessions. And there are things you shouldn't do so that you don't annoy your friends (as much) nor imbalance your life. Those of us who have spent time playing casual games of all kinds know that they can suck you in even more than full-blown MMOs. Most of us can't play WoW at work, but casual games with their low resource consumption and their easy access are tempting when work isn't keeping our full attention. This applies to games like solitaire, but add the comeraderie and variety of Facebook games and we can be even more tempted to play when we shouldn't. So here are some general Dos and Don'ts:

Continue reading The Fringe: The Dos and Don'ts of Facebook games

The Fringe: The Dos and Don'ts of Facebook games originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 14 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cafe-worldcountry-lifefacebookfacebook-gamesfeaturedguidesocialsocial-gamingthe-fringeSun, 14 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Do you play on Facebook?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/09/the-daily-grind-do-you-play-on-facebook/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/09/the-daily-grind-do-you-play-on-facebook/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/09/the-daily-grind-do-you-play-on-facebook/#commentsFiled under: Culture, Game Mechanics, Opinion, The Daily Grind

Facebook is a haven for simple social games these days -- emphasis on simple. The gameplay frequently consists of nothing more than a few clicks and then waiting for the game to do what it wants to, a type of mechanic once memorably referred to as sandwich gameplay. (There's nothing interesting for the player to do, so you may as well get up and make yourself a sandwich.) And yet games of this breed can acquire more subscribers than World of Warcraft, which is one of those concepts that seems baffling at first, but once you think about it, it's still baffling.

The games are certainly massive, multiplayer, and online. About the only thing we could argue they're not is games, since there's little to no skill involved at the best of times. But they certainly don't seem to have problem bringing in money or subscribers, and they're becoming omnipresent. Do you take part? Do you play one or two because your friends do, or several of them? Do you use them to eat up downtime in your game of choice, or do you play them on their own merits? Or do you dislike them precisely because they're barely-disguised treadmills?

The Daily Grind: Do you play on Facebook? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 09 Jan 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cafe-worldfacebookfacebook-gamesgrindingmore-grindsandwich-gameplaytdgthe-daily-grindworld-of-warcraftwowzyngaSat, 09 Jan 2010 08:00:00 EST