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[Flameseeker Chronicles: Setting up for success]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/20/flameseeker-chronicles-setting-up-for-success/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/20/flameseeker-chronicles-setting-up-for-success/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/20/flameseeker-chronicles-setting-up-for-success/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Guild Wars 2
Community Team Lead Martin Kerstein updated the ArenaNet blog a few days ago with some information about his team's plans for the Guild Wars 2 community. The two big bits of news were that there will be official forums (to the evident skepticism of the Guild Wars 2 Guru mods) and there will not be a typical fan site program. The most interesting bit, to me, is this:
"Our goal is to use a scalable, inclusive ecosystem instead of a rigid fan site program that doesn't scale well and excludes large parts of the fan base."
What I'm hoping this means is that the team members are opening themselves up to a lot more flexibility in which fan sites they support. This is great if it means that small blogs and niche communities can be more easily promoted; we already see this happening, as the Guild Wars 2 twitter feed is usually full of retweets pointing out various fan creations and posts. The flip side of this is equally true. In his article, Kerstein talks about wanting to promote a mature and helpful community, so hopefully the lack of a rigid structure in fan site support means the team members don't feel pressured to include and support toxic communities just because they've hit standardized milestones.

I have high hopes for this scalable community engagement style, and I hope to see it pay off for a lot of smaller fan sites and projects. If the folks at ArenaNet want to demand more of the quality of their community, more power to 'em.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Setting up for success

MassivelyFlameseeker Chronicles: Setting up for success originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetcommunitydynamic-eventsfailurefantasyfeaturedflameseeker-chroniclesforumsguild-warsguild-wars-2guild-wars-2-is-scalygwgw2Martin-Kersteinncsoftopinionravious-makes-a-good-pointscalable-contentTue, 20 Mar 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: How many times do you try before you give up?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/14/the-daily-grind-how-many-times-do-you-try-before-you-give-up/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/14/the-daily-grind-how-many-times-do-you-try-before-you-give-up/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/14/the-daily-grind-how-many-times-do-you-try-before-you-give-up/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The Daily Grind
The other night I was sitting on my couch watching my wife tackle a particularly hard boss solo -- the game wouldn't allow her companions or other players -- in Star Wars: The Old Republic. And she died, many, many times. I gave her a few pointers and watched as she continually struggled to overcome this challenge.

After 14 attempts, she succeeded and was giddy from the victory. But I could tell she was growing close to throwing her laptop across the room right before that point. I could identify, as a week earlier I had spent an hour and a half trying to master a tricky series of jumps to get a datacron on Nar Shadda, only to land it right before I lost my sanity.

So what about you? How many times do you try a difficult challenge in an MMO before you give up? I'd love to hear specific stories about particularly problematic obstacles that resulted in eventual success or frustrated surrender.

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!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: How many times do you try before you give up? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 14 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>attemptsdatacrondo-or-do-not-there-is-no-tryfailurefeaturednar-shaddaopinionstar-wars-the-old-republicsuccessswtortdgthe-daily-grindtry-try-againSat, 14 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Richard Garriott: 'Exceptionally unusual pressures' helped tank Tabula Rasa]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/13/richard-garriott-exceptionally-unusual-pressures-helped-tank/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/13/richard-garriott-exceptionally-unusual-pressures-helped-tank/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/13/richard-garriott-exceptionally-unusual-pressures-helped-tank/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Tabula Rasa
What truly happened with the sad tale of Tabula Rasa, the scifi MMO that had the full backing of Richard Garriott and NCsoft -- and yet lasted only 15 months before being shuttered? For the full scoop, it's good to go right to the source: General British himself.

Garriott sat down with Eurogamer for a candid dissection of what went wrong with Tabula Rasa. Ultimately, he feels that he did not do enough to make the game the best it could've been. Initially, Garriott's team brought on several Asian developers to help shape the title to be appealing to the Eastern market.

The partnership didn't work out, and after two years the team basically started over. By then, Tabula Rasa was already struggling. "So Tabula Rasa started its two-year late restart under exceptionally unusual pressures and with understandable corporate discontent, which made it very difficult to finish," he said.

Garriott then acknowledges that the MMO's failure has caused players to be wary about his future projects: "Since Ultima Online was a fair time back and Tabula Rasa had its troubles, it makes perfect sense that people would go, 'I'm cautious as to what my expectations are.'"

MassivelyRichard Garriott: 'Exceptionally unusual pressures' helped tank Tabula Rasa originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Dec 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>asiaeastern-marketeurogamerfailuregeneral-britishinterviewncsoftrichard-garriottshawns-babytabula-rasatrultima-onlineuoTue, 13 Dec 2011 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Road to Mordor: Anatomy of a failed quest]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/12/the-road-to-mordor-anatomy-of-a-failed-quest/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/12/the-road-to-mordor-anatomy-of-a-failed-quest/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/12/the-road-to-mordor-anatomy-of-a-failed-quest/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Road to Mordor
After last week's column on the 10 most memorable quests in Lord of the Rings Online, I had a couple of people ask for the polar opposite: the 10 worst quests. While I know that there are many -- stupid Sara Oakheart escort! -- they don't stick in my mind the way the best ones do. However, I think it's worthwhile to examine one such quest to see how game design can fail the player in small but meaningful ways.

The quest in question? Rise of Isengard's Taking a Stand, which, coincidentally, was the only quest I've done this past week, and not because I was super-busy but because every time I'd log in I'd hit my head against it, try it a half-dozen times, and then give up out of frustration. Rinse and repeat. Since it was part of a chain and I am trying to do all the quests in RoI, skipping it wasn't a possibility. It had to be done, and it stood between me and the remainder of the content like a bully that's four times my size and has no compunction against shoving me to the ground.

So what was it about Taking a Stand that failed me so badly? And what could Turbine learn from this quest for future reference? Hit the jump as I break it down, piece by stupid piece.

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Anatomy of a failed quest

MassivelyThe Road to Mordor: Anatomy of a failed quest originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 12 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dunlandfailfailed-questfailurefeaturedgap-of-rohankobayashi-marulmlord-of-the-rings-onlinelore-masterloremasterlotroquestquestsrise-of-isengardtaking-a-standturbineTurbine-EntertainmentSat, 12 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Soapbox: The Republic must stand, the Republic must fall]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/23/the-soapbox-the-republic-must-stand-the-republic-must-fall/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/23/the-soapbox-the-republic-must-stand-the-republic-must-fall/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/23/the-soapbox-the-republic-must-stand-the-republic-must-fall/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

It's all blowing up one way or the other.
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.

So there's a game coming out called Star Wars: The Old Republic. Maybe you've heard about it once or twice.

It's no secret that a lot of people are excited to see what BioWare's long-anticipated title will do once it's finally released. The title has had a huge amount of time and money poured into its production, extensive voice acting, countless demos and revelations and debates... all without having yet amassed a substantial playerbase. What happens when it gets released will have a huge impact on MMOs as a whole for years to come, and even if the developers aren't calling it a World of Warcraft-killer, a lot of players are expecting just that. And for the good of MMOs as a whole, it needs to be just that -- but at the same time, for the good of MMOs as a whole, it needs to fail.

Continue reading The Soapbox: The Republic must stand, the Republic must fall

MassivelyThe Soapbox: The Republic must stand, the Republic must fall originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 23 Aug 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowarecolumneaea-biowareElectronic-Artsfailurefeaturedmetammo-industryopinionsoapboxstar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicsuccessswtorthe-old-republicthe-soapboxtorTue, 23 Aug 2011 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Storyboard: Making it worse]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/19/storyboard-making-it-worse/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/19/storyboard-making-it-worse/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/19/storyboard-making-it-worse/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

I've only personally made one of these characters miserable.
Last week, I talked about how cross-eyed the whole roleplaying dynamic looks when compared to MMO progression models as a whole. Some of you probably looked at that column and shook your head in confusion, either because you don't roleplay or because you have a much lighter method for RP (which is perfectly fine -- I wrote a little while back about the fact that there's a lot of RP that covers a very wide band). Others probably looked at my litany of recent misery-inducing events in my character's life and wanted to know how to get to that same point.

The former group I can't help a whole lot, but the latter group is the focus of today's column. If you know you want to get your favorite characters up into a tree while being pelted by rocks, you need an idea of what sort of rocks make the best projectiles and what the worst trees are to climb down. So let's take a look at ensuring that your character pretty much fails at everything he or she tries to do -- and how to succeed after all.

Continue reading Storyboard: Making it worse

MassivelyStoryboard: Making it worse originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Aug 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>character-developmentcharacterscolumnfailurefeaturedmiseryopinionroleplayingrpstoryboardFri, 19 Aug 2011 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Choose My Adventure: Dat's it, boss, I'm outta here]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/03/choose-my-adventure-dats-it-boss-im-outta-here/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/03/choose-my-adventure-dats-it-boss-im-outta-here/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/03/choose-my-adventure-dats-it-boss-im-outta-here/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

As of today, I'm finished with Warhammer Online. Today is my final installment of Choose My Adventure, with the torch passing along next week to Larry Everett. Before anyone asks, yes, I'm definitely going to miss the feature... but that's not really what you're here for at the moment, is it? You're here for the fanfare, and it's all over but the depressing part.

Last week's vote was overwhelmingly meta -- rather than a recounting of events, the audience clearly wants to hear my thoughts on the future of Warhammer Online, what worked and what didn't, and why the game followed the trajectory it did. (Also, an awful lot of people want to know about the Choppa Song.) I'm admittedly coming into the game late and with somewhat less passionate eyes than many of the game's fans, but looking at my experience, I think I found a lot of the game in microcosm. I see all of the things it did right... and in hindsight, where certain choices went wrong.

Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Dat's it, boss, I'm outta here

MassivelyChoose My Adventure: Dat's it, boss, I'm outta here originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bioware-mythicchoose-my-adventureea-gamesea-mythicea-warhammerea-warhammer-onlineelectronic-artsfailurefeaturedmythicmythic-eamythic-entertainmentopinionsuccesswarwar-eawarhammerwarhammer-eawarhammer-onlinewarhammer-online-eaWed, 03 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA["We were wrong": LotRO dev explains radiance's failure]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/15/we-were-wrong-lotro-dev-explains-radiances-failure/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/15/we-were-wrong-lotro-dev-explains-radiances-failure/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/15/we-were-wrong-lotro-dev-explains-radiances-failure/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

If you had to sum up Lord of the Rings Online's radiance stat in four words, those would probably be: good intentions, horrible execution. As we've known since last year, the much-hated radiance is on its way out of LotRO in the upcoming Echoes of the Dead update, and for many players, it's not a day too soon.

"Sometimes it's difficult to shine the interrogation lamp on yourself and find out what exactly went wrong." Developer Allan Maki has the unenviable task of explaining just what went wrong with this feature, but he does it nevertheless in a new LotRO dev diary. Part apology, part history and part transparency, this diary is a fascinating explanation of how a well-intended mechanism can go awry without proper communication and incomplete implementation. After a long period of trying to force radiance to work, the team ultimately decided to yank radiance from the game altogether.

Maki insists that it could have worked, had the team gone about it more smartly: "Radiance was not a bad idea. In fact, many of us still feel that if it had been designed correctly it would have been successful. As it turned out, however, we created nothing more than an arbitrary gating mechanic that forced players to get 'keys' in order to enter raids."

Massively"We were wrong": LotRO dev explains radiance's failure originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>allan-makiallan-orion-makidev-diaryechoes-of-the-deadfailuregame-mechanicgatelord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromechanicradianceradiance-removalstatturbineTue, 15 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Soapbox: Don't hate the game, hate the copy]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/12/the-soapbox-dont-hate-the-game-hate-the-copy/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/12/the-soapbox-dont-hate-the-game-hate-the-copy/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/12/the-soapbox-dont-hate-the-game-hate-the-copy/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Disclaimer: This editorial column is 100% the opinion of the writer and does not necessarily reflect that of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

If you ask a remarkably high number of players, World of Warcraft is a negative influence on the face of MMOs. Not necessarily for the reasons that many players, current and former, will claim; the complaints of this group have nothing to do with content or overarching design philosophy. No, World of Warcraft has ruined things just by virtue of its very existence.

It's WoW's fault that we've seen a flood of games that are, essentially, the same game with a slight twist (WoW in space, WoW with more PvP, WoW in the mind of Derek Smart, and so forth). It's WoW's fault that these games have failed, and it's even more WoW's fault when other games fail. And despite everything, these claims aren't seen as ridiculous. They're often taken very seriously. But really, WoW isn't to blame for its clones or the failures of other games. The fault for those lies exactly where logic would imply.

Continue reading The Soapbox: Don't hate the game, hate the copy

MassivelyThe Soapbox: Don't hate the game, hate the copy originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>balanceBlizzardBlizzard-Entertainmentbusinessbusiness-modelsderek-smartfailurefeaturedgame-designlarge-numbersopinionperspectivesoapboxsubscriber-numberssuccesssurprise-hitsworld-of-warcraftwowTue, 12 Oct 2010 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Craig Morrison on success and failure]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/27/craig-morrison-on-success-and-failure/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/27/craig-morrison-on-success-and-failure/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/27/craig-morrison-on-success-and-failure/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Last week's Craig Morrison blog topic brought a wave of interesting comments from readers and writers alike, illustrating why MMO number-crunching is always a hot-button issue. The Age of Conan game director takes another crack at a controversial topic with his followup post, and attempts to deconstruct the logic of fans who insist on labeling games "successes" or "failures" despite not having the information necessary to make such a judgment.

"Whether any title that displays a numbers trend similar to another can be deemed a success or a failure depends entirely on the budget, ambition and infrastructure of the project," he writes. While that's common sense to most folks, there are still some who insist that AoC and Warhammer are "failures" despite the fact that they remain open for business and profitable. Morrison acknowledges that both titles fell short of their ultimate subscriber goals, but also cautioned that equating lower-than-desired numbers to failure "is a very dangerous assumption to make."

MassivelyCraig Morrison on success and failure originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocblogcraig-morrisondev-blogfailurefan-logicfuncommmo-numbersopinionsilirrionsuccessWarhammerWarhammer-OnlineMon, 27 Sep 2010 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Missing something in our MMOs 3: Beyond Thunderdome]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/24/missing-something-in-our-mmos-3-beyond-thunderdome/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/24/missing-something-in-our-mmos-3-beyond-thunderdome/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/24/missing-something-in-our-mmos-3-beyond-thunderdome/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

It started with Brian Green musing about something being missing in our MMOs, which was followed by Steve Danuser weighing in on the issue as well. The specifics are under debate, but there's been quite a bit of furor on the basis of that simple concept -- that something ought to be there that isn't. We've lost the sense of adventure, of the game and the story being epic. What is it? An interesting idea has been put forth on Fool's Age: perhaps what we're really missing is the opportunity to fail.

Leaving aside the inevitable string of comments about how it's possible to fail permanently in Champions Online by choosing the wrong build, there isn't a way in most games these days to undertake a quest and fail. For that matter, it's not even usually possible to alter the course of events -- you might recognize two steps in that the kindly old man is not who he says he is, but you still have to complete the quests as they're offered. The entry discusses some of the obvious problems with allowing players to permanently fail, but the question bears examination. Would our games be better if we had the very real threat of screwing up and failing permanently?

MassivelyMissing something in our MMOs 3: Beyond Thunderdome originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brian-greenchampions-onlinecoculturefailurefools-agegame-mechanicsopinionsteve-danuserSat, 24 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[MMO Family: The family that groups together]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/mmo-family-the-family-that-groups-together/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/mmo-family-the-family-that-groups-together/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/mmo-family-the-family-that-groups-together/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

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.

Now that we've established why and how to stay plugged into your children's gaming interests, some general internet safety rules for kids and a variety of ways to choose games that are suitable for your family, you're probably ready to log in and get some XP. But if it's the whole family we're trying to consider here, we're not quite buffed and ready to pull. Gaming for kids and gaming with kids are two different things. Have you considered the benefits of fitting both into your gaming family?

A gaming family has a lot in common with a rich, well developed MMO. You can solo. You can group. You can team or raid. You can quest, and you can craft. You can go PvP, stay PvE or tuck yourself into a quiet corner to roleplay or socialize. And just as you can cherry-pick your activities according to your interests within a single game, you can mix and match games, what you do within each game and different configurations of groups and partners within your family. There's no law that states that kids must play "children's games" and adults must play "mature" fare. Your kids may be jonesing to play the games they've grown up watching you play - or they may find your enraptured state over the economy of EVE Online utterly stultifying. Cobble together whatever mix of high/low, adult/kiddie gaming everyone finds most enjoyable.

Continue reading MMO Family: The family that groups together

MassivelyMMO Family: The family that groups together originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>childrenconfidencecooperationfailurefamilyfamily-funfeaturedgroupingkidsmannersparentsrespectself-sufficiencysolosuccesstogetherFri, 23 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What unloved game do you adore?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/04/the-daily-grind-what-unloved-game-do-you-adore/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/04/the-daily-grind-what-unloved-game-do-you-adore/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/04/the-daily-grind-what-unloved-game-do-you-adore/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

If you had to describe the MMO field in one word - without using the words "virtual" or "massive" or "Warcraft" - you could do worse than picking "fickle". It's all but a law of nature that for every game that manages to get big-time exposure, there's another whose very name provokes boredom at best and vitriol at worst. For every Aion, there's a Tabula Rasa... or, if you want to be more ironic, for every Asheron's Call there's an Asheron's Call 2.

But no matter those obstacles, someone will love those games. There is always a fanbase, always people who play the game, always people sad when and if it dies. Maybe it's some quirky system that the game introduced that was interesting enough to overlook the game's other flaws, maybe it's a surfeit of flavor and roleplaying options, maybe it's even just the fact that the game is so badly designed the player gets a strange, Mystery Science Theater 3000 thrill out of the train wreck.

Whatever the reason, we've all got our pet games, whether we think they're underappreciated gems or bad games we love anyway. What's your favorite MMO that no one else seems to like?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What unloved game do you adore? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 04 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionasherons-callasherons-call-2designfailuretabula-rasathe-daily-grindSun, 04 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[2008 wasn't a good year for MMOs]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/12/2008-wasnt-a-good-year-for-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/12/2008-wasnt-a-good-year-for-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/12/2008-wasnt-a-good-year-for-mmos/#commentsFiled under: , ,


One of the blog posts over at the Hellforge community that is getting some traction is Agamemnon's look back at the MMO failures of 2008. Included are looks into why Tabula Rasa, Hellgate: London, Age of Conan, and Pirates of the Burning Sea either outright failed (in the case of Tabula Rasa and Hellgate) or were unable to get the subscriber numbers they expected with their launches.

What separates this blog post from the myriad of other posts on the same subject is that the article ends with the many things that these games all did wrong and other developers should learn from. Little things, like listening closely to the feedback from your beta testers, fostering a community, and learning to stay away from the concept of "we'll patch it to perfection." It's a good analysis of the many failures of other games, and a kind tip of the hat to the things an MMO can do right, such as Mythic's openness with Warhammer Online.

Massively2008 wasn't a good year for MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>failureflagship-studiosflying-labfuncomhellforgehellgate-londonhglmythic-entertainmentncsoftpatchpirates-of-the-burning-seapotbsrgtrsubscriberstabula-rasawarwarhammer-onlineMon, 12 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Factors that could make or break WAR's longterm success]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/12/factors-that-could-make-or-break-wars-longterm-success/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/12/factors-that-could-make-or-break-wars-longterm-success/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/12/factors-that-could-make-or-break-wars-longterm-success/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Syp over at the Waaagh! Warhammer Online blog looks at the title's 750,000 registered players figure and observes that merely buying the box (or the download) shouldn't necessarily imply that monthly subscription dollars will follow. There are a number of factors involved that will determine how well Warhammer Online does in the long run. There's no doubt that WAR is enjoying its time in the limelight -- even lukewarm reviews of the title still give it decent ratings, not to mention the hardcore contingent of players who are either fans of the IP or simply love that it's not World of Warcraft. But are many of these registered players only in WAR for the time being?

Syp writes about this in his "Future Tense" post, and breaks down the factors that could make or break the title's success in the long run, not limited to the upcoming expansions from other titles, word of mouth, and the longshot of breaking the pop culture barrier, as WoW has.
Warhammer Online Coverage Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out our Warhammer guides: Massively's Character Creation Guide and our WoW Player's Guide to Warhammer. Plus, don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!

MassivelyFactors that could make or break WAR's longterm success originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 12 Oct 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>box-salesdownloadea-mythicfailurefantasyipmythicsuccesssypwaaaghwarwarhammer-onlineworld-of-warcraftwowSun, 12 Oct 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft's Shane Kim on Xbox 360's MMO failures]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/microsofts-shane-kim-on-xbox-360s-mmo-failures/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/microsofts-shane-kim-on-xbox-360s-mmo-failures/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/microsofts-shane-kim-on-xbox-360s-mmo-failures/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


EDGE spoke with Microsoft Game Studios corporate VP Shane Kim about the MMO genre's failure to come to fruition on the Xbox 360 game console. Two MMOs that were planned for the platform -- Marvel Universe Online (an in-house project) and True Fantasy Live Online (developed by Factor 5) -- were cancelled. Check out the interview for all the quotes, but we have the gist of it here.

While Kim noted that the cancellation of those specific games was "the right decision," he also said "there's nothing to say those titles can't be successful on the 360."

Some critics (such as NCsoft) disagree. They argue that the Xbox Live service is too restrictive for an MMO developer's workflow. "I think those are real challenges ... we work very hard to create a stable and secure environment on Xbox 360 and that's where you see that tension," said Kim. "I'm sure we can solve that problem though in a way that is good for MMO developers and customers because we want that content: and we're getting very close. But we're late with that, and we feel bad about that."

MassivelyMicrosoft's Shane Kim on Xbox 360's MMO failures originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cancelledconsolesedgefactor-5failureinterviewmarvel-universe-onlinemicrosoftmicrosoft-game-studiosncsoftshane-kimtrue-fantasy-live-onlinexbox-360xbox-liveTue, 29 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hellgate staff abandoning sinking ship]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/11/hellgate-staff-abandoning-sinking-ship/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/11/hellgate-staff-abandoning-sinking-ship/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/11/hellgate-staff-abandoning-sinking-ship/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

We never like to see a developer start to go on the down and out. Even in the rare event where we find few redeemable things about a game, we understand that the developers behind the project are generally good people and we hope that they continue to be fruitful in their endeavors. That's precisely why we were sad to read an old blog post from Hellgate: London programmer Guy Somberg describing how much of the Flagship staff, including their founders, is abandoning ship for less choppy waters.

Although developers usually present a united front of optimism when their games are struggling, and indeed there is still some hope to be had with Hellgate's release into the Chinese market, you know that the individuals behind the game have to suffer when they're subject to so much heat from online vultures. After all, we've seen people on the developer side crack even when their game is a success. It's a very high pressure environment. We hope Somberg hangs in there and that Flagship manages to turn a corner.

[Via GI.biz]

MassivelyHellgate staff abandoning sinking ship originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blogbreakingfailureflagship-studiosguy-somberghellgate-londonkorean-launchprogrammerWed, 11 Jun 2008 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[You know you work for a company destined for failure when...]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/19/you-know-you-work-for-a-company-destined-for-failure-when/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/19/you-know-you-work-for-a-company-destined-for-failure-when/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/19/you-know-you-work-for-a-company-destined-for-failure-when/#commentsFiled under: , ,

In a recent blog post, Elder Game's Eric Heimburg takes a sardonic look at some of the more heavily worn bumps on the road that is MMO development. Without naming any names, Heimburg suggests developers conduct an intervention if their company meets a certain number of the criteria, lest their game join the cavalcade of mediocre to crappy MMO releases on the market.

Among the more prescient of the criteria in this blogger's mind is the one where instead of having a lead designer, companies design by committee, or the one where the publisher imposes changes to the core game from outside. If only fans had a clearer picture of the way their favorite developers were structured, they could apply these criteria beforehand and weigh the odds of a stinker before sinking their hard-earned cash on it. Makes you wonder how many of these criteria Auran met before Fury fell flat on its face.

MassivelyYou know you work for a company destined for failure when... originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 May 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aurandeveloperselder-gameeric-heimburgfailurefuryinterventionmistakesMon, 19 May 2008 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Study says 90% of virtual worlds don't last 18 months]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/17/study-says-90-of-virtual-worlds-dont-last-18-months/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/17/study-says-90-of-virtual-worlds-dont-last-18-months/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/17/study-says-90-of-virtual-worlds-dont-last-18-months/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

A study released by Gartner, a large research firm based in Connecticut, claims that 90% of all "business forays into virtual worlds" fail within 18 months.

According to the study, most businesses focus too much on expensive and unnecessary technology such as powerful physics engines, and don't pay enough attention to the demands and interests of users actual or potential. This is not surprising to us; savvy MMO developers will talk your ear off about how multi-million dollar graphics are at best a red herring and at worst a harbinger of doom.

On the other hand, the study also said that by 2012, 70% of all organizations will be using virtual worlds, and that those endeavors will more successful because businesses will have learned exactly what to expect and will plan development accordingly.

[Via Worlds in Motion]

MassivelyStudy says 90% of virtual worlds don't last 18 months originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 17 May 2008 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessdevelopmentfailuregartnergraphicsphysicspredictionpredictionsresearchstudytechnologyvirtual-worldsworlds-in-motionSat, 17 May 2008 07:00:00 EST