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[The Perfect Ten: The sadistic shopper's list for Black Friday and Cyber Monday]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/25/the-perfect-ten-the-sadistic-shoppers-list-for-black-friday-an/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/25/the-perfect-ten-the-sadistic-shoppers-list-for-black-friday-an/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/25/the-perfect-ten-the-sadistic-shoppers-list-for-black-friday-an/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

With the holiday shopping season upon us, gamers are hot for great deals and cheap entertainment. As my wife's logic goes, if something is 80% off, you buy it, even if you didn't really want it in the first place. It's the principle of the thing, an automatic 80% dose of smug satisfaction at being a savvy shopper!

Not every deal should be pursued, however. Although most video games are playable for years and decades after release, not so with MMOs that have had their service shuttered. It's recently come to my attention that even though these games are completely unplayable -- rendered nothing more than a few cents' worth of a DVD and cardboard packaging -- online retailers haven't kept up with the times and keep these products on the virtual shelves long past their expiration dates.

That's not to say you should avoid these products at all cost, because studies show that a large percentage of Massively readers have a sick and twisted sense of humor. What would make a better gift this Christmas than a multi-million-dollar-budget MMO that died a horrible death years before?

So don't be the typical gifter who settles for a Blu-ray player or an iPod -- give a package of misery, disillusionment and broken dreams! Hit the jump for 10 items that absolutely belong in your shopping cart if you wish to be feared!

Continue reading The Perfect Ten: The sadistic shopper's list for Black Friday and Cyber Monday

MassivelyThe Perfect Ten: The sadistic shopper's list for Black Friday and Cyber Monday originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>all-points-bulletinamazonapbasherons-call-2auto-assaultbill-roperblack-fridayblu-raybostonbox-artchristmascircuits-of-timeclock-craftcyber-mondayearth-and-beyondfeaturedflagshipflagshippedflux-capacitorfuryguamhellgate-londonhubbleipodkrystallematrix-onlinemxonasancsoftnerd-rageperfect-10perfect-tenrf-onlinerichard-gariottrichard-gariotts-tabula-rasa-limited-collectors-editionshadowbaneshoppingsoespocktabula-rasathe-matrix-onlinethe-perfect-10the-perfect-tentime-traveltimecardturbineturbine-entertainmentThu, 25 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Perfect Ten: Halloween MMOs]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/28/the-perfect-ten-halloween-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/28/the-perfect-ten-halloween-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/28/the-perfect-ten-halloween-mmos/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

We're only a few days away from Halloween, and already the Massively office staff is dressing up in anticipation. Shawn's post-apocalyptic gear is at odds with Rubi's tastefully modest Guild Wars Elementalist outfit. Greg's Squig is in the corner battling it out with Larry's Chewbacca. Bree is dudded up as a giant red corrective marker; Jef's free-to-play outfit requires microtransactions to view in full; and Kyrstalle is photographing it all with her Poloroid One-Shot camera. I think Eliot showed up in full plate armor and riding a mechanical bull, but that just may be his normal work attire.

So as everyone else is goofing off in the spirit of the holidays, it remains to me, your lovable intern, to hack out a top 10 list in honor of All Hallow's Eve. It's the least I can do since they're paying me in candy.

While every MMO incorporates horror at some point (even, yes, Hello Kitty Online's Cat-Tastrophie zone), and it's nearly impossible to escape a clutch of giant spiders in any game you visit, I've picked out 10 MMOs that best deliver a slice of October 31st. Some are old, some new, some canceled and some yet to come, but these are 10 of the spookiest MMOs in the world.

Continue reading The Perfect Ten: Halloween MMOs

MassivelyThe Perfect Ten: Halloween MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanccpchewbaccaddodungeons-and-dragons-onlineeaster-eggselementalistfallen-earthfeaturedflagship-studiosflagshippedfluffy-chickensfree-for-allguild-warshalloweenhalloween-2010halloween2010hellgate-londonhello-kitty-onlinehumorhyborialovecraftmansquitomicrotransactionsone-shotsonyx-chamberspersonal-record-best-for-number-of-tagspost-apocalypticrequiem-bloodymarerequiem-memento-morisquigstephen-kingsyfythe-perfect-10the-perfect-tenthe-secret-worldtop-10top-10-listundead-labsvampire-the-masqueradewarWarhammer-Onlineworld-of-darknesswurm-onlinezombiezombie-mmoThu, 28 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Still clicking: Our exclusive interview with the Mythos dev team]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/15/still-clicking-our-exclusive-interview-with-the-mythos-dev-team/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/15/still-clicking-our-exclusive-interview-with-the-mythos-dev-team/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/15/still-clicking-our-exclusive-interview-with-the-mythos-dev-team/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Considering Mythos' stormy post-Flagship past and its relatively low profile over the past half year, we were pleased to see the team at Redbana unveil a website revamp last month, complete with a slew of vibrant new screenshots to tease the upcoming closed beta. The infrastructure revealed in the images suggests that the game has come a long way since we last checked in with the team; although many players might once have pigeon-holed Mythos as "just another Diablo clone," it's now maturing into a hybrid MMORPG that seems to have as much in common with Blizzard's other fantasy game as with the click-fests of yesteryear.

Curious, we commandeered the team at Redbana in order to ask about the progress of the game. Meet up with us after the break as we discuss the transition to Redbana, overcoming the Diablo stigma, camera perspectives, map travel, character customization, and the likelihood that Mythos will be free-to-play. Oh, and did I mention you can play satyrs and cyclopes?!

Continue reading Still clicking: Our exclusive interview with the Mythos dev team

MassivelyStill clicking: Our exclusive interview with the Mythos dev team originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bana-cashBlizzardcharacter-customizationclick-click-clickclick-festDiablodiablo-2diablo-3diablo-clonediablo-iidiablo-iiiDungeon-SiegefeaturedFlagshipflagship-studiosflagshippedfree-cameraguild-warsgwhellgate-londoninterviewInterviewsinventoryIsometriclord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromapmap-travelmapsmythologymythosredbanaskill-treeskill-treesstashtitan-questtorchlightWorld-of-WarcraftwowThu, 15 Jul 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What kills your confidence in a game before you play it?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/02/the-daily-grind-what-kills-your-confidence-in-a-game-before-you/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/02/the-daily-grind-what-kills-your-confidence-in-a-game-before-you/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/02/the-daily-grind-what-kills-your-confidence-in-a-game-before-you/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


There are elements of games that are turn-offs for all of us. Some of us love PvP, for example, and a world with virtually none of it isn't very appealing. But sometimes we don't event start playing the game before our feelings about it go straight into the dumpster. It's hard to argue that Tabula Rasa's frequent shifts during development inspired players to expect any longevity out of it, and whether or not it's the case Warhammer Online's frequent server merges and population shuffling have given the impression of a game that's struggling a bit.

Sometimes you hear of a developer or project head assigned that makes you cringe, sometimes it's a choice of IP or business models, or sometimes it's just the number of issues you have patching the game to try out the free client. We ask you, readers, what makes you start losing faith before you've even loaded up a game for the first time? It might not be a dealbreaker, and you might even look back at it and laugh, but there are certain things that make you more nervous about committing to a game. What does it for you?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What kills your confidence in a game before you play it? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bugsbusiness-modelsflagshippedopinionpatchespvptabula-rasatdgthe-daily-grindtrwarwarhammer-onlineMon, 02 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Runic Games partners with MMO portal Perfect World for their upcoming game]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/22/runic-games-partners-with-mmo-portal-perfect-world-for-their-upc/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/22/runic-games-partners-with-mmo-portal-perfect-world-for-their-upc/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/22/runic-games-partners-with-mmo-portal-perfect-world-for-their-upc/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Perfect World Entertainment, the MMO portal of the self-titled Perfect World International and Ether Saga Online, has announced a partnership between themselves and the phoenix game studio Runic Games for the publishing rights of the upcoming MMO, Torchlight.

This is a large step forward for Runic Games, the previous Mythos game team of the now defunct Flagship Studios. Their agreement with Perfect World is for global publishing rights, meaning Torchlight could be seeing an international release.

Little is currently known about Torchlight, other than the game will be focusing on a single city and centered around the acquisition of a magical ore that imbues equipment with power, but also has a downside to it as well. The game has a bit of a cartoony, playful character to it, as seen in some early concept art shown on the main Runic Games website.

MassivelyRunic Games partners with MMO portal Perfect World for their upcoming game originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingcityether-saga-onlineflagship-studiosflagshippedmagic-oremythosoreperfect-worldperfect-world-internationalpublishpublishing-rightsrunic-gamestorchlightWed, 22 Apr 2009 18:00:00 EST