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[Ask Massively: Format changes for big questions]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/01/ask-massively-format-changes-for-big-questions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/01/ask-massively-format-changes-for-big-questions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/01/ask-massively-format-changes-for-big-questions/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

VHS just isn't going to cut it for Ask Massively any longer, so it's back to Beta.
Potaco asked a great question two weeks ago for Ask Massively, one that I'm going to just post right here:
"As a contributor to a gaming site that involves keeping up with many, many, many MMOs, do you find it harder to commit to a single game than before being forced to be exposed to so many?"
Naturally, I could have answered the question simply for myself. But we're a diverse bunch here at Massively, with different tastes and opinions and experiences. Any answer I gave wouldn't reveal the whole picture, so I turned to the rest of the team and posed the same question. The resulting column was so big that I had to steal an entirely different feature's format just to make everything easy to read. (Hopefully the guy who does it won't mind.)

As always, if you've got a question you'd like to see in a future installment, mail it along to ask@massively.com or leave it in the comments below. Questions may be edited for brevity and/or clarity.

Continue reading Ask Massively: Format changes for big questions

MassivelyAsk Massively: Format changes for big questions originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 Mar 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ask-massivelycolumncolumnsculturedifferent-gamesexperimentationfeaturedgamingmassively-metamultiple-gamesThu, 01 Mar 2012 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Online gaming linked with marital dissatisfaction]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/online-gaming-linked-with-marital-dissatisfaction/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/online-gaming-linked-with-marital-dissatisfaction/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/online-gaming-linked-with-marital-dissatisfaction/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

seriously, though
Good news, gamers! You can now blame another dysfunction (if you have it, and I'm sure you don't) on the games you play! It's not enough that those nasty ol' video games are making you violent and antisocial -- a new survey put out by Brigham Young University is linking online gaming with a decrease in marital satisfaction.

The survey states that "gaming widows," whose spouses neglect them to focus on gaming, are dissatisfied with the states of their marriage. How that differs from corporate widows, football widows, or any other neglected spouse without a catchy title isn't really specified. Another conclusion pointed out by the survey is that when spouses play together, the marriage tends to be in pretty good shape. Who'd have ever thought that spending time bonding over a shared interest would be healthy for a relationship?

While we're all in agreement that your level 80 Paladin probably doesn't deserve as much of your love and affection as your spouse, if you hadn't figured that out on your own, gaming probably isn't the root of your problems. Just a thought.

MassivelyOnline gaming linked with marital dissatisfaction originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brigham-young-universitygamer-widowgaminghow-gaming-is-making-you-a-bad-personmarriagestatisticsstudysurveywhat-is-this-i-cant-evenWed, 15 Feb 2012 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Break into the gaming industry as an ArenaNet intern]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/16/break-into-the-gaming-industry-as-an-arenanet-intern/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/16/break-into-the-gaming-industry-as-an-arenanet-intern/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/16/break-into-the-gaming-industry-as-an-arenanet-intern/#commentsFiled under: , ,

ArenaNet Studio
I can do that!

Budding game artists and programmers rejoice! If you have been looking for a way to break into the industry, ArenaNet is offering just that opportunity -- it is now considering applications to its 2012 Internship Program. The Class of 2012 will offer the following disciplines: Character Art, Environment Art, Technical Art/VFX, Animation, and Programming.

ArenaNet feels that "artists learn more in the first few months of a game industry job than in their entire time at art school." The focus is on "an immersive work-based educational program where intern artists work alongside professionals" to develop and hone their skills.

If accepted to the program, interns will have to relocate to the Bellevue, WA area at their own expense, but they will be paid an hourly stipend for their work as well as have the opportunity to participate in an internal educational program.

The deadline for entry into the 2012 class is September 21st, 2011. If you think you have what it takes, check out the official announcement for full details and links to each discipline's respective applications.

MassivelyBreak into the gaming industry as an ArenaNet intern originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ArenaNetarenanet-blogArenaNet-internshipartgame-industryGameIndustrygaminginternshipsprogrammingTue, 16 Aug 2011 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Has this ever happened to you?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/01/the-daily-grind-has-this-ever-happened-to-you/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/01/the-daily-grind-has-this-ever-happened-to-you/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/01/the-daily-grind-has-this-ever-happened-to-you/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

You know how it goes. You log in to [MMO] expecting to [verb] a [noun] or two, when out of nowhere an enormous [noun] shows up. Next thing you know you've been playing for [number] hours, you can't feel your feet, and you're pretty sure that you smell worse than [game developer] after [verb ending in -ing] for the better part of a week. Not to mention that you're pretty certain you've completely destroyed your [noun] in the excitement, and that's going to set you back at least $[number].

So what do you do when you have to deal with [noun]? Is that your sign that it's time to [verb] your [noun] with your favorite [weapon type], or do you just think that you'd be better off with [adjective] NPCs to help you [verb]? Are you [emotion] when it happens, or just left to wonder what in the holy [animal] went wrong?

Games Journalism sure is hard work, so we've decided to take a break today and let you write your own news! Too many stories about RIFT on Massively lately? Not enough about the game of your choice? No problem! Much in the style of Mad Libs, today is your day to create the news you want to read, all day on the :30s. Simply fill in the blanks and it's yours. Have fun!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Has this ever happened to you? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>animalsculturegamingholy-animalshumormad-libs-april-fools-day-2011opiniontdgthe-daily-grindFri, 01 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Gambling away all your ISK]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/17/eve-evolved-gambling-away-all-your-isk/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/17/eve-evolved-gambling-away-all-your-isk/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/17/eve-evolved-gambling-away-all-your-isk/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

EVE Online is said to be a game in which you can do literally anything you set your mind to. It doesn't matter whether your ambition is to climb the alliance ranks, become the scourge of low-security space or even just fly around space telling jokes. If you can conceive of an idea that can be carried out in-game, it's probably a perfectly viable way to play the game. Over the years, players have come up with a number of unique and unconventional gameplay styles. Most of them began as ways for the pilots involved to make ISK or gain notoriety, but some were created just to see if it could be done. I've seen everything from player-run graveyards for the victims of piracy to players renting kill-boards for ISK, and yet the EVE community never ceases to amaze me with the new ways people find to play the game.

The most recent development to blow me away is SOMER.blink, a website where players can gamble their ISK to win fabulous prizes. Gambling in EVE is nothing particularly new; players have been wagering ISK on everything from lotteries to hands of poker for a long time. What makes SOMER.blink special is its absolutely flawless execution. Almost everything is automated, from the transfer of ISK into your account balance to the prize lotteries themselves. The website itself is even accessible from outside EVE once ISK has been deposited in your wallet. I've spent hours so far blinking away on lotteries and losing quite a bit of ISK, but I'll be damned if it hasn't been fun.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look into the addictive phenomena of Somer.BLINK and try to explain where all my damn ISK went.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Gambling away all your ISK

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Gambling away all your ISK originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 17 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blinkcasinoccpccp-eveccp-gameseveeve-ccpeve-evolvedeve-mmorpgeve-onlinefeaturedgamblegamblinggaminginterstellar-kreditisklotterylottoprizeshipsomersomer.blinkwhere-the-hell-did-all-my-isk-gowinSun, 17 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[WRUP: Hoopy frood edition]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/31/wrup-hoopy-frood-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/31/wrup-hoopy-frood-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/31/wrup-hoopy-frood-edition/#commentsFiled under:

Every week, just at the start of the weekend, we catch up with the Massively team and ask them, "What are you playing this week?" (Otherwise known as: WRUP!) Join us to see what we're up to in and out of game -- and catch us in the comments to let us know what you're playing, too!

Another weekend of gaming is upon us -- and this week in addition to the standard "what are you playing" question, we've asked the Massively team what the meaning is of life, the universe, and everything. Hey, it's a simple enough question -- read on for the answer(s).

Continue reading WRUP: Hoopy frood edition

MassivelyWRUP: Hoopy frood edition originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamingweekendweekend-gamingwhat-are-you-playingwrupSat, 31 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[WRUP: Post-E3 edition]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/26/wrup-post-e3-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/26/wrup-post-e3-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/26/wrup-post-e3-edition/#commentsFiled under:

Here at Massively we're just about recovered from the information avalanche that WAS E3 2010. We had a great time, picked up every piece of information we could, and shared all the best MMO news with you guys. Now we've all had some time to process it and we're ready to relax and jump back into some gaming of our own!

We'll be PC gaming, console gaming, and doing the RL thing. But first, this week's WRUP question: "What was your favorite E3 announcement?" We had some answers to that question, and we're hoping you do too. Follow along after the break to see what we had to say, then it's your turn!

Continue reading WRUP: Post-E3 edition

MassivelyWRUP: Post-E3 edition originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 26 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamingweekendweekend-gamingwhat-are-you-playingwrupSat, 26 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[WRUP: All work and no play...]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/19/wrup-all-work-and-no-play/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/19/wrup-all-work-and-no-play/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/19/wrup-all-work-and-no-play/#commentsFiled under:

You might think that going to E3, testing out half a billion games, conducting inaudible interviews in a roaring crowd of thousands, and then trying to deliver the goods to your staff over a crappy wifi connection would imply some glamorous existence. You might think that the writers who spent day and night transforming all of the interviews and trailers and screenshots into something that you, the reader, wanted to *squee* about, would be just like the reporters in some adrenaline-fueled news room in a grainy black-and-white film.

Well, you'd be right, more or less, minus the sound of creaky old typewriters clicking furiously -- but that doesn't mean we're not completely exhausted after a week this crazy! Hopefully you all enjoyed our coverage of the MMOs shown at E3. For now, we're going to kick back and relax before we wander too much into Jack Torrance territory. Hit the break and see which games we'll be using to recharge our play meters!

Continue reading WRUP: All work and no play...

MassivelyWRUP: All work and no play... originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 19 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>all-work-and-no-play-makes-jack-a-dull-boye3-2010gamingjack-torrancethe-shiningweekendweekend-gamingwhat-are-you-playingwrupSat, 19 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[WRUP: Oh no, an owl edition]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/05/wrup-oh-no-an-owl-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/05/wrup-oh-no-an-owl-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/05/wrup-oh-no-an-owl-edition/#commentsFiled under:

It never fails. You've got everything sorted out just fine, and then out of nowhere -- bam! It's an owl. Laugh all you want, but if you're a field mouse or possibly a vole, this a serious problem for you. And while we feel for our readers frequently plagued by owl attacks, we're afraid that we can't help you too much, as we've all got our own problems to deal with. Assuming you classify "going back to older games" under the "problem" category.

Yes, it's time for another WRUP for the week, and this week is marked by returning to old favorites, taking a look through the older parts of our gaming libraries, or even returning to the too-long-forgotten act of making sure the house doesn't collapse. Click on past the break for a look into what the crew is playing this week. (Owls not included.)

Continue reading WRUP: Oh no, an owl edition

MassivelyWRUP: Oh no, an owl edition originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 05 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamingweekend-gamingweekenedwhat-are-you-playingwrupSat, 05 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Virtual Whirl: The secret sauce]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/22/the-virtual-whirl-the-secret-sauce/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/22/the-virtual-whirl-the-secret-sauce/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/22/the-virtual-whirl-the-secret-sauce/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Virtual environments evince a significant lack of mainstream adoption. Relatively tiny percentages of the world population are involved in them in any way online. There's something clearly missing.

At the present time, virtual environments simply lack any compelling reason to exist that motivates mainstream users and might drive mainstream adoption. There's no killer app, or secret sauce that gets large numbers of people thinking "I want to get me some of that!"

Continue reading The Virtual Whirl: The secret sauce

MassivelyThe Virtual Whirl: The secret sauce originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 22 May 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>culturedisabilityeducationfeaturedgamingopensimopinionpornographysexthe-virtual-whirlvirtual-worldsSat, 22 May 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[WRUP: Let them eat cake edition]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/08/wrup-let-them-eat-cake-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/08/wrup-let-them-eat-cake-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/08/wrup-let-them-eat-cake-edition/#commentsFiled under:

The weekend is upon us which means it's time for yet another addition of WRUP. For those of you in the audience who wonder how this whole WRUPing thing works, we'll tell you: getting the introduction right is the hardest part. Here's the story behind today's introduction:
Elizabeth: WRUP is done save an intro... hmm... this is always the hardest part.
Krystalle: /sings in Tom Petty style "the innnntro, is the hardest part"
Eliot: But the intro is the hardest part -- no one reads the piece if you don't know how to start. You try to crack a joke, you try to keep it smart, the intro is the hardest part.

And now that the post has been properly (or improperly) introduced, let's take a trip with Tom Petty into the wonderful world of what we're playing this weekend.

Continue reading WRUP: Let them eat cake edition

MassivelyWRUP: Let them eat cake edition originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 08 May 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamingmmo-gamingtom-pettyweekendwhat-are-you-playingwrupSat, 08 May 2010 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Anti-Aliased: Burnout, revenge]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/29/anti-aliased-burnout-revenge/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/29/anti-aliased-burnout-revenge/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/29/anti-aliased-burnout-revenge/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Oh those sparkle ponies. They were a fun diversion last week, and a pretty fun topic to write on. Kudos to Blizzard for making crazy amounts of cash last week -- you guys at the marketing department really knew your audience and how much they'd pay for a shiny mount. While I may disagree with the size of the price tag, I still admire how well that move worked out for them. I'm sure we'll be seeing more things like that for World of Warcraft in the future.

Anyway, let's move onwards to this week's topic: MMO burnout. Almost all of us experience it at least once with one of our favorite games, and some of us have experienced it more than once across a single game or many games. Right now, I'm really with you guys who are suffering from burnout. I've been looking for a good game to sink my teeth into, but I just can't seem to find "the one" right now.

So I'm off doing some other activities, trying to rekindle that spark of love for MMOs. This week I want to talk about some of the ways I've been combating burnout, much like Mr. Kyle Horner did before me, and hopefully you guys can chime in with some ways of your own!

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: Burnout, revenge

MassivelyAnti-Aliased: Burnout, revenge originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adviceanti-aliasedburnoutculturefeaturedgaminggroupingopiniontipstiredThu, 29 Apr 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[R.A. Salvatore talks Copernicus, building believable worlds]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/26/r-a-salvatore-talks-copernicus-building-believable-worlds/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/26/r-a-salvatore-talks-copernicus-building-believable-worlds/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/26/r-a-salvatore-talks-copernicus-building-believable-worlds/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

When it comes to stories of engaging fantasy worlds, one of the premier names that comes to the minds of many gamers is R.A. Salvatore. His Forgotten Realms books chronicling the adventures of Drizzt Do'Urden are fan favorites, and many are curious as to just what he's doing on 38 Studios' upcoming MMO, codenamed Copernicus. Thankfully, Salvatore took some time to sit down with Gamasutra and discuss plans for the MMO, as well as their lore-related single-player game, codenamed Mercury.

In this interview, Salvatore talks both on his gaming past, and whether or not his varied experiences in gaming have affected his writing on this project. He also touches on how important he feels immersion is in terms of getting people engaged -- suspending their disbelief, and jumping into the fantastic worlds he weaves. Another interesting tidbit is how he feels that characters are most important in terms of telling a story -- a tenet that has served him extremely well, if sales of his books are any indication!

If you're looking for more illumination into the mind of the man shaping the overall stories for 38 Studios, then you'll definitely want to pop over to Gamasutra and check out this latest interview. Of course, we also happen to have a pretty sweet interview of our own with Salvatore about Copernicus that you'll want to check out if you missed it the first time around.

MassivelyR.A. Salvatore talks Copernicus, building believable worlds originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>38-studioscopernicuscopernicus-mmogamingimmersioninterviewmercuryr-a-salvatorestory-writingMon, 26 Apr 2010 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Anti-Aliased: What it's like to sit in the staff chair]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/07/anti-aliased-what-its-like-to-sit-in-the-staff-chair/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/07/anti-aliased-what-its-like-to-sit-in-the-staff-chair/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/07/anti-aliased-what-its-like-to-sit-in-the-staff-chair/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

So I drove the Aion community up a wall again. I seem to do that a lot when I talk about the game. AionSource was a little miffed at the "disappointment" award the staff and readers gave them, and decided to rip into me. So, in an effort of good faith, I dropped by the flame thread and tried to lighten things up while explaining my position on the game and how it isn't all doom and gloom.

Well, after having 9 pages of people not reading what I was writing and electing to call me a nyerking nyerk, I bowed out with a new column topic on my mind: my job. If there was any common theme in all of the screaming, it was how I sucked at my job because I said Aion had a grind, I sucked at my job because I was only level 17 in Aion, everyone on that fansite could do a better job at my job than I could, and I was the reason mainstream reviews were going downhill. (Awesome.)

Amazingly enough, I too thought pretty much those exact same things before I got a job here. But writing here for two years has been one heck of an experience, and maybe today I can give you some insight to the things I see on the staff side of the fence.

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: What it's like to sit in the staff chair

MassivelyAnti-Aliased: What it's like to sit in the staff chair originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionanti-aliasedawardeditorfungame-journalismgamingjobmassively-staffmmosncsoftopinionopinion-columnreviewstaffworkwritingThu, 07 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The gaming renaissance, part 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/20/the-gaming-renaissance-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/20/the-gaming-renaissance-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/20/the-gaming-renaissance-part-2/#commentsContinue reading The gaming renaissance, part 2

MassivelyThe gaming renaissance, part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>academiccultureeve-onlineeverquestgamersgaminghistoryindustrylineagemeridian-59mmo-industryneverwinter-nightsnexusopinionrenaissancethe-realmultima-onlinevirtual-worldsworld-of-warcraftTue, 20 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The gaming renaissance]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/20/the-gaming-renaissance/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/20/the-gaming-renaissance/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/20/the-gaming-renaissance/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


In the early 70's, some clever chap programmed a pile of circuits to create a primitive game we all know as Pong. Fast-forward some forty years down the line and we're now battling Orcs in Azeroth and flying spaceships in the far-reaches of another galaxy. An entire games industry has erupted from those first simple arcade systems, with people designing and programming games for kids and adults alike. In the 90's, the first generation of kids that grew up with those early game systems became the ones making them and a virtual renaissance in game design ensued. Those kids that grew up wishing they could make their own games started to realise their dreams and the games industry as we know it came forth. More recently, the people that grew up with early MMOs have begun to hit the games industry and we're seeing a rebirth of the genre.

In this article, I look at the games industry explosion and how it relates to the generations growing up with games. I ask whether the MMO genre is headed for its own great gaming renaissance and take a speculative look ahead at the future for MMOs and the games industry as a whole.

Continue reading The gaming renaissance

MassivelyThe gaming renaissance originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>academiccultureeve-onlineeverquestgamersgaminghistoryindustrylineagemeridian-59mmo-industryneverwinter-nightsnexusopinionrenaissancethe-realmultima-onlinevirtual-worldsworld-of-warcraftTue, 20 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: You were on my mind...]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/18/the-daily-grind-you-were-on-my-mind/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/18/the-daily-grind-you-were-on-my-mind/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/18/the-daily-grind-you-were-on-my-mind/#commentsFiled under: , ,

MMOs have a tendency to be very addictive, arguably more so than other game genres. Even if you are very strict with yourself and try to limit your play-time, we bet you can think of a time when you were super excited about a new MMO you had just started playing, and experienced something similar to the opening lyrics of the song in the video above: "When I woke up this morning, you were on my mind." Okay, so they're talking about loving a person and not digital entertainment, but MMOs weren't so big when that song was written in the 1960s.

This morning, we would like you to share how much you think about your MMOs when you're not actually playing them. Simply being at this website means there's a good chance that you are invested in your games beyond just logging in and playing. Do you talk with friends and co-workers about your gaming exploits? Does thinking about your next play session ever get in the way of your productivity in daily life? Perhaps you can turn it off like a light-switch, never allowing yourself to be distracted any more than you want to be. Or maybe you simply find a way to get online whenever you're jonesing. Let us know in the comments section.

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: You were on my mind... originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>addictiongamingopinionplay-timetdgthe-daily-grindyou-were-on-my-mindFri, 18 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Gen Con 2009: MMOs in the E-gaming area]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/16/gen-con-2009-mmos-in-the-e-gaming-area/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/16/gen-con-2009-mmos-in-the-e-gaming-area/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/16/gen-con-2009-mmos-in-the-e-gaming-area/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,


Massively was at Gen Con 2009 yesterday in Indianapolis, Indiana, and while most of the (gigantic) convention was involved with more traditional types of gaming, from dice and board games to collectible card games and RPGs, MMOs made their own splash in the "e-gaming" area. Sony Online Entertainment probably had the biggest presence -- in among huge posters of Free Realms and Star Wars Galaxies, they had demos running of all of their current games (though we didn't see any previews of DCUO or The Agency running). A costumed model posed for pictures in front of a large Legends of Norrath poster, while over in the CCG area, SOE held tournaments of the game for players.

Gallery: MMOs at Gen Con 2009

Continue reading Gen Con 2009: MMOs in the E-gaming area

MassivelyGen Con 2009: MMOs in the E-gaming area originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 16 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>champions-onlineconventionsdcuoeventsfansfree-realmsfungalleriesgamesgaminggen-congen-con-2009gen-con-indygen-con-indy-2009legends-of-norrathpen-and-paperrpgsoestar-wars-galaxiesthe-agencySun, 16 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Drawing you in, one freemium at a time]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/15/drawing-you-in-one-freemium-at-a-time/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/15/drawing-you-in-one-freemium-at-a-time/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/15/drawing-you-in-one-freemium-at-a-time/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


It seems the general media has gotten a whiff of the freemium cocktails that developers have been cooking up, as USA Today reports on some of the new freemium MMO games to hit the streets. The article also offers some insight into how these games support themselves -- namely through the use of item shops and microtransactions.

While their reporting offers nothing huge and shocking to well-read gamers, the whole fact that this article has appeared in the lifestyle section of USA Today shows that our genre is beginning to reach out past the average gamer and draw in the new initiates to gaming. As much as we like to think its our masterpieces that truly shape our genre, it's games like this that get the majority of our population interested in the things we do.

MassivelyDrawing you in, one freemium at a time originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battlefield-heroesf2pfree-realmsfree-to-playfreemiumgamingmmorpgusa-todayvideo-gamesWed, 15 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Making MMOs massive editorial]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/30/making-mmos-massive-editorial/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/30/making-mmos-massive-editorial/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/30/making-mmos-massive-editorial/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Rob Fahey has an editorial piece up on GamesIndustry.biz talking about ways to make MMOs massive. The article states that the question devs should be asking is not "How do we beat World of Warcraft?"; it's "What can we learn from World of Warcraft and how can we co-exist with it?"

He defines two ends of the gaming spectrum. The most accessible games are found on services like Facebook, while the least accessible example would be World of Warcraft. This may sound a bit strange since WoW is probably the most accessible of the subscription-based MMOs, but he's using it due to its extreme popularity given the fact that it still has fairly inhibiting install, patching, and strategic components.

Rob believes games that fall in the middle of this spectrum are likely to be where we'll see the largest growth potential. He would consider Free Realms to fit this middle-spectrum description. FR has a middle-ground business model, is fairly easily accessible, and marketed at the youth and female demographics. Basically, Rob believes MMOs will become more massive if they can accomplish what FR is currently aiming for and achieving.

MassivelyMaking MMOs massive editorial originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 30 May 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>facebookfree-realmsgamesindustry.bizgamingrob-faheysuccessworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 30 May 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Plenty of gaming options for today's 'tweens]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/22/plenty-of-gaming-options-for-todays-tweens/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/22/plenty-of-gaming-options-for-todays-tweens/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/22/plenty-of-gaming-options-for-todays-tweens/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

According to this MSNBC article, there are no less than 200 youth-oriented virtual worlds and MMOs either in development or on the market. Some of these titles even boast account numbers that rival Facebook and MySpace as analysts estimate 30M users in Club Penguin, 52M users in Neopets, and 90M in Habbo.

Is this really surprising though? Probably not when you consider that kids today aren't totally different in this generation than previous generations. 'Tweens have always liked to socialize, play, and simply "hang out." The difference nowadays is that parents tend to have looser restrictions and the kids can accomplish most of the things they like to do without even leaving a computer chair. The rules and tools have changed.

The article also talks about a 89/10/1 rule that most F2P/RMT games aim for. This rule assumes that 89% of people will play your game for free, 10% will pay the minimum, and 1% will spend lots of money. Apply that rule to the recent announcements that both Free Realms and Runes of Magic have surpassed 1M users. If the rule applies, it means 100,000 people are paying the basic fees (~$5/month) and 10,000 are spending oodles on extras ($15+/month). That's roughly $650,000 per month, which isn't half bad depending on your development costs.

MassivelyPlenty of gaming options for today's 'tweens originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 22 May 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>club-penguinfacebookfree-realmsgaminghabbo-hotelkidsmmorpgmsnbcmyspaceneopetsrunes-of-magictweensvirtual-worldsFri, 22 May 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GamerDNA honored in AlwaysOn East 100 ]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/14/gamerdna-honored-in-alwayson-east-100/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/14/gamerdna-honored-in-alwayson-east-100/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/14/gamerdna-honored-in-alwayson-east-100/#commentsFiled under: ,

When it comes to communities where you can track your online gaming, there are tons to choose from. You can chat, message, list characters, post screenshots... sure. That said, one of our favorites has to be GamerDNA. Not only is the site run by a bunch of gamers who are absolutely passionate about what they do, but they aren't just working on their site and leaving it at that as so many other sites seem content to do. The people over at GamerDNA reach out into the community, using the information they've gathered from members to point out really interesting and enlightening things about how and why we're playing too - not just what we're playing. That's why when we heard they'd been honored this year as part of the AlwaysOn East 100, we were thrilled.

The AlwaysOn East 100 award is a way to reward "private, emerging technology companies creating new business opportunities in high-growth markets." Essentially, what that means to those of you who aren't keeping an eye on tech startups is that they kick butt and take names - and people from gamers to investors - are taking notice. Frankly, it's a richly-deserved award for an awesome bunch of people we've been lucky enough to work with from time to time. We can't wait to see what the next 12 months holds for them as they continue building their site, and their community. Grats!

MassivelyGamerDNA honored in AlwaysOn East 100 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 May 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alwaysonalwayson-east-100-awardawardawardsgamerdnagamingplayersThu, 14 May 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What is your MMO time worth?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/08/the-daily-grind-what-is-your-mmo-time-worth/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/08/the-daily-grind-what-is-your-mmo-time-worth/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/08/the-daily-grind-what-is-your-mmo-time-worth/#commentsFiled under: ,

Tobold wrote an interesting blog post the other day about the value of time and gaming. In an earlier post, he mentioned that he had spent over 4,579 hours playing World of Warcraft since release. In another, he proclaimed his intentions to spend $100 on Free Realms in its first week. For some reason, his readers reacted more strongly to the FR post than the WoW one.

The reaction seems a bit strange when you consider what Tobold must have spent on his WoW subscription over the years. It's even stranger still when you consider what he could have earned or accomplished if even half those hours were spent on some kind of side job or other "productive" activity. On a purely entertainment level, he's probably getting a pretty good deal in both WoW and FR based on the money he pay to play and you can't work all the time if you want a healthy lifestyle.

We're curious; when it comes to gaming, what is your time worth? Do you take too much, too little, or a balanced amount of downtime for gaming and why?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What is your MMO time worth? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 May 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>balancegamingplaytimetoboldvalueworkFri, 08 May 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What's your preference of difficulty?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/22/the-daily-grind-whats-your-preference-of-difficulty/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/22/the-daily-grind-whats-your-preference-of-difficulty/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/22/the-daily-grind-whats-your-preference-of-difficulty/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Some people like it when the game challenges them for months on end, stopping them at the same battle over and over again until a group comes together and cooperates in a way that yields progression.

Other people like to be able to sit down at a game, play it for a few hours, and feel like they've made some progress and accomplishments. They enjoy feeling rewarded after a small play session, instead of dedicating hours of work and thinking to their games.

And still others would rather find extreme progress in less than an hour, being highly rewarded for very little challenge. It's not fun if it's hard, right?

So today's grind question is as follows: what is your preference of difficulty? Are you the person who likes to be stumped for weeks on end, or are you more of the type who wants to get the maximum reward for the smallest effort? Speak forth into thy comment box, and let thy voice be heard! And hopefully you won't use a silly accent like us, but you can if you'd like to.

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What's your preference of difficulty? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>casualchallengedifficultyeasyfungaminghardhardcoremediumprogressionraidsthe-daily-grindWed, 22 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: How young is too young for MMOs?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/04/the-daily-grind-how-young-is-too-young-for-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/04/the-daily-grind-how-young-is-too-young-for-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/04/the-daily-grind-how-young-is-too-young-for-mmos/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

One of the interesting things we're hearing more and more (and as illuminated by yesterday's poll) is that the number of MMO families is on the climb. I personally am part of an MMO family, and know several others who are the same. We've all got children of varying ages, and our involvement ranges from over-the-shoulder to completely hands-off. Most of us would agree that it's a lot of fun to play MMOs with our kids, ranging from raiding alongside them to sitting at the same machine and playing mini-games together. To me, playing MMOs with your kids can reinforce everything from basic typing skills to the intricacies of learning to work with others despite your differences.

With the recent articles on the subject of family gaming, and the rise of more family-oriented gamer sites, we thought we'd ask this morning: How young do you think is too young to get involved in MMOs? Do you think it's a great way to bond with your kids, playing in a common game world together? Do you feel that MMOs and virtual worlds aren't the place for the very young - unless it's in a more controlled environment like FusionFall or Webkinz? Are you part of a gamer family? If so, how early were you/your children playing MMOs? What do you think recommends MMOs as entertainment for kids over regular gaming?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: How young is too young for MMOs? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 04 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>childrenfamilygamersgaminggaming-togetherkidsmmommorpgSat, 04 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Losing track of time]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/10/the-daily-grind-losing-track-of-time/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/10/the-daily-grind-losing-track-of-time/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/10/the-daily-grind-losing-track-of-time/#commentsFiled under: ,


Video games in general are great ways to spend your downtime. Unless you're between games, there's always a new battle, a new place to see, or something new to find. Add in having all your friends around, and playing in large worlds and MMOs tend to amplify the point. There's a reason we make jokes about "just one more level" or "just let me finish this quest" among MMO players - just about everyone's been sucked in to that point at one time or another.

Of course with that comes the problem that will generally at least once bite every MMO player; getting so sucked in that you're late somewhere to do something. This morning we thought we'd ask what the single-worst case of losing track of time you've experienced or heard about is?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Losing track of time originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamingjust-one-more-leveljust-one-more-questlatelosing-track-of-timemmoTue, 10 Feb 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Getting your daily gaming fix]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/05/the-daily-grind-getting-your-daily-gaming-fix/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/05/the-daily-grind-getting-your-daily-gaming-fix/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/05/the-daily-grind-getting-your-daily-gaming-fix/#commentsFiled under: ,

Today's the day many folks are heading back from vacation - either to school, or back to the office. For most, this means that the majority of their gaming once again becomes the stuff of nights and weekends - at least, when it comes to their MMO gaming. There again, there are those who carry their games with them on their laptops and will log in during lunch or periods of downtime between classes. (Nothing wrong with that so long as you're not getting yourself in trouble by playing when you should be focusing elsewhere, eh?)

Of course, with casual MMO games on the web, MMO sites to read news about your favorite games, and so much more out there, it brought today's question to mind. When you're at work or school, what do you do to satisfy your gaming fix? Read news? Check out browser-based games? (Facebook apps or Bejeweled, anyone?) Look up strategies for that upcoming raid? Hang out on your guild's forums? Or perhaps you're the type who instead decides to savor the craving and just enjoy it when you're at home, giving yourself something to look forward to when you get home?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Getting your daily gaming fix originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>forumsgamingremote-gamingtdgthe-daily-grindMon, 05 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[MMOs and the iPhone SDK]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/06/mmos-and-the-iphone-sdk/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/06/mmos-and-the-iphone-sdk/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/06/mmos-and-the-iphone-sdk/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

As you may already know if (like me) you are an iPhone owner, Apple spent the better part of this morning laying out just what will be in the iPhone SDK, which is basically a set of tools program developers can use to create applications for the shiny little touchscreen cell phone. Wait, did we say applications? I certainly meant games -- Apple (which is not, as of late, known for their gaming prowess) had EA and other game companies appear on stage to show off what kind of games can be based on the platform. I also spend some of my time blogging on TUAW, which is Weblogs, Inc's Apple blog, and I went on record there a while ago saying that the iPhone is the best handheld gaming device ever. Given what we saw today (along with the fact that programmers will have access to the gadget's multitouch, accelerometer, and even microphone and camera features), I believe that more than ever -- all we need is some games to play on it.

So what does this all mean for massively multiplayer games? Lots.

Continue reading MMOs and the iPhone SDK

MassivelyMMOs and the iPhone SDK originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Mar 2008 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appledevelopersdevicefeaturedgaminghandheldiphonemobileplatformsdktuawThu, 06 Mar 2008 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Cutting down the noise in online situations]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/15/cutting-down-the-noise-in-online-situations/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/15/cutting-down-the-noise-in-online-situations/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/15/cutting-down-the-noise-in-online-situations/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Technically, the idea that Randall Munroe (author of XKCD, one of the funniest and definitely the geekiest of the comics on the web) had wasn't really about MMOs, but I think there is an application to the communities that we're all gaming in. His problem was that, whenever a community reaches a certain number of people, connections weaken, and it becomes an ever-increasing struggle of signal versus noise. And while his interest in that problem has to do with the IRC channel associated with the comic, it will surely sound familiar to those of us who've spent any amount of time in an online gaming environment.

So what's his plan to fix things? His theory is that a lack of meaningful communication is directly tied to the originality of the statements contained therein-- ie. get rid of the Chuck Norris comments and the older-than-dirt memes and jokes, and you'll have meaningful communication. So he created a script to sit in the channel (#xkcd-signal on irc.foonetic.net) with logs of the past two years of chatting, and if you say anything that's already been said, you'll get muted.

Continue reading Cutting down the noise in online situations

MassivelyCutting down the noise in online situations originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Jan 2008 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMOs (and some virtual worlds) are games we play together. Games are generally fun, educational, diversionary and sometimes escapist pastimes. Humans are natural gamers. Our tastes and inclinations about games and gaming may differ, but we all play games.

If there's no game we like, we make a game - out of anything and everything. It doesn't matter if it involves traffic lights, paperclips in your office drawer, or trying to outshine the neighbor's garden - we make up our own rules, and play our games, even if nobody else knows.

There's no such thing as "just a game", however, and there's a good reason why.

Continue reading Never just a game

MassivelyNever just a game originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 30 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chessfeaturedgamegame-theorygaminggriefopinionsecond-lifeworld-of-warcraftTue, 30 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EST