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Gamescom, GDC EU dates announced for 2013

MJ Guthrie — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, News Items

The more than 275,000 attendees of this year's Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, were the first to see the planned date for the 2013 convention -- if they noticed the large banner hanging overhead, that is. Folks wanting to get a headstart on planning for the event can mark their calendars: The fifth annual Gamescom will be held August 21st through the 25th, 2013. To get in on GDC Europe, plan to get to Cologne a few days earlier as this convention will run August 19th through the 21st, 2013.

The 2012 Gamescom saw the introduction of mobile and social titles to the usual line-up of console and PC gaming. Organizers noted that 83 different countries were represented between the exhibitors and trade visitors of the con. GDC EU 2012 broke previous attendance records with over 2,100 game industry professionals attending the event.

For more about this year's conventions that just wrapped up, check out Massively's 2012 Gamescom and 2012 GDC Europe coverage.

Gamescom, GDC EU dates announced for 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC Europe 2012: Funcom's Morrison says focus on the why, not the what

Matthew Rossi — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 10:45:00 EST

Filed under: Age of Conan, Game Mechanics, Interviews, MMO Industry, The Secret World

MMOs as a rule tend to have a focus on providing content for us, the players. It makes sense; they want us to play their games, so they give us as much stuff to do as possible so that we'll keep playing. But why do we want to do that stuff in the first place? Craig Morrison, creative director at Funcom Montreal, posed that question at his GDC Europe talk, saying that MMO design needs to shift to consider that option. Gamasutra covered what he has to say: "Everytime a player logs in, they need a 'why'," noted Morrison. "What we really need to be thinking about is the why -- it's the bit that we don't really consider enough. Players need a reason to be playing it. What is motivating them?"

Referencing both Maslow's hierarchy of needs and Simon Simek's work on motivation, Morrison's talk ranged from discussing how games go wrong by focusing on only one kind of player to encouraging the development and fostering of community. "Unless you expose the players to the community and encourage community interactions, there's not that much difference between your game and a single-player game," he opined.

GDC Europe 2012: Funcom's Morrison says focus on the why, not the what originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC Europe 2012: Designer says American gamers can't handle failure

Jef Reahard — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Events (Real-World), Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, News Items, Miscellaneous

Game designer Don Daglow turned a few heads while participating in a GDC Europe panel this week. The industry veteran and co-designer of AOL's 1991 Neverwinter Nights MMORPG said that Americans don't deal well with failure, particularly in gaming.

"The idea of failure has been dramatically reduced," Daglow said, before going on to opine that this stems from an educational system where failure has been removed from the curriculum. He also said that many gamers blame their failures on the game itself instead of analyzing their mistakes and trying again.

GDC Europe 2012: Designer says American gamers can't handle failure originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC Europe 2012: F2P developers should expect 70 percent initial user drop

Jef Reahard — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Business Models, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play

Batting .300 is the gold standard for free-to-play games, according to former Empire: Total War designer Jan van der Crabben. He told listeners at a GDC Europe keynote that free-to-play developers should expect to lose 70 percent of their initial registered users.

He said that player retention is the key issue facing the new business model, and despite the fact that most players leave F2P titles shortly after registering, those who stick around for a few days will usually keep playing.

Van der Crabben, who is currently designing browser-based F2P games at Travian, pointed to World of Warcraft as a model, noting its mechanical effectiveness at retaining users by presenting them with cyclical gameplay. This amounts to "kill[ing] stuff to get better to get more abilities to kill more stuff," he said.

GDC Europe 2012: F2P developers should expect 70 percent initial user drop originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Tanks was rejected by publishers as 'cheap Asian stuff'

Brendan Drain — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business Models, Culture, Events (Real-World), News Items, Free-to-Play, Casual, World of Tanks

Since its release at the end of 2010, Russian tank MMO World of Tanks has grown to become a global sensation with over 35 million users worldwide. The incredible success of this free-to-play giant has gone on to spawn upcoming offshoots World of Warplanes and World of Warships, but you might be surprised to hear that western publishers initially rejected the game.

At GDC Europe today, Wargaming.net CEO Victor Kislyi revealed that Western publishers originally didn't accept the game because of its free-to-play business model. "They were very arrogant," Victor explained, adding that the game "was described as cheap, Asian stuff." The rampant success of World of Tanks and the free-to-play business model has since grown Wargaming.net from a studio with 120 employees into a global business with over 1,000.

World of Tanks was rejected by publishers as 'cheap Asian stuff' originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 13 Aug 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC Europe 2011: Freelance designer identifies key problem with MMOs

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, MMO Industry, Events (Massively's Coverage), Miscellaneous

Sometimes we don't stop and think about just how strange our games are from a logical standpoint, but freelance designer Ernest Adams has, and he's not that pleased. Speaking to a crowd at GDC Europe, Adams said that the biggest problem in MMOs is that there's a disconnect between what the game tells us it's doing and what is actually happening. Mobs can never truly be "killed" since they respawn; NPCs don't perform any promised actions after you complete their tasks; and quests can be abandoned without any consequences.

Adams feels that player actions should be able to change the world in a real, significant way and be permanent (including the possibility of, yes, permadeath). Player choice should trump developer intentions, he says, quests should be unique to each player, and the game should ultimately have an ending.

Using the concept of a fictitious MMO called The Blitz Online, Adams hypothesizes how this might be accomplished. The game would take place during the attacks on London during World War II, and players would have to take action to shore up the city's infrastructure and defenses lest the situation grow worse. If enough players pitched in using their various skills, morale in the area would increase and the Nazis would eventually give up the attacks, causing the "win" condition for all.

By focusing on player choice and a dynamic game world, Adams hopes that the experience would become much more real and personal for players. However, he admits that such a project might be a long shot: "I realize this game breaks almost all the rules."

GDC Europe 2011: Freelance designer identifies key problem with MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trion's David Reid: 'New era' of premium games inevitable

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business Models, MMO Industry, Events (Massively's Coverage), RIFT, Miscellaneous

It's a brutal, cutthroat world in the MMO industry, Trion Worlds' David Reid admits, and he thinks that companies that can't adapt to the rapidly changing scene need to get out of the pool so others can swim.

Talking to a crowd at GDC Europe, Reid spoke on an inevitable "new era" of premium games that are being fashioned in the forges of increased competition, challenging business models, higher development costs, and lower social interaction. "It's a lot harder to make your money back in the premium games space than it used to be," he said.

Reid used Trion's approach as an example of how MMO studios need to be at the top of their game when developing games, including "AAA ambition and polish, massive scale, persistence, and customization."

RIFT, which he cites as having over a million customers and holding the number two spot in the West, made sure that high-quality visuals were a key part of the experience, but also that the team was willing to listen to player feedback when preparing future content. He also pointed to End of Nation's free-to-play model and Defiance's synergy with the Syfy TV show as ways to captivate player interest and stay on top of the game.

Trion's David Reid: 'New era' of premium games inevitable originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Richard Garriott to deliver Game Developers Conference Europe keynote

Matt Daniel — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Events (Real-World), News Items, Miscellaneous

Are you planning to venture to the wilds of Europe for the upcoming Game Developers Conference Europe? If so, you're in for a treat, as the father of Ultima will be delivering the keynote speech. That's right, the one and only spacefaring game developer Richard Garriott will give a presentation at the conference discussing social gaming, its future, and what mark it may leave on the gaming industry as a whole.

Garriott is perhaps known best for being the creator of the Ultima series (and the victim of assassination in the early days of Ultima Online), but his most recent foray in the industry came in the form of Portalarium, a social gaming company. Frank Sliwka, event director of GDC Europe, notes that "there are few developers with Richard Garriott's history, pedigree and vantage point, having been a defining force in the realm of traditional hardcore games, birthing the RPG and MMORPG genres, to now helping lead the way within the world of social games," so the speech will almost certainly be enlightening for anyone with an interest in the subject. GDC Europe will be taking place from August 15-17, so if you're looking to make the journey to gaming mecca, go ahead and start making plans!

Richard Garriott to deliver Game Developers Conference Europe keynote originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Jun 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCsoft dev discusses the genesis of Aion at GDC Europe

Lesley Smith — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Aion, Lineage 2, Game Mechanics, Lore, MMO Industry

Aion dev Yongchan Jee spilled the beans on the game's origins as part of a GDC Europe Q and A session. Gamasutra were on hand to find out what exactly makes the game stand out in Korea. This included addressing a gap in the market for 'AAA' titles after the release of Lineage II and World of Warcraft, as well as focusing on a faction warfare angle which sees the two player-controlled races of the Elyos and the Asmodians fighting against each other and the terrifying Balaur. Jee also discussed how the game was rebooted in 2006 and while this did affect the moral of the developers, it ultimately allowed them to start from scratch and create a truly memorable game.

Lee also focused on the character customisation, discussing the concepts of beautiful and ugly characters in MMOs like World of Warcraft, where Korean players often favour the Alliance over the Horde. He also explained why the devs chose to create Aion as a zone-based MMO over a seamless world. Aion fans should definitely check out Gamasutra's write up for even more hints at Aion's gestation and conception.

NCsoft dev discusses the genesis of Aion at GDC Europe originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CCP Games reveals new EVE Online console MMO: DUST 514

James Egan — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, New Titles, Consoles, MMOFPS, DUST 514

CCP Games CEO Hilmar Pétursson delivered a keynote presentation at GDC Europe in Cologne today, and unveiled the project their Shanghai studio has worked on for the last three years: DUST 514, a console MMOFPS set in the EVE Online universe.

Massively speculated in the past that CCP's hiring of console developers was in connection with either the EVE Online FPS or the World of Darkness MMO. The timing of the DUST 514 trademark registration led us to believe this would be the game title announced at this week's GDC event.

So then, what is DUST 514?

Continue reading CCP Games reveals new EVE Online console MMO: DUST 514

CCP Games reveals new EVE Online console MMO: DUST 514 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video interview focuses on emergent gameplay in EVE Online

James Egan — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, Video, EVE Online, Events (Real-World), Interviews

Part of what's so interesting about video games, and MMOs specifically, is that players often do things the game designers never envisioned. This is especially the case with a sandbox MMO like EVE Online where the developers provide a setting and the players establish their own virtual society of sorts. The topic of emergent gameplay in EVE came up in a recent video interview from the Nordic Game Conference, where our friend Petter Mårtensson from Gamereactor spoke with CCP Games Executive Producer Nathan "Oveur" Richardsson.

Their conversation touches upon what the players are doing with wormhole exploration (with around 2500 uncharted solar systems) and CCP's excitement when player alliances clash and create their own stories of conflict. The interview also covers Walking in Stations (avatars), the COSMOS social network that will tie in with EVE, and the company's intent to alter 0.0 space with more tools to build empires and more incentives to get people out there into these lawless regions. Stick with us for a video embed of the Gamereactor interview with CCP's Nathan Richardsson.

Continue reading Video interview focuses on emergent gameplay in EVE Online

Video interview focuses on emergent gameplay in EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CCP Games trademark filing hints at new game: DUST 514

James Egan — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, Sci-Fi, EVE Online, MMO Industry, New Titles, Opinion, Rumors

What does "DUST 514" have to do with EVE Online? That's something we're very curious to know at Massively. A recent trademark filing from CCP Games for DUST 514, submitted by Atlanta-based attorney Steven M. Kushner, is described as providing 'entertainment services' and an 'on-line computer game'.

If you look at the logo of a gas mask above a striped pattern, it bears more than a passing resemblance to the EVE Online logo. The trademark filing description reads: "The mark consists of a masked face with white sunken eyes and a round opening at the mouth. There are two parallel thick lines on either side of the jaw of the face which are a parallel to a third line which runs across the bottom of the face and dips into a V at the center." Definitely not a coincidence.

Continue reading CCP Games trademark filing hints at new game: DUST 514

CCP Games trademark filing hints at new game: DUST 514 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What is this mystery project at CCP Games?

James Egan — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, New Titles, The Daily Grind, Consoles, World of Darkness

We know that CCP Games, creators of EVE Online, is going to announce a new project at GDC Europe in August. As CCP acquired White Wolf, creators of pen-and-paper RPG titles like Vampire, Mage, and Werewolf (the World of Darkness setting), we've known for some time that a World of Darkness MMO is in the works. Unfortunately, beyond the fact that the project exists at some stage of development, we know very little. But this mystery project announcement might not be about WoD at all. We're also aware that CCP Games has plans to release a first person shooter based on the EVE Online IP, which they hinted at during EVE Fanfest 2008.

The latest info we've found about a new project at CCP Games (via @crazykinux) is a job listing at CCP for a Senior Game Engineer. The successful applicant "will join a seasoned team based in Shanghai, China where they will work on original IP for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3." The listing also mentions development on the Unreal Engine.

Regardless of whether they're planning to unveil World of Darkness Online or an EVE Online first person shooter, you don't need to be an EVE player to appreciate how cool either of these releases could be. What game do you think CCP is going to announce at GDC Europe?

The Daily Grind: What is this mystery project at CCP Games? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CCP Games CEO to announce new project in GDC Europe keynote

James Egan — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, News Items

Hilmar Pétursson, the CEO of CCP Games, will keynote Game Developers Conference Europe 2009 in Cologne, Germany. The event runs from August 17 through the 19th at the Cologne Congress Center East. Hilmar's keynote will focus on how CCP Games rose from being a small Reykjavik-based studio with an obscure niche title to becoming a success story in the MMO industry with the growing popularity of EVE Online, now running studios in Atlanta and Shanghai, as well as their hometown of Reykjavik.

Perhaps the biggest news here is the reveal hinted at in the CCP Games press release: "As a testament to the industry's potential for growth despite widespread economic turmoil and as an inspiration for up-and-coming independent studios, Pétursson will give an exclusive first look at the company's latest project, which is currently in pre-production." We can only assume this is the World of Darkness MMO, but it could very well be a closer look at Walking in Stations or any of the other projects CCP announced at last year's Fanfest. Regardless of what this new project is, we won't know for sure until August.

CCP Games CEO to announce new project in GDC Europe keynote originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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