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 SOPAbox: Defeating online piracy by destroying the internet]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/10/the-sopabox-defeating-online-piracy-by-destroying-the-internet/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/10/the-sopabox-defeating-online-piracy-by-destroying-the-internet/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/10/the-sopabox-defeating-online-piracy-by-destroying-the-internet/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

The Soapbox title image
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.

Unless you've been living under a rock, chances are you've heard of SOPA and PIPA. The Stop Online Piracy Act and PROTECT IP Act are two radical pieces of copyright legislation currently being pushed through the US government. Although the stated intent of the new legislation is to provide companies with additional tools with which to combat piracy, the bill's loose wording has raised some serious alarm bells. Opponents to the proposed law say it would give corporations the ability to shut down any almost any website under the guise of protecting copyright infringement.

Gamers will be affected worst of all, as the loose wording of the law makes any website with user-submitted content potentially vulnerable to a shut down order. That could include YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, any blog with a comment section, or even any online game with a chat system. Perhaps the scariest part is that you'll be affected even if you're not in the US, as one of the new law's enforcement mechanisms is to remove a site from the DNS records, a move that assumes the US has jurisdiction over the global Domain Name System. AOL is among many huge companies strongly opposing SOPA, and so naturally Massively opposes it too.

In this week's massive two-page Soapbox, I make the case for why you should be worried about SOPA, and I suggest what can be done to tackle piracy in the games industry. Comments can be left on page two.

Continue reading The SOPAbox: Defeating online piracy by destroying the internet

MassivelyThe SOPAbox: Defeating online piracy by destroying the internet originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brendan-draincopyrightcopyright-infringementdnsdnssecdomaindomain-namesfeaturedfirst-amendmentfree-speechfreedom-of-speechgovernmenti-dont-want-to-live-on-this-planet-any-moreillegalintellectual-propertyiplawlegalmiscMiscellaneousnyphurpiracypiratesprotect-ipsoapboxsoapbox-brendan-drainsopasopaboxthe-soapboxthe-sopaboxus-governmentvideoTue, 10 Jan 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Fifty days of 'lulz' over: LulzSec disbands]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/27/50-days-of-lulz-over-lulzsec-disbands/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/27/50-days-of-lulz-over-lulzsec-disbands/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/27/50-days-of-lulz-over-lulzsec-disbands/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The secretive hacking group known as LulzSec has announced that it is formally disbanding with the completion of its planned 50 days of mayhem. Among its many targets that it has hacked, including government sites, LulzSec struck at The Escapist, Bethesda Game Studios, League of Legends, and EVE Online.

LulzSec sent out a final statement, which said the group was a band of six hackers who had planned 50 days of attacks from the beginning. Now that the time is up, the group plans to fade into the shadows.

The group hopes that others will continue with these illegal activities: "Behind the mask, behind the insanity and mayhem, we truly believe in the AntiSec movement. We hope, wish, even beg, that the movement manifests itself into a revolution that can continue on without us."

While a suspected member of LulzSec was arrested a few days ago, the organization denied that he was part of the collective.

MassivelyFifty days of 'lulz' over: LulzSec disbands originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Jun 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anti-securityantisecattacksccpciaddoseveeve-onlinefbigovernmenthackershackingleague-of-legendslollulzlulzsecryan-clearythe-escapistMon, 27 Jun 2011 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Two sides to the story]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/28/a-mild-mannered-reporter-two-sides-to-the-story/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/28/a-mild-mannered-reporter-two-sides-to-the-story/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/28/a-mild-mannered-reporter-two-sides-to-the-story/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

I'm pretty excited for Going Rogue. Part of that is kind of inevitable -- I write a column about City of Heroes, I've tried to make a clear point that I'm a fan of comics in general, and quite honestly right now I'm in a bit of a video game drought and could use something new. But there's more to it than that, and it goes right back to my love of BioWare and the motivation to do speed runs of Silent Hill 2 just to see all of the various endings available.

What I'm getting at here is that I'm a big fan of any game that offers me morality or lets the game shift depending on my choices. So when Going Rogue had its two factions explained, I sat up and took notice, because the morals at play are certainly not black and white. No, they're grey and gray -- if not closer to blue and orange -- and that led to the inspiration for what I believe to be two of my most popular columns. And wouldn't you know it, even with both columns written, there's still more to be said.

Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Two sides to the story

MassivelyA Mild-Mannered Reporter: Two sides to the story originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowareblack-and-whitechoicechoicescity-of-heroescity-of-heroes-going-roguecity-of-villainscohcovcoxemperor-colefeaturedgoing-roguegood-versus-evilgovernmentgrloyalistmild-mannered-reportermoralityparagonparagon-studiosphilosophypraetoriansresistanceshades-of-greyWed, 28 Jul 2010 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Korea institutes nighttime shutdown for underaged MMO players]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/12/korea-institutes-nighttime-shutdown-for-underaged-mmo-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/12/korea-institutes-nighttime-shutdown-for-underaged-mmo-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/12/korea-institutes-nighttime-shutdown-for-underaged-mmo-players/#commentsFiled under: , ,

"You've been playing long enough, it's time to do something else now." It's a statement you'd expect to hear from your parent, but from your government? The Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has introduced a set of policies known as "nighttime shutdown" for underage users -- an enforced six hour blackout time. According to today's report in the Korean Herald, kids can choose the start time for their six hour window -- midnight, 1:00 a.m., or 2:00 a.m., and internet access will automatically shut down at that time for six hours.

The point of this new "curfew" of sorts is to help curtail video game addiction among Korean citizens, a problem that's been making headlines off and on for a while. While it's only in the testing phase at the moment -- it affects four games right now, including Dungeon Fighter Online and Dragon Nest -- it will eventually expand to include 19 of the most popular online games in Korea, such as Mabinogi and MapleStory. The new policies aren't limited to nighttime shutdown, either. If an underage player is online for a significant amount of time online, a "slowdown" will come into effect, throttling back the user's connection speed and presumably making it much more difficult to play.

You can read the full story in the Korean Herald.

[Thanks to Amana for the tip!]

MassivelyKorea institutes nighttime shutdown for underaged MMO players originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>addictioncurfewgaming-addictiongovernmentinternetKoreakorean-heraldnighttime-shutdownslowdownMon, 12 Apr 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Online gaming revenues soar in China]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/online-gaming-revenues-soar-in-china/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/online-gaming-revenues-soar-in-china/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/online-gaming-revenues-soar-in-china/#commentsFiled under: ,

Online gaming revenues soared in China to 6.18 billion RMB (USD 906 million) in the second quarter of 2009, according to Reuters. They cite data from Analysys International, a research firm which states China's online game revenues for Q2 2009 were up 39.5 percent over last year. Among the top three earners (trailing behind Tencent Holdings and Shanda Games) was NetEase, the company which is presently the licensed operator of World of Warcraft in China. Reuters states that NetEase saw revenues of 780 million RMB (USD 114 million) in the second quarter of this year.

This continual growth of online gaming in China has been a key issue with legislators in recent years. The Chinese media's coverage of internet and gaming addiction has intensified, and there is now increased government scrutiny of the virtual currencies and economies these games have given rise to. It's not just a China issue, as foreign companies are either operating online games in the country or have been eyeing this lucrative market. As we mentioned on Monday, the issue of regulating foreign game operation in China may be coming to a head with the current struggle between the General Administration of Press and Publications (GAPP) and the Ministry of Culture. Whatever agreement is reached between these government agencies will determine the future of foreign online game operations in the country.

[Via GamePolitics]

MassivelyOnline gaming revenues soar in China originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chinagamepoliticsgappgovernmentlegallegislationmmo-industrypoliticsreutersworld-of-warcraftwowwow-chinaThu, 15 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE's 4th Council of Stellar Management accepting candidates]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/30/eves-4th-council-of-stellar-management-accepting-candidates/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/30/eves-4th-council-of-stellar-management-accepting-candidates/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/30/eves-4th-council-of-stellar-management-accepting-candidates/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

The Council of Stellar Management (CSM) is a concept that's unique to EVE Online -- a player-elected council that represents the playerbase's views to the developer CCP Games. CSM representatives identify the major issues that players have with EVE Online and work together with CCP to improve the game. According to EVE dev CCP Xhagen, "Roughly 60% of all issues brought up by the CSM have either been already added to the game or are on the horizon."

The Council of Stellar Management is now heading into its 4th iteration and will begin accepting candidates as of tomorrow, October 1st. Candidacy applications will be accepted through October 15th. Interested parties must hold a valid passport (each CSM term involves a summit in Reykjavik) and be willing to have their real names become a matter of public record, for the sake of accountability.

Continue reading EVE's 4th Council of Stellar Management accepting candidates

MassivelyEVE's 4th Council of Stellar Management accepting candidates originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>candidatesccpccp-gamescouncil-of-stellar-managementcsmelectionseve-onlinegame-designgame-mechanicsgovernmentmmo-industrysci-fiWed, 30 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[IRS saves on recruitment costs with Second Life?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/17/irs-saves-on-recruitment-costs-with-second-life/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/17/irs-saves-on-recruitment-costs-with-second-life/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/17/irs-saves-on-recruitment-costs-with-second-life/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


Well, we've had some strange news stories come across our desk, but this one certainly ranks up closer to the top of the list. Frank Stipe, the Virtual Worlds & Social Networking Project Manager for the IRS (yes, the Internal Revenue Service, the people you hate every April) has told CollegeRecruiter.com that the company saves millions of dollars by using Second Life as a recruitment opportunity.

IRS Careers Island is not only a job-seeker's resource for more information about the IRS, it's also a race car track where you can drive cars and race your friends! No, we're honestly not joking. As to how the IRS saves money by running this job information/race track island, check out Stipe's full statement after the break!

Continue reading IRS saves on recruitment costs with Second Life?

MassivelyIRS saves on recruitment costs with Second Life? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>collegerecruiteremploymentgovernmentinternal-revenue-serviceirsirs-careers-islandjob-recruitmentjobssecond-lifeMon, 17 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Government workshop on evaluation of broadband included Second Life users]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/06/government-workshop-on-evaluation-of-broadband-included-second-l/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/06/government-workshop-on-evaluation-of-broadband-included-second-l/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/06/government-workshop-on-evaluation-of-broadband-included-second-l/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

This morning's workshop on using broadband internet to increase the US government's transparency and citizen participation included a brand new feature -- Second Life participation.

The workshop was streamed live to the MacArthur Foundation's island in Second Life as a representative forwarded questions from the citizens over to the participants of the FCC's workshop. Second Life citizens were able to be hands on with the workshop, getting their questions sent over a specific channel to be answered as they came in.

"In developing our nation's National Broadband Plan, we are committed to finding innovative, cutting-edge ways -- both online and offline -- to reach out to the public and elicit suggestions, questions, and insight regarding our nation's broadband future," said Jen Howard, the FCC chairman's spokesperson, to New World Notes. "We are delighted that this first workshop will have an aperture into Second Life and that staff is experimenting in such ways to reach all stakeholders."

[Via GamePolitics]
Are you a part of the most widely-known collaborative virtual environment or keeping a close eye on it? Massively's Second Life coverage keeps you in the loop.

MassivelyGovernment workshop on evaluation of broadband included Second Life users originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>broadbandbroadband-internetfccgovernmentmacarthur-foundationnational-broadband-plannew-world-notesparticipationpoliticssecond-lifesimulcastslThu, 06 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[World of Warcraft allowed a "partial relaunch" in China]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/22/world-of-warcraft-allowed-a-partial-relaunch-in-china/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/22/world-of-warcraft-allowed-a-partial-relaunch-in-china/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/22/world-of-warcraft-allowed-a-partial-relaunch-in-china/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


While World of Warcraft China remains in turmoil, the government has loosened their grip on the game slightly, allowing former account holders to jump back into Azeroth once more.

The Chinese government has given NetEase, the new operator of World of Warcraft, the ok to re-open the servers on July 30th. This relaunch is being labeled as a "testing phase," however, as no new accounts will be allowed until the government completes their review of the game. NetEase is also barred from changing the cost of the subscriptions during this phase to ensure a smooth transition from the former operator, The9.

Continue reading World of Warcraft allowed a "partial relaunch" in China

MassivelyWorld of Warcraft allowed a "partial relaunch" in China originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>163.combreakingchinagappgovernmentneteaserelaunchreviewtestingthe9warcraft-chinaworld-of-warcraftwow-chinawrath-of-the-lich-kingWed, 22 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE's 3rd Council of Stellar Management elections underway]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/21/eves-3rd-council-of-stellar-management-elections-underway/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/21/eves-3rd-council-of-stellar-management-elections-underway/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/21/eves-3rd-council-of-stellar-management-elections-underway/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


The Council of Stellar Management (CSM) in EVE Online is perhaps the best implementation of governance in the virtual space achieved thus far among the numerous MMOs and virtual worlds, although this concept in the industry is rare. The basic idea behind the CSM is that as the horizons of EVE Online and its subscriber numbers expand, there are many different playstyles to be found in the game. The CSM acts as the voice of the playerbase, advising CCP Games on how best to change or develop the game to suit player interests in a far more direct way than the requisite 'nerf this' or 'boost that' threads on the official forums. The Council of Stellar Management delegates aren't selected by CCP but are elected by the players themselves, which is the subject of the latest dev blog from CCP Xhagen (aka Pétur Jóhannes Óskarsson).

EVE Online's 3rd Council of Stellar Management elections are underway. CCP Xhagen's dev blog enumerates some of the CSM's main achievements to date, hopefully providing more incentive for players to vote. (Voter turnout has been lower than hoped, with only 8.6% of the playerbase getting involved, as of the 2nd election.) Massively has covered this idea of player governance in the past through interviews with CCP developers involved with this initiative, but Xhagen's dev blog and its links to EVElopedia provides greater detail into how the CSM operates.

The polls close on May 26th, so if you're an EVE Online player, remember to make your vote count.

MassivelyEVE's 3rd Council of Stellar Management elections underway originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 May 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccp-gamesccp-xhagencouncil-of-stellar-managementcsmelectionseveeve-onlineevelopediagovernancegovernmentpetur-johannes-oskarssonplayer-politicspoliticsrepresentativessci-fivotevotingThu, 21 May 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The state of nature: Philosophy applied to EVE Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/22/the-state-of-nature-philosophy-applied-to-eve-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/22/the-state-of-nature-philosophy-applied-to-eve-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/22/the-state-of-nature-philosophy-applied-to-eve-online/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


EVE Online, in short, is constant, controlled chaos. Alliances are made daily, are trained upwards, and ultimately fall. It's all just a question of when they fall that really differentiates them. Yet, amazingly, out of this controlled game of warfare comes a spark of philosophical intrigue -- the concept of state of nature.

Steven Croop from the Warcry Network has written a feature article discussing the states of EVE Online's types of government versus the old philosophical concept. He theorizes that the same state of self-preservation, noted in the original philosophical concept, does make an appearance in EVE. While the state has changed from its original form (struggle for survival versus struggle to not lose expensive stuff) it still drives the individual of EVE to seek out forms of government for protection, such as corporations and alliances.

Interested in the full read? Check it out over at Warcry and get your dose of philosophical goodness.

MassivelyThe state of nature: Philosophy applied to EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliancealliancesccpcorporationcorporationseveeve-onlinegovernmenthobbeslockephilosophical-discussionphilosophyself-preservationstate-of-naturesteven-croopwarcryWed, 22 Apr 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC09: How to avoid new legal pitfalls in virtual world design and policy]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/30/gdc09-how-to-avoid-new-legal-pitfalls-in-virtual-world-design-a/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/30/gdc09-how-to-avoid-new-legal-pitfalls-in-virtual-world-design-a/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/30/gdc09-how-to-avoid-new-legal-pitfalls-in-virtual-world-design-a/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

At last week's Game Developers Conference 2009, we got the chance to sit in on Mark Methenitis' talk on How to avoid new legal pitfalls in virtual world design and policy. You may have noticed the sheer quantity of legal cases, rulings and issues surrounding virtual environments and MMOGs that have direct impacts on users and players lately.

We found the talk to be an engaging and interesting one, which certainly went a long way towards clarifying some of the past, present and future problems and we've got a tasty summary of the highlights for you.

Continue reading GDC09: How to avoid new legal pitfalls in virtual world design and policy

MassivelyGDC09: How to avoid new legal pitfalls in virtual world design and policy originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredgamblinggame-mechanicsgdcgdc-2009glidergovernmenthernandez-vs-igeigeirslegallinden-labmark-methenitismarvel-vs-ncsoftmoo-industryncsoftopinionregulationsatanasecond-lifetaxuigeavirtual-worldsworld-of-warcraftworlds.comworlds.com-vs-ncsoftMon, 30 Mar 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Wrath of the Lich King rejected thus far by Chinese government]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/10/wrath-of-the-lich-king-rejected-thus-far-by-chinese-government/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/10/wrath-of-the-lich-king-rejected-thus-far-by-chinese-government/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/10/wrath-of-the-lich-king-rejected-thus-far-by-chinese-government/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Continuing on in that upward ascension toward MMO godhood, Blizzard's Wrath of the Lich King expansion for World of Warcraft has proven to be popular with the Death Knight crowd in Western markets. "Popular" is an understatement, of course. Millions of MMO gamers have bought the expansion to date. Despite its success in Western markets, Wrath of the Lich King still hasn't been released in China, where the title has a significant playerbase. Why? Regulatory issues and censorship.

China-based JLM Pacific Epoch reports: "The government has rejected two applications by the second expansion for The9's (Nasdaq: NCTY) licensed MMORPG World of Warcraft, "Wrath of the Lich King," [...] The applications were rejected due to content that didn't meet requirements, including a city raid and skeleton characters; the submitted version did not contain WLK's Death Knight first hero class..."

Continue reading Wrath of the Lich King rejected thus far by Chinese government

MassivelyWrath of the Lich King rejected thus far by Chinese government originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>asiacensorshipchinadeath-knightdeath-knightsexpansionsfantasygovernmentjlm-pacific-epochlegalmmo-industryregulatoryskeletonskeletonsthe9world-of-warcraftwowwrath-of-the-lich-kingTue, 10 Mar 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Man in the box]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/19/man-in-the-box/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/19/man-in-the-box/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/19/man-in-the-box/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

People usually play MMOGs as a way to escape real life. Well, according to The Guardian, real life may just be trying to push its way into MMOGs. Several EU government bodies recently came together and released a report titled, Virtual Worlds, Real Money: Security and Privacy in Massively Multi-Player Online Games and Social and Corporate Virtual Worlds. Sound heavy? It is.

It seems the impetus for creating this agency position paper was that "2007 was the year of online gaming fraud." The executive summary states that malware targeting MMOGs increased by 145% and over 30,000 new programs emerged with the aim to gain access to accounts and steal virtual goods to sell for real money. The report describes 14 key risks in detail, including avatar identity theft/identity fraud, harassment, problems with online dispute resolution, and security risks for minors just to name a few. The agency also makes 12 recommendations to governments and MMOG developers to address these risks.

It seems inevitable that one day we'll have Big Brother looking over our shoulders as we peck away at our keyboards pwning n00bs. It also raises a couple big questions. How far will they go? Will it improve things or make them worse? Time will tell.

MassivelyMan in the box originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eufraudgovernmentmoneyprivacysecurityThu, 19 Feb 2009 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Game revenue taxation begins spread to Sweden and South Korea]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/12/game-revenue-taxation-begins-spread/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/12/game-revenue-taxation-begins-spread/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/12/game-revenue-taxation-begins-spread/#commentsFiled under: , ,

They always say the two things you can't avoid in life are death and taxes. Yet, being an MMO player, death always just seems to be a part of life. And now, governments around the world are beginning to become interested in putting in the other unavoidable part of life in our gaming experience -- as if we had enough of death.

As in-game transactions and RMT are beginning to become major boons to business the government is getting interested. And, of course, like any good government, they want their share. China was only the first, now Sweden and South Korea are interested in getting their tax laws straight as well.

Taxing game transactions, however, isn't as easy as making laws that tax a physical currency. There's the issues of relative value, constantly diminishing returns as more money flows into virtual economies without enough monetary sinks in the game, and the whole issue if the game goes out of business.

We tend to believe that worlds like this should avoid colliding, but it seems that as we begin to mesh our virtual currencies and begin to value them as much as our real world ones, paths like these seem inevitable.

MassivelyGame revenue taxation begins spread to Sweden and South Korea originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Dec 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chinadeatheconomicseconomygovernmentkorealawsreal-money-tradereal-money-tradingrmtsouth-koreaswedentaxesFri, 12 Dec 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[E308: A closer look at The Agency's factions]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/22/e308-a-closer-look-at-the-agencys-factions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/22/e308-a-closer-look-at-the-agencys-factions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/22/e308-a-closer-look-at-the-agencys-factions/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Espionage. Spies. High-tech weaponry. All of it sounds great to us, but what's the deal with the two factions in the upcoming Sony Online Entertainment title The Agency? We got a chance to talk to Matt Wilson at E3, who gave us all the news on how the two factions, ParaGON and UNITE are progressing through the alpha. We also asked about how these agencies will shake out in terms of cooperative (and not-so-cooperative) play.

So tell us a bit about the two sides for those who are unfamiliar with The Agency.

We have ParaGON and UNITE, red and blue -- well, orangish red -- and the idea behind it is kind of uptown versus downtown. It's Jack Daniels versus Grey Goose. It's the coolest gadgets versus duct-tape and bailing wire. It's the attitude you choose as a player when you come into the game.

ParaGON is more the mercenary for hire. They will work for anyone who can afford to pay them. UNITE is all about staying within a code of conduct, and working with the global authority. Eventually, they will wind up working together. We're hoping that the cross-faction game will bring in an interesting dynamic into play. We want to create areas where both factions really have to work together to solve problems.

Gallery: The Agency

Continue reading E308: A closer look at The Agency's factions

MassivelyE308: A closer look at The Agency's factions originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>e3-2008e308governmentmatt-wilsonmercenaryparagonsoesony-online-entertainmentthe-agencyuniteTue, 22 Jul 2008 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The illusion of Second Life government]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/04/the-illusion-of-second-life-government/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/04/the-illusion-of-second-life-government/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/04/the-illusion-of-second-life-government/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Tateru Nino's recent post about F.I.R.E., an organization claiming to be Second Life's first political party, reminded me of a blog I wrote in 2005 about Second Life's de facto political parties. It's well worth the read, if only for the humor factor, but the gist of the article was basically that several political parties are starting to informally emerge in the arena of ideas. In today's article I would like to discuss two of the most passionate and vocal de facto parties whose debate rages on even today...

The Nation Party - Those who believe that Second Life is a "world," a "nation," or a "country," and should be treated as such which includes the formation of a government.

The Platform Party - Those who believe that Second Life is client-server software owned and operated by a private company and should be treated as such.

What should be an obvious and quick debate can actually become quite sticky, especially when the definitions of terms like "world" and "government" can vary from formal to casual usage, and when the legitimacy of a term's usage may vary with scope. It becomes even more confusing when the nature of Second Life itself creates an illusion that resembles something profoundly familiar to us for which we have deeply-held, preexisting expectations.

Continue reading The illusion of Second Life government

MassivelyThe illusion of Second Life government originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 04 Nov 2007 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredfiregovernmentkendra-bancroftNeualtenburgpoliticsvirtual-worldsvirtual-worlds-politicsSun, 04 Nov 2007 14:58:00 EST