<?xml version="1.0"?>
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd">
<channel>
<title>Massively</title>
<link>http://massively.joystiq.com</link>
<description>Massively</description>
<image>
<url>http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif</url>
<title>Massively</title>
<link>http://massively.joystiq.com</link>
</image>
<language>en-us</language>
<copyright>Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.</copyright>
<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title><![CDATA[How exactly do you review an MMO?]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/08/how-exactly-do-you-review-an-mmo/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/08/how-exactly-do-you-review-an-mmo/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/08/how-exactly-do-you-review-an-mmo/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/darkfall/" rel="tag">Darkfall</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/events-real-world/" rel="tag">Events, real-world</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/academic/" rel="tag">Academic</a></p><div align="center"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lesleysmith/1463448771/in/set-72157594498038916/"><img hspace="4" border="1" vspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2009/05/how.jpg" alt="" /></a><br /> </div>
<div align="left">Reviewing MMOs is a tricky business, as <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/06/darkfalls-tasos-calls-out-eurogamer-on-2-10-review/">Eurogamer learnt this week</a> when they <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/darkfall-online-review?page=1">published a review</a> of <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/darkfall/"><em>Darkfall</em></a> and gave it 2/10. Developer Tasos Flambouras wasn't happy about this and published a scathing <a href="http://forums.darkfallonline.com/showthread.php?p=3344510#post3344510">forum post</a> in retaliation at the low score. They accused reviewer Ed Zitron of playing for a mere two hours (he asserts he played the game for over nine) and most of that time was -- according to Tasos -- spent screenshotting or creating characters. This prompted Eurogamer to <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/editors-blog-darkfall-aftermath-blog-entry">respond</a> and promise to do a re-review, which in turn prompted Tasos to <a href="http://forums.darkfallonline.com/showthread.php?t=185733">respond to the response</a>.<br /></div>
<br />This begs the question: how do you review an MMO? It's not like any other kind of game; there's no beginning, middle and end, just a beginning and an endless middle. Added to that, while video games are without a doubt mainstream, MMOs are a lot more niche. But Lesley, I hear you cry, how can games like <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/Guild-Wars/"><em>Guild Wars</em></a> and <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/world-of-warcraft/"><em>World of Warcraft</em></a> with seventeen million players between them, be called niche?<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/08/how-exactly-do-you-review-an-mmo/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>How exactly do you review an MMO?</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/08/how-exactly-do-you-review-an-mmo/">How exactly do you review an MMO?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 08 May 2009 19:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/08/how-exactly-do-you-review-an-mmo/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1538312/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/08/how-exactly-do-you-review-an-mmo/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>darkfall</category><category>darkfall-online</category><category>eurogamer</category><category>eurogamer-mmo</category><category>how-to-review</category><category>opinion</category><category>review</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Lesley Smith]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 08 May 2009 19:00:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>
