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 Daily Grind: Will you be playing Aion open beta this weekend?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/04/the-daily-grind-will-you-be-playing-aion-open-beta-this-weekend/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/04/the-daily-grind-will-you-be-playing-aion-open-beta-this-weekend/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/04/the-daily-grind-will-you-be-playing-aion-open-beta-this-weekend/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


With Aion's open beta set to launch this weekend (September 6-13), we're curious: Do you plan on giving it a shot? The game has gone through several closed beta phases dating back to early June. All closed beta phases leading up until the very last one were using an older version of the game client (1.1). They've recently upgraded to 1.5, so we highly suggest giving it a try before making any final judgments based on early testing experiences. We also hear the open beta version will be the version Aion launches with in North America and Europe. Be sure to read up on Shadow of the Balaur.

Open beta characters will be capped at level 30, which is high enough to test a good mix of what the game has to offer including Rifts and the Abyss. Rifts are portals that will take you into your enemy's PvE lands and the Abyss is a giant PvPvE zone where the game's three factions battle for supremacy. I'm personally going to play a bit next week as an Elyos Gladiator named Snafzg on the NA servers, so make sure to say "Hi!" if you see me putzing around. Settling on a class has been challenging thus far.
Want to know more about Aion? NCsoft invites you into the world of Atreia where the Elyos and the Asmodians fight each other and the evil Balaur for control of the shattered planet. Check out out all our coverage of this must-play MMO!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Will you be playing Aion open beta this weekend? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionaion-patch-1.5meet-the-teamopen-betapvpvervrshadow-of-the-balaurthe-abyssFri, 04 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet the Team: Tim Dale]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/12/meet-the-team-tim-dale/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/12/meet-the-team-tim-dale/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/12/meet-the-team-tim-dale/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Once a week our writers will give you a glimpse into their lives, to let you get to know them and the characters they play a little better. Click here to read more Meet the Team.

What do you do for Massively.com?

I'm a Columnist which is a fancy way of saying that I tend to go on at great length on a much more infrequent basis than real news writers. I'm quite new here so am still working out the rest of this answer as I go!

What's your favorite MMO?

I think I'm still looking for my favourite MMO, which might be one reason I tend not to settle in any one title for years at a time. With any luck, I'll know it when I do see it! Past MMO lifetimes I have enjoyed a great deal include Star Wars: Galaxies, back when it was new, and not a very Star-Warsey game at all, a long spell in Anarchy Online living a very Bladerunnerish life in an imaginary distant future and my first and only run from 1 to 60 in pre Burning Crusade World of Warcraft, a game which is as popular as it is for good reason.

Gallery: Meet the Team

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Continue reading Meet the Team: Tim Dale

MassivelyMeet the Team: Tim Dale originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredmeet-the-teamtim daleTimDalevan-hemlockFri, 12 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet the team: Jon Shute]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/15/meet-the-team-jon-shute/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/15/meet-the-team-jon-shute/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/15/meet-the-team-jon-shute/#commentsFiled under: ,



Once a week our writers will give you a glimpse into their lives, to let you get to know them and the characters they play a little better. Click here to read more Meet the Team.

What do you do for Massively.com?
I'm a blogger, so it's my job to write about the news and try and write interesting things about what's happening in the world of MMOs.

What's your favorite MMO?
Now that's an unfair question as I like several games for different reasons. Hands down the game I've played the longest is EVE Online as my main character has just hit six years old. After that long I think you pretty much have to accept that you really like the game. There's really nothing that can beat letting the players define their own game in my book, although you have to be the type of player who seeks out content or wants to provide content for others through corporations in order to get the most from it. I think that deep down it's one of the most hardcore whilst still actually being carebear friendly games there is. It's hard for me to argue how important so called carebears are to the game considering how many industry activities my corp is involved in at the moment, and I know it's become a cliche but if you find the right corp there's a useful role for everybody.

Gallery: Meet the Team

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Continue reading Meet the team: Jon Shute

MassivelyMeet the team: Jon Shute originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 May 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eve-onlinefeaturedjon-shutelord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromeet-the-teamstar-wars-galaxiesFri, 15 May 2009 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet the Team: Lemuel Pew]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/08/meet-the-team-lemuel-pew/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/08/meet-the-team-lemuel-pew/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/08/meet-the-team-lemuel-pew/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Once a week our writers will give you a glimpse into their lives, to let you get to know them and the characters they play a little better. Click here to read more Meet the Team.

What do you do for Massively.com?

I'm a webcartoonist, I draw the weekly Massively feature, Grinders. That's pretty much the full and half of it.

What is your favourite MMO?

City of Heroes, hands down. I've played most of the MMOs that have come to market since EverQuest, looking for the Next Big Thing, and I didn't even realize I had found it until I was on my third year of playing City. I'm still going strong. The game has enough variety to entertain my short attention span, the gameplay, while unarguably repetitive, has a rhythm that really entertains and relaxes me, no matter what role on a team I'm playing. I never was a fan for loot ("Judge a toon not by the color of their armor, but the content of their attributes."), I blame this mostly on not growing up on Dungeons & Dragons. I'd rather spend points on stats behind the scenes than wear a hand-me-down piece of clothing from a corpse... seriously, am I the only person bothered by that?

Gallery: Meet the Team

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Continue reading Meet the Team: Lemuel Pew

MassivelyMeet the Team: Lemuel Pew originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 May 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>city-of-heroesfeaturedlemuel-pewmeet-the-teamq-and-awebcomicsFri, 08 May 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet the Team: Lesley Smith]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/23/meet-the-team-lesley-smith/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/23/meet-the-team-lesley-smith/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/23/meet-the-team-lesley-smith/#commentsFiled under: ,


Once a week our writers will give you a glimpse into their lives, to let you get to know them and the characters they play a little better. Click here to read more Meet the Team.

What do you do for Massively.com?
Well I've just started as a Contributing Editor for Massively and WoW Insider so I write news, source interviews and generally do whatever I'm told. IRL I'm a journalist specialising in, amongst other things, computer games. I was tapped because I have experience with covering lots of MMOs, even if I don't play them myself. At the same time, I'm based in the UK so that's got to be worth something, right?

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Continue reading Meet the Team: Lesley Smith

MassivelyMeet the Team: Lesley Smith originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredlesley-smithlesleysmithmassively-metameet-the-teamThu, 23 Apr 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet the Team: James Egan]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/17/meet-the-team-james-egan/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/17/meet-the-team-james-egan/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/17/meet-the-team-james-egan/#commentsFiled under: ,


Once a week our writers will give you a glimpse into their lives, to let you get to know them and the characters they play a little better. Click here to read more Meet the Team.

What do you do for Massively.com?

I'm a Contributing Editor at Massively and am focused on our day-to-day news coverage of the MMO industry. While I cover pretty much anything that happens in the MMO world, I'm largely responsible for our EVE Online coverage (beyond Brendan Drain's excellent column here, EVE Evolved.)

So I hit much of the big news as it relates to EVE, either from an industry standpoint or (what I much prefer) a player's standpoint. I also conduct most of Massively's interviews as they relate to this particular sci-fi game, whether it's with the devs or the players themselves.

Of course I don't just write about EVE though and I'll cover pretty much whatever captures my interest. While I've enjoyed some fantasy games, namely Warhammer Online, I have this kind of disconnect with the fantasy genre in general and am more drawn to sci-fi titles and their lore. More often than not, when you see my name beneath a headline at Massively, it's in connection with something sci-fi. The impending wave of science fiction and post-apocalyptic themed MMOs means this is a great time for me, both as a gamer and a writer, and I hope I'm carrying this over to my work here.

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Meet the Team: Tim DaleMeet the Team: Jon ShuteMeet the Team: Lemuel PewMeet the Team: Lesley SmithMeet the Team: James Egan

Continue reading Meet the Team: James Egan

MassivelyMeet the Team: James Egan originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredjames-eganmassively-metameet-the-teamFri, 17 Apr 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet the Team: Kyle Horner]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/23/meet-the-team-kyle-horner/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/23/meet-the-team-kyle-horner/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/23/meet-the-team-kyle-horner/#commentsFiled under: ,


Once a week our writers will give you a glimpse into their lives, to let you get to know them and the characters they play a little better. Click here to read more Meet the Team.

What do you do for Massively.com?

As a news monkey - aka blogger -- I'm responsible for rubbing two neurons together in my head and making posts. In addition to that, I also put together a weekly column, The Digital Continuum. That's my regular thing, but you'll probably see interviews or other forms of one-off features on the site from me as well. And I'm also the fellow who puts together those nifty little images you see along the right of the website.

Massively is more or less a full-time thing for me, and I love every minute of it. Well, expect when we're electroshocked. That part stings.

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Meet the Team: Tim DaleMeet the Team: Jon ShuteMeet the Team: Lemuel PewMeet the Team: Lesley SmithMeet the Team: James Egan

Continue reading Meet the Team: Kyle Horner

MassivelyMeet the Team: Kyle Horner originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Mar 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocblizzardbruce-campbellcity-of-heroescohcoxcrypticcryptic-studioseaelectronic-artsfeaturedfinal-fantasy-xifuncomkyle-hornermassivelymeet-the-teammythic-entertainmentncsoftplaystation-3ps3square-enixwarwarhammer-onlineworld-of-warcraftxbox-360Mon, 23 Mar 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet the Team: Michael Zenke]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/02/meet-the-team-michael-zenke/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/02/meet-the-team-michael-zenke/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/02/meet-the-team-michael-zenke/#commentsFiled under: ,


Once a week our writers will give you a glimpse into their lives, to let you get to know them and the characters they play a little better. Click here to read more Meet the Team.

 What do you do for Massively.com?

I'm the Managing Editor for the site. That means that in addition to doing regular news blogging and the occasional feature, I help the contributing editors focus their coverage and writing. I try my best to connect the site with development houses and publishers, and generally work towards getting new and better content on the site every day. For the past year plus the site's been my life and fulltime work, and I'm really very fond of it.

That probably sounds weird, but that's the way it is.

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Continue reading Meet the Team: Michael Zenke

MassivelyMeet the Team: Michael Zenke originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Feb 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredlord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromeet-the-teammichael-zenkeMon, 02 Feb 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet the Team: Craig Withers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/05/meet-the-team-craig-withers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/05/meet-the-team-craig-withers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/05/meet-the-team-craig-withers/#commentsFiled under: ,



Once a week our writers will give you a glimpse into their lives, to let you get to know them and the characters they play a little better. Click here to read more Meet the Team.

What do you do for Massively.com?
I contribute the weekly column, Behind the Curtain. Instead of having a real job on the site posting up actual news, I'm lucky enough to just hang around and ramble on for a few hundred words every seven days, in a general opinion-based format.

What's your favorite MMO?
World of Warcraft, easily. Like the T, I feel like a bit of a sell-out choosing WoW, but this is my time in the spotlight, and I'll pick whatever game I want to, and there's not a thing you can do to stop me!

Sorry.

My entry into the MMO world started with Star Wars Galaxies, which I still dabble in occasionally. I've also spent a fair bit of time in EVE Online, but haven't had an active account in either for quite some time.

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Meet the Team: Tim DaleMeet the Team: Jon ShuteMeet the Team: Lemuel PewMeet the Team: Lesley SmithMeet the Team: James Egan

Continue reading Meet the Team: Craig Withers

MassivelyMeet the Team: Craig Withers originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>craig-witherseveeve-onlinefeaturedgalaxieslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromeet-the-teamstar-wars-galaxiesworld-of-warcraftwowMon, 05 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet The Team - Mark Turpin (The T)]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/16/meet-the-team-the-t/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/16/meet-the-team-the-t/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/16/meet-the-team-the-t/#commentsFiled under: ,

Gnomish made crotch-mounted parachutes - They've saved my ass from a beating more than once!
Once a week our writers will give you a glimpse into their lives, to let you get to know them and the characters they play a little better. Click here to read more Meet the Team. Above is Turpster, my main character in World of Warcraft, and his crotch-mounted parachute (What? Where do you keep yours?)

What do you do for Massively.com?
I am the host of Massively's number one rated video podcast 'TurpsterVision' I am proud to have won many prestigious awards such as 'Massively's #1 Video Podcast MMO Review Show' and 'Most improved odor'.

What's your favorite MMO?
Without a doubt it's World of Warcraft but that is a terrible answer; I feel like such a sell out saying it. It's the MMO equivalent of someone asking what your favorite band is and you giving the answer 'The Beatles' - everyone loves the Beatles, it doesn't say much about you. So in an extremely long winded way of saying it, I guess I really liked Lord of the Rings Online and Warhammer Online, but gosh darn it! I love the Beatles.

Gallery: Meet the Team

Meet the Team: Tim DaleMeet the Team: Jon ShuteMeet the Team: Lemuel PewMeet the Team: Lesley SmithMeet the Team: James Egan

Continue reading Meet The Team - Mark Turpin (The T)

MassivelyMeet The Team - Mark Turpin (The T) originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Dec 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredmark-turpinmeet-the-teamturpsterturpstervisionTue, 16 Dec 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet the Team: Colin Brennan]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/05/meet-the-team-colin-brennan/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/05/meet-the-team-colin-brennan/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/05/meet-the-team-colin-brennan/#commentsFiled under: ,


Once a week our writers will give you a glimpse into their lives, to let you get to know them and the characters they play a little better. Click here to read more Meet the Team.

What do you do for Massively.com?
You probably know me as the opinionated guy who writes the Anti-Aliased column here on Massively, which covers the culture and dynamics of both developers and players in the MMO industry. Past that, I'm also one of the blogging staff, so you'll see a news post from me every now and then.

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Continue reading Meet the Team: Colin Brennan

MassivelyMeet the Team: Colin Brennan originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>colincolin-brennanfeaturedmeet-the-teamFri, 05 Dec 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet the Team: Brendan Drain]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/26/meet-the-team-brendan-drain/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/26/meet-the-team-brendan-drain/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/26/meet-the-team-brendan-drain/#commentsFiled under: ,


Once a week our writers will give you a glimpse into their lives, to let you get to know them and the characters they play a little better. Click here to read more Meet the Team.

What do you do for Massively.com?
I'm an EVE Online columnist here at Massively. Rather than writing short blog posts, I write the EVE Evolved column every Sunday and cover EVE topics ranging from guides and game mechanic commentaries to PvP and economics. I'm also the resident EVE Online expert and occasionally people call on me with questions.

Sometimes I'll write a featured article about another game that I'm enjoying such as when I looked at free running and urban exploration in MMOs and when I took a tour of Age of Conan's player cities.

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Meet the Team: Tim DaleMeet the Team: Jon ShuteMeet the Team: Lemuel PewMeet the Team: Lesley SmithMeet the Team: James Egan

Continue reading Meet the Team: Brendan Drain

MassivelyMeet the Team: Brendan Drain originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 26 Nov 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brendanbrendan-drainfeaturedmeet-the-teamWed, 26 Nov 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet the Team: Krystalle Voecks]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/18/meet-the-team-krystalle-voecks/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/18/meet-the-team-krystalle-voecks/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/18/meet-the-team-krystalle-voecks/#commentsFiled under: ,


Once a week our writers will give you a glimpse into their lives, to let you get to know them and the characters they play a little better. Click here to read more Meet the Team.

What do you do for Massively.com?
Currently, I'm a staff writer, which means I do a bit of this and a bit of that. Additionally, I do One Shots daily and have just picked up the mantle of First Impressions, which we'll be restarting soon. Originally, I helped found the site as a co-lead, but I stepped down last month to dedicate more time towards my degree and certifications. That adult responsibility thing gets in the way of the fun stuff at times.

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Meet the Team: Tim DaleMeet the Team: Jon ShuteMeet the Team: Lemuel PewMeet the Team: Lesley SmithMeet the Team: James Egan

Continue reading Meet the Team: Krystalle Voecks

MassivelyMeet the Team: Krystalle Voecks originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredkrystallekrystalle-voecksmeet-the-teamTue, 18 Nov 2008 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet the Team: Samuel Axon]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/10/meet-the-team-samuel-axon/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/10/meet-the-team-samuel-axon/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/10/meet-the-team-samuel-axon/#commentsFiled under: ,


Once a week our writers will give you a glimpse into their lives, to let you get to know them and the characters they play a little better. Click here to read more Meet the Team.

What do you do for Massively.com?
I'm a core blogger. That means I'm one of a handful of writers who keep the regular flow of content going, hit news when it comes up, and sometimes do featured articles.

What's your favorite MMO?
My all-time favorite is Meridian 59. I still haven't played a game I liked half as much as that one. It was a completely different kind of game, and there hasn't been anything even remotely like it since. It was horribly flawed in many ways, but I'm sad no one -- except maybe CCP with EVE Online -- has refined what it tried to do.

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Meet the Team: Tim DaleMeet the Team: Jon ShuteMeet the Team: Lemuel PewMeet the Team: Lesley SmithMeet the Team: James Egan

Continue reading Meet the Team: Samuel Axon

MassivelyMeet the Team: Samuel Axon originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredlord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromeet-the-teammeridian-59samuelsamuel-axonworld-of-warcraftMon, 10 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet the Team: Shawn Schuster]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/03/meet-the-team-shawn-schuster/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/03/meet-the-team-shawn-schuster/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/03/meet-the-team-shawn-schuster/#commentsFiled under: ,


Once a week our writers will give you a glimpse into their lives, to let you get to know them and the characters they play a little better. Click here to read more Meet the Team.

What do you do for Massively.com?
I'm the game lead for Lord of the Rings Online and Guild Wars. This gives me the responsibility of focusing on these two games with interviews, dev tours and feature articles. I'm also a general blogger, which basically means I handle news for the ever-growing list of games I feel comfortable writing about. I also co-host and edit the Massively Speaking podcast.

What's your favorite MMO?
Right now, it's LotRO. While it's not the one I've spent the most time with, it has most of the features I would consider for my Holy Grail of MMOs.

Gallery: Meet the Team

Meet the Team: Tim DaleMeet the Team: Jon ShuteMeet the Team: Lemuel PewMeet the Team: Lesley SmithMeet the Team: James Egan

Continue reading Meet the Team: Shawn Schuster

MassivelyMeet the Team: Shawn Schuster originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredguild-warslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromeet-the-teamshawnshawn-schusterMon, 03 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet the Team: Alexis Kassan]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/29/meet-the-team-alexis-kassan/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/29/meet-the-team-alexis-kassan/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/29/meet-the-team-alexis-kassan/#commentsFiled under: ,


Once a week our writers will give you a glimpse into their lives, to let you get to know them and the characters they play a little better. Click here to read more Meet the Team.

What do you do for Massively?
My task is to write a column on in-game economics and crafting. Though I do not cover news about economics, I tend to analyze the aftermath of changes. I analyze a range of games, usually those I play. They include City of Heroes/City of Villains, World of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online, Age of Conan, Runescape, and sometimes EVE Online (though I don't play that one much).

What's your favorite MMO?
I have a long-standing affection for Ultima Online: Renaissance. It was my first MMO (thanks to my then-SO) and drew me in. It also relied on a less structured group mentality for conquering larger challenges, which I thought was fascinating. And there was no end. Because there was no "leveling up" type of dynamic, you could train skills and stats to respec your character and take on enemies without having to worry so much about reaching the endgame content.

One other aspect of UO that I enjoyed was the in-game housing. OK, so there was limited real estate... and housing was terribly expensive... but that housing was worthwhile to hold on to. You could set up crafting stations like forges and anvils in your home. That's something I miss in some of the current MMOs that have housing. The functionality seems to be limited to storage and a place to teleport to.

Gallery: Meet the Team

Meet the Team: Tim DaleMeet the Team: Jon ShuteMeet the Team: Lemuel PewMeet the Team: Lesley SmithMeet the Team: James Egan

Continue reading Meet the Team: Alexis Kassan

MassivelyMeet the Team: Alexis Kassan originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanalexis-kassanaoccity-of-heroescohfeaturedlord-of-the-rings-onlinemeet-the-teamultima-onlineuoworld-of-warcraftWed, 29 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet the Team: Adrian Bott]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/23/meet-the-team-adrian-bott/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/23/meet-the-team-adrian-bott/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/23/meet-the-team-adrian-bott/#commentsFiled under:


Once a week our writers will give you a glimpse into their lives, to let you get to know them and the characters they play a little better. Click here to read more Meet the Team.

What do you do for Massively.com?
I'm a general writer, which means if I'm awake and stuff goes down, I cover it. Or I pass the buck to someone who knows more about that particular game than I do. I focus on City of Heroes/Villains, since I know it pretty well by now. I think I'm also the token 'guy who's never played World of Warcraft', but that's not an official position.

What's your favorite MMO?
It's still City of Heroes without a doubt. I'm really enjoying Warhammer Online and Age of Conan, but there are many aspects of CoX that just aren't like other games, and keep me coming back. The community, for one; people remark that the community is one of the friendliest and most helpful of any MMO, but then, you have to remember that many of them are people who initially signed up for a game where the whole point was to be a hero and help people, so it's perhaps not all that surprising, really.

Gallery: Meet the Team

Meet the Team: Tim DaleMeet the Team: Jon ShuteMeet the Team: Lemuel PewMeet the Team: Lesley SmithMeet the Team: James Egan

Continue reading Meet the Team: Adrian Bott

MassivelyMeet the Team: Adrian Bott originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adrian-bottcity-of-heroescohfeaturedmeet-the-teamThu, 23 Oct 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet the Team: Tateru Nino]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/14/meet-the-team-tateru-nino/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/14/meet-the-team-tateru-nino/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/14/meet-the-team-tateru-nino/#commentsFiled under: ,


Once a week our writers will give you a glimpse into their lives, to let you get to know them and the characters they play a little better. Click here to read more Meet the Team.

What do you do for Massively.com?
I'm a general writer, though I act as the team specialist for collaborative virtual worlds (particularly Second Life), and legal analysis. I help brainstorm and do some proofreading, and examine the philosophy of MMOs and virtual environments.

What's your favorite MMO?
I spend more time with Second Life than anything else -- but NCsoft's CoX and Turbine's LotRO tie for first place for my MMO gaming time.

Gallery: Meet the Team

Meet the Team: Tim DaleMeet the Team: Jon ShuteMeet the Team: Lemuel PewMeet the Team: Lesley SmithMeet the Team: James Egan

Continue reading Meet the Team: Tateru Nino

MassivelyMeet the Team: Tateru Nino originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredmeet-the-teamsecond-lifetaterutateru-ninoTue, 14 Oct 2008 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet the Team: William Dobson]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/07/meet-the-team-william-dobson/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/07/meet-the-team-william-dobson/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/07/meet-the-team-william-dobson/#commentsFiled under: ,


Starting this week, once a week, our writers will tell you more about themselves, and let you get to know them and the characters they play a little better. Click here to read more Meet the Team.

What do you do for Massively.com?
Currently I contribute features and guides, and have just switched my main focus to Warhammer Online.

What's your favorite MMO?
I'll give two answers here. I think it's always hard to beat someone's first experience in an MMO world, which is why EverQuest has to be right up there with my all-time favorites. Looking at more recent times though (in the last few years), although it's early days I think that WAR has a lot going for it and will remain my current favorite for some time to come.

Gallery: Meet the Team

Meet the Team: Tim DaleMeet the Team: Jon ShuteMeet the Team: Lemuel PewMeet the Team: Lesley SmithMeet the Team: James Egan

Continue reading Meet the Team: William Dobson

MassivelyMeet the Team: William Dobson originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanfeaturedmeet-the-teamwarhammer-onlinewillwill-dobsonwilliam-dobsonTue, 07 Oct 2008 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet the Champions Online community manager]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/26/meet-the-champions-online-community-manager/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/26/meet-the-champions-online-community-manager/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/26/meet-the-champions-online-community-manager/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

If you've got a few minutes to spare, we recommend taking a look at the Champions Online official website. They just posted up their newest Meet the Team article all about their online community relations manager Victor Wachter. This is the guy to find to if you're going to PAX next month, as he'll be there with a playable build of Champions Online and answers to your questions. Well, as many answers has he can reasonably give without punting you down the exhibition hall.

Strangely enough, if you want to get on Victor's good side you could probably bring Japanese pop-music paraphernalia and lots of Diet Pepsi. We know that we'll be doing just that, because a person can never have enough community manager friends. They have access to those mythical, magical beta keys that everyone wants sooner or later.

MassivelyMeet the Champions Online community manager originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 26 Jul 2008 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betachampionschampions-onlinecommunity-managercrypticcryptic-studiosmeet-the-teampaxpenny-arcadepenny-arcade-expovictor-wachterSat, 26 Jul 2008 11:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet Joe Wreschnig, Champions Online's resident UI coder]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/17/meet-joe-wreschnig-champions-onlines-resident-ui-coder/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/17/meet-joe-wreschnig-champions-onlines-resident-ui-coder/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/17/meet-joe-wreschnig-champions-onlines-resident-ui-coder/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Meet the man behind both the in-game user interface and character creation interface for Champions Online. He's into Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy and anime -- which sort of goes hand-in-hand with the first two. He's also into Dungeons and Dragons and happens to play with the rest of Cryptic every Monday. We just thought that was kind of cool to know. Oh and of course he's a coding guy, so be careful or he might just melt your face off with some kind of demonic, alien script.

Joe is also one of the many people looking forward to the Nemesis System in Champions Online and mentions that, "Showdown combat looks really cool." Hm, we're curious about how that looks ourselves, actually. Sadly we'll just have to keep waiting it out and watching for any new information as these weekly "Meet The Team" articles continue to flow out of the Cryptic website. You can read the rest of his interview in case hotdog re-enactments give you a cause to be curious.

MassivelyMeet Joe Wreschnig, Champions Online's resident UI coder originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>animechampionschampions-onlinecharacter-creationcrypticcryptic-studiosdungeons-and-dragonsfinal-fantasyjoe-wreschnigmeet-the-teammetal-gear-soliduser-interfaceThu, 17 Jul 2008 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Lead artist-ing with Champions Online's Christopher Chamberlain]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/10/lead-artist-ing-with-champions-onlines-christopher-chamberlain/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/10/lead-artist-ing-with-champions-onlines-christopher-chamberlain/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/10/lead-artist-ing-with-champions-onlines-christopher-chamberlain/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Would you believe that this week's edition of Cryptic's meet the team is all about Christopher "Absinthe" Chamberlain, the lead artist in charge of characters, animation and FX for Champions Online? Yeah? Good. We were sure you'd believe, but we still had to check. It's not that Mr. Chamberlain is some kind of famous developer, he's just a very cool individual -- which also makes him an interesting interviewee. That is unless he used is crazy backwards-talking skills whenever you asked him a question. Then he'd just be a startlingly confusing interviewee.

As far as his workday goes for creating characters and animations, we're once again forced to feel a little jealous. Most grown-up men don't get to play with form swords all day anymore, but Christopher does just that. Then after getting to play around for who knows how long, the man gets to sit down and decide how villains in the game will look. It doesn't stop there, but we'll let you discover what other madness this man is involved with on a daily basis.

MassivelyLead artist-ing with Champions Online's Christopher Chamberlain originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>animationartistchampionschampions-onlinechristopher-chamberlaincrypticcryptic-studiosmeet-the-teamvillainsThu, 10 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Champions Online content is king for Brian Gilmore]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/03/champions-online-content-is-king-for-brian-gilmore/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/03/champions-online-content-is-king-for-brian-gilmore/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/03/champions-online-content-is-king-for-brian-gilmore/#commentsFiled under: , ,

You'd be right to think that Brian Gilmore -- a content designer for Champions Online -- is an interesting fellow. In fact, you'd probably be right in wanting to play some Champions tabletop with him, too. All in all, we have to wonder what sort of contacts, missions and spawns Brian has been concocting for our most anticipated superhero MMO. Will there be Victorian era zombies wearing Frock coats and Top Hats. What? We can dream!

While there isn't any new game information in the article you can find a very cool story about one of Brian's GM (Game Master) experiences with the tabletop Champions game. We're kind of jealous that we'll never get to do battle with "The Demon's Hand" supervillain group. Anyhow, the fact of the matter is that with each of these Meet the Team articles we find out that the group of people working on Champions Online are a pretty unique lot.

MassivelyChampions Online content is king for Brian Gilmore originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brian-gilmorechampionschampions-onlinecontentcontent-designercrypticcryptic-studiosmeet-the-teamtabletopThu, 03 Jul 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet Champions Online's Q&A lead]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/27/meet-champions-onlines-qanda-lead/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/27/meet-champions-onlines-qanda-lead/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/27/meet-champions-onlines-qanda-lead/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Say hello to Alan Salmassian. He's the man in charge of ridding Champions Online of those pesky code bugs everyone hates encountering. Sure, it may not be the most glamorous job on the team, but it's definitely got some benefits. We're not sure what those benefits are -- presumably you get to laugh at crazy bugs that make inanimate objects flee in terror -- but we're sure that they're great. Also, it sounds like being a Q&A lead requires you to have tons of management skills, which means we could never do the job.

All right, we're removing our tongue from its resting place in our cheek now. Like all the other people developing Champions Online Alan is equally important. If it wasn't for him and his team we'd all end up playing a game that crashed whenever we tried to open a door in-game or press the 'G' key. Also, we think that Alan's got a killer smile.

MassivelyMeet Champions Online's Q&A lead originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alan-salmassianbugschampionschampions-onlinecrypticcryptic-studiosmeet-the-teamqualityquality-assuranceFri, 27 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet Avery Wong, Environment Artist for Champions Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/19/meet-avery-wong-environment-artist-for-champions-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/19/meet-avery-wong-environment-artist-for-champions-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/19/meet-avery-wong-environment-artist-for-champions-online/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The Meet the Team blogposts put out by the Champions Online developers is a great series. Far from being faceless, nameless, shadowy entities remaining behind the scenes, we find that these front-line troops are just as interesting and clever as we'd want them to be.

Case in point: Avery Wong, CO's Environment Artist. He answers the tough questions with straight-shootin' answers. We now know the best way to curry favor with him is to bring him slices of melon heated in a microwave. For these and other important tidbits, check out the full post!

[Thanks, Christine!]

MassivelyMeet Avery Wong, Environment Artist for Champions Online originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Jun 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>avery-wongchampions-onlineenvironment-artistmeet-the-teamThu, 19 Jun 2008 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet Danny Southard and an 800lb flaming gorilla]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/13/meet-danny-southard-and-an-800lb-flaming-gorilla/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/13/meet-danny-southard-and-an-800lb-flaming-gorilla/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/13/meet-danny-southard-and-an-800lb-flaming-gorilla/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Danny Southard is an animator for Champions Online who gets to help make all the cool superpower animations players are expecting to see -- when they eventually get their hands on the game. He works on both player powers and specifically NPC powers for characters with all types of limb combinations. From the sounds of it Danny just recently wrapped up some work on super strength and is now working on some martial arts powers. You gotta have the basics covered, y'know.

As far as new Champions Online information goes, Danny does give us a nice hint when asked about his favorite character from the game world. He says, "I can't reveal his name, but he's the biggest flaming gorilla in the history of videogames." Images of the Human Torch combined with Gorrila Grod burst into our minds when thinking about this mystery character. You can never go wrong with pyrokinetic primates.

MassivelyMeet Danny Southard and an 800lb flaming gorilla originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>animationanimatorchampionschampions-onlinecrypticcryptic-studiosdanny-southardmartial-artsmeet-the-teamsuper-strengthFri, 13 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[A look at Champions Online's newest programmer]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/05/a-look-at-champions-onlines-newest-programmer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/05/a-look-at-champions-onlines-newest-programmer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/05/a-look-at-champions-onlines-newest-programmer/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Meet Ben Foxworthy, the newest programmer working on Champions Online. He's apparently responsible for all sorts of gameplay elements including missions, contacts, NPC spawning and world interaction. With so much content to program, Ben must be an incredibly busy guy -- or so you'd think. All joking aside, we have a deep appreciation for programmers here at Massively, since many of us are math-inept when it comes to anything beyond basic addition and subtraction required for our table-top gaming jaunts.

It seems like Ben landed at Cryptic rather early on in his career, having only graduated from the University of California last year. We'd say he's a lucky man, but then we found out he bought a thousand glowsticks on eBay once. Everyone knows that's almost five times more bad luck than breaking a mirror across the back of a black cat that's crossing your path. At the very least Ben's wearing a pretty awesome Champions Online shirt that we claim in the event of his untimely glowstick-related demise.

MassivelyA look at Champions Online's newest programmer originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ben-foxworthychampionschampions-onlinecontactscrypticcryptic-studiosebayglowstickglowsticksmeet-the-teammissionsnpcsprogrammeruniversity-of-californiaThu, 05 Jun 2008 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet Michael McCarry, a Champions Online programmer]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/meet-michael-mccarry-a-champions-online-programmer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/meet-michael-mccarry-a-champions-online-programmer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/meet-michael-mccarry-a-champions-online-programmer/#commentsFiled under: , ,

This week's installment of Cryptic's ongoing "Meet the Team" is all about Michael McCarry and his role as a programmer on the team. He spends most of his work time on the powers and advancement system in Champions Online. It's worth noting that Michael is also one of the only two Canadians currently on the team -- a fact that he's quite proud of. We have to mention that his gaze makes us wonder if he's got some kind of evil plot for those of us planning on eventually leveling up our heroes.

Michael cites Champions Online's combat system as the feature he's personally most excited about. What's interesting about that is his current game obsession happens to be Age of Conan. While it probably doesn't mean much for the game he's working on, it does go to show that people at Cryptic are paying attention to similar games -- if only because they look pretty fun in their own right.

MassivelyMeet Michael McCarry, a Champions Online programmer originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 May 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocchampionschampions-onlinecrypticcryptic-studioseidosfuncommeet-the-teammichael-mccarryThu, 08 May 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet another content creator for Champions Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/30/meet-another-content-creator-for-champions-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/30/meet-another-content-creator-for-champions-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/30/meet-another-content-creator-for-champions-online/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It's that time of the week again, where we get to meet another team member working on Champions Online. This week the spotlight shines on Nellie Hughes, content designer -- which if you're keeping track, means she works with that wily Mr. Zeke Sparkes. Which gives us even more reason to believe that she's got a very cool job.

All of the Champions Online-related and otherwise questions put to Nellie are quite entertaining, especially when talking about her Weird Al Yankovic performance during her elementary school years. That's simply the kind of thing that takes a lot of courage to pull off. We'd say it's similar to the kind of courage it takes when creating MMOs for rabid comic book fans.

MassivelyMeet another content creator for Champions Online originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>championschampions-onlinecrypticcryptic-studiosmeet-the-teamnellie-hughesweird-al-yankovicWed, 30 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Champions Online's content designer talks games, miniatures and fiddles]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/24/champions-onlines-content-designer-talks-games-miniatures-and/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/24/champions-onlines-content-designer-talks-games-miniatures-and/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/24/champions-onlines-content-designer-talks-games-miniatures-and/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Of all the team members we've met that are working on Champions Online, Zeke Sparkes is possibly the most important yet. That's not to say that the previous team members haven't been anything but incredibly important. You see, Zeke is the guy in charge of designing, creating and testing the "meat n' bones" of Champions Online. The shape, color palette, mob layouts and generally everything you interact with in both persistent and instanced areas are all streaming from this man's brain.

He is -- in a sense -- the Game Master of all our future excursions into the yet-to-be world of Champions Online.

Continue reading Champions Online's content designer talks games, miniatures and fiddles

MassivelyChampions Online's content designer talks games, miniatures and fiddles originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>championschampions-onlinecrypticcryptic-studioslead-content-designermeet-the-teamzeke-sparkesThu, 24 Apr 2008 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet a Champions Online concept artist, Imario Susilo]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/17/meet-a-champions-online-concept-artist-imario-susilo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/17/meet-a-champions-online-concept-artist-imario-susilo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/17/meet-a-champions-online-concept-artist-imario-susilo/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It's been a surprisingly info-heavy week for the Champions Online fans, as yet another post has been placed onto the official website by the awesome community content writer, Kestrel.

The concept art that's been coming out for Champions Online has definitely been impressive. With every new character that's revealed, the game seems to develop a personality all its own. One of the guys we have to thank for that is Imario Susilo, who's one of the concept artists working at Cryptic and the focus of this week's "Meet the Team" article. Born and raised in Indonesia, Imario (who apparently stands at seven-feet-tall) moved stateside during his high school years.

Imario himself goes over his method for designing a new character for Champions Online, which sounds like an exhaustive -- but very fun -- job. We're certainly grateful for the people designing this game -- be it character, world or story -- because without them, our superhero fantasies would fall flatly onto their collective faces.

MassivelyMeet a Champions Online concept artist, Imario Susilo originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>champions-onlineconcept-artconcept-artistcrypticcryptic-studiosimario-susilomeet-the-teamThu, 17 Apr 2008 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet the man responsible for Champions Online's combat]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/10/meet-the-man-responsible-for-champions-onlines-combat/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/10/meet-the-man-responsible-for-champions-onlines-combat/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/10/meet-the-man-responsible-for-champions-onlines-combat/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Remember this name: Geoff Tuffli. If the combat in Champions Online ends up disappointing you, then you've got your scapegoat.

All right, we're just kidding -- sort of. The truth is that while Geoff may be the combat systems designer for Champions Online, he's not exactly solely responsible for making the moment-to-moment aspect of the game fun. His is a position of various roles, the coolest one being that he gets to design player powers for Cryptic's new superhero MMO. However, he's also responsible for removing any roadblocks facing the combat team and keeping the lines of communication open from his team to other teams. Those are two hectic sounding roles we're not so jealous of, but it's all in a day's work for Geoff.

And if you're wondering what his past work includes, then you'll be in for a surprise. While he did lead the internal balance assessment team for City of Villains, he also majored in Aztec Cultural Linguistics -- go figure. There's a lot more in-between Geoff's graduation and current job at Cryptic and you can find it all at the official Champions Online website.

MassivelyMeet the man responsible for Champions Online's combat originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>championschampions-onlinecity-of-villainscrypticgeoff-tufflimeet-the-teamncsoftThu, 10 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet Champions Online's art development director]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/27/meet-champions-onlines-art-development-director/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/27/meet-champions-onlines-art-development-director/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/27/meet-champions-onlines-art-development-director/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

For the past few week's we've been receiving these intriguing interviews with members of the Cryptic staff who are working on Champions Online. So far, it's been an interesting month, as each week we've gotten a look into the varying madness of each team member -- in a good way. This week's interview with Cryptic Studios' art development director Shayne Herrera is especially fun to read through, as Shayne seems like the goofy-fun kind of guy everyone has a blast hanging around. We take it as a good sign that the guy in charge of CO's art development has a sense of humor -- it explains the game's rather bright and cheery color scheme a bit.

If this is your first time seeing one of these developer profiles, make sure to check up on the last three we've spotlighted as they're also quick, interesting reads.

MassivelyMeet Champions Online's art development director originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>art-development-directorchampions-onlinecrypticcryptic-studiosmeet-the-teamshayne-herrerasuperheroThu, 27 Mar 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Talking to Champions Online's lead programmer]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/21/talking-to-champions-onlines-lead-programmer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/21/talking-to-champions-onlines-lead-programmer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/21/talking-to-champions-onlines-lead-programmer/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The position of lead programmer is typically reserved for those who love two things, numbers and -- football? Apparently so, in the case of the Champions Online team's Charlie Grisafi, who likens the job to that of being a football coach. We're inclined to agree once he lays out everything he's responsible for getting to people -- programmers to program, design documents and other various bits of software. So yeah in a sense it's like commanding a team of skilled people with different 'plays' which given to the right people will get the job done successfully.

All right, enough of the analogies. The truth is it's a rough job -- but somebody has got to, uh, program it. That is we mean somebody has got to program Champions Online and if it weren't for Charlie and his programmers, we wouldn't have anything to play.

So what about this mathematical man's credentials? Well they're nothing to scoff at, that's for sure. Citing an 25 year history as a software engineer -- 18 of which have been as a gaming programmer -- tends to cause us to nod in silence and respect. We certainly couldn't do something involving so much math for more than 25 minutes, let alone years. Our hats off to you sir, thy math is strong.

MassivelyTalking to Champions Online's lead programmer originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>champions-onlinecharlie-grisaficrypticfootballlead-programmermeet-the-teamprogrammersoftware-engineerFri, 21 Mar 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Say hello to Champions Online's producer]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/06/say-hello-to-champions-onlines-producer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/06/say-hello-to-champions-onlines-producer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/06/say-hello-to-champions-onlines-producer/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The job of a producer is a precarious one, full of uh -- well we're not sure exactly. That is, we weren't sure until this new article when up over at the Champions Online official website about Chris Lena and his daily activities in the ongoing development of CO. So sort of producing background does Mr. Lena have? Ah, we're glad you asked, oh readership of ours -- as Chris was the producer for EverQuest. In our books, that makes him pretty well-suited for the job of making Cryptic realize all of our superhero fantasies. His typical day is full of emails, future planning, status meetings, cheerleading and playing any new version of CO. Can you guess which one of those things we're jealous of him for? Yeah, the cheerleading.

Aside from work, apparently Chris enjoys bringing the tunes on the Theremin in Rock Band, but don't we all?

MassivelySay hello to Champions Online's producer originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Mar 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>champions-onlinechris-lenacrypticeverquestmeet-the-teamproducerthereminThu, 06 Mar 2008 10:00:00 EST