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 Game Archaeologist and the NeverEnding Quest: The vets]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/11/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-neverending-quest-the-vets/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/11/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-neverending-quest-the-vets/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/11/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-neverending-quest-the-vets/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

We just had to start 2011 in style, didn't we? I knew that by invoking the sacred name of EverQuest, I'd be opening the door for thousands of collective years' worth of memories, opinions, frustrations, nostalgia, gushing and blocky screenshots. But the Game Archaeologist fears not even the greatest mountain in MMO legend; it had to be climbed sooner or later. And of course, who better to guide you up the mountain than a few EQ Sherpas who know the way? Sure, they might try to steal the idol and not throw me the whip in the end, but that was a very real risk I was willing to take to get the full story.

So today I'd like to introduce you to three EverQuest veterans who are all now world-famous bloggers. If you sense a connection between these two facts, I will only hint at the possibility of a secret society in SOE's headquarters that bestows great blessings upon its faithful fans.

Hit the jump to meet this EQ trio and hear what they had to say about the MMO that profoundly affected their playing careers!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist and the NeverEnding Quest: The vets

MassivelyThe Game Archaeologist and the NeverEnding Quest: The vets originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2011asherons-callbrenda-hollowaybutcherblockdwarfeqeruditeescape-to-norratheve-onlineeverquestfinal-fantasy-xifrom-the-bridgegates-of-discordlineageMathew-Reuthermeridian-59mmo-voices-podcastmudnext-genplane-of-hateplane-of-timeplanes-of-powerqeynosraidraidingriftrift-watchersroguesherpassoesony-online-entertainmenttgathe-game-archaeologisttipatrialultima-onlinevagary.tvwarhammer-onlinewest-karanawizardworld-of-warcraftTue, 11 Jan 2011 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Epic new Rift video precedes tomorrow's beta test opening]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/02/epic-new-rift-video-proceeds-tomorrows-beta-test-opening/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/02/epic-new-rift-video-proceeds-tomorrows-beta-test-opening/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/02/epic-new-rift-video-proceeds-tomorrows-beta-test-opening/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

If there's one MMO on the horizon that has everyone excited, it's Rift. Created by Trion Worlds, Rift promises to be the next big AAA launch title and has been drawing its share of attention from players. The game's closed beta begins tomorrow, and Trion has been giving out beta keys in preparation. Some Rift fans were able to grab limited beta keys that give access to several beta events, while others were lucky enough to secure an access-all-areas VIP beta key. Here at Massively, our 500 VIP keys disappeared in record time. For those of you who missed the chance to get in on the Rift beta, you can still sign up at the Rift website for a chance to get in.

Rift is being marketed as a fully complete, next-gen MMO. But those are just marketing buzzwords, right? Guess again! In this new video (after the cut below), the Trion team has taken the bold step of defining what exactly those terms mean in a very practical context. Rift is promised to be a highly polished MMO right from launch, with none of those rough edges we've come to expect from new titles. Rather than follow the standard MMO formula wherein monsters are forever bound to respawn and walk around within a small area, Rift aims to create a truly dynamic game world.

The demonic rifts that open randomly in the world will radically alter not just the look of the land but also the gameplay of nearby areas. Leave a rift unchecked for too long and you'll soon find they've set up camp and organised an invasion of the local area. If this new video doesn't make you excited for Rift and the future potential of the MMO genre, I don't know what will.

Skip past the cut to watch the new Rift beta video in full HD.

Continue reading Epic new Rift video precedes tomorrow's beta test opening

MassivelyEpic new Rift video precedes tomorrow's beta test opening originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betaclosed-betadynamic-eventsnext-gennext-gen-mmopolishpolishedriftrift-planes-of-telarateleporttrailertriontrion-worldsvideoThu, 02 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Redefining MMOs: Terminology]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/02/redefining-mmos-terminology/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/02/redefining-mmos-terminology/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/02/redefining-mmos-terminology/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,


As we look back at the past several years of the MMO scene, we see a genre that has gone through significant evolutionary leaps. With those pioneering days of text MUDs and blocky graphics behind us, today we enjoy professionally developed games with impressive development teams and massive budgets behind them. The genre's depths have been thoroughly explored and we've even categorised the features we've come to love and expect from our favourite online retreats. Every part of the genre, from the types of gameplay available to the terminology we use, has been routinely evolving and redefining itself over time.

With professional MMO development soaring and a whole new generation of promising titles on the way, we stand on the cusp of what could be the next big evolutionary leap for online gaming. In the coming weeks and months, Massively will be examining how the MMO genre has been redefined during the current generation of games and where it's headed in the next. If you have something important to say on the topic, feel free to post a comment on page 2 or even write your own "Redefining MMOs" blog post and leave a comment with the URL.

In this introductory article, I ask why we use the terminology we do when talking about MMOs and if perhaps it's starting to change.

Continue reading Redefining MMOs: Terminology

MassivelyRedefining MMOs: Terminology originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fantasyfeaturedgenrejoystiqfeaturesmmommofpsmmorpgmmortsnext-genredefining MMOsRedefiningMmossci-fispacesuper-heroterminologyThu, 02 Jul 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Is "Cataclysm" the name of Blizzard's next MMO?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/02/the-daily-grind-is-cataclysm-the-name-of-blizzards-next-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/02/the-daily-grind-is-cataclysm-the-name-of-blizzards-next-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/02/the-daily-grind-is-cataclysm-the-name-of-blizzards-next-mmo/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Yesterday, the news first broke that Blizzard had applied for a trademark on the name "Cataclysm", in the fields of computer games, paper-based products, and online entertainment services, according to an article at WoW.com. Speculation has spread across the blog-o-sphere as to what this new trademark could be. Could it be the next WoW expansion? More likely it's the name of their next-gen MMO they're said to be working on.

But what if it's not? As the WoW.com article points out, StarCraft: Ghost was also trademarked, and it never actually materialized. Is this Blizzard trying to throw us a curve ball, or is it really a solid lead into what could be Blizzard's second go at a successful MMO? Of course it's all speculation at this point, but from the information presented, do you think Cataclysm is the next Blizzard MMO?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Is "Cataclysm" the name of Blizzard's next MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardcataclysmnext-genthe-daily-grindworld-of-warcraftwowThu, 02 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blizzard: Next MMO won't be WoW 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/17/blizzard-next-mmo-wont-be-wow-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/17/blizzard-next-mmo-wont-be-wow-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/17/blizzard-next-mmo-wont-be-wow-2/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Go ahead a strike the possibility of a World of Warcraft 2 off your list of possible next-gen Blizzard MMOs because it's officially not happening. In an interview with Wired, Blizzard's recently talkative Mike Morhaime flat out said that their next MMO project isn't a sequel to their first. Of course, he wouldn't divulge exactly what it was either or this would be an entirely different sort of news post.

With this news, the odds for a StarCraft or Diablo MMO go up, but so do the odds for an entirely new IP as well. We're sure the guessing game will continue for quite some time before Blizzard tips their hand to everyone. At least the mystery will offer all of us something to do for the next few years while we wait for other unannounced super-secret games to be revealed in the meantime.

MassivelyBlizzard: Next MMO won't be WoW 2 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 17 Oct 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzarddiabloeaelectronic-artsmike-morhaimenext-gennext-gen-mmostarcraftwiredworld-of-warcraftwowFri, 17 Oct 2008 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Warhammer Online preview talks endgame]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/21/warhammer-online-preview-talks-endgame/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/21/warhammer-online-preview-talks-endgame/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/21/warhammer-online-preview-talks-endgame/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


We can never get enough Warhammer Online coverage, even if a particular preview is talking covering a lot of older information we're still interested. It just so happens that this Next-Gen.biz article is talking about old information in a pretty fresh way, which is always a bonus.

It's always interesting to see someone else's take on a game you've been slowly forming an opinion about. The main focus of the article is on PvP and PvE, with a hint of the "war is everywhere" concept that EA Mythic have been working on. Essentially, both styles of gameplay feed directly into the endgame concept of faction warfare and all-out bloody battle. We do often find ourselves wondering how living guilds and the recent social network purchase by EA may play into the Warhammer Online endgame. Hm, yes, we certainly wonder.

MassivelyWarhammer Online preview talks endgame originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 May 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eaea-mythicelectronic-artsendgamemythicnext-genwarwarhammer-onlineWed, 21 May 2008 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[MMO development still riddled with risk]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/02/mmo-development-still-riddled-with-risk/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/02/mmo-development-still-riddled-with-risk/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/02/mmo-development-still-riddled-with-risk/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


With all the new MMO titles in development, sometimes it's easy to forget that running a profit in this business is actually something of an accomplishment. Starting development on a big-budget subscription-based game, with the barrier of entry purportedly being as high as $1 billion, seems like an extraordinary risk for all parties involved. According to analyst Piers Hardings-Rolls, this cut-throat trend is only deepening.

Their research shows that popular new development strategies, like purchasing lucrative intellectual properties and importing cheaply-developed MMOs from Asia, has done little to shake up the subscription-based business, where most of the profit is still concentrated in a few extremely successful titles. We were a little disappointed that their research didn't touch on the increasingly-prolific free-to-play/microtransaction model, but we suppose that'll have to wait until another day.

MassivelyMMO development still riddled with risk originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 02 May 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>analystsbusinessdevelopmentfree-to-playnext-genpiers-hardings-rollssubscriptionsubscription-modelsFri, 02 May 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Flying Lab explains the 7-server shutdown]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/17/flying-lab-explains-the-7-server-shutdown/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/17/flying-lab-explains-the-7-server-shutdown/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/17/flying-lab-explains-the-7-server-shutdown/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Flying Lab CEO Russell Williams has explained the reasoning behind the recent shutdown of 7 of the 11 servers that host Pirates of the Burning Sea. In an e-mail to news publication Next-Gen, Williams gives a number of factors that went into the decision to close down over half of their servers and consolidate the in-game population.

Among the numerous reasons are the fact that they made some faulty assumptions concerning player balance and play style, based on the way their beta testers stressed the game more people showed up for the beta than stuck around after the official launch. Williams goes on to say " ... we have systems that require a minimum number of players to function correctly, such as our economy, and they break other systems if they're not working correctly (such as PvP). If we didn't have these kinds of interdependent systems, we wouldn't even be considering server merges."

For the full list of reasons for the shutdown, read the entire article. What do you think, Learned Audience? Was this the right decision to make, based on the evidence?

MassivelyFlying Lab explains the 7-server shutdown originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>7-serversflying-labnext-genpirates-of-the-burning-seaplay-styleplayer-balancerussell-williamsThu, 17 Apr 2008 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[No more winter nights for Stormfront Studios]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/02/no-more-winter-nights-for-stormfront-studios/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/02/no-more-winter-nights-for-stormfront-studios/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/02/no-more-winter-nights-for-stormfront-studios/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Bay Area game developer Stormfront Studios is closing its doors after 20 years of operation.

This is an unfortunate turn of events in the video game industry -- especially the MMO sector -- because in 1991 Stormfront produced the very first graphical online RPG, Neverwinter Nights. The company was helmed by Don Daglow, an esteemed developer who created arguably the first ever computer RPG. That game was called Dungeon, and it operated on the PDP-10 mainframe in the mid-late 1970s.

We're sad to see a studio of such pedigree go. We just waxed nostalgic about Neverwinter Nights on Monday, so we're a bit shocked to see the group behind it bite the dust. NWN was shut down long ago, but its influence -- and therefore, Stormfront's influence -- is undeniable. It was even even honored at the Tech & Engineering Emmy Awards in January. We wish Daglow and the other folks at Stormfront success in whatever lies ahead for each of them.

[Via Joystiq]

MassivelyNo more winter nights for Stormfront Studios originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AOLclosingdon-daglowdungeonemmy-awardshistoryjoystiqneverwinter-nightsnext-gennostalgiapdp-10RPGstormfront-studiosWed, 02 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Next-Gen talks with Age of Conan's Gaute Godager]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/04/next-gen-talks-with-age-of-conans-gaute-godager/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/04/next-gen-talks-with-age-of-conans-gaute-godager/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/04/next-gen-talks-with-age-of-conans-gaute-godager/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The Age of Conan interviews are all over the place lately. Gaute Godager is the game's director, so when we saw that Next-Gen had sat down with him to talk about FunCom's upcoming barbarian invasion there was little doubt that it would be an interesting read. The interview covers the usual subjects of combat and maturity that AoC always has people asking about, but then Gaute is asked a much more interesting question. He's asked how he feels about the MMO market and whether or not he thinks that people are playing more than one MMO at a time, let alone a very mature one. Part of his response is, "People say: "Don't go too mature - that's risky; you'll lose all the 14 year olds." But there's not that many! They just make a lot of noise." which could be true according to FunCom's statistics which show that the average player is around 25 years old. The MMO market has definitely ballooned to a much larger size than it was several years ago; this could be the perfect time for a game like AoC to succeed.

MassivelyNext-Gen talks with Age of Conan's Gaute Godager originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Jan 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocfuncomgaute-godagerindustry-newsnext-gensocialstatisticsFri, 04 Jan 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE: Trinity is one of 2007's top game innovations]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/13/eve-trinity-is-one-of-2007s-top-game-innovations/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/13/eve-trinity-is-one-of-2007s-top-game-innovations/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/13/eve-trinity-is-one-of-2007s-top-game-innovations/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Next-gen.biz has compiled their list of the top 10 game innovations of 2007, and there is only one MMO on the list: EVE Online. Next-gen decided to honor EVE for taking on the task of completely revamping their graphical engine, and showing that a well-designed MMO can be updated forever.

If I was honoring EVE, that's probably the least of the innovations I'd step up to honor them for. The realtime skill system, the open-ended gameplay, and the masterpiece of an economic system all rank higher than what the ships look like, but then again, this is a list for 2007. And hey, it's a year-end list, so it's hardly definitive anyway (apparently no one told him about Trinity's whole bootini incident).

So if we put together our list of the best MMO innovations of 2007, what would be on there? The Tier 5 token system from Burning Crusade? The "stored labor" crafting system in Pirates of the Burning Sea (or would that be on the 2008 list)? Tabula Rasa's mix of FPS, RPG, and MMO? What was the best innovation you saw in an MMO this year?

[Via Curse]

MassivelyEVE: Trinity is one of 2007's top game innovations originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Dec 2007 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>innovationsmmonext-genpirates-of-the-burning-seatabula-rasavideogamesThu, 13 Dec 2007 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[First official confirmation of new Blizzard MMO]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/07/first-official-confirmation-of-new-blizzard-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/07/first-official-confirmation-of-new-blizzard-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/07/first-official-confirmation-of-new-blizzard-mmo/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Blizzard has been recruiting on its website most of this year for team members to work on a "Next-Gen MMO" project, but it has never publicly confirmed that the mysterious title is in development. Some observers have pessimistically suggested that "Next-Gen MMO" is just a hyped-up way of saying "Wrath of the Lich King."

Thankfully, it turns out they were wrong! Official confirmation (of a sort) has come. A Blizzard employee who goes by the forum name of Drysc responded to forum posts speculating about the project. He (or she, maybe -- it's like a female Night Elf Hunter; you can never know) said, "it's an unannounced Next-Gen MMO. And that doesn't mean an expansion for World of Warcraft either."

So Drysc confirmed what most of us already suspected. Hey, better than nothing. So ... is it World of Starcraft? Do we want it to be World of Starcraft? Hmm.

MassivelyFirst official confirmation of new Blizzard MMO originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Dec 2007 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activision-blizzardblizzardbreakingdryscforumsmmonew-titlesnext-genworld-of-starcraftworld-of-warcraftwowwrath-of-the-lich-kingFri, 07 Dec 2007 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Blizzard's next-gen MMO(s) might appear on consoles]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/21/blizzards-next-gen-mmos-might-appear-on-consoles/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/21/blizzards-next-gen-mmos-might-appear-on-consoles/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/21/blizzards-next-gen-mmos-might-appear-on-consoles/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Blizzard has said time and again that World of Warcraft will probably not be released on consoles. But as we learned this year, World of Warcraft is not the only MMO on Blizzard's plate. They've been occasionally tossing up job adverts for people with various skills to work on "Next-Gen MMO" stuff. The folks at Blizzard have never fully embraced consoles and successful console MMOs are rare, so even though we knew Blizzard had some kind of console title in the works, there was no evidence that the next-gen MMO project(s) would be for anything other than the PC (and maybe Mac).

Well, the latest of the MMO job adverts (this time for a physics programmer) requires would-be applicants to have "programming experience on both console and PC titles." This leads us to believe that Blizzard is either making an MMO that will be released for both the PC and one or more consoles, or that it's producing multiple MMO titles with the same physics engine and that the PC and consoles will get different games ... or both.

Either way, it's a tantalizing hint at what's to come.

MassivelyBlizzard's next-gen MMO(s) might appear on consoles originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Nov 2007 15:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>360blizzardbreakingconsoleshiringjobmmonext-genphysicsplaystation-3ps3wiiworld-of-warcraftwowxbox-360Wed, 21 Nov 2007 15:26:00 EST<![CDATA[Blizzard job postings show progress on new MMO]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/31/blizzard-job-postings-show-progress-on-new-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/31/blizzard-job-postings-show-progress-on-new-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/31/blizzard-job-postings-show-progress-on-new-mmo/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Monolithic super-developer Blizzard has put out a casting call on their company website for a Lead 3D Character Artist and a Lead 3D Environment Artist to work on a "next-gen MMO." Is it World of Starcraft? Is it a Diablo MMO? Is it a completely new IP? Is it the mythical Hydra (which could be any one of the above)? We don't know.

Even though details are hidden behind the curtain, these job postings give outside observers a sense of the progress Blizzard has made on the mysterious project. This is probably the same project for which they hired a Lead Engine Programmer back in April or May, and it's safe to assume that they're about to move into the next phase of development -- building the game world (or worlds) and its inhabitants.

Now if only they'd clue us in on whether or not those inhabitants are Terran, Zerg and Protoss.

MassivelyBlizzard job postings show progress on new MMO originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 31 Oct 2007 11:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardbreakingdiablodiablo-mmohiringhydraindustrynext-genstarcraftwarcraftworld-of-starcraftworld-of-warcraftWed, 31 Oct 2007 11:53:00 EST