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 Soapbox: Time is money, friend]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/08/the-soapbox-time-is-money-friend/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/08/the-soapbox-time-is-money-friend/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/08/the-soapbox-time-is-money-friend/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

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.

MMOs are plagued by nasty -isms. Racism. Sexism. Nationalism. Ageism. Orientalism. Homophobia. Misogyny. OK, so those last two aren't really -isms, but you get my point. No matter how much we want our fantasy games to be zones of escapism, these prejudices chase us there. Sometimes we bring them with us as unwanted baggage that spills out in chat channels and character choices. And sometimes they're inherent in the game design itself.

Classism is one such problem you'd think the internet would reduce or conceal, but the divide between the haves and have-nots is stronger in MMOs than ever. To illustrate that point and how it affects us as gamers, I'd like to talk about another set of games ruled not by skill or talent but by money.

Continue reading The Soapbox: Time is money, friend

MassivelyThe Soapbox: Time is money, friend originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accessibilityaristocracybarrier-to-entrycasual-gamercasualsclassclassismelitismf2pfeaturedfree-to-playfreemiumhardcoreismsluxuriesmoneyolympicsopinionpoorbiesrabblesnobberysnobssoapboxsubscriptionsubscriptionsthe-soapboxTue, 08 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE player wins silver medal at the Winter Olympics]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/04/eve-player-wins-silver-medal-at-the-winter-olympics/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/04/eve-player-wins-silver-medal-at-the-winter-olympics/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/04/eve-player-wins-silver-medal-at-the-winter-olympics/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

It's not every day you run across an Olympic Medalist in your favourite MMO, much less gank them and take their stuff. For some EVE Online players, that opportunity may be closer than they think. With the conclusion of the recent Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, it came to light that one of the medal winners is not just an EVE player but also an avid PvP junkie. Casting off the stereotype of MMO gamers as unfit and demotivated, Kjetil Jansrud is a professional alpine skier at the peak of physical fitness. Competing in this year's Winter Olympics, the Norwegian EVE player took the silver medal in the Men's Giant Slalom event.

Kjetil Jansrud is better known to his friends in "hirr" corporation as "NThraller", the Caldari ECM specialist. As part of Morsus Mihi alliance, he takes part in roaming PvP gangs and full-scale territorial warfare. In conjunction with the news of NThraller's Olympic win, JumpOnContact has taken an interesting look at the demographics of EVE players and MMO gamers in general. According to CCP, the average age of EVE players is around 27 and most players have some kind of degree-level certificate. The EVE community is made up of everything from high-paid professionals to students but did you ever expect to see "Olympic Medalist" added to that list? I know I didn't.

MassivelyEVE player wins silver medal at the Winter Olympics originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>caldariccpccp-eveccp-gamesecmeveeve-ccpeve-mmorpgeve-onlinemedalmedalsmorsus-mihiolympicolympicsolympics-2010pvpskiingThu, 04 Mar 2010 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[News from the Wider MMO World: August 12, 2008]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/12/news-from-the-wider-mmo-world-august-12-2008/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/12/news-from-the-wider-mmo-world-august-12-2008/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/12/news-from-the-wider-mmo-world-august-12-2008/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,


The MMO genre is more than World of Warcraft, Age of Conan, and Warhammer Online. Here's what's going on in the rest of the world.

Trickster Online celebrates the Olympics with new themed items
Even MMOs get into the spirit of real world competition, and Trickster Online has some themed items for your enjoyment. These masks, hats, and capes will have a particular country's flag on them; collect all five of each and receive a special item of each type. Check them out before the Olympics ends!

Outspark Games offer Olympic-style competition within their titles
From now until August 24th, San Francisco MMO publisher Outspark will be hosting the Outspark Games, a series of Olympic-styled competitions within their online offerings. Titles Fiesta, Secret of the Solstice, and Project Powder will feature special events in-game. Expect medals to be granted to the top three winners, and increased experience points offered to all participants.

More news after the jump!

Continue reading News from the Wider MMO World: August 12, 2008

MassivelyNews from the Wider MMO World: August 12, 2008 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ace-onlineaeria-gamesatlantica-onlinecronousfiestagamescampuslizard-interactivemangafighterndoorsnews-from-the-wider-mmo-worldolympicsoutsparkpriston-taleproject-powdersecret-of-the-solsticesho-onlinetrickster-onlinetwo-emperorswicked-interactiveyedang-onlineTue, 12 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Tabula Rasa Community Olympics event]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/05/tabula-rasa-community-olympics-event/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/05/tabula-rasa-community-olympics-event/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/05/tabula-rasa-community-olympics-event/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Let's face it, the PlanetTR community has remained an integral part of keeping Tabula Rasa what it is today. Sure, there's the gameplay improvements and all the recent work by the devs, but PlanetTR deserves some credit, too. A fine example of this is their new Tabula Rasa Olympics being held this Saturday, August 9th on the Public Test Server.

There will be thirteen events held here in all, including King of the Hill, Gymnastics, Swimming, Fencing and more. Most of these events will employ the use of vendor grey items, and have specific rules regarding class, race and item usage. This, of course, is to even the playing field among characters. Be sure to check out the PlanetTR forums for complete details, rules and sign-up information.

MassivelyTabula Rasa Community Olympics event originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Aug 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>destination-gamesncsoftolympicsplanettrrichard-garriotttabula-rasatabula-rasa-olympicstrTue, 05 Aug 2008 19:30:00 EST