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 mourns the end of EQMac]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/14/the-game-archaeologist-mourns-the-end-of-eqmac/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/14/the-game-archaeologist-mourns-the-end-of-eqmac/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/14/the-game-archaeologist-mourns-the-end-of-eqmac/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

EQMac
In 2003, Sony Online Entertainment tried an experiment to reach out to the (then) small-but-growing community of Mac users. The company released EverQuest Macintosh Edition -- quickly abbreviated to EQMac -- which incorporated the core game and the first four expansions of EverQuest: The Ruins of Kunark, The Scars of Velious, The Shadows of Luclin, and The Planes of Power. Because EQMac was a separate version of the game, SOE segregated Apple players on their own server called Al'Kabor and then, for all intents and purposes, abandoned them as the "real" EverQuest continued to expand and advance.

While the population didn't exactly explode, especially as the progression of time rendered EQMac stuck in a type of video game amber, a singular community of dedicated, helpful players formed, and they became proud of their hardcore home. According to many of them, EQMac was the way EverQuest was always meant to be played, frozen in time at the release of one of the game's best expansions. It was a mark of pride to say that you played on Al'Kabor, especially now as massive AAA MMOs dwarf the original EQ -- to say nothing of this odd EQ spinoff.

Yet, as SOE posted, "all good things must end," and with the news that EverQuest is being prepped for free-to-play, EQMac players learned that they would not be joining the rest. Unless higher powers intervene, on March 29th, Al'Kabor will be turned off for good. As such, I felt this was a good time to look briefly at the history of this unique title and the testimonies of its passionate fans.

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist mourns the end of EQMac

MassivelyThe Game Archaeologist mourns the end of EQMac originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eqeq-maceqmaceqmac.comeqoaeverquesteverquest-iieverquest-maceverquest-macintosheverquest-macintosh-editioneverquest-online-adventuresfeaturedhobartjohn-smedleylord-of-the-rings-onlineosxplanes-of-powersoesony-online-entertainmenttgathe-game-archaeologistthe-planes-of-powerthe-ruins-of-kunarkthe-scars-of-veliousthe-shadows-of-lucinTodd-Schmidtworld-of-warcraftTue, 14 Feb 2012 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[BioWare: Mac version of Star Wars: The Old Republic is something it's 'looking at next']]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/02/bioware-mac-version-of-star-wars-the-old-republic-is-something/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/02/bioware-mac-version-of-star-wars-the-old-republic-is-something/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/02/bioware-mac-version-of-star-wars-the-old-republic-is-something/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

BioWare co-founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk are quite dedicated to their fans. At least that's a recurring theme for them when talking about their company's moves in new directions, to which both repeatedly referred during a recent interview in midtown Manhattan. "We know there's a big Mac audience of BioWare fans ... we know that's an important and large audience. And we want to serve that audience," Muzyka told me when asked about a potential Mac version of the his company's latest major release, Star Wars: The Old Republic.

"I'd say 'not yet,'" Zeschuk assured me when I told him that, as a BioWare fan, I'm unable to play The Old Republic on my less than two-year-old MacBook. Though Muzyka was quick to remind me that I can technically play the game on a Windows partition, he also admitted that it wasn't an ideal situation. "We've done a lot of Mac ports before of our games. We haven't announced any details yet for The Old Republic, but we know that's an important and large audience."

Neither would offer a strict timetable on the Mac version, but Zeschuk did note, "That's definitely one of the things we're looking at next. We want to get this launch under our belt and everything stabilized and happy, and then we'll look at other platforms, and that's obviously one of the first ones."

MassivelyBioWare: Mac version of Star Wars: The Old Republic is something it's 'looking at next' originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowarebioware-labeleaea-biowareelectronic-artsgreg-zeschukmacosxpcportray-muzykastar-wars-the-old-republicMon, 02 Jan 2012 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Conquer Online coming to the Mac on May 3rd]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/20/conquer-online-coming-to-the-mac-on-may-3rd/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/20/conquer-online-coming-to-the-mac-on-may-3rd/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/20/conquer-online-coming-to-the-mac-on-may-3rd/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Mac MMORPGs have come a long way. Titles as wide-ranging as World of Warcraft, Fallen Earth, and Free Realms now boast their own native clients, and Conquer Online is set to join the ranks of OS X-flavored MMOs on May 3rd.

TQ Digital has just announced the creation of a new Conquer Online server (dubbed Garden of Eden) exclusively for Mac users. The free-to-play title originally launched way back in 2003 and sports a 2.5D game world set in ancient China. The Mac version of the game is undergoing beta testing through April 26th, and you can download the beta client via a number of sources including FTP and bit torrent. Mac beta testers will be kitted out with equipment, skills, and necessary in-game items according to a TQ press release, and you can learn more at the official Conquer Online website.

MassivelyConquer Online coming to the Mac on May 3rd originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ancient-chinaapplebetaconquerconquer-onlinef2pfantasyfree-to-playmacmac-betamac-f2pmac-free-to-playmac-mmomac-serveros-xosxtqtq-digitalWed, 20 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[New zones and artifacts in latest Perpetuum devblog]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/04/new-zones-and-artifacts-in-latest-perpetuum-devblog/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/04/new-zones-and-artifacts-in-latest-perpetuum-devblog/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/04/new-zones-and-artifacts-in-latest-perpetuum-devblog/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Perpetuum has been stomping its way along after its fairly recent launch, doing its level best to prove that everything really is better with giant robots. While the development team has been a bit quiet the past few weeks, the newest devblog entry explains some of the reasons behind the silence. A lot of the team's focus has been on adding new zones to the game for players to explore, with six new zones in development -- three of them remaining safe and three allowing for the unrepentant robot warfare that drives the core game.

The game's artifact scanning minigame is also nearing completion, and while the blog entry states outright that the mechanics will be fairly similar, it sounds like a good way to pass some time while there's nothing for your robot to shoot at. There's also official support for an emulation platform on Linux and OSX, which makes the game available to a wider range of potential players. Perpetuum players should take a look at the full entry for all the details.

[Thanks to Roy Ary for the tip!]

MassivelyNew zones and artifacts in latest Perpetuum devblog originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>additional-zonesavatar-creationsdevblogdeveloper-blogfuture-patchesfuture-updatesgiant-robotslinuxnew-zonesosxperpetuumrobotssandboxzonesFri, 04 Mar 2011 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[City of Heroes to get Mac Special Edition]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/30/city-of-heroes-to-get-mac-special-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/30/city-of-heroes-to-get-mac-special-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/30/city-of-heroes-to-get-mac-special-edition/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


NCsoft just announced that City of Heroes will soon have a Mac client, joining the likes of World of Warcraft and EVE Online as MMOs that can played on OS X. It'll be made possible through partnership with Transgaming, the creators of the Cider portability engine, which acts as a 'wrapper' for the standard PC client, allowing it to run within OS X on an Intel Mac.

While Blizzard's Mac client for World of Warcraft was written from the ground up, NCsoft's newest City of Heroes 'Good vs. Evil edition' client will be playable through Transgaming's Cider, and thus will be the same client gamers are accustomed to on the PC. This method of bringing the PC client to Mac without porting or rewriting is the same avenue CCP Games took with their EVE Online client for OS X. The City of Heroes Mac Special Edition includes two exclusive items:

Continue reading City of Heroes to get Mac Special Edition

MassivelyCity of Heroes to get Mac Special Edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>applebreakingcidercity-of-heroescity-of-villainsclientcohcovexpansionsmacmac-clientmacintoshncsoftos-xosxtransgamingvirtualizationThu, 30 Oct 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[CrossOver allows MMO gameplay on Mac, free Tuesday only]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/27/crossover-allows-mmo-gameplay-on-mac-free-tuesday-only/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/27/crossover-allows-mmo-gameplay-on-mac-free-tuesday-only/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/27/crossover-allows-mmo-gameplay-on-mac-free-tuesday-only/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Most people don't pick up a Mac to use as their primary gaming machine, but for players of titles like World of Warcraft and EVE Online, the OS X client makes MMO gaming possible for them. But the majority of MMO clients are PC only, requiring Mac users to turn to Boot Camp and dual boot Windows XP or Vista. Another option open to MMO players who use Macs is CrossOver from Codeweavers, which allows virtualization of PC programs and games within OS X (and Linux), with no Windows license required.

Our friends over at TUAW came across a one-day price reduction on CrossOver... that price being 'free'. That's right, all of Codeweavers' products -- CrossOver Mac, CrossOver Games, and CrossOver Linux -- will be free on Tuesday, October 28, but only for that day. There's a bit of a story behind this, which you can read all about over at TUAW, who have all of the details and restrictions related to this offer. But for MMO gamers who are into their Macs, all you really need to know is that CrossOver will allow you to play quite a number of games, MMO and otherwise. Check out the full list of games supported, and get ready to download your free copy. Your 24-hour window to get CrossOver begins at midnight on Tuesday, October 28th. The CrossOver deal is a $40 license giveaway, limited to one license per person, and requires an Intel Mac running either Tiger or Leopard.

MassivelyCrossOver allows MMO gameplay on Mac, free Tuesday only originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appleblizzardboot-campccp-gamescross-overcrossoveremulationeveeve-onlinelinuxmacos-xosxtuawvirtualizationworld-of-warcraftwowMon, 27 Oct 2008 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Lab makes the call: No Panther]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/17/lab-makes-the-call-no-panther/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/17/lab-makes-the-call-no-panther/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/17/lab-makes-the-call-no-panther/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Back in May, Linden Lab said it was considering dropping support for Mac OS X 10.3 (Panther). Well, the deliberations are over, and the Lab has just announced that that is what is going to happen.

Development for Panther 10.3.9 will cease, and no more QA will be done. If you are one of the few remaining users logging into Second Life with this venerable operating system version, you'll need to stay with the 1.19 viewer series. Eventually, that's going to stop working -- and you won't have access to many new features (like the upcoming Mono).

Support for all other supported systems (Windows XP, Linux, Windows Vista, and later Mac OS X versions) is not planned to change.

MassivelyLab makes the call: No Panther originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>linden-labmacosxosx-panthersecond-lifeThu, 17 Jul 2008 21:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Linden Lab considers dropping Panther support]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/06/linden-lab-considers-dropping-panther-support/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/06/linden-lab-considers-dropping-panther-support/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/06/linden-lab-considers-dropping-panther-support/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Linden Lab is looking for feedback on the matter of dropping support for Mac OSX 10.3 Panther (though retaining support for Tiger and Leopard). According to Linden Lab, this affects 0.25% of "the entire base of Second Life" users. Now assuming they actually mean the entire user-base (as opposed to some lesser figure that we don't have access to), that's just under 34,000 users.

Unfortunately, asking for feedback on a blog entry where only 150 people can comment on the post, and -- moreover -- posting for feedback at a time where much of the Second Life grid had become effectively unusable was perhaps not an ideal way to garner useful feedback on the move. Most of the responding comments are not on the topic of Mac OSX Panther.

If it is decided to drop Panther support, we are told it there will be 60 days notice, though the message is unclear as to whether the clock is already ticking on that 60 days.

MassivelyLinden Lab considers dropping Panther support originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 May 2008 01:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>linden-labmacosxosx-panthersecond-lifeTue, 06 May 2008 01:30:00 EST