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<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title><![CDATA[BioWare CEO is confident in the state of PC gaming]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/20/bioware-ceo-is-confident-in-the-state-of-pc-gaming/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/20/bioware-ceo-is-confident-in-the-state-of-pc-gaming/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/20/bioware-ceo-is-confident-in-the-state-of-pc-gaming/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/business-models/" rel="tag">Business models</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a></p><div align="center"><a href="http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=206103"><img hspace="4" border="1" vspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2009/01/steamscreenshot.jpg"  alt="" /></a><br /></div>
BioWare CEO Ray Muzyka is <a href="http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=206103">standing behind PC games</a>, directly opposing all of the naysayers that shout <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/20/molyneux-laments-the-state-of-pc-gaming-blames-wow-and-the-sims/">the doom of PC gaming</a> from on high.<br /><br />A recent article over at <a href="http://www.computerandvideogames.com/">Computer And Video Games.com</a> pointed to Muzyka's confident stance as well as his expression of changing the definition of PC gaming, such as counting in the large growth of MMOs, flash games, and other casual experiences that any PC user can easily access.<br /><br /> "MMOs are one way that's occurring... And there are more people playing flash-based games and casual games, even core games that are played in a casual way, so maybe [they have] a more core experience and you only play them for short bursts or for half an hour or something," Muzyka was quoted as saying.<br /><br />One only needs to look at the success of games such as <a href="http://www.worldofwarcraft.com"><em>World of Warcraft</em></a> or <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/17/mmos-thought-to-account-for-health-of-pc-gaming/">any other MMO</a>, as well as the very healthy <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/">Steam distribution service</a> to note that PC gaming is <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/rob-pardos-insight-on-wows-development-and-why-pc-gaming-isnt/">far from dead</a>.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/20/bioware-ceo-is-confident-in-the-state-of-pc-gaming/">BioWare CEO is confident in the state of PC gaming</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Tue, 20 Jan 2009 09:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=206103>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/20/bioware-ceo-is-confident-in-the-state-of-pc-gaming/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1434486/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/20/bioware-ceo-is-confident-in-the-state-of-pc-gaming/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>bioware</category><category>casual-games</category><category>ceo</category><category>computer-and-video-games</category><category>flash-games</category><category>mmos</category><category>pc-games</category><category>pc-gaming</category><category>ray-muzyka</category><category>steam</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Seraphina Brennan]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 20 Jan 2009 09:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Interview with ArenaNet's Jeff Strain reveals more GW2 info]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/08/interview-with-arenanets-jeff-strain-reveals-more-gw2-info/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/08/interview-with-arenanets-jeff-strain-reveals-more-gw2-info/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/08/interview-with-arenanets-jeff-strain-reveals-more-gw2-info/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/events-real-world/" rel="tag">Events, real-world</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/forums/" rel="tag">Forums</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/interviews/" rel="tag">Interviews</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/new-titles/" rel="tag">New titles</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars-2/" rel="tag">Guild Wars 2</a></p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Strain"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="right" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2008/07/strain.jpg"  alt="" /></a>In <a href="http://www.pcgames.de/aid,650247/">a recent interview</a> with the German <a href="http://www.pcgames.de"><em>PC Games</em> magazine</a>, <a href="http://www.arena.net">ArenaNet</a> co-founder Jeff Strain gives us a few more tidbits of info involving what we can expect with <a href="http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Main_Page"><em>Guild Wars 2</em></a>. The interview is completely in German, and the existing English translations are questionable, but the main theme revolves around ten facts about <em>Guild Wars 2</em> from the mouth of Strain himself. Most of these facts we've heard before in other interviews, but some we haven't.<br /><br />For instance, we get an example of a tremendous world event in the new persistent world. This involves the scenario of a dragon destroying an important town bridge, and it's up to you to defeat the dragon and defend the town NPCs as they rebuild. Items will have more importance in <em>GW2</em> and it's said that there will no longer be characters made strictly for PvP. Be sure to read more on the <a href="http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Guild_Wars_2:_The_Status_Quo">English-translated version</a>, the <a href="http://www.pcgames.de/aid,650247/">original German version</a> and <a href="http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10305863">an important forum thread</a> for more player reaction.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/08/interview-with-arenanets-jeff-strain-reveals-more-gw2-info/">Interview with ArenaNet's Jeff Strain reveals more GW2 info</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Guild_Wars_2:_The_Status_Quo>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/08/interview-with-arenanets-jeff-strain-reveals-more-gw2-info/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1248131/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/08/interview-with-arenanets-jeff-strain-reveals-more-gw2-info/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>arenanet</category><category>guild-wars</category><category>guild-wars-2</category><category>interview</category><category>jeff-strain</category><category>pc-games</category><category>pc-gamesde</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Shawn Schuster]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Impressive Huxley cinematic trailer surfaces]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/23/impressive-huxley-cinematic-trailer-surfaces/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/23/impressive-huxley-cinematic-trailer-surfaces/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/23/impressive-huxley-cinematic-trailer-surfaces/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/trailers/" rel="tag">Trailers</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/video/" rel="tag">Video</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/huxley/" rel="tag">Huxley</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/new-titles/" rel="tag">New titles</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a></p><div align="center"><a href="http://www.pcgames.de/aid,648461/Video/Mehrspieler-Shooter/Futuristisch_und_explosiv_-_Der_neue_Huxley-Trailer_bei_uns_im_Stream/"><img hspace="4" border="1" vspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2008/06/huxleytrailer.jpg" alt="" /></a><br />
<div align="left">German website <a href="http://www.pcgames.de">PCGames.de</a> is <a href="http://www.pcgames.de/aid,648461/Video/Mehrspieler-Shooter/Futuristisch_und_explosiv_-_Der_neue_Huxley-Trailer_bei_uns_im_Stream/">hosting a new trailer</a> (and <a href="http://www.pcgames.de/aid,648462/Rund_40_actiongeladene_Bilder_zu_Webzens_Unreal_Engine_3-Titel_Huxley/?viewcnt=1&amp;image_id=842262#top">several screenshots</a> from said trailer) for <a href="http://www.webzen.com">Webzen</a>'s massively multiplayer online first person shooter (what a mouthful) <a href="http://huxley.webzen.com"><em>Huxley</em>.</a> If you've not heard of the game, all you need to know is that it runs on <a href="http://www.unrealtechnology.com"><em>Unreal Engine 3</em></a>, is developed in Korea, and features large-scale, instanced PvP battles.<br /><br />The trailer doesn't show any gameplay footage (but <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/28/new-huxley-gameplay-video-with-analysis/">past ones have</a>). It just shows a really well-orchestrated cinematic sequence. It looks very <a href="http://www.unrealtournament3.com"><em>Unreal</em></a> or <a href="http://www.gearsofwar.com"><em>Gears of War</em>.</a> Unfortunately, all the dialogue is in Korean, so we have no idea whether or not it reveals any interesting story elements.<br /><br />Note that a giant worm-like monster makes an appearance at the end. That might imply that players won't just be fighting each other. <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/huxley"><em>Huxley</em></a> recently <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/02/huxley-coming-to-na-and-europe-by-way-of-nhn-usa/">found a Western publisher</a>, so we're looking forward to seeing for ourselves.<br /><br /></div>
</div>
[Via <a href="http://www.bluesnews.com/cgi-bin/board.pl?action=postmessage&amp;amp;boardid=1&amp;amp;id=0&amp;amp;threadid=88763">Blues News</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/23/impressive-huxley-cinematic-trailer-surfaces/">Impressive Huxley cinematic trailer surfaces</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.pcgames.de/aid,648461/Video/Mehrspieler-Shooter/Futuristisch_und_explosiv_-_Der_neue_Huxley-Trailer_bei_uns_im_Stream/>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/23/impressive-huxley-cinematic-trailer-surfaces/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1233804/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/23/impressive-huxley-cinematic-trailer-surfaces/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>cgi</category><category>cinematic</category><category>fps</category><category>huxley</category><category>mmofps</category><category>pc-games</category><category>pc-gamesde</category><category>pcgamesde</category><category>trailer</category><category>unreal</category><category>unreal-engine-3</category><category>video</category><category>webzen</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Samuel Axon]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Do you only play MMOs?]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/26/the-daily-grind-do-you-only-play-mmos/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/26/the-daily-grind-do-you-only-play-mmos/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/26/the-daily-grind-do-you-only-play-mmos/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-daily-grind/" rel="tag">The Daily Grind</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/consoles/" rel="tag">Consoles</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/casual/" rel="tag">Casual</a></p><a href="http://www.aoaforums.com/frontpage/images/stories/Articles/video_consoles/game_consoles.png"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="right" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2008/04/tdgdoyouonlyplaymmos_225px.jpg"  alt="" /></a>We cover a lot of MMOs here at Massively, but that doesn't mean that it's the only type of game we're interested in. Many of us on the team love to rip into a good console game too, or other PC games of the non-MMO variety. Sure, being involved in more than a single MMO can take up a significant portion of gaming time, but it's safe to say that we do enjoy other types of games as well.<br /><br />If you've come to Massively, you likely at least have an interest in MMOs, if you aren't currently playing one or more of them -- but is that the only genre of game that you play? Do you like to play any of the current generation of consoles? Or perhaps you kick it old school with one of the awesome consoles of bygone eras? When it comes to the PC, do you only play the bigger games, or do you dip into the casual realm with titles such as <em>Peggle</em>? And what about those nifty handhelds, and cellphone games -- daily commute anyone?<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/26/the-daily-grind-do-you-only-play-mmos/">The Daily Grind: Do you only play MMOs?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Sat, 26 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/26/the-daily-grind-do-you-only-play-mmos/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1177145/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/26/the-daily-grind-do-you-only-play-mmos/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>casual-games</category><category>cellphone-games</category><category>consoles</category><category>handhelds</category><category>pc-games</category><category>peggle</category><category>tdg</category><category>the-daily-grind</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[William Dobson]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 26 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[PC titles only 14% of game sales in 2007, WoW leading the way]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/28/pc-titles-only-14-of-game-sales-in-2007-wow-leading-the-way/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/28/pc-titles-only-14-of-game-sales-in-2007-wow-leading-the-way/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/28/pc-titles-only-14-of-game-sales-in-2007-wow-leading-the-way/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/world-of-warcraft/" rel="tag">World of Warcraft</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/business-models/" rel="tag">Business models</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/culture/" rel="tag">Culture</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/events-real-world/" rel="tag">Events, real-world</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/expansions/" rel="tag">Expansions</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a></p><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="right" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2008/01/wowcard_270x196.jpg" />The games industry views NPD sales figures with a great deal of anticipation, and <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/17/december-npd-no-wonder-youre-broke-this-month/">the news for December</a> was received very well earlier this month. Sales were up for every genre of software, all the hardware manufacturers - it was a banner year. Unless you made PC games. Along with the news that PC-associated FPS titles <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/14/crysis-sales-in-crisis-ut3-gets-fragged-too/"><em>Crysis</em> and <em>Unreal Tournament 3</em> did poorly</a> in the face of stiff genre competition, the PC platform generally didn't do terribly well compared to the rest of the industry.<br /><br />1up reports that, in fact, <a href="http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3165631">PC titles only made up 14% of all game sales</a> last year. As you might have guessed, Blizzard's <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/World-of-Warcraft/">World of Warcraft</a></em> took the one and two spots on the list of top titles. <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/search/?q=Burning%20Crusade">Burning Crusade</a></em> pushed some 2,250,000 copies in the US, while the base game sold about 914,000 units.<br /><br />The article implies that one of the reasons for poor sales in the PC arena is piracy - a claim <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/09/id-software-ceo-piracy-pushed-us-multiplatform/">backed by statements from game companies</a> going back years, and most recently explored by <em>Call of Duty 4</em>'s Robert Bowling. T<a href="http://fourzerotwo.blogspot.com/2008/01/week-in-review-servers-servers-servers.html">he sheer number of people pirating the game</a> took Infinity Ward's community manager off guard. These are comments from a man who worked on the #4 game on the top ten list, too.<br /><br />The lesson is: (apparently) in order for a PC title to succeed in today's business market, you need to make a game that requires interaction with a central server. How long will it be before every FPS, RTS, and simulation we play on a PC 'calls home' every few minutes to make sure we're legit?<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/28/pc-titles-only-14-of-game-sales-in-2007-wow-leading-the-way/">PC titles only 14% of game sales in 2007, WoW leading the way</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3165631>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/28/pc-titles-only-14-of-game-sales-in-2007-wow-leading-the-way/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1099220/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/28/pc-titles-only-14-of-game-sales-in-2007-wow-leading-the-way/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>blizzard</category><category>business</category><category>npd</category><category>pc-games</category><category>sales</category><category>world-of-warcraft</category><category>wow</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael Zenke]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Xfire notes slump in PC playtime, dubs it "Halo 3 effect"]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/15/xfire-notes-slump-in-pc-playtime-dubs-it-halo-3-effect/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/15/xfire-notes-slump-in-pc-playtime-dubs-it-halo-3-effect/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/15/xfire-notes-slump-in-pc-playtime-dubs-it-halo-3-effect/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/world-of-warcraft/" rel="tag">World of Warcraft</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/eve-online/" rel="tag">EVE Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lineage-2/" rel="tag">Lineage 2</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lord-of-the-rings-online/" rel="tag">Lord of the Rings Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/business-models/" rel="tag">Business models</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/star-wars-galaxies/" rel="tag">Star Wars Galaxies</a></p><div align="center"><a href="http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=30657"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2007/11/halo3beatsmmos.jpg" alt="" /></a><br /></div>
If ever there was an industry prone to cannibalism, it would be the games industry. If gamers aren't playing one game, chances are it's because another game has <a href="http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=30657">captured their attention with its siren song</a>. According to data by Xfire and reported by Gamesindustry.biz, hours played by subscribers to its service did not pick in October as expected. July and August are typically slow months for PC games, as many players take the rare opportunity to go outside and many also make the move to college during that period. But instead of rising again as the seasons changed, October numbers actually continued to fall. They've chosen to dub this the "<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/halo"><em>Halo 3</em></a> effect," as Microsoft's hit shooter sent shock waves not just through the game industry, but through the larger entertainment business as well, reportedly stunting sales of moving ticket sales through that period as well.<br /><br />Xfire has a subscriber base over 8 million strong, so while they might not be the perfect indicator of larger trends in the game industry, they're certainly one of the best representative samples available. <em>World of Warcraft</em> continued to dominate the overall numbers, with 332,139 hours played during October, beating out perennial PC favorites <em>Call of Duty 2</em> and <em>Counterstrike: Source</em>. The rest of the MMO crowd ambled behind, with <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/eve-online"><em>EVE Online</em></a> being the second most popular massive game, followed by <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lord-of-the-rings-online"><em>Lord of the Rings Online</em></a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lineage-ii"><em>Lineage II</em></a>, and <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/star-wars-galaxies">Star Wars Galaxies</a></em>.<br /><br />It makes you wonder what would happen if the <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/25/next-halo-game-fps-mmo/">rumored <em>Halo</em> MMO</a> comes to fruition.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/15/xfire-notes-slump-in-pc-playtime-dubs-it-halo-3-effect/">Xfire notes slump in PC playtime, dubs it "Halo 3 effect"</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Thu, 15 Nov 2007 13:01:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=30657>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/15/xfire-notes-slump-in-pc-playtime-dubs-it-halo-3-effect/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1040848/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/15/xfire-notes-slump-in-pc-playtime-dubs-it-halo-3-effect/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>eve</category><category>halo</category><category>halo-3</category><category>hours-played</category><category>lineage</category><category>lotro</category><category>pc-games</category><category>wow</category><category>xfire</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Chester]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 15 Nov 2007 13:01:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>
