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[SOE's John Smedley expresses regrets over SWG mishaps]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/21/soes-john-smedley-expresses-regrets-over-swg-mishaps/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/21/soes-john-smedley-expresses-regrets-over-swg-mishaps/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/21/soes-john-smedley-expresses-regrets-over-swg-mishaps/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Star Wars Galaxies
Star Wars Galaxies may be no more, but its legacy lives on in memories, discussion, and hindsight analysis. Sony Online Entertainment's John Smedley had a frank talk with Industry Gamers in which he owns up to the mistakes of how the studio handled the title, particularly surrounding the much-maligned Combat Upgrade and New Game Enhancements.

What would Smedley do if he could go back and give it another try? His first regret is launching the game before the space combat system was done, and his second is that SOE didn't talk and listen to its players more. "We would have encouraged more in-depth discussion with the community surrounding the idea of any game modifications," he said.

Smedley is highly optimistic for the studio's future, particularly in its fervent belief in the free-to-play business model: "We think that 'Free to Play, Your Way' is our future. Giving players choices is the theme of how we're moving forward as a company, which means greater flexibility for our player base."

MassivelySOE's John Smedley expresses regrets over SWG mishaps originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>combat-upgradecommunitycuf2pfree-to-playjohn-smedleynew-game-enhancementsngeplayersregretssmedsmedleysoesony-online-entertainmentspace-combatstar-wars-galaxiessunsetswgWed, 21 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Star Wars: The Old Republic beta test attracts 2 million players]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/05/star-wars-the-old-republic-beta-test-attracts-2-million-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/05/star-wars-the-old-republic-beta-test-attracts-2-million-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/05/star-wars-the-old-republic-beta-test-attracts-2-million-players/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Screenshot -- Star Wars: The Old Republic
It's no secret that Star Wars: The Old Republic is one of the most highly anticipated MMORPGs in recent memory, and the game's recently concluded public testing phase confirms the hype. The game's publisher, EA, announced that the SWTOR test phase drew in over 2 million players, and of those 2 million, 750,000 unique players jumped into the game over the Thanksgiving weekend alone.

EA also shared some interesting statistics about the game's test players. Over the holiday weekend, players averaged about 12 hours of game time each for a grand total of over 9 million hours of playtime across the playerbase. If you didn't get a chance to try the beta, or if you simply couldn't get enough, you don't have much longer to wait. The game launches in about two weeks on December 20th, with pre-order head start beginning on the 15th.

MassivelyStar Wars: The Old Republic beta test attracts 2 million players originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2-million2-million-playersbetabiowareeaelectronic-artsplayersstar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtortestingtesting-weekendthanksgiving-weekendunique-playersMon, 05 Dec 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[DC Universe Online boasts 1000% playerbase growth]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/07/dc-universe-online-boasts-1000-playerbase-growth/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/07/dc-universe-online-boasts-1000-playerbase-growth/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/07/dc-universe-online-boasts-1000-playerbase-growth/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Screenshot -- DC Universe Online
DC Universe Online has been free-to-play for just under a week now, but SOE is already reporting huge spikes in player population. SOE president John Smedley has been tweeting constantly since the transition, with the most recent tweet announcing that population is up 1000% from its pre-F2P numbers.

It's not all sunshine and butterflies over in DCUO-land, however. Players have been experiencing a number of issues with the F2P transition, such as astoundingly long server queues, endless loading screens, and other gameplay-inhibiting problems. Smedley says that the team is "on it," though.

If you want to be part of the game's booming playerbase, just head on over to the game's official site (or download the game on Steam) and jump on in.

MassivelyDC Universe Online boasts 1000% playerbase growth originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boostdc-comicsdc-universe-onlinedcuof2pfree-to-playgrowthjohn-smedleyplayer-baseplayerspopulationpopulation-growthsoesony-online-entertainmenttransitionMon, 07 Nov 2011 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Yslandia hits player milestone, goes free-to-play]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/12/yslandia-hits-player-milestone-goes-free-to-play/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/12/yslandia-hits-player-milestone-goes-free-to-play/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/12/yslandia-hits-player-milestone-goes-free-to-play/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

As mobile MMOs are taking off in popularity, Yslandia is proving that a smaller platform doesn't necessarily mean a smaller playerbase. The pocket-sized MMO just announced its 100,000th player, and to celebrate the milestone, Moving Player is making the game free-to-play with in-game store purchases.

Since its release last fall, Yslandia has grown to include four island zones, 300 quests, and 18 classes. Players on iOS devices can log in and play solo or with friends across this cute world. The game has a customizable UI and features spirited PvP battles as players wage war for territory.

Previously, Yslandia was a $0.99 purchase from the Apple App Store. Check out what our own Beau Hindman had to say about this title in a recent edition of Free for All!

MassivelyYslandia hits player milestone, goes free-to-play originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>100000app-storeapplef2pfree-to-playiosmobile-mmomoving-playermovingplayerplayerspvpuiyslandiaTue, 12 Apr 2011 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: When does friendly turn frustrating?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/04/the-daily-grind-when-does-friendly-turn-frustrating/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/04/the-daily-grind-when-does-friendly-turn-frustrating/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/04/the-daily-grind-when-does-friendly-turn-frustrating/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

We all know, from years of experience, that there's a certain community duty to help newer players get acclimated to the game. Or younger players, or... really, anyone. It's in the community's best interests to be friendly and open. But there's always the threat of the player who seems friendly and enjoyable... until you log on again and he whispers you almost instantly. And then the next time. And again. He's always there, latched onto you as if you're the only beacon of kindness in the world, and while you want him to keep playing, you want to play City of Heroes, not City of Helping the Socially Maladjusted.

The worst part of these situations, naturally, is that it spoils you on helping former players. It makes the community as a whole more hostile, and even though you still know helping new players is a good thing, it's hard not to be colder. So when have you run into a player whom you wished you hadn't helped out? When has being friendly and open wound up frustrating you to no end?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: When does friendly turn frustrating? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>communitycommunity-concernsfriendlinessfrustrationhelpingnew-playersnewbiesnewbsnoobopinionplayer-cultureplayerstdgthe-daily-grindMon, 04 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Power players and player retention]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/03/eve-evolved-power-players-and-player-retention/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/03/eve-evolved-power-players-and-player-retention/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/03/eve-evolved-power-players-and-player-retention/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

As I mentioned in our coverage of the EVE Online Fanfest, the best part of the experience for me was discussing EVE with players who are as involved in and enthusiastic about the game as I am. On my first night there, I got into a fascinating discussion with a few players on a topic I hadn't really considered before -- power players. Every MMO has players who get heavily involved in their chosen game. EVE's Fanfest really highlighted this, as around a thousand of EVE's power players flew to Iceland just to talk about the game, contribute ideas in roundtable discussions and find out what the future holds for the game.

Ultimately, the fate of EVE lies in its community. EVE's main strength as an MMO is the fact that with so many players in one game universe, people form very real ties with each other. Corporations and alliances are more than just collections of people; they're sub-communities with their own aspirations, internal politics, playstyles, personalities and even senses of humour. These organisations give people support and a place to call home in an unforgiving universe, and it's the power players of EVE who make all of that possible.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I explore the importance of power players in MMOs and what the concept means for EVE's development.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Power players and player retention

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Power players and player retention originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 03 Apr 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-eveccp-gamescommunitiescommunitycorpcorporationcorporationscorpsdevelopmentemergenceemergenteveeve-ccpeve-evolvedeve-mmorpgeve-onlinefeaturedfollowersleadersleadershiponline-communitiesopinionorganisationorganizationplayer-retentionplayerspower-playersretentionsubscribersSun, 03 Apr 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Frogster gives us piles of Runes of Magic stats]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/28/frogster-gives-us-piles-of-runes-of-magic-stats/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/28/frogster-gives-us-piles-of-runes-of-magic-stats/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/28/frogster-gives-us-piles-of-runes-of-magic-stats/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

While not everyone is a math or statistics geek, there's a certain intriguing quality to MMO stats. Whenever we post statistics for games, there are inevitably discussions on concurrent users, paid subscribers, and overall registered accounts. Unfortunately, free-to-play games like Frogster's Runes of Magic don't really lend themselves to discussions of subscriptions vs. registered accounts since it has no monthly fee. Nevertheless, the game still provides some interesting statistics.

According to a release sent earlier today, Frogster has posted a handful of curious stats that are sure to pique the interest of those who love to dissect MMO minutiae. Over the last two years, 6,657,370 characters have stepped into Runes of Magic. Mages are an incredibly popular class, with 2.2 million characters, and there's a tie at 650,000 characters created for both Rogues and Warriors. Apparently, the Priest/Mage dual class is a highly popular combo for players; and Priest takes secondary class of choice at 350,000, followed by Warriors with 150,000. Over three million characters serve as Herbalists, with 1.1 million players dabbling in Alchemy.

English-speaking servers have seen 3,505,269 quests turned in and 4,622 guilds created. Groups in the game have taken the Demon Lord down 4,521 times and have wiped the floor with Erekat III almost three times more. Raksha is still the one to beat, according to Frogster's metrics, which suggest that boss has only been downed 182 times on the highest difficulty. Finally, no raid would be complete without silly pets along for a screenshot -- we're told that there are over 100,000 rune pets tagging along with players. In all, it's certainly an interesting set of statistics, if a bit random. After all, Frogster was very careful not to say which class was the overall most popular one!

MassivelyFrogster gives us piles of Runes of Magic stats originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's been a while since we actually asked the most basic question one can possibly ask an MMO player: Why do you play MMOs?

It's a good question too, because we all have different reasons for why we play. Some of us love to explore the world, some of us love to talk and party with others, some of us want to accomplish the goals the game sets forth for us, and still others of us want to kill stuff -- lots and lots of stuff. These are traditionally known as the Bartle psychological gamer types, taken from gamer/developer/researcher Richard Bartle's paper on player culture.

So readers, please tell us why you play and feel free to discuss with your neighbors. It's interesting!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Why do you play? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>choiceopinionplayersthe-daily-grindThu, 22 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GamerDNA honored in AlwaysOn East 100 ]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/14/gamerdna-honored-in-alwayson-east-100/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/14/gamerdna-honored-in-alwayson-east-100/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/14/gamerdna-honored-in-alwayson-east-100/#commentsFiled under: ,

When it comes to communities where you can track your online gaming, there are tons to choose from. You can chat, message, list characters, post screenshots... sure. That said, one of our favorites has to be GamerDNA. Not only is the site run by a bunch of gamers who are absolutely passionate about what they do, but they aren't just working on their site and leaving it at that as so many other sites seem content to do. The people over at GamerDNA reach out into the community, using the information they've gathered from members to point out really interesting and enlightening things about how and why we're playing too - not just what we're playing. That's why when we heard they'd been honored this year as part of the AlwaysOn East 100, we were thrilled.

The AlwaysOn East 100 award is a way to reward "private, emerging technology companies creating new business opportunities in high-growth markets." Essentially, what that means to those of you who aren't keeping an eye on tech startups is that they kick butt and take names - and people from gamers to investors - are taking notice. Frankly, it's a richly-deserved award for an awesome bunch of people we've been lucky enough to work with from time to time. We can't wait to see what the next 12 months holds for them as they continue building their site, and their community. Grats!

MassivelyGamerDNA honored in AlwaysOn East 100 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 May 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alwaysonalwayson-east-100-awardawardawardsgamerdnagamingplayersThu, 14 May 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Tabula Rasa honors biggest fans by naming in-game items after them]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/29/tabula-rasa-honors-biggest-fans-by-naming-in-game-items-after-th/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/29/tabula-rasa-honors-biggest-fans-by-naming-in-game-items-after-th/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/29/tabula-rasa-honors-biggest-fans-by-naming-in-game-items-after-th/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

As I mentioned in an earlier post regarding Tabula Rasa's Deployment 16 hitting the test servers, one interesting feature included with this patch was this tidbit: 40 unique weapons named after players. This might be something you glanced over as you searched for more info on the PAUs, but this simple addition has made so many people excited, including myself.

The official list of immortalized players hasn't been released yet, but from the buzz at the PlanetTR forums, the ones who were honored are quite happy. I've skipped the plural narrative here to gush a bit about how much something like this means to me and presumably, the other 39 people honored as well.

Continue reading Tabula Rasa honors biggest fans by naming in-game items after them

MassivelyTabula Rasa honors biggest fans by naming in-game items after them originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>communitydestination-gamesncsoftplayerstabula-rasatrtr-deployment-16Thu, 29 Jan 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Anti-Aliased: Pourin' out one for all my guildies]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/20/anti-aliased-pourin-out-one-for-all-my-guildies/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/20/anti-aliased-pourin-out-one-for-all-my-guildies/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/20/anti-aliased-pourin-out-one-for-all-my-guildies/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


The Twilight Empire of World of Warcraft's Ravenholdt (PvPRP) server is a very diverse guild. They're active roleplayers, dabbling in raids and gearing for 70, frequently aid their members in running instances, and meet often to both roleplay different storylines and just be together. Their leader, Empress Aerana, has high hopes and aspirations for the guild she's built from the ground up at level 20 and has continued to run until this day; almost a year of keeping the guild active on Ravenholdt.

If you're looking at the above picture, you might recognize the paladin standing in the middle of the photo -- that's me, feeling kinda short at the moment. If it wasn't for Twilight Empire, I wouldn't be standing there in that room. The kindness of Aerana and the other guild members persuaded me to pick up my World of Warcraft disc and get back into the game -- something I've never done before for any other guild. With the frequent events, active membership and relaxed nature of the guild, I've felt right at home since I've jumped back in to the game. If it wasn't for the guild, the game wouldn't be half as fun. That's why this edition of Anti-Aliased is devoted to the concept of guilds and how critical they are to online gaming.

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: Pourin' out one for all my guildies

MassivelyAnti-Aliased: Pourin' out one for all my guildies originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 20 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anarchy-onlineanti-aliasedblizzardcasualccpcommunitieseaelectronic-artsendgameeveeve-onlinefeaturedffxifinal-fantasy-xifuncomguildguildsinfinite-dragonflightjoystiqfeaturesmatrix-onlinemxoold-hillsbradplayersplayonlinepolpvppvprpraidingravenholdtsoesony-online-entertainmentsquare-enixstar-wars-galaxiesswgthe-matrix-onlinetwilight-empireultima-onlineuoworld-of-warcraftwowSun, 20 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Player vs. Everything: The importance of morale]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/29/player-vs-everything-the-importance-of-morale/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/29/player-vs-everything-the-importance-of-morale/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/29/player-vs-everything-the-importance-of-morale/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

We've all been there. Any little thing can start it. Maybe the tank messes up and pulls two groups when he meant to pull one. Maybe the healer was distracted by his cat and some people die. Maybe the mage doesn't watch her aggro and the mobs take out the DPS. Something happens, and the group wipes. The seed of doubt is planted: Can this group really pull this dungeon off? Am I grouped with a bunch of idiots? How big is my repair bill going to be tonight?

It's like watching a chain of dominoes. Sometimes, the group can laugh off a wipe or two. But if a simple mistake turns into a pattern of someone screwing up, or if luck goes against you and you have a few simple mistakes in a row, people start losing their morale. Suddenly, people aren't using their consumables (why bother when you're just going to die again?). The tanks and healers get frustrated and start getting sloppy. The DPS gets angry and starts getting cocky. Everyone thinks everyone else is a moron, and each pull is a little less likely to succeed than the last. Each wipe spirals you further down. Finally, people start having mysterious "emergencies" and have to leave the group (do a /who check to see them farming somewhere in 30 minutes). You might not realize it, but your group's morale is hugely important to your success.

Continue reading Player vs. Everything: The importance of morale

MassivelyPlayer vs. Everything: The importance of morale originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>diplomacyeverquesteverquest-2everquest-iifeaturedfungolden-rulegroupgroupinggroupsmistakemistakesmoraleplayerplayer-vs-everythingplayersraidraidingraidsworld-of-warcraftTue, 29 Apr 2008 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[MMO MMOnkey: Short Circuiting Social Stereotypes with MMOs]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/09/mmo-mmonkey-short-circuiting-social-stereotypes-with-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/09/mmo-mmonkey-short-circuiting-social-stereotypes-with-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/09/mmo-mmonkey-short-circuiting-social-stereotypes-with-mmos/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

I was playing Lord of the Rings Online one night when a player agreed with something mentioned in general chat by saying "Indeed!" Without rancor or hostility another player laughed at this stilted language and asked whether people really talked like that. Of course the question was answered with a chorus of "Indeed!" but in the ensuing conversation the player who had laughed said that he or she was from an economically disadvantaged area where the use of language like "Indeed" was wholly foreign. S/he was surprised to discover that language differed so radically among different socio-economic groups. And I thought, "Now, this is one of the reasons why MMOs are such interesting places."

People categorize each other based on visual attributes like age, gender, hair and clothing style, and skin color. We also use political, religious, and social ideologies, musical, cinema, and leisure time preferences, and socio-economic class differences to divide ourselves up into different groups. The tendency to categorize and divide has more to do with the basic functioning of the human information processing system than bias or narrow mindedness on people's parts, and it is useful in allowing us to function effectively in the complex, dynamic, and often dangerious environment we call the real world. However, it does have it's drawbacks. It's long been known that people have a marked tendency to identify themselves with a group, identify people who are not members of their group as members of an out-group, and assign negative characteristics to the out-group. Moreover, we tend to spend most of our time with people who are like us. In other words, we hang out with people who look and think like we do and tend to think about people who are not like us in negative terms.

Continue reading MMO MMOnkey: Short Circuiting Social Stereotypes with MMOs

MassivelyMMO MMOnkey: Short Circuiting Social Stereotypes with MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>avatarscommunitycultural-stereotypesin-groupin-group-out-grouplord-of-the-rings-onlinenegative-stereotypesout-groupovercoming-social-stereotypesplayerplayerssocial-stereotypesstereotypestolerancetoonsturbineWed, 09 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Corum Online's leveling dungeons]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/18/corum-onlines-leveling-dungeons/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/18/corum-onlines-leveling-dungeons/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/18/corum-onlines-leveling-dungeons/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


MMOFury has a short interview up with Elliot Coward of Corum Online, a free-to-play, microtransaction-funded MMO (from the same company that runs Flyff and a few more originally Korean games). Corum has a nice little twist though -- in this game, not only do players level up, but so do dungeons. During the week, dungeons that have more players going through them will "level up," and get harder monsters to join, and players can even take over dungeons and gain rewards for their control. The Wikipedia page on the game says that things inside are pretty much taken over by high powered groups and guilds, but considering the size of the game, there's still quite a few dungeons that are uncontrolled. Sounds interesting.

To that end, Coward says that the devs are currently working on beefing up the guild system, including building up some systems for guild vs. guild play, and they're always trying to push out more dungeons -- Coward says that "MMOG players can burn through content like a hot knife through butter." Sounds about right to us.

MassivelyCorum Online's leveling dungeons originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>corum-onlinedungeonsguild-vs-guildguildslevelingmmofuryplayerspvptournamentwikipediaTue, 18 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[How to make RMT obsolete rather than legit]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/19/how-to-make-rmt-obsolete-rather-than-legit/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/19/how-to-make-rmt-obsolete-rather-than-legit/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/19/how-to-make-rmt-obsolete-rather-than-legit/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Raph Koster was nice enough to come by and read our post about Live Gamer and their attempts to make RMT legit, and responds that while I suggested RMT was cheating and reading strategy guides was not, many older gamers actually do consider sites like Thottbot and EVE-db cheating. Just as the spirit of gaming evolved to consider outside help legitimate, so, Raph argues, will designers give up to market and player pressure, and make RMT viable and "legal."

Which is probably true-- it's easy to see a future where a game like Dungeon Runners becomes a big hit, and 90% of the people play the game for free (or close to it), and the other 10% of the audience pays for the game by using only the highest level items and gear, and shelling out money for both. But personally, I'd rather go for Raph's other idea-- that smart designers will find ways around integrating RMT solutions by coming up with ways to make RMT unnecessary. I've written and talked about this before-- when it's impossible and/or inconvenient to obtain ingame items with real money, players just won't do it. And no players means no market.

And let's not forget, either, that these are just games we're talking about-- RMT can buy you all the items you want, but it can't buy you great gameplay, and that's the reason we're all here in the first place. If designers emphasize gameplay over simple epic item collection in the first place, there's no reason for RMT at all. Companies like Live Gamer smell money in the air around virtual items, but hopefully (and this is what Raph doubted in his first post) there is still more money to be made with a successful widespread game than just selling the items inside of it.

MassivelyHow to make RMT obsolete rather than legit originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Dec 2007 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>analysischeatingeve-dblegitlive-gamermarketsplayersraph-kosterrmtthottbotWed, 19 Dec 2007 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Blizzard was only expecting 1 million WoW subscribers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/30/blizzard-was-only-expecting-1-million-wow-subscribers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/30/blizzard-was-only-expecting-1-million-wow-subscribers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/30/blizzard-was-only-expecting-1-million-wow-subscribers/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Former Blizzard producer Bill Roper described the early days of World of Warcraft's development to CVG, saying, "we were hoping we'd be able to sell a million copies of the game." He pointed out that at the time, EverQuest was the gold standard for MMOs, and it only had 500,000 subscribers. "It would have been impossible to predict that World of Warcraft would take off as a cultural phenomenon as it did," he said.

He's right; people knew World of Warcraft would be a comparatively big deal, but how could they have predicted 9.3 million players? Throughout the history of persistent world online games, we've been surprised again and again at just how large the market for them can be. There are studios out there who think they can take it even further -- BioWare, for instance. Or maybe the industry will fragment into niche games now. The point is, you can't always predict this stuff. That's what makes it so exciting.

In case you were wondering what Roper is up to now, his company Flagship Studios recently released Hellgate: London -- more of a niche title than a mainstream record-buster. Flagship is also working on Mythos, a Diablo-esque-dungeon-crawler.

MassivelyBlizzard was only expecting 1 million WoW subscribers originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bill-roperblizzardbusinesscvgeverquestflagship-studioshellgate-londonindustrymythosplayerspredictionssalessubscriptionsworld-of-warcraftFri, 30 Nov 2007 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Community cartographers take on Kunark]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/29/community-cartographers-take-on-kunark/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/29/community-cartographers-take-on-kunark/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/29/community-cartographers-take-on-kunark/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


EverQuest II forum member Lenefir created a traveler's map of Kunark for players who are just getting started with exploring the new expansion. If you're one of those players, the map will help you locate the docks, the Wizard spire, both Druid rings, all zone lines, and the Sokokar Posts for fast travel around the continent.

Another forum member named aprilweeks posted several zone-specific travel maps as well. It's always nice to see players creating deep, complete game-play guides. Not that long ago some LotRO players created a huge guide to housing decorations, too. It's those sorts of community things that make this genre of games special.

MassivelyCommunity cartographers take on Kunark originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Nov 2007 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aprilweekscommunitydruid-ringeverquest-iiforumskunarklenefirmapplayersrise-of-kunarksoesokokarsokokar-poststravelwizard-spirezone-lineszonesThu, 29 Nov 2007 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: How many MMOs?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/27/the-daily-grind-how-many-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/27/the-daily-grind-how-many-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/27/the-daily-grind-how-many-mmos/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Let's face it-- MMOs are time-consuming. Just one great MMO can steal all your free time, but there are just so many out there that it's hard for some of us to stick to just one. I'm paying for two subscriptions at the moment, but with free-to-play games, and a couple of betas, I'm up to about five different games that I occasionally sign on to about once a week or so..

I can't say that splitting myself between that many games makes much sense-- I mostly do it just to keep up with what's new in all of them, so I'd guess that I'm a little higher than average. So let's put the question to you all today-- how many MMOs would you say that you play regularly (about once a week)? Are you a one-game player, or do you figure the more virtual worlds you get to visit, the better?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: How many MMOs? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 27 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>daily-grinddungeon-runnersmmosmultipleplayerspollsplittingthe-daily-grindtime-consumingTue, 27 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Tobold looks back at WoW, wonders what's next]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/05/tobold-looks-back-at-wow-wonders-whats-next/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/05/tobold-looks-back-at-wow-wonders-whats-next/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/05/tobold-looks-back-at-wow-wonders-whats-next/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Tobold's MMORPG Blog is one of the most popular online gaming blogs in the series of tubes, but Tobold suggesting that he and a lot of other online gamers are in a "gaming slump." World of Warcraft transformed the industry and expanded the market by leaps and bounds, but its appeal might be winding down, Tobold said. He could be right. Blizzard has been reporting active player numbers as high as ever, but a big chunk of the numbers comes from the enormous Asian player base. North American and European players might be ready to move on.

But what's next? Most games these days are WoW clones, and many of them haven't done as well as expected. Does the genre need a Battlestar Galactica-esque total reboot? If so, what will do it? The new Blizzard MMO, as Tobold suggests? The fabled KotoR MMO? The Elder Scrolls Online? What are your thoughts, dear readers?

MassivelyTobold looks back at WoW, wonders what's next originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 05 Nov 2007 20:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardelder-scrollselder-scrolls-onlinegamersindustrykotorkotor-mmoplayersrebootslumptoboldtobold's-mmorpg-blogworld-of-warcraftMon, 05 Nov 2007 20:28:00 EST