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[Derek Smart's Line of Defense shows off battle environments]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/07/derek-smarts-line-of-defense-shows-off-battle-environments/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/07/derek-smarts-line-of-defense-shows-off-battle-environments/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/07/derek-smarts-line-of-defense-shows-off-battle-environments/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Line of Defense
Last year we got our first look at Line of Defense, a new MMOFPS from Derek Smart and his team at 3000AD. The title is looking good so far and the devs are certainly eager to show off their progress. As such, 3000AD delivered five brand-new screenshots showcasing the environments and outfits that players will experience, including desert and snowy terrains.

Line of Defense takes place in the same game universe as Smart's Battlecruiser 3000AD series, and promises to deliver "open-world FPS mayhem" from the depths of the ocean to the heights of space and everything in-between. You can check out the new screenies in the gallery below, and make sure to catch up on our Derek Smart interview about Line of Defense if you haven't already!

[Source: Evolve PR press release]

Gallery: Line of Defense screens

MassivelyDerek Smart's Line of Defense shows off battle environments originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3000adbattlecruiser-3000adderek-smartevolve-prf2pfpsfree-to-playgalleryline-of-defensemmofpspicturesprpr-firmpublic-relationsscreenshotsTue, 07 Feb 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Soapbox: The absurdity of the NDA]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/29/the-soapbox-the-absurdity-of-the-nda/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/29/the-soapbox-the-absurdity-of-the-nda/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/29/the-soapbox-the-absurdity-of-the-nda/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Admiral Ackbar
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.

So Star Wars: The Old Republic's NDA dropped. Now the entire world (officially) knows the skinny on BioWare's new themepark, and I'm hard-pressed to think of a more anti-climactic NDA death. Even if you weren't following the game over the past few months, you knew exactly what to expect -- provided you weren't a Star Wars or a BioWare virgin.

This complete lack of surprise is one reason why the whole MMORPG NDA thing is a joke, and TOR is just the latest in a long series of punchlines.

Continue reading The Soapbox: The absurdity of the NDA

MassivelyThe Soapbox: The absurdity of the NDA originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>absurdityabsurdity-of-the-ndabambig-ass-monsterbig-ass-monstersbiowarebioware-ndaea-biowareen-masseen-masse-entertainmentfeaturedgame-journalismhypemarketingmmo-absurditymmo-industrymmo-ndammo-shootermmofpsndandas-are-stupidnon-disclosure-agreementopinionplanetside-2planetside2prpublic-relationssci-fisoapboxsoapbox-jef-reahardsoeSony-Online-Entertainmentstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorterathe-absurdity-of-the-ndathe-soapboxthemeparktortor-ndaTue, 29 Nov 2011 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[SOE releases second PlanetSide 2 short story]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/14/soe-releases-second-planetside-2-short-story/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/14/soe-releases-second-planetside-2-short-story/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/14/soe-releases-second-planetside-2-short-story/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

PlanetSide 2 - Vanu concept art
Sony Online Entertainment is kicking the publicity machine for PlanetSide 2 into high gear lately. The only problem is that all the PR has nothing to do with the actual game.

Yes, shooters can have lore (Global Agenda has quite an extensive backstory, for example), and SOE seems determined to keep its Forgelight-powered MMOFPS in the news without revealing much more about the mechanics. The latest salvo comes courtesy of celebrated comic scribe Marv Wolfman, who is busily creating PlanetSide 2's factional history via a series of short story vignettes. Today's reveal, the second in a series, centers on characters from the Vanu Sovereignty, some of whom buy into the faction's zealotry. "Today we have declared our Sovereignty, a Vanu Sovereignty. Only one force can live on Auraxis, and it must be us," one of them declares.

You can read the full text at the official PlanetSide 2 website, and don't forget to check out our exclusive Wolfman interview from earlier this week.

MassivelySOE releases second PlanetSide 2 short story originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>backstoryloremarv-wolfmanmmo-shootermmofpsplanetsideplanetside-2prpublic-relationssandy-jonessci-fiscifishootersoeSony-Online-Entertainmentvanuvanu-sovereigntyyay-more-loreFri, 14 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EST<![CDATA[BBC assembles experts to comment on Sony crisis]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/03/bbc-assembles-experts-to-comment-on-sony-crisis/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/03/bbc-assembles-experts-to-comment-on-sony-crisis/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/03/bbc-assembles-experts-to-comment-on-sony-crisis/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The fact that it's been one of the worst couple of weeks for Sony -- and its customers -- cannot be disputed. However, the future of this crisis, which started a couple of weeks ago when Sony's network was hacked and user information was stolen, is anybody's guess. As such, BBC News assembled a panel of four industry experts to comment on the situation and speculate where Sony might go from here.

Richard Merrin, a PR director, said that Sony demonstrated both the worst and best ways to respond to a crisis: "In the first instance, Sony waited ten days before telling users what was happening, which is a classic error in terms of communications. It knocked consumer [confidence] and damaged Sony's reputation. But with the second incident, it has acted extremely quickly and seems to be following the four golden rules in crisis PR -- to be open, honest, transparent and fast."

"In terms of PR, I think Sony can turn it around," said ComputerandVideoGames.com's Tim Ingham. "Consumers are often quickly outraged by this sort of wobble from a global corporation -- but we tend to have short memories if we're not personally damaged by a given incident."

The security expert, Sophos' Graham Cluley, said this doesn't change how users should protect themselves: "People need to be more careful with their passwords and make sure that they have different passwords for different online accounts."

You can read the rest of the comments at BBC News.

MassivelyBBC assembles experts to comment on Sony crisis originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 03 May 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bbcbbc-newscomputerandvideogames.comcrisisexpertsGraham-Cluleypanelprpr-crisispublic-relationsRichard-Merrinsoesonysony-online-entertainmentsophosTim-InghamTue, 03 May 2011 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: If you could ask a dev any question and get a straight answer, what would it be?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/18/the-daily-grind-if-you-could-ask-a-dev-any-question-and-get-a-s/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/18/the-daily-grind-if-you-could-ask-a-dev-any-question-and-get-a-s/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/18/the-daily-grind-if-you-could-ask-a-dev-any-question-and-get-a-s/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Today, let's pretend like marketing, public relations, and corporate secrecy don't exist, shall we? And while we're dreaming up crazy scenarios, let's imagine that you got to sit down with an MMO developer of your choice and ask him or her one direct question. The catch? That dev would have to give you a direct, straight answer without any hedging, PR-speak, or "no comments."

What would that question be and to whom would you address it?

Would you want to know the top secret release date for The Old Republic or Guild Wars 2? Would you uncover the very real truth behind shady scandals of the past? Would you want to know what the devs say about players amongst each other? Or would you want to know their favorite pies?

Today you get one question. Today is your... destiny!

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: If you could ask a dev any question and get a straight answer, what would it be? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>devdeveloperguild-wars-2gw2marketingopinionprpr-speakpublic-relationsq-and-aquestionquestion-and-answerrelease-datestar-wars-the-old-republicswtortdgthe-daily-grindthe-old-republicMon, 18 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Wings Over Atreia: Community roundup]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/31/wings-over-atreia-community-roundup/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/31/wings-over-atreia-community-roundup/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/31/wings-over-atreia-community-roundup/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


There's been a lot happening around the Aionosphere this past month, with the announcement of next week's 1.9 patch revelation topping the list. There's also been talk of server merges, the mythical 2.0 update, changes to Miragents, and a boatload of other community news that we'll recap for you after the cut.

As always, send in your Aion-related questions or observations to jef AT massively DOT com, and let us know of anything we missed.

Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: Community roundup

MassivelyWings Over Atreia: Community roundup originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 31 May 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionaion-the-tower-of-eternityassault-on-balariacommunity-roundupfeaturedgrindlani-blazierncsoftncsoft-westopinionpsapublic-relationsthe-more-you-mmowings-over-atreia-jef-reahardMon, 31 May 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The great divide between EVE's players and developers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/01/the-great-divide-between-eves-players-and-developers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/01/the-great-divide-between-eves-players-and-developers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/01/the-great-divide-between-eves-players-and-developers/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Once upon a time, there was a game about internet spaceships set in a vast galaxy, just waiting to be explored and conquered. It wasn't a huge game in terms of subscribers, in fact it was quite niche, but its small following was devoted. The size of the community allowed the developers to really interact with them and refine the game. The devs were approachable, open, and direct. In many respects, the players and developers were friends. All seemed well in the internet spaceships game, until the player base's numbers grew, and so did the collective din of their voices. The developers soon found they had to be careful about what they said to the players, in case they'd be accused of going back on their word somewhere down the line. At the same time, the game company grew to handle all of these new faces. As with most internet communities, the ever-growing numbers of players became more and more hostile, and the developers grew more and more silent...

Then, a developer -- let's call him "t20" -- used his knowledge of the game to cheat a little. Some players received an unfair advantage over others because of this lapse of judgment, and it was revealed publicly. The players became enraged. The developers were embarrassed and apologetic. Many players left the game, or at least loudly professed that they would. Many perceived that the developers, seen as a whole, were untrustworthy. Given how bad this situation was, and seeing no real way to change these perceptions, the game's creators had to accept that this was how things were. The people who built up the game from nothing saw little recourse but to withdraw even further from the very community which was so vital to their success. Does our story end there?

Continue reading The great divide between EVE's players and developers

MassivelyThe great divide between EVE's players and developers originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Sep 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-gamescheatcheatingcommunitycouncil-of-stellar-managementcsmdevdevelopersdevselectionseveeve-onlineforumsprpublic-relationst20trustwarp-drive-activewinterblinkMon, 01 Sep 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Eidos closes down their marketing department]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/eidos-closes-down-their-marketing-department/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/eidos-closes-down-their-marketing-department/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/eidos-closes-down-their-marketing-department/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


As a result of the recent deal with Warner Bros., Eidos has now announced it will close down its North American marketing, sales and PR departments completely. This coming after their parent company SCi's announcement to cut 25% of its worldwide workforce earlier this year. It hasn't been an easy year for the publisher of such successful titles as Hitman, Deus Ex and the Tomb Raider series, but this may just be the restructuring they've needed.

Most importantly for us though, we wonder what this means for Age of Conan, which is handled by Eidos. SCi mentions the fact that they have discontinued development on 14 different game projects in an effort to stem the company's financial losses, including a $161 million deficit in the second half of 2007, and a refocus on high profile games likely to generate a larger return. We can only hope they're talking about Age of Conan.

MassivelyEidos closes down their marketing department originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conaneidoseidos-interactivemarketingpublic-relationssalessciwarner-brosMon, 28 Apr 2008 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[What is it those WAR devs do all day, anyway?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/22/what-is-it-those-war-devs-do-all-day-anyway/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/22/what-is-it-those-war-devs-do-all-day-anyway/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/22/what-is-it-those-war-devs-do-all-day-anyway/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


Ahh, to have the life of an EA Mythic developer. Sit at the beach all day, sipping margaritas, getting massages from Adriana Lima and Jessica Alba. Occasionally taking a break from that to write a line of code or answer a support request. That is truly the life, am I right?

Sadly, that is not the rock star life of a dev, no matter what you may want to believe. The main PR guys (Jeff Hickman, Paul Barnett and Josh Drescher) from the makers of the highly-anticipated Warhammer Online sat down with MMORPG.com to let us know what really goes on in their hectic lives. While it's not all fun and games, there is an element of hard work and rigorous travel schedules to contend with. Despite the fact that MMO developers are achieving a celebrity status lately, they have their work cut out for them in not only creating, but maintaining a successfully organic game.

MassivelyWhat is it those WAR devs do all day, anyway? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adriana-limaeaea-mythicjessica albaJessicaAlbammorpg.compublic-relationswarhammer-onlineTue, 22 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EST