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Red 5 Studios CEO denounces consoles and publishers

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 03 May 2012 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Business models, Interviews, MMO industry, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, Firefall

"Who needs publishers any more? I certainly don't. I couldn't care less about them at this stage," said Red 5 Studios CEO Mark Kern. In a candid interview with Eurogamer, Kern ripped into both consoles and publisher-led models as relics on their way out the door.

Kern said that the pressure that publishers put on studios are death to the industry, resulting in either "an indie game or... a massive AAA, IP-backed sequel with derivative gameplay." He thinks that there's no middle ground, and it disturbs him how many studios fire staff right after a game launches.

Instead, the man behind Firefall believes that the free-to-play model puts the power back in the hands of the developers who then can concentrate on making games without having to kowtow to the publishers and distributors. "Look at Riot Games and League of Legends. They have more users than World of Warcraft does. That's crazy. And they don't have a publisher," Kern said.

Citing the expense and sluggish reaction of console development, Kern also predicts that mobile and PC gaming are on their way to take over the field. "Something has to change," he concludes. "Consoles, I believe, are dead."

Red 5 Studios CEO denounces consoles and publishers originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 May 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kickstarting the future of game publishing: An interview with Brian Fargo

Shawn Schuster — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, Interviews, MMO industry, Opinion, Massively Interviews, Massively Event Coverage, Post-Apocalyptic, Miscellaneous

When I was 12 years old, my days mainly consisted of one thing: playing games on my Commodore 64. I would set my alarm early to get some gaming in before school, think about the games all day during school, then come home and play as much as I could before my parents made me stop and do homework or chores. Aside from TSR's Gold Box series, the two games that molded my childhood and my love for gaming were Wasteland and The Bard's Tale. Both of these games were made by Interplay Productions, a company founded by Brian Fargo in 1983.

Fargo has always been an iconic figure to me. I regularly name my MMO characters Faran Brygo (a name he used for an NPC in the original Wasteland). I'm certainly not alone in my love for Wasteland (which I have labeled for years as my all-time-favorite RPG), but I think it's safe to say that many gamers who enjoyed Wasteland always wondered why there was no sequel. Fallout 1 and 2 were "spiritual successors" to the game, but for copyright reasons, they were never actually labeled as true sequels. Fargo tried to make a true sequel for 20 years but was always met with brick walls from publishers who weren't interested in resurrecting such an old game.

Enter Kickstarter. After the wild success of Tim Schafer's Double Fine crowdfunding campaign, Fargo got the idea to try it out for himself. The timing was right with the current nostalgic gaming scene, the popularity of the post-apocalyptic genre, and the fact that most of Interplay's original fans are now in a position of making a tad more income than allowance money from childhood chores.

We sat down with Brian Fargo to discuss his views on the potential of Kickstarter, the future of Big Brother game publishers, and Wasteland 2.

Continue reading Kickstarting the future of game publishing: An interview with Brian Fargo

Kickstarting the future of game publishing: An interview with Brian Fargo originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wizardry Online launches open beta in Japan while eyeing the west

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, MMO industry, PvP, Free-to-play

Gamepot's hardcore do-or-die Wizardry Online took a big step in its development last week as the title went into open beta in Japan. Over 100,000 players stormed the castle gates to get a peek at this permadeath MMO, and Gamepot had to add several additional servers during the first day to handle the influx of adventurers.

Gamepot's Shuhei Ueda says that seducing Japanese players is just the first step in the company's plans: "For Gamepot, it is truly amazing to see so many enthusiastic fans of the Wizardry franchise participate in the open beta testing, and now live service, of Wizardry Online. Bringing this innovative and legendary series to a new platform has been a rewarding process and we're looking forward to continuing our world-wide rollout to fans around the globe."

Work continues on an English version of Wizardry Online, which Gamepot hopes will make it across the Pacific sometime in 2012. The studio is also seeking out a publisher for North American and European markets. While you wait, you can read up on our first look at Wizardry Online from this past summer's E3.

Gallery: Wizardry Online

[Source: Gamepot press release]

Wizardry Online launches open beta in Japan while eyeing the west originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Codemasters website, store, and database hacked

Jef Reahard — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, News items, Miscellaneous

Another day, another game publisher in a hacker's crosshairs. This time around it's Codemasters, and Eurogamer has the details on a security violation that compromised the company's website, EStore, CodeM database, and Dirt3 VIP code redemption webpage. The intrusion occurred on June 3rd, and Codemasters has sent out a letter to affected customers advising of the potential threat to their identity-related information.

The article reports that no payment details or credit card info was pilfered, but encrypted passwords as well as Xbox Live gamer tags and personal data (including addresses and user names) were taken. Thus far no groups or individuals have claimed responsibility for the attack. You can read the full Codemasters letter at Eurogamer.

Codemasters website, store, and database hacked originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Frogster acquires unnamed Shanda Games MMORPG

Jef Reahard — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play

Frogster's online gaming portfolio just got a bit bigger, though details are scarce as to the name and the nature of the company's newest acquisition. The German publishing giant, most famous for bringing Runes of Magic to the masses, announced that it has secured the rights to a new fantasy MMORPG from Shanda Games, a Chinese developer.

The unnamed title will reportedly distinguish itself by featuring a setting developed expressly for Western audiences, and Frogster plans to launch the game using a free-to-play business model some time in 2012. "This deal with Shanda Games adds yet another prominent MMORPG to our portfolio. By licensing the game for North America and Europe, we have taken another step in establishing Frogster as one of the leading MMO game publishers in the world," said Andreas Weidenhaupt, a Frogster executive board member.

Frogster acquires unnamed Shanda Games MMORPG originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ntreev rebranding as SG Interactive

Jef Reahard — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play

Ntreev USA, the publisher behind free-to-play titles Grand Chase, Pangya, and Trickster Online, has announced a corporate rebranding as well as new games and an online portal. In a press release made public earlier today, Ntreev revealed that it has changed its name to SG Interactive and will be expanding to offer new online games and services through a portal that is scheduled to launch early next year.

The portal will focus on existing F2P titles as well as several new games, the details of which will be announced before the end of 2010.

SG Interactive, originally founded as Ntreev in 2006 and located in Southern California, was recently acquired by SmileGate, the Korean publisher responsible for Cross Fire. Be on the lookout for a Massively interview with SG Interactive coming soon.

Ntreev rebranding as SG Interactive originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Frogster responds to TERA fan backlash

Jef Reahard — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, New titles, News items, TERA

The recent announcement by Bluehole Studios and Frogster Online Gaming that the latter had secured the European publishing rights to TERA brought about something akin to an outcry from portions of the forthcoming fantasy MMORPG's community. While it wasn't quite millions of voices crying out in terror (and then being suddenly silenced), there were a few indignant threads on the various TERA fan sites. Why the brouhaha?

Apparently some fans have experienced everything from perceived shoddy customer service, to forum "censorship," to the wanton slaughter of helpless kittens in previous Frogster-published titles (the largest of which is free-to-play behemoth Runes of Magic). Frogster director of product management Daniel Ulrich has since extended an olive branch in the form of a post on the official TERA forums, laying out the first of what will be several rounds of Q&A posts over the next few days.

Check out the thread for some answers to your burning TERA questions, including free-to-play vs. pay-to-play, support team specifics, and server hardware.

Frogster responds to TERA fan backlash originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Runescape's Mark Gerhard talks self-publishing success

Jef Reahard — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, News items, RuneScape, Free-to-play, Browser

Jagex, makers of the successful browser-based MMORPG Runescape, went through a who's who listing of game publishers before ultimately deciding to fly solo and self-publish their free-to-play fantasy title. Company CEO Mark Gerhard minced few words when speaking about the trials and tribulations of securing a publishing deal during a talk at this week's Develop Conference.

"We went to publishers like Activision and EA and said we've got an awesome browser game, and they said **** off. We went back and said we've got a million users and they said bull****. The necessity forced us to become a publisher," Gerhard said.

Ultimately, Jagex was able to parlay their success into an investment deal with Sony, and is also releasing multiple additional titles including War of Legends, an iPhone game called Bouncedown, and numerous casual titles via the FunOrb gaming portal. Check out the original article at Game Politics for more details.

Runescape's Mark Gerhard talks self-publishing success originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ESTsoft to publish CABAL Online in the West

Jef Reahard — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Cabal Online, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play

Fans of Cabal Online rejoice! ESTsoft's free-to-play fantasy MMORPG is alive and well in the Western market, and will not be put out to pasture as we initially reported. ESTsoft, the game's original developer, will be taking over for OGPlanet as the North American publisher, and is currently hard at work on the logistics involved in the transfer.

A brief statement is available on their web site, and you can also follow their progress on the Cabal Online Facebook fan page as well as the ESTsoft Twitter feed. No official details have surfaced regarding the preservation of existing accounts and character assets, but we'll keep you informed as we learn more. For now, all current users should activate the sub-passwords on their accounts, as those passwords will be used to verify your ID in the coming service transition.

ESTsoft to publish CABAL Online in the West originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Would you want to work in the industry?

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind

Working in the business of making games is the dream of many gamers -- it's a field we love, with a whole lot of obvious perks and the chance at making a permanent impact on the field. Of course, once you dig a little deeper it becomes clear that making games isn't necessarily a fun ride. The field is full of contentious personalities, greedy publishers, "fans" who frequently heckle your every step, and a high profit margin expected with little turnaround time. And let's not forget the very real possibility of having the rug yanked out from under you midway through development.

Still, none of this stops people from being attracted to the field, and those in the thick of it generally wouldn't trade it away even if they had the option. For all the downsides, the rewards are... well... any time you see a game go live that you're proud to have worked on and all of the fans who genuinely like your work. So what about you? Do you want to take part in the up-and-down ride of the game industry, or would you rather just enjoy the end result?

The Daily Grind: Would you want to work in the industry? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Black Prophecy newsletter updates fans on the game

James Egan — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, New titles, Black Prophecy

The sci-fi MMO Black Prophecy from developer Reakktor Media still has a few significant hurdles to clear before release, but it's looking to be an interesting title from the gameplay footage we've seen thus far. As they continue to develop Black Prophecy and seek a publisher to help them expand their reach into multiple markets, Reakktor Media has been updating the community on the game's status.

They've just released their eighth Black Prophecy newsletter that hits on the media coverage they've received in the last month (along with the latest art assets), a look into the game's art direction, and the "Pimp My Ship!" that's happening on the official forums. Also, if you're curious about what will differentiate this game from other sci-fi MMOs currently on the market, be sure to have a look through Massively's Black Prophecy coverage.

Gallery: Black Prophecy

Gallery: Black Prophecy Concept Art

Black Prophecy newsletter updates fans on the game originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Black Prophecy creators reach out to the community

James Egan — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Business models, Game mechanics, New titles, Black Prophecy

Black Prophecy is a space-based science fiction MMO in development at Reakktor Media in Germany, which we've covered a bit here at Massively. But the fact is that Reakktor may not be a company that many MMO gamers are all that familiar with. The Black Prophecy team has decided to try and remedy this, with a Q&A in their community forums that introduces a bit about CEO Kirk Lenke and development director Simon Bachmann, as well as their approach to the game.

Ultimately, the Q&A answers some of the questions that people have about Black Prophecy, both in terms of game mechanics and the business decisions behind getting the title published.

Continue reading Black Prophecy creators reach out to the community

Black Prophecy creators reach out to the community originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Warcraft in China to go offline for weeks in operator handover

James Egan — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Business models, MMO industry, News items

World of Warcraft is perhaps the only Western MMO to enjoy tremendous success thus far in China, the world's fastest growing market for online games. It's been a difficult road to the top though, if recent news reports are any indication. In addition to government regulations preventing Wrath of the Lich King from releasing for the Mainland, we've reported that The9 has lost the rights to operate World of Warcraft in China to competitor NetEase. Now we learn that the transition of operations from The9 to NetEase will mean World of Warcraft goes dark in China for a matter of weeks.

JLM Pacific Epoch in Shanghai has been following the story and reports that The9 will cease mainland operation of WoW at midnight on June 7th, after four years of continual service. World of Warcraft will return to China in "late June" under the banner of NetEase. It's expected that character data will be preserved with the handover.

One of Azeroth's millions of citizens? Check out our ongoing coverage of the World of Warcraft, and be sure to touch base with our sister site WoW Insider for all your Lich King needs!

Continue reading World of Warcraft in China to go offline for weeks in operator handover

World of Warcraft in China to go offline for weeks in operator handover originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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American McGee seeks to bring kart-racing MMO to the west

James Egan — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Casual

Lots of people predict a new game being the next WoW-killer, or at least irritate others with those predictions, but in China some people are talking about a KartRider-killer. One of the most popular games in China -- indeed, throughout Asia -- is an MMO based off of GoKart racing and it looks like other competitors are about to take on Nexon's KartRider dominance. What's interesting is that the main person behind this is none other than American McGee, who's now turning his attention to the MMO space with a new game called BaiJiu Racer, which our sister site Big Download reports.

If you've ever played the trippy game American McGee's Alice, a twisted continuation of Alice in Wonderland released in 2000, you'll probably remember his name. American McGee currently heads up the Shanghai-based Spicy Horse game studio which most recently developed the episodic PC game Grimm. BaiJiu Racer (context: BaiJiu is a 120 proof liquor) already has a Chinese publisher, but McGee is seeking to bring the title to western markets as well, and is putting out a call to interested parties. While a kart-racing game might not seem like the most viable MMO game to release outside of Asia, you might want to have a look at the trailer found below the cut, it looks like fun.

Continue reading American McGee seeks to bring kart-racing MMO to the west

American McGee seeks to bring kart-racing MMO to the west originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Activision Blizzard locks down senior management with long-term deals

Chris Chester — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, MMO industry, News items

In sports, it's fairly common practice for successful teams to sign their top talent to long-term contract extensions--both to shore up a sense of security for the owners over the long term, but also to demonstrate in straight forward monetary terms how much they mean to the team. This is not quite unlike what has happened over at Activision-Blizzard, where the senior talent at Blizzard has signed five-year contracts with the company to reaffirm their commitment to the team. It's not immediately clear how many people this is meant to include.

Activision-Blizzard also reportedly offered similar deals to blockbuster developers Infinity Ward and Neversoft, who are responsible for the other big money-making franchises in the ActiBlizz portfolio. When you consider the speculation from the other day that developers might be gaining greater control of their projects and the news that EA Mythic is getting their Mythic Entertainment moniker back, it seems likes its a good time to be a proven developer. They suddenly have leverage they could only grumble for over the past few years.

Activision Blizzard locks down senior management with long-term deals originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leash on developers slackening thanks to Blizzard?

Chris Chester — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, Making money, Opinion

Few developers in the world have the leverage with their publishers that Blizzard has enjoyed over the years. Where most companies involved in major mergers or corporate hullabaloo end up being cut up and sold for scrap, Blizzard actually had a major say in which parties their parent company dealt with. The resulting mega-corp is even partially adopting their name. Not bad for a developer started many moons ago by a trio of UCLA grads.

Some are now speculating that the spectacular success of outfits like Blizzard and Bungie may be prompting publishers to reconsider their relationships with other rockstar development houses like Infinity Ward, the folks behind the best of the Call of Duty series. It seems the suits are finally coming around to the idea that trusting in their proven talent can yield benefits far exceeding the cost of a delay here and there. EA, for instance, appears to be demonstrating patience with Mythic's treatment of Warhammer Online, but only time will tell whether these aren't just isolated cases.

Leash on developers slackening thanks to Blizzard? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The unaddressed impediments to console MMOs

Chris Chester — Sun, 18 May 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, MMO industry, Opinion, Consoles

It's a question we often ask ourselves, particularly when games like Grand Theft Auto IV sell over 3 million copies inside of a month: what's stopping developers from bringing more MMOs to the console space? If you ask the console makers, they'll say that the opportunities are there for the taking. They're stable platforms, uniformly online-enabled, and they have captive audiences in the tens of millions. So what's the problem?

Joe Ludwig, producer of Pirates of the Burning Sea, explained in a recent blog post that it's really pretty straight-forward. He says that the addition of a platform-owner to the developer/publisher dynamic throws a wrench in the process. Not only do the console manufacturers demand a cut of the already-tenuous profit margins, but their certification processes also slow down the release of patches. Couple that with longer development times and the inherent limitations of voice-chat, and you've got a yourself sticky situation. Will we see successful console MMOs in the future? Undoubtedly. But the prospects of success in the short-term, Ludwig says, are likely slim.

The unaddressed impediments to console MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 18 May 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SOE's John Smedley weighs in on Gods and Heroes, lessons from Vanguard

Michael Zenke — Tue, 06 May 2008 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Gods and Heroes, Business models, MMO industry, Vanguard

GamesIndustry.biz continues its week of MMO-related features, discussing the role of partnerships in the business. Sony Online Entertainment has obviously had a number of notable relationships, and company president John Smedley offered up some time to comment on their history with business partnerships. As has often been the trend in recent years, Mr. Smedley talked heavily about the lessons the company has learned through hard knocks and rough launches. One of the reoccuring themes in GI's discussion with the CEO is what can be taken away from Vanguard's horrible launch early last year.

Smedley makes no bones about that situation, saying that the company was being "run into the ground", but also noting that the game is now doing very well. He also spends some time talking about their relationship with Perpetual Entertainment and their stillborn collaboration Gods and Heroes. "Behind the scenes ... they were putting on a brave face to customers, but we were giving them advice all the time - which was ignored. At some point you get to this point in development ... in fact with Perpetual that was a direct result of the learnings we got from Vanguard - at one point they wanted to try and put the thing out early, and we said 'Look, we're not interested - we don't care if we lose money, but if you put this thing out there, users are going to hate it, and it's going to be a bad release.'" Also check out the interview for more on the in-development Indian title Ramayan, the changing MMO marketplace, and SOE's role in the future of the genre.

SOE's John Smedley weighs in on Gods and Heroes, lessons from Vanguard originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 May 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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