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[MMO Family: Hey, this looks like a kids' game]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/18/mmo-family-hey-this-looks-like-a-kids-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/18/mmo-family-hey-this-looks-like-a-kids-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/18/mmo-family-hey-this-looks-like-a-kids-game/#commentsFiled under: ,

MMO Family is your resource for leveling a gaming-specced family ... From tips on balancing gaming with family life to finding age-appropriate niches for every family member, MMO Family offers you advice on MMO gaming of the family, by the family and for the family.

We've talked before about different ways to sniff out if an MMO is a good choice for your kids. What we haven't covered yet are the indicators that a game may not be a good fit for your family. In light of the long hours of freedom stretching before our kids when school's out (and the fact that parental oversight is more likely to be lenient, if not downright indulgent, during the holidays), we decided some yellow-light signals might be in order.

Being a gaming parent sometimes makes it tougher, not simpler, to choose the right games for kids. Constant exposure to gaming news and game names can give us a false sense of familiarity. We build assumptions about games based on what we know about the companies that produce them. What we think we know actually makes it harder to spot what we're not clued into at all.

Continue reading MMO Family: Hey, this looks like a kids' game

MassivelyMMO Family: Hey, this looks like a kids' game originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>childrenESRBfamilyfeaturedfree-to-playkidsparentsratingratingsFri, 18 Dec 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Fallen Earth rated M for Mature by ESRB]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/10/fallen-earth-rated-m-for-mature-by-esrb/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/10/fallen-earth-rated-m-for-mature-by-esrb/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/10/fallen-earth-rated-m-for-mature-by-esrb/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Fallen Earth is the upcoming post-apocalyptic massively multiplayer online game where players will soon be carving out a living in a world ravaged by viral and nuclear armageddon. Not that we really thought a game where fending off packs of mutated anarchist bikers out in the wasteland Mad Max-style was really going to be "family-oriented entertainment", but Fallen Earth LLC has now made it official.

Circatrix from the Fallen Earth team writes, "Thought you all should be the first to know that we've received our rating from the ESRB board and we're classified as an M (Mature). You'll start to see this in our ads and videos moving forward." We're glad to hear that they're not toning down the game's themes simply to reach a younger audience, and Massively will be keeping an eye on Fallen Earth as it gets closer to launch.

MassivelyFallen Earth rated M for Mature by ESRB originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>circatrixentertainment-software-rating-boardesrbfallen-earthfallen-earth-llclegalmad-maxmaturemmo-industrymutantspost-apocalypticratingrating-boardratingssci-fiFri, 10 Apr 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Aus government confused on MMOG ratings requirements]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/20/aus-government-confused-on-mmog-ratings-requirements/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/20/aus-government-confused-on-mmog-ratings-requirements/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/20/aus-government-confused-on-mmog-ratings-requirements/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

After issuing some apparently definitive statements about the requirement for MMOGs to be classified for sale in Australia, the department responsible seems to have thrown up its collective hands in confusion and is apparently unable to determine whether MMOGs should or should not be classified.

While the government held firm for a while that MMOGs were no different to other games for the purposes of the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act of 1995, and that the position upheld by the Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia (IEAA) was incorrect, that message changed earlier this week, when the message wavered and the department then suggested that publishers and retailers (and us) should seek advice elsewhere.

Continue reading Aus government confused on MMOG ratings requirements

MassivelyAus government confused on MMOG ratings requirements originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>australiaaustralian-classification-boardfeaturedieaalegalmmo-industryopinionratingron-curryFri, 20 Feb 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Australia takes no action on unrated computer games]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/06/australia-takes-no-action-on-unrated-computer-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/06/australia-takes-no-action-on-unrated-computer-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/06/australia-takes-no-action-on-unrated-computer-games/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Since we broke the story on the unlawful sales of unrated MMOGs in Australia last week, there has been a fair bit of coverage, from Australian newspapers to assorted gaming blogs. Much of what you've probably read since the original story covered here and later in the Sydney Morning Herald haven't really had much in the way of new information, and like a game of Telephone, the tale has grown somewhat in the telling.

So, here we're going to set it out for you, so you can get the information straight.

Firstly, Australia has not suddenly banned MMOGs, nor has any law related to their classification or sale been abruptly changed. The regulations have been in place since at least 1995, and there's nothing new in that regard.

Continue reading Australia takes no action on unrated computer games

MassivelyAustralia takes no action on unrated computer games originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Feb 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>australiaaustralian-classification-boardieaalegalmmo-industryopinionratingron-curryFri, 06 Feb 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Gaming the ratings game]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/04/gaming-the-ratings-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/04/gaming-the-ratings-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/04/gaming-the-ratings-game/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Life used to be so simple. You'd walk into a store, present your purchase, pay for it and walk on out again. The laws and regulations that govern both you and the seller were the same. With mail-order, phone order and digital downloads, that is no longer the case.

You see in a simple transaction, like the purchase of an MMOG, there are actually two distinct actions taking place, a purchase and a sale. The act of selling is governed by the regulations that the seller is subject to in their jurisdiction. The purchase is under the jurisdiction of the buyer.

It's funny, really MMOGs like Funcom's Age of Conan on Australian shelves may trigger all sorts of fines (especially if the title is ultimately refused classification), but sales of the same title to Australians via Steam could well be immune to all the ratings fuss.

Simply put, the enforcement act that governs the sales of rated and unrated material in Australia applies almost entirely to selling (not to buying) and the act of the sale for most digital downloads is taking place out of range of those regulations.

Continue reading Gaming the ratings game

MassivelyGaming the ratings game originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Feb 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>australiaaustralian-classification-boardbusiness-modelslegalmmo-industryopinionratingWed, 04 Feb 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[MMOs defy classification in Australia]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/28/mmogs-defy-classification-in-australia/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/28/mmogs-defy-classification-in-australia/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/28/mmogs-defy-classification-in-australia/#commentsFiled under: , ,

There's been quite a bit of fuss over the last twelve months or so about game ratings in Australia. According to the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act of 1995, computer and console games are treated very much like films. All of that rating is done by the Classification Board, in conjunction with the Australian Federal Attorney-General's office.

"Every film ... and computer game ... has to be classified before it can be made legally available to the public." - Australian Classification Board

One of the hitches in game-ratings in Australia is that there are no "R18+" or "X18+" ratings for games as there are for films. Games that would fall into these categories are refused classification. Because of this, no video games can be traded or sold in Australia that have content that is not appropriate for a 15-year-old. Without a formal classification (and compliant labeling) for a game, it is a criminal offense under Australian State and Territory laws for it to be sold, hired or demonstrated.

The problem here is that comparatively few MMOG titles sold on Australia's retail shelves ever carry a rating and labeling as the Classification Act requires. Could publishers, distributors and retailers of these unrated MMOGs suddenly wake up to find themselves in a legal hole hundreds of thousands of sales deep?

Continue reading MMOs defy classification in Australia

MassivelyMMOs defy classification in Australia originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaustraliaaustralian-classification-boardblizzardeve-onlinefeaturedfuncomjoystiqfeatureslegalliz-armitagemmo-industryoflcratingworld-of-warcraftWed, 28 Jan 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Are you on the path?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/02/are-you-on-the-path/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/02/are-you-on-the-path/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/02/are-you-on-the-path/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

One factor that keeps MMORPGs running is the desire for progression. Every player who sets foot in any subscription-based game can eventually see the will of the developers creating systems that will make you dedicated time and energy to their game.

Yet, the one thing that no one seems to take notice of is the way we get sucked into keep playing. Sometimes isn't not about the difficulty of the challenge itself, but the path it takes to get to there. Everyone sees the physical difficulty of doing a raid, and everyone knows that the developers make it difficult to complete a raid so you keep playing longer, but very few can see the will of the developers resonating in the path it takes to get to the challenge.

Rohan at Blessing of Kings, however, locked onto that path in his latest post, entitled "Being on the Path".

Continue reading Are you on the path?

MassivelyAre you on the path? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arenaarena-season-4blessing-of-kingsblizzardpersonal-ratingpvepvppvp-endgamepvp-gearraidsratingratingsrohanworld-of-warcraftwowMon, 02 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Champions Online developer post roundup]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/03/champions-online-developer-post-roundup/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/03/champions-online-developer-post-roundup/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/03/champions-online-developer-post-roundup/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Having an insatiable appetite for all things Champions Online, we've gone and searched their official forums like rabid info-hounds and complied a nice list of developer quotes. Of course there's no official dev tracker in the forums and for a while we were sort of wandering around manually searching for Cryptic employee posts until we found this very helpful thread. Big thanks goes to poster Foo for coming up with the idea -- it certainly makes our monstrous thirst for information easier to quench.

This time around we've got tons of topics ranging from XP dept to underwater missions -- trust us when we say you'll be happily surprised by many of the dev posts.

Continue reading Champions Online developer post roundup

MassivelyChampions Online developer post roundup originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 03 Mar 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arkaynebaseschampions-onlinecodrcraftingcrypticdev-postsdeveloperfeaturedforumshousinglayer-cakesmission-diversityps3ratingshapeshiftingunderwater-missionsxp-deptMon, 03 Mar 2008 10:00:00 EST