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[The Daily Grind: What do you like to see on MMO websites?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/01/the-daily-grind-what-do-you-like-to-see-on-mmo-websites/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/01/the-daily-grind-what-do-you-like-to-see-on-mmo-websites/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/01/the-daily-grind-what-do-you-like-to-see-on-mmo-websites/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

DAoC
During my time with Massively and as a gamer, I've visited scads of official MMO websites. And I can say, incontrovertibly, that no two of them had the same features and focus. Some were extremely easy to navigate while others were almost indecipherable without the Staff of Ra to guide me. Some were more about flash while others were loaded with content. And some, to my never-ending dismay, still lack an RSS feed which I cannot fathom in this day and age.

But enough about my journeys -- I want to hear about your own thoughts on MMO websites. What do you like to see when you visit one? Are the aesthetics important to you, or are you more concerned with specific features? Are these websites more for first-time visitors curious about the game or should they cater to players looking for news and updates about their favorite titles?

For bonus points, provide a link below to (in your opinion) the best-designed MMO website!

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: What do you like to see on MMO websites? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aestheticsdaocdark-age-of-camelotfeaturedmmo-websitemmo-websitesnewsopinionrssrss-feedstaff-of-ratdgthe-daily-grindwebsitewebsitesWed, 01 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Update to the Massively makeover]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/13/update-to-the-massively-makeover/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/13/update-to-the-massively-makeover/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/13/update-to-the-massively-makeover/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Hello, readers! It's been a few weeks since our massive Massively site overhaul landed, and our web gurus have been scurrying in the background fixing bugs and responding to your reports. Not all of the bugs have been vaporized just yet, but we'd like to update you on the status of some of the problems that most affect you.

RSS -- Our most-reported problem over the last few weeks revolved around our RSS feeds. Many users reported a doubling-up of posts as the site spewed out two copies of every post. Others reported an inability to subscribe to specific categories and bloggers, and still others were finding that every RSS feed was producing copies of the podcast (great news for podcast fans, I guess!). Our techs currently report that all of our RSS feeds should be functioning now, but they note that many RSS readers do not well tolerate the kind of switcheroo we had to do. If you're still having problems, unsubscribe again from all of your Massively feeds and try resubbing one more time. I can tell you that I am using Google Reader and stopped having problems a few days ago. If you need to resub to specific feeds, this will help: for the writers, visit the individual pages on our team portal; for columns and features, hop over to our columns list; and for specific games, click on your chosen game in the games list for a category with a feed button.

There's more behind the cut... follow along!

Continue reading Update to the Massively makeover

MassivelyUpdate to the Massively makeover originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 13 Dec 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bug-reportbugscode-of-conductcommentcommenterscommentingcommentsfeedbackjoystiqmassivelymassively-metaredesignregistrationrssrss feedsrss-feedRssFeedsMon, 13 Dec 2010 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Rumor: Imminent closed beta announcement for Star Wars: The Old Republic?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/28/rumor-imminent-closed-beta-announcement-for-star-wars-the-old/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/28/rumor-imminent-closed-beta-announcement-for-star-wars-the-old/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/28/rumor-imminent-closed-beta-announcement-for-star-wars-the-old/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


Bioware might have tipped their hand accidentally today as they briefly updated the Star Wars: The Old Republic website with a call for testers for the highly anticipated MMO. The announcement only lasted a few minutes before being taken down off of the site, indicating an accidental posting.

While the news announcement has been removed from the website, some screenshot happy community members have snapped pictures of their RSS feeds, which still show the call for testers. This has, of course, sent the community into an uproar of anticipation for the intended date of the announcement.

Update: The intended date of the closed beta signups is today! We have all of the details over in this post!

Continue reading Rumor: Imminent closed beta announcement for Star Wars: The Old Republic?

MassivelyRumor: Imminent closed beta announcement for Star Wars: The Old Republic? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accidentannouncementbiowarebreakingclosed-betaclosed-beta-announcementforumsleakrssstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorMon, 28 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[New Eden's virtual reporters]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/20/new-edens-virtual-reporters/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/20/new-edens-virtual-reporters/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/20/new-edens-virtual-reporters/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Volunteer organizations directly involved with MMO's isn't a new idea, but the Interstellar Services Department (ISD) of EVE Online is rather unique in the industry. ISD actually works with CCP Games to create and enhance several aspects of EVE.

ISD has several branches, including Support Team and Resources (STAR), which provides new player support; Mercury (M), responsible for creating New Eden's fiction; Equipment Certification and Anomaly Investigations Division (ECAID), tasked with solving technical issues; and Interstellar Correspondents (IC), an in-game news organization. The last of those divisions, Interstellar Correspondents, is one that is often misunderstood.

Continue reading New Eden's virtual reporters

MassivelyNew Eden's virtual reporters originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 May 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>audiodev-blogeve-onlineisdrsssci-fivideovolunteerTue, 20 May 2008 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Metaplace sends Metachat live on Myspace]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/13/metaplace-sends-metachat-live-on-myspace/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/13/metaplace-sends-metachat-live-on-myspace/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/13/metaplace-sends-metachat-live-on-myspace/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

A few of the Metaplace folks have announced that their first virtual world has been released on MySpace in the form of an app called Metachat, which you can add to your Myspace account right now. In terms of virtual worlds, it's not much -- there's a chat room, obviously, and a little soccer ball kicking area, and some RSS integration in terms of stock quotes, some weather info, and even translation features.

But even better than what it is is the potential that something like this represents. Social networks are already dabbling in social games (and planning even more interaction between the two), so a virtual space like Metachat may be the first virtual world that most of its users enter. It's a far cry from some of the more mature virtual worlds like World of Warcraft and Second Life (not that those two are all that mature, actually), but spaces like Metachat are a big sign of the coming collision of social networking and virtual worlds.

MassivelyMetaplace sends Metachat live on Myspace originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Mar 2008 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>facebookfunmetachatmetaplacemyspacersssoccersocial-networkingvirtual-spacesvirtual-worldsThu, 13 Mar 2008 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Ask Massively: The beginning]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/03/ask-massively-the-beginning/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/03/ask-massively-the-beginning/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/03/ask-massively-the-beginning/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


Ask Massively is a brand new feature here on Massively-- it's your chance to take control of the little conversation we've got going on, and ask us MMO experts whatever you want. Want to know what MMO you should be playing, or why something in your favorite MMO is a little strange? Have a question about the site, or need an MMO standby explained? We're here to explain and elucidate the answers to all your queries, whatever they be.

To ask a question of Ask Massively, you can either put it in the comments on this post (for next week's edition), or drop us a note on the tipline. And this column will run entirely on your questions, so please let us know if there's something you want to know, no matter how complicated or how silly.

Click the link below to check out the first edition of Ask Massively! A warning: for the first edition, I cheated a little bit-- these are all questions from my friends. But next week, you'll have the chance to get a question of your own answered.

Continue reading Ask Massively: The beginning

MassivelyAsk Massively: The beginning originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Jan 2008 22:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adviceanswersask-massivelycommentersdesignfeaturedmmoquestionsreadersrsstraveltravelingworld-of-warcraftThu, 03 Jan 2008 22:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Beta update for Age of Conan, more invites sent]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/25/beta-update-for-age-of-conan-more-invites-sent/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/25/beta-update-for-age-of-conan-more-invites-sent/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/25/beta-update-for-age-of-conan-more-invites-sent/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Following the latest newsletter from Hyboria, the Age of Conan website now has details of the new beta update. Apparently there was a very large patch that added lots of new content, and because of this, Funcom has decided to send out some more beta invites, so check your inbox and spam filters if you have previously signed up. This update also saw the introduction of the Capture the Flag PvP game for the beta test.

In website related news, there are some new RSS feeds that you can nab in a few different languages to get the latest AoC information as soon as it's out, and a couple of screenshots of the freshly revamped Picts have been posted. Above you'll see one of them, but there are more at the site. Very scary indeed, and they do have that "wear your face as a hat" look that Funcom mention they are going for.

MassivelyBeta update for Age of Conan, more invites sent originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 25 Nov 2007 20:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aocbeta-invitesbeta-updatebreakingcapture-the-flagfuncomhyborian-adventurespatchpictsrssSun, 25 Nov 2007 20:10:00 EST