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<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title><![CDATA[Diablo III and Torchlight II compared via infographic]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/14/diablo-iii-and-torchlight-ii-compared-via-infographic/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/14/diablo-iii-and-torchlight-ii-compared-via-infographic/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/14/diablo-iii-and-torchlight-ii-compared-via-infographic/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/new-titles/" rel="tag">New titles</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/14/diablo-iii-and-torchlight-ii-compared-via-infographic/"><img alt="Diablo III vs. Torchlight II" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/12/diablo3-vs-torchlight2.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/diablo-iii"><em>Diablo III</em></a>? Or <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/torchlight-ii"><em>Torchlight II</em></a>? If you can't decide which 2012 action RPG will reign supreme on your desktop, perhaps it's because you haven't compared each game's features side by side.<br />
<br />
GameArena has made that task quite a bit easier thanks to a comprehensive new infographic that appeared earlier this week. Whether you need a quick glance at the games' classes, a breakdown of the various single- and multiplayer options, or a look at intangibles like the modability and offline play of <em>Torchlight II</em>, the infographic has you covered.<br />
<br />
There's even a section on pets and a mini-bestiary!<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/14/diablo-iii-and-torchlight-ii-compared-via-infographic/">Diablo III and Torchlight II compared via infographic</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 14 Dec 2011 20:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/14/diablo-iii-and-torchlight-ii-compared-via-infographic/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20128331/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/14/diablo-iii-and-torchlight-ii-compared-via-infographic/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>action-rpg</category><category>blizzard</category><category>Blizzard-Entertainment</category><category>classes</category><category>comparison</category><category>diablo-3</category><category>diablo-iii</category><category>f2p</category><category>fantasy</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>multiplayer</category><category>pets</category><category>runic</category><category>runic-games</category><category>single-player</category><category>torchlight-2</category><category>torchlight-ii</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jef Reahard]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 14 Dec 2011 20:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Free for All: Some thoughts from the yellow pad]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/16/free-for-all-some-thoughts-from-the-yellow-pad/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/16/free-for-all-some-thoughts-from-the-yellow-pad/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/16/free-for-all-some-thoughts-from-the-yellow-pad/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/business-models/" rel="tag">Business models</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/culture/" rel="tag">Culture</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/humor/" rel="tag">Humor</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-for-all/" rel="tag">Free for All</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/misc/" rel="tag">Miscellaneous</a></p><div style="text-align: center; ">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/16/free-for-all-some-thoughts-from-the-yellow-pad/"><img alt="Yellow pad picture" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/11/imag0443.jpg" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; " /></a></div>
I've had a pretty busy time over the last several days. I like to stay active when I can, easily stuffing my schedule with high-power meetings and travels to exotic lands to discuss the latest game. Heck, just the other day I was flown to Russia to meet with the insane genius behind some of my favorite titles, and we bare-chested wrestled in the snow (he lost and had to buy the second round).<br />
<br />
Well, not exactly. I <em>did</em> find some pretty cool games, played with my favorite titles, and overall daydreamed my way through life. A pretty typical week, really. If you'd like to hear about a few of the cool things I found, thought, and played last week, click past the cut.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/16/free-for-all-some-thoughts-from-the-yellow-pad/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Free for All: Some thoughts from the yellow pad</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/16/free-for-all-some-thoughts-from-the-yellow-pad/">Free for All: Some thoughts from the yellow pad</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 16 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/16/free-for-all-some-thoughts-from-the-yellow-pad/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20106664/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/16/free-for-all-some-thoughts-from-the-yellow-pad/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>beau-hindman</category><category>browser</category><category>console</category><category>eve-online</category><category>f2p</category><category>featured</category><category>free-for-all</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>ftp</category><category>illyriad</category><category>runescape</category><category>Sandbox</category><category>single-player</category><category>skyrim</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Beau Hindman]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 16 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Wings Over Atreia: What's in it for me?]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/04/wings-over-atreia-whats-in-it-for-me/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/04/wings-over-atreia-whats-in-it-for-me/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/04/wings-over-atreia-whats-in-it-for-me/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/aion/" rel="tag">Aion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/wings-over-atreia/" rel="tag">Wings Over Atreia</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/wings-over-atreia"><img border="1" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/04/woaheaderasmo.jpg" vspace="4" /></a></div>
That does it. No more Ms. Nice Wings. This time I am just going to unleash! Let my rant all hang out. Admittedly, I am not normally one to complain; I can see the good in most every situation, and I can roll with the punches like it's an Olympic event. But even my feathers get ruffled sometimes. It's true! And sometimes you just can't bite your tongue anymore or all you will have is a very sore tongue.<br />
<br />
Now I know I am not a rant-master like <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/editor/jef-reahard">Jef</a>, but even fledgling ranters must begin somewhere. And this week, I found just such a place: immature, self-serving, can't-pull-their-thumbs-outta-their-ears-unless-there-is-something-in-it-for-them-gamers in <em><a href="http://na.aiononline.com/">Aion</a>. </em>You know the type -- those who think the world revolves around them. Those whose spoiled-rotten antics ruin groups and legions alike and who are the reason why many a block list is so full. They without whom <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/30/wings-over-atreia-daevas-of-our-lives/">drama</a> would die a quick death and be a forgotten plague. They're the bane of chat channels everywhere -- they are the <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/24/wings-over-atreia-feeding-trolls/">trolls</a>.<br />
<br />
Throw yourself past the cut for a look at some recent <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/aion"><em>Aion</em></a></em> tantrums and sure-fire ways to minimize the effects of blatant immaturity. Careful, though -- I cannot be held responsible for any resemblance to gamers near you.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/04/wings-over-atreia-whats-in-it-for-me/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Wings Over Atreia: What's in it for me?</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/04/wings-over-atreia-whats-in-it-for-me/">Wings Over Atreia: What's in it for me?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/04/wings-over-atreia-whats-in-it-for-me/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19893709/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/04/wings-over-atreia-whats-in-it-for-me/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>aion</category><category>aion-game</category><category>buffbuff-leaves-in-a-huffhuff</category><category>daevas-of-our-lives</category><category>drama</category><category>featured</category><category>group-dynamics</category><category>grouping</category><category>groups</category><category>immature</category><category>immaturity</category><category>nc-soft</category><category>nc-soft-aion</category><category>ncsoft</category><category>ncsoft-aion</category><category>rant</category><category>rants</category><category>selfish</category><category>selfishness</category><category>siege</category><category>sieges</category><category>single-player</category><category>single-player-games</category><category>tantrum</category><category>tantrums</category><category>teamwork</category><category>troll</category><category>trolls</category><category>Wings-Over-Atreia</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[MJ Guthrie]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 04 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What are your MMO resolutions for 2011?]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/28/the-daily-grind-what-are-your-mmo-resolutions-for-2011/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/28/the-daily-grind-what-are-your-mmo-resolutions-for-2011/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/28/the-daily-grind-what-are-your-mmo-resolutions-for-2011/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/culture/" rel="tag">Culture</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-daily-grind/" rel="tag">The Daily Grind</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-daily-grind"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/12/turkey-dinner1.jpg" /></a></div>
Urrgh. I ate too much. I'm not just talking about turkey, dressing, and mashed potatoes either, as I also had a difficult time pushing back from the entertainment buffet table this past holiday season. Whether it was <a href="http://dcuniverseonline.com">MMORPGs</a>, <a href="http://fallout.bethsoft.com/index.html">single-player PC titles</a>, or <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/20/choose-my-adventure-a-fond-farewell-but-not-really-to-dear-ol/">console favorites</a>, the gaming smorgasbord was one of the more noteworthy in recent memory.<br />
<br />
Typically, end of the year overindulgence gives rise to resolutions (which may or may not fall by the wayside) for the new year, and today's <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-daily-grind">Daily Grind</a> is all about your gaming-centric pledges for 2011. Specifically, what are they? Are you going to play less? More? Do you need to scale back on your MMOs in order to catch up on the single-player titles you've missed? Inquiring Massively minds want to know.<br />
<br />
<img vspace="0" hspace="0" border="0" align="left" style="padding-right: 10px;" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2010/09/coffee.jpg" /><em>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 <a href="http://www.massively.com/category/the-daily-grind/">Daily Grind</a>!</em><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/28/the-daily-grind-what-are-your-mmo-resolutions-for-2011/">The Daily Grind: What are your MMO resolutions for 2011?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 08:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/28/the-daily-grind-what-are-your-mmo-resolutions-for-2011/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19774198/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/28/the-daily-grind-what-are-your-mmo-resolutions-for-2011/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>buffet</category><category>consoles</category><category>culture</category><category>end-of-the-year-2010</category><category>holiday-2010</category><category>new-years</category><category>new-years-resolutions</category><category>opinion</category><category>overindulgence</category><category>single-player</category><category>tdg</category><category>the-daily-grind</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jef Reahard]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 28 Dec 2010 08:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Anti-Aliased: How I mine for craft]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/30/anti-aliased-how-i-mine-for-craft/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/30/anti-aliased-how-i-mine-for-craft/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/30/anti-aliased-how-i-mine-for-craft/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/culture/" rel="tag">Culture</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/anti-aliased/" rel="tag">Anti-Aliased</a></p><div style="text-align: center; "><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/anti-aliased"><img border="1" hspace="4" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/09/aamineforcraft1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left; ">This column was bound to come sometime. We've had legions of people asking us, "Why don't you cover <em><a href="http://www.minecraft.net">Minecraft</a></em>? It's totally an MMO!" The email barrage was so constant that I had nightmarish fits in my sleep, where I was drowning in oddly block-shaped emails pouring out of my ceiling.<br />
<br />
Now, after I've finally played <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/minecraft"><em>Minecraft</em></a>, my nightmarish fits have turned into scenes in which I'm being attacked by giant block-shaped spiders, but that's neither here nor there.</div>
<br />
I can see why people have fallen in love with this game, and they have every reason to. <em>Minecraft</em> may not be an MMO by our standards, but it is an example of gaming done right. It's the purest form of everything we love about gaming, and it's a game that could teach MMO makers a lot about design, should they care to listen.<br type="_moz" /><p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/30/anti-aliased-how-i-mine-for-craft/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Anti-Aliased: How I mine for craft</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/30/anti-aliased-how-i-mine-for-craft/">Anti-Aliased: How I mine for craft</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/30/anti-aliased-how-i-mine-for-craft/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19641425/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/30/anti-aliased-how-i-mine-for-craft/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>anti-aliased</category><category>cooperative</category><category>crafting</category><category>creative</category><category>farming</category><category>featured</category><category>game-design</category><category>minecraft</category><category>mining</category><category>mmo-design</category><category>mmo-game-design</category><category>mojang-specifications</category><category>multiplayer</category><category>non-combat</category><category>notch</category><category>single-player</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Seraphina Brennan]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 30 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Would you play a Halo MMO?]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/15/the-daily-grind-would-you-play-a-halo-mmo/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/15/the-daily-grind-would-you-play-a-halo-mmo/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/15/the-daily-grind-would-you-play-a-halo-mmo/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-daily-grind/" rel="tag">The Daily Grind</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/halo"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/09/halo-reach.jpg"  alt="" /></a></div>
More than a few of us here at Massively dabble with single-player games when we're not on the clock, whether it be real-time strategy, roleplaying, first-person shooters, or some genre-bending hybrid.  Every so often, a major release comes along that transcends its particular niche in the game industry and gets everyone talking.<br />
<br />
Love it or hate it, <a href="http://www.welcometonobleteam.com/"><em>Halo: Reach</em></a> is such a title.  Released to much <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/12/halo-reach-review/#review">critical acclaim</a> this week, the title is currently chewing its way up the sales charts as bazillions of gamers trade Master Chief for Noble Six and partake of <a href="http://www.bungie.net/">Bungie's</a> swansong in the series that put them (as well as <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/games/">Microsoft Games</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox">Xbox</a>) on the map.<br />
<br />
The question of the day, dear readers, is twofold:  Are you checking out <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/halo-reach"><em>Reach</em></a>, and more appropriately, would you play a <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/12/former-ensemble-staffer-talks-about-cancelled-halo-mmo/">Halo MMO</a>?<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/15/the-daily-grind-would-you-play-a-halo-mmo/">The Daily Grind: Would you play a Halo MMO?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 08:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/15/the-daily-grind-would-you-play-a-halo-mmo/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19631310/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/15/the-daily-grind-would-you-play-a-halo-mmo/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>bungee</category><category>halo</category><category>halo-reach</category><category>master-chief</category><category>Microsoft</category><category>Microsoft-Game-Studios</category><category>noble-6</category><category>noble-six</category><category>opinion</category><category>single-player</category><category>tdg</category><category>the-daily-grind</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jef Reahard]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 15 Sep 2010 08:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Would you play a single-player version?]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/08/the-daily-grind-would-you-play-a-single-player-version/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/08/the-daily-grind-would-you-play-a-single-player-version/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/08/the-daily-grind-would-you-play-a-single-player-version/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/culture/" rel="tag">Culture</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-daily-grind/" rel="tag">The Daily Grind</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://championsofnorrath.station.sony.com/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="top" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/02/tdg-singleplayer-epl-207-1265562224.jpg"  alt="" /></a></div>
Whether we mean to or not, we get pretty invested in the online worlds we inhabit.  It's a natural step to go from a single-player setting that's already gotten our emotional investment to a larger one (as proven by, oh, <a href="http://www.worldofwarcraft.com">some game or another</a>), but oddly the reverse happens far less often.  We only occasionally see a game that takes the setting of an MMO and uses it as the basis for one person's adventure.  This despite the fact that we're usually more attached to our characters than we are in a single-player game, since our avatars in an MMO are defined entirely by us.<br />
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Of course, part of this is the narrowing of scope, and part of it is the difficulty of marketing to people that they can take a break from their characters online to play the exact same character offline.  But for the times when you don't want to log in and deal with assembling a group or competition for farming or any of the slings and arrows of playing online, it could be a nice diversion.  What do you think?  Would you like to have a single-player game based off of your MMO of choice, or would you rather that the online games you enjoy not creep into your single-player time?<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/08/the-daily-grind-would-you-play-a-single-player-version/">The Daily Grind: Would you play a single-player version?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/08/the-daily-grind-would-you-play-a-single-player-version/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19348052/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/08/the-daily-grind-would-you-play-a-single-player-version/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>champions-of-norrath</category><category>multiplayer</category><category>offline-games</category><category>single-player</category><category>single-player-games</category><category>tdg</category><category>the-daily-grind</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Eliot Lefebvre]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[MMOGology: Phasing phwns the phuture]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/23/mmogology-phasing-phwns-the-phuture/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/23/mmogology-phasing-phwns-the-phuture/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/23/mmogology-phasing-phwns-the-phuture/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/world-of-warcraft/" rel="tag">World of Warcraft</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmogology/" rel="tag">MMOGology</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img hspace="4" vspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2009/02/phasing022209.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">It's been fascinating to watch MMOGs evolve over the past fifteen years I've been playing them. They started out as text based worlds populated by a few hundred people with over-active imaginations. Today they're a mainstream hobby endorsed by celebrities like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGBhnYA2h40">Mr. T</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQc7HTicz2U">William Shatner</a>. Whoulda thunk?<br /></div>
</div>
<br />As the genre has matured so have the parameters of what defines an MMOG. One of my biggest gripes with them has always been that the worlds we play in are too often static and unchanging. You feel as though your character and his actions never have any real or lasting effect on the world around him. <br /><br />Thankfully that has begun to change with the recent advent of a technology dubbed as "phasing". For those of you that haven't played <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.blizzard.com/us/">Blizard</a>'s</span> <a href="http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/wrath/"><em>Wrath of the Lich King</em></a>, phasing allows players to view a changed version of their world based on triggering events like the completion of quests. It's amazing that it isn't more talked about because phasing has and will continue to change the way we experience dynamic storytelling in MMOGs.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/23/mmogology-phasing-phwns-the-phuture/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>MMOGology: Phasing phwns the phuture</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/23/mmogology-phasing-phwns-the-phuture/">MMOGology: Phasing phwns the phuture</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/23/mmogology-phasing-phwns-the-phuture/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1467665/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/23/mmogology-phasing-phwns-the-phuture/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>blizzard</category><category>farewell</category><category>featured</category><category>joystiqfeatures</category><category>marc-nottke</category><category>phasing</category><category>phasing-technology</category><category>single-player</category><category>world-of-warcraft</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Marc Nottke]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Guild Wars: The best solo quasi-MMOG out there?]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/19/guild-wars-the-best-solo-quasi-mmog-out-there/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/19/guild-wars-the-best-solo-quasi-mmog-out-there/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/19/guild-wars-the-best-solo-quasi-mmog-out-there/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars/" rel="tag">Guild Wars</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a></p><div align="center"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/guild-wars-three-year-anniversary-nightfall-and-eye-of-the-north/774346/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="middle" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2008/06/gwngw61808.jpg" /></a><br /></div>
<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/guild-wars-third-year-anniversary-retrospective-nightfall-and-e/">Three glorious years</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/05/guild-wars-tops-5-million-sold/">over five million boxes sold</a>. <a href="http://guildwars.com/"><em>Guild Wars</em></a> has come along way in that time, and it's no surprise that NCsoft's darling is still managing to stake out new players. <a href="http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/">Shamus from over on Twenty-Sided</a> is one latest victim, in his post: <a href="http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?p=1716"><em>Guild Wars</em>: Massively Single Player,</a> Shamus delves into <em>Guild Wars</em> with fresh eyes and posits about why it's a great single player experience. Of course, solo players <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/guild-wars-a-guide-to-heroes/">use their own henchmen and heroes</a> to help unfold that epic story. <br /><br />When <a href="http://everquest.station.sony.com/"><em>EverQuest</em></a> reigned king long before <a href="http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/index.xml"><em>WoW</em></a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/07/the-digital-continuum-omega-solo-solution/">soloist proponents were booed away</a> with a common message: "Go play a single player game, MMORPGs focus around grouping and solo content has no place here." Today, most MMOGs offer <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/solo/">solo play</a> but in such a way that progression is meaningful, but <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/12/the-digital-continuum-solo-ly-killing-social/">grouping is still encouraged</a> for the best rewards.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/19/guild-wars-the-best-solo-quasi-mmog-out-there/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Guild Wars: The best solo quasi-MMOG out there?</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/19/guild-wars-the-best-solo-quasi-mmog-out-there/">Guild Wars: The best solo quasi-MMOG out there?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Thu, 19 Jun 2008 21:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?p=1716>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/19/guild-wars-the-best-solo-quasi-mmog-out-there/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1231141/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/19/guild-wars-the-best-solo-quasi-mmog-out-there/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>arena-net</category><category>guild-wars</category><category>gw</category><category>ncsoft</category><category>shamus</category><category>single-player</category><category>solo</category><category>solo-versus-group</category><category>soloing</category><category>twenty-sided</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Matt Warner]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 19 Jun 2008 21:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[World of Warcraft in two dimensions]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/02/world-of-warcraft-in-two-dimensions/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/02/world-of-warcraft-in-two-dimensions/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/02/world-of-warcraft-in-two-dimensions/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/world-of-warcraft/" rel="tag">World of Warcraft</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/browser/" rel="tag">Browser</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/humor/" rel="tag">Humor</a></p><div align="center"><a href="http://www.aoedipus.net/dist/wtfloader.html"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2008/06/wowtwodimensional.jpg" /></a><br /></div>
With all the hullabaloo over the last several months speculating about the <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/01/mmos-may-not-inherit-the-earth-after-all/">elimination</a> or <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/06/are-mmos-killing-single-player-rpgs/">possible convergence</a> of traditional single player experiences into the new massively multiplayer model, the last thing we expected to turn up in our daily lap around the web is one of the most beloved MMOs to date transmogrified into a single player platformer/RPG. While it's hardly the robust single player experience of a commercial product, <a href="http://www.aoedipus.net/dist/wtfloader.html">the aptly named <em>WTF?!</em></a> takes a look at what would happen if <a href="http://www.worldofwarcraft.com"><em>World of Warcraft</em></a> were condensed into two dimensions.<br /><br />You can play either a Blood Elf Priest or a Gnome Rogue, both of which play slightly differently even within the confines of two dimensions. The game is a little buggy (make sure you get the trinket from Hegemon before you try and take down Mary Daly!) and slightly misogynistic, but it's got a certain flare that is hard to not find endearing. Maybe it's the humor or maybe it's the <em>Mario</em> sound effects, it's hard to pin down. In any case, if you're bored at work this week but don't have the machine for <em>WoW</em>, <a href="http://www.aoedipus.net/dist/wtfloader.html">check it out</a>.<br /><br />[Via <a href="http://brokentoys.org/2008/06/02/wtf/">Broken Toys</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/02/world-of-warcraft-in-two-dimensions/">World of Warcraft in two dimensions</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.aoedipus.net/dist/wtfloader.html>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/02/world-of-warcraft-in-two-dimensions/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1212803/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/02/world-of-warcraft-in-two-dimensions/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>browser-game</category><category>flash</category><category>platformer</category><category>single-player</category><category>world-of-warcraft</category><category>wow</category><category>wtf</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Chester]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Age of Conan on single player mode]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/26/age-of-conan-on-single-player-mode/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/26/age-of-conan-on-single-player-mode/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/26/age-of-conan-on-single-player-mode/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/age-of-conan/" rel="tag">Age of Conan</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a></p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/age-of-conan"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="right" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2008/05/aoc225.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.ageofconan.com"><span style="font-style: italic;">Age of Conan</span></a> has gotten an intense amount of exposure lately on virtually every site that covers games. You <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/25/the-week-in-massively-features/">might have noticed.</a><span style="font-style: italic;"></span> The influence of <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/age-of-conan"><em>AoC</em></a> is ever-present, burned into the retinas of most of the Massively team as they slash their way through Hyboria. The title seems to have breathed new life into massively multiplayer spheres, with people everywhere either talking about it, reading about it, or playing it. While the <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/23/ask-massively-and-the-winner-for-least-surprising-question-of/"><span style="font-style: italic;">AoC</span> launch went smoothly,</a> this is not to say that the game itself is perfect. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.psychochild.org/">Psychochild</a> takes <span style="font-style: italic;">Age of Conan</span> to task in his latest Weekend Design Challenge, for what he perceives to be a potential <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/24/the-digital-continuum-conans-little-quirks/">flaw in the game's design:</a> much of the low-level experience, despite being a massively multiplayer title, is essentially a single-player game. He contends that the point of online games is to interact with people in one way or another, but the difference between instances in <span style="font-style: italic;">AoC </span>is literally night and da<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>y. Night quests give <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/instance">personal instances</a> that are wholly isolated from other players. This creates a split where daytime quests are multiplayer; night quests are single player. While a benefit is that players can opt for the night quests to take on their own spawns unchallenged by competitors, doesn't this defeat the purpose of <span style="font-style: italic;">AoC</span> even being an MMO title?<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/26/age-of-conan-on-single-player-mode/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Age of Conan on single player mode</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/26/age-of-conan-on-single-player-mode/">Age of Conan on single player mode</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 26 May 2008 17:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.psychochild.org/?p=403>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/26/age-of-conan-on-single-player-mode/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1206012/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/26/age-of-conan-on-single-player-mode/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>age-of-conan</category><category>fantasy</category><category>game-mechanics</category><category>gameplay</category><category>grouping</category><category>instance</category><category>interaction</category><category>opinion</category><category>psychochild</category><category>single-player</category><category>solo</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[James Egan]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 26 May 2008 17:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Are MMOs the future of gaming?]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/13/the-daily-grind-are-mmos-the-future-of-gaming/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/13/the-daily-grind-are-mmos-the-future-of-gaming/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/13/the-daily-grind-are-mmos-the-future-of-gaming/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/endgame/" rel="tag">Endgame</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-daily-grind/" rel="tag">The Daily Grind</a></p><a href="http://kimandjason.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/playing_tag.jpg"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="right" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2008/04/playing_tag.jpg"  alt="" /></a>Raph Koster <a href="http://www.raphkoster.com/2006/02/10/are-single-player-games-doomed/">certainly thinks so</a>. He feels that single-player gaming is a phase we all went through, and that online, interconnected gaming is simply the next evolutionary step -- or, possibly, a return to form. 'People always play games together. All of you learned to play games with each other,' he said, citing a reason for shared gaming's return to prominence. The problem is, however, that MMOs don't exactly scratch the same itch that single-player games do, and ironically, that's an itch engendered by the mere existence of single-player games, a kind of weird self-fulfilling prophecy. We learned to like single-player games because we were <em>offered</em> single-player games. <br /><br />So how does this affect the MMO experience? With a sophisticated enough platform, there's no reason to think that a fully-immersive single-player experience couldn't exist cheek-by-jowl with an MMO experience. People talk about soloing, but that's just a concession, a way around the issue. What if, for example, while playing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioshock"><em>Bioshock</em></a>, you arrived at endgame and left Rapture, only to discover a world filled with other players who've gone through the same experience? Is the future of gaming <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthesis">synthesis</a>, rather than exchanging one form of gameplay for another?<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/13/the-daily-grind-are-mmos-the-future-of-gaming/">The Daily Grind: Are MMOs the future of gaming?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Sun, 13 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/13/the-daily-grind-are-mmos-the-future-of-gaming/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1165783/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/13/the-daily-grind-are-mmos-the-future-of-gaming/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>bioshock</category><category>raph-koster</category><category>rapture</category><category>shared-gaming</category><category>single-player</category><category>soloing</category><category>synthesis</category><category>tdg</category><category>the-daily-grind</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Akela Talamasca]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 13 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Are MMOs killing single player RPGs?]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/06/are-mmos-killing-single-player-rpgs/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/06/are-mmos-killing-single-player-rpgs/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/06/are-mmos-killing-single-player-rpgs/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a></p><a href="http://www.mmocrunch.com/2008/04/05/how-mmos-are-killing-the-single-player-rpg/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="right" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2008/04/ff6singleplayer.jpg" /></a>With MMOs <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/new-titles">springing up like weeds</a> in every corner of the game industry, some are beginning to wonder if this recent trend isn't <a href="http://www.mmocrunch.com/2008/04/05/how-mmos-are-killing-the-single-player-rpg/">spelling the end for old-fashioned single-player RPGs</a>. Just a decade ago, turn-based Japanese RPGs reigned supreme on consoles, and Western-style RPGs in the vein of <em>Baldur's Gate</em> were the big sellers on PCs. Nowadays, these titles are becoming few and far between. Sure, you've got your occasional <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/mass+effect/"><em>Mass Effect</em></a> and your <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Final+Fantasy+XIII/"><em>Final Fantasy XIII</em></a>, but for some, the writing is already on the wall.<br /><br />At Massively, we think the landscape is considerably more complicated than that. For our part, we've noticed how MMOs are <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/12/is-single-player-content-hurting-mmorpgs/">increasingly focusing on single player content</a>, allowing the casual player to solo his way through entire games in some cases, if he so chooses. Instead of single-player games dying in the face of their multiplayer counterparts, it looks to us like the two are just learning from each other and moving towards some of homogeneous hybrid. There's room for debate (when isn't there, really), but we don't think it's time for doom and gloom just yet.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/06/are-mmos-killing-single-player-rpgs/">Are MMOs killing single player RPGs?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Sun, 06 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.mmocrunch.com/2008/04/05/how-mmos-are-killing-the-single-player-rpg/>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/06/are-mmos-killing-single-player-rpgs/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1159979/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/06/are-mmos-killing-single-player-rpgs/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>ff6</category><category>mmocrunch</category><category>opinion</category><category>rpgs</category><category>single-player</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Chester]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 06 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hellgate: London solo players get huge patch]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/hellgate-london-solo-players-get-huge-patch/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/hellgate-london-solo-players-get-huge-patch/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/hellgate-london-solo-players-get-huge-patch/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/hellgate-london/" rel="tag">Hellgate: London</a></p><div align="center"><em> </em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/hellgate-london-demo-impressions-1/450060/full/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2008/03/hellgateimage2131.jpg" alt="" /></a><br /></div>
<em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/hellgate--london">Hellgate: London</a></em> players who've had their copy of the game sitting all <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/19/turpstervision-london-is-hell/">alone</a> on a shelf somewhere may want to dust off their discs, because the 1.2 patch for non-subscribers is heading their way. The big reason this matters is mostly because the last patch that single (re: non-subscribing) players got was the <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/01/more-patches-incoming-for-hellgate-london/">0.6 patch</a> back in December. Well, that's not the only reason, the other is that this patch will bring with it a metric ton of <a href="http://www.hellgatelondon.com/patches/120">updates</a>, including lots of bug fixes. We're glad to hear it, because the game looks like it could be pretty enjoyable -- if not for the amount of fun-ending issues.<br /><br /><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/FlagshipStudios/">Flagship Studios</a> have the patch in their final Q&amp;A state and are readying a beta version of it for players to try out sometime this week. The patch itself contains all the content and updates that the multiplayer version of the patch had -- so essentially it's the same patch as the one <a href="http://www.hellgatelondon.com/underground/patch-1-2-released-live-servers">released</a> on March 17th.<br /><br />We sincerely hope these patches keep on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/22/information-on-hellgate-londons-next-three-updates-dished-out/">coming</a>, because with every improvement the game receives we're finding it harder to resist a summertime purchase out of sheer curiosity.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/hellgate-london-solo-players-get-huge-patch/">Hellgate: London solo players get huge patch</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.hellgatelondon.com/underground/patch-1-2-coming-single-player>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/hellgate-london-solo-players-get-huge-patch/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1153101/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/hellgate-london-solo-players-get-huge-patch/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>1.2-patch</category><category>breaking</category><category>flagship</category><category>flagship-studios</category><category>hellgate</category><category>hellgate-london</category><category>single-player</category><category>update</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Kyle Horner]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Are MMOs killing the single-player game?]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/05/are-mmos-killing-the-single-player-game/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/05/are-mmos-killing-the-single-player-game/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/05/are-mmos-killing-the-single-player-game/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/world-of-warcraft/" rel="tag">World of Warcraft</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/podcasts/" rel="tag">Podcasts</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/business-models/" rel="tag">Business models</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/culture/" rel="tag">Culture</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/pvp/" rel="tag">PvP</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a></p><a href="http://www.huntergirl.org/datoteke/objave/2007-07-06/vista_solitaire_middle(800px).jpg"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="right" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2008/02/solitairescreenvista.jpg" /></a>Listening to the <a href="http://www.penny-arcade.com/">Penny Arcade</a> podcast, <a href="http://feeds.penny-arcade.com/padlc"><em>Downloadable Content</em></a>, as I am <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/05/the-daily-grind-is-in-game-music-necessary/">wont to do</a> when playing something, the topic of discussion turned to how <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/categories/world-of-warcraft">World of Warcraft</a></em> has ruined <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Krahulik">Mike</a> for playing single-player-only games because no matter what treasure is received, or secret unlocked, it's an offering on display only for himself; it cannot be shared, and therefore lacks the proper cachet. At least, that was my understanding; I may be mistaken. <a href="http://feeds.penny-arcade.com/~r/padlc/~3/158835340/The%20Zone%20of%20Pure%20Breakfast.mp3">Check it out yourself</a>.<br /><br />Regardless, the concept is sound. The rarity of your epic loot is rendered almost meaningless in a single-player venue. And perhaps the heady thrill of true PvP combat makes solo play less appealing. Being a <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/the-soloist-why-i-do-it/">Soloist</a> myself, this is not too much of an issue to me, but what do you all think? Do single-player games have to work harder, innovate more, to deserve your dollar? Is the future of gaming, as <a href="http://www.raphkoster.com/2006/02/10/are-single-player-games-doomed/">Raph Koster seems to think</a>, MMOs?<br /><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/05/are-mmos-killing-the-single-player-game/">Are MMOs killing the single-player game?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Tue, 05 Feb 2008 13:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/05/are-mmos-killing-the-single-player-game/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1106598/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/05/are-mmos-killing-the-single-player-game/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>downloadable-content</category><category>mike-krahulik</category><category>penny-arcade</category><category>raph-koster</category><category>rarity</category><category>single-player</category><category>solitaire</category><category>soloist</category><category>world-of-warcraft</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Akela Talamasca]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 05 Feb 2008 13:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Is single-player content hurting MMORPGs?]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/12/is-single-player-content-hurting-mmorpgs/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/12/is-single-player-content-hurting-mmorpgs/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/12/is-single-player-content-hurting-mmorpgs/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/culture/" rel="tag">Culture</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/endgame/" rel="tag">Endgame</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a></p><img width="225" height="180" align="right" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2007/11/wow031.jpg" alt="" />The term "solo friendly" is commonly cited as a virtue of newer MMO titles. Many MMO related forums have threads such as <a href="http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm?POST=1286259&amp;bhjs=0#1286259">this one</a> over at <a href="http://www.mmorpg.com">MMORPG.com</a> which discuss the "soloability" of player classes within an MMORPG. In fact many of the elements of games such as <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/everquest">Everquest</a></em> which players have complained about over the years such as "<a href="http://vnboards.ign.com/tabula_rasa/b22750/104747807/p1/">forced grouping</a>," "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camping_%28computer_gaming%29">camping spawns</a>," or "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EverQuest:_The_Shadows_of_Luclin">racing for non-instanced content</a>" have all but been removed from the most recent MMORPG releases.<br /><br />When was the last time you saw two guilds racing to kill the same mob in <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/world-of-warcraft">World of Warcraft</a></em>? How many of you have spent more than 30 minutes on a corpse recovery in <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/city-of-heroes">City of Heroes</a></em>? (That is a trick question, since there is no need to recover your corpse in that game.)<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/12/is-single-player-content-hurting-mmorpgs/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Is single-player content hurting MMORPGs?</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/12/is-single-player-content-hurting-mmorpgs/">Is single-player content hurting MMORPGs?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 12 Nov 2007 15:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/12/is-single-player-content-hurting-mmorpgs/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1037147/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/12/is-single-player-content-hurting-mmorpgs/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>coh</category><category>cox</category><category>everquest</category><category>featured</category><category>joystiqfeatures</category><category>single-player</category><category>solo</category><category>solo-play</category><category>soloing</category><category>world-of-warcraft</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Stallard]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 12 Nov 2007 15:30:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>
