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 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The Soapbox: BioWare, meet ZeniMax; ZeniMax, this is BioWare]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/17/the-soapbox-bioware-meet-zenimax-zenimax-this-is-bioware/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/17/the-soapbox-bioware-meet-zenimax-zenimax-this-is-bioware/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/17/the-soapbox-bioware-meet-zenimax-zenimax-this-is-bioware/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

The Soapbox - BioWare, meet Zenimax ZeniMax, this is BioWare
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

Once upon a time, a group of decision-makers at a big AAA studio set out to brave the wilds of the MMORPG. This studio had several hugely successful single-player RPGs under its belt, and it also had quite a bit of consumer goodwill in the bank thanks to its pre-MMORPG efforts.

The studio spent a ton, and I do mean a ton, of money recreating an MMO that already existed in dozens of different games. It also spent a ton of money trying to convince gamers and gaming press that it wasn't making a retread and was instead adding another pillar of awesome to the standard MMO formula.

This studio was, of course, BioWare. Unfortunately for Elder Scrolls fans, it's also ZeniMax.

Continue reading The Soapbox: BioWare, meet ZeniMax; ZeniMax, this is BioWare

MassivelyThe Soapbox: BioWare, meet ZeniMax; ZeniMax, this is BioWare originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Jul 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Diablo III's auction house
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

If you pay close attention to game industry marketing-speak, you've probably heard of something called games-as-a-service.

It's an initiative that's been gaining momentum in recent years, as publishers and development houses look to increase revenue, strangle used game sales, and clamp down on both PC and console piracy. It's also championed by a few of our more clueless game "journalists," more often than not due to their (desire for a) cozy relationship with the aforementioned industry players.

Put simply, games-as-a-service seeks to change both the definition and the public perception of the phrase "video game" from a product that you buy to a service that you rent, thereby granting developers and publishers complete control over the end-user's experience. If that sounds somewhat nefarious, that's because it is. It's also something that MMORPGs have been doing for two decades.

Continue reading The Soapbox: Games-as-a-service sucks for the consumer

MassivelyThe Soapbox: Games-as-a-service sucks for the consumer originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 May 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Elder Scrolls Online - Giant orchid monster thing
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

Language is a pretty fascinating thing, and studying a second one is something I've long intended to do. Aside from entertaining thoughts of learning Korean to play ArcheAge, though (seriously, I looked into it), I haven't gotten around to much beyond college-level Deutsch.

But as I watched last week's interview with The Elder Scrolls Online creative director Paul Sage, I realized that I already have some pretty good second-language skills. I'm fluent in both English and MMO dev-speak, so as a public service, I'm going to translate some of what Sage said into the former.

Continue reading The Soapbox: Translating Elder Scrolls Online dev speak

MassivelyThe Soapbox: Translating Elder Scrolls Online dev speak originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 May 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Couch potato cat
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

My folks don't really understand my infatuation with video games (and MMORPGs in particular). "How can you sit there and play a game for two or three hours at a time?" my mom is fond of asking. Ironically, this usually happens on a visit that ends where most of our visits do: on the couch in front of the television.

Don't get me wrong; she's no couch potato, and in fact she has the meanest green thumb you'll ever see. When the sun goes down, though, my parents (like most of their generation, I'll wager) park their butts in front of the TV. That I should park my own posterior in front of the computer is exceedingly strange to them even though online gaming is to the 21st century what television was to the 20th.

I wonder, though, if games are starting to become more passive forms of TV-like entertainment.

Continue reading The Soapbox: The perils of passive gaming

MassivelyThe Soapbox: The perils of passive gaming originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 May 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vanguard - magic hour duo
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

"Yaaay!"

"FU-- yeah!"

"Finally."

"WOW! This is the best MMO news I have heard in a long time!"

These are just a few of the comments that greeted our recent announcement of Vanguard's upcoming free-to-play conversion. The reactions were overwhelmingly positive, and Sony Online Entertainment's open-world fantasy themepark was lavished with praise by a wide cross-section of Massively readers. This makes me wonder where all these folks have been since the game's launch in early 2007. It's not like Vanguard shut down and is being resurrected, you know? More importantly, I wonder whether free-to-play can actually save the game from the scrap heap of shuttered SOE MMOs.

Continue reading The Soapbox: The curious case of Vanguard

MassivelyThe Soapbox: The curious case of Vanguard originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Heroes (which would make an awful MMO, btw)
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

We're not heroes, at least in the ubiquitous Hollywood sense. We're teachers and janitors and businessmen, and we may occasionally be heroic in the eyes of our kids or our colleagues, but rarely are we celebrated beyond a tiny circle of family and friends.

Games can meet this emotional need, at least temporarily, and that's a major reason they've become such a booming business over the last couple of decades. We get to be Kratos for a couple of hours, or fem-Shepard or a thousand other pixelized pariahs -- until we set foot in an MMORPG, that is.

Software companies sell pre-packaged heroism in ways that book publishers and filmmakers can only dream of, and it doesn't really matter that it's fake heroism or impersonal heroism crafted on an assembly line and shipped out to millions of consumers. Shouldn't it matter, though, when it comes to MMORPGs?

Continue reading The Soapbox: Nobody's hero

MassivelyThe Soapbox: Nobody's hero originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mass Effect - The Normandy (SR1)
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

I don't know about you, but I've yet to play Mass Effect 3. This is not by choice, mind you, and now that I've returned from the wilds of last week's GDC, it's time to settle in for another 30-hour tour with Shepard and company.

What does this have to do with MMOs? Well, nothing really, except that BioWare hasn't exactly closed the door on a Mass Effect title. On the contrary, the company's dynamic doctor duo have hinted at the fact that this, ahem, theoretical game would need to be somewhat different from the firm's maiden MMO voyage.

At this point I think an ME MMO is inevitable, so join me after the cut to discuss whether BioWare can really break the mold with its second effort as well as what that effort could look like.

Continue reading The Soapbox: The inevitable Mass Effect MMO

MassivelyThe Soapbox: The inevitable Mass Effect MMO originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TERA - Castanic avatars
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

What a difference a year makes, eh? February of 2011 found me drooling over my keyboard as I devoured all the screenshots and gameplay footage leaking out of TERA's Korean launch (yes, the westernization process really has been dragging on for a year).

Fast-forward 12 months and the game is losing a little bit of its luster because of certain En Masse decisions and in spite of the fact that the firm has a potentially awesome MMO on its hands.

Continue reading The Soapbox: TERA's rocky road to release

MassivelyThe Soapbox: TERA's rocky road to release originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ad-campaignblueholebluehole-studioelinelin-raceen-masseen-masse-entertainmentfantasyfeaturedfeminismip-blockingip-blocksmarketingmmo-feminismmmo-foncsoftopinionskimpy-armorsoapboxsoapbox-jef-reahardteratera-elintera-ip-blockingtera-lawsuitthe-soapboxTue, 14 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Soapbox: On MMO negativity]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/17/the-soapbox-on-mmo-negativity/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/17/the-soapbox-on-mmo-negativity/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/17/the-soapbox-on-mmo-negativity/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Unhappy cat
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

Last week I was given a link to an op-ed piece at Thade's place, and in lieu of posting a comment there, I figured I'd do it on the Soapbox and hopefully generate some discussion (and traffic) for all concerned.

In a nutshell, Thade questions whether MMO pundits actually like MMOs, and he comments on a perceived rise in negativity amongst what are assumed to be fans of the genre.

I don't know if the blogosphere has taken a turn toward the negative, but if so, there's a pretty simple explanation for it. The games have changed, and the old guard who grew up with MMOs (and are willing/able to devote time to blogging about them) have to try a little bit harder to enjoy themselves as each new title gets further and further from what they like. That's OK, though, and it's also OK -- and even essential -- for the disaffected to speak up.

Continue reading The Soapbox: On MMO negativity

MassivelyThe Soapbox: On MMO negativity originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bloggingblogospherechangecriticismcriticsdo-you-even-like-mmosdo-you-even-like-video-gamesfeaturedindiana-jonesmmo-bloggingmmo-industrymmo-negativitynegativitynuking-the-fridgeopinionpositivitypunditrypunditsrose-colored-glassessoapboxsoapbox-jef-reahardstar-warsstar-wars-galaxiesstar-wars-the-old-republicswgswtorthe-old-republicthe-soapboxthis-suckstorTue, 17 Jan 2012 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Soapbox: Adding story to SWTOR]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/27/the-soapbox-adding-story-to-swtor/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/27/the-soapbox-adding-story-to-swtor/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/27/the-soapbox-adding-story-to-swtor/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Star Wars: The Old Republic - show me the story
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

I'd like to take a few moments this week to prognosticate about story in The Old Republic. I'm not talking about the story that's already there, mind you, as I've barely scratched the surface (a 20 Sage, a 15 Gunslinger, and a beta-flavored Trooper are the extent of my experience thus far).

No, what I'm more interested in talking about is what's going to happen story-wise when I get to level 50 on one of these guys. The easy answer is, of course, roll an alt! There are seven other classes after all, each reportedly featuring 200 hours worth of single-player story content.

What happens if I were to get to level 50 on all eight classes, though? Is The Old Republic's gameplay still going to revolve around the heavily hyped story angle at that point?

Continue reading The Soapbox: Adding story to SWTOR

MassivelyThe Soapbox: Adding story to SWTOR originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 27 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowarecutsceneseaea-biowareelectronic-artsfeaturedfourth-pillarmmo-industrymmo-storyopinionsoapboxsoapbox-jef-reahardstar-warsstar-wars-mmostar-wars-the-old-republicstoryswtorthe-old-republicthe-soapboxthemeparktorTue, 27 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Soapbox: On gold-farming and the grind]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/13/the-soapbox-on-gold-farming-and-the-grind/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/13/the-soapbox-on-gold-farming-and-the-grind/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/13/the-soapbox-on-gold-farming-and-the-grind/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Chest of gold
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

You're no doubt aware of a certain sci-fi MMORPG that's launching this week. As is the case each time a new major title releases, I'm curious to see how (or if) the developers will deal with the inevitable real-money trade.

BioWare has been fairly quiet about gold-farming and the steps it may take to combat it, which isn't too surprising given the unglamorous and often controversial subject matter. Few game devs mention their anti-RMT plans prior to launch, but plenty of dev teams complain about RMT after their game has been released. And yet, the usual solutions to black market currency trading are continuously ineffective at stopping it.

Continue reading The Soapbox: On gold-farming and the grind

MassivelyThe Soapbox: On gold-farming and the grind originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowareeq2eqiieverquest-2everquest-iif2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playfun-barriergold-buyinggold-farminggold-sellinggrindgrinding-leads-to-gold-farmingopinionprogress-questprogressionreal-money-traderichard-garriottrmtsci-fisoapboxsoapbox-jef-reahardstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-grindthe-old-republicthe-soapboxtorTue, 13 Dec 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Soapbox: The absurdity of the NDA]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/29/the-soapbox-the-absurdity-of-the-nda/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/29/the-soapbox-the-absurdity-of-the-nda/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/29/the-soapbox-the-absurdity-of-the-nda/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Admiral Ackbar
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

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

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

Continue reading The Soapbox: The absurdity of the NDA

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

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World of Warcraft - Dwarf looking at a musket
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

I haven't written much about World of Warcraft. There are many reasons for this. For one, Massively rarely pays WoW more than the bare minimum lip service (due to the game's being fairly exclusive to our WoW Insider sister site). For another, I don't look at Blizzard's behemoth all that fondly, and the sum total of my time in Azeroth amounts to about 20 hours spread over six weeks.

As it does for everyone else who makes a living off of MMORPGs, though, WoW looms over my shoulder like a billowing dust cloud after a titanic explosion, reaching relentlessly for the heavens and effectively blotting out the sun. There's really no way to measure how influential this one game has been on not just MMORPGs but gaming in general. There are the population numbers, of course, and even though WoW has been shedding subs in bushels of late, it could continue to do so for the better part of a year and still dwarf the second largest subscription title by a considerable margin.

That kind of success cannot be planned, nor do I believe that it will be replicated. WoW was a happy accident for Blizzard, a perfect storm of polish and timing the likes of which the MMO industry will not see again.

Continue reading The Soapbox: Defining the WoW-killer

MassivelyThe Soapbox: Defining the WoW-killer originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Activision-BlizzardarenanetbiowareblizzardBlizzard-Entertainmentblizzard-titanea-biowaref2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playguild-wars-2gw2opinionsci-fisoapboxsoapbox-jef-reahardstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-soapboxthere-will-never-be-another-wowtitantitan-blizzardtorworld-of-warcraftwowwow-killerTue, 15 Nov 2011 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Soapbox: Applying Neal Stephenson's Innovation Starvation to MMOs]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/the-soapbox-applying-neal-stephensons-innovation-starvation-to/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/the-soapbox-applying-neal-stephensons-innovation-starvation-to/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/the-soapbox-applying-neal-stephensons-innovation-starvation-to/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Rocket launch failure
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

You've probably heard of Neal Stephenson. The celebrated sci-fi author recently released his 13th novel, Reamde, and while it treads a little closer to traditional thriller territory than some of his more cerebral efforts, it still packs a futurist punch (and even led the author to comment on MMOs, virtual worlds, and World of Warcraft in a recent interview).

In addition to speculative fiction, Stephenson is also prone to the occasional essay, the latest of which found its way onto the intarwebs a few weeks ago. While not directly related to the gaming or massively multiplayer industries, the piece does feature some interesting observations about the stagnant creative culture to be found in contemporary corporate America, and Stephenson also offers plenty of food for thought that can be applied to the current state of the MMO space.

Continue reading The Soapbox: Applying Neal Stephenson's Innovation Starvation to MMOs

MassivelyThe Soapbox: Applying Neal Stephenson's Innovation Starvation to MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowarecraig-morrisonculturedavid-brevikdesigndesign-rutfeaturedfuncominnovationinnovation-starvationMiscellaneousmmo-designmmo-design-rutmmo-industrymmo-innovation-starvationneal-stephensonopinionpolishpolishing-a-turdriskrisk-aversionsandboxsoapboxsoapbox-jef-reahardstar-wars-galaxiesstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-soapboxthemeparkTue, 25 Oct 2011 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Soapbox: On armchair development]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/27/the-soapbox-on-armchair-development/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/27/the-soapbox-on-armchair-development/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/27/the-soapbox-on-armchair-development/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Armchair
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

A couple of weeks ago I penned a Soapbox that, to put it mildly, elicited passionate responses. While a few people sided with me in my belief that MMO combat is silly and sucky, the cries of the masses drowned us out with variations on "you know nothing, Jon Snow" and "go back to consoles, you inexperienced newb!"

Some of the responses got me to thinking about game design in general and about game designers and their cult celebrity status in particular. When you cut through the anonymous insults and keyboard courage, most of my would-be critics were actually right about one thing: I'm not a game "developer." You know what's funny, though? That doesn't make a lick of difference when it comes to the ability to talk intelligently about games and game design.

Continue reading The Soapbox: On armchair development

MassivelyThe Soapbox: On armchair development originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

I hate MMORPG combat.

It's not because I'm a carebear. It's not because I'm bad at it. It's not because I dislike parsing, being a min/maxer, or solving equations and comparing spreadsheets when I'm supposed to be having fun. OK, maybe it is because of those last four things. Mainly, though, it's because MMORPG combat completely and unequivocally sucks. MMORPG combat is not combat. It's high school math.

And it's the same in every damn MMORPG. Twenty years into the genre here, guys, aren't we ready to grow up even a little bit?

Continue reading The Soapbox: Why MMO combat sucks, and how BioWare could've made it suck less

MassivelyThe Soapbox: Why MMO combat sucks, and how BioWare could've made it suck less originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lion dislikes sub + cash shop
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

Hoo boy, The Secret World. On the one hand, I was really looking forward to it. On the other hand, it's now joined the likes of EVE Online, pretty much every Sony Online Entertainment title ever made, Star Trek Online, Champions Online, and Funcom's own Age of Conan in my personal double-dipping doghouse.

Yeah, The Secret World is going to have a subscription model (hooray) and a cash shop (boo, hiss, and zomgwtf). This should surprise no one, really, since game industry devs have been going all Gordon Gekko on us for a while now, but it was nonetheless a disappointing reveal on several levels.

Equally disappointing are the folks who defend the subscription-plus-cash-shop model and erroneously refer to it as an example of consumer-friendly choice.

Continue reading The Soapbox: Subs and cash shops - Two great tastes that taste awful together

MassivelyThe Soapbox: Subs and cash shops - Two great tastes that taste awful together originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>business-modelscash-shopchampions-onlinechoiceconsumer-choicecostcryptic-studiosdouble-dippingeconomicseveeve-onlineevilf2pfeaturedfree-to-playfuncomgordon-gekkogreedgreed-is-goodjeff-strainmarketingmmo-industrymoneyopinionplayer-choicesecret-worldsoapboxsoapbox-jef-reahardsoeSony-Online-Entertainmentstar-trek-onlinesub-plus-cash-shopsubscriptionsubscription-basedsubscription-modelsubscription-plus-cash-shopthe-secret-worldthe-soapboxtswused-car-salesmenTue, 30 Aug 2011 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Soapbox: Polished vs. feature-rich]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/05/the-soapbox-polished-vs-feature-rich/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/05/the-soapbox-polished-vs-feature-rich/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/05/the-soapbox-polished-vs-feature-rich/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

A few weeks ago I wrote a Soapbox article that exposed the flaws in the MMO first kiss theory. It generated more discussion than I anticipated, much of it spiraling off into tangents like MMO design, sandbox and themepark elements, and the seeming incompatibility between a polished game and a feature-rich game.

It's this last bit that I'd like to discuss today, and you'll have to forgive me if we tread some familiar ground in the process. While there are many fascinating perspectives and debates in our bizarre hobby, none is as perplexing to me as the disconnect between gamers who want more game and those who want less game, highly polished.

Continue reading The Soapbox: Polished vs. feature-rich

MassivelyThe Soapbox: Polished vs. feature-rich originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocdumbed-downdumbing-downeveeve-onlinefantasyfeature-richfeature-setsfeaturedfeaturesopinionpolishpolishedpolished-vs-feature-richriftsandboxsandparksci-fisoapboxsoapbox-jef-reahardstar-wars-galaxiesswgthe-soapboxthemeparkwhat-is-polishWorld-of-WarcraftwowTue, 05 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Soapbox: The absurdity of the endgame]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/07/the-soapbox-the-absurdity-of-the-endgame/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/07/the-soapbox-the-absurdity-of-the-endgame/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/07/the-soapbox-the-absurdity-of-the-endgame/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

Like most of you, I play a lot of MMORPGs. Too many, in fact, and the deluge of new and interesting games in the offing is only going to further erode what remains of my free time. I've managed to see the mythical "endgame" in a fair few titles over the years, so when I say that I play a lot, I don't mean that I boot up a trial and hit level 10 before hopping to the next bright shiny.

Off the top of my head, I've dinged max level in Age of Conan (three times), Aion, Star Wars Galaxies (six times), Anarchy Online, Lord of the Rings Online, Global Agenda (twice), Vanguard, and The Matrix Online, to name a few.

While many of these games subsequently raised the level cap, I've nonetheless raided, PvP'd, and chased enough gear carrots to have an opinion about the proverbial MMORPG "endgame." And I'm here to tell you that most of what passes for said endgame is repetitive schlock.

Continue reading The Soapbox: The absurdity of the endgame

MassivelyThe Soapbox: The absurdity of the endgame originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Jun 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

So I owe this week's Soapbox to one of my gaming buddies who recently opined that a lot of older genre fans wear rose-colored glasses. We're a sentimental, eternally ornery, and change-resistant bunch, he said, and we're all searching in vain for that one game that recaptures the magic of our first MMO rodeo.

Ordinarily I'd take offense to those labels, but upon further reflection, my pal had a point (though it may not be the one he intended). This "first kiss theory" -- as I'm calling the bundle of nostalgia-related charges often leveled against old-school MMO fans -- is fairly common on massively multiplayer forums. This was the first time I'd heard the theory espoused by someone I knew personally, though, and as a result I spent a fair bit of time mulling it over.

Join me after the cut to see why it ultimately doesn't hold water and why, if older MMOers are indeed nostalgic, there are quantifiable reasons for it that has little to do with half-remembered glory days.

Continue reading The Soapbox: Debunking the first kiss theory

MassivelyThe Soapbox: Debunking the first kiss theory originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 May 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanchangeeq2eqiieverquest-2everquest-iifeaturedfirst-kissfirst-kiss-theoryits-not-nostalgia-stupidkissmmo-industrynon-combatnon-combat-gameplaynon-combat-optionsnostalgiaopinionrelativismrelativist-blatherrose-colored-glassessandboxsimplificationsoapboxsoapbox-jef-reahardthe-soapboxthemeparkTue, 24 May 2011 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Soapbox: Why we grief - a therapy session]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/03/the-soapbox-why-we-grief-a-therapy-session/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/03/the-soapbox-why-we-grief-a-therapy-session/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/03/the-soapbox-why-we-grief-a-therapy-session/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

Welcome to the Massively Psychiatric Center for Gamers, Griefers, and Greater Internet F-wads (link NSFW). I'm Dr. Reahard, and while I'm most definitely an armchair psychologist, psychiatrist, and MMOlogist, pay no attention to any of that. I'm more than qualified to help you determine whether or not you're a bleep (sorry, a griefer). So please, have a seat, make yourself comfortable, and let's talk about you.

Tell me about yourself. Do you relish that feeling of power you get when messing with another human being? Is there a certain sense of being alive, a rush if you will, that only comes around when you bleep with another person? Does said bleeping happen exclusively in video games where your actions carry no perceivable repercussions?

Are you secretly frustrated with a banal and disturbingly meaningless white-collar existence? Does releasing your inner bleep in a (theoretically) anonymous online environment scratch the itches made manifest by a minivan, 2.3 kids, and the otherwise inescapable confines of suburbia?

Continue reading The Soapbox: Why we grief - a therapy session

MassivelyThe Soapbox: Why we grief - a therapy session originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 03 May 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

I read with great interest Ragnar Tornquist's recent blog posting concerning story in The Secret World. After I got over the initial impulse to roll my eyes at yet another developer jumping on the BioWare-induced story, story, story bandwagon, I found that Tornquist had a couple of interesting points to make.

Unfortunately, he also missed an opportunity to strike a blow in favor of player-generated story content. While this is totally unsurprising coming from a man who has built his career on interactive storytelling prowess, it was nonetheless disappointing on several levels.

Yes, yes, I know, Tornquist is a wunderkind developer, you'd have his babies, and who am I to question his almighty design wisdom? Regardless, I am questioning portions of this particular blog piece, because MMOs are an exceedingly inadequate vehicle for storytelling of the kind that developers are espousing lately. That's not to say massively multiplayer titles shouldn't have a narrative component, though. Join me after the cut to find out why MMO makers ought to stick to systems and math and leave the storytelling to the folks who do it best.

Continue reading The Soapbox: A case for player-generated content (or why MMO story is complete and utter bollocks)

MassivelyThe Soapbox: A case for player-generated content (or why MMO story is complete and utter bollocks) originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

Seeing as how it's becoming something of a Massively tradition to offer rebuttals to my Soapbox articles, I figured it was time to turn the tables. A few weeks ago, our own Bree Royce penned a piece about class warfare in MMORPGs. Though it contained a number of valuable insights, I feel it struck the wrong chord when it comes to discussing the reasons "hardcore" MMO players dislike the pervasive trend towards accessibility.

While the thrust of Bree's article dealt with classism and my response started out with a similar focus, this week's column has since morphed into more of a pseudo-rant on the casual vs. hardcore debate. Yes, the terms are malleable, and yes, this debate is eternal, but it's eternal because it matters (inasmuch as anything related to entertainment can matter).

Join me after the cut for a traditionalist's take on MMOs and discover why they aren't "casual" games -- and why this has very little to do with social class.

Continue reading The Soapbox: Classism and the oxymoron of the casual MMO

MassivelyThe Soapbox: Classism and the oxymoron of the casual MMO originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accessibilityaccessibleaccessible-mmoscasualcasually-hardcoreculturedc-universe-onlinefeaturedglobal-agendahardcoremass-marketmmo-industryopinionsandboxsoapboxsoapbox-jef-reahardthe-soapboxthemeparkvindictusWorld-of-WarcraftTue, 01 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Soapbox: Game "journalism" is not journalism (yet)]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/11/the-soapbox-game-journalism-is-not-journalism-yet/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/11/the-soapbox-game-journalism-is-not-journalism-yet/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/11/the-soapbox-game-journalism-is-not-journalism-yet/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

Hey folks, welcome back to the Soapbox. Before I get started, let me add a personal disclaimer onto the Massively disclaimer you just read: I don't hate game devs. On the contrary, I hold a couple of them in pretty high esteem. What does annoy me is the way that most of them get a free pass when it comes to tough questions. Another thing that sticks in my craw is the way readers sometimes confuse journalism with game journalism. The two aren't often the same thing, and in fact the latter term is a complete misnomer.

So, when you throw together my disdain for PR-soaked reporting and my facepalming at any mention of the phrase "game journalism," you end up with this week's Soapbox. In it, I'd like to take a crack at educating the folks who erroneously refer to both me and other game bloggers as "journalists." To do so, I'll spend some time examining "game journalism," and I'll start by defining journalism itself. Then we can look at how applicable the term is to the current landscape of MMO-centric media (and really, game media in general).

Merriam-Webster defines journalism as "the collection and editing of news for presentation through the media." So far, so good, right? Well, look deeper. A more thoughtful, thorough, and instructional definition is provided by the folks at Journalism.org. Rather than quote the entire nine-point synopsis here on my front page, I'll highlight what I consider to be the second most important principle of journalism (the first obviously being truth). Not coincidentally, this principle is one that game "journalism" utterly fails to uphold on a daily basis: "[Journalism's] practitioners must maintain an independence from those they cover."

Continue reading The Soapbox: Game "journalism" is not journalism (yet)

MassivelyThe Soapbox: Game "journalism" is not journalism (yet) originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

Guess what! Sandbox games are for roleplayers. I don't mean that in an off-putting or elitist way, but rather I mean to say that people who enjoy and seek out sandbox MMORPGs are roleplayers whether their testosterone levels allow them to self-identify that way or not. The corporate thieves, spies, and meta-gamers in EVE Online? They're roleplaying. The gankers and hyper-competitive PvPers in Darkfall? Yep, they're roleplaying too, even when their names are variations on Loves2spooge.

The other day I was talking to one of my closest friends about MMORPGs, roleplaying, and PvP. The discussion rolled around to Darkfall, as most of my discussions these days do, and his ears perked up when I waxed on about the freedom, the skill system, and the huge world that invites you to go your own way and is remarkably unlike traditional themepark games in terms of immersive potential. Eventually I had to break the news that yes, Darkfall does feature FFA PvP, and if that wasn't bad enough, corpse looting. The horror!

Continue reading The Soapbox: Sandboxes and the fear of FFA PvP

MassivelyThe Soapbox: Sandboxes and the fear of FFA PvP originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanarche-agearcheageaventurinedarkfalldarkfall-onlineeve-onlinefeaturedmortal-onlineopinionpvepvproleplayroleplayingsandboxsoapboxsoapbox-jef-reahardthe-soapboxthemeparkTue, 28 Dec 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Soapbox: Respect the IP (or, why MMOs can't)]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/16/the-soapbox-respect-the-ip-or-why-mmos-cant/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/16/the-soapbox-respect-the-ip-or-why-mmos-cant/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/16/the-soapbox-respect-the-ip-or-why-mmos-cant/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,


Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

Luke: What a piece of junk!

Han: She'll make point five past lightspeed. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. I've made a lot of special modifications myself. But we're a little rushed, so if you'll just get on board, we'll get out of here.

Luke: Lawlz. You can't pilot that thing. It's a YT-1300 and you're a Rebel-aligned Smuggler!

Han: %&*$ ...

Ah yes, continuity. It might as well be a four-letter word, at least when it comes to MMORPGs based on existing intellectual properties. Sure, producers pay a lot of lip service to faithfully recreating beloved works in an online space, but the reality inevitably ends up looking like the love child of Frankenstein's monster and a duck-billed platypus.

Why then do we keep seeing MMOs riffing on Star Wars, Star Trek, Tolkien, and even Battlestar Galactica? Easy money, of course. A better question, and one I hope to answer at the conclusion of today's Soapbox, is why "MMORPG" automatically equals butchered continuity. In a nutshell, why is it so hard to respect the IP?

Continue reading The Soapbox: Respect the IP (or, why MMOs can't)

MassivelyThe Soapbox: Respect the IP (or, why MMOs can't) originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanbiowarecanonconancontinuitycrypticcryptic-studiosfeaturedfuncomintellectual-propertyipip-based-mmosjeffrey-steefellord-of-the-ringslord-of-the-rings-onlinelorelore-nazismmo-prime-directiveopinionrespect-the-ipsoapboxsoapbox-jef-reahardSOESony-Online-Entertainmentstar-trekstar-trek-onlinestar-warsstar-wars-galaxiesstar-wars-the-old-republicswgswtorthe-soapboxtolkienturbineTurbine-EntertainmentTue, 16 Nov 2010 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Soapbox: Episode II - A New Hype]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/19/the-soapbox-episode-ii-a-new-hype/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/19/the-soapbox-episode-ii-a-new-hype/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/19/the-soapbox-episode-ii-a-new-hype/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect that of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

Well golly, I think it's time for a bit of contrarian opinion regarding The Old Republic. I know, I know, I don't write about TOR aside from the occasional news post, but here is one of the many joys of Massively (and more specifically, the Soapbox). We all play a lot of games and have pretty strong opinions about them regardless of whether or not they're our bread and butter.

So, while my day job consists of covering sword and sorcery titles for our fine website, it's hard to get away from the oncoming repulsorlift hype train that is The Old Republic. Several months back, I wrote a Daily Grind in which I basically said that all the hoopla surrounding the game was getting tiresome. Predictably, crucifixion by comments ensued, all for daring to question the supremacy of both BioWare and Star Wars.

The fact that a minority opinion generated so much rancor (yeah, I went there) got me to thinking about TOR, BioWare, and the unrestrained optimism that often characterizes MMO fandom in general. On a purely personal level, my fire has gone out of the Star Wars universe, the fandom is all but extinct, a couple of posters and a model X-Wing are all that's left of my former religion. Can BioWare rekindle that fire? Do I even want it to?

Make point five past the lightspeed jump for more.

Continue reading The Soapbox: Episode II - A New Hype

MassivelyThe Soapbox: Episode II - A New Hype originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowarebioware-mmobioware-mmorpgbioware-star-warsbioware-swtoreaelectronic-artsfanboysfeaturedhypelucas-artslucas-arts-mmolucas-arts-mmorpgopinionsoapboxsoapbox-jef-reahardstar-wars-gamestar-wars-mmostar-wars-mmorpgstar-wars-the-old-republicstar-wars-torstarwarsstarwars-the-old-republicsw-torswtorthe-old-republicthe-soapboxtorTue, 19 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST