Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Square Enix invites Championship Manager into the MMO club]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/19/square-enix-invites-championship-manager-into-the-mmo-club/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/19/square-enix-invites-championship-manager-into-the-mmo-club/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/19/square-enix-invites-championship-manager-into-the-mmo-club/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The incredibly popular football (read: soccer) video game franchise Championship Manager is about ready to take the jump into MMO-space -- and Square Enix will be there to hold its hand all the way.

The studio announced today that it will be publishing Championship Manager: World of Football, a free-to-play browser-based title for sports fanatics. Developed by Beautiful Game Studios and Shanda Games, Championship Manager will initially launch in China with a possible international release later down the road. A beta for the title is to be announced shortly.

This is a further indication of the shape of the partnership between Square Enix and Shanda Games, which we reported on last year. The Championship Manager franchise dates back to 1992, with recent versions created by Beautiful Game Studios.

MassivelySquare Enix invites Championship Manager into the MMO club originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Jul 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>beautiful-game-studiosbetachampionship-managerchampionship-manager-world-of-footballchinafootballpartnershipseshanda-gamessoccersportssquare-enixworld-of-footballTue, 19 Jul 2011 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Enter at Your Own Rift: Getting a head start]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/02/enter-at-your-own-rift-getting-a-head-start/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/02/enter-at-your-own-rift-getting-a-head-start/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/02/enter-at-your-own-rift-getting-a-head-start/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Dateline: Thursday, February 24th, 12:55 p.m. EST. After having rushed home from work (huzzah for a half-day), I was frantically putting the kids to bed for an afternoon nap and patching up my RIFT client. Twitter was abuzz with gamers sitting at the starting gate and revving their mice. It was here. After seven betas, it was here, and we would be the first in the door.

12:59 p.m. EST. Began checking the server status list, trying to will the dull grey names to light up as they signified activity.

1:00 p.m. EST. Scott Hartsman posts a short message on Twitter: "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to RIFT."

Right on cue, the servers came up, and what felt like the entire population of Oregon tried to cram into the game all at once. By 1:01 p.m., when I logged in, my chosen server of Faeblight was already full and had 461 people in the queue. I was 462. It would be another 45 minutes until I was able to play the game proper.

Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: Getting a head start

MassivelyEnter at Your Own Rift: Getting a head start originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>abigalebasketballfeaturedfootballhead-startholy-graillars-buttlerlaunchpick-up-gamesrealmsriftrift-planes-of-telarascott-hartsmanserversshardssoccersocialsocial-experiencesocial-gamesocial-gamingtriontrion-worldsturtleturtle-mountturtle-powertwitterworld-of-warcraftWed, 02 Mar 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Where are all the sports MMOs?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/11/the-daily-grind-where-are-all-the-sports-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/11/the-daily-grind-where-are-all-the-sports-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/11/the-daily-grind-where-are-all-the-sports-mmos/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

With the advent of the college football bowl season and NFL playoffs, it's likely that you know someone caught up in the hysteria that surrounds a favored sports team in the thick of a championship chase. You may even be a sports fan yourself, and you also may have wondered -- as we did -- about the discernible lack of sports-based games across the MMO landscape.

MMOs and sports would seem to be a match made in heaven. After all, fantasy football is a huge pastime for millions of people, and a box-score-reading sports geek is one of the few folks on earth who could give a stat-parsing MMO min-maxer a run for his number-crunching money. Aside from the occasional F2P game or a beta that few are aware of, MMO sports titles are rarer than a mythical national championship. Today's Daily Grind asks: Where are all the sports MMOs? Would you play one?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Where are all the sports MMOs? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>baseballfootballgame-discussiongamer-discussionmmo-discussionmmo-hot-topicsmmo-issuesmmo-topicsmmorpg-discussionmmorpg-hot-topicsmmorpg-topicsnational-championshipnflplayoffssoccersportssports-mmostdgthe-daily-grindTue, 11 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[E3 2009: New classes, prestige classes and more coming to Free Realms]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/08/e3-2009-new-classes-prestige-classes-and-more-coming-to-free-r/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/08/e3-2009-new-classes-prestige-classes-and-more-coming-to-free-r/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/08/e3-2009-new-classes-prestige-classes-and-more-coming-to-free-r/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Are you one of the folks who has leveled your classes all the way to max in Free Realms and are kind of wondering what now? Well, if you're the type who loves progression and really building your character up to be better, you're in luck. The folks at SOE are planning to introduce Prestige classes (much like the aforementioned racing ones) that will allow players to level their jobs to 20, and improve them through further play.

Along with this interesting development, they are adding in some new jobs to the game, like the Pro Racing class - and perhaps a new class to go with the Soccer game (Soccer player? Footballer?) since SOE has let us know that they are finally bringing those fenced-off soccer fields into play. Added to these new tidbits will be further expansion on the backstory of Free Realms, which will explain a bit more about the lands and inhabitants of this crazy fun casual MMO, as well as opening up more story-driven quests for players. Sounds like a bunch of exciting news coming in the next few months! We can't wait.
Massively was on the ground in Los Angeles last week and covering all the latest E3 MMO news coming from the convention. Check out our breaking coverage (or all the Joystiq network E3 reporting) and keep your eye on Massively's front page for the latest developments.

MassivelyE3 2009: New classes, prestige classes and more coming to Free Realms originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>back-storye3-2009frfree-realmsmini-gamesnew-jobsprestige-classessoccersoesony-online-entertainmentMon, 08 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[New soccer/football MMO seeks to profit on Brazil's passion]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/11/new-soccer-football-mmo-seeks-to-profit-on-brazils-passion/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/11/new-soccer-football-mmo-seeks-to-profit-on-brazils-passion/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/11/new-soccer-football-mmo-seeks-to-profit-on-brazils-passion/#commentsFiled under: , ,


A Chicago-based company called Interzone Entertainment will be publishing a new soccer MMO in Brazil in the fourth quarter of this year. The game is called Interzone Futebol, and of course it will at first be in Portuguese. Interzone says it will translate the game for other markets shortly, though.

It's actually a pretty cool concept. It's not a team management game like most sports titles. Rather, it's a bit like EA Sports' quasi-recent Superstar mode trend. That it is to say, each player will control one athlete who improves and learns new moves over time. Every athlete on the field in every match will be controlled by a human player, and those players will be able to invite their friends to join them in the middle of any match.

Interzone chose to launch in Brazil first because ... well, if you can't answer that, you don't know much about soccer. Or Brazil, for that matter.

MassivelyNew soccer/football MMO seeks to profit on Brazil's passion originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brazilfootballinterzone-entertainmentinterzone-futebolsoccersportsworlds-in-motionWed, 11 Jun 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Are sports MMOs truly massive?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/23/the-daily-grind-are-sports-mmos-truly-massive/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/23/the-daily-grind-are-sports-mmos-truly-massive/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/23/the-daily-grind-are-sports-mmos-truly-massive/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

When you think of sports games, perhaps you immediately think of football, basketball, baseball, soccer, what have you. Golf might get a nod, as well as the various car-related events. However, at most, these diversions consist of teams with a rather small number of players -- nothing like the thousands to millions of users of your average MMO.

However, when you play solo, those other players might as well be bots for all you care. And if you're in a guild, it can be as small as your average basketball team. Playing against another team is essentially like PvP. And games like Mythos have instanced dungeons (for now, at least), so you never see another player outside of towns. This begs a larger question: if you don't actually see thousands of other players, is it really massively multiplayer? What's the cutoff number?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Are sports MMOs truly massive? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 May 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>baseballbasketballfootballgolfmythossoccersportsFri, 23 May 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Football Manager to bring MMOs to the pitch]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/18/football-manager-to-bring-mmos-to-the-pitch/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/18/football-manager-to-bring-mmos-to-the-pitch/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/18/football-manager-to-bring-mmos-to-the-pitch/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


If ever there was a group of gaming fanatics to rival those that call MMOs their home, it would be those crazy footie fans that drive the sales of soccer simulators like the Football Manager series with their dreams of Championship League glory. While combining the two may at first appear like an unholy alliance, the off-spring of their union, Football Manager Live, is actually a much more intuitive blend than it might have seemed. Players customize their teams' looks, name, and home field, and are then given a small sum of cash to acquire their first players. From there they can then join online leagues catered to their skill levels and compete in matches that look largely like the Football Manager fans already know and love.

What makes it more than just an online version of Football Manager is the persistent elements that have been added in to the mix. Managers assign themselves skills and abilities, all of which affect their ability to control and develop players on the pitch. Players have to build their teams up from the ground-level in order to compete at the highest levels, and competition in that sphere will be intense. It's sort of funny to think of the Premier League as the sports equivalent of Black Temple, but it's apt. Football Manager Live is currently in its beta phase, and looks to launch later this year. Finally we'll have an MMO we can brag about at a bar without getting funny looks!

MassivelyFootball Manager to bring MMOs to the pitch originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>championship-leaguefootballfootball-managerfootball-manager-livepremiershipsegasoccersportssports-interactive-networkTue, 18 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Metaplace sends Metachat live on Myspace]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/13/metaplace-sends-metachat-live-on-myspace/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/13/metaplace-sends-metachat-live-on-myspace/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/13/metaplace-sends-metachat-live-on-myspace/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

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

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

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

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>facebookfunmetachatmetaplacemyspacersssoccersocial-networkingvirtual-spacesvirtual-worldsThu, 13 Mar 2008 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EA's world conquest continues with new Korean dev studio]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/14/eas-world-conquest-continues-with-new-korean-dev-studio/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/14/eas-world-conquest-continues-with-new-korean-dev-studio/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/14/eas-world-conquest-continues-with-new-korean-dev-studio/#commentsFiled under: ,

According to Digital Chosunilbo, Electronic Arts -- the planet Jupiter of game development -- has plans to open a new studio in Korea this year. EA intends to make three or four new titles for the Asian market. The studio will be a 20 million dollar investment, and its first projects will be online versions of NBA Street and Battlefield. All this will be helmed by Danny Isaac of FIFA Soccer fame.

Gamasutra noted that this is not EA's first foray into the Asian market. The company invested in Korean developer Neowiz back in March, and shortly thereafter announced plans to release in Asia one or more titles from the Battlefield series.

This is just one more step towards total world domination, unless EA's newly-formed rival Activision-Blizzard has something to say about it!

[Via The Escapist]

MassivelyEA's world conquest continues with new Korean dev studio originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>asiabattlefieldbusinessdigital-chosunilboeafifagamasutrakoreanba-streetneowizsoccerstudioMon, 14 Jan 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Football (not Soccer) MMO in the works]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/05/football-not-soccer-mmo-in-the-works/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/05/football-not-soccer-mmo-in-the-works/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/05/football-not-soccer-mmo-in-the-works/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Now this sounds interesting: CyberSports' Football Superstars is a soccer career MMO, where you not only play realtime matches against other online players, but where you're also meant to actively pursue fame and fortune by seeking out representation. Working out the timing on matches could be tricky; obviously there will be pre-appointed dates and times for matches, and every member must be there to fill out the roster.

Also, the article shows what they claim are screenshots, but I have my doubts. Unless they're dealing with an incredibly powerful rendering engine that can handle cloth deformation on the fly, AND each avatar really is standing in front of a stadium full of blurry, indistinct spectators, then I must call foul. Still, the concept is intriguing -- might it be enough to bring in footy fans who might not otherwise play an MMO?

Personally, I just like saying 'footy'.

MassivelyFootball (not Soccer) MMO in the works originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 05 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cybersportsfootballfootball-superstarsfootymassivelysoccerWed, 05 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST