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[Massively Exclusive: Darkspore reveals the Viper]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/23/massively-exclusive-darkspore-reveals-the-viper/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/23/massively-exclusive-darkspore-reveals-the-viper/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/23/massively-exclusive-darkspore-reveals-the-viper/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Unless you're relatively new to gaming, you've undoubtedly heard of Maxis -- the developer behind the The Sims. Maxis and Electronic Arts have decided to use concepts from Spore to create a brand-new dungeon-crawling isometric online RPG called Darkspore -- and we've secured an exclusive first look at the Viper hero that gamers will be able to play in this upcoming title. With venomous damage-over-time attacks, enormous blades built into its muscular body, and the ability to add even more spines covered in poison, this beast is deservedly subtitled the "toxic ravager." It's got lots of damage, lots of carnage, and by the looks of it, lots of fun!

While this is one of those borderline-in-the-MMOeque-neighborhood type of games, we understand the world is persistent, and players will be able to gather gear and customize their characters as they level up within the powerful Spore engine. Darkspore will feature both a single-player mode and groups of four players in the basic co-op multiplayer modes. We haven't heard concrete numbers on PvP battles, so perhaps the game will cross into the truly massive at that point. For now, you can check out the exclusive video for Darkspore's newest hero, Viper, behind the break.

Continue reading Massively Exclusive: Darkspore reveals the Viper

MassivelyMassively Exclusive: Darkspore reveals the Viper originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>borderlinedamage-over-timedarksporedoteaElectronic-Artsexclusiveexclusivesheavy-dps-classhero-spotlightisometricMaxisSporevideoViperWed, 23 Feb 2011 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EA giving free game to disgruntled APB buyers [Updated]]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/27/ea-giving-free-game-to-disgruntled-apb-buyers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/27/ea-giving-free-game-to-disgruntled-apb-buyers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/27/ea-giving-free-game-to-disgruntled-apb-buyers/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Ticked off about the recent closure of Realtime Worlds' All Points Bulletin? Well you're not alone, and surprisingly enough it seems like Electronic Arts has heard your cries for justice. According to reports from CVG and SavyGamer, the publishing giant is ponying up a free download from the EA Store for customers who purchased APB via Valve's Steam digital distribution platform.

The list of possible freebies is nothing to sneeze at either, as it includes BioWare darlings Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age: Origins, as well as Spore, The Saboteur, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and several more. There's currently no word on refunds or compensation for those who purchased the ill-fated urban crime MMOFPS from retail outlets or other digital shops.

[Editor's Note: Having just gone through this process myself, I can tell you that it's easy and virtually painless. Simply visit www.ea.com, choose your country of origin, visit the support link in the upper right hand corner, and log into your EA account. Once that's done, click the "contact us/email us" button to create a new question to ask the EA support representatives. Select APB as the game in question and tell them that you own the game, where you bought it, and that you'd like to take advantage of their refund offer. The representative will ask you to make a list of games you'd like (pre-order titles are excluded and only games in the EA store are being offered) and that's it! Once you send your list, they'll give you a game (most likely your first choice) and you can download it using their instructions. ~Seraphina]

MassivelyEA giving free game to disgruntled APB buyers [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>all-points-bulletinapbbattlefield-bad-company-2BioWareDragon-AgeDragon-Age-Originseaelectronfree-gamefree-gamesmass-effect-2refundsporesteamthe-saboteurvalveMon, 27 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EA financial report: WAR did great, layoffs happening anyway]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/31/ea-financial-report-war-did-great-layoffs-happening-anyway/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/31/ea-financial-report-war-did-great-layoffs-happening-anyway/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/31/ea-financial-report-war-did-great-layoffs-happening-anyway/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

EA released its quarterly financial statements (PDF warning on both that and the Source link) yesterday, and while the typical MMO player will not care about most of the data present, we thought a couple things buried in there were worth mentioning. First of all, EA bragged about the previously-revealed 800,000 subscriber number for Warhammer Online. Madden NFL 09 and Spore also did quite well, but despite those successes, the company still posted a net loss of $310 million.

Possibly as a result, it announced a "cost reduction plan" (doublespeak, anyone?) "which will include the elimination of approximately 6% of the Company's workforce," which Scott Jennings suggests is around 540 people. No details were given about which teams would lose people. We suppose new intellectual properties like Dead Space and Mirror's Edge aren't cheap to develop, and neither is Star Wars: The Old Republic (the existence of which was proudly touted in the report), but it's striking that even amidst sales success by WAR and other titles, the company is still shedding employees.

[Via Broken Toys]

MassivelyEA financial report: WAR did great, layoffs happening anyway originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eaea-mythicelectronic-artsfinancial-statementslayoffsmadden-09mythicmythic-entertainmentquarterly-reportsalessporestar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-old-republictorwarwarhammer-onlineFri, 31 Oct 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[WAR battles Spore, The Force Unleashed for top of EU sales charts]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/27/war-battles-spore-the-force-unleashed-for-top-of-eu-sales-chart/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/27/war-battles-spore-the-force-unleashed-for-top-of-eu-sales-chart/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/27/war-battles-spore-the-force-unleashed-for-top-of-eu-sales-chart/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Warhammer Online pulled off some impressive sales figures in the European market this past week. The Swedish sales chart shows WAR at the #1 and #4 (for the Collector's Edition) spots in that country, beating out the highly anticipated Will Wright project Spore. WAR also topped the charts in Spain. In Germany it came in second behind the heavily marketed console game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

Of course an MMO dominating sales charts is nothing new. World of Warcraft has done so on and off since its launch four years ago, and Age of Conan debuted at #1 in many regions, even defeating the critically acclaimed BioWare tactical RPG Mass Effect which launched in the same month. It's also worth noting that the Warhammer IP is very popular in Europe, perhaps more so than in North America.

This news jives well with the report that half a million users have registered for the game. On the other hand, similar numbers were thrown out around AoC shortly after its launch. It's doing okay, but it didn't turn out to be a landscape-altering success that some folks projected, and that some are expecting from WAR as well

MassivelyWAR battles Spore, The Force Unleashed for top of EU sales charts originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 27 Sep 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocchartsea-mythiceueuropeeuropean-unionfiguresgermanymass-effectmythicmythic-entertainmentsalesspainsporestar-wars-the-force-unleashedswedenthe-force-unleashedwarwarhammer-onlinewill-wrightworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 27 Sep 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Raptr tracks you and your friends' WoW progress, plus more]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/22/raptr-tracks-you-and-your-friends-wow-progress-plus-more/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/22/raptr-tracks-you-and-your-friends-wow-progress-plus-more/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/22/raptr-tracks-you-and-your-friends-wow-progress-plus-more/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


If you're the type of person who loves to watch (re: stalk) their friends and Twitter just isn't doing it for you, then check out the Raptr beta. This nifty social networking site focuses on gaming and will track your activity over a plethora of platforms and games such as Steam, Xbox Live, Spore and of course World of Warcraft. Now you can gloat about your blue "Pants of Sundering Sauce" even when you're out of the game! If you decide to install the Raptr client it will check on all your PC games and download new updates for them, which is wonderful as we love anything that makes updating our games easier.

With the recent addition of Spore updates to the service, we're hoping that Warhammer Online will get some love from the folks at Raptr as well. How cool would it be if Raptr updated your page as you won Scenarios or captured an enemy stronghold?

MassivelyRaptr tracks you and your friends' WoW progress, plus more originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardblizzard-entertainmenteaelectronic-artsmaxismythicmythic-entertainmentpants-of-sundering-sauceraptrsporesteamwarwarhammer-onlineworld-of-warcraftwowxbox-liveMon, 22 Sep 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Will Wright not opposed to Spore MMO]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/11/will-wright-not-opposed-to-spore-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/11/will-wright-not-opposed-to-spore-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/11/will-wright-not-opposed-to-spore-mmo/#commentsFiled under: ,


For all the fun and interesting games we get to talk about here at Massively, we do have to own up to some jealousy when it comes to the subject of Spore. The biggest reason being the title's ubiquitous appeal to anyone with a remote interest in games which allow creative customization and creation of, well, just about everything. So we're happy to hear that Will Wright -- while not currently pursuing the it -- is open and responsive to the idea of doing a Spore MMO when the technology and timing is right. Or in other words: When Mr. Wright is feeling interested in the concept.

It's pretty minimal news, we know, but it does make the mind wonder what kind of MMO Spore could become. Whatever it may someday be, it certainly doesn't sound like something that's hitting shelves -- or previews, for that matter -- anytime soon.

MassivelyWill Wright not opposed to Spore MMO originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eaelectronic-artseurogamergenomesporewill-wrightMon, 11 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Peering Inside: The rights of creators]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/peering-inside-the-rights-of-creators/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/peering-inside-the-rights-of-creators/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/peering-inside-the-rights-of-creators/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

On 14 November, 2003 Linden Lab caused quite a stir by announcing that users who created or published content via the Second Life service would "retain full intellectual property protection for the digital content they create, including characters, clothing, scripts, textures, objects and designs."

Essentially, the same rights that they'd have anywhere else (barring assorted terms of use/service to the contrary). It seems obvious, in many ways, but ultimately it's actually very rare. Terms of use/service which express a contradictory position are in the majority. In fact, go to the filing cabinet and pull out the contract for your current RL job. Odds are, there are a whole slew of creator rights that you've already signed away that have little or nothing to do with your job.

That, unfortunately, is the normal condition. When it comes to the new, novel, or creative -- almost everyone wants a piece of your pie, and few want to leave a slice for you, if they can avoid it. Even taking Sturgeon's (second) Law into account, competition for the remaining portion of human content and pop-culture is quite stiff.

Continue reading Peering Inside: The rights of creators

MassivelyPeering Inside: The rights of creators originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>business-modelscopyrightdmcaeconomyelectronic-artsfeaturedlegallinden-labopinionsecond-lifesporeterms-of-serviceterms-of-usevirtual-worldsMon, 30 Jun 2008 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC08: An evening with Will Wright minus friends (video)]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/22/gdc08-an-evening-with-will-wright-minus-friends-video/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/22/gdc08-an-evening-with-will-wright-minus-friends-video/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/22/gdc08-an-evening-with-will-wright-minus-friends-video/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

I applied for, and received an invitation to 'An Evening with Will Wright and Friends', held in Mezzanine, a swanky club in San Francisco's SOMA district on Thursday evening. I didn't know what exactly to expect, but I knew two things: 1) It wasn't going to be about Spore, and 2) It was Will Freaking Wright. How did I know Spore wasn't on the offering? 'Cause we're all kind of Spore'd out, aren't we?

I was right about the lack of Spore, but was pleasantly surprised and gratified to hear Will speak on a variety of topics -- James Bond, cosmonauts, Gilligan's Island as the predecessor of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman comics, Godzilla, Care Bears, Lost, Walt Disney, Battlestar Galactica, Spiderman, and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance -- before finally wrapping it all up with the observation that the stories that resonate with us are deconstructible; we can reduce them to components, and using those components, build our own stories.

Finally, accepting questions from the audience, I asked him what advice he'd give NASA as they create their MMO. His friends never showed up, but man, Will Wright is always worth a listen. He knows his stuff so well and is such a wonderful speaker ... check out the video I shot after the break, and you'll see what I mean.

Continue reading GDC08: An evening with Will Wright minus friends (video)

MassivelyGDC08: An evening with Will Wright minus friends (video) originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battlestar-galacticacare-bearscosmonautseventfeaturedgdcgdc08gdc08fanboygilligans-islandgodzillajames-bondlostnasaneil-gaimansan-franciscosomaspidermansporethe-sandmanwalt-disneywill-wrightzen-and-the-art-of-motorcycle-maintenanceFri, 22 Feb 2008 13:15:00 EST<![CDATA[David Perry posits 70 Million player massive game]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/15/david-perry-posits-70-million-player-massive-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/15/david-perry-posits-70-million-player-massive-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/15/david-perry-posits-70-million-player-massive-game/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

David Perry, a gent who used to be synonymous with the quirky developer Shiny Entertainment, is now best known for his work in the Massive games industry. He recently did an interview with the website videogame247, where he essentially said that World of Warcraft is still too niche for the potential MMOs represent. In fact, he could see a game someday existing that nets '70 million players'. As he puts it, "we haven't got anyone that's thinking down the Will Wright path."

Perry is looking to outfits like Club Penguin or MapleStory as harbingers of the future. He posits that if World of Warcraft were to go free-to-play, it would be looking at a 25 million-strong playerbase instead of 'only' 10 million. He himself is very familiar with the free-to-play model, as several of the Acclaim online titles he's imported to the country of late are based on that paradigm. How successful do you think a free-to-play WoW would be? Will we ever get to a 70 million player game, or is that 'the crazy talk'?

[Via RPS]

MassivelyDavid Perry posits 70 Million player massive game originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>club-penguindavid-perryfree-to-playmaple-storyrmtsporewill-wrightworld-of-warcraftFri, 15 Feb 2008 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The intersection of Spore and MMOs]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/13/the-intersection-of-spore-and-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/13/the-intersection-of-spore-and-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/13/the-intersection-of-spore-and-mmos/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Will Wright's surely-a-masterpiece Spore got a date earlier this week, and just last night the floodgates opened on press coverage of it, so we've got lots of new info to drool over in the weeks to come. But Mike, you say to me, Spore isn't an MMO-- why are you talking about it here on Massively?

You're right-- it's not an MMO, but it does have MMO qualities: creatures you create in Spore will show up on others' screens and vice versa, via the game's constant online connection. You'll never play a game against someone else, but your game will live in a huge, persistent online world, and your content will become others' as well. We're talking about Spore because it will intersect a lot with the MMO industry this year-- and even more than you may think.

Continue reading The intersection of Spore and MMOs

MassivelyThe intersection of Spore and MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>commentaryconsoleseverquest-online-adventuresmassivelymmo-qualitiespcpersonal-computerrelmsteinsporeworld-of-warcraftWed, 13 Feb 2008 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Games that could be MMOs: Spore]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/01/games-that-could-be-mmos-spore/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/01/games-that-could-be-mmos-spore/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/01/games-that-could-be-mmos-spore/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Ever since I saw Spore being shown at Macworld this year, I've been thinking about how our characters progress, and likening it to evolution. The more you fight, the more you grow -- in levels, anyway. Here, however, death doesn't cut off your genetic line, but neither do you get to pass yours on. And while it's cool to watch your character gain abilities, hit points, new gear, etc., what if there were an MMO that let you actually evolve?

Take Spore as our example: start life as a single-celled organism. Eat and avoid being eaten long enough, and you level up to the next step: evolving into something better adapted to the environment, so you can survive better, longer. Keep on growing until you've begun making tools. Organize a community. Explore the world, and eventually, space itself, and new worlds. This is what Spore promises, but currently it's a single-player game, with the only interaction with other players arising when spaceflight is achieved. But what if Spore started out as an MMO?

Continue reading Games that could be MMOs: Spore

MassivelyGames that could be MMOs: Spore originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Feb 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conancustomizationdeathevolutionmicrobesprocedurally-drivensporewill-wrightFri, 01 Feb 2008 10:00:00 EST