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[En Masse Entertainment wraps up TERA closed beta weekends]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/13/en-masse-entertainment-wraps-up-tera-closed-beta-weekends/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/13/en-masse-entertainment-wraps-up-tera-closed-beta-weekends/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/13/en-masse-entertainment-wraps-up-tera-closed-beta-weekends/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Screenshot -- TERA
The fifth and final TERA closed beta weekend went out with a bang last weekend, heralding the beginning of the final steps toward the game's May launch. But before En Masse Entertainment opens the floodgates of open beta testing, it has decided to release some interesting details and statistics regarding the closed beta test weekends.

For instance, over the course of the closed beta weekends, players formed 90,000 parties and over 3,600 guilds in order to hunt down and destroy over 7.6 billion monsters. In the process, they earned a total of over 14.5 billion gold, collected 20 million items, and bit the dust almost 2 million times. Castanics reigned surpreme as the most commonly chosen race (with Humans and High Elves not far behind), while the most popular class was the Warrior, followed closely by Sorcerer and Slayer. Of course, players can expect to blow these numbers out of the water when open beta begins on April 19th.

[Source: En Masse Entertainment press release]

MassivelyEn Masse Entertainment wraps up TERA closed beta weekends originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betabetasblueholebluehole-studioscbtclosed-beta-weekendclosed-beta-weekendsen-masseen-masse-entertainmentfantasylies-damn-lies-and-statisticsobtopen-betastatisticsterawrap-upFri, 13 Apr 2012 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Champions Online rolling out Role and Stat changes]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/24/champions-online-rolling-out-role-and-stat-changes-stat/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/24/champions-online-rolling-out-role-and-stat-changes-stat/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/24/champions-online-rolling-out-role-and-stat-changes-stat/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Balance isn't a stat. It's just a good idea.
Like many MMOs, Champions Online is at its heart a game of numbers. Your character type focuses on certain stats, and you want to make those stats go higher. But sometimes the way those stats work together is a bit less than intuitive in the live game, hence some recent changes to Super Stats and regular stats on the test servers. The biggest change assigns one primary and two secondary, rather than two Super Stats, to players, which alleviates the current problems with Super Stats (certain pairs of Super Stats work poorly together and are poorly represented in itemization).

Individual stats have also seen some tweaks: Strength is no longer hard-capped for melee damage, Presence has had its threat component removed and a soft-cap introduced, Ego is now solely a ranged stat, and Dexterity has seen improvements to its critical benefits. Roles are also being balanced differently, giving more consistent stat benefits that are more in line with what players in a given role will actually need to do. It's a pretty sweeping set of changes, but the end goal is to give Champions Online players a more straightforward numbers game to play.

MassivelyChampions Online rolling out Role and Stat changes originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 24 Feb 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>abilitiesbalancebalance-changeschampions-onlinecharacter-buildscocrypticcryptic-studiosf2pfree-to-playgame-mechanicsgame-systemsmechanicsnewsperfect-world-entertainmentpwestatisticsstatssystemstestFri, 24 Feb 2012 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Online gaming linked with marital dissatisfaction]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/online-gaming-linked-with-marital-dissatisfaction/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/online-gaming-linked-with-marital-dissatisfaction/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/online-gaming-linked-with-marital-dissatisfaction/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

seriously, though
Good news, gamers! You can now blame another dysfunction (if you have it, and I'm sure you don't) on the games you play! It's not enough that those nasty ol' video games are making you violent and antisocial -- a new survey put out by Brigham Young University is linking online gaming with a decrease in marital satisfaction.

The survey states that "gaming widows," whose spouses neglect them to focus on gaming, are dissatisfied with the states of their marriage. How that differs from corporate widows, football widows, or any other neglected spouse without a catchy title isn't really specified. Another conclusion pointed out by the survey is that when spouses play together, the marriage tends to be in pretty good shape. Who'd have ever thought that spending time bonding over a shared interest would be healthy for a relationship?

While we're all in agreement that your level 80 Paladin probably doesn't deserve as much of your love and affection as your spouse, if you hadn't figured that out on your own, gaming probably isn't the root of your problems. Just a thought.

MassivelyOnline gaming linked with marital dissatisfaction originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brigham-young-universitygamer-widowgaminghow-gaming-is-making-you-a-bad-personmarriagestatisticsstudysurveywhat-is-this-i-cant-evenWed, 15 Feb 2012 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Hellgate reveals 2011 stats, hints at 2012 updates]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/04/hellgate-reveals-2011-stats-hints-at-2012-updates/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/04/hellgate-reveals-2011-stats-hints-at-2012-updates/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/04/hellgate-reveals-2011-stats-hints-at-2012-updates/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Hellgate concept art
T3Fun has released a few statistics designed to keep Hellgate Global in the public eye. Included in the data are interesting nuggets like the gender breakdown for characters created (60/40 in favor of the guys), the most-played class (Marksman), the least-played class (Guardian), and the class with the highest growth rate in terms of character creation (also the Guardian).

We're not exactly sure what that last bit means, but we can tell you that Hellgate's devs have a few new wrinkles planned for 2012 (assuming the world doesn't end in a hail of apocalyptic demon fire first). Among the improvements slated for the new year are "improved services, deeper guild engagement [...] and greater challenges for the most motivated players [via] some of the biggest events yet."

Hellgate Global is free-to-play, so there's really nothing stopping you from moseying over to the game's official website and downloading the client.

[Source: T3Fun press release]

MassivelyHellgate reveals 2011 stats, hints at 2012 updates originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>content-updatesf2pfantasyfree-to-playguild-toolshanbitsofthellgatehellgate-globalhellgate-londonhellgate-tokyohorrorpatchesstatisticst3funWed, 04 Jan 2012 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Over one percent of League of Legends players have been banned]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/25/over-one-percent-of-league-of-legends-players-have-been-banned/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/25/over-one-percent-of-league-of-legends-players-have-been-banned/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/25/over-one-percent-of-league-of-legends-players-have-been-banned/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

League of Legends ban title image
Handling antisocial behaviour has always been a problem for online game developers, and MOBAs like League of Legends certainly get the worst of it. The inherently team-based nature and slippery slope gameplay in MOBAs makes it very easy for one antisocial player to ruin a game and cause your team to lose. The problem is normally tackled head-on with a report tool and a suite of hired GMs, but what do you do if your game is free-to-play and has over 15 million registered players? It would be impractical to hire thousands of GMs to police a community of that size, so Riot Games came up with an alternative in the Tribunal system.

The Tribunal allows players who have played enough games to reach level 30 to vote on whether to take action against a reported player. Once enough votes are tallied, either the player is pardoned automatically or his case is submitted to a smaller GM team to await punishment. The system went live earlier this year, and Riot has now revealed how incredibly successful the system has been with the publication of some very interesting banning statistics. The biggest shocker is that a whopping 1.4% of LoL's over 15 million players have been banned with the system, a workload that far exceeds the capacity of a traditional GM team. Ninety-four percent of players submitted to the Tribunal are punished, with about 50% of them never reoffending.

Skip past the cut for an image showing these and other statistics, and stay tuned to our weekly Not So Massively column every Monday for more LoL news and updates.

Continue reading Over one percent of League of Legends players have been banned

MassivelyOver one percent of League of Legends players have been banned originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 25 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>banbanningbansfree-to-playgraphimageleague-of-legendslolmobanewspictureplayer-developmentriotriot-gamesstatisticstribunalSun, 25 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[SOE releases Free Realms and EQII infographic]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/23/soe-releases-free-realms-and-eqii-infographic/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/23/soe-releases-free-realms-and-eqii-infographic/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/23/soe-releases-free-realms-and-eqii-infographic/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

SOE logo
Sony Online Entertainment is trumpeting some virtual item statistics this holiday season, and the delivery mechanism is a good-size infographic that we've got for you after the cut. There are plenty of interesting nuggets to be found on the chart, such as the fact that SOE receives around 7,000 character name change requests on a daily basis.

Also of note is that mounts make up 23% of all virtual item sales in EverQuest II, and kids prefer to dress their characters as werewolves instead of vampires when it comes to Free Realms (but you knew that already, right?).

Head past the break for all the stats.

[Source: SOE press release]

Continue reading SOE releases Free Realms and EQII infographic

MassivelySOE releases Free Realms and EQII infographic originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Dec 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eq2eqiieverquest-2everquest-iif2pfantasyfree-realmsfree-to-playinfographicrandom-factssoeSony-Online-EntertainmentstatisticsFri, 23 Dec 2011 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[APB: Reloaded cracks into Steam's most-played games]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/15/apb-reloaded-cracks-into-steams-most-played-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/15/apb-reloaded-cracks-into-steams-most-played-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/15/apb-reloaded-cracks-into-steams-most-played-games/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Welp, round about now the Duke and the boys knew they was in a whole heap o' trouble.
Calling all cars -- all three million of them, even. Yes, that's how many players APB: Reloaded now claims, which allows the game to crack into the top ten games being played on Steam and places it second on the list of free games. That's definitely a big impression, one that couples nicely with the game's recent release of a boxed retail copy with several bonus items for first-time or existing players.

According to Rahul Sandil, SVP of marketing and business development for GamersFirst, "[GamersFirst] recognized the potential for APB: Reloaded to be a true breakout hit in the Free2Play category all through beta testing." The game's new Fight Club gameplay mode hasn't hurt the game's popularity either, which is all pretty good for a game that originally set a record for its quick shutdown. The future of APB: Reloaded remains to be seen, but the present is certainly looking bright.

[Source: GamersFirst press release]

MassivelyAPB: Reloaded cracks into Steam's most-played games originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>all-points-bulletinapbapb-reloadedf2pfight-clubfree-to-playgamersfirstmmo-industrynewsplayer-statsrahul-sandilreloaded-productionsstatisticsThu, 15 Dec 2011 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[BioWare releases Sith Inquisitor progression video, forums gather launch statistics [Updated]]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/09/bioware-releases-sith-inquisitor-progression-video-forums-gathe/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/09/bioware-releases-sith-inquisitor-progression-video-forums-gathe/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/09/bioware-releases-sith-inquisitor-progression-video-forums-gathe/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Screenshot -- Star Wars: The Old Republic
Star Wars: The Old Republic is just a matter of days from beginning its early start program, but BioWare is continuing the news drip right up to the last minute. Today, the studio released a new video detailing the progression of the wicked Sith Inquisitor. For a lovely display of Force Lightning and other neat Inquisitor tricks, click on past the cut for the full video.

But first, we have some interesting launch-time statistics for you folks, courtesy of a massive thread over on the official SWTOR forums. In The Poll to end all Polls, over one million players have reported on the factions, races, and classes they plan to play at launch. Faction balance is surprisingly even, with a slight slant (53.82%) in favor of the Empire. Classes are almost evenly quartered (though the survey doesn't take advanced class into account). For the full statistics, click on over to Disdain Gaming.

And one more thing! Don't forget that BioWare will be hosting launch events in New York City, Austin, TX, London, and Paris. So if you're nearby, head on over and join up with your fellow fans to celebrate the launch of The Old Republic.

[Update: Continuing its deluge of Friday info, BioWare has also just released a forum post explaining why the Unify Color to Chestpiece system will not make it in for launch. But on a happier note, the SWTOR team just Tweeted that Guild HQ updates are coming Monday!]

Continue reading BioWare releases Sith Inquisitor progression video, forums gather launch statistics [Updated]

MassivelyBioWare releases Sith Inquisitor progression video, forums gather launch statistics [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowareeainquisitorlaunchlaunch-eventslaunch-partiesprogressionprogression-videosisithsith-inquisitorsith-inquisitor-progressionstar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicstatisticsswtorthe-old-republictorvideovideosFri, 09 Dec 2011 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Newzoo releases 2011 MMO Games Market Report]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/06/newzoo-releases-2011-mmo-games-market-report/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/06/newzoo-releases-2011-mmo-games-market-report/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/06/newzoo-releases-2011-mmo-games-market-report/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Newzoo logo
Newzoo, a research and consultation firm for the gaming industry, has released its 2011 MMO Games Market Report, and it includes some interesting -- albeit not terribly surprising -- statistics on the state of the MMO genre. The study found that only about 36% of 39 million players in "European and emerging markets" played games with a "sci-fi or space theme." This is especially relevant considering the next big player in the MMO market -- Star Wars: The Old Republic, for any rock-dwellers -- falls into this category.

Peter Warman, Newzoo's CEO, remarked on the matter:
You will not catch me making any predictions about Star Wars: The Old Republic. But I am very curious to see how much F2P SciFi gamers EA will be able to convert to P2P gamers and what part will come from outside the current pool of SciFi gamers, being complete newcomers as well as the subscribers to EVE Online, WoW, RIFT or any other triple A P2P MMO game. With big F2P SciFi titles also scheduled to launch pretty soon I expect to see significant differences in uptake of the various SciFi titles in US, Europe and Emerging markets.
How will his prediction play out? We'll be finding out soon enough.

MassivelyNewzoo releases 2011 MMO Games Market Report originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>industrymmo-genremmo-industrynewzooPeter-warmansci-fistar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicstatisticsswtorthe-old-republictorTue, 06 Dec 2011 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Game Archaeologist salutes Asheron's Call's 12th anniversary]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/03/the-game-archaeologist-salutes-asherons-calls-12th-anniversary/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/03/the-game-archaeologist-salutes-asherons-calls-12th-anniversary/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/03/the-game-archaeologist-salutes-asherons-calls-12th-anniversary/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Asheron's Call
Turning 12 is a wake-up call for most people because they realize that next year they will officially be teenagers. We just hope that Turbine's ready for that when Asheron's Call breaks curfew, sasses back, and starts developing a romantic interest in other MMOs.

One of the privileges of writing The Game Archaeologist column here on Massively is that I get to watch over these classic MMOs as they marinate in maturity. Despite new titles being announced or released literally every day, these long-running games are the established old guard that have nothing to prove at this point. It's hard not to be a little in awe of that and gush at it.

So congratulations to Asheron's Call, one of the first batch of 3-D MMOs that hit the scene back in the late '90s, for reaching its 12th anniversary! How bizarre is it to think that Asheron's Call came out the same year that we were freaking out about Y2K, seeing how far George Lucas could fall with The Phantom Menace, and paying about $1.22 a gallon for gas in the U.S.? AC almost seems legendary when you realize how far back it stretches.

Join us as we sing the praises of Dereth and its citizens after the jump!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist salutes Asheron's Call's 12th anniversary

MassivelyThe Game Archaeologist salutes Asheron's Call's 12th anniversary originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>12th-anniversary1999acandy-cataldoanniversaryasherons-callderetheqeverquestfeaturedgeorge-lucasretrospectivespecial-editionstatisticstestimoniesthe-game-archaeologistthe-phantom-menacetrailerturbineturbine-entertainmentvideoThu, 03 Nov 2011 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC Online 2011: KingsIsle's Sara Jensen Schubert talks RPG math]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/gdc-austin-2011-kingsisles-sara-jensen-schubert-talks-rpg-math/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/gdc-austin-2011-kingsisles-sara-jensen-schubert-talks-rpg-math/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/gdc-austin-2011-kingsisles-sara-jensen-schubert-talks-rpg-math/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

I'm sure many of us have wondered how game developers decide upon item stats, experience amounts, damage per second, and all of the other numbers that we come across in our favorite games. Actually, it might sound more like, "Why the heck is my uber sword of uberness only doing X amount of damage?!" At GDC Online this week, Sara Jensen Schubert gave a rare glimpse into the math behind MMORPGs. She has worked on games like Shadowbane and DC Universe Online and is now a lead designer at KingsIsle Entertainment. Her background and focus is a traditional RPG viewpoint, and she builds from there to go through the process of designing and building stats, character attributes, experience rewards, the leveling curve, and itemization. While her talk is aimed at those in the industry, it offers a unique perspective into what goes into those stats behind our gear and why it takes us so long to level up. Read on for highlights from the presentation.

Continue reading GDC Online 2011: KingsIsle's Sara Jensen Schubert talks RPG math

MassivelyGDC Online 2011: KingsIsle's Sara Jensen Schubert talks RPG math originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dcuodpsexperience-pointsfeaturedformulagdcgdc-2011gdc-onlinegdc-online-2011itemizationkingsislemathnumbersrpg-mathsara-jensen-schubertshadowbanespreadsheetsstatisticsWed, 12 Oct 2011 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Pando Networks trumpets global download data]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/21/pando-media-trumpets-global-download-data/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/21/pando-media-trumpets-global-download-data/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/21/pando-media-trumpets-global-download-data/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Pando Media global download infographic
Whether you're a fan of Pando Networks or you're still trying to scrape its last vestiges from the dark corners of your poor, beleaguered computer, there's no arguing that it collects some interesting usage data while doing... whatever it does that MMO companies can't seem to do on their own. In fact, Pando has released to us an eye-catching infographic and interactive chart to illustrate its compiled statistics on download speeds gleaned from 27 million downloads on 20 million computers across the globe. The victors won't surprise most gamers. "South Korea has a faster download speed than Great Britain, Turkey, Spain & Australia combined!" declares the chart, letting it slowly dawn on the reader that the United States doesn't fare quite as well as we might hope. Pando's also included a handy map breaking down speeds by state, the better for you to go forth and mock your neighbors.

There's a whole host of socioeconomic and political reasons for these data over which armchair gameologists can salivate, but we should note that Pando is by definition tracking only game-related downloads, not the greater internet. Why not click past the cut to check out the charts for yourself?

Continue reading Pando Networks trumpets global download data

MassivelyPando Networks trumpets global download data originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>datadownload-speedexclusiveinfographicnewspando-networkssouth-koreastatisticssurveyWed, 21 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Lost Pages of Taborea: Customization in Guild Wars 2 and Runes of Magic]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/29/lost-pages-of-taborea-customization-in-guild-wars-2-and-runes-o/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/29/lost-pages-of-taborea-customization-in-guild-wars-2-and-runes-o/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/29/lost-pages-of-taborea-customization-in-guild-wars-2-and-runes-o/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Guild Wars 2 and Runes of Magic screenshots
It took me a little while, but you should know by now that I was going to do a Guild Wars 2 comparison. It's a little later than I previously said I'd write it, but there's no time like the present, right?

Runes of Magic has been chugging along for over two years now, while GW2 is -- sort of -- just around the corner, and Guild Wars is the veteran of the bunch at six years of age.

What do these MMOs have in common that would provoke me to attempt a comparison? I'll give you a hint: It has nothing to do with jumping. What they do share is character customization, which, really, many MMOs have. It's a pretty standard feature.

In this week's Lost Pages of Taborea, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at how RoM could have taken some customization cues from GW, while GW2 might be taking some from RoM -- sort of like a movie based off a show based off a movie.

Continue reading Lost Pages of Taborea: Customization in Guild Wars 2 and Runes of Magic

MassivelyLost Pages of Taborea: Customization in Guild Wars 2 and Runes of Magic originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Aug 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aggregatoranetarenanetarmor-customizingarmor-dyearmor-dyescoloringcomponentscustomizationcustomizingdyeenhancementfeaturedfrogsterfrogster-americafrogster-interactiveguild-warsguild-wars-2gwgw2jeremy-strattonlost-pages-of-taboreancsoftromrunes-of-magicrunewakerrunewaker-entertainmentstatisticsstatstransmutation-stonesupgradingMon, 29 Aug 2011 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Wasteland Diaries: I got skills]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/05/wasteland-diaries-i-got-skills/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/05/wasteland-diaries-i-got-skills/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/05/wasteland-diaries-i-got-skills/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Sector 4, a new skill and abilities system and a new... well, a new everything has come to Fallen Earth. Even the forums will be migrating over to GamersFirst's little piece of cyberspace. While the transition hasn't gone completely smoothly, it could have been a lot worse. I don't know why they decided to do all this stuff at once, but it went well, considering how major an undertaking it probably was. The skills and abilities (also known as the "combat system") didn't fare too well with the wastelanders, and the devs have promised some fixes. With everything going on right now, I don't think we'll see them any time soon, though I may be wrong.

One thing is for sure: The new combat system is here to stay. Many of us would like to see them scrap it, go back to the old system and just patch up its imperfections (it was so close). But, I have been told emphatically that it's here to stay. So, instead of dwelling on the what-ifs, I'd like to take a look at all of the new skills and mutations, since they are definitely permanent -- although they may be changing a little bit in the coming days while this brand-new system is tested and balanced.

Mostly what we have now is what we are going be using. Some of them are the same, but by and large, this new system is an entirely different animal. You may recognize some of the names, but most of the abilities (actually, I think all of them) function differently. After the cut, we will take a look at every skill and their associated abilities in the game.

Continue reading Wasteland Diaries: I got skills

MassivelyWasteland Diaries: I got skills originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 05 Aug 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>abilitiesf2pf2p-modelfallen-earthfallen-earth-llcfeaturedgamersfirsticarus-studiosnew-combat-systemnew-skillssector-4skillsstatisticstransitionFri, 05 Aug 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Study suggests one in three gamers has purchased virtual goods]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/04/study-suggests-one-in-three-gamers-has-purchased-virtual-goods/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/04/study-suggests-one-in-three-gamers-has-purchased-virtual-goods/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/04/study-suggests-one-in-three-gamers-has-purchased-virtual-goods/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Let's say you're playing an MMO with two of your mates. They could be online friends, real-world friends, or some combination of both. According to a new study conducted by PlaySpan and VGMarket, one of you has used real-world money to purchase virtual items.

The research was compiled last month and samples a pool of 1,000 gamers drawn from a VGMarket database. While the one-in-three statistic is interesting in its own right, even more compelling is the evidence that suggests 57 percent of participants purchase virtual items on a monthly basis.

You might think that social networking games are responsible for the lion's share of these percentages, but VGMarket's data show console games with online play accounting for 51 percent of the purchases, with social titles claiming second place at 30 percent (MMOs came in third, if you're curious). The study presents quite a number of curious factoids despite its relatively small sample size, and you can check out all the findings at the official PlaySpan website. It's also worth noting that downloading the full study requires providing PlaySpan with your personal info via a web registration form.

MassivelyStudy suggests one in three gamers has purchased virtual goods originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>console-gamesconsolesf2pfree-to-playmmo-industrymoneyplayspanpress-releasereal-moneyreal-money-tradingreal-world-moneyrmtsocial-networkingstatisticsvgmarketvirtual-goodsThu, 04 Aug 2011 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends boasts 15 million registered players]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/26/league-of-legends-boasts-15-million-registered-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/26/league-of-legends-boasts-15-million-registered-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/26/league-of-legends-boasts-15-million-registered-players/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

League of Legends has officially surpassed the 15 million player plateau. That means it's time for a smattering of silly stats from the marketing department to help illustrate just how large that number really is.

In a new press release published this morning, Riot Games touts everything from its peak concurrency numbers (500,000), to its daily player totals (1.4 million), to the headline-grabbing registered players figure. While those numbers are quite impressive, Riot doesn't stop there. "An average of ten games of LoL start every second of every day," the company says, before adding that "gamers spend 3.7 million hours in-game [...] every day."

The title's first season of competitive play is coming to a close, and Riot CEO Brandon Beck has a hearty thank you in store for the title's faithful. "We're committed to continuing to match their dedication with our relentless focus on ongoing enhancements to the player experience with great new features, content, and polish - and we have some very exciting surprises in store just around the corner," he says.

MassivelyLeague of Legends boasts 15 million registered players originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>15-million-playersbrandon-beckbusinessconcurrencyfantasyleague-of-legendslolmmo-industrymobamoneynumberspress-releaseregistered-playersriotriot-gamesstatisticsstatsTue, 26 Jul 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Lord of the Rings Online bringing in major stat changes]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/22/lord-of-the-rings-online-bringing-in-major-stat-changes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/22/lord-of-the-rings-online-bringing-in-major-stat-changes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/22/lord-of-the-rings-online-bringing-in-major-stat-changes/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

If you've played Lord of the Rings Online extensively, odds are good that you're familiar with the concept of stat caps. Functionally, stat caps are that certain point at which further increases to the stat in question will be wasted -- useful for balance purposes, but rather frustrating when players find new abilities and equipment useless due to the stat caps. So it's probably going to be a good thing when Rise of Isengard makes stat caps largely a thing of the past.

That's not the only useful takeaway from the new developer diary, however, as the game's statistics are also undergoing further revision to make the game easier to understand at a glance. A new stat, Finesse, will be added to specifically reduce your target's ability to evade or resist attacks. Resistance, Mitigation, and Critical Hit will all be merged from their current state (so melee, ranged, and tactical critical hit will all become simply Critical Hit). Finally, there are some changes incoming in terms of interactions with primary stats. It's a short diary, to be sure, but the implications for Lord of the Rings Online players should be far-reaching.

MassivelyLord of the Rings Online bringing in major stat changes originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>abilitiesdeveloper-diariesexpansion-updatesexpansionsf2pfree-to-playgame-mechanicslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrolotro-rise-of-isengardmechanical-updatesnewspending-updatespreviewsrise-of-isengardstat-capsstatisticsstatsturbineturbine-entertainmentWed, 22 Jun 2011 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Lost Pages of Taborea: Comparing RIFT's looting and multi-class systems to Runes of Magic's]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/20/lost-pages-of-taborea-comparing-rifts-looting-and-multi-class/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/20/lost-pages-of-taborea-comparing-rifts-looting-and-multi-class/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/20/lost-pages-of-taborea-comparing-rifts-looting-and-multi-class/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Sometimes I feel like I'm playing the best MMO that no one's ever heard of. Lately, all I see are new games on the horizon that promise new flexible class systems, better functionality in old standard mechanics, improved pet systems, and so on. Every time I read these press releases, announcements, or blogs, I lean back, tilt my head a bit and say, "Interesting. But Runes of Magic already does that." It's why I have a lot of faith -- even if I disagree from time to time -- in Runewaker. The company has made all these great systems that are exactly what newer games are promising, and players are stoked about it. It really has me wanting to embark on a series comparing systems between RoM and other MMOs.

RIFT has bulk-looting and class combining that I want to compare with similar features in RoM for this week's Lost Pages of Taborea. I'm tired of feeling like I'm playing an MMO no one's heard of, even if it isn't true -- RoM is very popular and it keeps growing at a fast pace. But dagnabbit, sometimes I want to tell everyone RoM did it before the other guy gets all the credit. Let's look at RoM's dual-class and pet systems to compare looting and multi-classes between these two games.

Continue reading Lost Pages of Taborea: Comparing RIFT's looting and multi-class systems to Runes of Magic's

MassivelyLost Pages of Taborea: Comparing RIFT's looting and multi-class systems to Runes of Magic's originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto-lootbulk-lootingclassclass-combinationsclassescombining-classesduel-classfeaturedfrogsterfrogster-americafrogster-interactivejeremy-strattonlost-pages-of-taboreammo-featuresmulti-classmulti-lootmulti-lootingpet-lootingriftrolesromrunes-of-magicrunewakerrunewaker-entertainmentsoulsoul-treestatisticsstatssystemsMon, 20 Jun 2011 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Need for Speed World laps five million registered users]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/02/need-for-speed-world-laps-five-million-registered-users/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/02/need-for-speed-world-laps-five-million-registered-users/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/02/need-for-speed-world-laps-five-million-registered-users/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Another day, another creatively defined user record shattered. This time around, Need for Speed World does the honors by surpassing five million registered users. The free-to-play racing MMO from Electronic Arts most recently made metrics-related headlines last December when it topped three million registered users.

Gamasutra has the details on the latest milestone and also notes that NFSW is offering motorsport fans a chance to check out virtual versions of actual automobiles from Audi, including the new A1 ClubSport Quattro that was unveiled yesterday.

Need for Speed World is the 15th iteration of EA's venerable racing franchise and the first to feature MMORPG stylings. You can read all about it and download the free client at the game's official web destination.

MassivelyNeed for Speed World laps five million registered users originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>5-million-registered-userseaelectronic-artsf2pfree-to-playmmo-industryneed-for-speed-worldnfswreal-liferegistered-userssportssports-carsstatisticsusersThu, 02 Jun 2011 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mythos Europe attracts 250,000 players in two weeks, throws double XP weekend]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/13/mythos-europe-attracts-250-000-players-in-two-weeks-throws-doub/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/13/mythos-europe-attracts-250-000-players-in-two-weeks-throws-doub/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/13/mythos-europe-attracts-250-000-players-in-two-weeks-throws-doub/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

It's only been 15 days since Mythos Europe launched, but the resurrected action MMO is already seeing impressive results. According to Frogster, over 250,000 players have jumped into the game for some hectic hack-n-slash fun.

The company also provided some revealing statistics as it monitored its quarter-million playerbase. Apparently, the most popular class is the Bloodletter (40% of players), followed by the Pyromancer (32%) and Gadgeteer (28%). A full third of the playerbase chose the human race, with 28% going over to the Gremlins, 27% to the Satyrs, and 15% to the Cyclops. Finally, 66% of the characters created are male. So if you want to be a rarity, rolling a female Cyclops Gadgeteer is the way to go!

To celebrate this auspicious milestone, Frogster is rewarding its enthusiastic players with double XP for quests and monster kills this weekend. You can catch all of Mythos' double XP action from now until Monday at 12:00 p.m. EDT.

MassivelyMythos Europe attracts 250,000 players in two weeks, throws double XP weekend originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 May 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>analysisbloodletterbreakdownclassescyclopsdouble-xpdouble-xp-weekendeventfrogstergadgeteergendergremlinhanbitsofthumanin-game-eventmythosmythos-eumythos-europeplayerbasepyromancerracessatyrstatisticsFri, 13 May 2011 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[RuneScape patch triggers clan bonanza]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/runescape-patch-triggers-clan-bonanza/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/runescape-patch-triggers-clan-bonanza/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/runescape-patch-triggers-clan-bonanza/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Yesterday's news regarding RuneScape's new clan functionality apparently struck a chord with some of you. Actually, based on a followup post on the game's official website, it seems a whole lot of you are forming up with friends to avail yourselves of the new mechanics.

Jagex reports that RuneScape currently features over 33,000 clans to choose from, and some 250,000 players have already pledged themselves to a clan (which equals approximately 10,000 people per hour joining a clan).

RuneScape players can register their organization by visiting the clan camp south of Falador, and Jagex recommends reserving your clan name as soon as possible due to the overwhelming demand. More info on the patch, as well as today's press release, can be found on the game's official website.

MassivelyRuneScape patch triggers clan bonanza originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>browserbrowser-basedclanclan-campclan-mechanicsclan-registrationclansf2pfaladorfantasyfree-to-playguildguildsjagexpatchpress-releaserunescapestatisticsupdateWed, 13 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[World of Tanks beta statistics announced]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/07/world-of-tanks-beta-statistics-announced/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/07/world-of-tanks-beta-statistics-announced/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/07/world-of-tanks-beta-statistics-announced/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

The devs at Wargaming.net aren't shy about sharing player statistics, and why would they be when the studio's flagship World of Tanks title is cranking out some pretty impressive numbers. In a press release dated this morning, the company said that approximately 700,000 tank drivers took part in the year-long beta testing throughout Europe and North America, and those 700,000 players participated in 5.6 million battles.

More than 115 million virtual tanks were bombed into oblivion courtesy of 1.7 billion shells, and World of Tanks surpassed 25,000 peak concurrent users. Closed beta testers (registered by 0:00 UTC 27/01/2011) with 1000 or more battles under their belt will be rewarded with an M4A2E4 tank to acknowledge their contribution to the game's development. World of Tanks is officially releasing on April 12th, and Wargaming.net CEO Victor Kislyi is advising players to get their real-life affairs in order. "You still have a couple of days to spend with your friends and families before the war breaks out, so spend it the right way," Kislyi says.

MassivelyWorld of Tanks beta statistics announced originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-mmobetabeta-tester-appreciationf2pfree-tankfree-to-playhistoricallaunch-datepress-releasereleasestatisticsstrategyvictor-kislyiwarwargaming.networld-of-tanksworld-war-2world-war-iiwotThu, 07 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Frogster gives us piles of Runes of Magic stats]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/28/frogster-gives-us-piles-of-runes-of-magic-stats/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/28/frogster-gives-us-piles-of-runes-of-magic-stats/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/28/frogster-gives-us-piles-of-runes-of-magic-stats/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

While not everyone is a math or statistics geek, there's a certain intriguing quality to MMO stats. Whenever we post statistics for games, there are inevitably discussions on concurrent users, paid subscribers, and overall registered accounts. Unfortunately, free-to-play games like Frogster's Runes of Magic don't really lend themselves to discussions of subscriptions vs. registered accounts since it has no monthly fee. Nevertheless, the game still provides some interesting statistics.

According to a release sent earlier today, Frogster has posted a handful of curious stats that are sure to pique the interest of those who love to dissect MMO minutiae. Over the last two years, 6,657,370 characters have stepped into Runes of Magic. Mages are an incredibly popular class, with 2.2 million characters, and there's a tie at 650,000 characters created for both Rogues and Warriors. Apparently, the Priest/Mage dual class is a highly popular combo for players; and Priest takes secondary class of choice at 350,000, followed by Warriors with 150,000. Over three million characters serve as Herbalists, with 1.1 million players dabbling in Alchemy.

English-speaking servers have seen 3,505,269 quests turned in and 4,622 guilds created. Groups in the game have taken the Demon Lord down 4,521 times and have wiped the floor with Erekat III almost three times more. Raksha is still the one to beat, according to Frogster's metrics, which suggest that boss has only been downed 182 times on the highest difficulty. Finally, no raid would be complete without silly pets along for a screenshot -- we're told that there are over 100,000 rune pets tagging along with players. In all, it's certainly an interesting set of statistics, if a bit random. After all, Frogster was very careful not to say which class was the overall most popular one!

MassivelyFrogster gives us piles of Runes of Magic stats originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The biggest news about Final Fantasy XIV this week, other than the somewhat mollifying UI update preview, was the addition of another 30 days of free playtime for everyone. This is the sort of thing that I don't think you can really see as anything other than a classy move on the part of Square-Enix. It's also very unexpected, but in the best possible way -- I can't help but be surprised that the company which has long been seen as completely dispassionate by Final Fantasy XI players has essentially responded to the "I don't want to pay for beta" complaints with "that's fair, we'll let you play for free."

So as long as we're talking about class, let's talk about Final Fantasy XIV's classes. I'm a big fan of games that give you a broad toolbox and let you decide what you want to do with everything, and building a field class is one of my biggest joys in the game. It's not that you can't mix-and-match abilities from Disciples of the Land or Disciples of the Hand, but there's less variance than the combat-oriented classes. Let's start dipping our toes into character building, yes?

Continue reading The Mog Log: Class actions

MassivelyThe Mog Log: Class actions originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>abilitiesattributesbonus-pointsclassclassesfeaturedffff11ff14ffxiffxivfinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-11final-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xifinal-fantasy-xivguideshybridhybrid-buildshybrid-classesopinionplaytimespellcastingspellssquaresquare-enixstatisticsstatssuggestionSat, 20 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Virtual Whirl: Is one hour enough to be considered an active user?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/05/the-virtual-whirl-is-one-hour-enough-to-be-considered-an-active/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/05/the-virtual-whirl-is-one-hour-enough-to-be-considered-an-active/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/05/the-virtual-whirl-is-one-hour-enough-to-be-considered-an-active/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

It has long been a matter of considerable debate among virtual-environment pundits about what constitutes an 'active user'. In some ways, subscription MMOGs have it a lot easier than many other kinds of virtual environment. You can always count paying subscribers, and that's all that matters.

In a general-purpose virtual environment, free-to-play or 'freemium' model, though, counting active users is important. Trends in active users measure the health of your user communities, as well as allowing you to credibly measure your virtual-world's e-peen compared to that of the competition.

Continue reading The Virtual Whirl: Is one hour enough to be considered an active user?

MassivelyThe Virtual Whirl: Is one hour enough to be considered an active user? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 05 Jun 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>avatar-realitybeta-technologiesblue-marscultureeconomyfeaturedfrenzooharper-beresfordhouse-of-rfyrejohn-zdanowskilinden-labopinionsecond-lifesimon-newsteadstatisticsthe-virtual-whirlvirtual-worldsworld-metricsSat, 05 Jun 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Linden Lab hands down Second Life metrics for Q1 2010]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/28/second-life-q1-2010-metrics/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/28/second-life-q1-2010-metrics/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/28/second-life-q1-2010-metrics/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Today, Linden Lab is releasing the quarterly metrics for Second Life, showing overall performance for Q1 2010, and contrasting that with the performance of previous quarters.

Linden Lab claims that Q1 2010 was an all-time high for the Second Life economy. We'll drill down through the metrics and see if that's so.

Continue reading Linden Lab hands down Second Life metrics for Q1 2010

MassivelyLinden Lab hands down Second Life metrics for Q1 2010 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>economyfeaturedlinden-dollarslinden-labopinionsecond-lifeslstatisticsvirtual-worldsworld-metricsxstreetxstreet-slWed, 28 Apr 2010 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[MMO Future Shock video presents some interesting statistics]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/12/mmo-future-shock-video-presents-some-interesting-statistics/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/12/mmo-future-shock-video-presents-some-interesting-statistics/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/12/mmo-future-shock-video-presents-some-interesting-statistics/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Obvious statement time here, but anyone who reads Massively with anything approaching regularity knows that the MMO industry is big business. Top-notch titles like World of Warcraft and so many other MMOs take millions tens of millions craploads of money to bring to market under the current Western develop-until-largely-finished model.

If you've ever been curious about the MMO industry, and how some of the numbers break down, then you'll want to check out MMO Future Shock. It's created by the guys at Gamers Film, and includes quite a number of interesting statistics, such as a tidbit about how people are spending an average of $1,200 per second in online games. Along with that, there's some great interview footage with people like Brett Close and Curt Schilling from 38 Studios; Joe Rush, Director of Operations at GamersFirst; and various other industry players.

We've embedded the video behind the break for you hungry number-fiends. With any luck they'll publish some more episodes shortly so we can see more interviews with folks in the MMO know.

Continue reading MMO Future Shock video presents some interesting statistics

MassivelyMMO Future Shock video presents some interesting statistics originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>38-studiosbrett-closecurt-schillinggamers-filmgamersfirstjoe-rushmmo-future-shockmmo-industrystatisticsvideoMon, 12 Apr 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Dungeon Fighter Online hits 197,000,000 registered players]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/07/dungeon-fighter-online-hits-197-000-000-registered-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/07/dungeon-fighter-online-hits-197-000-000-registered-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/07/dungeon-fighter-online-hits-197-000-000-registered-players/#commentsFiled under: , ,

No -- that's not a typo in the title. We didn't get attacked by a swarm of ninjas who knocked us out on the "0" button or anything like that. Nexon has announced that Dungeon Fighter Online has hit a worldwide total of 197 million registered players since launching in South Korea in 2005. To put it another way, put a penny in your hand and then imagine 196,999,999 more of them. That's a lot.

The amazing thing is that DFO hasn't technically launched yet in North America, which should push this number far higher. What's a few million between gamers? The 2.5D game -- which is a crossbreed of a side-scroller beat-em-up and an RPG -- has grown by leaps and bounds in the NA beta, as Nexon has adjusted the level curve and added new content in preparation for the June launch.

Nexon had a few other impressive numbers to sling about as well. Up to this point, players have killed more than 1.6 billion monsters, invaded over 25 million dungeons and engaged in PvP arena combat over 28 million times. Does this make DFO one of the world's most populated games? If you want to see the evidence for yourself, head over to DFO's site, sign up for the beta (there's no wipe going from beta to launch) and add to their hefty statistics.

MassivelyDungeon Fighter Online hits 197,000,000 registered players originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Apr 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brawlerdfodungeon-fighter-onlinelaunchnexonover-9000registered-playerssouth-koreastatisticsstatsthreshold-of-powerWed, 07 Apr 2010 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Mog Log: Those grapes were probably sour anyway]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/13/the-mog-log-those-grapes-were-probably-sour-anyway/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/13/the-mog-log-those-grapes-were-probably-sour-anyway/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/13/the-mog-log-those-grapes-were-probably-sour-anyway/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

So, guess what beta I didn't get an invitation for. You can go consult with the instant replay if you want, I can wait.

I know that everyone is stunned. I certainly was. Of course, I assuaged my sadness by telling myself that I didn't really want to be in their stupid beta anyway, because I bet it smells bad and it sets my computer on fire. That line of reasoning worked real well. I don't honestly think my column got me kicked from the running for a Final Fantasy XIV beta slot, but it's a bit more reassuring than the idea that I just didn't get picked for some other reason. (I'm putting money on Square-Enix not knowing I exist, for the record.)

All things considered, I can live without the beta, even though I'm chomping at the bit to play the game. But I'm not the only person, place, or thing not currently darting about the world of Eorzea. And as long as I'm on a streak of making long-winded predictions, why break with formula? There are three other things that I suspect aren't in the beta either, and I intend to make a guessing game out of seeing how close I am to the truth.

Continue reading The Mog Log: Those grapes were probably sour anyway

MassivelyThe Mog Log: Those grapes were probably sour anyway originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betadpsfeaturedffff11ffxiffxivfinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-11final-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xifinal-fantasy-xivgame-mechanicsgroupinggroupshealerspartiesparty-structurepartyingsquare-enixstatisticstankstestingxbox-360Sat, 13 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PoxNora gets a major update]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/01/poxnora-gets-a-major-update/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/01/poxnora-gets-a-major-update/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/01/poxnora-gets-a-major-update/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Better a little late than never, when you get down to it. PoxNora's large-scale update was originally scheduled for last Wednesday, February 24th, but it wound up being a few days late. But it's all good, because the update has gone live today, not even a week behind schedule. Even if you can't help but be miffed at the delay in the update, you can probably be happy with the scope of the update, not to mention the Heirs to Legend midterm expansion going live at the same time.

So what's changed? Major interface changes have been made, including large-scale improvements to the UI as well as a greatly improved Rune Manager. With improved sorting functionality in the manager and a new rune dock in the UI, it should be much easier to enjoy playing on the game's twenty new or revised maps, as well as working your way through a streamlined and improved leveling process. The game has also made attack and defense values more straightforward, while improving the tutorial to help guide players into the game. As a free-to-play game, if the scope of the updates in PoxNora sounds interesting, head on over and take a look at this unique offering.

MassivelyPoxNora gets a major update originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>expansionheirs-to-legendmanagementmidterm-expansionpoxnorasoesony-online-entertainmentsortingstatisticsuiupdatesuser-interfaceMon, 01 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Tattered Notebook: Sentinel's Fate aftermath and advice]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/23/the-tattered-notebook-sentinels-fate-aftermath-and-advice/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/23/the-tattered-notebook-sentinels-fate-aftermath-and-advice/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/23/the-tattered-notebook-sentinels-fate-aftermath-and-advice/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Hrm. After a brief vacation, darlings, I am back at the reigns of my column. Neriak was lovely this time of year -- I encourage you all to stop by for a visit if you have the time.

But who has the time these days, right? All of your are off exploring Odus as if you haven't seen the place in 500 years. I hear that some adventurers are already tackling some of the most dangerous dungeons on that continent already! My, my, my, how you all tackle your challenges so quickly.

Many of you have had some very interesting things to say about Odus, and I've been silently watching and taking some notes. I've got them all right here, tucked away in my notebook. I've even amassed some answers for a few of your more common problems, just in time for the digital download release today. But, all of you can never say that Seccia Ravenloft was a secretive elf. I'm more than happy to share my findings so come closely, gather around the campfire, and listen here.

Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: Sentinel's Fate aftermath and advice

MassivelyThe Tattered Notebook: Sentinel's Fate aftermath and advice originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aaalternate-advancementeq2eqiieverquest-2everquest-iiexpansionexperiencegraphicsgroupingodusquestingrepeatable-questssentinels-fatesoesony-online-entertainmentstatisticsthe-holetoken-questsTue, 23 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[MAG resuscitates their medic class with update, prepares to launch stats on MAG.com]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/19/mag-resuscitates-their-medic-class-with-update-prepares-to-laun/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/19/mag-resuscitates-their-medic-class-with-update-prepares-to-laun/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/19/mag-resuscitates-their-medic-class-with-update-prepares-to-laun/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Medics of the Shadow War, unite! MAG's latest patch did many favors for you, and even those who aren't of the resuscitation persuasion will find some tasty benefits in their latest version, patch 1.02.

The last patch has cleaned up the field support's HUD by removing resuscitation icons from those players who can't be resuscitated, resulting in a much cleaner field of view for medics. Downed players who can be brought back to life also now carry a distance indicator icon on their body, so now you too can GPS your way to help a teammate. The same tracking system has also been given to players who have equipped explosive detectors, pointing out the location of mines. Lastly, medic icons will only be given to soldiers carrying defibulators, so those only holding a healing gun will no longer be medics.

The patch has also improved server performance, resulting in reduced lag during high-end matches, and has made a change to the statistics system to prepare it for integration into MAG.com.

So, if you're going to be jumping into the medic class after this patch, MAG's art director Steve Suhy has some tips for you when playing support. We've got the video embedded for your viewing pleasure right after the break.

Continue reading MAG resuscitates their medic class with update, prepares to launch stats on MAG.com

MassivelyMAG resuscitates their medic class with update, prepares to launch stats on MAG.com originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hudmagmassive-action-gamemedicpatchplaystation3ps3resuscitateserver-performanceshadow-warstatisticsupdatezipper-interactiveFri, 19 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Community backlash leads to Global Agenda review score being pulled]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/18/community-backlash-leads-to-global-agenda-review-score-being-pul/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/18/community-backlash-leads-to-global-agenda-review-score-being-pul/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/18/community-backlash-leads-to-global-agenda-review-score-being-pul/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

GameSpot was not so nice to Global Agenda -- a 5.5 out of 10 was fired against the game earlier by the gaming website. However, that didn't stop the Global Agenda community from doing some digging and turning up the reviewer's in-game character. A character that only had six hours of play time attached to it, no alliance, and no agency for conquest matches.

The resulting evidence was provided by Global Agenda's player statistics system -- a pretty robust system that allows anyone to pull up a character's statistics simply by typing in their character name. Once this evidence came to light, the community began to send e-mails to both the reviewer and GameSpot's Justin Calvert, who has since removed the review. Calvert has apologized (post confirmed by Hi-Rez Studio's Michal Adam) to the Global Agenda community and Hi-Rez Studios, and has reassigned the review to a new writer.

GameSpot's internal policy is to spend 30 hours on an MMO before publishing a review.

[Thanks to Antilogic for the tip!]

MassivelyCommunity backlash leads to Global Agenda review score being pulled originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingdropped-reviewfaulty-reviewgamespotgamespot.comglobal-agendahi-rez-studiosjustin-calvertmichal-adamplay-timereviewstatisticstime-playedThu, 18 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[That's not the Second Life economy!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/21/thats-not-the-second-life-economy/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/21/thats-not-the-second-life-economy/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/21/thats-not-the-second-life-economy/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

This week Linden Lab published a set of economic data for Q4 2009, and for 2009 as a whole. After going through the data in detail, and discovering at least one important typo and one important calculation error, it looked like we were going to have to recheck every figure before presenting them.

That's a lot of work, especially as the data published in the quarterly/annual reports doesn't follow the same definitions as the ongoing statistical feeds or is not represented in them.

So we thought, well sod that for a game of soldiers. Instead, let's talk about the report's claim that the Second Life economy has grown 65% in 2009 over 2008, and why that's just rubbish.

Continue reading That's not the Second Life economy!

MassivelyThat's not the Second Life economy! originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>business-modelseconomyel-chavo-del-ochofeaturedgrub-drivelinden-labmy-gym-partners-a-monkeyopinionsecond-lifestatisticsvirtual-worldsworld-metricsxstreetxstreet-slThu, 21 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Avatars blue, Second Life concurrency and transactions rise]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/14/avatars-blue-second-life-concurrency-and-transactions-rise/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/14/avatars-blue-second-life-concurrency-and-transactions-rise/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/14/avatars-blue-second-life-concurrency-and-transactions-rise/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


The Second Life user-concurrency and user-to-user transaction figures took a bit of an unexpected jump this week, rising sharply after a year of relatively little motion. Through 2009, user-concurrency has been on a slight, though not terribly significant decline, while user-to-user transactions remained flat and rather unexciting.

The sudden rise coincided with an advertising campaign by Linden Lab, where James Cameron's Avatar and Second Life were rather strongly linked in a series of banner advertisements run on YouTube and as a part of Linden Lab's affiliate program.

Continue reading Avatars blue, Second Life concurrency and transactions rise

MassivelyAvatars blue, Second Life concurrency and transactions rise originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>advertisingaffiliate-marketingbusiness-modelseconomyjames-cameronjames-camerons-avatarlinden-labroleplayingstatisticsworld-metricsyoutubeThu, 14 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Second Life user-concurrency spends year in slow decline]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/25/second-life-user-concurrency-spends-year-in-slow-decline/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/25/second-life-user-concurrency-spends-year-in-slow-decline/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/25/second-life-user-concurrency-spends-year-in-slow-decline/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Back in March this year, Second Life was closing in on Everquest in terms of peak popularity. Everquest itself peaked at approximately 90,000 concurrent users during its most popular period and Second Life came within a whisker of that at 88,199.

Since then, though, Second Life's user-concurrency (as you can see in the chart above, covering the last two years) has been slowly declining.

Continue reading Second Life user-concurrency spends year in slow decline

MassivelySecond Life user-concurrency spends year in slow decline originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>business-modelsconcurrencyeverquestlinden-labopinionsecond-lifestatisticsvirtual-worldsworld-metricsFri, 25 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Second Life plateaus during Q3 2009]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/06/second-life-plateaus-during-q3-2009/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/06/second-life-plateaus-during-q3-2009/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/06/second-life-plateaus-during-q3-2009/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Linden Lab has released the figures for the third-quarter performance of Second Life.

If you want the short version, it wasn't a growth quarter. Q3 2009 figures were not really very distinguishable from Q2 2009. There's actually nothing wrong with that. Growth plateaus are occasional and inevitable and generally represent a good opportunity for engineering and support to catch up a little with the service.

Continue reading Second Life plateaus during Q3 2009

MassivelySecond Life plateaus during Q3 2009 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>business-modelseconomylinden-labopinionsecond-lifestatisticsworld-metricsFri, 06 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Playing the numbers game with EVE Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/09/playing-the-numbers-game-with-eve-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/09/playing-the-numbers-game-with-eve-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/09/playing-the-numbers-game-with-eve-online/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


MMORPGs, at their heart, are usually games all about numbers -- stats, levels, enemies to fight, and so forth. And EVE Online focuses in even more on numbers, where players worry not only about the amount of damage their ship's main gun can put out, but what the value of ore on the open market is and whether or not the cost of an attack on a mining facility would be worth the profit. But there are other numbers involved in the game, which were highlighted on MMORPG.com in a piece about the numbers behind the game discussed at the recent 2009 Fanfest.

Among the more interesting statistics is the stated goal to have EVE's total population exceed that of its country of origin, Iceland -- a goal that the game has either nearly reached or exceeded if you count in the game's trial accounts, which are a bit of a revolving door but add a significant number of players to the total. The article also discusses the game's overall economy, player retention, and other interesting figures in relation to the game. Take a look if you'd like a peek behind the scenes of one of the most unique MMOs on the market right now.

[ via MMORPG.com ]

MassivelyPlaying the numbers game with EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpeconomyeveeve-onlineicelandstatisticsFri, 09 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Linden Lab says Second Life huge, shows numbers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/22/linden-lab-says-second-life-huge-shows-numbers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/22/linden-lab-says-second-life-huge-shows-numbers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/22/linden-lab-says-second-life-huge-shows-numbers/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Generally, operators of MMOGs and virtual environments don't show their numbers unless they feel they've got something to crow about, and Linden Lab's crowing today, releasing a selection of figures that give you an idea of the scale of Second Life.

Approximately 1,250 text-based messages are sent every second in Second Life. That's 108 million messages per day and more than 600 million words are typed on an average day. That's a whole of messages for any architecture, quite honestly.

Continue reading Linden Lab says Second Life huge, shows numbers

MassivelyLinden Lab says Second Life huge, shows numbers originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>business-modelseconomyengage-expoharper-beresfordjeaniesing-trillinglinden-labmetanomicsphilip-lindenphilip-rosedalesecond-lifestatisticst-lindentom-halevirtual-worldsworld-metricsTue, 22 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Second Life median concurrency declines as bots/campers progressively purged]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/08/second-life-median-concurrency-declines-as-bots-campers-progress/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/08/second-life-median-concurrency-declines-as-bots-campers-progress/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/08/second-life-median-concurrency-declines-as-bots-campers-progress/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


While running some routine analyses of the user concurrency figures for Second Life from 2006 to the present, we noticed some interesting things. Median concurrency, one of the indicators we've traditionally eyeballed to indicate the health and growth of Second Life took a recent dive after many years of steady increase.

We had a number of theories, such as the notion of a periodic (Northern Hemisphere) Summer decline, but really the data doesn't bear out the notion of any periodic Summer declines, let alone this being one of them. As it turns out, the result appears to be due to the steady removal of bots from the Second Life grid. Far more bots, it seems, than even we had imagined.

Continue reading Second Life median concurrency declines as bots/campers progressively purged

MassivelySecond Life median concurrency declines as bots/campers progressively purged originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>concurrencyeconomylinden-labopinionsecond-lifestatisticsvirtual-worldsTue, 08 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EST