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[The Daily Grind: How many times do you try before you give up?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/14/the-daily-grind-how-many-times-do-you-try-before-you-give-up/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/14/the-daily-grind-how-many-times-do-you-try-before-you-give-up/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/14/the-daily-grind-how-many-times-do-you-try-before-you-give-up/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The Daily Grind
The other night I was sitting on my couch watching my wife tackle a particularly hard boss solo -- the game wouldn't allow her companions or other players -- in Star Wars: The Old Republic. And she died, many, many times. I gave her a few pointers and watched as she continually struggled to overcome this challenge.

After 14 attempts, she succeeded and was giddy from the victory. But I could tell she was growing close to throwing her laptop across the room right before that point. I could identify, as a week earlier I had spent an hour and a half trying to master a tricky series of jumps to get a datacron on Nar Shadda, only to land it right before I lost my sanity.

So what about you? How many times do you try a difficult challenge in an MMO before you give up? I'd love to hear specific stories about particularly problematic obstacles that resulted in eventual success or frustrated surrender.

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

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: How many times do you try before you give up? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 14 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>attemptsdatacrondo-or-do-not-there-is-no-tryfailurefeaturednar-shaddaopinionstar-wars-the-old-republicsuccessswtortdgthe-daily-grindtry-try-againSat, 14 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[ChangYou reports record revenue, registered accounts]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/31/changyou-reports-record-revenue-registered-accounts/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/31/changyou-reports-record-revenue-registered-accounts/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/31/changyou-reports-record-revenue-registered-accounts/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

ChangYou logo
With all the layoffs that seem to be going around the MMO industry as of late, it's about time we hear some good news from a developer. ChangYou, known in North America primarily for its quirky title Zentia and the bizarrely named Duke of Mount Deer, reports a 119 million USD revenue for its third fiscal quarter.

The company's amount of registered users rose as well, with the company citing 159 million current gamers inhabiting ChangYou's titles. CEO Tao Wang is understandably pleased with these results and says that "we believe these results once again demonstrate our ability to understand and fulfill gamers' needs and showcase our content development and game operation strengths." For the full details, check out the article over at Gamasutra.

MassivelyChangYou reports record revenue, registered accounts originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>changyouduke-of-mount-deereconomicseconomyf2pfinancefree-to-playmiscmiscellaneousprofitsregistered-usersrevenuesuccesstao-wanguserszentiaMon, 31 Oct 2011 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Soapbox: The Republic must stand, the Republic must fall]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/23/the-soapbox-the-republic-must-stand-the-republic-must-fall/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/23/the-soapbox-the-republic-must-stand-the-republic-must-fall/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/23/the-soapbox-the-republic-must-stand-the-republic-must-fall/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

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

So there's a game coming out called Star Wars: The Old Republic. Maybe you've heard about it once or twice.

It's no secret that a lot of people are excited to see what BioWare's long-anticipated title will do once it's finally released. The title has had a huge amount of time and money poured into its production, extensive voice acting, countless demos and revelations and debates... all without having yet amassed a substantial playerbase. What happens when it gets released will have a huge impact on MMOs as a whole for years to come, and even if the developers aren't calling it a World of Warcraft-killer, a lot of players are expecting just that. And for the good of MMOs as a whole, it needs to be just that -- but at the same time, for the good of MMOs as a whole, it needs to fail.

Continue reading The Soapbox: The Republic must stand, the Republic must fall

MassivelyThe Soapbox: The Republic must stand, the Republic must fall originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 23 Aug 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowarecolumneaea-biowareElectronic-Artsfailurefeaturedmetammo-industryopinionsoapboxstar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicsuccessswtorthe-old-republicthe-soapboxtorTue, 23 Aug 2011 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Choose My Adventure: Dat's it, boss, I'm outta here]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/03/choose-my-adventure-dats-it-boss-im-outta-here/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/03/choose-my-adventure-dats-it-boss-im-outta-here/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/03/choose-my-adventure-dats-it-boss-im-outta-here/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

As of today, I'm finished with Warhammer Online. Today is my final installment of Choose My Adventure, with the torch passing along next week to Larry Everett. Before anyone asks, yes, I'm definitely going to miss the feature... but that's not really what you're here for at the moment, is it? You're here for the fanfare, and it's all over but the depressing part.

Last week's vote was overwhelmingly meta -- rather than a recounting of events, the audience clearly wants to hear my thoughts on the future of Warhammer Online, what worked and what didn't, and why the game followed the trajectory it did. (Also, an awful lot of people want to know about the Choppa Song.) I'm admittedly coming into the game late and with somewhat less passionate eyes than many of the game's fans, but looking at my experience, I think I found a lot of the game in microcosm. I see all of the things it did right... and in hindsight, where certain choices went wrong.

Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Dat's it, boss, I'm outta here

MassivelyChoose My Adventure: Dat's it, boss, I'm outta here originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bioware-mythicchoose-my-adventureea-gamesea-mythicea-warhammerea-warhammer-onlineelectronic-artsfailurefeaturedmythicmythic-eamythic-entertainmentopinionsuccesswarwar-eawarhammerwarhammer-eawarhammer-onlinewarhammer-online-eaWed, 03 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PAX East 2011: Massively interviews RIFT's Scott Hartsman]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/15/pax-east-2011-massively-interviews-rifts-scott-hartsman/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/15/pax-east-2011-massively-interviews-rifts-scott-hartsman/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/15/pax-east-2011-massively-interviews-rifts-scott-hartsman/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

With the launch of RIFT still fresh, members of the Trion team packed their bags and flew to Boston to attend PAX East. Even though they didn't have a booth, their "We're not in Azeroth anymore" banner made their presence known. In addition, Community Manager Cindy "Abigale" Bowens hosted a party in Boston to celebrate the launch with players and fans. Massively had a chance to sit down and talk with Trion CCO and RIFT Executive Producer Scott Hartsman about launch day, security, plans for the future, and a whole lot more. Read on for the full interview!

Continue reading PAX East 2011: Massively interviews RIFT's Scott Hartsman

MassivelyPAX East 2011: Massively interviews RIFT's Scott Hartsman originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>abigaleadd-onsaddonsappappscindy-bowensdungeon-finderfeaturedguild-warsinterviewinterviewslaunchlaunch-daypaxpax-2011pax-eastpax-east-2011riftrift-planes-of-telarascott-hartsmanserver-populationserver-populationsserver-queuesshardssocial-gaming-nightsuccesstriontrion-worldsTue, 15 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Soapbox: Don't hate the game, hate the copy]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/12/the-soapbox-dont-hate-the-game-hate-the-copy/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/12/the-soapbox-dont-hate-the-game-hate-the-copy/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/12/the-soapbox-dont-hate-the-game-hate-the-copy/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Disclaimer: This editorial column is 100% the opinion of the writer and does not necessarily reflect that of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

If you ask a remarkably high number of players, World of Warcraft is a negative influence on the face of MMOs. Not necessarily for the reasons that many players, current and former, will claim; the complaints of this group have nothing to do with content or overarching design philosophy. No, World of Warcraft has ruined things just by virtue of its very existence.

It's WoW's fault that we've seen a flood of games that are, essentially, the same game with a slight twist (WoW in space, WoW with more PvP, WoW in the mind of Derek Smart, and so forth). It's WoW's fault that these games have failed, and it's even more WoW's fault when other games fail. And despite everything, these claims aren't seen as ridiculous. They're often taken very seriously. But really, WoW isn't to blame for its clones or the failures of other games. The fault for those lies exactly where logic would imply.

Continue reading The Soapbox: Don't hate the game, hate the copy

MassivelyThe Soapbox: Don't hate the game, hate the copy originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>balanceBlizzardBlizzard-Entertainmentbusinessbusiness-modelsderek-smartfailurefeaturedgame-designlarge-numbersopinionperspectivesoapboxsubscriber-numberssuccesssurprise-hitsworld-of-warcraftwowTue, 12 Oct 2010 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Craig Morrison on success and failure]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/27/craig-morrison-on-success-and-failure/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/27/craig-morrison-on-success-and-failure/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/27/craig-morrison-on-success-and-failure/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Last week's Craig Morrison blog topic brought a wave of interesting comments from readers and writers alike, illustrating why MMO number-crunching is always a hot-button issue. The Age of Conan game director takes another crack at a controversial topic with his followup post, and attempts to deconstruct the logic of fans who insist on labeling games "successes" or "failures" despite not having the information necessary to make such a judgment.

"Whether any title that displays a numbers trend similar to another can be deemed a success or a failure depends entirely on the budget, ambition and infrastructure of the project," he writes. While that's common sense to most folks, there are still some who insist that AoC and Warhammer are "failures" despite the fact that they remain open for business and profitable. Morrison acknowledges that both titles fell short of their ultimate subscriber goals, but also cautioned that equating lower-than-desired numbers to failure "is a very dangerous assumption to make."

MassivelyCraig Morrison on success and failure originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocblogcraig-morrisondev-blogfailurefan-logicfuncommmo-numbersopinionsilirrionsuccessWarhammerWarhammer-OnlineMon, 27 Sep 2010 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Craig Morrison talks MMO numbers (or the lack thereof)]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/23/craig-morrison-talks-mmo-numbers-or-the-lack-thereof/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/23/craig-morrison-talks-mmo-numbers-or-the-lack-thereof/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/23/craig-morrison-talks-mmo-numbers-or-the-lack-thereof/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Ah, the numbers game. It's often quite comical when it comes to MMORPGs and their die-hard fans (or detractors, as the case may be). Aside from Blizzard, very few MMO development houses release real numbers relating to their playerbases, and forum jousters are thus relegated to citing guesstimates and, in most cases, pure supposition sprung from the likes of wildly inaccurate measuring tools such as Xfire or the late MMOGchart.

Funcom executive producer and Age of Conan game director Craig Morrison weighs in on the perplexing state of MMO number-crunching on his personal blog, offering a bit of insight as to why hard data is, well, hard to come by. He cites a lack of context for the near-universal reticence of developers when it comes to publicizing their community sizes. "Without standard definitions everything ends up in that vague, murky and entirely subjective middle ground... and a middle ground that very few could reasonably be expected to accept as being worthwhile exploring in a business sense," he writes.

So what's his solution? In broad terms, he mentions a rating system, citing television's Nielsen metrics as well as cinema box office figures as semi-comparable standards. While such a system probably wouldn't stop the endless fan bickering, it might at least provide an answer to the question of how each individual company defines success.

MassivelyCraig Morrison talks MMO numbers (or the lack thereof) originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanblogcraig-morrisonforum-warriorsfuncomnumbersnumbers-gameopinionratingssubscription-numberssubscriptionssuccessxfire-is-not-accurateThu, 23 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: When have you felt a sense of completion?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/30/the-daily-grind-when-have-you-felt-a-sense-of-completion/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/30/the-daily-grind-when-have-you-felt-a-sense-of-completion/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/30/the-daily-grind-when-have-you-felt-a-sense-of-completion/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

By their very nature, MMOs discourage being done. Not necessarily in an insidious sense -- but when your game relies upon people playing it for months on end, there's a natural emphasis on letting tasks stretch off to infinity. But while it's certainly possible to wind up with almost astonishingly long-running tasks, such as assembling the Relic Weapons in Final Fantasy XI, with enough persistence you eventually arrive at the day when you have your brand-new Excalibur. It's almost enough to just kill something with it and then declare yourself done.

Even with an emphasis on long-term goals, there come certain points when you feel that your character has finished everything you want to do -- or perhaps points when the player behind the character just feels done. You are at the apex of power and knowledge, and there's no new challenges that won't be more of the same. In what moments have you felt a sense of completion and finality? Has that been your signal to quit, take a break, or just set a new goal for yourself? Are you happier with games that let you achieve several smaller goals, or one huge goal that feels more significant when you hit it?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: When have you felt a sense of completion? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>being-donecharacter-goalscompleting-the-gamecompletionculturefinishedfinishingfinishing-the-gamegoalsopinionplayer-goalssuccesstdgthe-daily-grindFri, 30 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[MMO Family: The family that groups together]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/mmo-family-the-family-that-groups-together/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/mmo-family-the-family-that-groups-together/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/mmo-family-the-family-that-groups-together/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

MMO Family is your resource for leveling a gaming-specced family. From tips on balancing gaming with family life to finding age-appropriate niches for every family member, MMO Family offers you advice on MMO gaming of the family, by the family and for the family.

Now that we've established why and how to stay plugged into your children's gaming interests, some general internet safety rules for kids and a variety of ways to choose games that are suitable for your family, you're probably ready to log in and get some XP. But if it's the whole family we're trying to consider here, we're not quite buffed and ready to pull. Gaming for kids and gaming with kids are two different things. Have you considered the benefits of fitting both into your gaming family?

A gaming family has a lot in common with a rich, well developed MMO. You can solo. You can group. You can team or raid. You can quest, and you can craft. You can go PvP, stay PvE or tuck yourself into a quiet corner to roleplay or socialize. And just as you can cherry-pick your activities according to your interests within a single game, you can mix and match games, what you do within each game and different configurations of groups and partners within your family. There's no law that states that kids must play "children's games" and adults must play "mature" fare. Your kids may be jonesing to play the games they've grown up watching you play - or they may find your enraptured state over the economy of EVE Online utterly stultifying. Cobble together whatever mix of high/low, adult/kiddie gaming everyone finds most enjoyable.

Continue reading MMO Family: The family that groups together

MassivelyMMO Family: The family that groups together originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>childrenconfidencecooperationfailurefamilyfamily-funfeaturedgroupingkidsmannersparentsrespectself-sufficiencysolosuccesstogetherFri, 23 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Making MMOs massive editorial]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/30/making-mmos-massive-editorial/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/30/making-mmos-massive-editorial/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/30/making-mmos-massive-editorial/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Rob Fahey has an editorial piece up on GamesIndustry.biz talking about ways to make MMOs massive. The article states that the question devs should be asking is not "How do we beat World of Warcraft?"; it's "What can we learn from World of Warcraft and how can we co-exist with it?"

He defines two ends of the gaming spectrum. The most accessible games are found on services like Facebook, while the least accessible example would be World of Warcraft. This may sound a bit strange since WoW is probably the most accessible of the subscription-based MMOs, but he's using it due to its extreme popularity given the fact that it still has fairly inhibiting install, patching, and strategic components.

Rob believes games that fall in the middle of this spectrum are likely to be where we'll see the largest growth potential. He would consider Free Realms to fit this middle-spectrum description. FR has a middle-ground business model, is fairly easily accessible, and marketed at the youth and female demographics. Basically, Rob believes MMOs will become more massive if they can accomplish what FR is currently aiming for and achieving.

MassivelyMaking MMOs massive editorial originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 30 May 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>facebookfree-realmsgamesindustry.bizgamingrob-faheysuccessworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 30 May 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Factors that could make or break WAR's longterm success]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/12/factors-that-could-make-or-break-wars-longterm-success/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/12/factors-that-could-make-or-break-wars-longterm-success/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/12/factors-that-could-make-or-break-wars-longterm-success/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Syp over at the Waaagh! Warhammer Online blog looks at the title's 750,000 registered players figure and observes that merely buying the box (or the download) shouldn't necessarily imply that monthly subscription dollars will follow. There are a number of factors involved that will determine how well Warhammer Online does in the long run. There's no doubt that WAR is enjoying its time in the limelight -- even lukewarm reviews of the title still give it decent ratings, not to mention the hardcore contingent of players who are either fans of the IP or simply love that it's not World of Warcraft. But are many of these registered players only in WAR for the time being?

Syp writes about this in his "Future Tense" post, and breaks down the factors that could make or break the title's success in the long run, not limited to the upcoming expansions from other titles, word of mouth, and the longshot of breaking the pop culture barrier, as WoW has.
Warhammer Online Coverage Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out our Warhammer guides: Massively's Character Creation Guide and our WoW Player's Guide to Warhammer. Plus, don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!

MassivelyFactors that could make or break WAR's longterm success originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 12 Oct 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>box-salesdownloadea-mythicfailurefantasyipmythicsuccesssypwaaaghwarwarhammer-onlineworld-of-warcraftwowSun, 12 Oct 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan surpasses 700k registered users]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/age-of-conan-surpasses-700k-registered-users/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/age-of-conan-surpasses-700k-registered-users/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/age-of-conan-surpasses-700k-registered-users/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


We've been quite taken aback by the responses many players direct at Funcom's Age of Conan. We're not sure if the accusations of the game being a "beta version" or just a "total POS" are the product of unrealistic expectations or are just general animosity towards a game that, at launch, lacks the polish of its biggest competitor. If you've got your ear to the ground, all this rabble-rousing would give the impression that Funcom's early success would be short-lived.

The indication from Funcom however, is that this grumbling hasn't affected sales. They put out a press release today revealing that Age of Conan is sitting at over 700,000 registered subscribers worldwide. Game director Gaute Godager made sure to reaffirm the company's focus on shoring up the existing weaknesses in the game, acknowledging that retention is as important as aggressive growth in the MMO game.
Age of Conan Coverage Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out our Age of Conan destination page, including all of our interviews, hands-ons, galleries and original features!

MassivelyAge of Conan surpasses 700k registered users originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>700kage-of-conancomplaintsfuncomgaute-godagersalessubscriberssuccessMon, 30 Jun 2008 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan tops the million shipped mark]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/06/age-of-conan-tops-the-million-shipped-mark/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/06/age-of-conan-tops-the-million-shipped-mark/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/06/age-of-conan-tops-the-million-shipped-mark/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Since the launch of Age of Conan, Funcom has been enjoying almost constant successes in the media and in the marketplace. However meaningful you feel critical responses are to an MMO, they continue to be strikingly positive (though with a few exceptions, as always). They've knocked huge titles like Grand Theft Auto 4 off of the top of sales charts, and internal metrics have already put the existing player base above 400,000. In the latest milestone for the Norwegian developer, they've announced that they have surpassed one million units shipped worldwide in less than three weeks.

While units shipped is a fuzzier number than units sold in terms of a metric for success, Funcom's VP of sales and marketing is already calling this the biggest MMO launch since World of Warcraft. While we highly doubt that Funcom is even going to approach the numbers that Blizzard has been slinging for years, what's clear is that their game is a tremendous success by most standards. What will be key for them at this point is building on this initial flood of users and doing their best to retain the subscribers they have. It doesn't take long to go from shiny new title to disappearing from your company's quarterly financial report.

MassivelyAge of Conan tops the million shipped mark originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanfuncomlaunchone-millionsalessuccessunits-shippedFri, 06 Jun 2008 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Maybe one has to be immature to enjoy mature content]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/01/maybe-one-has-to-be-immature-to-enjoy-mature-content/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/01/maybe-one-has-to-be-immature-to-enjoy-mature-content/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/01/maybe-one-has-to-be-immature-to-enjoy-mature-content/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


That title is a quote from the latest entry over at Tobold's blog, concerning the success of Age of Conan. He believes the combat system itself is one of the main draws of the game. While appearing somewhat similar to other MMOs, the combat system seems to make more sense in regards to its speed, intensity and overall enjoyment.

Some other points he makes include the content of the game, and the enemies you encounter. LotRO made good use of its license in regards to the mobs, zones and quests, but Tobold feels that in regards to AoC, most of the content could be from any other random fantasy game. In addition to this (hence the interesting title) is how Tobold doesn't believe the mature rating drives sales too much, despite the fact that "Age of Conan nudity" is the top search phrase that leads people to his blog. Hey, that's how we found it!

MassivelyMaybe one has to be immature to enjoy mature content originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Jun 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocfuncomhyborian-adventuressalessuccesstoboldSun, 01 Jun 2008 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[MMO 2.0 and the next generation of online gaming]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/30/mmo-2-0-and-the-next-generation-of-online-gaming/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/30/mmo-2-0-and-the-next-generation-of-online-gaming/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/30/mmo-2-0-and-the-next-generation-of-online-gaming/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Geoff at MMOCrunch wrote an interesting piece on the 'next gen' in online gaming. Specifically, why there is no next gen. He comments on some of the recent successes in the MMO space, namely the subscription numbers of the Big Five MMO's and the smooth release of Age of Conan. He also hails EVE Online's break from typical MMO archetypes as a kind of successful deviance, but one that hasn't truly changed how we play.

The forward momentum in the online gaming industry has brought a great deal of fanfare but little true innovation, Geoff asserts. Sure, some MMO's are successful, but it seems they're all a re-hash of what's been done before. A little more polish, a few more features... he laments the fact that "there seems to be very little that is truly pushing the genre towards the next step." He looks to how the web has changed, improved exponentially, while online gaming hasn't kept pace.

Continue reading MMO 2.0 and the next generation of online gaming

MassivelyMMO 2.0 and the next generation of online gaming originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 May 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanarchetypedeviancedevianteve-onlinefacebookiminnovationmmocrunchmyspacesocial-networkingsuccesssuccessfultwitterwebweb-2.0Fri, 30 May 2008 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Find out why WoW conquered the world]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/find-out-why-wow-conquered-the-world/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/find-out-why-wow-conquered-the-world/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/find-out-why-wow-conquered-the-world/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Gamasutra has published an article titled "Why World of Warcraft Made It Big." The article was written by Michael Zenke, a member of the family here at Massively! Zenke argues that there's no one reason WoW was the game to explode into the mainstream in Western markets, instead of EverQuest II or City of Heroes. Accessibility, low system specs, polish, storytelling, fun factor, and yes, timing -- all of these had something to do with it. He also suggests that in the wake of The Burning Crusade, WoW is as strong today as it's ever been.

So, this begs the question -- and this is not one that's addressed in the post -- is there a game coming that will leave WoW in the dust just as WoW surpassed EverQuest? Or will Blizzard reign as kings throughout the foreseeable future? Maybe we'll see an industry like the one Corey Bridges of Multiverse described -- a place where democratization of the MMO development process creates hundreds or thousands of successful, user-generated experiences? As curious as we are, we're smart enough not to make blind predictions. So let's see what happens this year with the big releases like Age of Conan and Warhammer Online, as well as the democratizing experiments like MetaPlace.

MassivelyFind out why WoW conquered the world originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 31 Mar 2008 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accessibilityblizzardeverquesteverquest-iifungamasutraindustrymichael-zenkesuccesssystem-specsworld-of-warcraftMon, 31 Mar 2008 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC08: Bigger is not always better]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/26/gdc08-bigger-is-not-always-better/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/26/gdc08-bigger-is-not-always-better/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/26/gdc08-bigger-is-not-always-better/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


One good thing about being in such a net-savvy industry is that when you miss something, like the GDC presentation by NetDevil's Scott Brown and Hermann Peterscheck, somebody will inevitably put the powerpoint online for everybody to see. The NetDevil guys, currently working on Jumpgate Evolution and LEGO Universe, are well-known for their honesty and candor. So when they lay out their model for the future of the MMO industry, we're inclined to listen to them. Their premise is that the exponential growth that has been observed by many parties within the MMO space may in fact be somewhat illusory. While revenues for the industry as a whole continue to sky-rocket, the money and subscription numbers continue to be concentrated in only a few, extremely successful games.

Take one look at all the canceled titles and commercial failures that litter the landscape. They have a point. The advice that they lay out for burgeoning developers is to forgo huge teams, shiny graphics, fancy rec-rooms, and other accoutremonts for a lean team, lower minimum spec, sensible work conditions, and a realistic development timetable that won't lead to costly delays. Perhaps most importantly, they say that trying to take on the big boys with a $4 million budget is tantamount to suicide. Smaller development teams can actually make more money than big budget titles in the long-run if they find their niche and stick to it. Or as one slide says, "A little greatness is always better than a lot of mediocrity."

Gallery: GDC08: Small teams big dreams with Netdevil

MassivelyGDC08: Bigger is not always better originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto-assaultdevelopmentgdcgdc08hermann-peterscheckindustrynetdevilprofitscott-brownsuccessTue, 26 Feb 2008 16:00:00 EST