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[Economic crisis may force CCP Games to leave Iceland]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/22/economic-crisis-may-force-ccp-games-to-leave-iceland/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/22/economic-crisis-may-force-ccp-games-to-leave-iceland/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/22/economic-crisis-may-force-ccp-games-to-leave-iceland/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


The global financial crisis is hitting many companies and individuals very hard. This is especially prevalent in Iceland, home of CCP Games -- the developers of the sci-fi massively multiplayer online game EVE Online. The collapse of Iceland's banking system and currency has been devastating to the nation. "Icelanders are reeling from the shock of having everything they knew virtually disappear overnight," Valur Gunnarsson reports from Reykjavik for The Guardian.

Despite these economic woes, Hilmar V. Pétursson, the CEO of CCP Games, gave assurances all is well with the company back in October. He's stated that CCP is "well isolated" from the banking crisis, that their holdings and assets were diversified enough (due to partner relationships in different parts of the world) to stave off the ruin that many other Icelandic companies are facing. But there's a potential downside to that diversification: restrictions on access to foreign currencies have gone into effect in Iceland. Specifically -- as it relates to CCP Games -- on foreign investment coming into the country. Are these restrictions enough of a hassle that CCP Games would ever need to leave Iceland?

Continue reading Economic crisis may force CCP Games to leave Iceland

MassivelyEconomic crisis may force CCP Games to leave Iceland originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>business-modelsccpccp-gameseconomic-crisiseconomic-impacteconomyeveeve-onlineguardianheadquartershqicelandrelocationreykjaviksci-fithe-guardianvalur-gunnarssonMon, 22 Dec 2008 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Minsky vs Linden Lab: The Vezina incident]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/24/minsky-vs-linden-lab-the-vezina-incident/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/24/minsky-vs-linden-lab-the-vezina-incident/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/24/minsky-vs-linden-lab-the-vezina-incident/#commentsFiled under: , ,

One of the parties named in the Richard Minsky's trademark lawsuit is Victor Vezina, whom we haven't heard much about, and whose identity has been a bit mysterious. As it turns out, Victor Vezina is Victor Keegan, a technology writer for the Guardian.

Keegan started up an art gallery in in Second Life called 'SLart' in early 2007, prior to the establishment of Minsky's trademark -- however, legally it matters less who is first and more who gets the blessing of the US Patent and Trademarks Office (USPTO). Juris Amat, Minsky's legal representative wrote to Linden Lab on Minsky's behalf instructing them to notify Vezina to cease and desist from use of the SLART trademark in Second Life.

Well, Linden Lab has now sort of complied. Sideways.

Continue reading Minsky vs Linden Lab: The Vezina incident

MassivelyMinsky vs Linden Lab: The Vezina incident originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>legallinden-labminsky-vs-linden-labrichard-minskysecond-lifeslartthe-guardiantrademarktrademarksusptovictor-keeganvictor-vezinaMon, 24 Nov 2008 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The revolution in the news]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/02/the-revolution-in-the-news/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/02/the-revolution-in-the-news/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/02/the-revolution-in-the-news/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Unlike Second Life's 2003 Tax Revolt, which (at the time) went unnoticed by the mainstream media, the current revolt over void/openspace simulator server pricing is drawing attention in places where a lot of potential customers are being exposed to it -- and it's early yet. More words are doubtless being drafted over the weekend to run on mainstream Web-sites and newspapers.

By mainstream (a word that has an awfully slippery definition), we mean widespread. There are at least three other effective and correct definitions of the word at least one of which conflicts with that, but let's just go with what we have and leave those other definitions for another time. You know what we mean.

Continue reading The revolution in the news

MassivelyThe revolution in the news originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 02 Nov 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>economyeric-krangelgigaomglobeandmailjohn-zdanowskilinden-labnquisitropenspace-simulatorsopinionsecond-lifesecond-llifesilicon-alley-insiderthe-guardianvirtual-worldsvoid-simulatorswagner-james-auwashington-postSun, 02 Nov 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Bartle to old guard: "We've already won"]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/29/bartle-to-old-guard-weve-already-won/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/29/bartle-to-old-guard-weve-already-won/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/29/bartle-to-old-guard-weve-already-won/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


In a wonderful, feel-good-story-of-the-year type of article, Richard Bartle, the father of online gaming, has written a laudable rant in the Guardian, essentially informing the old school haters that they're officially obsolete. You know the ones -- every reporter making a quick buck off of the party line that videogames are dangerous to our psyches; every politician riding the easy ticket of attacking our hobby in the name of protecting the children; every concerned parental activist group calling for the heads of the developers who worked on our chosen pastime -- Bartle has given them notice.

In his delightfully-worded article, Bartle reminds us all that these witch hunts are generational: previously, it was television; before that, the enemy was rock 'n' roll, comic books, even the novel. People fear what they don't understand, and aggression is what they employ to mask that fear. Every previous generation seeks to destroy the entertainment of the new generation, and for our age, it's the videogame that's under fire. Bartle understands this and quite calmly uses this knowledge to signal an end to the previous generation's influence. Yet he doesn't just condemn, he also offers a way out.

Continue reading Bartle to old guard: "We've already won"

MassivelyBartle to old guard: "We've already won" originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>childrencomic-booksnovelrantrichard-bartlerock-n-rolltelevisionthe-guardianworld-of-warcraftTue, 29 Apr 2008 10:30:00 EST