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 Game Archaeologist crosses Meridian 59: The highlights]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/13/the-game-archaeologist-crosses-meridian-59-the-highlights/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/13/the-game-archaeologist-crosses-meridian-59-the-highlights/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/13/the-game-archaeologist-crosses-meridian-59-the-highlights/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Meridian 59
A colony founded through a magical nexus, Meridian 59 had it all going on -- until, that is, the portal to the colony collapsed and it was left to fend for itself. Monsters swarmed over the land, politics split the community into factions, and adventurers were called to rise up and become the heroes that were desperately needed. And all it took was $10.95 a month and an internet connection.

Welcome to 1996 and one of the very first -- if not the first (more on that later) -- graphical MMOs to hit the scene. Meridian 59 may not have been one of the biggest games in the genre, but it was arguably one of the most important, the John Adams to World of Warcraft's Abraham Lincoln. If you were wondering, Darkfall was Chester A. Arthur.

It seems fitting to end 2011 by touching upon this significant title that, against all odds, continues to operate today. Meridian 59 weathered studio shutdowns, newbie developers in every sense of the word, and a world that wasn't quite sure what to make of these fancy-schmancy massively interactive roleplaying games. MIRGs! Oh, that would've been such a better acronym, but I digress. Let's set the wayback machine to 1978 to see how one amateur game led to another that led to the birth of an industry.

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist crosses Meridian 59: The highlights

MassivelyThe Game Archaeologist crosses Meridian 59: The highlights originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3doAlan-E-Klietzandrew-KirmseArchetype-InteractivebiowareChris-KirmsecompuserveDamion-Schubertdarkfalldoomduke-nukem-3dfeaturedheretichistoricalhistoryinterplayKingdom-of-the-Nexusmeridian-59mike-sellersmudmud-likenear-death-studiospsychochildqrich-vogelrob-ellisrob-ellis-iiscepter-of-gothstar-wars-the-old-republicsteve-sellersstorybricksswtorthe-realmthe-realm-onlineultima-onlineultima-online-third-dawnuoworld-of-warcraftwowTue, 13 Dec 2011 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: Middle-earth Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/21/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-what-ifs-middle-earth-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/21/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-what-ifs-middle-earth-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/21/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-what-ifs-middle-earth-online/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

I had so much fun walking down the halls of "What if?" last week that I thought I'd keep the streak going for the rest of the month (if you'll allow for some summertime indulgence). It's not that I necessarily wanted MMO history to turn out differently than it did, but it's always tantalizing to wonder what the field would look like with different games out there. Would they have proven more popular than our current crops? Would they have pushed the envelope of innovation?

Of course, it's easy to project greatness onto never-released titles, bemoaning that "if only MMO X had launched, we would've had the perfect game!" What ifs are interesting but should never be taken as absolute fact.

This week I wanted to look at a project that's related to an MMO near and dear to my heart. As most of you know, I'm somewhat of a Lord of the Rings Online nut here at Massively. Sure, the rest of the staff is upset that I smoke pipeweed inside and never wear shoes, but that's just how far I go to understand the game.

But even my LotRO isn't immune to a massive what if. Known to some but not to all, Turbine wasn't the first MMO studio to take a crack at Tolkien's license -- no, for that we have to travel back to 1998 and revisit Sierra On-Line. It was this company that had a brief but memorable run designing Middle-earth Online, aka "What if LotRO had permadeath?" It's a fascinating glimpse into an entirely different approach to the IP, and even though it died a fairly early death, it's important to be remembered. Frodo lives!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: Middle-earth Online

MassivelyThe Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: Middle-earth Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Jun 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2-d3-dbalrogcraig-alexanderdaniel-jameselveseqeverquestfeaturedfourth-agefrodofrodo-livesi-hate-elvesisometricjoe-ludwigjrr-tolkienkings-questlord-of-the-ringslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromeomiddle-earth-onlinemonster-playpermadeathpkpkingplayer-killingpsychologypuzzle-piratessierrasierra-onlinespace-queststephen-nicholsthe-game-archaeologistthe-professorthe-realmthe-realm-onlinetolkienultima-onlineuovivendivivendi-universalTue, 21 Jun 2011 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The gaming renaissance, part 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/20/the-gaming-renaissance-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/20/the-gaming-renaissance-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/20/the-gaming-renaissance-part-2/#commentsContinue reading The gaming renaissance, part 2

MassivelyThe gaming renaissance, part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In the early 70's, some clever chap programmed a pile of circuits to create a primitive game we all know as Pong. Fast-forward some forty years down the line and we're now battling Orcs in Azeroth and flying spaceships in the far-reaches of another galaxy. An entire games industry has erupted from those first simple arcade systems, with people designing and programming games for kids and adults alike. In the 90's, the first generation of kids that grew up with those early game systems became the ones making them and a virtual renaissance in game design ensued. Those kids that grew up wishing they could make their own games started to realise their dreams and the games industry as we know it came forth. More recently, the people that grew up with early MMOs have begun to hit the games industry and we're seeing a rebirth of the genre.

In this article, I look at the games industry explosion and how it relates to the generations growing up with games. I ask whether the MMO genre is headed for its own great gaming renaissance and take a speculative look ahead at the future for MMOs and the games industry as a whole.

Continue reading The gaming renaissance

MassivelyThe gaming renaissance originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Today marks the 30th birthday of the original MUD, created at Essex University by Roy Trubshaw in 1978. We recommend you check out what Richard Bartle -- who worked on later iterations of the project -- has to say about this event, as well as Raph Koster's words on the subject. The question at hand, as presented by Bartle, seems to be: does this matter?

While he is skeptical, we would like to posit that it does matter a great deal -- or at least that it should. Graphics alone shouldn't lead to a strong distinction when the fundamentals are the same, so let's consider the modern MMO to be part of the same tradition as the MUD -- let's say that this is the MMO's 30th birthday too.

Continue reading Today the MUD and the MMO turn 30

MassivelyToday the MUD and the MMO turn 30 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>30th-anniversary30th-birthdayanniversarybirthdayessex-universityeverquesthistorymeridian-59mudmud1raph-kosterrichard-bartleroy-trubshawtextthe-realmultima-onlineworld-of-warcraftMon, 20 Oct 2008 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively's Visual History of MMORPGs, Part I]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/massivelys-visual-history-of-mmorpgs-part-i/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/massivelys-visual-history-of-mmorpgs-part-i/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/massivelys-visual-history-of-mmorpgs-part-i/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


The MMORPG genre has come so far in these past few decades, it's almost difficult to believe. The journey from text MUDs to America Online-based dungeon crawlers, and all the way up to Age of Conan and Warhammer Online has been a truly impressive one. We here at Massively would like to invite you to step into the time machine with us and take a visual tour of that journey. We're taking a close look at the most important titles in online role-playing game history!

What was the first MUD? Howabout the first 3D MMO? When did these games transition from niche curiosities to global, cultural phenomenons, and who's responsible? In this series, we'll tackle all those questions and more. Plus, we'll see just how far these fancy graphics have come over the years! Sound like fun? Jump into the gallery!

Gallery: Massively's Visual History of MMORPGs, Part I

MUDNeverwinter Nights (1991)The Shadow of Yserbius (1992)Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds (1996)Meridian 59 (1996)

MassivelyMassively's Visual History of MMORPGs, Part I originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3doaolfeaturedgalleryhistoryjoystiqfeatureslineagemeridian-59mmorpgmmorpgsMUDncsoftnear-death-studiosneverwinter-nightsnexonnexusoriginorigin-systemsscreenshotsshadow-of-yserbiussierrasierra-onlinethe-realmultima-onlineMon, 31 Mar 2008 14:40:00 EST