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[Copernicus' Curt Schilling talks business models and target audiences]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/22/copernicus-curt-schilling-talks-business-models-and-target-audi/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/22/copernicus-curt-schilling-talks-business-models-and-target-audi/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/22/copernicus-curt-schilling-talks-business-models-and-target-audi/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Curt Schilling, former World Series MVP and one of baseball's noted clutch performers, is now firing fastballs at the MMO industry. In addition to forming 38 Studios and spearheading work on the company's cryptic Copernicus MMORPG, Schilling clearly loves games. He also loves to talk about them (and occasionally talk smack) as a new interview at Ugo illustrates.

"We're not making a game for everybody either because when you make a game for everybody, you end up making it for no one. I know what we love, I know what we want, and the game that I'm playing is growing into being what we set out to make," Schilling enthuses. When he says "we," he's talking about the all-star roster assembled at 38 studios, including everyone from R.A. Salvatore, to Todd McFarlane, to veteran developers that "have been on every major MMO from Ultima Online."

All this talent doesn't come cheaply of course, but Schilling is adamant about making a traditional (albeit well-polished) MMORPG despite the current free-to-play craze sweeping the industry. "We won't launch free-to-play. That makes no sense. [...] Given the feedback that we've gotten and in a lot of focus testing that we've done, people will pay a subscription if they believe that they're getting their money's worth," he says, while also noting that the Copernicus budget is somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 million.

MassivelyCopernicus' Curt Schilling talks business models and target audiences originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>38-studiosbusiness-modelscopernicuscopernicus-mmocurt-schillingfree-to-playinterviewsubscriptionugoFri, 22 Oct 2010 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[BioWare talks Warhammer Online's forthcoming expansions]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/19/bioware-talks-warhammer-onlines-forthcoming-expansions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/19/bioware-talks-warhammer-onlines-forthcoming-expansions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/19/bioware-talks-warhammer-onlines-forthcoming-expansions/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

In a recent GDC 2010 interview with UGO, BioWare's Dr. Ray Muzyka said of Warhammer Online, "Right now it's [a] really profitable business unit within my group." Muzyka went on to say they've actually seen more people come into the game since enacting the free-to-play model on the game's earlier levels, and that he personally felt they were working.

In fact, by the sounds of it, Warhammer Online is due for some interesting announcements in the future. Another of Muzyka's comments on the title was, "We have new content planned and all kinds of cool expansions for it." We don't know how much more clear cut a message can be than that. And hey, it's good news! We're looking forward to our playable Skaven and Lizardmen, Mythic and BioWare.

MassivelyBioWare talks Warhammer Online's forthcoming expansions originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowareea-gamesea-mythicea-warhammerea-warhammer-onlineelectronic-artsgdcgdc-2010gdc10greg-zeschukmythicmythic-eamythic-entertainmentray-muzykatracey-johnugowarwar-eawarhammerwarhammer-eawarhammer-onlinewarhammer-online-eaFri, 19 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[1UP layoffs and the ripples therein]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/07/1up-layoffs-and-the-ripples-therein/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/07/1up-layoffs-and-the-ripples-therein/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/07/1up-layoffs-and-the-ripples-therein/#commentsFiled under: ,


When half of the staff leave/are laid off from a gaming site as notable as 1UP, it affects essentially everyone within the industry -- as does the closure of EGM, one of the very best gaming magazines around. Their excellent coverage of games like Final Fantasy XI, Warhammer Online and World of Warcraft (to name just a few) have always been the sort of things we here at Massively strive for in our own features. Whether it was podcasts like Legendary Thread or the infamous live reading of a certain Age of Conan incident on GFW Radio, the group working at 1UP were always in it to entertain, inform and hopefully make everyone think a little bit about their favorite pasttime.

Understandably, the massive layoffs have created a sort of hate brush fire that's been roaring across the internet mostly via message boards fueled by a mix of ex-1UP Twitters and hearsay. While it pains us as fans to see so many talented and hard-working writers let go, there's some truth to the saying, "You can't win 'em all" in this situation. Our own searing anger was doused a little upon reading a lucid post detailing the why behind the whole debacle.

Continue reading 1UP layoffs and the ripples therein

Massively1UP layoffs and the ripples therein originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1upegmffxifinal-fantasy-xigfw-radiojoystiqlan-partylegendary-threadugowarwarhammer-onlineworld-of-warcraftwowWed, 07 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST