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 Road to Mordor: Wish lists, past and future]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/31/the-road-to-mordor-wish-lists-past-and-future/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/31/the-road-to-mordor-wish-lists-past-and-future/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/31/the-road-to-mordor-wish-lists-past-and-future/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The Road to Mordor
Hobbits love making lists, don't they? In The Fellowship of the Ring, Bilbo had a lengthy list of friends and relatives to invite to his eleventy-first birthday party, and he didn't have the luxury of Facebook to help him out. I love lists as well, although I try to save most of that for my Perfect Ten column.

At the beginning of the year, I sat down and drafted up a "wish list" for Lord of the Rings Online's 2011 year, populating it with 11 changes and additions I was hoping to see by now. To my surprise, Turbine actually pulled off quite a few items on the list, and I thought it'd be a good idea to go back and examine which of my goals the team met and which remain elusive.

Also, since 2012 kicks off tomorrow, I'll look forward as well and draft up a dozen -- yes, one more over the year before -- wish list items that I'd love to see come true in the new year. It's my column; I can cry if I want to, after all. Let's get this party started!

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Wish lists, past and future

MassivelyThe Road to Mordor: Wish lists, past and future originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 31 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bilbobilbo-bagginsclassclass-deedscosmetic-weaponsexpansionf2pfeaturedfellowship of the ringFellowshipOfTheRingfree-to-playhousingiconiconsinstance-finderlegendary-itemslilondonlord-of-the-rings-onlinemines-of-moriamounted-combatplayer-housingrise-of-isengardrohansummer-festivalturbineturbine-entertainmentvirtuesvoice-oversvolume-2wardrobewish-listSat, 31 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The MMO Report: GW2 field trip edition]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/25/the-mmo-report-gw2-field-trip-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/25/the-mmo-report-gw2-field-trip-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/25/the-mmo-report-gw2-field-trip-edition/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

The MMO Report
This week on The MMO Report, Casey treks to Burbank, California, to check out Guild Wars 2's voice-acting studio and interview ArenaNet lead writer Bobby Stein. Stein tells the crew that his team has been working on GW2's voice-overs for three years, resulting in approximately 70 or 80 times the amount of voice work for Guild Wars 1's final installment, Eye of the North.

Casey also interviews a trio of women portraying female Charr characters, but it just wouldn't be an MMO Report field trip if Casey hadn't given the voice acting a try himself. Rising to such stage directions as "he's a cat" and "now try it drunk," Casey receives a hard-earned standing ovation from the sound booth.

All this and more in the MMO Report video tucked behind the break!

Continue reading The MMO Report: GW2 field trip edition

MassivelyThe MMO Report: GW2 field trip edition originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Nov 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetbobby-steinburbankcasey-schreinercharreotneye-of-the-northfield-tripguild-warsGuild-Wars-2gwgw1gw2gwenmmo-reportnewsthe-mmo-reportvideovideosvoice-overvoice-oversvoice-workFri, 25 Nov 2011 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Flameseeker Chronicles: Sylvari week wrap-up]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/15/flameseeker-chronicles-sylvari-week-wrap-up/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/15/flameseeker-chronicles-sylvari-week-wrap-up/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/15/flameseeker-chronicles-sylvari-week-wrap-up/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Flameseeker Chronicles
Guild Wars 2 Sylvari week is over, much to the relief of abused F5 keys everywhere. We've finally seen the redesign, we've read the lore, we've gotten more details about the culture, we've watched new videos, and best of all, we've talked the subject to death.

Now that it's all over and we've had a chance to process the infodump, it's time for my standard post-race-week Flameseeker Chronicles analysis. Follow along after the jump, where I'll recap a few of the high points of Sylvari week.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Sylvari week wrap-up

MassivelyFlameseeker Chronicles: Sylvari week wrap-up originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetaudioelfelvesfeaturedflameseeker-chroniclesguild-wars-2gw2ncsoftopinionraceracessylvarisylvari-weekvoice-overvoice-oversvoice-workMon, 15 Aug 2011 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[ArenaNet lead writer Bobby Stein interviewed on script-writing, voice-overs]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/07/arenanet-lead-writer-bobby-stein-interviewed-on-script-writing/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/07/arenanet-lead-writer-bobby-stein-interviewed-on-script-writing/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/07/arenanet-lead-writer-bobby-stein-interviewed-on-script-writing/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Today, Tap Repeatedly has an exclusive interview with ArenaNet's lead writer Bobby Stein. The interview covers a variety of script-related details, such as the difference in approach between Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2, what led to the decision to implement full voice-overs, and some of the difficulties the studio faces in doing so. He also offers some juicy tidbits on just how voice-acting will affect the atmosphere of the game, one exciting example being:
"Say you're travelling a road between two towns, when a guard approaches you in a frenzy. He emphatically tells you that the estate he's guarding is under attack, and that the family-including a small child-is in danger. You storm the property and cut through waves of pirates. Meanwhile, you hear the owners down below cowering in fear. But you've arrived a few moments too late. You overhear the kidnapping take place, and the pirates whisk the little girl to their hideout for ransom. If you're quick about it you can even watch them make the journey."
It's an absolute gold mine for anyone anticipating GW2, and doubly so for any of you who are particularly interested in the writing end of game development. Click on over to Tap Repeatedly for the full interview.

MassivelyArenaNet lead writer Bobby Stein interviewed on script-writing, voice-overs originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 07 May 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetbobby-steinguild-warsguild-wars-2gwgw2ncncsoftvovoice-oversvoiceoverswritingSat, 07 May 2011 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Video shows off voicework in Black Prophecy]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/20/video-shows-off-voicework-in-black-prophecy/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/20/video-shows-off-voicework-in-black-prophecy/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/20/video-shows-off-voicework-in-black-prophecy/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

As every day passes, more and more people are joining the Black Prophecy beta testing. Slowly, the localizations are being smoothed out, and even more goodies are being added into this hotly anticipated sci-fi space dogfighter MMO. For those of you who haven't quite made it in as yet, as well as those who have but are curious about the nuts-and-bolts, Gamigo and Reakktor Media have released a video today that offers an interesting look at ongoing behind-the-scenes production.

In this video, we take a trip to Periscope Studios and T-Recs Studios to watch just a little bit of how the voicework is done. Along with that, we're treated to a look at just how they get the voice to match the mouth animations of the NPCs without it looking completely silly or taking obnoxious amounts of time. Whether this upcoming free-to-play game is on your personal radar or you're more the type who is fascinated with the overall industry, it's a video worth spending a few minutes of your life to check out. We've embedded this new behind-the-scenes video after the break for your viewing pleasure.

Continue reading Video shows off voicework in Black Prophecy

MassivelyVideo shows off voicework in Black Prophecy originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>animationbehind-the-scenesblack-prophecybpf2pfree-to-playgamigogamigo-agperiscope-studiosreakktorreakktor-mediaReakktor-Media-GmbHt-recs-studiosvideovoice-actingvoice-oversvoiceoversvoiceworkThu, 20 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[STO's Dan Stahl fields 30 questions about the Enterprise, Tholians and more]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/03/stos-dan-stahl-fields-30-questions-about-the-enterprise-tholia/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/03/stos-dan-stahl-fields-30-questions-about-the-enterprise-tholia/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/03/stos-dan-stahl-fields-30-questions-about-the-enterprise-tholia/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

As Star Trek Online grows ever-closer to its one-year anniversary in February 2011, fans of Cryptic's space saga have burning questions about the future of the game. In swoops Executive Producer Dan Stahl to keep the flames under control with a whopping 30 answers in the latest STO Q&A session.

As usual, there is no overriding theme to these questions, which range from whether we'll be seeing the 2009 Star Trek movie's Enterprise in the game (only if Paramount gives permission), whether Cryptic is working on more voice-overs for missions (yes), and when we'll be seeing the Tholians (probably not until after Season 4 releases). Stahl emphasizes that the STO team's prime directive is, simply, "More Like Trek," and the devs are working hard to infuse more of a Star Trek feel into every aspect of the game.

Meanwhile, the Foundry -- the player-created mission system -- briefly went into beta on the Tribble test server yesterday, but was quickly taken down due to issues with the infrastructure. Stahl has great hopes for it, however: "In all -- the Foundry will open up the ability for the community to create some great (and let's be honest -- not so great) missions that you'll be able to play just like any other mission in the game."

MassivelySTO's Dan Stahl fields 30 questions about the Enterprise, Tholians and more originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betacrypticcryptic-studiosdan-stahlenterpriseenterprise-efoundryq-and-aseason-4star-trekstar-trek-onlinestotest-serverthe-foundrytholiantribblevoice-oversFri, 03 Dec 2010 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[DC Universe flexes more voiceover muscles]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/22/dc-universe-flexes-more-voiceover-muscles/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/22/dc-universe-flexes-more-voiceover-muscles/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/22/dc-universe-flexes-more-voiceover-muscles/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


SOE is getting a lot of marketing mileage out of DC Universe Online's voice-acting, and with such a star-studded cast behind the microphone, you can hardly blame them. In a press release earlier today, the MMORPG maker outlined four new additions to DCUO's roster including two Star Trek veterans, a memorable Batman villainess, and one of radio's leading voice talents.

First up is Arleen Sorkin, instantly recognizable to Batman fans as the voice and personality behind Harley Quinn. Next is Wil Wheaton, Star Trek: The Next Generation veteran and responsible for bringing DCUO's Robin to life. Dwight Schultz, also of Star Trek (and the A-Team) fame, signs on to portray the Flash, while Corey Burton, a veteran voice actor with hundreds of productions under his belt, will be powering the notorious Brainiac.

Read more about DCUO on the official site, as well as our previous coverage of voice actor James Marsters.

MassivelyDC Universe flexes more voiceover muscles originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arleen-sorkincorey-burtondcDC Comicsdc-universe-onlineDcComicsdcuniverseonlinedcuodwight-schultzsoeSony-Online-Entertainmentvoice-actorsvoice-overswil-wheatonFri, 22 Oct 2010 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Hyperspace Beacon: Testing the SWTOR waters]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/14/hyperspace-beacon-testing-the-swtor-waters/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/14/hyperspace-beacon-testing-the-swtor-waters/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/14/hyperspace-beacon-testing-the-swtor-waters/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Hyperspace Beacon: Testing the SWTOR waters
If you didn't know already, just over a week ago three writers from Massively, including me, traveled to Seattle, Washington for PAX Prime. During that time, besides catching the flu, we were able to catch a glimpse of some of the games that have yet to be released. We were able to play games like TERA, The Force Unleashed II, Guild Wars 2, RIFT, End of Nations, and many, many others. Some were pretty good; others, not-so-much -- but most seemed very polished and perfect for presentation.

Of course, you all know I was there to see Star Wars: The Old Republic. I caught a lot of it. There were six of the eight classes available for demo at the gorgeous LucasArts booth. (BioWare did have a booth there, too, but the team was displaying some small game it was trying to get off the ground called Dragon Age 2.) Visitors had a chance to try out the smuggler, trooper, agent, bounty hunter, and both Sith classes. Because of the enormous lines that constantly encircled the booth, I was only able to play three of the classes: smuggler, trooper, and Sith inquisitor.

For this edition of the Hyperspace Beacon, I will give you my impressions of the gameplay for those classes. However, I want to take a slightly different look at them. At E3, Massively's editor Seraphina Brennan was able to give her impressions of the smuggler class -- she covered the mechanics and so on. Although I will touch on the combat mechanics, I have decided to focus on some of the features BioWare is famous for: cinematics, character development, and overall storytelling. Follow after the break, and I will give you an honest breakdown of how SWTOR measures up to its predecessors.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: Testing the SWTOR waters

MassivelyHyperspace Beacon: Testing the SWTOR waters originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alyson-bridgeBioWareblaine-christinecinematiccinematographyclassesdaniel-ericksondialoguedialogue-designeaElectronic-Artsfeaturedfire-extinguisherhands-oninquisitorjennifer-halelaglatencyLucasArtsopinionoverhead-mappax-2010pax-prime-2010QuestsrpgsmugglerStar-Warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorswtor-hands-onthe-old-republictortroopervoice-overswarpingTue, 14 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Aika to be first free-to-play fantasy RvR MMORPG]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/05/aika-to-be-first-free-to-play-fantasy-rvr-mmorpg/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/05/aika-to-be-first-free-to-play-fantasy-rvr-mmorpg/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/05/aika-to-be-first-free-to-play-fantasy-rvr-mmorpg/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Move over Dark Age of Camelot. Step aside Warhammer Online. There's a new realm vs. realm MMORPG on the block, and it's free-to-play! Gala-Net, Inc., a leading free-to-play online game publisher, recently announced their partnership with HanbitSoft to publish Aika Online in the North American market.

Having watched some videos and read some reviews, the game appears to share several similarities with both of Mythic's aforementioned RvR innovators. Aika will feature quests, item crafting, gender-locked classes, and yes, large scale RvR including keep sieges. The publishers claim they can handle battles up to 1000 vs. 1000. That will be quite a feat considering the detailed graphics and animations.

That's about where the similarities seem to end though. Aika is an MMO of South Korean descent and definitely has the look and sound effects. The MMO will also be free to play (just how free, we don't know yet), boast sophisticated voice-overs, and come packaged in a tiny 300MB download. And then there's the interesting (some might say creepy) "Pran system." Prans are kind of like pets from traditional MMOs, except that they are young girls. According to one review, you can interact with your Pran, dress it up, give it dolls, help it grow, and boost its intimacy/relationship rank.

MassivelyAika to be first free-to-play fantasy RvR MMORPG originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 May 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aika-onlinedark-age-of-camelotfree-to-playgala-nethanbitsoftpranrvrsouth-koreavoice-overswarhammer-onlineTue, 05 May 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Wizard 101 to include voice overs, shared bank feature]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/17/wizard-101-to-include-voice-overs-shared-bank-feature/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/17/wizard-101-to-include-voice-overs-shared-bank-feature/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/17/wizard-101-to-include-voice-overs-shared-bank-feature/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


The team over at Kingsisle Entertainment isn't sitting on their hands while Wizard 101 racks up over 1 million accounts. The most recent update to the game will be bringing a voice to the many characters of the Ravenwood School, as well as a new utility for those who play multiple characters.

Voice overs for all of the characters in Wizard City and Krokotopia have been added as of March 16th, and the other areas of Marleybone, Moo Shu, and Dragonspyre will be soon to follow. These voice overs will be added to all of the quests, NPCs, cinematics, and boss encounters in the game, making everything a little bit more colorful.

Players who play multiple characters will also love the new shared bank feature, which allows you to share one dorm room space amongst all of your characters. So, if you find something that would benefit one of your other five characters, worry no longer!

MassivelyWizard 101 to include voice overs, shared bank feature originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Mar 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dorm-roomdragonspyrekingsisle-entertainmentmarleybonemoo-shuravenswoodshared-bankshared-spacevoice-oversvoiceoverwizard-101wizard-citywizard101Tue, 17 Mar 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Spoken quest text]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/the-daily-grind-spoken-quest-text/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/the-daily-grind-spoken-quest-text/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/the-daily-grind-spoken-quest-text/#commentsFiled under: ,


One of the things that people seem fairly split on lately is the "time" they say is involved with listening to the NPCs talking -- or more properly, reciting the quest text out loud. Some people really like this when coupled with the "multiple choice answer" option that's present in Age of Conan and EverQuest II. Some feel that it leads to greater immersion in the world to hear quests spoken -- and you can always "fast forward" by clicking through if you don't want to hear it. For other people, while this can be a fun and interesting element at first, repeating quests on subsequent alts makes it somewhat annoying.

Where do you fall on this one? Do you like the idea of your NPCs actually being voiced and reading out the full quest text to you, or do you think a cursory sound byte (like how it is handled in World of Warcraft) is all that is needed? Do voiceovers tend to make you pay attention to quest "text" -- or do you just click past it all anyway?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Spoken quest text originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 May 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>immersionquestsroleplaytdgthe-daily-grindvocalized-quest-textvoice-oversvoiceoversThu, 08 May 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Warhammer Online's voice over video]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/29/warhammer-onlines-voice-over-video/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/29/warhammer-onlines-voice-over-video/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/29/warhammer-onlines-voice-over-video/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Well it has finally happened folks, now that Electronic Arts as absorbed Mythic we're finally seeing the horrendous outcome. Indeed, Warhammer Online is going to feature professional voice overs for all of its inhabitants because of the EA acquisition -- terrifying!

All right, we were having a laugh, but you can't blame us for indulging. This month's production podcast features lots of professionally paid voice actors saying all sorts of weird High Elf lines in a sound room. There's also an Extras reference as well as some screaming at the very end of the video. After hearing these actors deliver some of the lines in the podcast, we're happy to say the voice work in WAR is going to be quite good.

MassivelyWarhammer Online's voice over video originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 Feb 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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