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World of Darkness creative director talks design and the MMO mainstream

Jef Reahard — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, News items, World of Darkness, Sandbox

A new interview at Gamasutra posits that CCP is gunning for mainstream success with its upcoming World of Darkness MMO. The EVE Online developer has cornered what's left of the hardcore sandbox market, so now it's looking to marry EVE's emergent gameplay with more familiar MMO staples. "The way to drag people in will be traditional themepark-style PvE play. Once players get into the setting, they'll see the appeal of the sandbox play," says WoD creative director Reynir Hardarson.

Despite the concessions to mainstream accessibility, EVE's influence on World of Darkness will be more than superficial. "The live-action roleplayers of the Vampire the Masquerade tabletop game play this way," Hardarson explains. "It's really about politics and power plays."

Why don't more MMO developers try their hand at sandbox mechanics? Hardarson says designing for emergent play is difficult because you can't test it. It's worth it, though, because MMOs that hand-hold and limit players to a linear path miss the point. "I'm not a five-year-old. If I want to go in the cave and I want to die, that's my problem," Hardarson says.

World of Darkness creative director talks design and the MMO mainstream originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The MMO Report: Shut up about Mass Effect edition

Brianna Royce — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, MMO industry, Humor, The MMO Report, Miscellaneous

This week on The MMO Report, Casey tells everyone to stop whining about Mass Effect 3's ending, laments the loss of the "online" part of Warhammer 40K: Dark Millennium Online, touches on the World of Darkness keynote, and outlines The Secret World's preorder plans. He also reveals the identity of one of TERA's key voice actors: Michael Hogan (of Battlestar Galactica fame), who will play Samael in the final game. Finally, he pulls one measly letter from the mailbag and debates which class he represents in TERA.

Enjoy the full MMO Report after the cut!

Continue reading The MMO Report: Shut up about Mass Effect edition

The MMO Report: Shut up about Mass Effect edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively Speaking Episode 194: Bookah bookah!

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Podcasts, Star Trek Online, Vanguard, Guild Wars 2, Massively Meta, Humor, World of Darkness, Massively Speaking, Runes of Magic, Miscellaneous

Massively Speaking Episode 194 welcomes aboard resident Star Trek Online expert Terilynn Shull to talk about Tribbles and bits and why Star Trek doesn't have more "The Fly" incidents involving the transporter and local flora or fauna. Captain Archer would have been vastly improved by beaming him into a badger.

Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot an email to podcast@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air!

Get the podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to Massively Speaking directly in iTunes.
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Read below the cut for the full show notes.

Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 194: Bookah bookah!

Massively Speaking Episode 194: Bookah bookah! originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Darkness presented at EVE Fanfest 2012

Brendan Drain — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: EVE Online, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, Lore, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items, World of Darkness, Sandbox

Ever since CCP Games merged with White Wolf, it has been developing the World of Darkness MMO. The game is nowhere near complete, and fans worried that last year's heavy layoffs at the Atlanta office had slowed the game's production. We haven't heard much about World of Darkness since then, but today at the EVE Online Fanfest, a few new details were revealed. Attendees were shown some early in-game footage of a city and given a mix of information we already knew and snippets of new information.

CCP wants to draw in the largely female World of Darkness fanbase. The game will have a focus on fashion, and CCP will control the theme of that fashion rather than letting players design their own clothes. The game will be based in the Vampire: The Masquerade universe, with an initial focus on vampires before the introduction of the other factions. Vampires will use human blood as a currency; it will be the resource they'll compete over, making human cities the central locations they will inhabit. When mages and other character types are released, they will compete for different resources.

The game will have a single-shard world, with sandbox territorial warfare for control of cities mirroring EVE Online's nullsec warfare. Developers investigated using real cities for the game but found that "real cities were generally boring." Presenters told fans that the team will "be using stylised versions, but they will be named after real cities." Each city will be lorded over by a player prince, who will under rare circumstances be potentially subjected to permadeath. The world's original vampire clans will be available on release, and CCP confirmed that it won't be using vampire generations as a form of leveling system but instead will be doing something different with it.

World of Darkness presented at EVE Fanfest 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 24 Mar 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CCP's North American president steps down

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, Sci-fi, EVE Online, MMO industry, World of Darkness, DUST 514

It's been a long run heading up work on spaceships and vampires, but after 19 years at the helm, North American CCP President Mike Tinney is saying goodbye. Tinney announced that he is departing the studio on February 29th to work at an unnamed company that will combine health and fitness with games.

Tinney has no regrets with his prior role but is excited about the future: "CCP has gone through a fast-paced growth cycle. It's been a fun run and a lot of good experiences and memories. But I would like to move to a younger, earlier stage company, and plan to start one myself."

CCP's management expressed gratitude toward Tinney's service: "We are grateful for Mike's energetic and effective leadership and for all his valuable contributions to CCP. We will miss him. We wish him well with his next endeavors. And we're eager to see what he comes up with next."

Tinney's 19 years of service includes being CEO of White Wolf, which was snatched up by CCP in 2006. He will continue to assist CCP in an "advisory capacity" for several months to help the transition.

CCP's North American president steps down originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Interview confirms World of Darkness dev team, predicts DUST 514 sales

Brendan Drain — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: EVE Online, Interviews, MMO industry, News items, World of Darkness, DUST 514

When CCP Games laid off 20% of its worldwide staff back in October of last year, the World of Darkness dev team bore the brunt of the cuts while DUST 514 continued on course for its launch later this year. In an interview over at TenTonHammer today, CCP's new Chief Marketing Officer, David Reid, joined CEO Hilmar Petursson to discuss the development of both games. Hilmar reveals that a team of 60 developers are currently working on WoD, and that DUST 514 will be playable at this year's EVE Online fanfest event in March.

Despite acknowledging that the entire PlayStation Network comprises a total of 60 million users, Reid asserts that DUST will bring "tens of millions of people that play shooters on PSN into the New Eden universe," going on to make the bold statement that "EVE could be the biggest game in the world at the end of 2012" as a result. Reid also claims that "EVE Online is the only game in the West that has shown consecutive growth year after year," a statement that's sure to upset RuneScape developer Jagex and others. The statement also comes with a slightly bitter note as this year EVE may have lost its record of continual subscription growth during the summer drama.

Interview confirms World of Darkness dev team, predicts DUST 514 sales originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Darkness' Chris McDonough calms fan concerns

Matt Daniel — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, MMO industry, News items, World of Darkness, Miscellaneous

A number of World of Darkness fans were concerned after a recent CCP CEO interview in which it was said that the World of Darkness MMO was going to be scaled back. The game's Senior Producer, Chris McDonough, stopped by the World of Darkness News forums to respond to the concerns.

In essence, he states that CCP was "staffed up as if [they] would be able to be production-ready at this point and [they] simply are not." However, players shouldn't be too concerned, because the only content that is being scaled back in World of Darkness is "redundant content that's expensive to make." For McDonough's full response, head on over to World of Darkness News.

World of Darkness' Chris McDonough calms fan concerns originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CCP reveals World of Darkness details to bloodthirsty fans

Justin Olivetti — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Events, real-world, PvP, Massively Event Coverage, World of Darkness

Details about CCP's World of Darkness are popping out of White Wolf's The Grand Masquerade in New Orleans this weekend, and they're definitely worth draining for every last sweet drop of... information. While the game is still in pre-production -- and as such, nothing is set in stone -- the devs weren't hesitant to dish out a lot of the ideas and features that they hope will make this the best vampire MMO to date.

It's CCP's desire to emulate LARPing (live-action roleplaying) as much as possible with World of Darkness, with plenty of metaplots running inside the game and without. Players will begin as a mortal human who can make the choice to become a kindred (vampire) or stay mortal for the duration of their characters' lives. There's a very real danger that characters might experience "final death" -- permadeath -- if they take too many risks. If you get in over your head, you can retreat to your character's Haven for safety.

The entire game will take place at night and on one server, and CCP is definitely aiming it toward the hardcore set. Nudity, gore, and insanity effects are all par for the course.

If players push outside of the acceptable boundaries too often, they'll lose "humanity" points and could become flagged for constant attack by other players and NPCs. Play your cards right and you may become the prince of the city. The game will change over time with dynamic events, and CCP promises that there will be real consequences for player decisions.

Look for our World of Darkness interview with CCP coming later this week.

[Thanks Pilgrim for the tip!]

CCP reveals World of Darkness details to bloodthirsty fans originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Going to The Grand Masquerade in New Orleans? We want you!

Shawn Schuster — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, Culture, MMO industry, Massively Meta, Massively Event Coverage, World of Darkness, Miscellaneous

If you're attending The Grand Masquerade on September 15th through the 18th this year and you're interested in meeting up with CCP and White Wolf for an interview, we want to give you some money. No seriously, we want to pay you to meet some game devs, and you can even be dressed like a vampire while you do it. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, huh?

The Grand Masquerade is the annual event held by White Wolf in New Orleans, Louisiana as a fan gathering for World of Darkness. Since White Wolf and CCP are working on a World of Darkness MMO, we're especially interested in getting some first-hand information out of the event. This year, they've confirmed that more details on the MMO will be revealed, so we're especially excited to be a part of it.

Read on after the jump for details on how you can apply to represent Massively at The Grand Masquerade.

Continue reading Going to The Grand Masquerade in New Orleans? We want you!

Going to The Grand Masquerade in New Orleans? We want you! originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Sep 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CCP and White Wolf celebrating Vampire's 20th anniversary with new rulebook, fan gala

Jef Reahard — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items, World of Darkness

Vampire: The Masquerade is gearing up to celebrate its 20th birthday (20 years!?), and while two decades may be a drop in the proverbial bucket to your average vampire, it's quite a chunk of time for mere mortals. White Wolf (which MMO aficionados probably know as a subsidiary of CCP) is celebrating the milestone with a limited-run anniversary edition of the RPG's core rulebook.

The tome is available via pre-order and will set you back a hefty $99.99. The book's release will coincide with The Grand Masquerade 2011, a fan event scheduled for September 15th to 18th in New Orleans that will feature, among other things, "the next look at the future of the World of Darkness MMO."

CCP and White Wolf celebrating Vampire's 20th anniversary with new rulebook, fan gala originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist plays with MUDs: Your journeys, part 1

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Interviews, Free-to-play, The Game Archaeologist

What a long, strange trip it's been back through the heyday of multi-user dungeons and the many, many spin-offs and variations thereof. We've looked at the history, talked with Richard Bartle, and promoted a few of the best titles out there -- but we're not done yet! The Game Archaeologist will not hang up his hat and call it a day well-lived until your stories are entered into the history books.

Throughout this month, MUD and MU* players have deluged the inbox of the Game Archaeologist Institute for Text-Based Virtual Worlds, impressing us with hefty paragraphs of passionate experiences. These stories are so good, in fact, that we have little desire to choose between them, which is why we're going to annex the first week of May so that we can share all of them. May won't mind -- May's cool like that.

So hit the jump and read the testimonies of the word warriors who were there on the front line of parser combat and grammatically correct roleplaying. These are their stories. This is your lunch break.

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist plays with MUDs: Your journeys, part 1

The Game Archaeologist plays with MUDs: Your journeys, part 1 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDCO 2010: CCP talks EVE, Dust, and World of Darkness

Jef Reahard — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, Sci-fi, Video, Events, real-world, Interviews, New titles, News items

Gamebreaker.tv recently sat down with CCP's Nathan Richardsson at GDCO for a lengthy video interview about EVE Online, Dust 514, and World of Darkness. Unsurprisingly, the majority of the EVE discussion focuses on the new character generator, recently made live on the Singularity test server and representing the first step towards 2011's long-awaited Incarna expansion.

Richardsson doesn't have a lot to say regarding Dust 514, even though he talks about it for several minutes. The gist of the conversation is that CCP will release it when it's ready, and they're not even close to being prepared to talk about it. He does reiterate the game's console focus, stating that "our goal is delivering the EVE experience on different platforms, console being one of them of course. We'll be looking at more platforms, we already are."

Moving on to the recently announced World of Darkness, Richardsson again declines to answer most of the pressing questions, though he does drop an interesting nugget relating to control of the game's intellectual property. Turns out that CCP's plans for a WoD virtual world required a certain level of control over the IP that wasn't possible with it residing in the hands of another company, hence the acquisition of WoD parent company White Wolf.

Check out the full 30-minute interview after the cut and on Gamebreaker.

Continue reading GDCO 2010: CCP talks EVE, Dust, and World of Darkness

GDCO 2010: CCP talks EVE, Dust, and World of Darkness originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Darkness confirmed, based on Vampire: The Masquerade

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 23:22:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, New titles, World of Darkness

"Some secrets are best taken to the grave..." While it wasn't that closely guarded, we were waiting on the edge of our seats to hear the official word of CCP's World of Darkness this weekend. At The Grand Masquerade convention in New Orleans, the developers not only confirmed the project, but revealed that it is set in White Wolf's Vampire: The Masquerade setting. Vampire: The Masquerade was indeed the old World of Darkness RPG, so this MMO should send fans into paroxysms of joy.

Ardwulf's Lair reports that the MMO will come out in 2012 at the earliest, and that it "will have a focus on player politics and social interaction." The two-minute video reveal sets a gothic tone as a woman narrates the secret world of the vampires: "They're all around us, they control everything, they've always been here, waging their secret wars, devouring everything that gets in their way... It all begins after you die."

We'll bring you more details as they pour in, but in the meanwhile, check out the video reveal (NSFW, this is World of Darkness after all) after the break.

Continue reading World of Darkness confirmed, based on Vampire: The Masquerade

World of Darkness confirmed, based on Vampire: The Masquerade originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 23:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SDCC 2010: A SWTOR Managing Editor who doesn't solve problems by killing all the kittens

Larry Everett — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, Interviews, New titles, Comics, Massively Event Coverage, Star Wars: The Old Republic

We all know that know that story is the fourth pillar for The Old Republic. We also know BioWare has the reputation for having some of the most compelling stories in the gaming industry. In fact, story is written into its mission statement: "BioWare's vision is to deliver the best story-driven games in the world." So it is no surprise at all that when the team came to Comic-Con this past weekend, it consisted of mostly writers.

Massively's Dan O'Halloran nabbed the Managing Editor on SWTOR, Alexander Freed, for a conversation. Freed has scribed much of the story and dialogue for this epic MMO, as well as been the writer for the exciting adventures of Teneb Kel in The Blood of the Empire webcomic.

Continue on after the break to catch Alexander Freed's insight into what the different types of quests will be available in SWTOR, what compelling choices players have to make, and what it takes to write for a project of this magnitude.

Continue reading SDCC 2010: A SWTOR Managing Editor who doesn't solve problems by killing all the kittens

SDCC 2010: A SWTOR Managing Editor who doesn't solve problems by killing all the kittens originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CCP opens UK office

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: EVE Online, MMO industry, News items, Consoles, DUST 514

Growth in the MMO industry hasn't been limited to companies named after weather phenomena. CCP Games, makers of the popular sandbox title EVE Online and its upcoming spinoff DUST 514, have done quite a bit of growing themselves. Their merger with game publisher White Wolf and their office in China are old news, but they've just added a little more space under their control. It's confirmed that CCP has opened a new office in Newcastle, their first branch in the United Kingdom and a new home of development with a slight console focus.

Much of the staff in the Newcastle office has been absorbed from the former offices of the recently-defunct Midway Studios branch in Newcastle, including executive Robert Troughton. It's slated to work on "current and future" console products, which no doubt includes DUST 514 as well as future games from the studio. After a number of closures and failures, it's good to see the industry regaining its footing, and expanded studios can only be good for CCP's fans and its games. And if you happen to be a software engineer in the area with some console experience, well, they are hiring...

CCP opens UK office originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CCP's Ryan Dancey on keeping EVE Online compelling

James Egan — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Business models, Economy, Interviews, MMO industry

CCP Games Chief Marketing Officer Ryan S. Dancey recently spoke with Gamasutra's Christian Nutt about the state of EVE Online and what makes the sci-fi title unique. EVE has traits that many MMOs don't, such as player governance, a dynamic virtual economy, and slow but continual subscription growth. CCP does face problems in tandem with that growth however, namely from RMT operations. There is also the issue of balancing developer control over aspects of the game's economy (mission rewards, salvage and loot drops, ISK sinks) with the ideal of allowing EVE's economy to be as player-driven as possible, explains Dancey.

Among other things discussed in the interview, Gamasutra asks how White Wolf has changed following the merger with CCP Games nearly three years ago. Dancey tells Gamasutra: "It's just an imprint... White Wolf used to have a fairly large staff. It doesn't anymore. It's focusing primarily on the World of Darkness RPG products. It's not doing some of the things it used to do; board games and other card games and things. The focus of the company [CCP] is on making MMOs and our legacy table top business is a legacy business."

Continue reading CCP's Ryan Dancey on keeping EVE Online compelling

CCP's Ryan Dancey on keeping EVE Online compelling originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GameX 2009: Video interview with Nathan Richardsson and "Alli" Óttarsson

Seraphina Brennan — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Massively Interviews, Massively Event Coverage

After their panel at GameX 2009 (and some free lunch) we got to sit down with "Alli" Ottarsson and Nathan Richardsson from EVE Online and talk shop about the future of the game. Where are we going directly after the Dominion expansion releases this year? What other product tie-ins can we expect from the White Wolf end of the company? And what's Neocom all about anyway?

Nathan and Alli were happy to take our questions and give some direct responses on what they hope to tackle in Neocom, how EVE's model is multiple game models, and what we might see take place in the highly-anticipated Incarna in regards to gambling and missions.

To check our exclusive video interview, jump after the break with the "continue reading" button below!

Continue reading GameX 2009: Video interview with Nathan Richardsson and "Alli" Óttarsson

GameX 2009: Video interview with Nathan Richardsson and "Alli" Óttarsson originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AGDC09: EVE's Nathan Richardsson on the Dominion expansion and beyond

James Egan — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, real-world, Expansions, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, Consoles, Massively Interviews, Massively Event Coverage, DUST 514

Massively was on the ground at the Game Developers Conference 2009 in Austin this week, and had a chance to sit down with Nathan "Oveur" Richardsson, Executive Producer of EVE Online. We discussed EVE's winter expansion, Dominion, and the new dimensions to the sci-fi MMO's setting that CCP Games hopes to introduce. We also learned a bit more about the company's plans to expand EVE into other platforms, namely through the COSMOS social network which will tie in with the game from Dominion onward.

Continue reading AGDC09: EVE's Nathan Richardsson on the Dominion expansion and beyond

AGDC09: EVE's Nathan Richardsson on the Dominion expansion and beyond originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 19 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CCP staff offered the option of being paid foreign currency during economic crisis

Seraphina Brennan — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Business models, Culture, Economy, MMO industry, News items

During our troubled economic times, one sometimes forgets that currency is in a constant state of fluctuation. When times get really harsh, the value of the currency can wildly go back and forth between numbers, creating a sense of unease as people don't know what their currency is worth.

CCP Games, however, took up a new approach to paying their employees when the Icelandic Krona was volatile earlier this year -- paying their employees in foreign currency.

Employees were offered the option to accept paychecks in foreign currency, if they so wished, to provide employees with a stable income from a stable currency rather than receiving checks with the Krona. The move was easy on CCP's part, as the company is located in China, Iceland, and the United States and makes most of their revenue in foreign currency anyway.

Continue reading CCP staff offered the option of being paid foreign currency during economic crisis

CCP staff offered the option of being paid foreign currency during economic crisis originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What is this mystery project at CCP Games?

James Egan — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, real-world, MMO industry, New titles, The Daily Grind, Consoles, World of Darkness

We know that CCP Games, creators of EVE Online, is going to announce a new project at GDC Europe in August. As CCP acquired White Wolf, creators of pen-and-paper RPG titles like Vampire, Mage, and Werewolf (the World of Darkness setting), we've known for some time that a World of Darkness MMO is in the works. Unfortunately, beyond the fact that the project exists at some stage of development, we know very little. But this mystery project announcement might not be about WoD at all. We're also aware that CCP Games has plans to release a first person shooter based on the EVE Online IP, which they hinted at during EVE Fanfest 2008.

The latest info we've found about a new project at CCP Games (via @crazykinux) is a job listing at CCP for a Senior Game Engineer. The successful applicant "will join a seasoned team based in Shanghai, China where they will work on original IP for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3." The listing also mentions development on the Unreal Engine.

Regardless of whether they're planning to unveil World of Darkness Online or an EVE Online first person shooter, you don't need to be an EVE player to appreciate how cool either of these releases could be. What game do you think CCP is going to announce at GDC Europe?

The Daily Grind: What is this mystery project at CCP Games? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CCP Games boosts productivity with agile development

James Egan — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Interviews, MMO industry

When CCP Games developed the Apocrypha expansion for EVE Online, it wasn't only the first time that all three studios -- Atlanta, Reykjavik, and Shanghai -- worked in concert on single project, they also created the game's largest expansion to date in record time.

EVE Online's lead designer Noah Ward recently explained how CCP was able to accomplish this in an interview with Gamasutra's Christian Nutt and Chris Remo. The company switched from its waterfall development model to agile methods where the game was developed through the collaboration of small teams that showcase their progress to the rest of the developers frequently. Ward says, "Now that we've switched over, we don't have these huge waterfall phases anymore, it's just iterative, agile two week sprints, and we have a demo day at the end [...] and it's just amazing to see how much is actually produced in those two weeks."

Continue reading CCP Games boosts productivity with agile development

CCP Games boosts productivity with agile development originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Darkness Online to launch in 2010?

James Egan — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, MMO industry, New titles, World of Darkness

Horror hasn't been a widely explored genre in massively multiplayer online games thus far, but there seems to be a shift in focus in the industry away from fantasy titles. Darren over at The Common Sense Gamer came across an interesting bit of information regarding World of Darkness -- the next massively multiplayer online game from CCP Games, creators of EVE Online. Horror fans eager to find details about the upcoming title turned up a business document (dated July 2008) from CCP Games that states World of Darkness is scheduled to launch in 2010.

Darren also makes a good point in his post -- there are a number of people who like the idea of EVE, but haven't been able to get immersed in the game. Given that the World of Darkness setting already has earned quite a number of RPG fans over the years, it seems the title is in a position to have a decent-sized following right off the bat. Or, at the very least, is likely to garner a number of people willing to try it out.

Continue reading World of Darkness Online to launch in 2010?

World of Darkness Online to launch in 2010? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Jan 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Move over Austin; Georgia aims to be the next big thing for game studios

Shawn Schuster — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, Culture, Economy, Interviews, MMO industry

When you think of game development meccas, your mind immediately points to Austin or San Francisco, right? You might even think of Seattle, or Boston too, but what about Georgia? That's right, the state most commonly-known for The Dukes of Hazzard, Jimmy Carter and peaches is fast becoming quite a hub for gaming technology and development studios lately.

Not only does the state play host to gaming services such as Gametap and lottery giant Scientific Games, but they also house online gaming companies such as Hi-Rez Studios, Cartoon Network's latest online project and the North American divisions of CDC Games and EVE Online's CCP, who recently merged with Georgia's own White Wolf Studios. Electronic Arts operates an R&D lab in one of North America's premiere design schools: Savannah College of Art & Design in Savannah, Georgia. In fact, you may be surprised to hear that Georgia's video game industry is currently 60-companies strong, employing approximately 2,000 game professionals.

Continue reading Move over Austin; Georgia aims to be the next big thing for game studios

Move over Austin; Georgia aims to be the next big thing for game studios originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 24 Oct 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online: the board game?!

James Egan — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Opinion

EVE Online's 'Walking in Stations' expansion isn't the only new way fans will be playing the sci-fi title this winter. CCP Games will also be releasing a 'big box' board game called "EVE: Conquests," suitable for two to four players, which will come with a large fold-out board and cards. However, this game won't come cheap; EVE: Conquests will be priced at a steep $75, putting the game -- and its presumably ornate playing pieces -- out of the reach of most casual players. Pop culture-focused site ICv2 got the scoop on this latest game offering and spoke briefly with CCP's Peter Thorarinsson:

"It's got a Euro-style mechanic to it," Thorarinsson said. "It's very easy to learn, but has a very deep game play and a lot of strategy to it." Thorarinsson indicated that no knowledge of the Eve universe would be necessary to play the game, and that although Eve Online players would be a natural audience for it, some gamers would undoubtedly be introduced to the Eve universe for the first time by the board game.

In addition to his work on EVE: Conquests, Thorarinsson has been involved with creating the card game "EVE: The Second Genesis." While we're fans of all types of games at Massively, the price that's quoted at ICv2 seems mighty high. For you EVE enthusiasts out there, would you spring for EVE: Conquests to play when you're offline, or is this price tag out of step with your expectations?

[Via EVE Stratics]

EVE Online: the board game?! originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Sep 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Lead Content Creator discusses new missions

James Egan — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, News items, PvE

The Empyrean Age expansion has been a significant content update to EVE Online for players interested in factional warfare. Of course, many players aren't willing to enlist in a militia and be under a constant wardec by their factional enemies, and simply prefer to mission run for their agents. CCP Games announced that new content was in the works, back in June, but the latest EVE Online Newsletter has an updated announcement on this from Lead Content Creator, Scott Holden.

CCP is getting closer to releasing new PvE mission content, Holden says, with Content Creation now based in Atlanta. This will be sped up by new staff on the Content Creation team in addition to the existing freelance writers already turning out EVE mission content. Holden says that new types of missions are coming to New Eden, and hints at 'epic mission arcs'.

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EVE Lead Content Creator discusses new missions originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Aug 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online targets Battlestar Galactica fans

James Egan — Sat, 31 May 2008 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, real-world, News items

EVE Online has made first contact with a whole new group of sci-fi fans, through some carefully chosen TV advertising. EVE's first TV ads were shown during the most recent Battlestar Galactica episode on the SciFi network. If CCP Games wanted to target the viewers who would be the most receptive to checking out EVE, they didn't go wrong by choosing Galactica fans. The TV ads were an unexpected move, and came as a big surprise to many EVE players. Ethic at Kill Ten Rats said: "My jaw hit the floor while watching the latest episode of Battlestar Galactica on SciFi tonight. There, before my eyes, was a commercial for EVE Online. Amazing. Nice work CCP!"

High visibility TV adverts for an MMO had previously been something only associated with Night Elf mohawks, Shatner, and a company with some rather deep pockets. EVE Online dev CCP Wrangler made a full announcement about the company's leap into prime time advertising.

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EVE Online targets Battlestar Galactica fans originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 31 May 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Gaming Iconoclast: Whither Shortcomings?

Rafe Brox — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Game mechanics, Opinion, Tabula Rasa, Roleplaying, The Gaming Iconoclast

Many MMO aficionados cut their roleplaying teeth on one of the many pencil-and-paper titles that formed the early generation of multi-player gaming. In addition to rolling (and rolling, and rolling, and rolling) some dice to come up with their basic stats and traits, character generation involved a lot of "wet work" when it came time to acquire skills. Often, players would bargain with their Game Master to get special dispensation for pushing the envelope.

Player: I want to run this adventure as a zombie elf with three arms.
GM: Okay, but if you do that, none of the other characters will trust you. Also, you will spend 50% more on shirts and body armor. Still want to do it?

Thus, the mechanic of trading character flaws for enhanced abilities was born. One of the hallmarks of tabletop gaming is this trade-off -- saddling yourself or your character with a shortcoming in order to obtain an advantage elsewhere, either as a skill, or a talent, or just another way to go about Min/Maxing. The huge number of available options in some games (Vampire: The Masquerade, for instance) ensures that any player, with only a few minutes' consideration, will have an almost absolutely unique character, fully their own creation.

And yet, almost without exception, the online iterations we all enjoy seem to have omitted this altogether. We are an immense legion of perfectly-formed, mentally-stable, socially-adept übermensch. Even the so-called "ugly" races -- World of Warcraft's Forsaken or Tabula Rasa's Hybrids -- don't explore the depth and breadth of this concept too deeply. Racial traits and differentiation are the merest tip of this particular iceberg.

Why does this rich milieu, this fecund ground of roleplay fodder and character diversity, languish? (And who left this thesaurus on my desk?)

Continue reading The Gaming Iconoclast: Whither Shortcomings?

The Gaming Iconoclast: Whither Shortcomings? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Products of Iceland: Interaction and Evolution

Andrew Russo — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: EVE Online, Culture, Expansions, Interviews, Patches, Virtual worlds, World of Darkness

Our time spent plugging away in the virtual world is supposed to fun and inviting. If not, we all tend to feel like rabbits in a cage wishing to experience the world beyond those iron bars. Bearing the light of hope for those of you in a similar situation enters one of the leading brains behind EVE, Reynir Harðarson. "Yes, the key, we still believe, is human interaction. People should really feel it," he continues, "they're not just playing a game...." Remember that innovation in MMOs thing we were talking about? Reynir believes that creating interaction and evolving an MMO are what will drive a game to be successful. The nice thing about that is he fully intends to ensure his new project, World of Darkness, adopts that tantalizing philosophy.

"It's strange," Reynir offers, "that with so many games that [developers] create it, launch it, perhaps create a couple of expansions and then work on the sequel. These games do not grow. We don't want to think of it that way, we want to keep evolving." To our ears, that's good news! We don't know about you, but we're all feeling the group hug right about now. Ahem. Moving right along.

It is wonderful to see a developer that passionate about the worlds he creates. By offering players not only the community they seek, but ensuring that the game evolves and interacts with it, the experience generated should be far more enjoyable.

[via CrazyKinux]

Products of Iceland: Interaction and Evolution originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Benchmark Capital joins Vivox in 7.8 million USD deal

Tateru Nino — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 00:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, News items

According to Wagner James Au at GigaOm, Benchmark Capital has joined the board of Vivox. We're not sure how much Benchmark Capital invested directly. The total was $7.8 million US dollars in Series B financing, some of which also came from Canaan Partners and GrandBanks Capital.

The man behind the deal was Mitch Lasky, formerly with Eletronic Arts' mobile division, now general partner at Benchmark Capital.

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Benchmark Capital joins Vivox in 7.8 million USD deal originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Dec 2007 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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