DC Universe Online’s revenue model and development discussed
Filed under: Business models, New titles, News items, DC Universe Online
DC Universe Online’s senior producer Wes Yanagi recently spoke with Gamasutra about a ton of things related to the supermen title, but the big question asked was related to RMT. While he couldn’t say whether or not the game would be based on a subscription or microtransactional model, Yanagi did say he thought microtransaction models had huge potential. To illustrate his point Yanagi brought up Free Realms, saying that SOE will probably see a financial success there. This echoes many opinions convinced that SOE is testing the waters with Free Realms in order to see what does and doesn’t work…
DC Universe Online’s revenue model and development discussed originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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A look at the most significant MMO trends of 2008
Filed under: Opinion, Academic, Education
As we get more involved in what makes an MMO player tick, development studios are trying their hardest to keep up with the trends. Ten years ago, we were happy to have any environment in which to socialize and experience a gaming world with our friends, or meet other gamers with the same interests. Now though, if a lightsaber looks “too big”, there will be riots in the streets… or at least the forums. Over at Gamasutra, our own Michael Zenke takes a look at the hottest MMO trends in 2008, and what we should watch in regards to how they’ll evolve into 2009. Some of these include…
A look at the most significant MMO trends of 2008 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Red 5’s upcoming MMO to be announced soon
Filed under: Business models, Interviews, MMO industry
With a recent shuffle in management and the promise of a truly ground-breaking MMO in the works, Red 5 Studios continues their trek through our anticipated games list in stealth mode. In a recent interview with Gamasutra, Red 5’s Chairman and Chief Creative Officer Mark Kern joins the company’s CEO, Michael Weingartner, to discuss the studio’s current status and the news that their top-secret MMO will finally be announced “in a few months”. We’ve been following Red 5 and their upcoming game’s development for a while now, and they never cease to crank up the anticipation level with what they…
Red 5’s upcoming MMO to be announced soon originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Do we really ever want full immersion?
Filed under: Business models, Game mechanics, Opinion, Consoles, Casual
I’ve caught myself saying it too: I love this game because it’s so immersive! Whether it’s the graphics, animation, art style, accuracy of game play or whatever; immersion is a popular explanation as to why we enjoy certain games. But is this accurate anymore? Are we past that novelty? A recent article at Gamasutra explores this topic and the whole psychology of immersion. Despite what some of the most vocal advocates of immersion might preach, the truth is that graphical realism in a game usually only applies to a niche market. For example, just look at the Nintendo Wii and its casual, yet…
Do we really ever want full immersion? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The spirit of WoW in Resistance 2’s co-op gameplay
Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Classes, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry
Much has been said on the influence of World of Warcraft on the MMO industry, but comparisons between other games and WoW don’t end with massively multiplayer online games. The multiplayer cooperative mode of Resistance 2, a Playstation 3 exclusive from Insomniac Games, bears some similarities in its design to the ubiquitous Blizzard fantasy title in terms of class interdependencies.
Insomniac Games co-op lead designer for Resistance 2, Jake Biegel, recently gave an interview with Christian Nutt from Gamasutra on the development of multiplayer cooperative gameplay, and the games that influenced its creation. Of course, the class-based Team Fortress 2 was cited as an influence, but Insomniac Games also looked to World of Warcraft for further inspiration. “We looked at experiences like Team Fortress 2, in which there are dependencies on classes, and games like World of Warcraft, in which there are large amounts of people working in tandem, creating this kind of epic synergy to overcome these encounters that wouldn’t be overcomeable as an individual,” Biegel says.
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Continue reading The spirit of WoW in Resistance 2’s co-op gameplay
The spirit of WoW in Resistance 2’s co-op gameplay originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Pascal’s thoughts on multiplayer games
Filed under: Academic
Pascal Luban at Gamasutra is now up to part three in his series on the multiplayer megatrend in the game industry. Part one explored how game creators use multiplayer modes, online distribution, and downloadable content to increase the life span of the game. Microtransactions are also used to increase the money-making potential and also increase the speed at which “fast games” can be consumed. Finally, he explored how more interactive, believable environments enhance the gaming experience and will continue to do so as rendering abilities increase over time. The second article explored the…
Pascal’s thoughts on multiplayer games originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 07 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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NCsoft third quarter profits sliced in half
Filed under: Business models, Economy, MMO industry, News items
MMO industry giant NCsoft has seen better weeks than this. First there was Richard Garriott’s announcement that he’s leaving the company for new horizons. Then came the news that NCsoft’s third quarter profits fell by 50 percent. Gamasutra reported today: “In the three months ending September 30th, the South Korean company’s profit was down from 10 billion won ($7.2m) in 2007 to just 5 billion ($3.6m) in this year’s third quarter.” Gamasutra goes on to cite some additional figures in regards to NCsoft’s operations, namely that its Korean titles are still the big earners, with Lineage and…
NCsoft third quarter profits sliced in half originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Todd McFarlane talks about 38 Studios and Copernicus
Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles
Massively has been watching what’s happening with 38 Studios and their upcoming MMO codenamed ‘Copernicus’ — and the most recent bit of info we turned up comes through today’s interview at Gamasutra by Christian Nutt. Gamasutra has interviewed 38 Studios Executive Art Director Todd McFarlane, well-known to most of us for his work in the comics industry and for the numerous offerings of McFarlane Toys.Indeed, a fair amount of the Gamasutra interview focuses on McFarlane Toys and its success in the action figure industry, but McFarlane spoke a bit about 38 Studios and its MMO project as well….
Todd McFarlane talks about 38 Studios and Copernicus originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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HanbitSoft plans Hellgate: London relaunch and new expansion
Filed under: Horror, Expansions, MMO industry, Hellgate: London, Rumors
The Hellgate: London IP saga continues. While we had some dire news that the servers will go dark at the end of January, we also know that development for the title is still being done in Redbana’s California office… just not for which region. The latest word we’ve received on this seems to indicate the continuity of Hellgate: London, but to date this is only confirmed for service in Asia — so we cannot (yet) offer a definitive, “Yes, HG:L will continue for North America and EU.” That being said, Gamasutra has picked up on company blog posts by HanbitSoft’s Global PR Manager, Janelle. One…
Continue reading HanbitSoft plans Hellgate: London relaunch and new expansion
HanbitSoft plans Hellgate: London relaunch and new expansion originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Warhammer Online’s party hits 750,000 players
Filed under: Fantasy, Warhammer Online, News items
It seems like the forces of Order and Destruction have been busy recruiting, because Gamasutra is reporting that Warhammer Online is now partying hard at 750,000 subscribers strong. This news comes after the announcement of the title hitting 500,000 players in late September. The pace of Warhammer Online’s subscriber increase has certainly been an impressive thing to behold. Mythic has got to be pretty excited to see their labor of love continue its upward march.If you’re one of the three quarters of a million players crushing some skulls in WAR be sure to keep an ear pressed to our news feed…
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