Virtual World News
Mark Jacobs returns to the gaming industry with City State Entertainment
September 30, 2011
Filed under: MMO industry, News items, Miscellaneous
He's been out of the gaming industry since his departure from EA, but according to an exclusive interview with Forbes.com, he's back with a new company. "Jacobs revealed that his new company is called City State Entertainment, and [...] the company aims to create games for the mobile, tablet and social networking space," says Forbes.com's Tracey John.
Mark tells Forbes that social game development allows for a faster development cycle and lower costs, which equals more freedom to simply have fun making games. "We don't have to worry if the hardcore gamers are going to get incredibly upset because we're doing something a certain way. We don't have to worry if our game is going to sell another 20 copies. We're just looking to make fun, enjoyable games."
Check out the full interview at Forbes.com
Mark Jacobs returns to the gaming industry with City State Entertainment originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Source: Forbes.com
BioWare open to the possibility of a Mass Effect MMO
September 30, 2011
Filed under: Sci-fi, Interviews, New titles, Star Wars: The Old Republic
Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk recently fielded the ever-popular question in a much more upbeat tone than ever before. Zeschuk says the studio will evaluate a potential Mass Effect MMO in the near future: "You never know. I think once The Old Republic is done, we'll take a fresh look at the market."
"We're focused very much on The Old Republic, Mass Effect 3 and Wrath of Heroes, and all the other things we've announced, and haven't announced, but we also have the opportunity to look at our franchises in a way we haven't ever before. There are lots of new platforms and lots of new business models," Muzyka added.
Mass Effect: The MMO is one of those speculative rumors that seems to never die. Analysts have predicted that such an MMO could top Star Wars: The Old Republic's numbers.
BioWare open to the possibility of a Mass Effect MMO originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Source: Industry Gamers
Coloring inside the lines: An interview with PlanetSide 2's Tramell Isaac
September 30, 2011
Filed under: Sci-fi, Interviews, Previews, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, Massively Interviews, PlanetSide 2
MMO fans will probably best know Isaac from his work on the original PlanetSide, a project that is near and dear to his heart. Sony Online Entertainment brought him back on board to be the senior art director for PlanetSide 2. This makes sense -- after all, who else would best know how to evolve the series' design than the guy who started it?
Isaac was kind enough to sit down on the phone with me to talk about how PlanetSide 2's visuals are shaping up, following his own blog post on the subject. Hit the jump to find out why each faction is going with a very specific color scheme, how microtransactions will affect how awesome you look, and just what Batman has to do with any of it.
Continue reading Coloring inside the lines: An interview with PlanetSide 2's Tramell Isaac
Coloring inside the lines: An interview with PlanetSide 2's Tramell Isaac originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Anarchy Online 'heads' into the future with new screenshots
September 30, 2011
Filed under: Galleries, Anarchy Online, Previews, Free-to-play
Today Brad "Kintaii" McAtee posted four new pictures of Anarchy Online's upgraded looks. Two are high-definition renders of the city of Tir, one shows off the remodeled character heads, and one is a complete mystery for players to decipher. "Any guesses on what it could be?" McAtee taunts.
The visual overhaul is "coming along swimmingly," according to McAtee. Last week Anarchy Online's Colin Cragg reported that the team is 90% done with remodeling over 390 heads for the game. "This has been a very long haul, but it is amazing to see the strides made every week now," Cragg wrote. "I am 'cautiously optimistic'...let's leave it at that."
You can view all of the new screenshots in the gallery below.
Anarchy Online 'heads' into the future with new screenshots originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Source: Anarchy Online #1, Anarchy Online #2
One Shots: Final contribution
September 30, 2011
Filed under: Sci-fi, Galleries, Screenshots, Star Wars Galaxies, One Shots
I'm pulling this screenshot out of some forgotten folders to commemorate One Shots' passing. This is Ockom, my favorite Star Wars Galaxies character, standing outside of his newly purchased and placed home on Naboo.We'll be wrapping things up tomorrow with a final look at One Shots -- we'll feature some of the best submissions from the past four years, so watch for that and thank you all for your screenshots!
Although there were other homes in the vicinity, the neighbors who never failed to show up were wandering fambaas like this one. Thanks for running One Shots as long as you have, guys. It's been a joy.
One Shots: Final contribution originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
The Road to Mordor: A week in Dunland
September 30, 2011
Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions, Free-to-play, First Impressions, The Road to Mordor
It's been almost a year since we first heard that, yes, we were going to take the Hobbits to Isengard (and Dwarves, Men and Elves, for that matter). It's been a long time coming, and now that it's here, it's a lot to absorb. I purposefully didn't spend a lot of time in the beta so as to not be spoiled; I wanted to savor Lord of the Rings Online: Rise of Isengard from start to finish. I wasn't going to be concerned with racing to the new level cap or attempting to devour all of the content in a couple of days.
With that mindset in place, I've been vastly enjoying Rise of Isengard these past few days -- more than I thought I would, to be honest -- and I wanted to document this first week in Dunland in today's Road to Mordor.
Continue reading The Road to Mordor: A week in Dunland
The Road to Mordor: A week in Dunland originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
EVE adds more racial captain's quarters to test server
September 30, 2011
Filed under: Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, EVE Online, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Sandbox
When we say racially themed, we don't mean like an Al Sharpton monologue but rather like the Gallente, Caldari, and Amarr races who, along with the Minmatar, make up EVE's four playable factions. A new dev blog hits the highlights of each CQ, and each one boasts a visual aesthetic that mirrors its race.
Gallente quarters, for example, are "are slick and streamlined -- comfort through elegant design. The mirror is also prominent, since the Gallenteans are known to spend a lot of time in front of it." The Minmatar pad has also been tweaked, and you can read all the details at the official EVE website. Before you go, check out the preview video after the cut.
[Update: CCP has also uploaded a video explaining the new time dilation feature.]
Continue reading EVE adds more racial captain's quarters to test server
EVE adds more racial captain's quarters to test server originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Source: EVE dev blog
Star Trek Online dev blog introduces new mission journal
September 30, 2011
Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries
Executive producer Stephen D'Angelo does the honors with a lengthy look at a new update that has just been deployed to STO's Tribble test server. "One piece of feedback we frequently received from Star Trek Online players is that it was often hard [...] to answer the question 'what do I do next,'" D'Angelo explains.
The solution is a multifaceted UI tweak that puts a lot more info at the player's fingertips. You can read all about it, and check out a screenshot, at the official STO website.
Star Trek Online dev blog introduces new mission journal originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Source: STO dev blog
Storyboard: Mistakes I know I was making
September 30, 2011
Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Roleplaying, Storyboard, Miscellaneous
Today, I'm going to look back to three characters whom I played, characters I was excited about, characters who absolutely failed to work. Beyond just that, however, I want to talk about why they failed to work and what I might have done to overcome their innate problems and make them fun to play after all. These are points I've touched on before, definitely, but it never hurts to fit these things into an actual context.
Continue reading Storyboard: Mistakes I know I was making
Storyboard: Mistakes I know I was making originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Final Fantasy XIV releases notes for patch 1.19
September 30, 2011
Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Patches, Previews, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV
More details are available regarding the many additions to the Grand Company system, including Company leves, new quests, and the details for obtaining a Company chocobo along with obtaining membership. There's also a listing of new items available, a rundown of the new materia system, and a variety of updates and improvements to stats, mechanics, and abilities. The patch is planned for release on Tuesday, October 4th, a date that the game's players will likely be awaiting with bated breath.
Final Fantasy XIV releases notes for patch 1.19 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Source: Patch 1.19 notes
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