NCsoft: Exteel is Shutting Down This September


Exteel was something of an experimental move by NCsoft into the free to play cash shop market, and launched back in December 2007 to the fanfare of…something. As far as fanfare goes, Exteel was one of the games I never actually bothered looking up, considering it was developed and published by NCsoft. Not unlike Dungeon … Continue reading “NCsoft: Exteel is Shutting Down This September”

There’s Funcom In My ArenaNet, And I Like It.


Those of you in the Age of Conan beta will probably remember various nights spent sitting in a bar, knocking back an ale, and beating the crap out of your up-to-then drinking partner. Of course, along with a few other features heavily advertised (npc raids on player villages, among others) for launch, are well aware … Continue reading “There’s Funcom In My ArenaNet, And I Like It.”

There's Funcom In My ArenaNet, And I Like It.


Those of you in the Age of Conan beta will probably remember various nights spent sitting in a bar, knocking back an ale, and beating the crap out of your up-to-then drinking partner. Of course, along with a few other features heavily advertised (npc raids on player villages, among others) for launch, are well aware … Continue reading “There's Funcom In My ArenaNet, And I Like It.”

Looking Back, Moving Forward: June 2010


I have decided to retire the Month In Review sessions in replacement for what I call “Looking Back, Moving Forward,” essentially a recap of the month and a look forward into the coming month.

June, like any decent bridging sequel, brought more questions to the table than it did answers…

Thar Be Sales On Steam, Landlubbers!


Updates: The sale is over. Go home. ↓♣ Aion Standard Edition 33% off ($26.79) Includes 30 days of game time Champions Online 66% off ($6.79) Includes 30 days of game time. City of Heroes: Architect Edition 33% off ($13.39) Includes 30 days + City of Villains Global Agenda 33% off ($26.79) No subscription fee. Guild Wars Game … Continue reading “Thar Be Sales On Steam, Landlubbers!”

Fun Facts From NCSoft’s Q1 2010 Report


I love earnings reports, more so because I am a huge number crunching nerd, but because it gives us an occasional glimpse into how MMO developers are doing. NCsoft finally got around to filing their Q1 reports, and there is plenty of information to be found, namely in what game is doing better than others. … Continue reading “Fun Facts From NCSoft’s Q1 2010 Report”

Fun Facts From NCSoft's Q1 2010 Report


I love earnings reports, more so because I am a huge number crunching nerd, but because it gives us an occasional glimpse into how MMO developers are doing. NCsoft finally got around to filing their Q1 reports, and there is plenty of information to be found, namely in what game is doing better than others. … Continue reading “Fun Facts From NCSoft's Q1 2010 Report”

What Are Former WoW Players Doing? NPD Says:


NPD did a survey recently on the question we all ask: What MMOs do World of Warcraft players play when they no longer player World of Warcraft? Based on a survey of nearly 19,000, the reason I note this survey in particular is because NPD has a pretty good past of their surveys giving an … Continue reading “What Are Former WoW Players Doing? NPD Says:”

Best of April Fools 2010


While doing Kevin Bacon’s usual rounds of Topeka searches for MMO news from my favorite Kansas city of Google, Kevin Bacon checked the calendar and realized: It’s April 1st! The glorious day of the year where, at least in Kevin Bacon’s experiences, news stories fall into one of two categories: Companies either announce something insanely … Continue reading “Best of April Fools 2010”

Derek Smart: David Allen Fired, Alganon Should Not Have Launched…


Earlier this week it was announced that David Allen, President and co-founder of Alganon LLC, has departed for unknown reasons. Granted, it didn’t take long for the new President (Derek Smart) to step and in and clarify the situation: “Dave Allen didn’t ‘depart’. I fired him back in February for insubordination and for acting against the … Continue reading “Derek Smart: David Allen Fired, Alganon Should Not Have Launched…”