Tag: MMO

Runes of Magic Coming To A Browser Near You!


of Magic

Back in the day, you may remember that Dungeon Runners was set to receive a transfer to the web browser shortly before death. Due to the nature of MMOs being the opera singers (read: fat) of the gaming genre, free to play titles have a harder time gaining new customers when that means convincing someone who is jumping from title to title to sit down for another multi-gigabyte game they may hate after five minutes. Now, games like Runescape and Battlestar Galactica and FusionFall work with small downloads, through the browser. Turbine, Sony, and Blizzard attempted to fix this as well by offering streaming downloads, where you only download a portion of the game, and the rest downloads as it is needed.

Last year in October, Frogster released a 3.5gig client for Runes of Magic, carrying the same functionality at a smaller size than its 7gig counterpart, as well as carrying higher optimization and better performance. Apparently this wasn’t far enough, as Frogster has announced through press email that Facebook and browser based versions of Runes of Magic are coming, fully functional. Expected to be arrive in Q2 2011, Runes of Magic browser edition will open up a legion of untapped customers.

I can only hope that Frogster will invite me to swim in their money jacuzzi after this update goes live.

Rift: **** Your One Additional Server!


Just enough time to kill a FFXI boss.

Rift’s head start launched out the door yesterday, and almost immediately the title was punched in the throat, dragged into a back alleyway, and beaten with a metal club for all of its bandwidth. Of course, those of you familiar with MMO launches will be well aware of the launch-day queue lines, matched and surpassed only by lines for new rides at Disney Land. Everquest added one new progression server due to the overwhelming demand. Trion, on the other hand, has added over 20.

At the start of the day, Trion had added in 13 servers, comprising of seven US servers. Over the course of the day, ten more servers were added to continue alleviating stress on existing shards. Depending on how the game goes at the true launch, more servers may have to be added to compensate for the additional, additional load.

Being who I am, I have to add my voice of pessimism. Once the pre-launch hype wears down and the post-free-month community settles in, the excess servers will likely be merged. Of course, Rift could continue growing after launch, in which case you are free to take this article, sharpen the edges, and use it to murder me in my own apartment.

http://forums.riftgame.com/showthread.php?87152-New-Servers-for-Head-Start-(Updated-5-00-pm-PST)

Aventurine Has Regained Investments On Darkfall


Money money money!

For many companies, regaining the insane investment that MMOs require can often take a game plan of around five years, which is why MMO Fallout specifically designed its patented (not really) longevity test around the five year period. For Aventurine, however, this has taken approximately two years. In an interview with Greek TV (fair warning: It’s in Greek), Tasos Flambouras noted that the company has already seen a return on all of its investments, meaning the profits should be higher in the year to come without all that debt to pay off.

“More and more young Greek scientists conquer their ideas to the international market. Typical is the case of the initiators of the electronic game «Dark Fall», which was created in Greece before 2 years and rampant around the world with more than 100,000 users in over 150 countries and big profits for their creators.”

You’ll have to excuse the poor translation. 100,000 users? And people think Darkfall is a failed MMO.

Second Star Interactive: Dark Age Of Camelot + Ultima Online?


Second Star

Does anyone else remember the excitement you felt when you learned that Richard Garriot was back and making MMOs? I believe it was 2005/2006 that Tabula Rasa was fully announced and confirmed to be in development, and many of us just couldn’t wait to see what Garriot’s twisted mind would come up with. Another Ultima Online, perhaps?

SecondStar Interactive is a new studio formed out of names we know well.

  • Darrin Hyrup: Founder of Mythic Entertainment.
  • Lory Hyrup: Lead Designer of Dark Age Of Camelot.
  • Cooper Buckingham: From Warhammer Online, Dark Age of Camelot, The Sims, and Gods & Heroes.
  • Tim Cotten: Ultima Online.
  • Eric Piccione: Art Director responsible for the look of Ultima Online and Dark Age of Camelot.

What type of MMO is SecondStar working on? I have absolutely no clue. All we know is that the game is running off the HeroEngine, the same engine you’ll find in Star Wars: The Old Republic and a few other upcoming titles.

I know what some of you are thinking (Ultima Online pre-Trammel PvP with three factions and an extensive crafting system and RvR) and I must ask to contain your drool! That being said, the wait for information shouldn’t be long, SecondStar has rounded out their announcement by claiming a late 2011 release date.

More on SecondStar’s upcoming MMO as it appears.

Call of Duty MMO, Cataclysm, To Asia We Go!


Massive Action Tactics Online Of Duty Free To Play

I know what you’re thinking: “Omali, this sounds like yet another free to play lobby based substandard shooter with a cash shop attached where players can pay to win,” to which I must ask that you set aside your stereotypes for five minutes and realize that you are likely 100% correct on that prediction. In Activision/Blizzard’s latest quarterly report, the company reveals plans for yet another Call of Duty developer, Beachhead Studios, to work on a Call of Duty game for the Asian markets. While the traditional Call of Duty never sold too well in Asia, thanks to the abundance of piracy, having mandatory multiplayer and self-hosted servers (not to mention the game being free) will give Activision a tighter control on those who want to play their game.

The financial report doesn’t give any information as to when we can expect the Call of Duty MMO, or if there are any plans to expand the title to the Western hemisphere. In the same financial report, Blizzard highlighted their plans for 2011, including:

Grow World of Warcraft with new content; work towards StarCraft II and Cataclysm launch in China

It is worth noting that Wrath of the Lich King was delayed two years before release in China, due to the restrictions placed on games and Blizzard’s well publicized publisher fiasco, so a 2011 launch for Cataclysm may be on the less realistic side. Still, it would be nice for the Chinese players to remain somewhere close to their Western counterparts.

Just Ordered The Collector’s Edition And Six Months!


 

All that for a three hour tour…

This month sees the launch of DC Universe Online, with the launch dates of Rift and Xsyon confirmed for very early March, and Earthrise coming in February. Over on the MMORPG.com RIFT forums, I’ve noticed a number of posts from people who reported purchasing not only the collector’s edition of the game, but six or more months of membership in advance. As an afterthought, I decided to look through the post history of a few of these people, and found similar stories: Not much hope in the game, considering they are putting down so much money.

Granted, this phenomena isn’t new. This seems to happen every time a new MMO launches, where a small group of players who don’t have much faith in the game purchase the most expensive version, and are often the first to throw the words “fraud” or “scam” around when the game doesn’t turn out exactly as they hoped it would be, when they hoped it would be so. Take Final Fantasy XIV as a recent example. I’ve seen people post that they had purchased not only the collector’s edition of Final Fantasy XIV, but also added about a year’s subscription worth of Crysta to their account. Some of them admitted that they played the game during open beta, and didn’t like it, yet proceeded to not only purchase the most expensive version of the game, but invest a ton of cash right from the start. Why? Because they “had misguided faith.”

The example I gave above is actually mild compared to the more extreme section of players. Back when Mortal Online launched, I had quite a few people asking me why, despite a few of my articles here on MMO Fallout, I was so aggressive towards players gloating about their chargebacks from Star Vault. One player I got into a heated argument with was because he not only purchased the game one time, and reversed the charges because of the lag and how much he hated the developers, but he then proceeded to buy the game a second time, perform a chargeback, and then boast about it on third party forums. I came across a number of players who played the open beta, didn’t like certain core features (open PvP, sandbox title, stat-based) and still proceeded to purchase the full game, only to perform a chargeback because they believed they were lied to.

Obviously my writing this article isn’t going to magically change the way life works, but I just wish people would make more informed decisions about throwing their money around, or perhaps make an intelligent choice about purchasing a game you played and hate. Hell, that’s the major reason I started reporting on sales in the first place, to not only get people into the games, but to get them in at the best possible price. PC games were never able to be returned, no matter how high your buyer’s remorse, and the fact that you can call you bank and start crying like a child because you got ganked and quit doesn’t change the fact that the whole ordeal would have never happened if you thought with your mind rather than your wallet.

Unless I’m in the minority here…

Just Ordered The Collector's Edition And Six Months!


 

All that for a three hour tour…

This month sees the launch of DC Universe Online, with the launch dates of Rift and Xsyon confirmed for very early March, and Earthrise coming in February. Over on the MMORPG.com RIFT forums, I’ve noticed a number of posts from people who reported purchasing not only the collector’s edition of the game, but six or more months of membership in advance. As an afterthought, I decided to look through the post history of a few of these people, and found similar stories: Not much hope in the game, considering they are putting down so much money.

Granted, this phenomena isn’t new. This seems to happen every time a new MMO launches, where a small group of players who don’t have much faith in the game purchase the most expensive version, and are often the first to throw the words “fraud” or “scam” around when the game doesn’t turn out exactly as they hoped it would be, when they hoped it would be so. Take Final Fantasy XIV as a recent example. I’ve seen people post that they had purchased not only the collector’s edition of Final Fantasy XIV, but also added about a year’s subscription worth of Crysta to their account. Some of them admitted that they played the game during open beta, and didn’t like it, yet proceeded to not only purchase the most expensive version of the game, but invest a ton of cash right from the start. Why? Because they “had misguided faith.”

The example I gave above is actually mild compared to the more extreme section of players. Back when Mortal Online launched, I had quite a few people asking me why, despite a few of my articles here on MMO Fallout, I was so aggressive towards players gloating about their chargebacks from Star Vault. One player I got into a heated argument with was because he not only purchased the game one time, and reversed the charges because of the lag and how much he hated the developers, but he then proceeded to buy the game a second time, perform a chargeback, and then boast about it on third party forums. I came across a number of players who played the open beta, didn’t like certain core features (open PvP, sandbox title, stat-based) and still proceeded to purchase the full game, only to perform a chargeback because they believed they were lied to.

Obviously my writing this article isn’t going to magically change the way life works, but I just wish people would make more informed decisions about throwing their money around, or perhaps make an intelligent choice about purchasing a game you played and hate. Hell, that’s the major reason I started reporting on sales in the first place, to not only get people into the games, but to get them in at the best possible price. PC games were never able to be returned, no matter how high your buyer’s remorse, and the fact that you can call you bank and start crying like a child because you got ganked and quit doesn’t change the fact that the whole ordeal would have never happened if you thought with your mind rather than your wallet.

Unless I’m in the minority here…

Electronic Arts: No Money In In-Game Advertisement


Comments.

A good man once said “there is no such thing as a free lunch.” A greater man then followed him with “luckily it’s past 3pm, so to me this is dinner,” right before tucking into his now-complimentary meal. Those of you who play Anarchy Online’s free to play offering, or really anyone who played an EA Games…game several years ago will be aware, if slightly, about the use of in-game advertising. Mostly you might see this in Madden games, street racing titles, and other names. With the way EA was utilizing in-game advertising, one might think it a lucrative business.

Turns out, it isn’t. Electronic Arts Ben Cousins said in an interview to Edge:

“We actually aren’t getting much from ad revenue at all”, the in-game advertising business hasn’t grown as fast as people expected it to.”

Cousins reminded us that the advertising system isn’t completely dead, but does need to go deeper than simple in-game billboards. Cousins suggested soda deals as part of the system.

“We did a deal with Dr Pepper for Battlefield Heroes, where if you buy a bottle and scan in the code you get an exclusive outfit. That kind of deep integration will work, I think, but I’m not convinced that we’ll have billboards in games and things like that. Maybe those days are over.”

So if in-game billboards are dead, does that mean I’ll be able to walk around in Anarchy Online without seeing the latest Lil Wayne CD? Does Lil Wayne still make CDs? Guess there’s only one way to find out.

Steam Sales: Day #2 Up And Running


Help Me Gabe Newell!

First off, I have to give my apologies to those of you who partook in yesterday’s sale on Aion, and will no doubt be at my door ready to slit my throat over the price reductions that are coming not 24 hours later. A few of the existing titles are now on sale at an even more drastically reduced price, although previous restrictions still stand (IE: Sony’s restrictions on free time to existing accounts), and prices are still in USD.

Only a few changes today.

Sales that have not been altered are in standard colors.
Prices that have been reduced are in green.
New sales are in red.
Items no longer on sale are now removed.

Steam

  • Was $39.99, now $26.79 (33% off)
  • Includes Guild Wars, Factions, and Nightfall.
  • No subscription required.
  • Guild Wars: Eye of the North
    • Was $29.99, now $20 (33% off)
    • No subscription required.
  • Lineage
    • Was $9.99, now $6.69 (33% off)
    • Includes 7 days free game time.
  • Lineage 2: Gracia Final
    • Was $19.99, now $13.39 (33% off)
    • Includes 30 days free game time.
    • Includes all expansions.
  • Star Wars Galaxies: The Complete Adventure
    • Was $19.99, now $9.99
    • Includes all expansion packs.
    • Includes 30 days free game time (new accounts only)
  • Vanguard Saga of Heroes
    • Was $9.99, now $4.99
    • Includes 30 days free game time (new accounts only)

      • Consolation Gifts Are Relative To The Problem.


      No need to crucify me.

      If I accidentally trip or bump into you, generally a simple “I’m sorry” and a hand up with suffice. Then again, if I smash your mailbox with my car because I’m texting while driving, an apology won’t suffice as well. You’ll probably expect me to pay for the mailbox, and won’t be paying for the damage your mailbox caused to my car.

      Such is the case with MMOs and various forms of reimbursement that come up over the course of any title’s life. Very extended maintenance, false bans, etc, can put a company in the position where they have to say “alright, now how do we calm tensions between us and the customer?” If you are Jagex, you’ll likely refuse to roll back or compensate, and simply give the middle finger to anyone who lost items or was banned unfairly due to a bug or oversight. If you are NCsoft, XP bonus items are your forte. Turbine? Break out those Turbine points.

      I think we can place loss of items at the lowest end of the reimbursement spectrum, extended maintenance somewhere around the middle, and false positive bans somewhere around the top. At the lowest end, reimbursement and perhaps some free xp boosters will suffice, depending on the severity of the loss and the time it took to reimburse. As for extended maintenance, this scales with time. A few extra hours may require a couple xp boosters, but 12+ hours of downtime should generally lead to game time being extended by the respective amount of time (So one day, generally).

      In the cases of false bans, however, as a developer you should be putting on your lips of +2 ass kissing, because their durability will be put to the test. By banning someone falsely, as has happened on countless occasions over virtually any game, you’ve accomplished the virtual equivalent of approaching someone, sucker punching them in the jaw, and accusing them of cheating on your wife, before saying “sorry, you looked like another guy.” At this point, you’re looking at shelling out one or more free months of game time, and hoping that the person doesn’t up and quit.

      So there you have it. For those companies that do offer reimbursement, they generally do a pretty good job of scaling the compensation to match the severity of the problem. Again, unless you are Jagex and would rather your players quit than reimburse them for issues brought about by faults in your programming.

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