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Free for All: Why MMOs should be kept alive forever
We generally avoid the topic of emulator servers here at Massively for various reasons. I have different reasons for not discussing them as well, mainly that I do not agree with the use of art (games are art) without the owner's permission, no matter what. I want to get that out of the way now so we can discuss today's topic without filling the comments with emulator links we'll have to delete. And that topic is this: Should we maintain dead or dying MMOs after closure? I started thinking about this idea because I am currently wrapped up in a project to collect and catalogue every major bookmark of my life until I am "caught up" to about the time I started working at Massively. As part of the project, I am looking to save old pictures, projects and music, especially ones that exist on paper. Paper rots, after all. The project has made me think much more about my long history with MMOs. Should I be concerned that some of the digital versions of myself have or will disappear as games are sunsetted? Should we do something about this? I think we should, but if not emus, then what?
Leaderboard: MMO most worthy of resurrection
I had an interesting revelation this past week. While it seems that we've had so many MMOs shutting down over the year, when I look at the big picture of all of the major titles that have been released, the vast majority of them are still in operation. It made me realize just how resilient and strong this industry is. Yet there are those games that have seen their final days and exist now only in our memories and dusty screenshot folders. Some might be good riddance to us; others are still painful wounds. We've all harbored fantasies of MMOs coming back from the great beyond for a second lease on life, but if you had to choose just one, what would it be? That's the topic for today's poll, so look at the following list and think long and hard about your choice. Resurrection isn't something that happens every day in MMOs, after all.
The Game Archaeologist: When dead MMOs come back to life
Maybe I'm alone in this, but my jaw just dropped when I came home this past week to see that Massively posted the news that Shadowbane is coming back to life. Granted, it's only going to happen in China, but still, that's pretty incredible. Shadowbane's been in the ground for three years now, and if I had to pick an MMO that deserved resurrection, this particular one would be farthest from my mind (no offense if you liked the game; it's just that there are so many others that are even more worthy). But how can this not give you hope? Many of us have lost an MMO we loved or at least had a decked-out character populating the character select screen, and the thought of that game coming back against all odds is a goosebump-rising one. It may also smack of justice served, as some MMOs fail not because of faulty gameplay but because of mismanagement by the studio, complex legal wrangling, or bad marketing. Today let's look at a few examples of dead MMOs that were brought back to life and what this may mean for the future of the industry. Zombie MMOs! Not, you know, MMOs with zombies.
Mytheon closing up shop
Faxion Online wasn't the only UTV True Games project to be axed following the company's acquisition by Disney. It turns out that Mytheon, too, is in the process of closing down for good. In the sole announcement on the Mytheon forums, the team posted a note that the game would be spinning down starting this past July 27th in preparation for a final shutdown at an undisclosed date in the near future. Players can no longer register for the game nor download it. Mytheon planned to launch in 2010 but was kept in beta testing far past the projected release date. This announcement ends on a bittersweet note: "Finally, we'd like to send out a huge thank you to all our players who've joined us on this journey. Keep challenging fate, The Mytheon Team." [Thanks to Paul for the tip!]
Faxion Online closing the doors of heaven and hell
It may not have had a long life, but Faxion Online's certainly was memorable. The PvP-centric MMO with the unique heaven-and-hell theme has announced that it is closing its doors within the month, following rumors that the entire team had been laid off. In a brief statement posted on the forums, players were notified of the game's closure, which will occur in a couple quick stages. This week, players will not be able to register for the game, download it, or use the store, while the servers will be powered down within 30 days from today. "We're eternally grateful for all the support, feedback, and competition our players have provided through thick and thin," the announcement stated. "Faxion's development was a Herculean effort that some said was impossible given the timeframe and resources we had, and we're proud to have delivered a PvP-driven experience that people could enjoy. Alas, all good things must come to an end." Faxion Online launched on May 26th this year, making this one of the quickest demises of an MMO since last year's All Points Bulletin. We at Massively wish the best for Faxion's staff in the coming months.
Rumor: Entire Faxion Online team laid off
Although the Faxion Online team has weathered layoffs before, today it looks as though none have survived a recent culling. According to a forum post citing a former UTV employee, it's rumored that the entire team has been given their pink slips. "It is now officially dead," the unnamed source wrote. "They laid off the rest of the Faxion team, so there is no one left to do anything." Disney recently bought out UTV Ignition, which oversees Faxion Online, and there was some speculation that the Mouse House might be making cuts in this struggling PvP MMO and elsewhere. So far this is an unconfirmed rumor, and it remains to be seen what impact this will have on Faxion going forward if true.
Free for All: The best-looking games in free-to-play
Of all of the wacky arguments I have heard over the last few years, the "are video games art?" one has got to take the prize for most ridiculous. Sure, you can argue either side of anything, but to ask whether or not games are art just seems to be an attempt to assuage some boredom. We can also ask whether this life is really real, just in case we hadn't already been put to sleep. Art is what the artist says it is, period. Art is also in the eye of the beholder. Our games are spread across a wide spectrum of styles, and many of us have very strong feelings about what we like and will not tolerate. I have seen people turn down great games simply because of the way a screenshot looked. Heck, I've done it myself. With as many games as I look at every week, occasionally it is smart (and fun) to organize them into lists. This week I am taking stock of my game list and figuring out the games that I feel look the best. Of course, you might not think so. I decided to leave off games that are in testing or not available for the public yet. Click past the cut and see if you agree with me!
The Perfect Ten: MMO mascots
Everyone knows that a good mascot can make a difference between a video game's death and rabid popularity. Mario, Master Chief, Duke Nuke 'Em, Pac-Man, Samus Aran, Pyramid Head -- each one of these mascots isn't merely an aspect of the game, they are the virtual spokesperson (or spokesthing) which represents the game itself. Yet when you think about it, MMOs have had a tougher time producing mascots than other video game genres, partially because unlike other games, you don't play as the mascots, and partially because when you have a cast of thousands of NPCs, picking out one to elevate above the rest is a difficult job. Difficult, that is, but not impossible. Today we're going to look at ten MMO mascots (MMOscots?) that studios have tried to promote as the face of these games, to varying degrees of success.
Disney looking to buy out Faxion Online developer
Disney could become a major player in the future of Faxion Online if it goes ahead with a proposed deal to buy out the rest of UTV Software Communications' stock. Currently, Disney has a majority stake in the company -- 50.4% -- but this move would bring it up to a nice round 100%. The Ignition Entertainment label would fall under this deal, which has already been struggling with numerous layoffs and studio closings. We recently reported that UTV Ignition had to cut a good portion of its programming, maintenance, and customer service staff as part of these problems. Whether or not this deal will prove a boon or a hammer blow to Ignition remains to be seen. Disney has previously closed down developers Black Rock and Propaganda Games, although Mickey's parent company is looking to move in the direction of more social and casual gaming. We'll keep a close eye on this deal to see how it plays out.
Faxion Online studio hit with layoffs
If you're a fan of Faxion Online, the last thing you want to hear about is members of the game's development team getting the axe. Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened today -- UTV Ignition has reportedly cut staff from the division responsible for much of the game's programming and maintenance. Exact lists have varied, with Don Choi (vice-president of UTV's online division) claiming that only a small fraction of employees were let go while employees affected have claimed that the majority of the studio has now been cut. The affected team members have claimed that the game's customer service and support are also being cut and outsourced, while Choi maintains that the game will still be running and receive updates and improvements. Which version of events is the honest one is a bit unclear at the moment, but we offer our condolences to Faxion Online development members affected by these layoffs.
Faxion Online celebrating independence with wings
If you're not American, the fourth of July might not mean a lot to you -- but if you are a resident of the United States, it's a holiday of some significance. Of course, it's also significant if you're an angel or a demon in Faxion Online, as it turns out even the celestial realm will be celebrating the event. After all, every time a pyrotechnic display goes off in honor of a country's culture, an angel (or fallen angel) gets its wings, which should account for just about all of the festive appendages being dispensed for the holiday. Throughout July 4th, players who log in to Faxion Online will receive the special wings for the holiday. If you're a little too busy with cookouts and parades to get online, however, there's still hope -- the wings will be available for players through July 6th. It's not a full-fledged holiday event, but it's a chance to get a little extra something out of the long weekend, and who could say no to that?
Faxion Online announces guild war system
You know that one guild? The one you hate? The one whose members you've ignored, and the one that makes your teeth grind just from the mention of its name? Well, UTV True Games wants you to do something about it! An upcoming update to Faxion Online will introduce Inquisitions, which will allow guilds to declare all-out war on one another. These guild wars can last anywhere from a single day to a fortnight, throughout which the involved guilds' members will be free to gank one another to their hearts' content. Not a guild kind of person? Don't worry! Free agents can be hired on as mercenaries if they wish to join the fray. And if the guilds don't want to fight it out to the bitter end, the system also includes ways to negotiate a surrender or declare a stalemate, all the while tracking each guild's stats on a leaderboard. So get out there, don your halos and horns, and start killing one another! After all, you're already in purgatory anyway.
Faxion Online gets its wings... and some combat overhauls
Faxion Online has only been out a short while, but the staff at UTV True Games is hard at work trying to make the game better from the start. The newest patch for the game, 1.58, has just gone live, bringing with it a variety of improvements and the addition of two brand-new wing styles. But those aren't the centerpiece of the patch, which is instead focused (pun unintended) around a rebalancing of the Focus stat and some large-scale combat changes. The short version is that Focus was doing too much and has had some of its functions as a stat moved elsewhere. The long version goes into detail about how values will affect characters differently in the post-1.58 world. Faxion Online players can take a peek at the full list of patch notes right here, or they can just log on and start picking up some fallen angel wings post-haste.
Massively chats Heaven, Hell and destructible churches with Faxion Online
It's been only a short time since Faxion Online launched, and despite some issues with performance and balance, the game is already seeing a strong, dedicated playerbase. Perhaps the PvP-centric world, along with its open, skill-based class system, has encouraged this sort of dedication. UTV Ignition Games is fully aware of the issues that are in the game now and has promised that it's on top of them. The game was created with a smaller team, time frame, and budget than most games that we talk about here on Massively, so it's important to note the growing pains. How do you divide your time between balance and performance? What do you do, as a developer, when the loudest wheels are squeaking about one issue, while others claim they have no issues at all? These are the quandaries of the smaller developer, especially a developer running a game that obviously offers something different. We took some time to ask Mike Madden, Director of Product Management, and Frank Lucero, Studio Head, about their concerns as well as what they see happening in the future. So click past the cut to see what they had to say!
MMObility: Just how mobile was E3?
E3 is a massive, loud conglomeration of lights, people, and stress. I spent most of my time there walking from one end to another, trying to find a certain booth or meeting room. Luckily for me, I am in pretty good shape and felt just fine the entire time, despite the fact that I had little to eat, and worse yet, little water. At home I drink water non-stop... no soda, no coffee. Still, it was a blast. Working like that really makes a tiny reporter like yours truly feel wonderful. Conversations with developers can be very, very interesting if games are what you love. And there were games. A ton of games. A bunch. A lot. Even then, I knew the feeling that was coming over me, the familiar feeling of stumbling into a toy store or comic shop to look for goodies. I was in hog heaven but needed to find my particular fix. I needed indie, tiny or strange games. Games that ran on a toaster but worked well, browser games that would impress me, or phone games that would continue to destroy the idea that immersive, fun gameplay cannot be done on a portable device. Did I find what I was looking for? Oh, hell yes I did. Click past the cut and I will tell you all about it.
Snag a Faxion Online token code from Massively!
Is greed your favorite vice? We hope so! The folks at UTV True Games have given us a multi-use code that will grant 100 of our quickest-clicking readers 30 tokens apiece for use in Faxion Online, the heaven-and-hell-themed MMO that released only last month. To redeem the code for yourself, log in to the official Faxion Online website, head straight to the store redemption page, and enter the key. Then pause a moment to roll around in your piles of free tokens. You've earned it. Here's the mega-key: FAXIONMOGULE9P1 -- good luck!
Rise and Shiny recap: Faxion Online
I've been following Faxion Online for quite a while. Aww, I remember when it was just a cute little game in development, back when I visited the UTV True Games studio for a tour during GDC Online last year. The team was very passionate about its product, and there was obviously a lot of talent at work behind the scenes. One of the comments I made then (and that I will always remember) is that the devs all seemed like a bunch of gamers -- they appeared to have a love for what they were doing and truly seemed to believe in the game. They also talked about how a lot of MMO development took several years and the budget of a small country. I agreed with them on that. So they wanted to create their game in a much shorter time period yet have it still feature free-to-play accessibility along with old-school PvP. It was a tall order, especially considering the time frame they were looking at. Again, though, the team seemed capable of pulling it off. But did it? I spent half a week (I will explain later) in the game, and my impressions are right past the cut.
MV Guide: May 30 - June 5, 2011
MV Guide is a weekly rundown of the MMO gaming events planned on Massively's Livestream channel. Every week, the Massively staff logs in to play various MMOs live and in person, and we'd love for you to drop by the channel and visit. We have a combination of regular weekly games and new surprises, so you'll find a variety of games to take a look at. During Livestream events, you can participate in the live chat to learn about the game, ask questions, and spend some time with Massively staff and readers. (Of course, Livestream events are subject to the whims of outside forces like server-side gremlins once in a while.) Follow along after the jump to see what's scheduled for this week!
Rise and Shiny recap: PlanetSide
The only thing I can tell you for sure about the gameplay in PlanetSide is that it seems to be a battle that is constantly on recycle. You take over a base, and the enemy takes over another. You shoot a dozen enemies, and they shoot a dozen of yours. You get shot out of the sky, then you mount a gun and blow someone else out of the air. It's never-ending, an endless war over territory and pride. This is all the technical stuff. Why are we fighting? I have no idea. I'm sure there is plenty of lore on the website or wiki, some fantastic explanation for what exactly my motive is in getting myself murdered over and over, but honestly I don't care. I have played PlanetSide off and on over the past several years, and I just needed to play it at this time. The week prior was a rough one, filled with glitchy games and articles that did not come out exactly how I wanted them to. It was, for a stay-at-home writer, a rough week. I needed PlanetSide to give me some fun. Some real, tangible, tasty, blow-'em-up fun. Click past the cut and I'll tell you what I found.
Celebrate Faxion Online's launch with a free starter pack from Massively!
Faxion Online launched yesterday, and Massively's got a little something for you to celebrate! What better way to jump into this game all about heaven, hell, and the seven deadly sins than by indulging in a little bit of greed? We've got 15 Faxion Online starter packs to give away: 11 Basic Starter Packs and four Epic Starter Packs. Would you love to get your virtual hands on one of these? Just drop a comment here letting us know why you want to play Faxion Online, and tomorrow at noon EDT we'll draw 15 names for the starter packs. Don't forget to check our contest rules and leave your comment before Saturday the 28th at noon EDT. Good luck!
