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EA taps Matthew Bromberg as BioWare studio head
He's got big shoes to fill, but Electronic Arts is confident that Matthew Bromberg will be able to helm BioWare following the departure of Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka a year ago. VentureBeat reports that EA has tapped Matthew Bromberg for a promotion from BioWare Austin general manager to group general manager of the entire company. This puts Bromberg in charge of the many BioWare divisions, including studios in Canada and California. Bromberg joined the company in 2012 and was a former CEO of Major League Gaming. With Bromberg's promotion, Jeff Hickman has become the new BioWare Austin general manager.
Hyperspace Beacon: The summer of SWTOR
Every time I listen to the BioWare developers talk about Star Wars: The Old Republic, I am impressed with how passionate they are about the game. When Producer Bruce Maclean, Executive Producer Jeff Hickman, and Community Manager Eric Musco spoke to us yesterday, they sat on the edge of their seats because of how excited they were about telling us about the next updates coming to their game. Despite the game being a year and a half old, these three appeared to be riding the same hype-train the game launched with. Although these three BioWare employees suggested that the majority of the conversation on the livestream would feature discussion about Game Update 2.2, they ended up highlighting features and events taking place beyond the next patch. The questions they answered, filtered from the forum, Twitter, Facebook and the chatroom, jumped all over the place, but I believe they can be narrowed down to three major categories of concern: events, PvP changes, and the valued subscriber.
SWTOR's Jeff Hickman on the expansion and the state of the game
The Massively Bothan spy network is at it again; there are just too many unanswered questions about the new Star Wars: The Old Republic expansion. We know the primary focus of Rise of the Hutt Cartel is on the contested world of Makeb, but what about these rumors of additional content? Does this expansion have more to offer? We cornered Executive Producer Jeff Hickman and interrogated him until he spilled the beans. And since our IT-O droid was feeling frisky and our Bavo Six supply was ample, we asked Hickman a couple of question regarding the state of the game blog he posted on the SWTOR website as well. Fortunately, he answered our questions before we were forced to test the firepower of the Massively battlestation on his home planet of Alderaan. Now we can reveal his answers to the whole galaxy.
Massively's hands-on with SWTOR expansion Rise of the Hutt Cartel
Last week, BioWare invited a crew of gaming journalists to Austin to experience the latest content for Star Wars: The Old Republic. While I couldn't personally make the trip, BioWare invited me to listen in on the presentation given by Executive Producer Jeff Hickman. The journalists in Austin paired up and began their journey on the Hutt-controlled planet of Makeb, while I, having already been testing Rise of the Hutt Cartel for a few weeks, began writing my impressions of what I saw on that planet. Before I begin my report, I would like to lay down a couple of disclaimers. In order for me to tell the story behind Makeb, I will have to give some spoilers about the main game. If you haven't completed it, and you don't want to know how it ends, then you will not want to read the first section after the break. Secondly, if you are looking for Rise of the Hutt Cartel to fix all the issues and emotional setbacks you had with SWTOR in the first place, then you might be a little disappointed. However, if you loved the storytelling and overall gameplay of vanilla TOR, then you will absolutely love this expansion.
BioWare: SWTOR servers 'teeming with people'
BioWare executive producer Jeff Hickman has penned a state-of-the-game post for Star Wars: The Old Republic. In it, he says that the firm's "new high-capacity servers are teeming with people." SWTOR has seen more than two million new accounts created since its free-to-play switcheroo, and Hickman also promises that the dev team's "eight-week new content cadence" will continue. New features are coming, too, including a new avatar customization feature and the new Cathar species, not to mention the Rise of the Hutt Cartel expansion.
Star Wars: The Old Republic confirms same-gender romance, more endgame content
Executive Producer Jeff Hickman is riding in the new year with a bold state of the game letter for Star Wars: The Old Republic. In it, he not only trumpets the benefits of free-to-play but addresses several pressing questions from the community and gives a few hints at Update 1.7 and the Rise of the Hutt Cartel expansion. Hickman says that F2P has done well by SWTOR, although he doesn't deliver specific numbers: "The game is incredibly healthy with an ever increasing number of players who are actively playing (the servers are rocking!)." He also said that players will soon see changes to "a special PvP area," a lot more content for endgame customers, improvements to Ilum, and the ability to copy characters to the test server. Regarding PvP, Hickman indicated that pure open-world PvP will not be coming to the game any time soon. Finally, the state of the game address confirms that same-gender romance will be added to SWTOR in the expansion, although it will initially be confined to interactions with NPCs and not companions. "I want to reveal today that we are adding SGR with some NPCs on Makeb and do intend on pursuing more SGR options in the future," Hickman said.
Star Wars: The Old Republic's Jeff Hickman encourages player feedback on F2P changes
Star Wars: The Old Republic's community has had plenty to say about the game's recent addition of its free-to-play option, and BioWare wants players to keep the opinions coming. In a new post on the official site, the game's executive producer Jeff Hickman speaks on the importance of player feedback of the new F2P model and announces a few upcoming changes based on said feedback. For starters, the ridiculous practice of requiring players to purchase additional hotbars seems to be on its way out. "Starting today," Hickman writes, "Preferred Status Players will see an increase to their default quickbars from two (2) to four (4)" while any players who have already shelled out for additional bars will have their Cartel Coins refunded. On top of that, an upcoming patch (exact date to-be-determined) will increase the number of character slots available to preferred players from two to six. In that same patch, BioWare will be substantially increasing the global 50-character limit for subscribers, in case anyone really wants an army of their own. In closing, Hickman reminds players that "even if [the developers] can't respond to every post, know that [they're] listening and looking to enhance The Old Republic gameplay based on player feedback." For the full details, click on over to the SWTOR official site.
SWTOR livestream Q&A highlights F2P success, BioWare 'listening to feedback'
BioWare held a post-1.5 livestream Q&A for Star Wars: The Old Republic yesterday, and Darth Hater has posted the pertinent notes as well as a 30-minute video embed. The devs of record were lead designer Damion Schubert, producer Jeff Hickman, and community manager Joveth Gonzalez. The trio fielded a wide variety of questions, many of which centered on the game's controversial F2P conversion. "From a business standpoint, the number of players we're getting into the game is great," Hickman explained. "If you're a brand-new player, it doesn't feel too limited because you don't know what it feels like to not be restricted. But we're definitely listening to feedback and could make changes." Schubert concurred, and he also mentioned that the numbers support BioWare's current position. "Almost every conceivable metric is better. The numbers have blown away our expectations, which means good things for the players and the game," he said.
SWTOR executive producer reveals the state of the game
Players have been anxiously waiting to hear how Star Wars: The Old Republic is fairing -- straight from the tauntaun's mouth, as it were. Executive Producer Jeff Hickman jumped to the official website earlier today to specifically address player concerns. Players have been curious as to why certain developers have left. They wanted to know why so many bugs passed through Update 1.4. And finally, Oceanic players are concerned about their server populations. Hickman explained in the post that a studio like BioWare and a game like SWTOR "live on and thrive as we change, actually thrive because we change," implying that developers leaving are a natural part of studio evolution. He was quick to note that key players like Creative Director James Ohlen are still around to "carry the banner of BioWare." Regarding the 1.4 bugs, he was quick to note that designing and testing a large game like SWTOR is very complex. However, the QA team has put in new measures to help catch future issues like those seen in the last update. He said, "We will strive to give you the best, high quality, bug-free experience that we can." Lastly, the Oceanic players are still a concern for the developers, but the free-to-play update will hopefully change the population of the Oceanic servers. Hickman explained that he wants to hold out to see what F2P brings before making a final decision regarding these servers.
Gamescom 2012: SWTOR will sell statted gear, debating new planet monetization
How do you take a subscription title like Star Wars: The Old Republic and turn it into a free-to-play MMO? According to Executive Producer Jeff Hickman, you do it as carefully as possible. "Give the story away," he explained. "Make the casual player understand what that is. Don't try to monetize that. Monetize all the things around that. I think, actually, as we looked through it, it is not as complex as you think it is. It is very difficult." While plans for SWTOR's cash shop are not finalized, Hickman did admit that players could use it to purchase gear to help them level up: "I don't want to unbalance the game by putting things out on the store that somebody can walk in on day one, buy and be the winner. Having said that, there will be some things that we put out in the store that do enhance power value in some way, but not at the top end." Hickman nibbled around the topic of the planet Makeb, which is still under construction. With more story and more systems, he hopes players will be pleased with the final result. However, Hickman could not confirm nor deny that the update will expand the level cap, nor would he go into detail about whether or not BioWare is going to attempt to sell this to subscribers. [Thanks to Scott for the tip!] Every summer, the gaming industry descends on Cologne, Germany, for Gamescom, the world's largest trade fair for interactive games and entertainment. Massively's on the scene in 2012, bringing you all the best scoops, impressions, and interviews from the MMOs at the show!
BioWare looking into Star Wars: The Old Republic server queues
If you're tired of being denied in your attempts to boldly go where no man has gone before in Star Wars: The Old Republic, take heart! BioWare has done the Vulcan mind-meld with you, heard your distress and is trying to figure how where they need to jam more dilithium crystals to solve the problem. "While we can't promise that there won't ever be queues, we can promise you that we are taking this matter seriously and constantly reviewing them to make sure that they are manageable and reasonable," said Jeff Hickman, executive producer of live services. Sounds like BioWare is concerned, though not necessarily able to make a sweeping fix. In other words, they're givin' it all she's got, captain!
BioWare taking SWTOR queues 'seriously'
Stop us if you've heard this one before: Hugely anticipated MMO struggles to balance lengthy launch queues with long-term server and community stability. Yes, BioWare is slogging down the same slippery supply and demand slope that many AAA MMOs have trod before, and a report at Eurogamer suggests that the lines have only just begun. There were 140 servers open for business this past weekend (a pre-launch period in which BioWare staggered waves of invites to legions of early release customers), and more are being added due to queue times approaching two hours. With Star Wars: The Old Republic's actual launch day looming tomorrow, BioWare's Jeff Hickman did his best to deflect criticism and soothe the impatient rumblings of disgruntled players. "While we can't promise that there won't ever be queues, we can promise you that we are taking this matter seriously and constantly reviewing them to make sure that they are manageable and reasonable," he said.
Jeff Hickman hops over to Star Wars: The Old Republic
It might be a case of in-house talent poaching or just a good opportunity for all parties involved, but BioWare has hired Jeff Hickman away from Mythic to be Star Wars: The Old Republic's new Executive Producer of Live Services. The hire was announced at the recent BioWare's Fan Site Summit, according to Ask a Jedi. Hickman was previously the Studio Executive Producer for all of Mythic's MMOs. He'll step into the role left open by Gordon Walton, who left BioWare earlier this year. With both BioWare and Mythic under the same parent company -- Electronic Arts -- it stands to reason that the two studios have a strong network and relationships that could lead to such transfers of personnel. We'll look forward to seeing what Jeff Hickman will bring to TOR as it progresses toward launch!
GDCO 2010: Running MMOs for the long haul
In a year that seems overshadowed by the premature demise of big-budget titles, the question on everyone's mind is just what does it take to not only successfully launch an MMO, but keep it going for the long haul? At GDC Online this past week, several devs who find themselves struggling with this very issue got together for an informative panel entitled "Strategies for Successfully Running an MMO from Launch and Beyond." At the panel, Lorin Jameson (SOE), Nathan Richardsson (CCP), Jeff Hickman (EA Mythic), Jeffrey Steefel (Turbine), Rich Vogel (EA-Bioware) and Min Kim (Nexon) stepped up to the plate take a swing at the common pitfalls, the unseen consequences and the harsh realities of the industry. So if you're curious about why some titles thrive while others fall apart or why a particular MMO makes it to launch and beyond while another fades into obscurity, hit the jump and see what these industry experts have to say about the enormous and complex task of getting an MMO to lift off -- and then keeping it soaring for as long as possible.
The Game Archaeologist and the Quest for Camelot: Interview with Mythic
After last week's expedition into the dark Dark Age of Camelot, the Game Archaeologist uncovered the mightiest weapon of them all: the Hammer of Nostalgia. The hammer may be battle-worn, but it has never seen better days. Everywhere it strikes, fond memories of epic keep battles surface, and former players feel compelled to sign up for another tour of duty. The Game Archaeologist proceeded to take the hammer back to its makers, the sweat-stained smithies at Mythic Entertainment (now BioWare Mythic), to see whether they thought there was any magic left in the game. Two burly men put down their steel tools and stepped forward to testify, and their names were Colin of the Hicks and Jeff "Soulstriker" Hickman. The air became thick with memories as the duo recalled the early days of the hammer's history, when players were initially adding to its strength with each victory and each crushing defeat. Pull up a stool to hear their tale, and when you are done, send in your own favorite DAoC memories (100 words max, please) to justin@massively.com for next week's column!
WAR Executive Producer pens apology for account errors
Unless you've been hiding under a rock for the last two weeks, you've undoubtedly heard the gnashing of teeth that erupted due to Warhammer Online's recent billing issues. Today, Mythic Entertainment's Studio Executive Producer, Jeff Hickman, sat down and wrote a very honest apology letter regarding the recent issues, including the steps they've taken to correct them. Caused by a now-solved system issue, the Warhammer Online billing error caused multiple charges to show up on the statements of many subscribers (and previous subscribers). The fixes were rolled out on April 13th, and they believe they have now resolved all outstanding issues with banks and credit issuers that may have occurred. While most banks did remove any fees that had been incurred due to the incorrect billing, Hickman notes that EA has agreed to pay all charges for any others whose banking institutions are refusing to remove fees due to their error. Also, as a way to apologize to players, and in an attempt to earn back some good will from their player base, Mythic is offering players a bonus of 100% experience and renown when fighting enemies and monsters for the next two weeks. They're also adding in a vendor who will carry an assortment of special items for players -- from mounts and disguises onwards. Each player will be mailed two tokens, and will be allowed to choose what they like best from the available goodies. Coupled with their new systems to ensure this never occurs again, Mythic certainly is working hard to make sure their community is happy. How this will all play out among their numbers we'll have to wait and see.
Mythic invites former Ultima Online players to "Return to Britannia"
Did you ever have an Ultima Online account? If you did, then Mythic's new "Return to Britannia" campaign is aimed at you. All closed accounts in good standing have been reactivated, and will remain open until the 16th of October. Content up to and including the seventh expansion (Mondain's Legacy) will be playable by old accounts, which puts this offer in line with the 14-day free trials, with the added bonus of being able to play your previous characters.The "Return to Britannia" campaign is part of the celebrations for Ultima Online's twelve-year anniversary, but keep in mind that the game's first expansion in years also launched earlier this month. Mythic Entertainment's Jeff Hickman made a statement about the offer: "UO was the first love of many MMORPG players, and it still holds a special place in their hearts after 12 glorious years. I think returning players will be pleasantly surprised to find a thriving and vibrant community from around the world ready to welcome back their former compatriots and include them in their ongoing adventures."If you're keen to get back into UO, the client can be downloaded here, and Mythic is encouraging folks who can't remember their old details to try EA customer support.
Looking ahead to WAR's second year
Although we've seen celebrations for some time now, with the Wild Hunt event and a couple of special scenario weekends, Warhammer Online's actual birthday came and went at the end of last week. Executive Producer Jeff Hickman took the opportunity to sum up some of the things that the development team will be focusing on, moving forward into year two: "In addition to the four new careers, numerous Live Events, the medallion system, Keep upgrades, city siege improvements, and other new features, we're now turning our focus to improving balance, performance, and the Tier 4 game play experience."Also on the cards for improvement is the "new-player experience", an area that many MMOs have fine-tuned later in their life with excellent results. The birthday celebrations haven't quite wrapped up yet either, with the "Isha's Sorrow" event taking place over the coming weekend in the Temple of Isha scenario. It may have been a bit of a rocky first year for Warhammer Online, but we'll hold out hope for year two. Happy Birthday WAR!
AGDC09: Jeff Hickman speaks on WAR's shortcomings
During one of the many speeches being given at the Austin Game Developers Conference, Jeff Hickman, producer of Warhammer Online, spoke candidly on what he thought were WAR's failures and where Mythic could have done better. While Hickman has cited more than a few reasons WAR has been caught in the mire, the central theme to all of them is the ease of PvE gameplay and a game that doesn't inspire social interactions.Hickman points out that they wanted the game to include a full battery of social features, including open groups, public quests, and other grouping tools, but they failed to design the game itself to encourage grouping. Part of this lies in the player versus environment quests where the gameplay was too easy and players didn't have a reason to group up.
Mythic details plans for WAR at PAX 2009
Mythic will be representing Warhammer Online at Penny Arcade Expo in under a week's time, and to help attendees plan ahead, they've now given some details about their showing. Members of the development team will be hanging out waiting to talk to fans, and one of the biggest topics they'll be keen to discuss is the game's one-year anniversary and accompanying Wild Hunt event. By the time PAX starts (the 4th of September) the event will be halfway through so players will have had time to experience it before chatting with the devs. They will also be showing off other recent content updates.Although not specifically related to Warhammer Online, it is worth noting that Mythic Entertainment Executive Producer Jeff Hickman will be taking part in a PAX panel session on Friday the 4th. Along with other members of the industry, Hickman "will re-examine the basics of game design and explore what it means to design in today's videogame industry." Catch the panel at the Unicorn Theatre from 10:30am to 11:30am. As usual, if you visit the WAR booth you won't come away empty handed. The swag is similar to what Mythic gave away at Games Day Chicago: the Empire Cherub shirt (limited in supply this time too), and in-game items Snorri's Spikes, Chompin' Teef, Shroud of Imrathepis and the Razored Skinning Knife.
