planet-michael
Latest
SEE buys Planet Calypso for $6 million, talks with Massively for an encore
For $6 million you could buy a heck of a lot of tacos -- or one virtual planet. Wisely, SEE Virtual Worlds went the latter route, snapping up Planet Calypso from MindArk and saving itself massive heartburn. The sci-fi-themed Planet Calypso operates under the umbrella of Entropia Universe and boasts 950,000 registered accounts since coming online in 2003. As part of the deal, SEE Virtual Worlds also acquired all of the assets of First Planet Company, a former subsidiary of MindArk, which has been transformed into SEE Digital Studios. Under this reorganization, SEE Digital Studios is now responsible for developing and operating Planet Calypso, Planet Michael and Universal Monsters. The company is expected to hire on additional team members for these projects. Fresh from the champagne celebration, SEE Virtual Worlds President Corey Redmond sat down with us to discuss this deal and the future of these three titles. Hit the jump to boogie with Michael Jackson, scream in terror at the Wolfman, and navigate the economy of virtual worlds.
Stake or be staked: Van Helsing MMO to take the fight to classic movie monsters
It's the perfect time of year to announce a horror-themed MMO, so we're not surprised that at least one studio has stepped up to do so. SEE Virtual Worlds, the same company that's working on Planet Michael (which may or may not still have you giggling sporadically), is turning the world of Van Helsing into a MMO with the blessing of Universal Studios. With eight decades of movie monsters under its belt, Universal Studios is not lacking for iconic ghoulies and gremlins: The Wolf Man, Frankenstein, the Invisible Man, the Mummy, Dracula and the Creature from the Black Lagoon have frightened generations of children and lingered in the imaginations of millions more. In the game, players will step into the role of a Van Helsing-type figure who's tasked with taking down the hairiest, slimiest and most bitey of them all. Both Planet Michael and the Universal Monsters MMO will exist within Entropia Universe's domain, which houses virtual worlds and utilizes a real-world cash exchange economy. You can read the full Hollywood Reporter article here.
The Daily Grind: Would you play a weird MMO?
Here at Massively, we've got a diverse range of opinions as to what constitutes a weird MMO, or a AAA MMO, or even an MMO, period. There's truly no accounting for personal taste, as a few of our writers stick to one or two MMOs, while others play any and every game that comes down the pipe (in both single- and multi-player genres). Occasionally though, MMOs come along that test our diverse interests (and in some cases, make us laugh). Whether it's the strange Michael Jackson MMO, the (presumably) well-intentioned but ultimately misguided use of the world's most popular IP, or any number of other weird titles, there are some games that simply leave us scratching our collective heads. What about you, Massively readers? Do either of the aforementioned bizarro-world titles (or any similar off-the-wall ones) interest you? Why or why not? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of our readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's The Daily Grind!
This week on The MMO Report
It's been a busy and sometimes strange week in the MMO world, and Casey Schreiner had plenty to talk about on this week's MMO Report. Final Fantasy XIV began and APB ended in the same week, and stories surrounding those two events kicked off Casey's show. Things took a slightly stranger turn next when Casey gave an overview of the upcoming Michael Jackson virtual world and followed it immediately with DCUO's Gorilla Grodd. Casey wrapped up the news portion of the show with the story of the EVE Online Pakistan flood relief effort, ending the show on a high note. You can check out this week's MMO Report after the jump, and every week on G4TV.
Michael Jackson planet coming to Entropia Universe
We're having a very real panic attack right now. It started when we read the press release posted after the jump, which announces that Entropia Universe, an MMO with a real-world economy and not much else, would play host to "Planet Michael" in late 2011. In this upcoming Michael Jackson-themed world -- not to be confused with the Micahel Jackson experience -- fans of Michael Jackson can congregate and talk about how much they love Michael Jackson. We're not sure what else one does on Planet Michael, but it will seemingly cost real money, and we're sure there will be people who spend money to do it -- hence the panic attack. Here's an idea! How about the Michael Jackson fans of the world just use the comment section of this post as a forum to discuss their love of Michael Jackson's music and cinematic works? We certainly won't charge you anything, nor will we creepily approach you for digital sex! Here, we'll start things off: "Man in the Mirror" is the greatest song ever written by humans, and "Dirty Diana" isn't far behind. Discuss.
Michael Jackson virtual world planned for 2011 launch
"The Ultimate Michael Jackson Online Game" may not be a virtual world you expected, but it's a very real project coming to us late next year, via Entropia Universe. SEE Virtual Worlds approached Michael Jackson's estate about producing Planet Michael, and the company is planning to focus on the King of Pop's positive impact on our culture: "Planet Michael will offer fans around the globe an innovative, first-of-its-kind interactive gaming and social experience that truly celebrates Michael Jackson's extraordinary life as an artist and humanitarian." Planet Michael will be a free-to-play themed planet created specifically for Entropia Universe with "gameplay monetization" that allows players to take on different occupations and sometimes contribute to real-world charities at the same time. The site is currently live and taking signups.
