potbs-user-content

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  • Pirates of the Burning Sea User Content 2.0 goes live

    by 
    Andrew Russo
    Andrew Russo
    05.18.2008

    Ok buccaneers, it is now time for us to offer our own new and improved Caribbean flavor to Pirates of the Burning Sea! User Content 2.0, the new review and submission process, officially became seaworthy on the 15th of May. So what exactly does this mean and how does it make cannon balls fly faster? Ktatroe logged onto the PotBS website and explained what exactly the new system entails.Pirates of the Burning Sea has a creative user content system that allows the lawful and lawless to design their own sails, flags, and even submit designs for vessels. Registered sailors can then vote on the content for inclusion in the game. The PotBS team has streamlined the process for an approval or a broadside by reviewers for all content submissions. The primary motivation has been speed and, so far, over 1,300 new pieces of user generated content have been reviewed. Make sure your trusty pirate flag is up to speed, complete with bullet holes, by viewing this handy 2D content guide, before submitting it for review.

  • ION 08: Getting the most out of user generated content

    by 
    Barb Dybwad
    Barb Dybwad
    05.15.2008

    One might rightfully acuse the term "user generated content" of being a rather dry way to describe what is really a fascinating trend in media: the opportunity for "users" to contribute their own creations and have them incorporated into traditionally heavily produced "content." By nature interactive, the games industry is taking notice of the power of UGC, and in a panel yesterday at ION 08 we had the chance to listen to Flying Lab's Troy Hewitt and Linden Lab's Rob Lanphier talk about how user content has been working in Pirates of the Burning Sea and Second Life. Attorney Eric Goldman of Santa Clara University School of Law was on hand to discuss some of the legal issues surrounding UGC, and the panel was moderated by Scott Warner, owner and leader of the intellectual property and technology group at firm Garvey Schubert Barer. Scott: Troy, do you want to start us off by talking about how user content has been working in Pirates? Troy: Sure. As some of you may know, we just launched PotBS earlier this year. We have a system in the game where players can create flags and sails for their ships. There's a mechanism to distribute your work and they can actually create and sell their designs as well. Players can also create and model their own ships, and other people in game will be able to use those ships. We have 30 ships now in the game made by players, and these were actually done by only 13 people; so it's a small group of dedicated people creating these ships. With the flags and sails, about 20% of our player base is creating them and a much larger percentage actually use them.