shops
Latest
The Daily Grind: Are you OK with auction houses?
You know, I really miss player shops in MMOs. I realize that the universal auction house is a concession to convenience that most players can no longer live without, but there's something to be said for local market economies and merchant autonomy when it comes to setting yourself apart from the crowd. Not to mention the fact that it's occasionally fun to take a break from the usual killing and looting and browse through a painstakingly furnished player storefront. What about you, Massively readers? Assuming you've ever played an MMO with player-run shops, vendors, and more realistic market systems, do you like those mechanics? Or do you prefer the auction house? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their 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 Daily Grind!
Wizardry Online adding tons of info to official wikia
If you've had questions about some of the nuts and bolts of the upcoming free-to-play fantasy game Wizardry Online, the incoming update to the official wikia might just give you some answers. From controls and settings to shops and dungeons, this update will offer more information on a variety of game mechanics and features. Did you know that you can pick up the body of a fallen player to be deposited at the Quopaty Temple once you travel back to town and pay a fee to increase the odds of revival once there? Or that you'll need entry permits to enter dungeons? Or that shopkeepers will identify items for adventurers? You will when you read through the details of this substantial wikia update! You can also learn more about Wizardry Online by checking out Massively's hands-on experience. [Source: Sony Online Entertainment press release]
Microsoft teams up with shopping search engine for HTML5 digital catalogs
Dead tree product catalogs -- dated. Fortunate, then, at least for Mother Earth, that Microsoft's unveiled the results of its team-up with retail-focused search engine TheFind, several web-based Glimpse catalogs, offering the visual pizazz of a retail magazine without the carbon hangover. Injecting Redmond's HTML5 know-how into the shopping hub's catalog and social apps, it distills those functions into the single site. Stores including Brooks Brothers and Lands' End have already offered up their collections in the web store, but Techcrunch reckons the venture needs a little more work. The images appear to be little too compressed and blurred in the new format, while the detail view directs users to social network sharing rather than a product's description. But with Microsoft already offering the HTML5 juice that powers the online app for free, someone else might improve on the company's groundwork.
Target confirms it'll open Apple shops in 25 locations
Target confirmed it's opening Apple shops within 25 retail locations sometime this year. According to the Reuters report, the 25 stores will have special displays of Apple merchandise. Currently, Target offers the iPad, iPhone and iPod models. These items are mixed into the store's standard display and not particularly noticeable. When the iPad 2 launched, Target was the only retailer in my area with inventory because I don't think customers saw the tablets tucked into the bottom of the display case. Now with these "stores-within-a-store", Target will likely carry Apple computers, portable devices and a variety of accessories. These Apple products will have their own section within Target's electronics department. It will probably be similar to the Best Buy Apple stores, which have demo models and prominent signage that lets customers know the store carries Apple products. Initially, this rollout will be small, but I would expect it to expand throughout 2012 and beyond.
More information on Final Fantasy XIV's retainers
With the announcement of Final Fantasy XIV's release date and some details on the pricing structure, one of the concepts we've been introduced to is that of the retainers. Any veteran of Final Fantasy XI is all too familiar with the "mule" characters that would dot cities; they were all but required for serious players, used for additional storage, and parked as a never-closing bazaar whilst the player wasn't active. Rather than forcing players to pay for a second character, Square-Enix is apparently letting the practice be fully realized by the game in the form of your retainer. A new translated article helps explain a little more about what a retainer's role will be. Adventurers will be allowed to choose one retainer for free, with the selection process running similar to Final Fantasy XI's adventuring fellow. Your retainer can be called at various points through use of a special item, and allows you to set up a storefront that will run while you're offline. A retainer will also provide extra storage, serving as combination mobile bank and assistant. Take a look at the full article for more details, as well as more shots of the beta client for Final Fantasy XIV in action.
Anti-Aliased: You don't need PvP to be successful, honest pt. 2
Screw PvP combat, we need PvP conflict The minute you hear about PvP, you know what it is. It's groups of people bashing each other in the face like cavemen. While that's all well and good, combat is only one part of a spectrum of player vs. player activities. We need to stop focusing solely on the idea of PvP combat and perhaps look towards the larger picture of PvP conflict. Final Fantasy XI proves this point through the use of the conquest system. Players weren't bashing each other's face in, yet were participating in a conflict that changed how the game played and simultaneously provided rewards. On the other side of the galaxy, EVE Online has become notorious for "trader combat." Where players go against one another in order to get goods out to the market and make a profit. Above those acts come social combat, where players make alliances and enemies as they participate in the other aspects of the game. Exploration could even go in this category, as players race through uncharted space to find caches of resources. These ideas aren't unheard of, but they are unexplored. One of the best examples of how we don't make full use of our genres is the infamous rogue class. Rogues, by definition, are stealthy, thieving, and full of trickery. Their original portrayal in the genre is mostly through non-combat actions, like stealing. Yet, rogues never steal in our online games. Even if they do steal, it's almost always from monsters and not players. "Once we evolve how we approach PvP, we can start truly integrating the system into our designs, rather than continually tacking on battlegrounds and combat objectives and applauding them as elegant design." So why not include pickpocketing? Is it because we don't want to limit it to one class or cause an uproar when one player can steal your stuff? Why not let all players have the option, and actually have a pickpocketing mini-game. Why not expand the concept of "illegal activities" and actually start to develop a justice system, where players can become guards and other players can attempt to get away with small crimes? Of course, we'll get to see an example of how well this will work when Realtime Worlds launches All Points Bulletin, but it is something to think about for our current line of MMOs. Past the legal system, there are other methods of conflict. Card games, price haggling at player run shops, even running an actual shop or a locale can give players a brand new perspective of conflict and simultaneously provide another sink for virtual cash in the economy. The synopsis Don't feel that a game needs to have PvP in order to be viable. Games that can level their challenges (like Final Fantasy's level capped bosses, which make them eternally challenging) and can also present strong, solid methods of entertainment (like Bioshock's emphasis on storytelling and single-player objectives, rather than splitting resources between single-player and multi-player.) But PvP as a concept needs to perhaps become broader, centering more on areas of dynamic conflict rather than stagnant combat situations. Even facerolling on your keyboard against someone else facerolling on their keyboard becomes old -- especially when gear differences lock out true, meaningful engagements. Once we evolve how we approach PvP, we can start truly integrating the system into our designs, rather than continually tacking on battlegrounds and combat objectives and applauding them as elegant design. Colin Brennan is the weekly writer of Anti-Aliased who knows people will scream about how much of a carebare he is in the comment boxes, just because they didn't read the whole article. When he's not writing here for Massively, he's rambling on his personal blog, The Experience Curve. If you want to message him, send him an e-mail at colin.brennan AT weblogsinc DOT com. You can also follow him on Twitter through Massively, or through his personal feed.
Huxley video expands on non-combat areas
We have to concede, we were not terribly impressed when we got wind of some of Huxley's non-combat areas as long as four months go. Chalk it up to the editing, we suppose, but the ten consecutive minutes of clomping around a barren cityscape left us barely able to keep our heads up. We were much more impressed with the recent cinematic trailer for the game, but it did little in the way of explaining how Huxley was going to change the way we play MMOs.Well a new video has surfaced with better editing, the removal of that incessant clomping sound of walking on pavement, and some looks at non-static NPCs, shops, and the games' train system. We realize that Huxley's success probably hinges more on whether the FPS action is up to current standards, but for MMO junkies like ourselves, the little things like shops and quest hubs can have a much greater influence on whether we choose to play the game or not. Check out the new video after the jump.
DS kiosks brighten up Korean mall
These photos from a Korean mall's Nintendo DS kiosks are from a month ago, but it's interesting to see how the handheld is being promoted in the East Asian country. The showroom's walls are lined with posters of celebrities playing with DS Lites, stylish-looking chairs and tables are available for idlers, and a glass divider separates the area from the rest of the shopping center while still attracting passer-bys with gaming treats. It isn't clear if this is a permanent setup or if the kiosks are only there for the interim to accompany the DS' recent launch in Korea. The way Nintendo has put its games on display, encouraging people to try out titles like New Super Mario Bros., Brain Training, and English Training in an attractive space, reminds us a lot of Apple's brick and mortar stores and the old Xbox 360 Lounge in Japan. Do we have anything like this to advocate the Nintendo DS in the states? Check for more photos after the jump.[Via Insert Credit]
