terminology
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The Think Tank: The MMO server merge stigma
Last week, Turbine announced that it plans to address Lord of the Rings Online's ongoing population problems. New executive producer Athena "Vyvyanne" Peters wrote, "We're taking measures to get everyone onto the more populous servers" and "working on [...] improved server transfer tools." And later, she clarified, "We are still working through the details, but part of our efforts here are to make the transition as seamless as possible for Kinship leaders to keep the players together. The idea is to bring you together, not spread further apart." In our post, we called this process "server merges of a sort," but some loyal LotRO fans went ballistic at the idea that mass server transfers to, you know, merge players onto populous servers might be called "server merges." The term has such negative connotations and implications for a game's health that neither studios nor fans will dare use it even when it's a reasonable term to use and when it heralds good things for an aging game. The stigma might even make some studios leery of doing merges at all. What do you think -- is there a better term for these sorts of faux-merges? Have you been through a merge and found it a worthwhile experience? Can we be done with the merge stigma already? We're talking server merges in today's Think Tank.
The Daily Grind: What MMO slang are you sick of hearing?
Wrath babies. I hate the term. I hate everything it stands for. I hate the way it's used by old-school World of Warcraft players to dismiss the opinions of those who started playing later. It doesn't even make sense -- in pretty much every genre, there's always someone more old-school than you. You started in Vanilla? Someone else started in beta. And someone else started in alpha. And someone else before that. And a whole bunch of people started in games long before WoW showed up; all WoW players are "babies" by comparison. It's a pointless pissing contest that shuts down real debate about the quality of a game's content in any era. I'd rather never hear the terms "fail," "pay-to-win," "TORtanic," "frothies," and "dumbing down" again, either, and "such-and-such-game's NGE" can jump off a nice tall cliff. They're overused to the point that they are meaningless. But those are just my pet peeves. What MMO slang would you love to see nuked from orbit? 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!
Agile Tortoise releases Terminology 3 for the iPhone and iPad
Agile Tortoise is back again with a fresh, new version of its Terminology dictionary and thesaurus app for iOS. The latest changes bring the app to version 3 and is a complete rewrite of the app for iOS 7. The core functionality of Terminology remains the same, but the app has a few new features that expand it beyond its dictionary roots. The first thing you will notice is a revamped UI that adopts the look of iOS 7. Most of your favorite menu icons are still there; they just look a little different now. Terminology 3 now supports custom actions that allow you to extend your word searches across the web using sites like Wordnik and Wiktionary. You can even search Amazon, IMDb, Stack Exchange and others. These actions also integrate with third-party apps like Drafts, Evernote and Day One. Because version 3.0 is a complete rewrite, it is being sold as a new app and costs US$2.99. It is now a universal app, so your three dollar investment will get you a version that runs on both the iPad and the iPhone. Terminology 3 also supports iCloud sync so your favorite terms and histories will sync across devices. You can read the full release notes on Agile Tortoise's website.
The Soapbox: Actually, that really isn't an MMO
In last week's edition of The Soapbox, Mike Foster argued that online gaming has evolved over the past few years and that the term MMO should be expanded to cover other online games like MOBAs. He examined the blurred dividing line between new online games and the classic MMOs of yesteryear, and he made the controversial argument that Call of Duty and League of Legends should now fall under the MMO umbrella. I found myself disagreeing with many of Mike's arguments and wanting to make additional points of my own, so this week I'd like to offer a few counter-points on the same topic for debate. The MMO market has certainly evolved since Massively was founded, with some pretty big innovations in gameplay and new ideas like the free-to-play business model taking hold. As much as people like to complain about a lack of innovation in the games industry, the same level of experimentation and evolution has hit industry-wide. Call of Duty has borrowed unlock and XP systems from the world of orcs and dragons, and League of Legends came from nowhere to be at the forefront of a global MOBA revolution, but neither of them is an MMO by any stretch of the imagination. In this in-depth opinion piece, I break down the definition arguments surrounding the term MMO, offer a reasoned view of where the line can and should be drawn, and look at why Massively covers games other than MMOs.
The Daily Grind: If SimCity is an MMO, what should we call actual MMOs?
Earlier this week, EA president Frank Gibeau doubled-down on his company's earlier claims about SimCity's MMOness, suggesting the game was built as a "massively multiplayer experience" from the beginning. Rather than pick on Gibeau's comments (already done), I want to consider what would happen if we admitted defeat. What if we just accepted that the term MMO has been utterly co-opted for online singleplayer games -- what should we call "real" MMOs instead? My colleagues suggest "persistent massively multiplayer online" -- PMMO, I suppose (would we have to change our name to "Persistently"?). While I like the idea of bringing back an old-school term like "persistent," and while it would certainly separate games like EverQuest from games like Diablo III, I worry it also excludes MMORPGs that make heavy use of instancing (and therefore aren't as persistent as they seem) even as it includes games with persistent characters but not worlds. What do you think -- is it time to give up on the term MMO and adopt something else? Do we retreat to the imperfect label "MMORPG" or begin the hunt for a brand-new acronym? 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!
The Daily Grind: What game terminology gets your goat?
MMOs, like any hobby, have their own specialized jargon. Someone who's never played an MMO might have no idea what it means if you say the MT pulled adds on your boss pull twice and wiped the group, but an experienced player will understand it without a problem. But that doesn't mean every acronym or term sits comfortably with everyone -- considering the plethora of specialized language that accompanies the genre and the variety of synonyms for given concepts, it's probable that there are some terms you like more than others. So which part of MMO slang rubs you the wrong way? Does it get your hackles up when someone refers to a character as a toon? Do you hate seeing "mob" used to refer to a single enemy? Will you go out of your way to avoid saying "DPS" as a description of class roles? Is it an abbreviation or term common to a single game, like a class nickname? Or do you feel comfortable fully ensconced within the language, with no particular irritations or pet peeves? 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!
iOS app updates for June 22
The following iOS apps received updates in the App Store: Infinity Blade Version 1.3.1 was released with the following changes: A new content pack, Infinity Blade: Arena. Added a Simplified Chinese translation to the game Updated translations for French, Italian, German and Spanish Angry Birds Seasons Version 1.5 was released with the following changes: 30 new levels Summer theme Summer greeting cards that can be emailed to friends iGrill Version 2.0 was released with the following changes: App redesign Smoker option with upper and lower alarms Graphing screen which allows the viewing of the app's history Yahoo! Messenger Version 2.1.1 was released with a number of bug fixes and performance improvements. It also rolls in the changes from those who did not upgrade to 2.1. The 2.1 changes include: iPad-optimized layout Voice and video calling for the iPad 2 Improved spam management Motion X GPS Drive Version 10.2 was released with the following changes: Facebook integration Custom voices The latest NAVTEQ maps with free traffic and improved intelligent routing TuneIn Radio Pro Version 1.9 was released with the following changes: Songs can now be saved to presets by tapping a heart button in the Now Playing view Search feature returns immediate results while typing Adds recommended stations based on music library Adds the ability to shake for a related station The in-app browser on the iPhone and iPod touch is now disabled by default. This can be toggled through the app's settings. Burn the Rope Version 1.3.1 was released with the following changes: Everlasting flame for assistance through tricky levels Easy mode Terminology Version 2.0 was released with the following changes: Rewritten user interface The ability to customize fonts and font sizes The ability to customize links to other apps and web resources Automatic clipboard searching Integration with term.ly
Free for All: So, what does "MMORPG" mean?
As a reader of Massively, you should have a pretty good idea what MMORPG means. Not just what it stands for, but what it feels like, looks like, and behaves like. The problem is, despite common definitions, the games keep coming in different shapes and sizes -- and from all over the world. While I receive many comments about the Western coverage that Massively features, I would only be doing half my job if I reported on only the latest half a dozen games to break the multi-million-dollar budget mark in America. The world is a smaller place, especially now. And across the world there are MMORPGs that are being played and enjoyed in many different ways. There are PvP games, games that place players into instance after instance with only a handful of other players, all while offering the potential to hang out with thousands of other people. Is an instanced combat game still an MMO? How about a game like Mabinogi, which maintains a persistent world, but is broken into several invisible channels for players to skip in to and out of? This is impossible, but I think I will try to define exactly what MMO means -- now, in this current market.
WoW Rookie: Essential WoW terminology in other languages
New around here? WoW Rookie points WoW's newest players to the basics of a good start in the World of Warcraft. For links to all our tips, tricks and how-to's, visit WoW.com's WoW Rookie Guide. Együtt szaladjunk vissza a temetötöl hogy ne vesszünk el. In the sprawling, global environment that is the World of Warcraft today, there's really no telling who you'll end up grouped with. Even on a white-bread American realm, I've met players whose primary language was not English. Gamers are everywhere now! In the spirit of international cooperation, WoW Rookie has crowdsourced a list of basic WoW terminology for PUGging. The next time you run into a situation where you need to communicate with someone who doesn't speak your language, reach for our translations in the Newbie Guide, linked under Guides in the drop-down menu at the top of the site. Kudos to the hundreds of readers who responded to our call for translations. Merci, gracias, tack, hvala! Let's crowdsource corrections, too -- if you spot anything incorrect, drop me a line at lisa (at) wow (dot) com. Oh, and "Együtt szaladjunk vissza a temetötöl hogy ne vesszünk el?" That's "Let's run back from the graveyard together so we don't get lost" ... in Hungarian.
WoW Rookie: What's "move out of the fire" in your language?
New around here? WoW Rookie points WoW's newest players to the basics of a good start in the World of Warcraft. For links to all our tips, tricks and how-to's, visit WoW.com's WoW Rookie Guide. If you use the Dungeon Finder with any regularity, you're likely to eventually find yourself grouped with a player who speaks a different language. World of Warcraft is localized (translated) to nearly a dozen different languages, including two versions of English (USA and EU), French, German, Spanish, Russian, Korean and two versions of Chinese. While U.S. and Oceanic players can generally count on groupmates to speak English, things can be quite different elsewhere in the world. Individual Latin American and EU realms tend to attract groups of players from particular areas -- Brazilians on one server, Hungarians gathered on another, Italians dominating still another. Many players welcome the language barrier as an opportunity to polish their language skills. Still, how do you coordinate your way through a tricky pull with someone who doesn't speak a word of your language? Let's crowdsource this issue. We've compiled a list of common terms you might use in a PUG. We'd like you to list your translations in the comments, if you are fluent in another language. We're not going to cover Russian, Korean or Chinese, since those players generally do not cross paths with Western players. Please keep your suggestions brief; simplicity trumps elegance. If you'd like to see phrases we didn't include, feel free to suggest them, but keep in mind we're sticking with the basics. We'll compile the list and create a starter guide in next week's Rookie column.
Redefining MMOs: Terminology
As we look back at the past several years of the MMO scene, we see a genre that has gone through significant evolutionary leaps. With those pioneering days of text MUDs and blocky graphics behind us, today we enjoy professionally developed games with impressive development teams and massive budgets behind them. The genre's depths have been thoroughly explored and we've even categorised the features we've come to love and expect from our favourite online retreats. Every part of the genre, from the types of gameplay available to the terminology we use, has been routinely evolving and redefining itself over time.With professional MMO development soaring and a whole new generation of promising titles on the way, we stand on the cusp of what could be the next big evolutionary leap for online gaming. In the coming weeks and months, Massively will be examining how the MMO genre has been redefined during the current generation of games and where it's headed in the next. If you have something important to say on the topic, feel free to post a comment on page 2 or even write your own "Redefining MMOs" blog post and leave a comment with the URL.In this introductory article, I ask why we use the terminology we do when talking about MMOs and if perhaps it's starting to change.
The best of WoW Insider: March 31 - April 7, 2009
That big baddie above is rumored to be the second boss in the Vault of Archavon, an instance in Northrend that can only be reached when either the Horde or the Alliance conquer the contested territory of Wintergrasp. He looks dangerous, no? But worry not -- whether you're fighting for the Orcs or the Humans, Joystiq's WoW Insider has tips, tricks, and everything you need to conquer the Vault of Archavon or anywhere else in the World of Warcraft. Read on for some of our most popular posts. News WoW Insider's Guide to Patch 3.1We're closer than ever to the next big content patch -- which means we know more than ever about what's in it. April Fools 2009 roundupA bevy of Warcraft-related jokes from the 4/1 holiday last week. WoW subscriber numbers still increasing, multiboxers trivialThe devs confirm that the number of people in Azeroth is still going up. Noblegarden tentatively rescheduled for April 26thBlizzard goes a little late on a patch, so it actually reschedules the in-game Easter holiday. Battle.net login servers down again tonightBlizzard just recently transferred lots of player accounts onto the new Battle.net servers, but apparently they weren't quite up to the job. Features Opinion: 25-man gear should not be better than 10-man gearThe 10-man raids are actually harder than the 25-mans. So why is the gear worse? WoW Rookie: Gaming terminology 101Don't know your "LFG" from your "PST"? Let WoW Rookie help. The Art of War(craft): Wintergrasp in patch 3.1 and beyondAll the news that's fit to print on the changes to the game's most popular battleground. Guildwatch: A kinder, gentler GWFor April Fool's Day, our guild drama column decides to focus on the positive instead. Lichborne: Tradeskills for Death KnightsProfession help for former members of Arthas' army.
WoW Rookie: Gaming terminology 101
New around here? WoW Rookie points WoW's newest players to the resources they need to get acclimated. Send us a note to suggest a WoW Rookie topic.Probably one of the top requests WoW Rookie gets from new players is a plea for an explanation of WoW and gaming terminology. Even a casual skim of WoW Insider's front page can prove challenging to new gamers. Example: what to experienced players is a routine update on new PTR schedules can be an exercise in frustration for readers who are still sorting out WTT from WTF. ("PTR? WTF?!?") It's not just WoW-specific abbreviations and acronyms that puzzle new players. Add in gaming lingo and internet chat terms, and you have the recipe for a truly intimidating mix.
Psion Teklogix sending out cease & desist letters to netbook-centric websites
Wow, talk about spreading that holiday cheer. Psion Teklogix has apparently hired a legal team to write up cease & desist letters that are being sent out to select netbook enthusiast websites. One particular letter is pictured above, and we can only assume the URL is hidden for the safety of those involved. jkOnTheRun dug a little deeper into the matter and found that the outfit did indeed produce a Netbook and Netbook Pro back in the day, and while the surprisingly netbook-like devices (imagine that, right?) have since been discontinued, it is still making compatible accessories. Something tells us Psion waited a touch too late to pick this fight, but just in case Engadget is next in line for one of these letters, we'll be utilizing the term smallcheap(er)book for the foreseeable future. Hope that's okay.
Blood Sport: Arena for dummies II
So you want to get into Arenas, eh? You're a bit late coming into the game, but that's alright. Whether you want to be truly competitive or just try Arenas out for fun, maybe even with friends, it helps to have a little bit of knowledge about what you're getting into. Before anything else, however, we'll take a look at some commonly used terms in the Arenas so you can insert some your vent communications so you can sound like a Pro... or at least not get lost in the discussion.2345A team comp (composition) consisting of an MS Warrior, a Discipline Priest, a Holy Paladin, an Elemental Shaman, and a Mage, usually Frost-specced.This is a 2-healer 3-DPS cookie-cutter composition that supposedly originated from the Bloodlust Battlegroup (BG9). Unlike basketball, where the numbers refer to positions (or classes) on the team, 2345 actually refers to the head-rolling-on-keyboard reference of mashing the buttons 2, 3, 4, and 5 repeatedly throughout the match. Roughly, this translates to unloading all offensive abilities based on, or during, the Shaman's Bloodlust / Heroism. The basic strategy is to assist off the Warrior who applies Mortal Strike on a target and burst damage coming from the Shaman and Mage with Shatter combo often with Nature's Swiftness, Elemental Mastery, and Chain Lightning. The Shaman and Priest also work off offensive dispels, removing shields and immunities, while the Paladin plays main healer. This composition can and does switch targets often throughout the course of a match.
Ten off-the-wall facts about high-definition
Think you're an HD aficionado? Insulted that we'd even begin to think otherwise? For what it's worth, we'd wager that even the hardest of hardcore HD junkies could learn a thing or two from CD Freak's top ten list of things you might not know in relation to high-def. For starters, high-definition (as a term) emerged nearly four score ago, the first HDTV was sold in 1998 here in the United States and the first "high-resolution television system" was actually created by the Soviets in 1958. Eager to take a peek at the other seven? Head on down to the read link and stock up on potential trivia knowledge.[Image courtesy of Philips]
WoW terminology explained
If the city's Trade and LookingForGroup channels go past you in a blur of indecipherable acronyms, this glossary might help. Part of Wikipedia -- and thus publicly editable if you disagree with a particular word, or want to add one -- it covers a lot of the WoW-specific terminology that crops up.It can be hard to simply ask "What on earth is UBRS" in chat, so it's useful to have somewhere to go when those inevitable moments of confusion do happen.
