Alexis Kassan

Gaming By Alexis Kassan

Have your say in FFXI swag design

Square Enix is looking for your help in designing their next round of accessories for Final Fantasy XI. You don't have to submit art or anything, just fill out a brief survey including your purchase habits and favorite NPC characters. There's also a space to write in comments about what merch you want to see.All surveys must be in by midnight PST on January 28th so head over and fill one out soon. Who knows - there could be a Robel-Akbel plushie or an "I <3 Apururu" t-shirt in your future!

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News By Alexis Kassan

Kids choose digital entertainment over traditional media

A recent survey of moms by NPD shows that kids are more interested in receiving digital content than purchasing physical media such as CDs or DVDs. Though most games still rely on an initial physical purchase of software, there is an increasing trend towards online and on-device delivery.The study also looked at device usage and activities done on those devices. It found that gaming is the most popular activity with around 85% of kids playing on the devices studied. There has also been an increase in cross-platform usage with videos being watched on consoles and cell phones used to listen to music. With all the talk of MMOs on consoles and the ability of devices to handle more tasks each rather than respecting their traditional, separate roles, it seems this trend is poised to continue.

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PlayStation

PlayStation By Alexis Kassan

SOE expects the PS3 to be half their business

The ways we play are changing and Sony Online Entertainment wants to be a driver of that change. They will be releasing the Free Realms and DC Universe Online titles to PC and PlayStation 3 with expectations of additional MMOGs going to console in the years ahead. Now SOE President John Smedley states in an interview that they expect PS3 to be about half of their business.It's a bold statement considering the PS3 has been trailing several other systems in usage including its own predecessor. But with Blu-Ray crowned champion of the high-def disc war, an expanding game title selection for the console, online integration and PS Home, the PS3 has a lot to offer gamers. The question that remains in this blogger's mind is, will MMO gamers make the leap to console?

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PC Gaming By Alexis Kassan

US Age of Conan servers down for the merger of Bloodspire and Hyperborea

Server mergers have finally come to Age of Conan. Today Tomorrow the US servers will be down starting around 7:00 a.m. EST (or 12 p.m. GMT) for about six hours so that Bloodspire and Hyperborea can be merged. Originally planned for early December, the mergers had been postponed when a data problem was identified that might have caused certain items to disappear in the process. Additional details around how the mergers will be done are available on the AoC FAQ forum threads. If you have characters on these servers (or really anyone playing), it's definitely worth having a look to determine how you might be impacted. Information on further merges has not yet been released.Update: Servers will be down tomorrow, January 7th.

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Gaming By Alexis Kassan

Four cheers for Tipa's Spellborn gallery

You've got to admit it - Chronicles of Spellborn has some seriously amazing graphics. And to prove that's true, Tipa at West Karana has posted a great selection of screenies. They include some of the High Houses, cityscapes, temples, and yes, the gratuitous undressed character shot.As if having Within Temptation do the music for it wasn't enough to tempt you (pun fully intended) into the game, these screen shots provide the additional visual stimulus needed to point you to the beta sign-up. If you're in the EU, you can download the client for free. So hop over, take a look, and commence the ooh-ing... and eagerly awaiting launch day in the States.

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Gaming By Alexis Kassan

A little more about Wizard101

There have been quite a few releases for magic-themed game Wizard101 of late as well as the preview of the first expansion. Enough so that WhatTheyPlay has posted an overview aimed at parents to explain the basis of the game and what they can expect if their kids play it. In a nutshell, Wizard101 is a world where players are students of magic. Combat relies on a trading card system and is turn-based. No one ever "dies" in the game. It's free to play in much the same way that Runescape is - meaning that many areas and quests are only available to paid accounts. The options are numerous in terms of membership levels depending upon what the players (or their parents) want to be able to do. For those parents worried about the community, they do discuss the limitations on communication and the average age of players (about 12). Then again, with family plan pricing available, parents could join their kids in the game and find out for themselves what it's all about.

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PlayStation

PlayStation By Alexis Kassan

Kotaku outlines differences between PlayStation Home and Second Life

There has been plenty of speculation on PlayStation Home and how it compares and contrasts with Second Life as a virtual world. Heck, the creative director spoke about it months ago stating that Second Life players would probably not find much of interest in PS Home. Well, Kotaku has stepped in to explore just that subject.For those not wanting to get too down and dirty with the full tale, Second Life has much more personal customization. Everything from outfits to dance moves to land masses can be user-generated and added to the world. On the other hand, PlayStation Home allows for minimal add-ons, focusing on creating rich, stable environments - even if that means sacrificing little things like avatar diversity. But with much more content promised, PS Home may well become a better contender for virtual world time.

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PC Gaming By Alexis Kassan

World of Warcraft tops most played list of 2008

Nielsen Research has published its January through October numbers about the top 10 PC games and top 10 consoles by amount of time played. Once again World of Warcraft tops the charts. In fact, WoW has more time played than the other nine titles listed - combined.Coming in at position 6 is Runescape, the browser-based game that could. It had just slightly less share than The Sims 2. Numbers for only October are available on the Nielsen website and show a different makeup for numbers 2-10, with WoW still in first. We can only imagine what this data will look like for November 2008 with the added game time of those who bought Wrath of the Lich King.

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Tomorrow

Tomorrow By Alexis Kassan

Increase ROI by training in virtual worlds

Forterra, makers of OLIVE virtual worlds, along with ACS Learning Services recently conducted a proof of concept in employee training using their customized systems. It's a new approach to corporate dilemmas of training large groups for as little money as possible. The experiment began with training the users on how to move their avatars to interact, thus pushing past potential problems with people being uncomfortable in the virtual space. They were then brought into the training environment where, rather than merely watching slides go by, they must move around and interact to find the answers to questions. How do they know the info got through? Tremendous feedback.

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Gaming By Alexis Kassan

Gaming promotes life skills according to IBM exec

Gamers have become something of a stereotype in recent times. In everything from the job market to South Park, players are perceived as nerdy, pimply-faced, basement-dwellers with no social skills who do nothing outside of work other than play the game of their choosing. But now we have some pretty high-level defense of our beloved past-time.David Laux, head of games and interactive entertainment at IBM, has listed a myriad of positive skills gained by gamers from the problems they must face and overcome. Specifically mentioned is teaming in World of Warcraft as it emphasizes building diverse teams to accomplish tasks. It's certainly a breath of fresh air to hear such reassurances from someone in the capacity to hire.

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Gaming By Alexis Kassan

WarCry explores types of game settings

Should MMOs try to become to gaming what Rocky is to movies? A series of sequels with the same base setting, familiar characters, and expected outcomes? Or should they create a new world with each release? This is the debate offered in a recent article from WarCry, exploring the types of intellectual property offered by MMORPGs.In the past year, we have heard announcements from some of the largest MMO companies that AAA titles were being closed and games with tremendous recognition may not be getting sequels. It seems there is a movement towards the new and unfamiliar out there, even as the lists of new titles are filled with the likes of Star Wars: The Old Republic, Star Trek Online, and DC Universe Online. So it begs the question, are the games you're most looking forward to based on what has come before or a fresh new world and lore to explore for the first time?As a caveat to an example used in Mr. Steinhauer's article, this blogger would point out that the Forgotten Realms setting was originally from Dungeons & Dragons settings and had a rather extensive series of novels behind it.

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Gaming By Alexis Kassan

Warhammer Online wins X-Play MMO of the Year

Just days after our own Best of 2008 were announced, G4 TV show X-Play has confirmed Warhammer Online as the best game release of the year. Their reasons mirror many voiced here including the RvR combat system, solo-able character classes, and public quests.Other contenders mentioned in the segment were World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King and Age of Conan. Each brought a new twist to the party, but ultimately could not top Warhammer in originality. So congratulations to Mythic for all that they've achieved in 2008. We can hardly wait for more improvements coming in 2009.

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News By Alexis Kassan

It's not an addiction if you don't get withdrawal symptoms

For years we've been hearing that if you spend more than X number of hours per week playing video games then you're addicted. It's been blamed for everything from increased college dropout rates to premeditated murder. The Smith & Jones Centre, a medical facility that has a program to treat video game addiction, has come out to say that while frequent gaming may be a social disorder, it is rarely if ever an addiction. And now WhatTheyPlay.com has also taken a stand and done some of their own research on what addiction really means and whether video game addiction actually exists... hint: the answer points to no.According to the medical definition, habitual use is generally only deemed "addiction" when you have increased tolerance or get cravings or physiological withdrawal symptoms when not using. So from the sounds of things, the video games themselves may not be an addiction - but the caffeine to go with them sure could be!

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Gaming By Alexis Kassan

GamerDNA shows their year in review graphically

In the spirit of the season, GamerDNA is giving the gift of insight to all its users in the form of a year in review column. Part one of this column describes several interesting metrics about the number of new titles tagged in user profiles by release month, platform, or specific game (no hard numbers given).Some interesting notes: The top title added by users was Age of Conan. It was released in May and correlated to a month of lower unique titles being added. No mention is made of how many users subsequently removed titles from their profiles... but maybe they're saving that for part two. There is a noticeable drop in game titles being added for the months of June and July, around the time of the re-branding effort and subsequent server issues. The largest uptick in titles added (by release date) was in September, presumably due to Warhammer Online. November is still creeping up on the September numbers with the Lord of the Rings Online expansion, Mines of Moria, and World of Warcraft's Wrath of the Lich King still gaining traction. We are promised more phat numbers in the next few days so keep your eyes peeled... well, not literally.

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News By Alexis Kassan

Red5 sends recruitment messages that won't self-destruct

The adage usually goes "it's hard to find good help these days." And it's all too true in the gaming industry. While other industries may shun players of MMORPGs, game development companies are actively looking to recruit top-notch talent. Competition is tough to get the best developers, especially when the projects they might be working on cannot be revealed. So to break the monotony of typical recruiter phone calls, Red 5 came up with a unique way to get potential employees interested.Their Golden Ticket system sent 100 developers an unmarked FedEx box. Inside was another box, labeled 1, that featured art from the game under development and looked vaguely like it might have come from a Mission: Impossible set. Then, in a sort of modern Russian nesting doll manner, the potential employee uncovered the full group of five boxes. Within the fifth box was an iPod, personally engraved for that recipient, along with a code to enter on the Red5 website. The iPod, once hooked up with the site, played a personalized message inviting the developer to the Red5 offices to check out the facility and interview. Quite a unique, if paranoia-inducing, way to get new applicants.

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Gaming By Alexis Kassan

Allakhazam editor rages at SOE Station Cash

There has been much unpleasantness following last week's announcement by SOE that they would be introducing Station Cash to Everquest and Everquest II. But few write-ups have been so frequented (or adamant) as that of Allakhazam editor Tamat. The main gist of the argument is that this change was forced upon all servers, rather than providing the option to choose switching to a server offering these transactions. There are also concerns over how the items, available only by microtransactions, change the dynamic of play in the games. We invite all of you, readers, to tell us what your experience of the Station Cash items has been thus far. Have you used the system? Are you excited or annoyed by the gear available for money? In short, is it more fun or just funds?

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PC Gaming By Alexis Kassan

Kids try to get around Wizard101 language restrictions

Player 1: What can you see out your window?Player 2: A large fruit. You?Player 1: Uhh, OK... I can see Russia from my house.Player 2: What? Usually the language restrictions in MMOs consist of vulgarities and, less frequently, racial or sexual slurs. But Wizard101, a game targeted to a younger demographic, goes beyond that and disallows revealing location to other players. In fact, players under the age of 13 are not allowed to use the full chat function at all. This is to prevent kids from detailing where they are just in case.The problem is that kids get curious and ask other players where they live regardless - mind you, it has to be in a roundabout sort of way. Since many cannot answer directly, they have been trying to use features of the state or nicknames to describe their location. They may not get very far in actually depicting their state, but the effort surely must be a learning experience in speaking indirectly. With this type of skill, these players may just have futures in politics.

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Gaming By Alexis Kassan

zOMG! beta reaches half a million players

Gaia Online's latest title, zOMG!, has attracted over half a million beta users, according to Worlds in Motion. This cutesy, anime-looking game was named by the players back in July of this year and has enjoyed tremendous success even this early in its life cycle.zOMG! is a Flash-based browser game marketed primarily to children and teens. Players earn Gaia Gold by interacting with the Gaia website and can then spend said gold to customize their avatar. If you're interested in trying the beta or just looking for more information on what it's all about, check out our First Impression of zOMG!.%Gallery-38996%

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Gaming By Alexis Kassan

Square Enix will differentiate its next effort from FFXI

Details are still not released about the next project from Square Enix, makers of Final Fantasy XI but rumors abound that it will debut at E3 in June 2009. So far, all that has been said is that the new game will be "different from Final Fantasy XI." Gee. Thanks. Helpful. This is not terribly different from what they said about six months ago now regarding the new game. And according to Hiromichi Tanaka, Senior VP of Software Development, the same team that worked on FFXI will be on this next project. Given the resounding and lasting success of the Final Fantasy franchise, it may be hard to give up the name recognition.

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Gaming By Alexis Kassan

Enhancements announced to Jumpgate Evolution guild beta sign-up form

For all those space pilots anxiously awaiting the chance to enter your guild Jumpgate Evolution, there have been updates made to the guild beta sign-up form. Basically, the enhancements allow you to manage your guild members more actively. You can remove members, list additional e-mail addresses, and check to see who has filled out and confirmed their information.Any changes made will note effect the odds of getting into beta. In fact, it's probably best to have the cleanest list possible of your members before the official launch date to avoid hassles later on. So whether you've been waiting to add your friend who just built a new system or trying to remove someone who's too busy with other betas, head in and adjust.

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News By Alexis Kassan

Turbine announces bi-coastal layoffs

It's been going around. Last week saw Sony dropping staff (again), though not from SOE. Now Turbine has announced an undisclosed number of staff cutbacks from their QA and Account Management divisions. Both the Massachusetts and California locations have been impacted by this. The company has specified that they are not looking to outsource these functions, merely reduce redundancies.Turbine has stated that there are no plans to reduce efforts going forward on Lord of the Rings Online, Dungeons and Dragons Online or any other projects. This is especially important considering the recent launch of Mines of Moria, the first expansion to LotRO. In fact, they are currently hiring - just in other departments.

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PC Gaming By Alexis Kassan

Come and spend a fortnight in Pirates of the Burning Sea

Flying Lab games is calling all scurvy knaves back to the ranks of Pirates of the Burning Sea and offering 14 days free for all returning players. If you're new to the game, you can also get two weeks to try it out by visiting their free trial page. They have added lots of new features over the past several months and want to show everyone.For those of you who previously played and are interested in returning, here are some things to look forward to: New ships - many were created by players Dueling - you won't lose durability if your ship gets sunk in a duel Ship Insurance - get some of your investment back if you lose your ship Enhanced Ship Battles - changes to reinforcements and improvements to the ad hoc sea battle system So come on in and take a look around - on the house!

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Gaming By Alexis Kassan

Warhammer patches patch 1.1a

Patch 1.1a was released yesterday to Warhammer Online and we're already seeing fixes being put in place. Mythic has released updates to the patch to address the increase in travel costs, fix items, adjust quests, and the usual little tweaks to make things run as designed. But the most important fixes, in this writer's humble opinion, are for the oRvR system.The amount of influence for achieving offensive battlefield objectives has been changed while leaving the influence system the same for defense. The stated reason for this change is for balance - in order to encourage more players to use the system. In addition, high-level players will once again be turned into chickens if they enter lower-ranked RvR areas. Scenarios will also close when too few people are in them.

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Gaming By Alexis Kassan

Bigpoint is poised and ready to invade US markets

USA Network and the SCI FI Channel are getting ready for a blitz of online games coming their way from Bigpoint. Peacock Equity Fund, which includes NBC Universal, recently bought a majority stake in the German game producer and are planning to distribute their browser-based, free-to-play titles on network sites.Previously planned titles, including a game based on the hit series Next Top Model, are still in the works. Bigpoint is also expanding across Europe through partnerships with MTV Networks International to promote their 26 browser games to users in nearly a dozen countries. They also offer a handful of downloadable games and a veritable plethora of mini games to over 43 million registered users.

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Gaming By Alexis Kassan

Ubisoft failed at courting Cryptic before the Atari takeover

According to CFO Alain Martinez, Ubisoft was also looking into acquiring Cryptic before Atari stepped in and inked a deal. Though they are disappointed at having missed this opportunity, there seems to be no shortage of acquisition options. Martinez states that they are looking at taking over two to three small companies in the next few months, but details of what products this may involve are unknown.Ubisoft has been busy advertising their latest console-and-PC title, Prince of Persia, for the holiday season and working on Assassin's Creed 2 - currently expected to be released in fiscal year 2010. CEO Yves Guillemot states they are planning to launch online game products in 2009, but says the experience will be more casual than the expansive Cryptic titles like Champions Online and Star Trek Online. This would have been one giant leap in moving to the MMO model.

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