agdc-2008
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Online gaming on Google's Lively to take on "corporate mentality"
Kevin Hanna, creative director of Google's Lively, said at AGDC that he hopes that Lively will become an online gaming platform that will challenge the status quo in a game industry he says is currently dominated by a "corporate mentality" that is "sucking the life out of what should be the most creative and innovative medium out there."He said that game developers and publishers seem eager to be "first to be second." That is, they have no interest in creating anything genuinely new. They just want to capitalize on ideas that have already been proven. His hope is that Lively will lower the barrier to entry so would-be developers ("passionate startups and kids in college") can experiment with new ideas with less risk.So far, the aspects of Google's vision for Lively as a game development platform that we've seen have looked like a greatly scaled back, poor man's version of MetaPlace; just the tools for creating simple arcade-like games, without any of the loftier purpose. But Hanna's comments suggest that at least some folks on the Lively team have grander ambitions after all.
AGDC08: The meaning of life in EVE Online really is 42 (no joke)
Last week at AGDC we had the chance to sit in on a number of really interesting panels. One that was near and dear to our tech-loving, MMO-playing hearts was the Wednesday-finale entitled "The Server Technology of EVE Online: How to Cope With 300,000 Players on One Server." Presented by CCP CTO Halldor Fannar Guðjónsson, it was an in-depth look at the way EVE Online is constructed from 'the back end'. They've talked before about their backend elements, about their decision to go with Microsoft's SQL Server and Stackless Python. Halldor offered a number of new elements in last week's talk, though, touching on the world-girding supercomputer network that keeps New Eden flying.While much of the talk was highly technical in nature, one fun element we took away was the mathematical nature of the EVE Online galaxy. When 'putting the universe together', the designers had to make a few fundamental decisions. How would it happen? On what level would the universe be simulated? What method would they use to make planets? Today we have a short clip of the talk, touching on those very subjects. Despite the depths to which most EVE players know their game world, we're betting you might learn something new about the depths of space, as created by CCP. Read on for the details.
AGDC08: Devs on why MMOs have a web-based future
A write-up at Gamasutra of an AGDC panel featuring MMO developers who have begun working on web-based projects gives us an opportunity to explore the new (some would say it's actually the old) frontier of massively multiplayer gaming.There are many MMOs that are experienced via a web interface (such as Sherwood), but traditional gamers have largely shunned the trend. Why, then, did some of the most hardcore MMO developers (including Dan Ogles, Raph Koster, and Scott Hartsman) abandon the traditional MMO in favor of this new frontier? Some of their work, like Ogles' Loudcrowd, is barely recognizable to traditional gamers.They offered some answers on the panel. For example, Koster (originally of Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies fame, now working on the creative platform MetaPlace) said that game devs have more to learn from web devs than vice versa. Ogles talked about using Adobe Flash so anyone can embed elements of the game anywhere on the web they like. It's worth a read if you're able to work through some pretty technical development speech.
AGDC: Interview with game writer Susan O'Connor
One thing that regular readers of Joystiq know is that we don't tend to delve too deeply into the mechanics behind the games, mostly because we're far too busy getting the news out. However, we got to sit down with games writer Susan O'Connor at Austin GDC and she provided an excellent insight into games from the writer's point of view.Click through for the full interview with Susan to find out why she thinks short games are better than epic ones, why the cinematic model isn't the best for games, and what she did on BioShock.
AGDC08: Joystiq goes one-on-one with 38 Studios CEO Brett Close
Massively's big-sister site Joystiq.com was down in Austin for AGDC last week as well, and they made great use of their time. Kevin Kelly sat down with the CEO of 38 Studios, Brett Close, for a one-on-one chat about the MMO industry and 38's future plans. With the unveil of the R.A. Salvatore IP still a number of months away, their discussion focuses primarily on Copernicus in generalities.Join Kelly and Close for an in-depth appraisal of how 38 Studios works, Curt Schilling's involvement in the day-to-day workings in the company, and how the other two 'big names' at the company fit into their master scheme. Gallery: 38 Studios' Copernicus MMO
Free to play pt. 2
Live TeamsLaunching is something like 10% of the overall effort. Keep your team small to start, grow when you prove your success. Don't keep on working on a second product until your first is growing and successful with its own team. Constantly check the vitals of the project, datamining and understanding what your players like and don't like.This is a Social ExperienceDevelop great gameplay focused on social interaction. Encourage establishing identities and tying players to each other.Free to play gaming isn't complicated math:Subscription MMOsTotal Revenue = Subscribers * Subscription CostPaying Users = Subscribers (100% of Users)Free to PlayTotal Revenue = # of Active users * Paying Rate * average revenue per user (ARPU)Paying Users = # of Active users * Paying RateFinancial Upside to FTP MMOsA minority of players pay, but you're likely reaching something like 10x more players generally. Average revenue per user (ARPU) is variable, with players paying above and below. That's inclusive, meaning players can pay what the game is actually worth to them. Players who don't pay can be monetized in other ways, without item sales. ARPU and paying rate can be greatly varied. Don't go for a crazy ARPU, go for something that's sustainable.
AGDC08: Why 'free to play' doesn't mean free or easy money
Min Kim, the presenter of the talk, subtitled this event "A collection of thoughts on building and launching a Free-to-Play MMO." Kim has been around the world and back talking about his company, Nexon, and the business practice they're leading the charge on. Free to play games are bigger than ever in the MMO space, be they local titles like Runescape or imports like Nexon's own MapleStory.As Nexon America's VP of Marketing, Kim generally makes for a compelling speaker. Still, it was hard not to be impressed at the specifics and knowledge he brings to a conversation on this topic. Essentially a guide to putting together a free-to-play business model from scratch, Kim's talk centered around hard-won lessons from the front lines.Read on for details on everything from the benefits of selling to kids at Target, to the dangers and pitfalls of self-publishing a game.
AGDC 08: The Importance of Learning Style and Gender in MMOs
We spent a little time at the Austin Game Developers Conference this year and walked away with our heads full of game-related knowledge. Not least of this came from a panel held by Sheri Graner Ray, the computer game industry's leading expert on the subject of gender and computer games.She began by dividing learning styles into types, and explaining how closely gender relates to the different styles. She then went on to discuss how important it is for game tutorials to include the different styles of learning at the risk of losing potential players. We've compiled a breakdown of Sheri's panel here, condensing her hour-long talk into what we think are her most salient points. Remember, most of these statements are not actual quotes unless specifically pulled out as such. Read on to learn more about "The Importance of Learning Style and Gender in MMOs".
AGDC: We talk to Jack Mathews of Armature Studio
Earlier this week, EA announced that the three developers (Jack Matthews, Mark Pacini, and Todd Keller) who jumped ship from the Nintendo-owned Retro Studios back in April would be forming their own development house, Armature Studio. They were courted by several big companies (read: as big as EA, and/or bigger) and finally signed a long-term publishing deal with EA to develop games for all consoles. Pacini said, "What really gets me going is that now, no platform is off limit. That is just something we didn't have the ability to do before." Both Retro and Armature are located in Austin, TX, so the timing of the press release was meant to be a part of the Austin GDC. Even though this same team worked on the Metroid Prime series, it's itching for more knuckle-blasting, thumbstick-twiddling, button-mashing fare. After the jump you can read our interview with Jack Mathews and find out what sort of platforms the new studio will be developing for. One thing we did learn: they're not making any MMOs.
AGDC: Deus Ex designer crafting new FPS-RPG, iPhone strategy game
During his AGDC keynote, Deus Ex lead designer (and outspoken critic of Midway's BlackSite: Area 51), Harvey Smith, revealed that he's at work on a new FPS-RPG for his current employer, Arkane Studios (Dark Messiah of Might & Magic). The studio is currently working in conjunction with Valve on The Crossing, a first-person "crossplayer" FPS, but Smith's reference to role-playing (and lack of reference to The Crossing) indicates an all-new project.Smith said that his design focus "is very much around games like Deus Ex," although his other keynote revelation – a "casual strategy game" for iPhone – shows that he's open to dabbling. Unless, of course, it's a casual Deus Ex universe strategy title ... super-deformed art style and everything.
AGDC: The Bruce Sterling keynote - The Future of Entertainment
Bruce Sterling is a science fiction author, a futurist, and one of the founders of cyberpunk. He provided the tent-pole keynote for the Austin Game Developers Conference, although in all honesty it seemed more like a run through of a new short story draft. Several developers were walking out, scratching their heads and going "Wha... huh?" afterward. The topic was "Computer Entertainment 35 Years from Today," and Sterling came out not as Sterling, but as a time traveler from 35 years in the future and a graduate student of Dr. Sterling's. He provided visual demonstrations of nanotech networks and fiber-based computers, much to the amusement of the audience, and told us how the future might seem surprising to us at first, but it's old hat to someone like him. He bastardized a quote from Sir Arthur Clarke and said, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from garbage." Words to live by.Read the full text of the keynote after the break. It'll be interesting if web surfers in the future look back on this post and laugh.
AGDC08: The Screen Actors Guild wants you to hear its game voice(s)
We've seen the Screen Actor's Guild booth at a lot of gaming and interactive events recently, from SXSW to GDC in San Francisco, so we finally decided to stop by and see what they're doing there. Normally, when you think about video game development, SAG isn't the first thing that springs to mind. It turns out that they have contracts that will allow developers with every type of budget to work with their stable of professional actors. So, rather than having Bob from Accounting (sorry, Bob) record the lines of Beelzebub the Destroyer for your new MMO, you can hire someone who can really sound like something from the depths of hell. We sat down with actors David Sobolov and David Anthony Pizzuto and director of new media for SAG, Mark Friedlander, to find out what why SAG has been appearing at gaming events. Plus, the guys do some of their many voices. Check out the highlights, see a video of a typical day in the booth, and listen to the audio of the interview after the break.
AGDC: The DC Universe Online team spills some beans
The Art of the DC Universe Online panel was overshadowed by the presence of artist Jim Lee, who fielded most of the questions about the design elements that are going into this game (as it's based on his visual style). We managed to learn some new elements about the game, including the special "inspired by" mode they've added to character creation.The panel consisted of art director Jared Carr, Jim Lee, lead character artist Jason Smith, and creative director Jens Anderson. Check out all the zap!, pow!, and bam! highlights after the break.
AGDC: Reset/Play, more gaming inspired artwork
Click for more pictures from the exhibit One of the opening night parties at Austin GDC was held at the Arthouse, which is currently housing an exhibit of gaming related art that ranges from 8-bit inspired to some truly abstract pieces. Reset/Play is showing in Austin through November 2nd, and is well worth a visit. Eddo Stern's Best...Flame War...Ever... (King of Bards vs. Squire Rex, June 2004) is worth the trip alone. It recreates an online flame war between two EverQuest gamers with sound and animation, and runs for about 14 minutes. Truly amazing.Another impressive piece in the exhibit is Andrew Galloway's How to Play World of Warcraft, which features two huge video images showing closeups of the mouse and keyboard of a gamer, and those are flanked by huge blowup images of ASCII text guides for the game. You can see both of these pieces in the gallery below, or read more about it at the Arthouse main page.%Gallery-32061%[Much thanks to Amaze Entertainment's Rodney Gibbs and SXSW's Linday Muse for the invitation]
Vivox to provide voice services for 38 Studios' upcoming MMO
Announced today at the Austin Game Developers Conference, Vivox has struck a deal with 38 Studios to provide all of their voice services for the studio's upcoming MMO. You may remember 38 Studios as the powerhouse that employs such rockstar names as Curt Schilling, R.A. Salvatore and Todd McFarlane. Their current MMO project, codenamed Copernicus, will use the same in-game voice technology of EVE Online, Second Life and upcoming titles from SOE, Icarus Studios and NCsoft.Check out the complete press release after the jump for more information on how Vivox plans to work with 38 Studios, and what 38 Studios says about the collaboration.
AGDC08: Jim Lee and the artwork of DC Universe Online
It's a generally busier day in Austin as the second round of AGDC sessions kicks off. Tuesday began for Massively with a look at DC Universe Online, Sony Online Entertainment's four-color physics-enabled brawler. Presented by none other than Jim Lee, the well-known comic book artist, the session was a look deep into the game's art direction and vision bringing the DC world online. Jim was joined by Jared Carr (art director for the game), Jason Smith (lead character artist), and Jens Anderson (creative director for DCUO). Read on below the cut for hints into everything from character customization to the unadulterated fun of bus-flinging,
DCUO Art panel pt. 2
How often do you talk with the SOE folks? Jim: I come down every three or four months? Jared: We get out to San Diego fairly often. Jim: Jason and I both work late, so a lot of the stuff we do with the characters are done at 1, 3, 4 in the morning. We work on different jpegs, different layers on a Photoshop file, working back and forth. Jason: He's not in Austin all the time, but we work together just all the time. You mentioned Gotham and Metropolis, but are any of the other cities in the DC world represented in game? Jens: We're saving that right now, but there will be some other environments to play around in.
Icarus Studios demos iPhone MMO software this week
Icarus Studios -- developer of Fallen Earth and the associated Icarus Platform virtual world development tools --announced via press release that this week it is demonstrating its 3D MMO platform running on Apple's iPhone at the Austin Game Developers Conference.The demo is modest -- a "360-degree panoramic tour of a sample virtual world location." Users control the camera with the phone's accelerometer. Apple recently threw down the gauntlet, saying that the iPhone and the iPod Touch platforms are "the best portable device for playing games." No reason that future can't include MMOs, right?The iPhone client is scheduled to launch in Q1 of 2009. Does this mean that within months everyone on the New York subway, the Chicago El, and the London Underground will be immersed in a never-ending, time-sinking quest for teh phat lewtz?
AGDC08: On avatar rights and virtual property
If you're anything like the average MMO gamer, you click through that 'shrinkwrap license' without even batting an eyelash. The End User License Agreement, or EULA, is just a speedbump in the logon process for game players. For game companies, though, they're extraordinarily important documents. They require legal consultation, careful thought, and even more careful wording. They do exactly what the name says, spelling out the rights a player has in an online world. Noting that he really enjoys it when panel participants argue and disagree, Erik Bethke brought together a group of people to debate and discuss the issue of user rights. Along with Bethke, author Erin Hoffman, legal representative Greg Boyd, startup VP Scott Hartsman, and noted industry designer and analyst Raph Koster filled out the panel. Read on for notes from their fascinating discussion, which covered everything from government intervention in online worlds to the 'ownership' of virtual property.
AGDC08: Exploring the Endgame
The words on the first slide of the first talk at AGDC are evocative enough. "Damion Schubert, Lead Combat Designer, BioWare." Damion is a well known commentator on the MMO industry, a prolific writer and an entertaining blogger at the Zen of Design site. Last year his 'Casual vs. Hardcore' talk was one of the highlights of the event. This year he's returned to discuss the challenges and design decisions that go into making the final challenges in a Massively Multiplayer game. Endgame gameplay, elder gameplay, is a mandatory and compelling part of the genre's equation. In fact, in Damion's opinion complex elder gameplay exemplifies what makes the massive genre what it is. Read on for notes from his engaging talk, with ... possibly ... some hints about what might be coming from the minds at BioWare.
