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One Shots: Mutant masochists
One of the quickest ways to my heart -- and to the top of a weekly One Shots column -- is to send me in something that I haven't seen before or an MMO that hardly ever makes it to my inbox. That's why I'm kicking off with this submission from Zulika featuring Auto Assault, the post-apocalyptic vehicle game that lived but for a brief time. "Notice the faint quest marker above the head of the lady suspended by chains and hooks. If I remember correctly, this was taken in some quest hub full of mutant masochists. Even though it was just in a game, it still felt odd," wrote Zulika. Odd in most situations, true, but for MMO players it's just the latest in a long calvacade of weirdness that we witness every day. Let's get this parade going!
Jukebox Heroes: Tracy W. Bush opens up about WoW, Dungeon Runners, and DCUO
Odds are that even if you don't know who Tracy W. Bush is, you've allowed him to pipe music from his mind directly into your ears at one point or another during your MMO gameplay. Bush has contributed to tons of MMO soundtracks over the past decade-plus, including World of Warcraft, Tabula Rasa, Dungeon Runners, Auto Assault, and DC Universe Online. It was actually this column's discussion of the Tabula Rasa soundtrack that prompted Bush to write in (fun fact: Blue Turns to Grey was the first track he wrote for the game, but the team held off putting it in until the very end), and I asked him if he'd be open to chatting about his collective work here. That didn't take much arm-twisting, no sirree. So with that, I'm going to turn the mike over to Tracy Bush and let him share with you what it's like to create soundscapes that echo so powerfully in your memories.
The Soapbox: No game lives forever
The lifespan of a video game is a funny thing. There are some games that have a definite end, yet you'd wish they'd last forever. These games measure life in replayability, run-through length, or multiplayer matches, but they lack permanence and persistence. Still, you can usually dust them off years from now and still have fun with them. MMOs are a different breed, aren't they? They promise the inverse of the solo game, with a world that goes on, content that keeps flooding in, and the illusion that it will last forever. Yet when the switch is turned off, there's no going back. You can't pick it up 10 years from now and give it another go. It's why the news that an MMO is closing up shop comes as such a devastating blow to many of us. As MMOs attempt to emulate the persistence of life, so too do they illustrate the finality of death.
Leaderboard: MMO most worthy of resurrection
I had an interesting revelation this past week. While it seems that we've had so many MMOs shutting down over the year, when I look at the big picture of all of the major titles that have been released, the vast majority of them are still in operation. It made me realize just how resilient and strong this industry is. Yet there are those games that have seen their final days and exist now only in our memories and dusty screenshot folders. Some might be good riddance to us; others are still painful wounds. We've all harbored fantasies of MMOs coming back from the great beyond for a second lease on life, but if you had to choose just one, what would it be? That's the topic for today's poll, so look at the following list and think long and hard about your choice. Resurrection isn't something that happens every day in MMOs, after all.
The Daily Grind: Is it possible to get as attached to vehicles as avatars?
Vehicle MMOs, whether they be space-based ones with starships or Mad Max-style road warriors, seem to come with a pretty severe handicap when it comes to personal connection. I've long since believed that it's simply far, far harder to identify with a non-living vehicle than it is a virtual humanoid in games, and because of that, such titles will be at a disadvantage when trying to keep players attached to their in-game avatars. Part of this problem might stem from the fact that most vehicle MMOs have you constantly ditching old models in favor of new ones. Apart from games like Marvel Heroes, you just don't see that in traditional MMOs; your avatar at the beginning is the same one at the end, just better clothed. By viewing your vehicular avatars as disposable tools, you have a much harder time properly bonding with that item. Then again, I could be wrong. It's the internet, so I'm sure to be called out as such. I genuinely want to know: Is it possible to get as attached to vehicles as your in-MMO avatars? 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!
Ex-MMO devs aim to fund space combat game via Kickstarter
They were part of the force behind many MMOs you've known and loved, including Jumpgate, Auto Assault, LEGO Universe, RIFT, and League of Legends, and now they're banding together for a new cause funded by crowdsourcing. They're the developers at END Games, and they hope to raise a quarter of a million dollars to create a multiplayer space combat game. Despite the team's legacy, however, this new title will not be an MMO. Titled Squad Wars, the proposed project will blossom into a frantic starfighter game that will pit squads of players against each other in the deadly vacuum of space. Instead of focusing on a persistent world, Squad Wars will offer packaged scenarios that will "ensure the most fun every time you login." END Games is also notable in that two of its members were founders of NetDevil: Scott Brown and Ryan Seabury. As of the time of this writing, END Games has $1,430 toward its goal, which must be attained by May 19th for the project to proceed.
The Perfect Ten: The sadistic shopper's list for Black Friday and Cyber Monday
With the holiday shopping season upon us, gamers are hot for great deals and cheap entertainment. As my wife's logic goes, if something is 80% off, you buy it, even if you didn't really want it in the first place. It's the principle of the thing, an automatic 80% dose of smug satisfaction at being a savvy shopper! Not every deal should be pursued, however. Although most video games are playable for years and decades after release, not so with MMOs that have had their service shuttered. It's recently come to my attention that even though these games are completely unplayable -- rendered nothing more than a few cents' worth of a DVD and cardboard packaging -- online retailers haven't kept up with the times and keep these products on the virtual shelves long past their expiration dates. That's not to say you should avoid these products at all cost, because studies show that a large percentage of Massively readers have a sick and twisted sense of humor. What would make a better gift this Christmas than a multi-million-dollar-budget MMO that died a horrible death years before? So don't be the typical gifter who settles for a Blu-ray player or an iPod -- give a package of misery, disillusionment and broken dreams! Hit the jump for 10 items that absolutely belong in your shopping cart if you wish to be feared!
The pain and suffering of MMO shutdowns
Like life itself, the MMO industry doesn't often seem fair -- promising games can die premature deaths while creaky antiques continue to chug along just fine. When an MMO like APB or Tabula Rasa announces that it's closing its doors after only a couple years (or months), the first reaction is usually to ask, "What in Sam Hill happened and why are they doing this to me?" Yet what isn't always considered is the emotional fallout on behalf of the devs. Over at Kotaku, Michael Fahey examined the fallout when MMOs are shuttered prematurely, using the examples of Auto Assault and The Matrix Online as case studies. NetDevil spent four years developing the former, which lasted a mere fraction of that time -- 16 months -- as a live game. Ryan Seabury testifies to the pain that this causes for a dev team: "I won't lie, it hurts like hell still over four years later... Naturally, if a universe like Auto Assault that you sort of mentally attach to over multiple years suddenly ceases to exist, it's like a part of you dies." He personally points to NCsoft as the reason for Auto Assault's closure, stating that the game might still be in operation if it wasn't for the publisher's lack of faith. On the flip side, The Matrix Online had a longer run and plenty of time to prepare for the end once word was passed down. Then-Community Manager Daniel Myers says that the decision was a matter of dollars and sense. Still, Myers admits that it continues to affect him: "There are still days that I wish I could log in and see the Megacity again. I don't know [if] that will ever completely stop. I kind of hope it doesn't."
The Daily Grind: The Dead Pool
Now it's widely known that MMORPG players are a cheerful, optimistic bunch [citation needed]. It also goes without saying that no Massively reader would ever be caught wishing the downfall of a particular MMO or company [citation needed]. After all, the more titles that survive and thrive, the more the genre as a whole grows. With games like EverQuest, Ultima Online and Asheron's Call pushing well over a decade of run-time at this point, MMOs have proven that -- given a chance and enough initial steam -- they can go the distance. However, realism is a nasty mistress, and we can't ignore the fact that sooner or later MMOs will shut down. We've seen some flare up and burn out quickly (Tabula Rasa, Auto Assault), some struggle for years before capitulating (The Matrix Online, Asheron's Call 2), and some quietly put to pasture after all attempts at prolonging life failed (Shadowbane). The dark truth is that even the games we currently play have a finite lifespan, and one day will see their light extinguished. Cheery, right? So today, let's engage in a bit of macabre speculation and wager on a MMO dead pool. Without using this as a platform to rail against a MMO you hate and were personally wronged by on one midsummer's eve, what MMO do you think will be the next to close its doors? Will it be one of the newer titles, or one published by a company that has the tendency to shutter struggling games, or an aging beauty? Enter into today's dead pool, and earn the right to say "I told you so!" when the sad day happens. Because that will totally make you look tactful, don't you know.
Cryptic's Jack Emmert: No Plans For Consoles, STO over 100K subscribers
"100% of our focus is on making the current PC product the best it can be. There are no current plans for a console version of Champions." Thus sayeth Cryptic Studio's Jack Emmert on the official Champions Online forums, ending speculation when or if this event would happen. Over the past couple years, it looked as though Cryptic had console ports in its plans, from bringing on board console engine programmers to public plans of expanding their subscriber base into the console market. However, when the date for the supposed console release kept getting pushed back, players grew worried, and now it seems that the concern was justified. This might have been compounded by the fact that recently Champions Online experienced a major transition as executive producer Bill Roper stepped down and Shannon "Poz" Posniewski took over. The folks over at The Big Freaking Podcast grabbed a bit of face time with Jack Emmert, Cryptic's Chief Operating Officer, to expand on this news as well as the future for Champions and Star Trek Online. Read on for the highlights of this interview!
The Daily Grind: What MMO would you like to see be brought back to life?
Today is a day where we should honor our fallen. Motor City Online. Tabula Rasa. Auto Assault. Asheron's Call 2. Earth and Beyond. Underlight. Shadowbane. Castle Infinity. The Matrix Online. The Sims Online. Seed. All of these games, and more, are MMOs that have launched, played, and then died.Each of these games has a reason for why it was cancelled, but the outcome remains the same -- they aren't online today and their clients are nothing more than wasted code sitting on a disk. Some of these games were our introduction to the genre. Others were our favorite games -- the ones that could trump even the largest names in the MMO business.So Massively readers, which dead MMO would you like to see be resurrected? Tell us some stories as to why you pick your game of choice, and drop them all in the comment box below. Mourn with others, we encourage it!
How much is riding on City of Heroes: Going Rogue?
At the six-year mark, City of Heroes is still moving forward, with City of Heroes: Going Rogue targeted for release in the second quarter of 2010. It's certainly not the oldest game to receive an expansion, but Vicarious Existence has an interesting point to be made: exactly how much is riding on the success of this expansion? In true heroic sense, it may well be the fate of NCsoft West and of NCsoft's entire western presence in the market. It's no secret that NCsoft West has had a difficult time in the market, with the first rumbles having been made clear with the sad tale of Auto Assault. And it's hardly necessary to dredge up painful memories about the games that have also gone the way of the dodo. But as the post points out, there's not nearly as much revenue coming in from the western branch of the company as they'd like, even with the success Aion has been having in the marketplace. (If that sounds cynical or as if it's expecting too much money, Adam Martin has an excellent explanation of why NCsoft could and would be so draconic about profits.) To be fair, the post is a bit alarmist, but it does posit that there could be a great deal of trouble on the horizon for City of Heroes -- and perhaps the whole studio -- based on the performance of the expansion. And even if the idle speculation is wrong, it certainly does put you in the right mood for the expansion, doesn't it?
Score some cheap NCsoft game time
If you, like us, are always looking for a way to save a few dollars in your monthly MMO budget, then you may be glad to hear this news. After all, replacing all those robot minions when they get trashed can be really expensive - or maybe that's just us. In either case, if you're an avid City of Heroes or City of Villains, Lineage, or Lineage II player, then you'll be glad to hear that our friends over at GoGamer have a great sale on NCsoft time cards going on now. (We'd assume they'll work on Aion as well, considering their site lists these cards as being valid for Auto Assault....) Right now, you can score two months of prepaid game time for the seriously cheap price of $18.90. While there is a shipping cost, the charge becomes very minor compared to the overall savings when you stock up on multiple cards. Of course, if you don't really want several months of cheap game time, you could always go in on an order with friends - or just send them to us. We'd gladly take any spare pre-paid time off your hands. Expensive robot minion replacements and all that, you know.
The Digital Continuum: Sci-fi geeks need to experience Jumpgate Evolution
Spring is right around the corner and with it comes warmer weather, rain showers, blossoming fauna and Jumpgate Evolution. As much as I'd love to think there are thousands of you out there that know all about the game, I get the feeling that in actuality the number is significantly lower. Granted, real-time action space shooter MMOs aren't exactly a mass market genre, so it's probably a fair shake overall.But what's really worrying me is that even those who should be excited for Jumpgate Evolution are seemingly unaware of it's forthcoming release. This won't do, and so I present to you the essentials of why a sci-fi fan should give this game some serious consideration for their 2009 MMO budget.
Can the sci-fi genre succeed?
Earth and Beyond. Star Wars Galaxies. Auto Assault. Tabula Rasa. For a genre that dominates television and written media, science fiction can't seem to find a good foothold in the MMO industry past EVE Online. Even the upcoming Stargate Worlds is on shaky ground, and it hasn't even stepped over the threshold into the market. With a genre so plagued by failure, what can a company do to succeed like CCP? Can Star Trek Online, Jumpgate Evolution, and Star Wars: The Old Republic shake the curse?These were the topics of a recent interview between Cody Bye of Ten Ton Hammer and Rob Hill and Kevin Beardslee of Trion World Network, the developers behind the Sci-Fi channel's MMORPG/television tie-in game. The interview covers all manner of things, like how Trion seeks to differentiate themselves from the current MMO market, how they want to interact with their community, how they are handling the creation of the game next to the television series, and how Blizzard's polish mantra can really support a well made game. You can check out the full interview over at Ten Ton Hammer.
NetDevil talks past, present and future of MMOs
Now that Tabula Rasa will be closing in two months, many of us are remembering a similar situation in 2007 with NCsoft's Auto Assault. The game's development team at NetDevil was fairly outspoken at the time about what they felt was a savable game, yet NCsoft saw it as a business decision. One of the most vocal NetDevil employees who tried to save the game was Scott Brown. Ten Ton Hammer caught up with Brown in a recent interview where he gave his current views on Auto Assault's closing, what the company is working on now and a hint at what's in their future."I would never turn off a game." Brown says in the interview. "I would do what I would need to do to make the game support itself, but why turn it off? Especially when there are people that love your game?" With knowing what they know now, Brown discusses how the studio has changed their development process. Their current projects, including the LEGO Universe MMO, Jumpgate and an unannounced web-based game coming soon, are enough to keep this company from focusing too much on their past mistakes and just blasting forward into the future.This interview is part one of two, so look for more from Scott Brown in the second half coming next week.
Anti-Aliased: You've been Auto-Assaulted, part deux
I'm one of those people that likes to think that NCsoft has enough money to get by on. It's just my gut reaction that if you have a few successful games then you probably have some spending money in your wallet. So, I like to think that NCsoft, even though they certainly took a pretty huge hit when they invested in Tabula Rasa, could have easily kept the development process going. Perhaps it would have been much slower than it currently was, but there was no reason it couldn't keep going on some type level.They have, at least, provided some compensation for players who are currently subscribed to the game; the chance to try out games like City of Heroes and Lineage 2 are offered in the stead of TR gameplay time.
Anti-Aliased: You've been Auto-Assaulted
"Absolutely. [The restructuring] has no impact on Tabula Rasa. ... I don't know where the rumors are coming from, but with [marketing blitz] Operation Immortality in full swing, the team's very dedicated to that game, and they are still working on it," said David Swofford, Director of Public Relations of NCsoft to Edge Online on September 11th."Tabula Rasa is a triple-A MMO. It is a game that is very much in the wheelhouse of what NC West and NCsoft globally are all about," said David Reid, President of Publishing of NC West on September 24th. "...we see improvement happening in Tabula Rasa. We're encouraged by it."So, NCsoft, how does it feel to absolutely lie through your teeth to players and staff about Tabula Rasa?
The Digital Continuum: Why must MMOs die?
Sitting on my desk are copies of Earth and Beyond and Auto Assault. In fact, I've even got a CE box for Auto Assault (that thing cost me 80 bucks). Unfortunately, these games are just dust collectors now. I keep them to remind me of the possibility of sunset and how much it can suck. Even if you didn't play Tabula Rasa, there were thousands of people who did, and that's all that really matters
NetDevil's Brown likens Jumpgate to Gran Turismo
Of all the unlikely comparisons we've heard over the years, one we hadn't really anticipated was the comparison between Jumpgate Evolution and Gran Turismo. And just the same, there it is, smack dab in the middle of a recent interview Gamasutra conducted with NetDevil's Scott Brown. Brown says that in Jumpgate Evolution, instead of merely relying on a level-based progression system, you can achieve ranks in specific classes of weapons and ships in a manner not unlike Gran Turismo's license system.Brown goes on to talk about their priorities when it comes to putting the game through beta, the lessons they've learned from both Auto Assault and Jumpgate Classic, and the iterative development strategy they've employed. The interviewer also expressed shock--as many have--about the game's relatively lilliputian group of developers, with only 13 people developing such a brilliant-looking game. It's worth a read if you consider yourself a pilot-to-be.
