cash-for-content
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EQII Player Studio challenges players to end bad hair days
Back when Player Studio first introduced the idea of adding player-created items for sale in EverQuest II's cash shop, only housing items and cloaks could be submitted. However, players were promised that more items would be allowed in time. Well, break out your Blender, because that time is now! Fans with a creative streak can now submit personally designed hairstyles, weapons, and shields for consideration and possible inclusion in the game. Currently, hairstyles for only elves and humans can be submitted and must be shoulder-length or above. For weapons, various one- and two-handed stances are all possible, with the notable exception of caster staffs. Instructions, models, and samples are provided on the official site.
Some Assembly Required: Creating content for cash
Housing. Mission generators. Player-run festivals. Music. Overall general sandboxy goodness. Since its debut over a year ago, Some Assembly Required has covered a number of topics related to player-generated content as well as the games that offer such features. However, recent events have turned my attention toward a different aspect of PGC. Between the Dota 2 incident and last week's announcement from Sony Online Entertainment, I am actually looking at player-generated content in a whole new way: as a revenue generator. That's right -- collecting cold hard cash for your creativity. Although plenty of titles allow players to create content and share it within the games, very few let players sell that content for real-world money. This column explores the cash-for-content phenomenon in MMOs: what games have it, how to use it, and whether it is likely to become the next big thing.
