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EVE Evolved: EVE needs real colonisation now
MMOs have absolutely exploded in popularity over the past decade, with online gaming growing from a niche hobby to a global market worth billions of dollars each year. Once dominated by subscription games like EverQuest and World of Warcraft, recent years have seen free-to-play games take centre stage. Global MMO subscriptions have been reportedly shrinking since 2010, and EVE doesn't appear to be immune to this industry-wide trend. Though February 2013's figures showed EVE subscriptions have technically grown year-on-year, those numbers were published just after the Chinese server relaunch, and CCP hasn't released any new figures since. Developers have done a good job of catering to current subscribers and polishing existing gameplay with the past few expansions, but the average daily login numbers are still the same as they were over four years ago. EVE will undoubtedly hook in plenty of new and returning subscribers when its deep space colonisation gameplay with player-built stargates and new hidden solar systems is implemented, but time could be running out on these features. Hefty competition is due in the next few years from upcoming sandbox games such as Star Citizen, EverQuest Next, Camelot Unchained, and Elite: Dangerous, and CCP will have to release something big soon to bring in some fresh blood. In this week's EVE Evolved, I ask whether CCP should focus on new players and suggest plans for two relatively simple colonisation-based expansions that could get EVE a significant part of the way toward its five-year goal in just one year.
MMO Mechanics: Balancing game economies
Most players won't need an economics degree to play an MMO, but strong mechanical forces under the bonnet still guide our actions in our favourite titles. Virtually every financial exchange can be broken down into an effort equals economic gain equation: We put in our hours, and the game economy churns out new gear or money. Since so many in-game actions financially reward players, MMOs have developed mechanics that attempt to curtail the inflation game economies usually see. Charging your character for goods and services, bind-on-pickup gear, regular destruction of valuable goods, and player-controlled auction house and farming systems all combine to keep the spiralling amount of coppers falling into player hands in check. In this week's MMO Mechanics, I'm going to look at some ways both sandbox and themepark MMOs automatically rebalance weighted economies by exploring the systems that restrict the free trade of goods and curb players' constant accrual of money. I'll look at how each system functions and how player manipulation adds a new layer of realism to game economies.
Perfect Ten: New MMOs to watch in 2014
Out with the old desk calendars that you didn't use past February 2013 and in with the new, I always say! It's a brand-new year, and while we don't know all of the twists and turns that we'll travel in MMO news in 2014, I dare say it promises to be a fascinating ride. Last January I gave my list of 10 new MMOs to watch for that year, and I'm a sucker for traditions. With 2014 a mostly blank slate right now, I want to lay out the up-and-coming class of games that at least have a shot at releasing by December. There are the big names, of course, but several other titles that could be sleeper hits if all goes right. Which will succeed, which will flop, and which won't even get out of the door? I don't claim to know all, but I know all, so here are my prognostications for 2014!
Elite: Dangerous newsletter talks 'accessibility plus depth'
Frontier has released its 15th Elite: Dangerous e-newsletter. The publication focuses heavily on the sandbox space sim's recent alpha kickoff, and it features plenty of developer commentary on everything from art and audio to code and design. There's also a handy run-down of game development jobs and terminology, so if you've ever wondered what a renderer does or what Frontier's core design mandate happens to be ("accessibility plus depth"), look no further than issue 15. [Thanks Peteris!]
Make My MMO: Crowdfunding December 1 - 14, 2013
If it seems as if crowdfunding's gone into a turkey coma lately, you aren't just imagining things -- at least as far as funded games are concerned. News on that front has seemed scarce compared to the deluge of some other two-week spans, but the current campaigns are trying to make up for it. Life is Feudal canceled its Indiegogo campaign, but devs vowed to "survive according to Plan 'B'," so we'll keep an eye out to see whether it moves into personal funding as other games have done. (That route is working for Neo's Land, whose donations keep creeping higher.) Similarly, Novus AEterno scrapped its second Kickstarter campaign, but in a twist, it's already restarted another with a lower goal. Outer Worlds Online, however, just didn't make the funding cut. On the successful side, manners and dinner parties will be coming to an MMO near you; Ever, Jane got an invitation to join the funded club. A few other funded titles also saw some progress, and still others joined (or re-joined) the race for your support. And topping all that, we also bid farewell to Elite: Dangerous, who leaves Make My MMO for Betawatch now that its alpha has started. You can catch all the updates below.
Elite: Dangerous alpha starts today
If you're an Elite: Dangerous backer, you'll be pleased to know that the space sim title is officially in alpha as of today. Frontier has released an announcement video wherein developer David Braben outlines what players can expect. In a nutshell, the alpha entails single-player combat, including different weapons, loadouts, battles, and more. Frontier says that the aim of its phase one alpha is to "test key aspects of ship control and combat systems. Piloting a Sidewinder with varying weapon configurations, players progress through eight single-player scenarios [that are] initially designed to familiarize players with the controls [while] gradually increasing in difficulty and complexity.
Make My MMO: Crowdfunding November 17 - 30, 2013
One thing gamers can definitely be thankful for this year is crowdfunding! Thanks to this phenomenon, we have many more options opening to us than ever before. And there are definitely some good gaming prospects on the horizon, even if news about all but one is seeming a bit scarce lately. While it's true that a few funded projects tossed out a news morsel or two, two new campaigns replaced two unsuccessful ones (neither The Zodiac Project nor Omuni Online made their goals), newcomer The Mandate already made its goal, and another hopeful -- Ever, Jane -- has secured three-quarters of its goal with only a couple of days left, the majority of the spotlight has been stolen the upcoming space sim Star Citizen, which continues to blast the crowdfunding record to smithereens. If you missed any of the news, you can catch up on it all right here in Make My MMO.
Elite: Dangerous dev diary takes you inside the cockpit (and the art department)
Got seven minutes to spare? Love internet spaceships? Then the latest Elite: Dangerous video dev diary is tailor-made for your viewing pleasure. Art director Chris Gregory does the voice-over honors, and he's got a lot to say about taking game assets from the concept stage to the building stage. He also explains how the dev team added animations to its static designs and came up with the previously released capital ship video, which helped both artists and game designers to get a clearer picture of their concepts in action. Gregory also shows off Elite's virtual cockpit functionality, complete with jostling cockpits and fluid, natural camera movements that suggest those of a real pilot. See for yourself after the cut. [Thanks tipsters!]
Make My MMO: Crowdfunding November 3 - 16, 2013
A quiet fortnight in the land of crowdfunding these past two weeks have not been. In fact, with the popularity of this funding model, it may never be quiet again. The past two weeks have had their share of campaigns starting, campaigns closing, and campaigns obliterating goals and funding records alike. Three new prospective games have popped on the radar (including one for those with impeccable manners!), and one has disappeared. But even that game isn't gone for good; although pledges had climbed to over $86K, Trials of Ascension canceled its campaign in order to "regroup, rework, and return." Another title, City of Titans, is taking its place among the fully funded crowd. And there there is Star Citizen, which proved that a single fortnight can't go by without the game's gathering another million or two. All that information and more can be found here in Make My MMO!
Make My MMO: Crowdfunding October 20 - November 2, 2013
The news meter for crowdfunding keeps right on ticking. The last two weeks have seen a score of changes in the realm of community funding initiatives, with some titles experiencing success, others not meeting their goals, and even more joining the ranks. One big name in gaming, Brad McQuaid, is even planning on launching a campaign in the near future. The zombie-centric The Living was unsuccessful, and Story Quest Online failed for a second time. Mixmaster Online removed itself from the field and canceled its campaign. On the other hand, 8BitMMO met its first stretch goal, ensuring that a Mac edition of that game will be available for players. And then there's City of Titans, which is climbing closer to doubling its goal with only two days left. Finally, there are all the progress updates for those already-funded campaigns, conveniently rounded up right here for you in Make My MMO.
EVE Evolved: Merging Valkyrie with EVE Online
Ever since its release in 2003, EVE Online has been bombarded with requests for direct flight controls and dogfighter-style gameplay. Most ships in EVE are huge lumbering hulks compared to real-world aircraft, more akin to large sea-faring ships than nimble jetfighters. Even tiny agile Interceptors can't be controlled directly, instead having the player issue commands to fly in a particular direction or move toward or orbit an object. As a result, combat in EVE has become much more heavily about the strategy of directing fleets of dozens or hundreds of ships than any kind of piloting skill or twitch control. This year's EVE Fanfest gave players a glimpse into the world of immersive twitch combat with the announcement of a new dogfighting game set in the EVE Online universe. Originally starting out as an virtual reality experiment by a few developers in their spare time, EVE Valkyrie has now become a full game in its own right and an example of what's possible with the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset. It was always assumed that Valkyrie was an EVE game in name and theme only, but recently developers have revealed that they'd like it to tie into the actual EVE Online universe itself. In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at recently revealed information on EVE Valkyrie and speculate on how it could be integrated into the EVE universe.
Make My MMO: Crowdfunding October 6 - 19, 2013
This was quite a fortnight in the realm of crowdfunding, and for once we don't mean just Star Citizen news! More than one game met its funding goals, with one title proving that fans can be a very passionate lot: City of Titans reached its lofty goal within days. On top of that, two other games joined the fight for funding. Conversely, Alteil Horizons pulled its campaign at literally the last minute to avoid the stigma of an unsuccessful stamp and plans to launch again. Want the scoop on all these stories and many more? Learn the latest right here in Make My MMO.
Elite: Dangerous' seventh dev diary divulges alpha, beta plans
If the recent Oculus Rift announcement has you even more excited to get your hands on Elite: Dangerous, today's new video dev diary has some information you might be interested in, namely a little detail like alpha. In this seventh dev diary, David Braben, founder of Frontier Developments, announced that alpha testing will begin in December. Starting with the combat test build, different aspects of Elite: Dangerous will be rolled out during the alpha phase and then brought all together into a complete package for beta testing. At the end of beta all Kickstarter backers will get the game and have access in their own gamma testing phase before retail release. In the second half of the diary, Braben answers player questions about topics like mission failure and weapon systems on space stations. You can hear all the answers in the video below. [Thanks to Peteris for the tip!]
See the universe of Elite: Dangerous through Oculus Rift
Do you remember the phrase "The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades"? Well, in the land of Elite: Dangerous, the future's so bright players get to wear Oculus Rift. That's right: Frontier has announced that the upcoming space sim will support the goggles that really immerse the player in the universe through virtual reality. Additionally, Executive Producer Michael Brookes has stated that all backers of the game who have access to an Oculus Rift headset will have free access to the Oculus Rift version of the game. [Thanks to Peteris for the tip!]
Elite: Dangerous newsletter talks weapons, dev diaries, and more
Still haven't signed up for Frontier's Elite: Dangerous newsletter? That's OK, because we have and we're happy to share our perusal of it with you, dear space sim fans. This is issue number 12, and there's a fair bit of ground to cover including last week's dev diary video (which you can see after the break) as well as bits of fiction and bobs relating to both planetary and weapon design. This last one gets a fair amount of virtual ink, as Frontier has plenty to say on customizable rail guns, gimbal-mounted tracking and targeting systems, and more.
Make My MMO: Crowdfunding September 22 - October 5, 2013
Not all games that turn to crowdfunding need a boost to get off the ground. In fact, one new addition to our column this week -- 8BitMMO -- is utilizing this avenue to help accommodate the exponential growth it has experienced over the last couple of years. The other newcomer, however, is actually trying to build from the ground up; City of Titans wants to give displaced City of Heroes fans a new home. In other news, Star Citizen was the news! Videos, interviews, new goals, and more poured forth from this crowdfunding giant this week. We also heard from Embers of Caerus (which has been pretty quite for a long while). Even Neo's Land chimed in with a new demo. And you can get the whole scoop here!
Elite: Dangerous releases commentary on the most recent trailer
We live in a suspicious time for game trailers. You see a great trailer and your first thoughts aren't about how great the game look but about whether or not it was all just pre-rendered. Worry not, Elite: Dangerous fans: the recent trailer showing off an epic space battle was almost entirely rendered in the game engine. A new follow-up walks through the video and explains what was already in place, what was added specifically for the trailer, and how the video as a whole helped the design team. While almost everything rendered in the trailer was generated in the game engine, the ships involved were all flying along pre-determined paths. This might not sound like a big deal until you realize that it allowed the art team to examine everything from multiple angles, making sure that things looked right from various paths without having to manually test each element. But don't take our word for it, just check out the companion trailer past the break and find out about it yourself. [Thanks to Peteris for the tip!]
EVE Evolved: Will Star Citizen or Elite harm EVE?
Publishers haven't been willing to put a lot of money behind a sci-fi sandbox for some time, but upcoming games Star Citizen and Elite: Dangerous seem set to revive the genre thanks to the power of crowdfunding. Star Citizen in particular has collected a world record $19.6 million in pledges so far from almost 258,000 individuals, eliminating the need for publishers and heavy investment entirely. Though both games are designed to be a primarily singleplayer or small-scale multiplayer adventures, their respective developers have already promised shared online universes and sandbox gameplay that could give EVE Online a run for its money. The past decade has shown EVE to be one of the most resilient MMOs on the planet. It's survived several major scandals, barely noticed the release of giant World of Warcraft, and has somehow maintained its subscription-based business model in a market rapidly being overtaken by free-to-play titles. Even at its lowest point, the game managed to survive the 2011 monoclegate scandal and the subsequent fallout that saw CCP Games lose 20% of its staff worldwide. EVE's subscriptions and concurrent user numbers have historically been unaffected by the release of new MMOs or sci-fi titles, so why should Star Citizen be any different? In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at how EVE Online has lived with very little direct competition until now and ask whether Star Citizen and Elite could be among the first games to directly draw players from EVE.
Make My MMO: Crowdfunding September 8 - 21, 2013
In the oft changing world of crowdfunding hopefuls, faces come and faces go... and sometimes they come back again. If one of the newcomers to this edition of Make My MMO looks familiar, that's because the game ran a shorter, unsuccessful Kickstarter campaign last July. With a longer run this time around, perhaps Story Quest Online will fare better. On the flip side, one campaign flipped sections: We congratulate StarCraft Universe on meeting its goal and joining the ranks of the fully funded. Plenty of other news came from the funded ranks as well, from the crowdfunding king hit more funding goals (again) to progress reports and new feature reveals. You can catch all the details right here.
You should watch this Elite: Dangerous trailer
In space, no one can hear you scream, but funnily enough they can hear explosions, laser blasts, and engine noise. Which is fantastic, of course, particularly in the case of the latest Elite: Dangerous trailer. The two-minute-and-44-second symphony of sci-fi destruction also features a spiffy orchestral soundtrack by composer Erasmus Talbot. In fact, the video itself was used as part of Frontier's composer selection process, while the newly minted trailer track was part of Talbot's pitch for the job. Frontier's YouTube verbiage says that the video also serves as a development tool for things like the game's GUI layout, special effects, and ship materials. Have a look -- and a listen -- after the break.
