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MMO Family: Six kid-friendly MMOs that need to be made
Back in 2010 at DICE, game developer and Carnegie Mellon Professor Jesse Schell gave a thought-provoking talk about extrinsic motivations in games. In it, he postulated that there's a blurring of the lines, and that we're moving toward a day when our everyday actions are driven by "points" and "achievements." All too often, that's what drives gameplay in popular MMOs, particularly for children -- complete some minigames or tasks in order to accumulate points/tokens/currency that can be used for rewards of your choice. But sometimes, what gets lost is the fun of playing in a virtual world. When my son plays Wizard101, one of his favorite things to do is stopping by the hidden cave under the waterfall in Wizard City because he was so excited to have discovered it on his own. And when my kids found the vault in Free Realms, it was one of their biggest moments. Granted, the vault is closed now and partially hidden by vines, but they were still excited to have found it. There's so much more to MMOs than achievements and points, and there are many popular children's titles that would be great settings. Some foster exploration, some teach, and some are just wonderful venues for kids to have fun. Read on for a look at what children's MMOs need to be made (and I promise that not one is Harry Potter!).
DICE awards now on IFC.com, check out the Jay Mohr monologue here
If you missed the live stream of the 13th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards (i.e., the DICE awards), and don't want to wait for the "broadcast premiere" this Friday, the whole thing is available now in chunks on IFC.com. The first two clips cover Jay Mohr's (Gary Unmarried, Action, Go, Mr. Nikki Cox) 40-minute monologue, while the rest is the awards ceremony -- and, well, the "Indiana Jones sequel" Mohr wanted swept those. The reason we decided to drop the Mohr monologue after the break was because we're guessing there will be "edits" for TV, including some inside jokes about Richard Garriott and Bobby Kotick (in particular, the 6:45 mark during the second clip). We're not sure if the general television audience will "get it," but we trust that you all will.
Swag Sunday: The DICE bag o' swag [update]
Update: This contest has been closed and the winner will be contacted shortly via commenter-based email, so keep your eyes on the inbox! Believe us, dear reader -- there's nothing we'd like more than to have brought you with us to Las Vegas for this year's DICE, but you must understand that the airfare was simply too much to bear. We've got the next best thing though (outside of our weeklong coverage, of course): the full bag of swag handed over to us upon entry! In practice, this means a Modern Warfare 2 throat communicator, a Street Fighter IV fightpad, a seasonally appropriate Rock Band Network hoodie, a Rayman Raving Rabbids-themed Wiimote charger and ... some other stuff! All you have to do is tell us below in the comments what you thought was the most interesting story to come out of DICE 2010. 24 hours starts now! Leave a comment what you thought was the most interesting story to come out of DICE 2010. You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec, in part because of our feelings on The Quiet Revolution). Limit 1 entry per person per day. This entry period ends at 6:01PM ET on Monday, February 22. At that time, we'll randomly select one winner to receive one Modern Warfare 2 throat communicator (ARV $29.99), one Street Fighter IV fightpad (ARV $39.99), one Rock Band Network hoodie (ARV $10), and one Rayman Raving Rabbids-themed Wiimote charger (ARV $29.99). For a list of complete rules, click here. What is Joyswag? Since we don't keep the games and merchandise we receive for review or promotional purposes, it becomes "Joyswag," which is passed along to our readers. Please note that Joyswag may be in "used" condition. For more info on our policy, click here.
Activision CEO Bobby Kotick's full DICE speech, Jack Thompson says 'Gotcha!'
[Elisabeth Caren] Activision CEO Bobby Kotick's speech at DICE was certainly a highlight of this year's convention. The polarizing figure took the stage and spoke his mind -- whether it was for better or worse was a topic of debate for the rest of the show. Some saw it as humanizing the demonized executive, who makes no apologies for running an efficient and profitable company (especially in this economy), while others couldn't believe that PR ever let him take the stage with what seemed like a fairly off-the-cuff speech. Disbarred attorney Jack Thompson took the opportunity to send California State Senator Leland Yee (and the entire press) a letter declaring "Gotcha!" to a section of Kotick's speech. Using a piece he read on GamePolitics as a springboard, Thompson writes that Kotick's admission that the executive would still be really into video games if it didn't run the risk of interfering with his life and running a major publisher is an "admission [that] flies in the face of video game industry spokespersons' false, sometimes perjured assertions, that video games do not affect the behavior of minors. Here is a full-grown adult (at least in chronological terms) admitting just the opposite." In context, though, Kotick's admission is more in line with many adults, who have responsibilities to balance along with enjoying video games. Kotick recognizes he has an addictive personality -- noting as much about enjoying food -- so he keeps his gaming in check. Watch the full Kotick speech, and read Jack Thompson's letter, after the break. Kotick mentioning why he doesn't play games at the level he did in his youth begins at the 11:30 mark.
Cogs, Gear win first annual Indie Game Challenge at DICE
Although they sound like they came from the same mechanical naming bin, Cogs and Gear (two totally different games) have won the first annual Indie Game Challenge at the conclusion of DICE. Sponsored by the AIAS, GameStop and The Guildhall at SMU, the winners will receive $100,000 to build more games ... or to go on the most epic Blueberry Muffin Tops consumption bender in history. Cogs, which won in the professional studio category, also took the $2,500 prizes for Achievement in Art Direction and Achievement in Gameplay. Designed by Lazy 8 Studios, the addictive (and challenging) puzzle game took the prize for its original PC incarnation, however there's a version of it available on iPhone and team lead Rob Jagnow tells us that an iPad and Mac port are planned. Jagnow also informed us he's "staying on the Cogs train for a while," but the studio's next project will be a "foray into social gaming, maybe a Facebook game." Winning the non-professional category, Gear was designed by Digipen students Josh Maiche, Brian Lee, Andrew Hill, Ben Frazier and Mike Halbrook. Most of the members have several years of school still ahead of them. Asked if they'd drop out if they'd won, the team agreed they'll stay in school -- except for Halbrook, who recently graduated and is looking for a job. To check out all the winners and nominees, head on over to the Indie Game Challenge site.
WRUP: Getting DICEy edition
With our intrepid reporter Alexander Sliwinski off at DICE in Las Vegas this week, the reins of WRUP have been temporarily handed over -- don't worry, we'll be gentle. That said, we're wondering what the most exciting news to come out of this week's event was for you, dearest reader. Perhaps Richard Garriott's surprisingly speedy re-entry into the world of game development? How about Bobby Kotick's admission that he wishes he had "looked in Harmonix's direction" before buying up RedOctane? We're quite partial to the AIAS agreeing with our favorite game of 2009. Let's ruminate on this while discussing what everyone's playing this weekend, shall we?
EA's Schappert shares five money-making tips
EA Chief Operating Officer John Schappert dropped five tips for making money in the industry over the next three years on the D.I.C.E. audience today. Before getting to those, though, Schappert acknowledged that EA didn't give Dead Space or Mirror's Edge the marketing support those titles deserved. He confessed, "We could have done better and these titles deserved more." He referenced the Dante's Inferno Superbowl ad and the marketing deluge for Mass Effect 2 as examples of the kind of marketing the publisher should be doing for more of its games. As for Schapper's tips: Commit yourself to quality. (Okay, that's fairly self explanatory and definitely a motto all publishers should practice.) Get more from your marketing. (In other words, don't do what EA did to Dead Space and Mirror's Edge.) Invest in the future. (EA's pushing this one with its sweeping DLC and online strategy.) Don't abandon your consumer base. (Digital distribution is important, but Schappert believes that discs aren't going the way of the dodo anytime soon. He warns, "Don't jump off that shiny disc too soon.") Illegitimi non carborundum. (A polite translation might be: "Don't let the cynics get you down," even when things look really bad. A more colloquial expression of this phrase: "Don't worry, be happy.")
Borderlands sells 3 million units; Pitchford discusses Gearbox hiring policy, Gamertag
Gearbox head Randy Pitchford delivered some claptrap at DICE today, saying that Borderlands has sold 3 million units globally. A good sign for 2009's fastest-selling original IP, which may not have generated the most revenue, but it's apparently starting off 2010 with good momentum. And with a third DLC pack on the way, The Secret Armory of General Knoxx, it appears Borderlands may welcome even more travelers. As DICE is a business conference, Pitchford was also quite open about what's important to Gearbox as a studio -- he also shared his Gamertag ("DuvalMagic"). He shared components of what he thinks are important to the company's employees, like aggressive profit sharing, milestone bonuses and discretionary merit based rewards. He also mentioned a crass, but wise, tenet of the studio's hiring process: "No drama, no dicks, no douchebags."
DICE 2010: Uncharted 2 wins like everything at Interactive Achievement Awards
When we awarded Uncharted 2 our top spot in 2010, we simply thought we were aligning ourselves with other people with impeccable taste; however, after reading the results from last night's 13th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards (i.e., the DICE awards) we've discovered that we've also aligned ourselves with the entire video game development community. While we only bestowed a single award on Naughty Dog's latest outing, the Academy dropped ten awards on ol' Nathan Drake and friends, including Outstanding Achievement in Game Play Engineering ... oh, and Game of the Year. (Pictured above: Some of the Naughty Dog team, visibly exhausted from climbing up to the stage ten times.) While Uncharted 2 was the hands-down "winner" last night, there were 17 other awards handed out (some of which we're sure Uncharted would have won, had it been eligible). Other familiar names on the list (which can be found in its entirety after the break) include: Batman: Arkham Asylum, with three awards; Scribblenauts, with three awards; Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, with two awards; and Brütal Legend, with two awards. Congratulations to all the winners. Oh, and let's just give Naughty Dog all its awards at once from now on; it's tough to make award-winning games without any cartilage in your knees.
Activision CEO Bobby Kotick gets introspective at DICE, shares business regrets
Wearing a zippered pullover, jeans and not looking at all like the CEO of Activision Blizzard, Bobby Kotick delivered a deliberately human speech at DICE today. Part autobiographical story about his start in the games business, part contrition, the Kotick who spoke at DICE conveyed the sense of a misunderstood über executive with a business to run, admitting that he's made mistakes during his time. Surprisingly, Kotick admitted that although he doesn't play very many games today (because it would affect his responsibilities), he still has callouses from playing Defender back in the day and he still wakes up in the middle of the night and sees the words like "Open door with gate key." For his anecdotes of business regret, Kotick reiterated the story of missing out on buying Blizzard for $7 million, and it turns out he had another opportunity pre-World of Warcraft to buy it for $700 million -- the final price tag was considerably more. He also mentioned missing out on buying Maxis while Will Wright was working on "Jefferson," which eventually turned out to be mega-franchise The Sims. Another acquisition that could have gone quite differently was that when Activision was looking at purchasing Guitar Hero from RedOctane, he stated that he didn't look in Harmonix's direction, which he felt was "somewhat a failed developer of music games." Kotick alluded that had he taken the trip to Boston to meet Harmonix, the "world of Guitar Hero would have been rewritten." The softer side of Kotick also took the opportunity today to clarify his oft-quoted "take all the fun out of making video games" statement. He explained that at the time he was trying to be humorous talking to investors and was just trying to express that the company was fiscally responsible and has a "commitment to excellence." However, even as Kotick brought the love, he stayed clear of mentioning the recent layoffs, capping his presentation with the announcement of the indie games competition. [Image credit: Elisabeth Caren]
Overheard@DICE: How do you define indie?
"I find this talk offensive." -- A half-joking independent developer listening to Chris Taylor of Gas Powered Games and Epic's Mike Capps discussing being independent studios at DICE. But, how do we define independent? And is it different from being "indie?" We know that Mega 64 has a violent reaction about the latter question. Now, it's hard to imagine Mike Capps, who swims in a pool of Unreal Engine cash, being defined as independent. He even dryly stated during the conversation, "We became Microsoft five years ago." However, Chris Taylor, whose company doesn't have an engine that runs many of the games out there stated, "My children will probably not go to college because of Demigod." He also mentioned that in 2008 the company went from 125 people to 45 and then had to build back up again. But does a company's bank account make it independent or is it a state of mind? In fairness, Mike Capps was a last minute replacement for Double Fine's Tim Schafer, so the original pairing may have been less jarring. But, the indie developer got us thinking: what are the lines that define the perception of independence?
Interview: Richard Garriott's space epiphany, NCsoft departure and Portalarium
It's a sad day, my friends. With Richard Garriott starting Portalarium, we may retire the spaceman Garriott photoshop (above). With Garriott back on terra firma and with a new company, it's probably time to bury the image that represents the last couple years of his life, in which Garriott went to space, saw his name on failed MMO Tabula Rasa and encountered professional issues that saw him departing NCsoft and suing it for $27 million. Here are some excerpts from our discussion of Garriott's past and future at DICE. Joystiq: Before we talk about the future, let's talk about the past a little bit: how was space? Richard Garriott: Life changing, phenomenal. It is a series of life-changing epiphanies. ... My first thought was when I saw the Earth from space was not, "Oh wow, how high and beautiful it is above this beautiful Earth." It was: "Wow, we are not that high up. I sure hope they made this orbit perfectly circular or we're going to be reentering again real soon." That was my honest first thought when I saw the Earth from space. But it is perfectly circular. During this whole space situation the NCsoft thing happened. What's the current status of the $27 million lawsuit? Active, so, therefore I can't talk about it. There's a court date somewhere in the summer. Maybe things will resolve before then, maybe they won't. Are there any unresolved issues with NCsoft beyond the lawsuit? No, not at all. In fact, there's even areas where I'm quite supportive of NCsoft, both their products and a number of people there. Not my lawsuit, but there are other lawsuits where I fundamentally take their side on. I really have no bad blood with NCsoft globally, at all. I think they still do great products and have some really great people. I just have issue with one particular aspect of how my employment was dealt with. I thought it was an error and that's the basis of the lawsuit.
Kotick announces Activision's half-million dollar indie games competition [update]
[Elisabeth Caren] Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, dressed in a zipper pullover and jeans, announced at DICE that his company will sponsor an independent video game competition. Details were practically nonexistent, and he seemed to make it sound like the idea was a whim he had on the drive from the airport, but there's apparently "up to $500,000" up for grabs. We're currently following up with Activision and will get out the details out as soon as we know more. Update: Activision has posted a short announcement document (copied after the break) on its consumer site.
Interview: Joseph Olin discusses DICE awards
Joseph Olin, president of the The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, is a busy, busy man this week. Hosting DICE and getting ready for the 13th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards tonight, which will be streamed on IFC.com (and shown on IFC's cable TV network the following week). We were curious to know a little more about what the academy has planned for its public image and who Olin is rooting for tonight. Joystiq: Do we call it the Interactive Achievement Awards ... or do we say I.A. awards? Joseph Olin: Interactive Achievement Awards. I think most people just give them the moniker "The DICE Awards." Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain certainly sums up why people make games. I'm comfortable with that. Is this the first year the show will be streamed live? Actually, this will be the third year it'll be streamed live. But, last year our good friends at IGN had a problem with their uplink relay on their end. So we were streaming and nothing went. So they captured and were about 30 minutes behind. As we all know, the internet is a flawless piece of technology and as reliable as the mail. So, yes, we're excited about IFC streaming it this year because they have a much better track record of streaming their content. So, we should say this is the first year IFC is streaming it? This is the first year IFC is streaming it live. Then the highlights show will be on the following Friday, the 26th.
Richard Garriott re-enters games atmosphere with new social media project: Portalarium
Known spacefarer and castle-owner Richard Garriott isn't going to let a relatively unsuccessful MMORPG launch keep him down. Lord British himself, along with former NCSoft colleagues Dallas Snell, Fred Schmidt and Stephen Nichols, has revealed the launch of a "broad-based" social media company dubbed Portalarium. The outfit is working to first offer "online game apps" and then hopes to expand into "open learning, open health, open science/environment, open government and much more." Whatever that means. The announcement was kind enough to detail the company's first big project: The Portalarium Player, a browser plug-in that allows games developed on a number of platforms (i.e., not just Flash) to work within the confines of social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. Garriott is speaking more about the young company's future at D.I.C.E. -- so we'll flag him down later today to find out what gamers can expect from the studio. (At the very least, we hope to get some totally awesome space stories.)
EA, Vigil, Gearbox hosting D.I.C.E. sessions
The D.I.C.E. Summit announced today that EA's Chief Operating Officer John Schappert, the co-founders of Vigil Games (Darksiders) and Gearbox Games' Randy Pitchford will speak at this year's gathering. They'll be joined by a whole mess of other speakers, including keynotes by Activision CEO Bobby Kotick and Disney Interactive President Stephen Wadsworth. For those who don't know, D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) is the annual Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences conference "dedicated to exploring approaches to the creative process and artistic expression as they uniquely apply to the development of interactive entertainment." However, more aptly, D.I.C.E. stands for "Damn, I C Executives!," as the conference is one giant big-money pow-wow. We'll be there when the conference kicks off February 17 in Las Vegas.
Kotick to keynote DICE Summit Sessions
Last time we heard from Activision CEO Bobby Kotick, he was explaining how terrible one of his company's franchises was. He's previously joked about increasing prices even further. If you want to be there when he issues his next great Quotick, you should go to the DICE summit -- or, barring that, wait five minutes for shocked journalists to pass it along. The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences announced that Kotick will open the Summit Sessions with a talk about "how creative talent drives the video game industry." That is, creative talent who is not having any fun. "Activision Blizzard is home to some of the most talented developers in our industry and we are thrilled to have Bobby's insight on how great games are built upon great talent," AIAS president Joseph Olin said. Kotick's talk will take place Thursday, February 18.
Nathan Drake hoping to take home more shiny trinkets at AIAS awards
We're in the thick of awards season, and video games are no exception. The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences has announced its finalists for the 13th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards ("The 'Racties" -- we're kidding but that's what they should be called), and, as you might have guessed, award hog Uncharted 2: Among Thieves leads the pack with 15 nominations. The rest of the nominees include more of the usual suspects from 2009: Assassin's Creed II with 10 noms, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 with nine and Batman: Arkham Asylum with eight. This year's awards also features three new categories, including Outstanding Achievement in Game Design and Portable and Social Networking Games of the Year. You can find a list of selected categories and their nominees after the break, or check out the Academy's full list in PDF form. The awards will be given out at the DICE Summit on February 18 in Las Vegas, where Activision's Bobby Kotick is scheduled to keynote. We can only guess that he'll go all Kanye on the podium if Modern Warfare 2 doesn't win.
