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Hyperspace Beacon: From a certain point of view
It's interesting to me how a very tiny bit of misinformation can skew people's perception of -- well, anything, but let's say a game, for today's purposes. Just like a snowball rolling down a hill, misinformation collects more and more misinformation until it's totally out of control. People accept it as truth because there is no denying it's there. Sure, it's packed with lies. But it's big, so there has to be some truth in there, right? There are many misconceptions and untruths about Star Wars: The Old Republic. People have posted in blogs about EA or SWTOR citing unnamed sources. It seems that a good chunk of these people are looking to knock down the giant that is The Old Republic. This surprises me because the game isn't even out, yet people see it as some sort of oppressive overlord -- like a certain Sith Emperor, maybe. Today, I would like to analyze a couple of these myths and really attempt to understand why they are accepted. Although I want to show how these stories are wrong, there is a bit of truth in most of them, and I don't want to discount that. Follow me after break as we talk about release dates and wingless insects.
Hyperspace Beacon: 2010 Retro!
Wow... 2010 is almost over, and Star Wars: The Old Republic is not released yet. OK, I had speculated at the beginning of this year that we would not see it until 2011. But if you had asked me in October of 2008 (when the official site was launched), I would have told you that the launch was at the end of 2009. There was no way in my mind that a company would launch its website that early. Boy, was I wrong. Little did I know at the time that I would be sitting here at the end of 2010 (the year new life was to begin on Europa), not playing what I hoped would be my favorite game ever. However, this has all given me time to think back about what SWTOR has given us this year. The year 2010 was the year of SWTOR reveals. Some have questioned whether too much has been revealed -- or rather, hyped. We have had group combat videos, designers switching games, CEOs retiring, opinionated play-throughs, and many other news items. Would you say we have had a plethora of SWTOR news this year? Oh yes, we have had a plethora, El Guapo. I have my favorites and my not-so favorites. Let's explore a few of them in this little retrospective.
BioWare doctors "disappointed" in EA Louse
BioWare founders Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka recently sat down for a lengthy interview with Eurogamer. The doctors discussed Dragon Age II, Mass Effect 2, and more importantly for MMORPG fans, Star Wars: The Old Republic. In terms of a release window, Muzyka confirmed 2011 for the Star Wars opus but wouldn't commit to the first half, second half, or any other portion of the year. The interview also addressed the recent rant by EA Louse that, in part, predicted The Old Republic would be "one of the greatest failures in the history of MMOs" and that also decried working conditions at BioWare-Mythic. Zeschuk and Muzyka mentioned the fact that BioWare recently won a top 100 employers award and invests both time and money into bettering the workplace environment for employees. When pressed as to the credibility of the anonymous poster, the doctors dismissed the posting as difficult to act upon. "We sit down and do an open forum with all the employees and get feedback from them. We welcome one-on-one feedback. When we get stuff we can improve and act on we do it," Muzyka said. Finally, the interview touches on the financial gamble that TOR represents for BioWare and Electronic Arts, and neither founder comes across as particularly concerned. "We know millions and millions of people out there love this universe, and we're delivering a great game experience in that universe," Muzyka said. Head to Eurogamer for the full article text.
Blogger claims to be Mythic employee, tells "Why Warhammer Failed"
If there's one thing the internet needs more of, it's drama. OK, that's a giant lie. The stuff is everywhere, and the MMO industry is no exception. Here at Massively, we get tips about player and industry kerfuffles on a regular basis. It usually turns out to be either a minor conflict or some industry he-said-she-said, but every now and again something takes hold and causes enough of a stir to make everyone take notice. The "Why Warhammer Failed" blog post from "EA Louse" is a perfect example. EA Louse claims to be a Bioware-Mythic employee who will be "dismissed from Bioware Mythic during the next round of layoffs EA coming this November," and he or she has a bone to pick. We've attempted to contact EA Louse to verify his or her identity, but at the moment there's no way to determine whether this person is legitimate or a random troll. Either way, the post has gained an amazing amount of attention today -- including some from Mythic's former Director of Community Sanya Weathers. Sanya had quite a bit to say in response to EA Louse, and while the whole situation should be taken with a grain of salt rather than official EA news, it's still gained plenty of attention in the MMO blogosphere.
