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MMO Blender: Jeremy's unholy MMO concoction
Have you ever wished MMO developers could put away their checkbooks, pluck out the best bits of their respective MMOs, and weld them together to construct the megalopolis of MMOs? We do too! So today, we're launching a brand-new opinion column, MMO Blender, in which the Massively writers will mix and match their favorite features from existing MMOs for your amusement. But do our choices create a perfectly honed machine or a lumbering, speechless frankenstein of an MMO that deserves to be put out of its misery? First up: Livestreamer extraordinaire and Contributing Editor Jeremy Stratton with a potent, sandboxy blend of Fallen Earth, EVE Online, Lord of the Rings Online, and more. Wet your whistle after the break and look for more MMO Blenders from the rest of our staff in the coming weeks!
Flyff Gold to launch on July 11th
Just last month, gPotato announced that its free-to-play fantasy MMO Flyff would soon be morphing into practically a whole new game entitled Flyff Gold. Today, the studio announced that this all-new version of the game will launch on July 11th. What changes are in store for players? For starters, a new weapon transformation system will allow players to transfer stats between weapons to provide a more customized look. A player-requested consignment marketplace will allow buying and selling in an automated system. And what better way to test that newly bought gear than to engage in some PvP in the new eight-way guild battles? The game is also adding the Overwolf client, which will allow players to access the web, play music, record, video, and share on social networks, IMs, and even the Flyff forums from in-game. Events leading up to the launch continue in-game. For more information, check out the official site. [Source: gPotato press release]
EVE Online posts financial data for the past several months
When you think about the economy, is your primary concern whether or not the latest updates to combat have impacted mining operations and mineral prices? If so, you're probably an EVE Online player, and you'll be happy to know that CCP Games has released a full blog post detailing the economic trends for the game over the past several months. The good news is that the heavy inflation that's been at work for several months is starting to subside; the bad news is that the market is having issues with mineral prices. In short, following the announcement of loot drop changes, several players stockpiled minerals for resale after the change. This wound up dovetailing with the player-run Hulkageddon event, which resulted in several mineral stockpiles and a dearth of ongoing mining operations. The overall outlook is still positive, but mining operations are still recovering from these effects, meaning that movement will likely be tepid for a while.
38 Studios declares bankruptcy, law enforcement investigating [Updated]
38 Studios, in a move surprising absolutely no one, has declared bankruptcy. This report comes hot on the heels of the news that the Project Copernicus developer has laid off all of its employees and sold Big Huge Games. In addition to covering the bankruptcy, the Providence Journal revealed that "state and federal authorities have launched an investigation into [the company]." State police Col. Steven G. O'Donnell states that the inquiry is taking place "to investigate activities that have recently come to light at 38 Studios." According to the Journal, these activities include taking out loans totaling $8.5 million US "based on state film tax credits that had not yet been issued." Things are looking pretty grim for Curt Schilling and his studio, but we'll just have to stay tuned to see how the rest of this plays out. [Update: Our sister site Joystiq reports that the Rhode Island governor has stated, "We are going to do everything possible to maximize return on our investment [...] Taxpayers in Rhode Island can have full confidence that if there's a penny that we can get, or a nickle or a dime, we'll get it." The company is suspected to be worth "tens of millions of dollars."]
E3 2012: XL COO on ArcheAge, CBT4, and coming to America
This is one of those good news/bad news ArcheAge articles. The good news is that XLGAMES' sandpark title is absolutely coming to the West. The bad news, though, is that we still don't know exactly when. XL didn't have an official presence at this year's E3, but the firm was kind enough to set up a private interview with COO Suk Woo Choi away from the hustle and bustle of convention ground zero. We talked at length about CBT4, game systems, and the challenges inherent in localizing ArcheAge for Europe and America.
China's online gaming industry booming; $6.1 billion expected in 2012
While recent events may have some questioning the state of the MMO industry in North America, a recent study by Asian game market analysis company Niko Partners shows that the industry in the Chinese and Southeast Asian markets is still going strong. In fact, the study reveals that the Chinese online gaming market alone is set to bring in a whopping $6.1 billion US in 2012 alone. So what is the reason behind the Asian market's continued success? According to Niko's reports, a good deal of credit should be given to the free-to-play business model. The F2P model reportedly encourages fledgling gamers to move from more casual social games to "advanced casual" games such as MMORPGs, resulting in a larger pool of money-spending players. Also of note is the fact that the use of internet cafes is declining in major cities. Whereas internet cafe revenue once made up "at least 50%" of gaming revenue, by Niko's current estimate, "up to 2/3 of revenue comes via the home channel." The full article offers interesting insight into one of the largest online gaming markets in the world, so if that sounds like your cup of tea, head on over to Forbes and give it a read.
If 38 Studios goes under, Rhode Island taxpayers will be footing the bill [Updated]
Project Copernicus and Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning developer 38 Studios is in some hot water, but it looks like that may be the least of your worries if you're a Rhode Island resident. Rhode Island's WPRI reports that if the studio founders and can't pay back the bonds given to it by the state, then the onus of doing so will fall upon Rhode Island taxpayers. How much moolah are we talking about? Something to the tune of $112.6 million US. According to Joystiq, "If 38 Studios can't pay, the governor is required to ask the General Assembly to repay bondholders," which means that Rhode Island taxpayers will be responsible for footing the bill by 2020. For now, though, both the studio and the Rhode Island government are tight-lipped on the studio's future, and by association, the future of Project Copernicus, so we'll just have to wait and see how this plays out. [Update: Our sister site Joystiq reports that 38 Studios "missed its latest loan payment of $1.125 million to the state of Rhode Island on May 1, effectively defaulting [on] its $75 million loan." Rhode Island's Economic Development Corporation will hold an emergency meeting tomorrow morning to discuss the situation.]
MechWarrior Online devs field 'Mech customization queries
If you had four developers of a hot upcoming title trapped in a room and could ask them any question you wanted, what would it be? (Please note that if you actually are in this situation, Massively advises releasing the hostages and surrendering to the police.) While there might not be a filthy underground lair involved in MechWarrior Online's latest community Q&A session, the principle is the same. A good bulk of the 27 questions thrown to the four members of Piranha Games' team revolve around 'Mech customization. MechWarrior Online will be pretty flexible in this regard, although not as flexible as pen-and-paper fans might hope. For example, custom decals won't be in the game at launch, as their inclusion would require too much monitoring. Still, if you're trying to get a sense of the scope of MWO's 'Mech customization, this Q&A might impress you. Just because the community could ask doesn't mean that Piranha had to answer, however. When queried about the in-game economy, Creative Director Bryan Ekman put the answer off until later: "We're not ready to go into details on the economics of the game. We plan to cover this in greater detail in the next couple of months via our dev blogs."
En Masse highlights shiny TERA launch features
TERA is soldiering on toward its May 1st North American street date. En Masse Entertainment, the game's American publisher, has quite a few features lined up to distract you from the brouhaha going on outside the game's lush fantasy world, and the firm has updated its website accordingly. You'll find info on TERA's staged invasions, public quests, and economic system archived in the lengthy new post. The update also recaps the game's reputation system, its dungeon roster, and a few of the more interesting class tweaks to boot. Head to the official TERA site for all the goods.
TERA's new launch features section adds economic changes
TERA's May release date is less than a month away now, and En Masse Entertainment is filling the days leading up to the big event by unveiling a series of new launch features. Today's piece is focused on a number of adjustments that have been made to the game's economic system. For starters, the trade broker has been vastly improved with "robust search features," while private stores have been abolished in order to make the broker the true hub of the game's economy. Enchanters will be pleased to know that the penalty for failing an enchantment has been removed, so while an enchantment can still fail, it won't weaken the target piece of equipment in the process. And to top it off, the currency demoninations have been changed up to prevent players from having to deal with astronomical amounts of gold. The full details, as well as previous new launch features, can be found over on the game's official site.
CCP reiterates anti-pay-to-win stance for EVE microtransactions
CCP has been pretty quiet on the subject of microtransactions since last summer's monoclegate and the ensuing Jita protests. EVE Online creative director Torfi Frans Olafsson recently spoke up about the trendy new business model, and while he acknowledged that it is popular, he also said that CCP is "very reluctant to do that in EVE because it's so established. It's like changing the DNA of a living organism after it's born. That didn't work in Blade Runner," he tells PC Gamer. Olafsson also repeats the anti-pay-to-win mantra that comes standard in just about every developer interview these days. He says that CCP will sell cosmetic items in EVE, including makeovers for your avatar, ship, and starbase. Given the fact that players will be purchasing weapons and gear in DUST 514 (which will interface directly with EVE's pre-existing economy), we've no doubt it will be interesting to see how CCP maintains that delicate balance. "I think we have to be very careful in introducing such mechanics into EVE. And I personally think that we shouldn't be doing it in the near future," Olafsson says, "because it's such a vulnerable little flower in a vulnerable little ecosystem. You make minor changes to an ecosystem and you can introduce hostile things and the whole system breaks down." Check out the video interview after the cut.
How America benefits from Apple
Apple has gone from near death in the 1990s to the pinnacle of success two decades later. TIME tech journalist Ben Bajarin notes in a post today that the company is a highly important and necessary part of the American economy and says that "America needs Apple to keep doing what it's doing." Probably the biggest point Bajarin makes is that Apple now drives economic growth in the country. During a deep recession, the company showed record growth and revenues. Apple didn't stay stagnant during this recession or the previous dot-com bust; instead, the company invested in retail stores and completely new product lines (iPod in the early 2000s, iPad in the 2010s). Apple's impact on the S&P 500 was remarkable in the last quarter; if Apple had been taken out of the picture, the S&P 500 growth rate would have been only half (around 3 percent) of the figure with the company. Bajarin also points out the positive impact of the iOS app economy, which by Apple's own measures has created about 210,000 jobs. Add to that the huge number of accessory manufacturers that have sprung up in the U.S. (think of DODOcase and Pen & Quill, for example), and the impact is even greater. Apple has made America technologically competitive again, with the most wildly popular consumer electronics products not coming from Asia or Europe but from the U.S. Bajarin also postulates that American cell phone companies wouldn't have invested as much in 3G and 4G networks if the iPhone hadn't been around to create the need for those networks. It's time to take the "pie" out of the old saying and just say "It's as American as Apple."
Some Assembly Required: Revisiting Origins of Malu
Many moons ago when the air just started to cool from summer's heat (aka, last September), Some Assembly Required had the opportunity to talk shop with a new outfit that is developing a promising new sandbox MMORPG, Origins of Malu. And you know me: Sandbox is the magic word! As skeptical as I knew I should be, I still came away from that interview with renewed hope that a game with some of the features for player-generated content could exist again. Back then, Burning Dog Media made the bold statement that it would absolutely release its flagship game in 2012, with a target of early 2012 to boot. But as the first quarter of the year quickly drew to a close with scant information available, it became pretty clear the game is still a ways off. In the realm of games, no news is not necessarily good news... and we definitely hit a drought in news. Now that drought has ended. In our second exclusive interview, we spoke with Michael Dunham, Producer, Jason Mitchell, Senior Developer, and Dave Cruikshank, Art Director, to learn what's been going on behind the scenes and get the scoop on more details about those very features that have sandbox lovers salivating.
NCsoft explains NA and EU Collector's Edition price difference [Updated]
Many European Guild Wars 2 fans have been left scratching their heads over the pricing discrepancies between the U.S. and European Collectors' Editions of the title. As followers of the game are probably aware, the U.S. edition is being sold for $149.99 US while the European version is being sold for £129.99/€149.99. The problem, of course, is that with the current exchange rates, £129.99 is closer to $206 US and €149.99 is just under $200 US, making the European versions of the game considerably pricier. NCsoft explained to PC Gamer today that the reason behind this discrepancy is that "currency fluctuations, distribution costs, taxes and market conditions in addition to the cost of goods are all contributing factors when setting pricing. These vary dramatically between NA and EU and our pricing is competitive and adjusted accordingly." As the article notes, this might make sense if we assume that the CE of the game is manufactured in the U.S., but even with the extra shipping costs, it's a pretty hefty addition to an already sizeable price tag. [Update: NCsoft points out that the EU pricing includes VAT taxes (20%), while the North American pricing is pre-tax.]
Cash rules everything around Pathfinder Online
The latest in the series of Pathfinder Online developer diaries has just recently gone live, and this time it's covering something near and dear to the heart of many gamers: money. Even if you don't play an MMO specifically for the size of your bankroll, everyone likes having cash to spend and money in the bank. The diary explains that the heart of the game's economic system will be a currency known simply as coin, which is meant to be the driving force behind the virtual economy in-place. Beyond the basics of the game's economic theory, however, the entry also reveals something of the game's business model, explaining that players will also be able to spend real money to purchase Skymetal Bits. These Bits work as microtransaction currency, running the gamut of the usual microtransaction services (skill training, cosmetic items, special content, and so forth). If you've been following the game along thus far, you'll probably want to see what information the latest entry is providing.
Why I Play: EVE Online
I can't for the life of me convince my friends to sign up for EVE Online. In their defense, the game can feel like a job at first. There are no skinner box particle effects or angelic choirs signifying your latest achievement, nor does anyone shower you with virtual confetti as you graduate from the newbie island. For these reasons and others like them, CCP seems to have topped out somewhere around half a million active subs at the game's high point. EVE is seen as unfriendly in some ways, but in actuality it's the friendliest MMO around if you're an imaginative sort with the desire to direct your own in-game destiny. Could the tutorials be better? Sure. Could PvE missions be more engaging? Absolutely. Does either of these failings, or numerous others, detract from what is the genre's premier emergent experience? Nope.
Making the 'jump' from Guild Wars to Guild Wars 2
The second Guild Wars 2 press beta weekend has come and gone, and Massively was there every step of the way. Stay tuned throughout the day today for even more guides, impressions, videos, and Q&As to get you ready for the highly anticipated sequel to Guild Wars. Guild Wars 2 is on the way (when it's ready), and classic Guild Wars players probably understand that soon they'll be competing with a younger sibling -- a smarter, more attractive one who's sure to get more of mom's attention. And while we're sure that some of the more stalwart Guild Wars 2 fans are also Guild Wars players, not all veterans of the first edition are dedicated to licking up every drop of sequel info squeezed out of blogs, conventions, and betas. Those veterans might just be wondering, what exactly can Guild Wars 2 offer them, other than Hall of Monuments tie-ins? What's changed? What's the same? What will they love, what will they hate, and what could possibly make them jump ship to the new hotness? The first and most important thing you must know is that yes, you can jump in Guild Wars 2! Seriously, though, jumping is more than just a thing you do with your spacebar when you're bored; it's a symbol of boundlessness. Guild Wars 2 itself is trying to jump a lot higher than its elder brother, and probably the essential difference between the games is that feeling that the walls have come down and gravity is letting loose. That alone should urge classic players to take a peek, but if that's not enough for you, fire up your Jeremy Soule soundtracks (yes, he's onboard for an encore!) and read on...
Surprise! Study finds internet worth a lot of money, is responsible for 4.7 percent of US economy
Ever wondered how much the interwebs contribute to the Uncle Sam's bottom line? Thanks to the Boston Consulting Group, now you don't have to. It's estimated the net contributes a cool $684 billion to the US gross domestic product. That's roughly 4.7 percent of US GDP, the same tranche as its effect on Japan's economy, but less than the 5.5, 7.3 and 8.3 percent clocked in by China, South Korea and the United Kingdom, respectively. And per the report, the internet is just getting started, with future growth expected to hit eight percent on average by 2016 for developed countries, and well north of 20 percent in booming economies like those of Argentina and India. Hit the source for the full report.
Apple's Tim Cook says 'pipeline is full of stuff,' AT&T affirms record sales of new iPad
Apple's 'cash balance' conference call this morning was mostly uninteresting for folks not immediately involved with Wall Street (the actual thing and the Shia LaBeouf masterpiece, as it turns out), but CEO Tim Cook did let loose a few nuggets of interestingness for those hoping for insight into the future. For one, he stated that Apple's pipeline is "full of stuff," further impressing upon the masses the message he planted at the tail-end of the new iPad keynote on March 7th. He also stated: "I think our customers will be incredibly pleased with what they see coming out." Hardly a surprise, but Apple rarely hands out confirmation of boom times unless it truly has something significant in the labs.He also confirmed that Apple had "a record opening weekend" in regard to the new iPad launch, but stopped short of handing out actual figures. In fact, we could be talking about a record low -- we jest, we jest. At any rate, AT&T has stepped in to announce that on Friday, March 16th, the carrier "set a new single-day record for its iPad sales and activations." Again, no hard figures, but something tells us the number crunchers (and auditors) are hard at work to bring us precisely that. Ma Bell's laughably brief press release can be found in its entirety after the break -- all 45 cliffhanging words of it.
Liveblogging Apple's 'cash balance' conference call
Apple's already told us exactly what to expect on this so-called 'cash balance' conference call, but what they hey -- we'll be liveblogging it just in case Appel slips in that "one more thing." You know, that "thing" about spending a few billion on an Apple-shaped spacecraft for kicks and giggles. The call will get underway at 9AM ET, and we'll have quotes from CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer, as well as any juicy questions from the media. March 19, 2012 9:00 AM EDT
