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Free for All: A few tips for the indie developer
I am no developer, nor do I have dreams of one day becoming one. I absolutely love having the ability to write about what I like and to interact with those who enjoy (or hate) what I write. Developers have their hands and tongues tied much of the time, and often the indie developer gets no credit whatsoever. Granted, if artistic release or programming is your thing, I say go for it. But I will absolutely admit to wanting attention most of all -- it's what I like to do. Over the years, I have visited more independent MMO sites and played more independent MMOs than I care to recount. Still, not a week goes by when I do not find a new one to look at, and so I file it away for future use. I am often amazed at some of the mistakes indie developers make -- such obvious ones, too. I try to remind myself that the garage-coder is not always the best choice for graphic designer, so sometimes the websites and logos of these tiny companies look like they were hosted on Geocities. I decided to have some fun and throw down some general rules that I apply to indie developers. Take them or leave them, but I think that they are based on quite a bit of observation. Feel free to add any of your own. Click past the cut and let's get to them!
Nick Jonas is Wizard101's mystery composer
The cat is out of the bag and the teenage girls are out of their minds: Wizard101 has announced that Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers is the "mystery composer" whom we've been trying to guess for the past couple of weeks. Jonas both wrote and produced the soundtrack for Wizard101's latest world of Wintertusk, which includes seven pieces of music. Apparently, the songwriter was psyched to be a part of a video game for the first time: "This was a first for me. I never produced or wrote music for a game or in this case, a whole world before. So I jumped at the chance to work with KingsIsle. It was very cool to be part of a project that allowed me to help create the mood for Wintertusk and interact with an audience in an entirely new way." Players can even meet Nick Jonas -- well, his virtual equivalent -- in the game and watch as his character conducts an orchestra. The world of Wintertusk with all of its "cool" music is currently open for all to experience.
Researchers reveal initial Wizard101 findings
"The stereotype of the dysfunctional, male teen gamer no longer holds," say the researchers behind an extensive new study based on Wizard101. "At any time during the game, your teammate could be a kid, a neighbor, or a grandparent." Trinity University academics recently partnered with KingsIsle Entertainment to survey more than 30,000 Wizard101 players regarding online habits, inter-generational play, and family gaming. The findings are the result of one of the largest studies of online game players to date and were collected via an anonymous survey in March 2011. The results speak to a diverse playerbase that spans multiple generations and that also invests a portion of its out-of-game time in creative projects directly related to the game. Twenty percent of adult respondents indicated extra-game activity focused on Wizard101 (usually blogging), while 54% of children engaged in game-related activities including blogging, artwork, video production, and creative writing. Check out the full press release after the cut.
The Perfect Ten: Why a Harry Potter MMO makes sense
The idea of a Harry Potter MMO is hardly a new one at this point -- we've even speculated on it around Massively for years now. Rumors and wishful thinking have brought up this hypothetical MMO time and again, and for good reason: It simply makes sense. In fact, the more you think about it, the more surprising it is that we haven't heard official word of a Harry Potter MMO by now. After doing some poking around, the most likely suspects to take on this project would either be Warner Bros. (which owns the rights to the franchise) or Electronic Arts (which purchased a license from WB to make the movie video games). Both companies have MMO studios at their command -- Turbine, BioWare, Mythic -- and both have the resources to make it happen. So why does Harry Potter make perfect sense for MMO-adaptation? Hit the jump and I'll run you down the top 10 reasons! And if you post a positive comment after this column, I'll add five points to the house of your choice (go Hufflepuff!).
Wizard101 soundtrack adding a 'mystery composer'
As Wizard101 gears up for its latest expansion world of Wintertusk, the folks at KingsIsle Entertainment have a secret or two up their sleeves. According to the studio, the soundtrack for Wintertusk was composed by "one of the hottest young musical talents in the entertainment industry." Who is this composer? Well, that's the big secret -- the studio isn't saying. Instead, KingsIsle has set up a Wizard101 Mystery Composer page that will reveal hints, one at a time, until the artist is revealed. The only hint that's up so far mentions that this person performed on Saturday Night Live. KingsIsle's J. Todd Coleman feels that when the artist is revealed, it'll be a big deal: "This is a cool idea, because our mystery composer has a huge name in the music business but has never created music for a video game. I'm really impressed by this artist's adaptability and talent. I think our players are going to be very surprised and totally blown-away." The Wintertusk soundtrack is made up of seven original pieces of music. Currently, the expansion world is on the test server.
Wizard101 brings forth the newest update to the test realm
The newest update for Wizard101 is just around the corner, as evidenced by the update heading to the test realm as of tonight. There's a lot of content to unpack within the official patch notes, including a brand-new area and a variety of additional content for players to explore. Wintertusk, the newest area, is of course the centerpiece of the update, allowing players to continue the story of Grizzleheim. As with most new areas, players may enter with a membership or purchase the new area individually when the update goes live. Players who are at least level 35 or 55 can obtain a pair of new spells, one for utility and one as an upgrade of a prior spell, by undertaking a new quest from Baldur Goldpaws. Lower-level players can also continue the story of Crab Alley, while higher-level characters can delve into a new dungeon in the same area. Wizard101 players can glance at the full patch notes and take a look at the gallery below for some previews of what's en route with this latest patch. %Gallery-23433%
Wizard101 releases producer's letter for April
Wizard101 is staying cool -- frosty, even. At the very least, the game's storyline is staying icy, as the game's next new area will be the region of Wintertusk. The newest producer's letter from Leah Ruben explains that Wintertusk will continue the story started in Grizzleheim, giving players a chance to venture farther into snowbound regions of the world against various tundra-themed enemies. But there are a lot of other changes coming along with the game's next update, offering players of all levels new content and additions. Higher-level players will be able to enjoy the addition of high-level quest pets as well as a variety of additional spells and effects designed for the best of the best. Lower-level players will be heading back to Crab Alley to continue the mini-story associated with the Selena Gomez promotion a while back. There's also some new content slated to just be meant for those at the apex of power, as well as the opportunity for players to upgrade a given spell to help it match their newer abilities. In addition, the letter includes a continuation of last month's questions and answers for the producer. Wizard101 players can check out the full producer's letter for more information.
Wizard101 offers many mounts for the masses
Are you wanting a super-cool mount in Wizard101 but finding yourself a little strapped for crowns when it comes to picking up a ride of your own? If so, we've got good news for you. There's a special "mount-a-polooza" sale going on in the Spiral right now, a sale that reduces mount prices up to 50% off the normal cost! Along with that, players will find that not only are all the regular rides in the store right now, but some old favorites have returned from their retired status along with a handful of all-new mounts! According to our friends over at KingsIsle Entertainment, Wizard101 players can also look forward to a future update that will allow their mounts to wander around their houses, similar to how pets function now. Perhaps you could even pick up a sleek shark like the ones our friends from Ravenwood Radio are riding in the above screenshot! In the meantime, check out the roaming mount video (with a few surprises) behind the break, then head over to the Wizard101 site to snap up a stylish new ride of your very own.
PAX East 2011: Massively interviews Wizard101's Fred Howard
There was a lot of game news to come out of PAX East this past weekend, and KingsIsle definitely arrived with some very big announcements. Wizard101 fans can look forward to a brand-new world called Wintertusk, which completes the epic storyline of Grizzleheim. Both high- and low-level players will have new places to explore and quests to complete. Highlights include brand-new areas for high-level Wizards to discover and explore, new spells, level 58 class pets for each primary school, a revamped underwater introduction zone for lower-level characters (continuing the story of the Crab King), and the ephemeral "more." Massively had the chance to talk with KingsIsle Vice President Fred Howard about Wizard101 and the rapid growth of MMOs aimed at younger players. Read on for his thoughts on player security, the importance of story, and a curious Crab King with a penchant for rock.
Stinkweed and stars: Wizard101's latest update improves the quality of life
Budding magicians will find Wizard101 a friendlier and more colorful place following the recent February update to the game. Topping the list of additions are two new castles: a cash shop-only tropical island and a craftable Celestial Observatory. The Observatory represents a truly monumental undertaking for the crafting set, although some would argue that the result is well worth the time spent on it. The update's other major focus is on smoothing out some of the lumpy bits of in-game gardening, which now should be much more user-friendly for those with green thumbs. We can safely speak for everyone when we say, "Thank goodness that Stinkweed now grows faster!" Wizard101's also started a membership program for anyone who uses a credit card for their subscription during the previous 30 days. As a reward to players who use this form of payment, KingsIsle will refill their energy faster, increase the size of their backpacks, expand their friends list, and quicken their hatching and crafting timers. You can read the full update notes over at Wizard101.
Choose My Adventure: Soloing a dungeon isn't a good idea edition
What a week in Wizard101! Not only was I humiliated over and over in my attempts to conquer a dungeon all by myself, but I was later joined by three higher-level players in that same dungeon and received schooling from them. It turns out that there are more cards that you can shake a wand at, and I hardly knew about any of them. I am, for sure, teh noob. I still had a blast, though, and learned all about prisms and other types of cards that give strategical advantages in combat. It was a little too much to take in all at once, especially for an airhead like yours truly. Playing with people like Kevin Battleblood, Leesha Darkheart, and Fallon Deathslinger essentially made me feel like I was doing everything wrong. But to be fair, they have been playing far longer than I and I had recently retooled my deck for soloing. I have to learn to take instructions from others. I'm not very good at it, and I generally enjoy soloing. When I am in a group, I tend to joke around or simply stay quiet -- grouping is just not my thing normally. In Wizard101, however, grouping is very beneficial to new players. While everything that I was told was sort of going in one ear and out the other, I picked up some great tips. Click past the cut and I'll tell you all about it and about my week (so far) with gardening.
Choose My Adventure: There's no crying in the Spiral edition
Ah, another week of playing in the Spiral of Wizard101. It's been a lot of fun so far, and I've learned more than I thought I would. Of course, the game continues to run smoothly without almost any issues, and the combat is really starting to ramp up. I've barely dipped my toes into crafting and gathering, only going so far as to take on the first quest in a line that seems to explain it. I even dabbled in pet-raising and games, as well, probably the main area in which I can see the need for more improvement. Other than that, I mostly enjoyed jumping into open groups with other players. Solo play is a blast, for sure, but having three other wizards at your side as you battle a gaggle of baddies is a sight to be seen. I'll have to get much better, though, in spite of finding it easy to mow down my enemies. I've started to notice chinks in the armor of my deck and have begun to wonder what it is I am doing wrong. I have an idea, but more testing is needed. Click past the cut to read the details of my adventure, and maybe you can give me some advice, too!
Choose My Adventure: Fizzles aren't fair edition
The votes have all been tallied, and my fellow Wizard101 players have spoken! When I asked which secondary school I should go for, you all told me, "Life!" Some thought this was a silly idea -- a Death wizard with a life secondary school? -- but I like it. After all, what better way to rub my enemy's face in it than by stealing his life, adding it to mine, and healing myself every time he hits me? I think I'll learn an evil laugh just for moments like that. It was also decided that I ought to keep my current zombie pet at my side. This was great news, since I've already grown pretty attached to the little rotten guy. What does all of this mean? Well, I will save the explanations for secondary schools and pets for next week's installment. In the meanwhile, I need to tell you all about the busy week I just had in game. It was pretty epic, filled with steam golems, awesome new weapons, and discovering the secrets of deck building. (Well, some of the secrets.) If you want, you can give me all sorts of advice in the comments section. Follow me past the cut to read up on my adventures!
Wizard101 has a banner year amidst chat issues
Wizard101 isn't at the top of everyone's list for free-to-play games, but that seems to be an odd oversight. Sure, the game isn't going to appeal to everyone with its highly stylized and kid-friendly atmosphere, but 2010 has apparently turned out to be a high-water mark for the title. According to an official release from KingsIsle Entertainment, the site's visitors were high enough to rank it at number eight out of the top 250 sites gaining in visitors over December, and the US registrations alone soared to over 15 million players (not counting European registrations). And let's not forget that the game was voted as the best family game of the decade by our readers. The success isn't without the occasional misstep, however, with the game's recent 18+ chat troubles as a prime example. Several players mature enough to take part in unfiltered chat found themselves locked out of the chat by an unannounced change to the way chat systems work, one that filtered out players who had stopped paying a monthly subscription. A full rundown of the situation has been posted by company representatives, with the announcement that accounts verified as being eligible for chat will be allowed to chat once again. Wizard101 players who've moved to a free-to-play account should be happy -- as should anyone cheering for the game's success moving into 2011.
Choose My Adventure: Wings rule, horses drool edition
For those who might not know, it was decided last week that my Wizard101 character was to be a boy from the school of Death. On top of that, he was ordered to get around town by using a pair of beautiful white wings. I heard a few comments in different places about how the wings would not look cool with a Death student or about how a horse mount or broom was better. I held fast and nabbed a pair of the white, fluttering back pieces. I had to obey orders! Once I made my character and put the wings on, though, I looked completely metal. For those younger players who might not understand what that means, Google "Dio" and watch a few videos. Avoid Slayer -- your parents would not like that. (Note: If you come across a band called Queensryche, that's not metal.) Anyway, my white wings only accentuated my dark intentions. It was a fantastic choice. But what else did I do over this last week besides wait for the vote to end? Well, click past the cut and I'll let you know. %Gallery-114601%
Wizard101 reveals the truth behind the green blob in space
If you follow astronomy or just like stories about big green things, you probably were aware of last week's photo from the Hubble telescope showcasing an enormous green blob. It's a known spot in space, an enormous region in which new stars are being formed -- although why stars would be forming out in the middle of nowhere has researchers baffled. But researchers from Wizard101 have helpfully taken the opportunity to dispel the mystery, making it clear exactly what the region of space actually is. Does it look sort of like a giant green frog? Well, that's exactly right. The discovery was made possible by use of facilities in the ancient undersea world of Celestia, but it still raises a number of new questions. Some of the wizard researchers speculate that the enormous frog might be a powerful minion of Morganthe, while others are certain the frog's appearance is simply a prank by a wizard with more time than common sense. Whatever the case, Wizard101 has helped provide us with the answer to a great scientific mystery, and for that we can all rest a little easier.
Choose My Adventure: Beginning my Wizard101 adventure
Well, it was an epic battle. Little did I know that, in an effort to promote a random assortment of high-quality free-to-play and indie games, I would come up with the formula for the destruction of the entire universe. Over the last few days, readers cast their votes (and their nasty comments) in the hopes that I would take a look at their favorite game for well over a month. After all, it would expose everything that is good (and bad!) about their game and might draw in many more new players. Not to brag, but a lot of eyes are drawn to our lovely little site here. Each game I chose was nestled alongside a mortal enemy. Wizard101 had MapleStory to tackle. Puzzle Pirates had Zentia. My planning only lead to mass chaos as the giant of the bunch, MapleStory, barely opened an eyelid. Then, out of nowhere, Anarchy Online swooped in and punched everyone in the eye. It looked like the 10-year-old masterpiece of sandboxy goodness would win for the oldies in the bunch! (The AO community's passion for the game inspired me to cover it in my other column, Rise and Shiny, for the week of January 16th.) Where was Shadowtale? At the time of this writing, the game boasted literally thousands of players on at one time. Yet they barely pulled in a handful of votes. Pirates of the Burning Sea seemed to give up early, as evidenced by forum posts. (I was following all the games' forums.) In the end, Wizard101 pulled it off. While I knew the game had the numbers, I wasn't sure that it could herd all of the cats together in time. It did teach me one thing, though: Don't mess with the tweens. Join me past the cut for the next vote and for some information about Wizard101.
Free for All: Three trends that need to go away in 2011
You know what? I hate geek memes. Heck, I hate the word meme. I generally will not support any term or phrase that was made popular in the last 10 years and mainly through the use of the internet. If it was made popular in programming circles in the early days of BBS (whatever that means) or if it was lovingly crafted during the great internet bubble of the '90s, I will avoid its use. Most of the time, I do not want to use someone else's words to support my own. You will never see the following sentence coming out of my virtual mouth: "Oh, hai! >.< All your base are belong to pedo bear! O.o Angry writer is angry!" The worst of the worst has got to be "die in a fire." Yes, I know you are a geek. I get it -- you are using a term that, I am sure, qualifies you as a socially awkward individual, as someone who simply must say the most inappropriate thing at the most inappropriate times (such as during a developer chat with developers who had almost lost their lives to recent wildfires -- I am not kidding). But I will not wear that badge of geek cred. Until now. These practices that I am about to list to you after the cut can, you know, die in a fire.
The top indie and free-to-play stories of 2010
I have to admit to feeling slightly amazed when I read that someone thought of 2010 as a bad year for MMORPG fans. Then, when I think about it, I realize that he was talking about the year in "AAA" subscription gaming -- something almost alien to me. I just don't get turned on by huge-budget subscription games like I did seven or eight years ago. Well, it might be better to say that I am always suspicious of big-budget gaming. Gaming is a lot like movies, and look at how bad most blockbusters are. They are often silly, over-the-top, special-effects-laden bores. If those movies were the only ones I watched, I might be a little depressed about Hollywood as well. If you pay attention only to what the major publishers are pushing out, you are simply going to have a narrow view of MMO gaming. You will miss too much. The year 2010 offered more than any year before it, and 2011 will top that. Thanks to mobile technologies and the always-dropping price of computers, you will find that smaller or unknown games have much more of a chance of grabbing a gamer's eye than ever before. So, what were some of the high and low points in free-to-play and indie gaming this year? Click past the cut and let's take a look!
Massively's holiday guide to cash shop prices
I've been asked by readers, many times, to put together a comparison of cash-shop prices. I have always avoided the topic for one glaring reason: There is no constant. Sure, I can tell you how much you get for a dollar, but a wonderful mount in one game might not even be recognized as a mount in another! Quality is subjective, so how would I attempt to measure that? Also, if we wanted to compare the hundreds of cash-shop games out there, we would simply not have enough room. Yes, there are hundreds -- with more coming all the time. Let's be really conservative, though. I broke it down into 10 games that Massively readers will probably recognize or care about. Not all Massively readers, granted, but many, I am sure. It would do me no good to compare some tiny, indie game to Lord of the Rings Online, simply because I would be met with the equivalent of a blank stare. Such is the unfortunate state of gaming right now. After I marked up the list of 10, I lost two straightaway because -- while they have a cash shop in the technical sense -- those cash shops aren't something that can be put up against the others, or they have many items that just wouldn't make much sense. For example, I can tell you how much you can get for 10 dollars in Mabinogi and that you can sell some of those items to possibly purchase a house, but then we have to discuss the variable cost of the house, the upkeep -- on and on. I will definitely have to do a much larger list at some point. Anyway, read on, and I will put notes where needed. Let this serve one main purpose: to prove that there is no constant in cash shops and no generalities -- it's all up to the individual to decide on the quality and value of the items.
