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Are new MMOs afraid to take risks?
Syp over at BioBreak is working on an interesting gaming project. He is valiantly attempting to flesh out a timeline for all MMOs in the history... of MMOs. While working on this project, he came to a stunning, if not somewhat obvious realization: MMOs don't take as many risks as they used to and the ones that do aren't rewarded for it. The latter is likely feeding the former in this situation.It seems with all emerging genres that the pioneers really are just that; the risk-takers who pave the way for future products (or services). Over time though, this innovative spirit is lost or at least lessened to a great degree, and when it comes to satisfying the masses, it is somewhat understandable. Take the television, music, and motion picture industries for example. How many hospital dramas have we seen since E.R. first aired? How many recycled pop music tracks fuel success for the next big boy or girl band? We just can't wait to see the next super-hero movie sequel! While individuals may crave fresh ideas and implementations, "the masses," just don't seem interested.However, not all creativity is lost. There are a number of independent MMO developers working on niche titles that might catch your eye. Don't bet on them being a huge hit with the masses, though we're sure they're just fine with that.
15 Minutes of Fame: A World of Warcraft love story
15 Minutes of Fame is WoW.com's look at World of Warcraft players of all shapes and sizes -- from the renowned to the relatively anonymous, the remarkable to the player next door. Tip us off to players you'd like to hear more about.In this era of Match.com and eHarmony, it's not so unusual to have married friends who met online. Couples tie the knot with elaborate in-game weddings. The taste for WoW-themed wedding cakes grows every year. Wedding rings unite lovers in Azeroth and the world at large. So it's no surprise that 15 Minutes of Fame would eventually roll around to the story of a couple who met and fell in love inside the World of Warcraft. Meet Ghrelsognn and Aleiriella of Defiance on Farstriders-US. Ghrel and Aleir are no starry-eyed youngsters – both in their 40s, they found themselves mesmerized by love when (and where) they least expected it. Join us for the story of their walk up the levels and down the aisle, in their own words, after the break.
15 Minutes of Fame: A World of Warcraft love story, Part 2
From an Oscar-winning 3-D effects director to a custom action figure artist and even a bunch of guys who get together for dinner and group raiding in person every week, catch it on 15 Minutes of Fame.
The Daily Grind: Procedurally-generated MMOs
With the way MMOs keep changing and growing, there's some very exciting things on the horizon for players wanting something more than what's currently out there. For example, Eskil Steenberg is working on a unique procedurally-generated MMO - you could call it an art-house MMO - named Love. What we've seen of it has been utterly fascinating so far, and the fact that he's developing it solo ensures it will hopefully come out precisely as he wants it. Outside of that, a friend of mine named Jason tossed out a post this morning about another procedurally-generated engine - the CityEngine - that can generate enormous cities completely on the fly. As he mentioned, can you imagine using it to create a horror MMO where you can essentially wander for huge distances, in and out of buildings before you find another player? Completely open and playable building interiors? Zombies? In a sandbox? We'd be happy to just play there as a seriously spooky fragfest. But before we get ahead of ourselves, we wanted to ask you - what do you think of the idea of procedurally-generated content? Do you think this is really the only logical choice in terms of building enormous open-ended sandbox MMO worlds for the future, or do you think the tightly designed and scripted worlds we have now are the only way to go? Can you see procedurally-generated games becoming a part of the mainstream, or is the tech too open ended for us? Are we ready to break free and tell our own stories?
Five upcoming MMOs with indie-cred
Eurogamer's Oli Welsh attended the Game Developer's Conference last month and took a look at five MMOs being produced by independent studios. Earthrise, Fallen Earth, Gatheryn, Global Agenda, and Love are all being developed without the support of a huge publisher. Given all the big budget competition, do they stand a chance?According to Oli, Earthrise has many interesting features but with beta set for May and release set for late 2009, he's a little concerned with the framerate issues and lack of polish. Much like its post-apocalyptic brother, Fallen Earth shines on many levels and is also due in 2009, but it is lacking in execution with animation, combat, and AI issues. As for Gatheryn, Oli is a bit confused as to why this game is even being made at all because it lacks depth and has no clear direction (here's what we thought).On the other hand, Mr. Welsh has high praise for both Global Agenda and Love. The former appears to be an interesting blend of adrenaline-pumping MMOFPS action with more polish than an antique car show. The latter is the brainchild of a one-man army, giving it the most indie-cred out of all the titles. For a more in-depth explanation of his opinions, follow Oli as he takes a journey through the MMO's wild frontier.
Two new videos bring the Love
Since we've heard about Eskil Steenberg's concept for a procedurally generated MMO, we've been craving a close look at Love. Luckily for those of us who have only heard about it through news sources, he's decided to publish a video presentation showing off just what gameplay is like in Love, very similar to what our very own Shawn Schuster saw at GDC. For those of you who are interested in just what a procedurally-generated MMO looks like, or who are curious for more information on this art-house feel MMO, check behind the break for a couple of videos showing off the splendour of Love. As an added bonus, there's a video showing the tools involved in the making of this intriguing one-man generated title. Technical and art geeks alike should find something interesting in this pair of previews!
You have to watch this Love gameplay footage
You've heard (or, more accurately, read) us gush about Eskil Steenberg's one-man FPS/semi-MMO, Love. Now, we're delighted that you'll finally be able to see it in action for yourself. So, without any further blathering from us, watch the above video and see basically the same presentation that turned us into true believers.You should also check out a second, more behind-the-scenes video after the break, if only to hear Eskil say "So, now I'm going to be showing you some of the tools I've been using for making Love."
LOVE creator Eskil Steenberg on how his game differs from other MMOs
It would be an understatement to say we're excited about the upcoming massively multiplayer online game titled LOVE, and we've certainly given the title some mention here in the past. It's an MMO being developed by one person, Eskil Steenberg, featuring a rather unique art style and some interesting gameplay elements. We're always looking out for more info about the title and came across an interview with Steenberg conducted by Phill Cameron from Gamasutra, just before the LOVE creator's Independent Games Summit lecture at GDC 2009. Steenberg discusses his choice to adopt procedural generation for LOVE, which was actually the only way forward on this project. "Working alone, you simply just can't build a massive world all by yourself, so you need to do something smarter," he says. "Given that I am forced to solve this problem, I get some added bonuses like being able to constantly generate new content while the game is running." Steenberg points out another benefit to this type of game design."As it turns out I think this could be the key to gaming in the future, as the game is able to develop and change in response to the player's actions," he says. "Rather then having a few binary plot choices, the world becomes far more dynamic and responsive to your actions."
Guildwatch: A kinder, gentler GW
Something really amazing happened the other day -- Jalabharxo, as you can see in the chat above, asked for some help in the Trade chat. But unlike what usually happens (someone insults his mother or people make fun of his lack of knowledge by calling him a noob), the unthinkable took place: someone respectfully answered his question. He couldn't believe it, and even though he sent us the screenshot, neither could we.Because of this crazy change to the way the game is played (People helping each other? Who'da thunk it?), we've decided to change up the format of Guildwatch. Usually we cover downed and recruiting news from guilds around the realms, as well as all of the crazy guild drama. But the drama is always so vicious, and no one ever seems to like it too much, so from now on, we're going to be covering a different side of the game: guild goodness. We're sure you'll love this change -- the new GW starts right after the break. And as always, you can send us news of your guild or anyone elses at wowguildwatch@gmail.com.
GDC09: Impressions of Love ... the game
First, a note for clarity's sake: Our impression of love is that it's a beautiful emotion and the best thing in the world, except for cough drops.Now, impressions of Love, the game.
Eskil Steenberg on developing the Love MMO solo
Massively multiplayer online games are the result of millions of dollars of investment and the collective efforts of a large team of developers to produce... right? Not according to Eskil Steenberg, who has the distinction of being the only individual we've heard of who's developing an MMO by himself, titled Love. No doubt this is a Herculean task before Steenberg, but Love is by all indications rather far along in development, particularly in light of the video footage we've seen in the past. Steenberg recently did an interview with GameSource, discussing aspects of Love ranging from his motivations to take on a project of this scale by himself to the tools he's using to make his game concepts a reality. Eskil Steenberg will be in attendance at this month's Game Developers Conference, so it's a safe bet you can expect to hear more about Love at Massively in the coming weeks.
One Shots: Love in the frozen north
This One Shots has got love, happiness and penguins - it's the feel-good screenshot of the year! No, I'm not talking about a still image from Happy Feet; it's today's World of Warcraft One Shots sent in to us by Johanis. Admittedly, I've been sitting on this one for a little while, just for Valentine's day. Wondering why? Read the note that came along with it: Here's a shot sent in by Johanis taken while he was visiting areas around Moa'ki Harbor in Northrend of Wrath of the Lich King. I've flown by these two penguins several times and the two are always together. They do not wander around and stare out at the ice cold waters. Could they be in love? I often stop by now that I can fly in Northrend and visit them. They often look around and stretch their necks but they will not move away from each other. It's very sweet! See? Had to keep that for today.Have you found something adorably cute in your favorite MMO? Perhaps you've noticed a couple of NPCs who never stray far from each other, too. Whatever your reason, we want your screenshots! Just email them to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name and the game they're from. %Gallery-9798%
DIY Screw-Nut rings replace roses, express affection
Quick, guys! It's Valentine's Day! If you spent all week bringing home the cheddar and completely glossed over the need to buy flowers / chocolates / new cars / diamonds / Neil Diamond records, we've found just the thing to save your Saturday (and beyond). These DIY Screw-Nut rings aren't the most elaborate things in the world, but given that they'll be hand crafted by you, they pack an extraordinary amount of "aww" power. They're actually a spinoff of a more classy iteration, which saw the designer use 24-karat gold wedding bands and then add on the screw head and nut. We've heard that titanium and stainless steel will cut it if you're on a tight budget, but regardless of the chemical makeup, "it's the thought that counts."Read - Original projectRead - Cheaper method
Love is in the Air begins tomorrow
Love is in the Air everywhere I look around.Love is in the Air every sight and every sound.And I don't know if I'm being foolish, don't know if I'm being wise. But it's something I must believe in, and it's there when I look in your eyes.Tomorrow will mark the start of the Love is in the Air season event. Theoretically, from past events, it should start around 4:00 a.m. sever time. But whether or not that ends up being true, you'll have to check for yourself.You'll need to get finish the achievement Fool for Love in order to get the ultimate seasonal achievement What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been. The thing is... you only have a few days to get Fool For Love, so hurry up. The seasonal event ends early next Monday morning.Ideally you'll want to set aside some time tomorrow night; you don't want to be waiting until Saturday evening to do this. Unless, you know, you and your significant other are into that sort of thing. (I'm talking about playing WoW together. Jeeze... get your mind out of the gutter. You don't think I'm just going to sit here and make gratuitous Valentine's Day jokes for the rest of the week, do you?)So what are you waiting for?"AFK honey, need to become a fool for love." %Gallery-15723%
Video: Sega Toys' Love Trainer says "the love making, will now begin" [update: it's a hoax!]
Look, times are hard. And since they couldn't quite tap the market with their Body Trainer / FiTrainer, Dr. Itami (pictured not training for love) and Sega Toys have repackaged their MP3 player and heart rate monitor with verbal coaching as, get this, the Love Trainer. No seriously, the company that brought you the iDog is now pushing the already questionable workout companion as a "unisex sex enhancer." Phrases like "please exercise a little bit harder" have been changed to a breathy, "Following the beat, make love much harder!" We're not sure what, "Please confirm, the heart rate sensor!" could possibly mean in the middle of the ol' somethin' somethin' but it can't be good. Fortunately for Linux fans, the $80 Love Trainer can also be used without a partner. Video foolishness after the break with mildly NSFW content.Update: We've been contacted by Dr. Itami himself about the matter... It's all an elaborate hoax![Thanks, Chris T.]
Video footage released of unique MMO "Love"
When you think of the sheer amount of work that a development team puts into an MMO, it's no wonder that we're talking about years of effort needed to produce a solid title. Now, imagine what it would take for one person to do it all on his own, while incorporating innovative concepts into the gameplay. That's exactly what Eskil Steenberg is doing. He's the one man army behind Love, an in-development MMO that boasts a unique art style, and is heavily geared towards gamers who enjoy exploration and world building. G4TV's X-Play has an excellent video preview of Love, which explains the basic concepts of the game. It gives us a look at the environments and hints at the world shaping possibilities that players will be able to harness. Each of Love's worlds (which should support up to 200 players) is distinct from others, being in a near-constant state of flux. There's still no word on when Love will be released, but you can be certain we'll be keeping an eye on this title. If you'd like to see what Love is like, you can check out X-Play's video footage below the cut.
Eskil Steenberg interviewed about his one-man MMO project "Love"
Have you ever wondered what it would take for a single person to create an MMO? Is a task this monumental even possible? Apparently it is, given what we've seen and read of Love, an MMO being developed by a single man -- Eskil Steenberg. Love isn't being created by a team of devs, nor does it have a multi-million dollar development and marketing budget. It's just one man with a vision, building the best game he can and showing it off on his laptop. Rock, Paper, Shotgun recently got an exclusive first look at the Love trailer and Jim Rossignol from RPS followed that up with an interview with Eskil Steenberg. They discuss how Love's unique visual style evolved into what we see today and talk about the game's trinity of activities -- exploration, combat, and building -- namely the system of city building. It's a very interesting talk with Steenberg, and really is a must-read if you're enthusiastic about Love and the ambition of its creator.
First trailer of Love is absolutely breathtaking
What does it say about our industry when one man and a laptop can create a game arguably more artistically ambitious and breathtaking than anything to come out of SOE, Mythic, Funcom, Turbine, Cryptic, or Blizzard? We were left to ponder that question after watching the first trailer for Love, an MMO with a one-man development team.We were first introduced to the game at GDC, where we first witnessed its gorgeous impressionist art style and learned about its procedurally generated narrative and creativity-driven social gameplay. Trailer host Rock, Paper Shotgun says this new trailer is the first moving image of the game seen by the public, but we actually included an off-screen video in our impressions of creator Eskil Steenberg's one-on-one presentation. That said, this video is much more impressive. It's simply stunning. We're not able to embed it, so head over to RPS to watch.%Gallery-16906%
Azeroth comes through on the love hunt
This is one of the sillier articles that PC Gamer UK has probably ever written about massively multiplayer online games, but still, I enjoyed it. One of their writers went (only half seriously) looking for love in a few popular virtual worlds, and he found it, surprisingly enough, in Azeroth.Neither EvE Online or City of Heroes were very helpful in the love-finding department -- despite finding a fetching young lady superheroine in CoH, the writer was a little disappointed to find out she was a he behind the keyboard. But WoW, as usual, provides the best of MMO experiences -- the writer finds some cute love in the Night Elf starting area.Sure, it's silly (and probably not true -- just because someone says they're a Finnish college student means nothing at all online). But I found it strangely touching, the thought that a real human connection could be made in an online game. And isn't that why we play these in the first place?[via WorldofWar.net]
New screens from the art-house MMO called Love
MMOs don't have to all be about orcs, elves, and level-grinding. Case in point: Eskil Steenberg's Love, an art-house MMO that defies every conceivable expectation of what the genre is about. There's been a lot of talk lately about how there isn't enough innovation anymore. Quiet down, folks; Love is what you seek.When Steenberg showed the game to us at GDC this year, we were excited and alarmed at the same time -- excited because it was different and gorgeous, alarmed because we had to step outside of our comfort zone. The exploration-driven gameplay allows users to alter the painting-like world to match their dreams, but the world is all they'll be changing, as the game features no character creation or customization. Users don't even to pick their own names. So yes, it's challenging, but God, we miss being challenged. If only there were more projects like this for us to write about. For now, though, let's just swoon over Love. Steenberg released three new images from the game on his blog yesterday, and we have them here so you can soak in the impressionistic atmosphere. Be sure to check out our GDC gallery as well.[Via Rock, Paper, Shotgun]%Gallery-26414%
