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Shareholders officially approve Activision-Blizzard merger
Like a storied Hollywood romance, the landmark merger of Activision and Vivendi Universal first took us by surprise; then garnered approval over time; and finally comes to fruition today as Activision's shareholders have approved the buy-out, with a whopping 92% voting in favor of the deal. When you consider EA, their biggest rival, is reporting losses and both Activision and Vivendi Universal riding high on the backs of Guitar Hero and World of Warcraft respectively, this deal will have as much resonance on the stock market as it does within the game industry proper.We've heard many a detail on the stormy courtship between the two publishers, with hints at who sought out who and to what ends for some time now. Even as much as we've written about it, this whole affair has had a sense of unreality since the beginning, and it's bizarre to think that the deal is finally complete. This blogger, for one, welcomes our new Activision-Blizzard overlords.
Nolan Bushnell on the rise of advertising and the casual game
Nolan Bushnell, who bootstrapped the entire video game industry with Computer Space, Pong and the Atari 2600, later went on to found Chuck E. Cheese and several other ventures, has the solution for expanding the size of the gaming market. Casual games, everywhere. And how to pay for them? 30 second ad spots -- commercials, just like the ones on television or before movies. And he can target these ads better than ever. Are ad-supported games the wave of the future? In your MMO of choice five years from now, will a shampoo ad run whenever you ding? And by then, will you even mind? Gamasutra interviews Nolan Bushnell about casual games, targeted advertising, and the death of the hardcore gamer.
Blizzard isn't afraid to compete with World of Warcraft
Tracey John, resident MMO maven at the MTV Multiplayer blog, had the chance to sit with Blizzard COO Paul Sams and VP Frank Pearce at the WorldWide invitational. She asked them some tough questions, and came away with some extremely revealing answers. Beyond reconfirming that Diablo III will categorically not an MMO, the studio heads make no bones about their position on the topic of competing with World of Warcraft. They're ready and willing to do so - it's not something that scares them. Pearce is blunt on the subject saying, "It'd be better for us to cannibalize our own player base compared to having another publisher do it."They also explore a number of different of tangential topics, such as the benefits of allying with Activision, the possibilities of mobile applications tying into their existing games, and the tradeoffs between developing existing franchises and creating new ones. It's an inordinately detailed look into the mind of Blizzard's top brass, and well worth checking out.
A conversation about MMOs: Why the WoW leveling/raiding model works so well
What happens when one of EverQuest's most famous players and one of the the MMO world's most respected designers spend ninety minutes talking about the current glut of "leveling/raiding" MMOs, the good and bad points to them, and how they could be improved? Qhue from the Fires of Heaven forums and Scott Hartsman, former lead developer for SOE's EverQuest II, did just that. Find out why mid-level raid content is a bad idea, what World of Warcraft players expected to find in Age of Conan (and what they found instead), why a solo path to max level is important, why betas must spoil things, and why trying to keep the WoW players you lure away with new shinies is nearly impossible.If you've ever wanted to sit down with a designer and have him explain exactly why today's most popular MMOs are the way they are, you have to read this conversation about MMOs.
Mitch Kapor's SL5 keynote and the Linden Prize
Several minutes ago, Mitch Kapor gave his closing keynote for Second Life's fifth anniversary event (never mind that technically it wasn't a keynote, by definition). The topic was announced to be Second Life as a disruptive technology platform. Since the announcement of this speech, we've been asked frequently what disruptive technology actually means. After all, it is a term not in very wide circulation, and most disruptive technologies have failed to succeed. The ones that you may be familiar with are the success stories -- the very few that actually survived. So, we'll quickly explain the term, and then go back to Kapor.
Power leveling becoming more prominent in Vietnam
When you hear the words "power leveling," which country do you usually think of? The term almost always conjures images of digital content factories in China, where teams of workers grind around the clock for the legions of gamers out there who are willing to pay to get ahead. Power leveling and gold farming are by no means limited to China though. Other countries in Asia are seeing a marked increase in these activities as internet access becomes more ubiquitous, and of course as broadband speeds increase. PlayNoEvil points out an article from Vietnam News, which reports "game addicts with talent can now indulge in their favourite pastime and be paid up to VND 2.7 million (US$ 160) a month for doing it." PlayNoEvil notes that the salary of a power-leveler is greater than that of a teacher, who only earns between US$ 60 and US$ 100 per month. Via PlayNoEvil
A followup on the lessons of Blizzard's MMO design
Back in March we mentioned an article at the OC Register talking all about the design lessons you can take away from World of Warcraft. It turns out that was just a small part of a longer series on the site. Via a reminder link from Tobold, we can head back to the OC to get the full look. In all the site offered up 11 design lessons from the game, each taking on a specific game element and laying it out in layman's terms. We particuarly enjoyed the quip "Demand excellence or you'll get mediocrity." That's the 9th lesson J. Allen Brack laid out for the site, and one that I think most Blizzard players would agree is a core philosophy for the company.Accompanying this piece was a follow-up, asking readers to be sure and read the lively comments that accompanied the original '11 lessons' article. Many commenters took the site to task, stating that Blizzard wasn't particularly innovative in bringing World of Warcraft to market. Instead, they offered, the game 'merely' polished what the genre already had to offer. What's your view? Did Blizzard innovate, or are they just rock-polishers following in Sony Online's wake?
EVE Online's CSM summit covered in The New York Times
EVE Online has cropped up in The New York Times twice this weekend. Powerhouse alliance Band of Brothers announced their plans for New Eden in one story, while the Council of Stellar Management's (CSM) summit with CCP Games also caught The New York Times' attention. A number of members of the press were in attendance at the CSM summit in Reykjavik, a first for EVE Online and for the MMO industry itself. It's refreshing to see increased mainstream coverage of the niche title that avoids the 'gee golly' tone so prevalent when MMOs are discussed in mass media. Seth Schiesel from The New York Times reports broadly on the 12 hours of meetings between the players who comprise the CSM and the developers and executives of CCP Games. As with any democratic process, differing viewpoints on how the CSM should operate led to some internal conflicts, Schiesel writes. It's interesting to note that the American CSM delegates favored "full and total disclosure" while their European counterparts on the Council preferred to deliberate privately before going public with recommendations and announcements. Given the controversy and forum outcries surrounding the CSM in recent weeks, it's understandable that this divide in outlooks would persist. But whatever issues the CSM had with one another, they were put aside as the Council performed their elected duties, representing the interests of their constituents face-to-face with CCP. See The New York Times piece for more details on the CSM meeting in Reykjavik, and for a brief profile of some of the delegates next to their alter egos.
Will Kapor bore? Rumors say sale!
There's a certain amount of background anticipation among Second Life users about the "very important announcement" that Linden Lab tipped to be a part of former chairman Mitch Kapor's speech on the morning of 7 July. At least among those users who are aware of it, which seems to be very few. The ripples of that anticipation, however, have spread far wider. 'Blizzard has bought Linden Lab,' I hear for the ninth time today, and it's early yet. Another item in my mailbox from a user tells me that they are sure that Electronic Arts has snapped up the virtual world operator. Two more pitch IBM as a potential purchaser, and five insist that an IPO announcement will come on the day. What's interesting is that of all the material people are certain enough to send on to me, they all relate to a sale or an IPO, essentially taking the business out of the hands of its current owners, and it all seems to be presented with an astonished, yet hopeful air.
When Western MMOs go East
Gamasutra is featuring an insightful piece on the challenges and pitfalls of Western game developers looking to move their games to the extremely productive Eastern gaming markets. China, Japan, and especially Korea are world-renowned for their appreciation of videogames, and recent years have seen a number of Eastern games make the move to Europe and the US with varying degrees of success. According to article author Tim Allison, a key to addressing new marketplaces is to not only localize content and design but business models as well.Allison runs through a number of points in this space, covering issues like console success in the region, the almost mandatory nature of online distribution, and the always-thorny issue of monetization. Possibly most interesting is the author's statement that the Korean marketplace "made" the MMO genre. "The South Korean government, both through its late 1990s subsidies for game development and rollout of the broadband network, became the key driver of this segment. Even in 2008 where overall the Korean MMOG content is not up to its usual high standard the Korean companies are still setting the industry terms."
SOE President expresses his enthusiasm about the future of MMOs on PS3
John Smedley, President of Sony Online Entertainment, is confident that by moving SOE closer to the Playstation division, it will help the PS3 and PSN succeed in the face of Xbox Live and PC's MMOs. In an interview with MCV, Smedley lists SOE's "eight years of experience running an online service" as a major asset they will be able to provide. He believes "retail is exactly the kind of driver" needed for PS3 MMOs and SOE will provide an additional boost in the form of a promise: "The next round of MMOs are made to run on both the PC and PlayStation 3." However, Smedley smartly avoids questions about the length of time it will take for PS3 MMOs to compete with likes of PC MMOs such as World of Warcraft. He claims the PS3 already has an "online playerbase", while the PSN is "a significant and robust network " and there is "a real hunger" for MMOs, but concedes it will "take some time to build that base even larger." Smedley claims he is confident about the future of MMOs on PS3, but are you?
SuperNova '08: All the world's a game
Supernova 2008, an annual conference on how pervasive connectivity and decentralization is changing the world, decided to take a look at how massively multiplayer games "offer glimpses of how social interactions and work will develop in the Network Age." On the panel were Doug Thomas, Dave Elfving, and Metaplace's Raph Koster. Koster pointed out that there's a natural desire on the part of MMO players for "transgressive" gameplay -- for doing things the game designers never intended. For instance, raiding was not an original part of EverQuest, but something created by players and later made by the developers into a central part of gameplay. Doug Thomas predicted that gamers will become more successful than non-gamers in the workplace, as we are more focused on getting things done, as well as being more open to diversity. Dave Elfving brought up the topic of hikaru dorodango, shiny balls of mud that Japanese children obsessively mold and polish for hours, and how the grind that most MMOs encourage might be tying in to a basic human compulsion.Uptake's Elliot Ng was there for (almost) the full panel, and has the complete write-up on his blog. Raph has his own take on the panel, and points out the similarities to an earlier talk he gave at Project Horseshoe.There's a natural desire to justify the games we love by insisting they will give us an edge in business, or that we are merely expressing natural human behavior in a new way. Is this the case, or is this just wish fulfillment?
News flash! MMOs don't need to look like crap
"There's a misconception among MMOs," says Realtime Worlds' Colin Macdonald, "that they don't need to look as good as other games." Macdonald, studio manager for the developers of upcoming street-crime MMO APB (All Points Bulletin), was speaking about the general state of MMOs at the GameHorizon conference in Newcastle, England. "We think that when people look at a screenshot of APB, they won't think 'it's not so good, it must be an online game' -- they won't know."While we definitely agree that APB is turning out to be an excellent looking game, we thought that World of Warcraft and EverQuest II had settled the 'no compromise, great looking game' issue ages ago. Modern releases like the oft-maligned Vanguard and more recent titles such as Lord of the Rings Online, Pirates of the Burning Sea and Age of Conan have spared no effort in making sure their games are as graphically luscious as possible.Mr. Macdonald, it's great that you're proud of APB's graphics, be real. Modern MMOs are every bit as graphically gorgeous as single player games.
A path to the recognition of virtual property
That epic mount? That sweet sword? All that gold you have stashed away? All the time spent leveling your character? The mount, the sword, the gold, and your character -- none of them are yours. All can be swept away at the whim of the game company, because virtual property, such as in game items, don't really exist, and thus you have no rights over them.Columbia Law School graduate Daniel Gould argues that a limited recognition of the rights of players to their virtual property would benefit both the the players and the virtual world companies themselves. An astounding position -- virtual world companies are notorious for laying claim to everything that exists or happens in their games, with some notable exceptions. The developer might make a decision that devalues your virtual goods -- for instance, your Uber Sword of Sweetness could begin dropping from newbie field trash mobs. Or all teleports to your virtual homestead could suddenly disappear. Gould explains how models based off real-world property law could show the way to giving the dwellers in virtual worlds some legally-recognized recourse for their grievances.Virtual property law is a minefield because the very first time a judge assigns a real-world monetary value to virtual property, it can be taxed. And then, everything changes.
NCSoft (EU) needs you!
Live in the UK or willing to move? Have a deep and abiding love for City of Heroes, Tabula Rasa, Dungeon Runners and other NCSoft games? Do you have what it takes to make it in one of the world's very largest developers and publishers of multiplayer games of massive proportions? Well, if that's you, be ready to have your life changed forever, because NCSoft Europe is now looking for an experienced Creaive Services Manager and a Development Studio Technical Liaison. The CSM will manage all aspects of project planning, allocate resources, assign personnel and make the workplace fun and enriching for everyone. No small job, that. The DSTL would be the first contact for IT help for the entire NCSoft Europe development team, and help out with every other IT duty as well.We're rooting for you. And if you do get the job, send some love back our way, hmm?
Nickelodeon creates new divisions for online worlds
$100,000,000 dollars buys you 5,000 online games and virtual worlds -- if you're Nickelodeon. The famous kids' cable channel has spent two years bringing these games onlines, and has plans for 1,600 more online games set in such properties as Spongebob Squarepants, iCarly, and Carrie the Caregiver. Current virtual words for Spongebob, NeoPets and a new property called, enigmatically, Monkey World, are being developed by the newly renamed Nickelodeon Kids and Family Group Virtual World Studios, previously known as NeoStudios. The new division is being helmed by current NeoPets senior VP and general manager, Kyra Reppen.$20,000 per online game. Not yet known is how many of those 6,600 games are re-skinned clones of Minesweeper and Tetris.
MMOs: Are the fees worth it?
Do you feel you're getting enough value for your $15 per month MMO subscription? Casual gamers or people who are just too busy at times for games would likely say they're not getting their money's worth. It's one of the big reasons free-to-play business models are becoming increasingly popular. Dave Spohn, who covers internet games at About.com, looks at how game expenses compare to other forms of entertainment. A lot of MMO gamers use this to justify their time sinks -- but the more time you play, the more value you get for your money. So if you play beyond 10 hours in a given week, you're actually getting your kicks for less than 50 cents per hour. Sometimes you're paying far less than 50 cents if you're a hardcore player of a particular title you sub to. But do you need to rack up ludicrous amounts of gaming time to really get the full benefit from that sub? To answer that question, Spohn looks at a few of the most popular forms of entertainment and breaks down their costs per hour in comparison to subscription games.
Virtual Greats to sell celebrity likenesses
And not just likenesses. Metaverse developer Millions of Us intends to market likenesses, hair-styles, catchphrases, dance moves, signature moves, clothing lines, furniture collections -- you name it -- based on well-known celebs all under the banner business name of Virtual Greats. These appearances and digital accessories would be sold in dozens of virtual worlds, though you'll probably see them in Gaia Online, Habbo and Second Life first. Deals have already been done with Justin Timberlake, Elvis Presley Enterprises, Snoop Dogg, Paris Hilton, Raven Symone, Marvel (for The Incredible Hulk), and Tila Tequila, and more are in the works.
Animax Entertainment appoints new CTO for undisclosed projects
Animax Entertainment is a full-service creative studio that specializes in character-driven digital content. Animax is the company behind TyGirlz.com and Beanie Babies 2.0, virtual worlds that accompany lines of plush toys, and has new ventures in the pipeline for the virtual space. In preparation for its new projects, Animax has appointed Sabri Sansoy to the position of Chief Technology Officer, where he will spearhead Animax's expansion into MMOs and virtual worlds.Sansoy, formerly the vice president of interactive entertainment technology at GSN (Game Show Network), was chosen by Animax for his past experience with convergent media. (And presumably not for his attempt to fly around the world in a hot air balloon!) "Animax is a leader in building cutting edge interactive applications with a robust portfolio of innovation, exceptional talent, and exciting business opportunities in the pipeline. I am very honored and excited to contribute to the growth and success of this company," Sansoy said of his appointment. If the new offerings from Animax Entertainment are anything like what they've produced in the past, we're likely to see 'play' with more lines of toys extending into the virtual realm through interactive narratives, that place where toys and games meet.
Mythos' Max Schaefer talks about the economics of free
Flagship Studios' action-adventure MMO, Mythos, will be free to download and free to play. How will they ever make any money off the game? Sure, they have an item shop, but will that be enough? In this interview, Mythos' Executive Producer Max Schaefer explains how they will make the game profitable through the economics of free, bringing a World of Warcraft-ish game into a MMO market that already has a WoW, and the rise of indie games.There's not a lot of new information in this interview, We might have asked why they didn't release Mythos as it was, and then release the Overworld as an expansion along with a lot of new content? How would they distinguish themselves from the rumored Diablo 3? What kinds of questions would you have asked about Mythos? If you can propose some really hard ones, we'll send them along and see if we can get some answers.
