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MMObility: The year in mobile
What a year, huh? We gamers have seen a lot of changes, but especially in the mobile market. New devices came and went, technologies spread out even further in the world, and MMO gaming established itself on the smallest screens possible. Of course, the mobile market is not as large as the standard MMO market, but it is definitely growing. As more devices appear, more players come to fill up the games. Our phones are not what they used to be, even five years ago. They are now truly tiny and powerful computing devices that are always connected. A player can literally live all of his digital life on one small device. If we look at the laptop and netbook market, we see even more growth and power. All of these devices need games to play on them, and MMOs fit perfectly into the mobile lifestyle. Click past the cut and I'll recap many of the best stories from Massively's mobile coverage!
MMObility: Simplifying design for the mobile market
Whenever I write up something about a smartphone MMO, one of the most common complaints I hear is this: "If I wanted to play a game for several hours, I would sit at my gaming desktop." While this is true for many players, it is also true that games like Star Legends and Pocket Legends by Spacetime Studios have met with a lot of success. The developers were surprised to find that players were more than willing to sit for several hours while playing the games on their tiny screens. Still, there is a lot of truth to the complaints about smartphone MMOs. An MMO is typically something a player wants to get lost in. We commonly refer to it as "immersion," but really we're just talking about being sucked into the ideas and design of a title. If you have found yourself daydreaming about a game while at work, you were "immersed." I would argue that this type of deep immersion is very possible on the smaller screens of smartphones and tablets. However, in order to achieve it more commonly, developers might have to adjust many of their designs and theories. Click past the cut and we'll discuss it!
MMObility: A first look at Conquer Online for the iPad and a giveaway
Over the last few weeks, I've been checking out Conquer Online for the iPad. I don't really have anything to compare the game to because I never played the full PC version, but the mobile version I played felt a lot like a "real" full MMO. I logged in, made a character, and ran around the lands doing quests and leveling, just like in a normal client-based game. This should not be that surprising at this point in the world of mobile development. There have been several "real" MMOs made for the iPad and other devices. Celtic Heroes has been trying to achieve that classic look for a while now and has come pretty darn close. There's World of Midgard as well, made by the same developers who are releasing the cross-platform Lords at War very soon. I was told that Conquer Online should feel a bit like Ultima Online on the iPad, but I'm not sure about that. Yes, it features the isometric view that we are all so familiar with in UO, but I don't think the comparison holds up beyond that. Click past the cut and I'll break it down for you. Also, if you would like to receive a free super item pack for the game, you'll find it at the end of the article!
MMObility: Checking out 8Realms from Jagex
Jagex, maker of the very popular browser-based MMO RuneScape, has branched out into the world of the MMORTS. I call this a good thing, especially since I am such a fan of the genre. There are literally scores and scores of the strategy-based city builders out there. Many of them not only are similar to each other but offer nothing new, not even a slight twist in design. I have a few favorites like Illyriad, Golden Age, and Aloriah, so I was eager to jump into this new one, given that it is made by one of my favorite design studios. 8realms seems to sport a unique design. Players are asked to build up their cities and advance through different ages, from ancient times all the way up to the modern day. A trailer on the front page of the official website shows a commander admiring his army of sword- and spearmen, until suddenly a modern-day jet fighter nukes them to smithereens. All I could think was, "Is this game balanced?" If you would like to join in on the fun along with me, you can join in VIP access by going to the official site and using the code MASSIVELY15 when prompted. Then come back and click past the cut to hear all about my experience!
MMObility: Tiny Speck explains Glitch's big unlaunching
If you've kept up with Tiny Speck's unusual browser-based game Glitch, then you might be familiar with The Announcement. The developers have decided to unlaunch the game in the hopes of retooling and redesigning many of its core features. I'd bet that this decision was not made lightly, not at all, but I wanted to get more of an insight into the decision. Thankfully, Tiny Speck's Stewart Butterfield was prepared to give us just that. Even after speaking to him, though, I am still a bit confused about the announcement. Is my confusion due to the fact that many developers would never do such a thing as going back to beta, or is it the offer for full credit and subscription refunds that boggles me? Either way, players have to find their comfort zone with the announcement and decide what they want to do. Click past the cut for my thoughts on the interview and feel free to leave your own in the comments section!
Free for All: What I am thankful for
Here in the United States we are gearing up to celebrate well, whatever it is exactly that we give as the reason to get together with friends and family and eat more than humanly possible on the last Thursday in November. To be honest, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because I truly do use the occasion to take stock of how good I have it and to decide what is important to me and my future. I wanted to take similar stock with you all, my readers. After all, work can be a major part of our lives, and this is my work. Over the year and a half I really have learned a lot and became a better writer through the experience. So I am thankful for a lot. Click past the cut and I'll tell you just what I am thankful for.
MMObility: More mobile news and new titles
Another week, another batch of news for the mobile set. The mobile market, especially for tablets and smartphones, can be slow with the news. It's not that there isn't anything coming in; it just doesn't flow like a geyser like, say, browser-based MMOs do. When it does pop up, though, it tends to be some really good stuff. The mobile market is still so young, but it is growing up fast. The tech is becoming cheaper, faster and easier to come by. It's to the point that when I see a new piece of exciting mobile technology or read an announcement about a new game that pushes all of the mobile platform's boundaries, I can only think of the next wave. It's a sickness. This time I have some unusual up-and-comers and some that have not been released yet. Whatever you prefer, some of them will make your jaw drop. Click past the cut and let's get to it!
MMObility: The clever design behind War of Dragons
Ah, the things that rev up the imagination of gamers. Right now I can almost feel the excitement as players all over the world are waiting to jump into games like Skyrim or Star Wars the Old Republic. I'm a bit excited as well, but honestly none of those titles tantalizes me like some of the browser-based goodies I have been playing lately. It could be the model railroad world of RuneScape or the epic scale of Illyriad that is inspiring me, making me spend hours of dog walking or drinking tea while daydreaming of game creation. I've also stumbled across this newish world of semi-graphical, browser-based, MUD-like MMOs. They have shown me that text and description can still be very powerful tools, especially mixed with graphics or even basic animation. Then I stumbled upon War of Dragons, a wonderful browser-based MMO that shows me just how amazing browser-based gaming can be. Click past the cut and I'll explain.
MMObility: Why I need this new gaming toy
Please tell me that I am not the only one with certain tech obsessions. I know many of you enjoy putting together the toughest PC money can buy, squeezing out every bit of computing power from those gaming monstrosities. I used to worry about that sort of thing, but these days I am all about going in reverse. I've started to challenge myself to find games that require very little power. I am starting to fantasize about OS swapping, dual booting and all sorts of tweaking. My end goal is to be able to tell a "common" gamer -- someone new to the genre or someone who might not be able to afford anything more than a netbook -- that he too can game. He can game with a lot of other people, in real time. It can be done. So I decided that I needed a netbook. I made my decision and settled on one. Click past the cut and I'll tell you about it.
MMObility: OnLive might just be perfect for MMOs
I sat in my bed last night, wanting to play something. I had already been playing my staple of browser-based MMOs. I had already crafted a bunch of arrows to grind on in RuneScape, ensured something was being built in Illyriad, and made note to try some of the new content in a few more of my favorites. I wanted to try something single-player, though, but my desktop was in the other room. It was chilly, and my dogs had weighed down the covers. So I pulled up my laptop and actually plugged it into my router instead of going wireless. I fired up OnLive, the miracle service that streams games to your device. Within a few minutes, I was shooting, exploring, and leveling in games that my little laptop would probably have had a very hard time running on its own. This got me thinking about OnLive's recent announcement about working with MMOs to stream them to players all over the world. Would it work? How would it work? Click past the cut and let's discuss it!
MMObility: The rise of the browser
Over the last week I have been obsessing over Glitch, the new browser-based MMORPG brought to us by Tiny Speck. I will go into details of why in my Rise and Shiny column, but for now, let's just say that I think it is one of the greatest things I have come across in a long time. For the record, I was talking about Glitch before it was popular (that hipster cred should get my a free pair of glasses in Glitch!) and was excited about starting this column because of games like Glitch. In short, I knew that the browser market was huge, and I knew it was only going to grow bigger. Yes, I know what you're thinking, and yes I am claiming that we are starting to see the end of the heavy-duty client and demand for expensive hardware and upgrades. It's a big prediction, but click past the cut and let me explain.
MMObility: Glitch makes you wish you were as cool as it is
If you have kept up with my columns for a while, you know what a fan of Glitch I am. I have to admit that I've been terribly angry at the developer, Tiny Speck, for not bringing the game into a final phase yet. I wanted my little Glitch to stay as he was when I logged out; I didn't want to see him wiped over and over again after those pesky tests that help assure quality and playability. So I've been avoiding the testing phase for the most part. Isn't that just a perfect example of how mania drives gamers? We will do anything to avoid playing a favorite upcoming game for fear of becoming attached to our little digital selves or spoiling the fun of discovering new quests. Well, we'll wait no more! As of today, the game and world is finally open to anyone. That means you get to jump in, nibble pigs, massage butterflies, collect random items you find on the floor, and generally exist in the imagination of a giant. Sounds cool? It is cool. In fact, I need to explain just how cool it is. Click past the cut!
MMObility: Illyriad devs shine light on HTML5
HTML5 is somewhat of a mysterious beast. We've probably all heard whispers of the "new" version of the standard web coding language, but to most of us it means very little. After all, why is it number five? Why is there a buzz about this new way of coding websites? Is "coding" even the right word? Oh, I've learned a thing or two over the years; I've built a few websites and have figured out some of the basics. My wife is a graphic designer, so I have learned a lot from her, including some of the stuff that makes up Flash and other graphical... things. But I am far from an expert. So I decided to ask Ben Adams and and James Niesewand, CTO and CEO of Illyriad Games, respectively, about HTML5. They are really starting to push the boundaries of the language with their game Illyriad. It's fun to learn about this stuff, and it's always nice to know how our mobile games are being made. Click past the cut and read the interview! Warning: Big words ahead!
MMObility: Online board games make for good mobile design
I'm proud of myself. The other day I was away from my phone and PC for nearly half an hour. Of course, I grabbed my phone in case I wanted to Tweet about the experience, but I decided to just leave it be. Sometimes, technology gets to be a bit much. After this record-breaking summer (and still no rain into the beginning of fall), I even found myself becoming mad at electricity. I found myself turning off fans or cable boxes to save a little bit here and there. I would get up earlier to walk the dogs and so I could enjoy some time with the door open and the air conditioners finally silent. I started to hate how much we need electricity. When those irrational thoughts hit me, I like to play a board or card game. A good board game can give you the same feelings of adventure or teamwork that any MMO can. Then I stumbled upon Ironhelmet Games' site and started to fall in love with its online games. The site gave me some good ideas about designing for mobile gamers. Click past the cut and let's discuss!
MMObility: More news and tech from the world of mobile
Welcome again to MMObility, your weekly stop for all things mobile! I've decided that it would be a good idea to make this column concentrate not only on the games for your phones, tablets and netbooks but on some of the different tech and items that any mobile fan will probably love. The games are the centerpiece, of course, but this is no fast-moving genre like "standard" MMORPGs... so filling in some of the gaps between development cycles with tech talk only makes sense. This week I have a bit of news and a bit of tech. Feel free to chime in with your comments, especially if you have anything to add that might help people play better or shop better. Now, click past the cut!
MMObility: What makes a good mobile game to me
Over the time I have been exploring mobile gaming, especially since I have been writing this column, I've discovered exactly what I like and dislike about the genre. Mobile MMOs are the tiniest niche within the greater world of MMOs. Some would say that MMOs are even a tiny corner of gaming in general. While I don't quite agree, I would say that explaining my column to random game shop employees or curious friends is quite the challenge. "You write about games... on your phone?" "Yes, massively multiplayer games." "Huh?" Luckily there are many new ones that offer a much more robust gaming experience. I can proudly show people examples of games like Order and Chaos Online, Star Legends or Illyriad. Of course, I sift through many poor examples before I get to the good ones. So let's take this opportunity to discuss what I think makes for a good game. Click past the cut and feel free to add your ideas in the comments section!
MMObility: HP pulls the old switcharoo with the TouchPad
If you are one of the unlucky few who decided to pick up one of the new HP TouchPad tablet PCs, I feel bad for you. First of all, pretty much all of the reviews I have read said that the device was not worth its $500 price tag. For that amount of dough, the hardware should have been sleeker, beefier, and more stylish. Then we heard the news this week that support for the device was being terminated. Shortly after that, news of price drops started to come out, and then tech geeks starting lining up. Sure, they wouldn't pay $500 for a sub-par device, but they would pay $100 for the chance to toy around with it. I've used this joke before, but it fits perfectly here: A farmer sticks a million-dollar price tag on a pile of cow dung and people laugh at him. He keeps the sign up for about a week before changing the price to one dollar. People line up around the block to get the discounted item. The farmer laughs... it turns out they were still just buying a pile of dung for a dollar. Click past the cut and let's examine further!
MMObility: My week in mobile
I love exploring the mobile gaming world. I also really enjoy window-shopping on different websites, looking at the latest mobile technologies. If I really let my imagination run, I can picture society in only a dozen or more years: people walking around while constantly being connected to their family and friends, playing games while video chatting. Of course, I also wonder whether this would be a good thing or not, but I forget the concern as soon as I spy the latest patch for one of my favorite MMOs. The last week was an eventful one, and as usual I was all over the digital map. Why don't you click past the cut and see what happened? I promise I'll skip the parts about what I had for breakfast (always two pieces of toast, a cup of tea, and a fruit smoothie) and will get right to the better digital parts.
MMObility: More new games and news from mobile MMOs
Finding mobile MMOs for smartphones, slates, and browsers is not easy. I will often lump games that can run on a basic laptop into this column, but the specific games for those wonderful mobile devices are still rare. Yes, there are quite a few games in the Mafia Wars-style, but I have been scouring the internet to find games that actually resemble "real" MMOs -- you know, the ones that have persistent worlds and interaction with large numbers of players. They're out there, but the faucet is at a slow drip. It must be hard to make mobile games, especially MMOs, especially in a market that is not only new but such a niche. Granted, titles like Order and Chaos Online and Pocket Legends have shown that great success is possible, but in this columns, I like to highlight the little guys and the hidden gems. So click past the cut and I'll share with you a few updates on some of my favorite lesser-known mobile MMOs.
MMObility: Shadow Cities confuses the heck out of me
I like unusual games. No, really, I love them. I would rather puzzle away at some oddball of a game than be forced to play the same old game that I have played before. I don't mind taking my time with a new title, learning its rules and lore. Of course, my goal is not to hunt down every morsel of information about a game, either. There is a fine balance between knowing how to play a game and practically keeping a cheat sheet next to my laptop or phone. Sometimes a game comes along and makes me really scratch my head. It's rare, though, especially in this age of YouTube videos and newbie Q and A threads. Shadow Cities has given me more of a hard time than almost any other game in recent memory. The question is: is this a good thing or a bad thing? Click past the cut and we'll discuss it.
