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The Think Tank: How do you feel about press-only beta coverage?
Here's a thing that happens sometimes: A high-budget MMO has a tiered beta with an NDA that is lifted in parts. Sometimes those parts include early access for press, and sometimes that NDA lifts for press before anyone else. This has only happened a handful of times, and it never really works as intended. Almost everyone thinks that everyone should be able to talk about what he or she is playing and that games press is wrong. After going through one of these episodes just last week, we figured it would be a good time to share our (wrong) opinions on how these press-only beta NDA lifts play out.
Perfect Ten: MMO features that were hyped but never delivered
Developers like to talk a big game. It's expected, it's encouraged by all parties, and it's part of the fun. When a game or big expansion is coming up, the spokespeople for studios like to hop on stage, grab that mic, and start proselytizing for all they're worth. And while some promises come to fruition, others are various shades of white lies, and still others never come to be at all. These are the features that studios would much rather you forget were mentioned in the first place, although this is the internet and the internet never forgets. Well, players who latch on to everything devs say as absolute truth never forget. Sometimes things happen along the way in development. Studios run out of time to get in all of the features and have to prioritize which make the cut and which do not. Features end up not testing as well as hoped and the studio quietly drops them because the PR hit for the features not going in is much less than the disaster that they might cause. And some developers like to flap their gums and spout brainstorm ideas that send the actual programmers and designers back at the company into spasms of agony when they try to figure out how to make them work. Today let's go through 10 features that were talked up but never delivered in MMOs!
Looking for Guild: WildStar needs you!
I'm happy to say that we have another large list of players looking for a guild this week, and almost every one of them is (or will be) playing Carbine's Wildstar. An MMO like this (triple-A publisher, currently in beta) is perfect for this this LFG column as it allows players to get themselves ready for the game on launch day. Read on past the jump below for our full list of players looking for a guild.
The Think Tank: What's your favorite game genre (other than MMOs)?
You'd think that a bunch of MMO bloggers would pick the MMO genre as their favorite, but that's not necessarily true. But that's precisely why we have such a great team here! So many game genres come together to form the MMO genre, so it only makes sense that we like other games too. So I picked the brains of our staff members to see what other types of games they enjoy when they'e not playing the latest MMO. Read along after the jump for their picks.
The Think Tank: Do you pay attention to developer livestreams?
Along with Reddit AMAs, developer livestreams are turning out to be all the rage these days. Studios are turning to the live format to show off upcoming game features, tease new content, and just show the players what the development team is like behind the scenes -- but with pants (sometimes). But does it work? Obviously it's working well enough to make it a growing trend, but I was curious about how the Massively staff members felt about this. Do they pay attention to developer livestreams?
Perfect Ten: Lessons from three months in Neverwinter
Recently I decided to end a good run in Neverwinter, my second time back to the game that went well over three months. It was a strange period, no doubt, mostly because of the conversations I'd get into people about it. "You're playing Neverwinter? Are you, like, trying to be ironic?" they'd ask, with internet eyebrows all quizzical. "I know! I don't understand it either!" I'd invariably respond. "But... it's fun. It is!" That last bit always dribbled off my lips. Then our friendship would be terminated and I'd have to rely on my fallback companion, a pen pal from Austria who sends me notes in an archaic form of German. I guess Neverwinter isn't a super-serious MMO for super-serious players, but there's something very Pringles about it: Once you start playing, you can't stop. Well, at least not for three months. So since my time in it is through (for now), I thought I'd share with you 10 lessons I picked up in three months.
The Think Tank: What past or future MMO do you wish you could play right now?
If you listen to our podcast at all, you probably know that Bree and Jef miss Star Wars Galaxies. If you've read anything by me in the past five years, you probably know that I miss Tabula Rasa. Nostalgia is a powerful thing, and many of us spend a lot of time reminiscing about the good old games. But there's also the other side of that coin. The yet-to-be-launched games we're looking forward to seem as if they could be the greatest thing ever. So I asked the Massively team members to tell us what currently unplayable games they want to play the most. Be it closed down or upcoming, there's bound to be something. Read along after the jump for our thoughts!
The Think Tank: What change do you fear in the future of MMOs?
MMO vets have a reputation. No, I don't mean the basement thing, I mean we're often seen as being afraid of change. Back in our day, we had to wait an hour for a raid boss to spawn, and we liked it! But ironically, the free-to-play push has turned MMO gamers against anything said to be releasing with a sub, as seen with the recent backlash against The Elder Scrolls Online. So I polled the Massively staff members for their opinions on the changes we see in our favorite genre. Is there anything they're particularly afraid to see as they glare into the crystal ball?
Perfect Ten: Online collectible card games that will tap your heart
While it might be a stretch to put collectible (or trading) card games in the same family as MMORPGs, it's hard to deny that their audiences are pretty similar and quite open to a little crossover between genres. Massively has made mention of TCGs as their numbers and popularity seems to be on the rise online. That led up to the day that my editor came into my office, smacked an Elmer Fudd Pez dispenser out of my hand, and told me that I better do a top 10 list on card games "or else." "Or else what?" I chirped before thinking. "Or else you'll be our full-time Darkfall columnist," my editor said. So hey! We're talking about card games today! How about, I don't know, 10 of them?
CES 2014: Audio roundup
Imagine the footsteps of thousands and thousands of people. Now add in hundreds of booths showing loud promo videos, playing music and giving demos over microphones. That is the literal sound of CES. The theoretical sound of CES will come from some of the products you see below. We feel this selection of products gives you a pretty good feel for the trends we're likely to see in 2014. Enjoy.
CES 2014: Cameras and digital imaging roundup
As in years past, CES wasn't the premier showcase for groundbreaking digital imaging products, but we still saw our fair share of photo-centric updates. Of course, with manufacturers highlighting a wide array of 4K televisions, it wasn't surprising to see them emphasize Ultra HD on the capture side of things, too. Most notable on that front was Sony's compact $2,000 4K Handycam. It's significantly smaller than the company's pricier alternative, and it scores major points for affordability, too. Other manufacturers also peddled 4K shooters, such as Panasonic with its GH and head-mounted prototypes, but the pre-release versions on display weren't nearly as compelling as the model Sony plans to start shipping in March.
CES 2014: Gaming roundup
Gaming is once again a thing at CES! Since splitting from the Consumer Electronics Show in 1995 and creating E3, the game industry has sat out much of the past 20 years. Between last year's big news from Valve and this year's reappearance of Sony's PlayStation, it's never been a better time to be a journalist covering gaming at CES. In case the resurgence of gaming news wasn't enough to solidify our belief, the first ever Engadget-hosted Official CES Awards Best of Show trophy went to Oculus VR's Crystal Cove Rift prototype. Gaming, as it turns out, is more innovative and exciting than the curved TVs and psuedo-fashionable vitality monitors of the world -- not exactly a surprise, but validating our years-long assertion feels so, so right. CES 2014 saw Steam Machines third-party support go official -- we even told you about all 14 partners a full 24 hours before Valve loosed the info -- a new, crazy/ambitious project from Razer and Oculus VR's latest prototype. And that's to say nothing of Sony's PlayStation Now and Huawei's China-exclusive Android game console, or the dozens of interviews we did.
CES 2014: Mobile roundup
While this year was predictably quiet for smartphones, we weren't expecting it to be this quiet. Only a small sliver of companies announced new handsets at the show, and the ones we saw -- with the exception of the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact -- didn't impress. Even tablets, which have had pretty healthy showings in years past, failed to make an appearance. Naturally, this left a gaping void that needed to be filled by something, and wearables were up to the task. Read on as we take a look back at just a few of this week's mobile highlights.
CES 2014: Laptops roundup
It wasn't exactly a banner year for laptops at CES. Hell, the "Best of CES" award for PCs ended up going to a desktop, and was nearly upstaged by an all-in-one running Chrome OS. Still, that didn't stop some companies (especially Lenovo) from trotting out new models. From a simple Haswell refresh to a dual-OS hybrid, we've rounded up every laptop announced at the show. Couldn't keep up with all the news the first time? Get ready to catch up right here.
CES 2014: HDTV & home theater roundup
Every year, CES is filled wall to wall with flat-screen televisions and the things that plug into them. 2014's show brought its own variations to that theme. Curved TVs, OLED TVs, Ultra HD TVs or some combination popped up wherever we looked, and unlike last year, many of them will go on sale soon. Big manufacturers like Samsung, LG and Sony dominated news for high-end sets, but others like Vizio are promising an unprecedented slew of features at value prices.
CES 2014: Auto roundup
While some categories at this year's International CES were a little quiet, the same cannot be said for autos. 2014's show floor was filled with car stuff, not simply from the major vendors at the show, but also from the acres of companies selling every accessory imaginable. Our takeaway from this outing is that autonomous control and re-inventing our car's oft-overlooked analog interiors are what most -- if not all -- vendors will be up to at least in part for 2014. Follow on for a few of the highlights from this year's show.
CES 2014, Day 5: Five things 50 Cent missed while he was busy hawking headphones
It's been a fun week of awards, announcements and intentionally awful headlines, but all good things must come to an end. Before the doors to the show floor closed for the final time this year, we spent some moments with a pair of smart headbands, some augmented reality glasses and even a remote-controlled airplane, but we understand if you still want more. Don't worry -- that's why we're here. Join us one final time to look back at the interviews, innovations and intentional head injuries that defined CES 2014.
CES 2014, Day 4: Top five must-see stories you must see
CES may almost be over, but there's still plenty to talk about at the Las Vegas Convention Center. We learned why Microsoft's presence at CES may be subtler these days, and that GoPro's obsession for extreme sports has found a home on Xbox Live. We also saw Fleksy bang out emails on a smartwatch and had our faces digitally rearranged by a Kinect-equipped makeover machine -- but that's nothing compared to what we've hidden past the jump. Read on for a look behind the show, technology and awards that define CES 2014, day 4.
The Think Tank: Name your MMO dev dream team
While playing our favorite MMOs, we rarely sit down to think about the people who poured their blood, sweat, and tears into granting us these gaming experiences. Well, at least until we come across something we don't like. Then the blame game begins. But the truth is, it usually takes a large team to assemble a proper MMO, and no one or two people should be held accountable. Well, unless you're literally making an MMO entirely by yourself. So I asked the Massively team members whom they would have on their MMO dream team. Would they pick out talented individuals or talented groups of designers? Check out the complete list just after the jump.
CES 2014, Day 3: The trade show highlights they don't want you to see!
While the White House was busy extending the lifespan of the International Space Station, we were pounding the CES 2014 show floor. Sure, the Las Vegas Convention Center is packed with home automation demos, arm-bound muscle sensors and prototype smartwatches, but there's more to a trade show than just the exhibition hall -- there are celebrity cameos, killer interviews and WWE programming announcements, too. Take a step back from the CES crowds and join Engadget for a look at the show from another perspective.
