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Stick and Rudder: Even more sims to fill the Star Citizen void
I was hoping to use this week's column to talk in glowing terms about Star Citizen's newly released racing mechanics. The only problem with that plan is that Arena Commander 0.9 hasn't launched just yet, purportedly on account of a few pesky bugs that Cloud Imperium is still in the process of squashing. Sooo, I thought I'd dust off an old Stick and Rudder standard wherein we talk about which genre games are worth playing while we're waiting on the "best damn space sim ever."
Vendetta experimenting with mobile microtransactions
Guild Software announced over the weekend that its long-running Vendetta Online MMORPG will explore microtransactions on certain mobile devices. Vendetta, a space sim sandbox that offers single-shard gameplay across operating systems including Windows, OS X, Linux, Android, and iOS, has been running since April of 2002 and has heretofore subsisted on the subscription model. Guild says that subscribers "will still get everything, across all platforms, without any need for these types of optional purchases." Microtransactions will be exclusively for Vendetta pilots on Lite accounts, and the structure of the cash shop will "require refinement and continued feedback from the userbase." Guild concludes that a hybrid business model is "an expected necessity on mobile," and it is working to adapt and court additional players.
Vendetta getting 'major graphical and engine changes,' Steam release
Vendetta Online's latest newsletter has announced major graphical and engine changes, along with Oculus Rift HD support and a forthcoming Steam release. Lead developer John Bergman explains that Guild Software is "working on a whole new client-server architecture to make it possible for us to generate massively dense sectors of unlimited scale." The new sectors will showcase various graphical upgrades including advanced lighting, shadow, volume effects, and more. These and other upgrades are part of what Bergman is temporarily calling Vendetta 2.0, which "will represent the goals that I set out to build back when we started on this crazy space MMORPG development journey over sixteen years ago." Vendetta is a subscription-based sandbox MMO that allows players on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Ouya, and Oculus Rift to play on the same server. It first launched in 2002.
Perfect Ten: Biggest MMO news stories of 2013
As the light slowly fades from 2013, we spend our final moments quaffing eggnog, putting up President's Day decorations, and reminiscing about the year that was. We stare at the past and realize that it's a mirror reflecting our own journeys through the past 12 months. We contemplate the impact of one small decision that ripples out and touches souls everywhere. And then we stop getting so maudlin and start getting excited for what 2014 has to offer. For me, I live for end-of-the-year lists. Man, I love 'em. I will devour them, drinking up everyone's opinions about what what the best what, what movies or songs I should check out, and what idiocy drives some people to write top 10 lists. Seriously, am I right? Learn to use a paragraph format, people! Well, here's my top 10 list covering the year's top stories in the MMO industry. Some are pretty obvious, some will be up for debate, and all will be in the past soon enough. So what will historians say about 2013 and online games?
Vendetta adds persistent player mines, better mobile support
Guild Software has been crunching on various Vendetta Online improvements, chief among them some increased background and planetary detail on Android devices. The multi-platform space sim sandbox also boasts support for the latest high-speed mobile GPUs, as well as new persistent player mines that allow "for more complex defense of territory over long periods of time." Guild lead developer John Bergman says that the team has "big gameplay and graphical plans for 2014, as well as plans to expand the immersion of our existing support for the Oculus Rift HD."
EVE Evolved: Will Star Citizen or Elite harm EVE?
Publishers haven't been willing to put a lot of money behind a sci-fi sandbox for some time, but upcoming games Star Citizen and Elite: Dangerous seem set to revive the genre thanks to the power of crowdfunding. Star Citizen in particular has collected a world record $19.6 million in pledges so far from almost 258,000 individuals, eliminating the need for publishers and heavy investment entirely. Though both games are designed to be a primarily singleplayer or small-scale multiplayer adventures, their respective developers have already promised shared online universes and sandbox gameplay that could give EVE Online a run for its money. The past decade has shown EVE to be one of the most resilient MMOs on the planet. It's survived several major scandals, barely noticed the release of giant World of Warcraft, and has somehow maintained its subscription-based business model in a market rapidly being overtaken by free-to-play titles. Even at its lowest point, the game managed to survive the 2011 monoclegate scandal and the subsequent fallout that saw CCP Games lose 20% of its staff worldwide. EVE's subscriptions and concurrent user numbers have historically been unaffected by the release of new MMOs or sci-fi titles, so why should Star Citizen be any different? In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at how EVE Online has lived with very little direct competition until now and ask whether Star Citizen and Elite could be among the first games to directly draw players from EVE.
Ooh Ouya! Testing MMOs on a $99 console
My big birthday present this year was an Ouya -- the $99 Android console that was funded by Kickstarter, powered by dreams, and promoted as a "revolution" by its makers. I've not been big on either consoles or Android platforms as of late, mostly due to being preoccupied elsewhere. But something about Ouya's roguish underdog status and the combination of being a fully functional console and a development kit in one attracted me to it. Plus, it's so dang tiny! You can only fit one-half of a magical elf inside it, and even that took some intense pushing. Obviously this is not a bleeding-edge console that's going to pump out realistic graphics at 100 fps, but that's not Ouya's thing anyway. So you might be forgiven in thinking that MMO studios might stay far away from it, what with its limited storage space and processing power, but that's actually not the case. Two MMOs that I know of have been released on the Ouya, Vendetta Online and Order and Chaos Online, and to me that signals the possibility that there might be more in the future. So I downloaded both of them fairly quickly and settled onto my couch to check out MMO gaming with a controller on a TV powered by a console smaller than a Coke can. What kind of MMO experience was I going to get with a $99 machine?
Order and Chaos Online comes to Ouya
Order and Chaos Online, that scrappy little mobile World of Warcraft clone, is continuing to expand its presence in the gaming market. Its latest conquest? Ouya, the Android-based console that released in late June. Ouya Chief Executive Julie Uhrman welcomed the title to the Ouya family: "Ouya is excited to be working with Gameloft to bring the wildly popular Order and Chaos Online to the consoles world for the first time. This also marks our first MMO, expanding the gaming possibilities for all Ouya gamers." This isn't technically the first MMO for the Ouya, however. Vendetta Online premiered on the console several months ago. Order and Chaos Online is available for free in the Ouya Discovery store.
Vendetta Online now compatible with Oculus Rift
Guild Software has announced the debut of Oculus Rift compatibility with Vendetta Online, the company's long-running space-based MMORPG. While genre heavyweights like EVE Online and Star Citizen are experimenting with Rift, Vendetta "marks the first time a live MMORPG has officially released support" for the virtual reality tech, according to a Guild press release. Vendetta's Rift release coincides with a significant graphics update which brings more detailed planets and procedural nebulas to the game. Vendetta's space trading and real-time combat gameplay is available on a huge variety of platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, and OUYA. "For the moment, [Rift] support is limited to the Windows version of our game, but we intend to expand this to other platforms with device compatibility," said Guild founder and creative director John Bergman. [Source: Vendetta press release]
MMObility: What needs to happen to make the mobile market shine
I've recently written about what the MMO future might look like, but in case you haven't read that piece yet, I can sum it up for you. Essentially I see the new generation being so used to gaming and communicating on portable yet powerful devices that the sit-down keyboard and mouse setup might very well be doomed. Even major PC manufacturers and sellers are noticing the trend. Take a visit to your local Gamestop or equivalent game shop and you will notice that the chains have started to sell tablets as well. All of this tablet gaming might wound the current style of MMOs. I suspect that within the next decade or two it will all come full circle back to massive three-dimensional worlds on tech that becomes even more powerful and common, so we have to look at what the mobile market can do currently to keep MMOs in the lineup.
MMObility: Vendetta Online on the iPad is a familiar experience
Vendetta Online has a long history. You can play the game across many platforms and access the same universe as all other players no matter which device you are on. That's right, you can jump on your Android device and kill a few enemies while on a lunch break and then go home to switch to the PC, for example. I looked at the game for Rise and Shiny last year, and we got our hands on it again at this year's GDC Online. It's always been an impressive enough experience for the most part, but the game is definitely aging. It's still not a newbie-friendly title, and the smaller playerbase makes the game seem like a ghost town a lot of the time. I have been poking around the game for a bit now only to encounter mostly the same experience I found before. That's not a bad thing, but it's not exactly a good thing, either, because if there is one thing I do not like, it's bumping into a rough newbie experience. Sure, there are tutorials and missions to help you get started, but once you make your way into the greater universe, you might find yourself a bit lost, or worse -- bored.
Choose My Adventure: Extreme DIY makeover edition
Life may be like a box of chocolates, but gaming is like a Do-It-Yourself project. It may not be as mouth-watering an analogy, but it is certainly fitting: MMOs are a giant construction zone where players build their own experiences in a virtual world using tools from the game and their own imagination. Each project is a unique undertaking, bearing the personal touches of the builder, whether the builder is an individual or a group like a guild. Some players prefer to build a single residence and settle in, while others enjoy moving from project to project, exploring new territory and testing new tools. Me? I tend toward the former; I'm the kind who tinkers around in one place over a long period of time. But all that's about to change. Again. That's right, folks; it's my turn to break ground on yet another Choose My Adventure! For the next six weeks I am leaving the comfy confines of my familiar surroundings and allowing you to direct my next MMO project. Yes, my dear Massively friends, you will be the foreman of this endeavor, determining every step of the construction, from where I'll build my newest experience to what tools I'll get to use.
Vendetta Online now available on the iPad
Vendetta Online was officially released for the PC back in 2004 -- it's a space combat-based massively multiplayer online game that has been updated and developed almost constantly since it first went online in 2002. A few years ago, the game went mobile on Windows tablets, and today, Vendetta Online has made its way over to iOS. It's now available for the iPad. There are a few interesting things about this one. First of all, unlike the great Galaxy on Fire 2, which also features space-based combat and trading, Vendetta Online is a real MMO, which means you'll see hundreds if not thousands of other players flying around the game's universe with you. Vendetta's been updated many, many times over the years, and all of the core game's features have made it over to the iPad, along with iOS-specific features like achievements on Game Center. There's also cross-platform integration, so you can play on iPad alongside players also playing on Windows, Mac, and Linux. And finally, because this is a full MMO, it requires an extra cost to keep the servers going. Buying the app for just 99 cents gets you a month of service for free, but the app will cost another dollar per month after that. $12 a year isn't bad at all for a subscription (WoW still charges more than that per month), but it may be more than most iOS gamers are willing to pay. Still, Vendetta Online is a classic title at this point with a dedicated audience, and it's nice to finally have it available and running on the iPad.
Vendetta Online releases iPad launch date and trailer
At GDC we learned that Vendetta Online for the iPad will be available this spring. Well, guess what? It's spring! Guild Software has announced that iOS system is launching in less than two weeks; come April 17th, iPad users will be able to explore all 30 star systems in the game and participate in twitch-based space combat with all other denizens of the vast universe. On top of that, players on the iOS have access to a single player "free play" mode where they can practice flying and play various minigames even while offline. Vendetta Online will be available on the iPad App Store for just 99 cents, which includes one month of free play. After that, the monthly subscription is $1.00. Wondering how the game looks from the mobile device? Check out the trailer after the break. And for more impressions, check out Massively's hands-on experience. [Source: Guild Software Press release]
GDC 2013: Hands-on with Vendetta Online on the iPad
When we talk about getting our hands on a game at GDC for a little playtime, we don't usually get to literally grasp said game in our fingers. But that's exactly what happened when I tested out Vendetta Online on an iPad 3; instead of just relating to the space-based sandbox through the standard accessories like mouse, keyboard, or joystick, I held the entirety of the game universe in the palms of my hands. My own 10 digits were the only accessories. And the experience impressed me! I had the opportunity to sit down with John Bergman, Founder and CEO of Guild Software, to talk about the new iOS platform for Vendetta Online while doing my best Goose impersonation (he's way better than Maverick) playing it.
Vendetta Online adds F2P Kickstarter goal
Guild Software has added an interesting new wrinkle to its Vendetta Online Kickstarter project. That wrinkle is a possible free-to-play tier which will be available to players of the sci-fi sandbox game should the fundraising drive succeed. Guild founder John Bergman states that subscribers will still have the best experience, and he also lays out how and why a free-to-play conversion is fraught with potential pitfalls for smaller indie studios and well-established games like Vendetta. In some corners it is argued that we must accept this new reality, that our MMOs must be designed more as an extension of monetization metrics than for the sake of the actual gameplay. This has never sat well with me; I design for what I want to play, and an experience peppered with carefully positioned opportunities to spend money is not one I desire. Nor do the mechanics or results of paying-to-win fit within my game-view. Many of us seek these games as a means of escape, and little violates that like the pervasive artificiality of monetization, or direct gameplay advantages granted by an opponent's larger financial outlay. Nevertheless, Guild is open to the possibility of F2P, so head to the Vendetta Kickstarter project to read further details.
Guild previews Vendetta iPad 2 build in new video
Guild Software is hard at work on a full port of its long-running Vendetta Online MMORPG for second-generation iPad devices. Guild founder John Bergman demos a prototype build running on an iPad 2, though he says that there is still "a lot of work to do." Current Vendetta players will be glad to know that Guild plans to "ship the iPad version as soon as we can, and then immediately focus all our attention on gameplay enhancements to make the 1.9 goals a reality in 2013." Vendetta's fund-raising effort is about a third of the way to its goal with nine days remaining.
Vendetta Online aiming for Steam release
Guild Software is seeking to release it's long-running Vendetta Online MMO on Steam, and the space-based sandbox title needs your vote to clear Valve's Greenlight hurdle. Vendetta is one of a very few MMORPGs that natively supports Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms, and Guild founder John Bergman says that his team would "like to integrate some of Steam's community and achievement features." Vendetta features physics-based PvE and PvP combat, extensive trading and economic gameplay, and an active development team that has been iterating on the game since its 2002 release. The firm's Kickstarter project, which is designed to fund both an in-game expansion and an expansion to iOS platforms, has 19 days remaining. Head past the cut for a two-minute gameplay trailer.
Some Assembly Required: Kick(start)ing the sandbox genre
Sandbox aficionados are known to reminisce about the "good old days." You know, that time long lost in the past when the greats of open-world play like Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies (pre-NGE of course) enjoyed their heyday. Many a lamentation has also been heard about how things have never been the same, or how nothing has filled that void. Of course, the sandbox never died. In 2012 we started the year off with a guide to games sporting sandbox features to scratch a variety of virtual world itches and we ended with a look at some promising upcoming titles for 2013. With plenty of choices abounding, why are sandbox fans still decrying the lack of a home? It could be because they want one home for everyone to settle in together, basically one game to rule them all. But how realistic is that? Even with the plethora of offerings now, many folks want to play their ideal sandbox, and everyone has their own idea of what the perfect one would be (and conversely, what would kill it). Perhaps the answer, then, is to forget about a single universal home that accommodates the masses and actually create a number of niche games where people find exactly what they are looking for. Wait, that's already happening? Enter Kickstarter.
Vendetta Online pushes its Kickstarter program with new videos
Kickstarter isn't just being used by studios trying to get a new MMO off the ground. In the case of Vendetta Online, it's being used to fund something that the game otherwise simply wouldn't have. After nearly a decade of continual operation, the sandbox title wants to expand beyond desktop computers (it already has clients for Linux, Macintosh, and Windows, not to mention an Android client) by porting over to the iPad while launching a major graphical upgrade. Not convinced? The founder of Guild Software, John Bergman, has taken the time to outline some of what the small team wants to do with the added funding for development. First he discusses the dynamic warfare systems with full-on RTS elements, and next he discusses how new graphics will improve the game overall rather than just making it prettier. The campaign's modest $100,000 goal is already a quarter of the way to completion as of this writing, so if this seems like it'd be right up your alley, it's well worth a closer look.
