MMO Roundup: Derek Smart, the art of Guild Wars 2, and more
Sometimes you'd like to know that there are other MMOs out there, right? It's not all WoW, all the time! Our sister site Massively can provide you with everything you need to know about all of the other MMOs around, past, present and future.
| How online gaming can change the world Jane McGonigal (a 10-year game designer of projects such as the I Love Bees ARG for Halo 2) has a self-professed "crazy idea" -- that gamers have the potential to change the world for the better by doing what they're already doing. At her speech, people chuckle when she first says this, but twenty minutes later they're giving her a standing ovation. |
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| Video footage of CCP's realistic cloth simulation We've known for some time that CCP planned to use physics simulation to make the clothes in EVE Online's Incarna expansion and their upcoming World of Darkness MMO more realistic. They even gave a talk on using NVidia's APEX cloth simulation at the 2010 Game Developer's Conference. Until now, all we've seen are technical details and the occasional screenshot, which makes it hard to work out how the end product will look. Now? Now we have video. |
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| BioWare and EA expect at least 2 million subscriptions for SW:TOR As if the idea of 100% voiced dialogue trees wasn't ambitious enough in an MMO property, word has now come out that EA and BioWare are expecting to have two million subscriptions for Star Wars: The Old Republic. In a genre where only one game has ever exceeded two million subscribers at $15 per month, that's a very high standard to put yourself up against. |
| Second Guild Wars 2 concept art slideshow released When the first slideshow video of Guild Wars 2 concept art was released, fans immediately saw the "Part 1" in the title and were thrilled to know that more was on the way. That "more" arrived Friday afternoon in the form of Part 2, a video that seemed to drop some very broad hints via current game load screens (such as one from Elona), Dhuum concept art, and an image of the Grenth costume recently made available to players. |
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| A look into Age of Conan's Rise of the Godslayer expansion We jumped at the chance to sit down and talk with Funcom's Craig Morrison at this year's Game Developer's Conference. Morrison, executive producer and game director for the Norwegian game maker's Age of Conan MMORPG, gave a presentation on the forthcoming Rise of the Godslayer expansion and then took a few of our questions about the additions in store for the sword and sorcery title. |
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| Massively interviews Alganon's Derek Smart Amidst the recent flurry of GDC announcements, it's possible for people to miss what's been coming out of some of the smaller studios. That being said, almost everyone with some game industry knowledge took notice when it was formally announced that Derek Smart would be taking charge of Alganon. It helped that Mr. Smart, well-known for his vocal nature and not shying from controversy, almost immediately took the opportunity to set the record straight regarding the management change. |
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| A first glimpse at The Secret World The Secret World, Funcom's upcoming MMO, has done a pretty good job living up to its name. Little bits of information here, little bits there, and that's about it. Luckily Massively was able to take a look at the game personally with a demo at GDC10. Check out the supernatural goodness! |
Filed under: MMO Roundup







Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
PhoenixMandC Mar 23rd 2010 4:06PM
I say this with the most respect for WoW.com....
This has got to be the least relevant bit on the site. Most of us come here to read about World of Warcraft, not other MMOs.
While I won't deny that there are probably some people here that care about other MMOs, this is a WoW related website. You're going to attract WoW players. Not Guild Wars 2 fans.
Just something to think about
Zhiva Mar 23rd 2010 4:13PM
So, you are basically saying "I do not like this column, so you should remove it."
Guess what, I am not interested in PvP and therefore do not read PvP-related stuff on this site. Yet I do not call for removal of PvP columns.
Rai Mar 23rd 2010 4:52PM
So people who play World of Warcraft have absolutely no interest in any other MMOs on the market? You speak as if WoW is the first MMO to exist...
I'll admit this is my least favourite column, but it's still worth a read sometimes. Horizons want to be broadened.
PhoenixMandC Mar 23rd 2010 4:59PM
No, actually. It's not "I don't like this column, therefore it should be removed."
I don't read almost half the articles at WoW.com, but I wouldn't make such statements about them (except possibly for the constant promotion of the Creative headsets)
What I was saying is, "Most people don't have an interest in this column. It is not on topic. It is against the purpose of the site. It doesn't belong on a World of Warcraft fansite/newssite"
Like I said, I have a lot of respect for WoW.com, but this was just my input on this particular column.
BubblePriest Mar 23rd 2010 5:13PM
Actually Massively is an MMO site, and WoW is an MMO. I fail to see how it's completely unrelated. If they started doing a column on Russian politics, THAT would be unrelated.
One of the things I truly appreciate about Blizzard is they keep an eye on what works and doesn't work in other MMOs and adapt WoW based on that. If WoW fans are aware of what is going on with other games, we are more informed customers, and I think everyone's gaming experience improves.
PhoenixMandC Mar 23rd 2010 5:17PM
Well, yes and no.
WoW site ===> WoW is an MMO ===> other MMO
That's your line of thinking. I personally think that's a stretch too far. Any of my friends or guildies that I talk to about WoW.com come here to hear news, occasionally read an article about their class or the lore, and that's about it.
So yeah, I personally think that this column is off topic. While it is not as off topic as Russian politics, Biology, or the meaning of the universe, that doesn't mean it's not off topic.
Al Mar 23rd 2010 5:29PM
"Actually Massively is an MMO site"
We're not on Massively. If he went to Massively and espoused his opinion, then you'd have a point.
Jorges Mar 23rd 2010 5:50PM
The MMO Roundup column has been around since I started reading this site about a year ago (do a search and check dates if you want), and I find it pretty refreshing and interesting. If the column has lasted so much, I really doubt there are just "some people" that like to read it.
So, either you are new to the site or you just made "the least relevant" comment about a topic ever.. in wich case, I congratulate you.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'll continue reading the other on-topic comments.
Turtell Mar 23rd 2010 8:43PM
"our sister site massively..."
This column is part advert/plug part great way to see a brief overview of some interesting things happening in the genre of games that clearly everyone here is interested in.
Aureliusz Mar 24th 2010 1:23AM
I like this column.
BubblePriest Mar 23rd 2010 4:09PM
Wow sudden surge of jealousy.
If other games have clothes that move when they walk, why is it so hard for me to get a tier set that doesn't clip something when I move my head?
busuan Mar 23rd 2010 4:20PM
The cloth simulation has the potential to make Tailoring THE best profession in WoW.
Unexpected EOF Mar 23rd 2010 4:24PM
Oh, a game with Derek Smart managing it. THAT'LL go far.
Korbyn Mar 24th 2010 11:19AM
As someone with a copy of Battlecruiser 3000AD in a box somewhere let me be the first to say...
NEVER AGAIN.
Syme Mar 23rd 2010 4:40PM
The cloth and hair physics simulation was very impressive. The hair was a little bouncy, but still impressive.
Chris Mar 23rd 2010 5:22PM
Good lord....Derek Smart has an ego bigger than the planet. That place has to be "interesting" to work at.
catharsis80 Mar 23rd 2010 5:50PM
I think Jane's idea itself is a fantasy world. First of all, the online world does NOT represent the "best" you could be, for many reasons.
1) People can be crueler in the game than they can in real life because there really aren't any consequences.
2) Many people live an almost double life: MMOs and real-life. And they act completely different in both.
3) The fact that MANY people use gaming as "relaxation" or to get away from real-life should be an obvious indicator that they way they act online is probably very different from real life.
4) People are nicer to each other in game because it (as well as being meaner) is easier to do. I mean, it's not hard to go "do" something for someone in game. What is it really costing you? I wonder how many of these people stop to help a homeless person on the side of the street when they see one.
I can SORT of feel what she's saying though: we DO tend to show who we really are at heart...AT TIMES...in the virtual world. But we should never, EVER confuse it with real-life face-to-face interaction: it is a VIRTUAL world. Almost real, but not; a.k.a., counterfeit. If you really go the distance with it, if everyone were to "go virtual" the human race would die out for lack of reproduction. That should say something.
Qehb Mar 23rd 2010 6:24PM
I have to say Guild Wars 2 is looking very impressive to me,
Wasnt a huge fan of the original but this new version is looking great and kind of makes WoW look like Runescape...
I think Blizz should realy release a next Gen-WoW or the competition will eat us up, I do not think Cataclysm will surfice for this as although it is slightly updateing the graphics the graphics-engine is still the same from 5 years ago (and a bit before that with warcraft 3),
also the game play is begining to become stale and blocky compared to the fluid combat of the new Generation Mmo's