Not exactly MMO related but interesting nonetheless: Richard Garriott's game studio, Portalarium, has announced a partnership with social gaming giant, Zynga, to bring Ultimate Collector to the Zynga network. By so doing, Ultimate Collector will have access to Zynga's over 306 million monthly users.

“Ultimate Collector is really three games in one,” says Garriott, Portalarium’s co-founder and creative director. “It’s a collecting game where players go on a major hunt for collectibles ranging from toys, gadgets, historical weapons, novelties and famous art and display those collections in their homes. It’s a shopping game where players can visit shops and stores in our game, some of them from national retailers, to purchase items and add to their collections. And it’s a world building game that allows players to outfit a home, show off their collections to their friends, sell virtual items to other collectors and make in-game money to upgrade their house and grow it even larger.

“It’s a hybrid — a unique style of social gaming that appeals to all ages, both males and females. With extensive questing and role-playing elements, it is testing very popular with those newer to social gaming but looking for a deeper play experience, as well as those who consider themselves veteran gamers but have been waiting on the sidelines for a more immersive play experience. Ultimate Collector really appeals to that rapidly growing mid-core gaming audience.”

Find out more about the game on the Ultimate Collector Facebook page.

You know, you'd think after having everything he worked so hard to achieve with Origin Systems taken from him and destroyed by EA, he'd know better than to have ANYTHING to do with a giant corporation again.

I guess some people never learn.

Edit: Oh yeah, and the whole NCSoft disaster. Somehow forgot about that. Seriously, what is he THINKING?

I have to say...I met this man when I was younger.

He was a hero to me. He made me want to plop down in rpmaker and make rpg's.

And so I did.

Many years down the road I'd not ever touch a garriot anything again. Mostly because instead of investing in his projects he spent the money and time rallying for a orbital trip around the earth.

He is literally now the old man in a mid life crisis.

The bloody father of the sandbox graphical rpg...is bowing to Zynga.

It'd be one thing if this were a rpg..but clearly Garriot is cash cowing the casual trend.

What is the new difference between Garriot and Derek Smart?

Derek Smart actually made a game in the last few years that sold. NOW THAT IS SAD.

Ya know, Garriott has a knack for making really poor decisions. "Hey! I know! I'll partner up with a company that has most of its top executives jumping ship while it gets investigated and sued for insider trading! Money-hat, here I come!"

How the mighty have fallen. Especially pushing a shitty Facebook game basically about hoarding.

True.. It's a blatant sell out.. But that is the way things work, more so now-a-days, you go to where the money is.. The way he see's it, is that the MMORPG is going out of style, it's out of date and largely non-profitable.. Besides that, we already know that those facebook games reach an even larger playerbase of the elderly, women, and children who are actually willing to lay down some serious cash as well..

He's not the only one.. Just about every major company has their sights set on either facebook or browser gaming (which is very closely related) for that fast buck because for some reason people either don't know how or feel like downloading clients anymore.. Which is strange due to the fact that larger and larger hard drives and even thumb drives are becoming available for cheaper these days...

Development costs and everything associated with are cut as well..

And here we were thinking that games had to look and play better in the future of gaming to be profitable.. Boy were we wrong..

Originally posted by Vyeth

He's not the only one.. Just about every major company has their sights set on either facebook or browser gaming (which is very closely related) for that fast buck because for some reason people either don't know how or feel like downloading clients anymore.. Which is strange due to the fact that larger and larger hard drives and even thumb drives are becoming available for cheaper these days...

Development costs and everything associated with are cut as well..

And here we were thinking that games had to look and play better in the future of gaming to be profitable.. Boy were we wrong..

A lot of the social phenomenon is based around folks that aren't very computer or internet savvy.  Going out and finding, downloading and then installing while second nature to everyone here is still a turnoff to grandma who discovered attaching pictures to an e-mail a year or so ago.  Meanwhile young kids are targetted by sites with embedded games (Club Penguin).  Finally, you still have some folks whose primary connection is at work, their smartphone or the library (normal clients aren't generally possible).  It's not a matter of HDD space.

Saying the costs are cut is an understatement, its literally pennies on the dollar.  500K will fund a descent social game, in this market an MMO on the cheap will cost 30-50M (not counting hobbyist efforts).  BTW, both have similar potential to make money.

Looking better costs more to produce and also limits your market.  I get that there is a segment of gamers that would cream their shorts over a game that offered truely photo-realistic graphics in real time.  The catch is you'd also need animations and interactions to match that level of detail.  Consider the sort of rig it would take, consider the TBs of data and the bandwidth required if you put it online.  The funniest bit to me is that the "crappier" stylized graphics are both cheaper to produce and can be better for conveying a mood.

Playing better is even worse.  Herding cats is easier than decyphering the keys to a better game.  Should you up the twitch factor and pacing or slow it down and favor a more deliberate problem solving.  Truth is what players want will run the spectrum on that and likely dozens of other factors.

I always defended Garriot, because much of what he said was visionary and interesting. But Zynga? For real? I can not think of any other move of him that could ruin his credibility entirely as this.

I guess he is what you call council resistent.

Sic transit gloria mundi.

Originally posted by Elikal

I always defended Garriot, because much of what he said was visionary and interesting. But Zynga? For real? I can not think of any other move of him that could ruin his credibility entirely as this.

I guess he is what you call council resistent.

The funny thing is it is a brilliant move.  What are we really talking about? Garriot cut a deal to have Zynga host the game and promote it to their established base.  How is that any different than what indy studios do with steam (if they offered hosting services)?

Originally posted by ghstwolf

Originally posted by Elikal

I always defended Garriot, because much of what he said was visionary and interesting. But Zynga? For real? I can not think of any other move of him that could ruin his credibility entirely as this.

I guess he is what you call council resistent.

 

The funny thing is it is a brilliant move.  What are we really talking about? Garriot cut a deal to have Zynga host the game and promote it to their established base.  How is that any different than what indy studios do with steam (if they offered hosting services)?

 

Because of the NAME Zynga has!

Originally posted by Astropuyo

I have to say...I met this man when I was younger.

He was a hero to me. He made me want to plop down in rpmaker and make rpg's.

And so I did.

 

Many years down the road I'd not ever touch a garriot anything again. Mostly because instead of investing in his projects he spent the money and time rallying for a orbital trip around the earth.

He is literally now the old man in a mid life crisis.

 

The bloody father of the sandbox graphical rpg...is bowing to Zynga.

It'd be one thing if this were a rpg..but clearly Garriot is cash cowing the casual trend.

What is the new difference between Garriot and Derek Smart?

Derek Smart actually made a game in the last few years that sold. NOW THAT IS SAD.

How can you be upset at someone living out their dream to go to outerspace?

You're so weird...

From that description the whole game is based on you buying stuff so you can show it off to....

Who cares?

he's making games that different people can enjoy on a different level. so what? you nerds need to get over yourselves