Gee, I am disappointed in your boring, poorly written tripe.  HEY, I'll go post!

*Yawn*

Xkey jumps off the bandwagon and proceeds to go ice-skating on the sidewalk.

- Free

- Worth it

- Simple

- More of a diversion than an "immersed" type of play; something you can pick up and put down very easily for a few hours every week - a gap filler if you will

- Can be fun to play with your young kids rather than letting them deal with boneheads in a game like WoW [the interface is very easy etc] (my toddler still isnt even 2.5 yrs old soooo .... she has to wait a year or .... til i even contemplate letting her into a non-kiddle mmo ... learning to speak is more important right now lol)

x

Miagi - you're wrong, philly is correct.

Drivers are not easy to write - they are beyond most programmers in fact because they are so very low level; you have to be careful about so many buffer issues, timing issues, integrity issues.....

IT also doesnt help when these companies have closed off a lot of their proprietary information - BSD would not write a lot of device driver stuff on the linux side when companies were boneheaded about not sharing info!  and rightly so! 

I'm no fan of Microsoft but vista really is mostly just bloated - it does do several things better; uac was badly implemented - anyhow not going down that road.

it's tough enough getting a device driver perfected when dealing with a single GPU; when you start dealing with 2 GPUs, sli etc .... you run into all sorts of headaches that you just didnt test completely enough for - they have automated testing machines that run through millions/billions of tests and find plenty of errors in the processors, then once they have the errata nailed down (or at least as far as they know lol) they adjust microcode and other processes accordingly to workaround the errors as well as remove them physically in the next stepping as far as manufacturing goes (but who knows how often these companies change masks and production runs?  they know but ...  usually they are hte only ones who know their timelines and they dont broadcast it very often)

you want bleeding edge you got it - you and your friend are bleeding with frustration - your choice

notice amds acquisition of ati? they were supposed to have lovely superfast synergistic machines with gpu+cpu+assorted cache/hyper(transport) 2.0 or 3.0 whatever the spec is up to now .... gee they are a tad behind because it is NOT EASY.

stay off the bleeding edge unless you're quite well off financially OR not wussy n whiney.  there will be bugs when you are talking billions of transistors and the technology isnt mature [hell the big 3 still have massive issues and auto tech is quite mature lol]

do a lil more research or get some smarter friends ....

live and learn, live and learn

x  - who tries to avoid assembly language ...  except when using gmp on intel cpus

yep yep

the biggest factor to success will be EA -  one would presume/assume/hope (& pray) EA is committed to quality and the "long haul" - they will want to compete successfully against Blizz-Vendi-Vision

that means putting in the effort, doubling the effort now that the finishing line is in sight and staying responsive so the game builds a nice sized happy population

also there is a lot of warhammer material to draw on so the IP is there along with the creative talent/creators

it's one of the few games that "shouldn't" miss this year - if it does - a few heads will roll somewhere internally at EA

now if only they and tCoS would solidify release dates ....

x

Originally posted by Szark

Gamasutra is reporting on comments made by Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick and Sony Group CEO Howard Stringer in the Financial Times, where they express doubts about the future of in-game advertising, and advertising in the digital landscape.

Sony Group CEO Howard Stringer and Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick have both voiced their skepticism over the potential growth prospects for in-game advertising, in a new joint interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Speaking to British newspaper the Financial Times, Stringer commented that “The [supposed] solution to everything at the moment in the digital space is ad-supported. While advertisers are happy to talk that up, there is a limit to the amount of money available.”

Read more here.

They are both correct in having those doubts.  People who think there is a place or possibility of success for in-game ads .... are thinking pie-in-the-sky for the most part.

There are always exceptions - some in-place ads do drive home a positive memory or 2 but usually they are in tv-shows or movies.  A flashy car in a movie or some cool gadget may leave a memorable impression and be worth it for the company who makes the product....    but it's mostly a miss-or-miss proposition [hits are very rare]

I honestly block out a lot of in-game ads - because i really am NOT looking for a friggin product when i'm relaxing playing.  dungeonrunners is loaded with ads and i completely block them out from memory so i can see the same one day after day after day and be completely oblivious to the product.

i do the same for most every website page as well - when i want a product i go looking. 

i cant be *sure* of this but i think there will be a fair correction in all online advertising just as there was the dot-com correction years back - it wont be to the same scale, scope, or cause as many jobs to be restructured- but it will cause a lot fo companies to rethink their marketing, strategy, and budget allocations.

I really dont see long-term viable "success" for most f2p games; similarly since Wow is a juggernaut i cannot see a huge success for any company that prices it's mmo/monthly sub above what blizz has WoW set at.   Maybe non-Blizz companies will realize as far as mass-market penetration goes low $$ costs + fun product makes for a competitive long-term sustainable scenario. [sure so many on here THIS SITE are probably willing to pay $20 a month to multiple mmo subs off and on ... but that isnt "mass market" that's a select vocal few lol]  In-game ads can possibly help supplement a low monthly subscription fee and garner a big game population for a new mmo ... but I sure would be careful with estimates if I was an internal analyst at some of these companies - they seem to miss the boat 50%of the time - not as bad a percentage as professional athletes ... but still a terrible "batting percentage" from a business perspective.

peace,

x

Wow, everyone is in agreement here.

Think SOE even cares? probably not...

I try to stay positive - but .... there are times when mismanagement is so irritating and destructive that one just has to say screw-em and avoid their products/services

voting with ones mind/mouth is great - but voting with the pocketbook resonates more loudly ...

<< won't go back to EQII unless they drop the monthly price considerably to the point where I feel it is fair for the product i'm receiving

x

Originally posted by Puffles

Here's the official poll where you can vote for what payment method you prefer. Hopefully, SOE will see this and set up the payment plan that the majority wants.

Also, it might be good to keep all the posts about why microtransactions suck in this thread. Feel free to discuss why you feel the way you do!

Personally, I'd prefer the Guild Wars type of payment--the game and the expansion packs are expensive, but there are no monthly fees whatsoever. I don't know why, but I feel a lot more comfortable with that than spending $10-$15 every month. I think most FPS gamers are used to this type of payment, as most FPS games cost $50 with no monthly fees.

While I don't really like the microtransation route, some games like Albatross18 manage to make their system fair to free players. I'm still against it, but not to a really extreme degree.

A monthly fee to access "velvet rope" areas sounds like a nice idea, because it's like giving free players a trial that's limited in content instead of time. I'd be open to that idea.

PERSONALLY, I would prefer they paid me to play.

Next question ....

Originally posted by Zorvan

 

China puts in policy to discourage foreign MMOs

by Chris Chester Jan 24th 2008 @ 4:00PM

Filed under: Business models, Culture, MMO industry

China has always been a market that businesses have stumbled over each other to secure. Students of history might remember how Coca-Cola was one of the first companies to recognize the fact that a country with a billion people is a country with a billion potential customers, and was literally right on the heels of President Carter when negotiations relaxed the restriction of foreign goods in 1979. So too are MMO makers starting to realize the enormous potential of an increasingly connected Chinese mainland. Sure, World of Warcraft's 10 million subscribers seems good now, but what happens when a game comes along that captures the attention of the Chinese market, estimated to grow to 59 million in 2008?

Unfortunately for developers in the U.S., Korea, and elsewhere looking to cash in on this burgeoning market, recent regulations imposed by the Chinese government will allow domestic Chinese gaming companies to effectively postpone the release of foreign-developed games indefinitely by submitting a complaint to GAPP, China's censorship agency. Curious that they'd run a protectionist racket on an industry that they recently likened to "spiritual opium," but the Communist government didn't take power in order to be a bedrock of consistency.

The political science major in me is actually excited by this prospect, because it means that MMOs are likely about to enter into the field of political discourse. Just as they do with farm goods and automobiles, it might not be too much of a stretch to imagine U.S. politicians publicly wrangling with Chinese officials to allow American MMOs unrestricted access to the Chinese population. In the next few years, it's possible your Congressman will talk, at length about World of Warcraft or Warhammer Online in front of one of the chambers of Congress. And this time they'll actually be speaking in favor of the game industry. What a thought!

www.massively.com/2008/01/24/china-puts-in-policy-to-discourage-foreign-MMOs/

I'll laugh my ass off if one of their national game companies complains about WoW, forcing Blizzard to remove it from China. Wonder how many subs they'll be able to claim, then?

Personally, I've wanted to see China boycotted and IP banned for quite awhile. Nice to see the Chinese government agrees and is doing it for me.

Politics/trade .... umm yeah think WTO - the US is presently being penalized for it's e-gambling policy, the penalties are not enough to bring about change.

Do you seriously think China is going to care about US politicians making noise about the US gaming industry???? Give me a break - play less, immerse in the world more. China is busy filling orbit with tiny pieces of satellite and practicing cyber-warfare exercises and you think they would give 2 pieces of online gold about US politicians?  [and they sure snuck up on those US subs a while back lol]

China can do what they want with their internal policies and others have to cater, beg, bribe, or placate them if they want a piece of the Chinese consumer - end of story, el fin

More than likely some of the entrepreneus, greedy citizens, and government personnel there all want a piece of the  $$$-pie ; by making it difficult or creating an environment where it may be difficult to carry on business as an "outsider" they then more or less force a path of least resistance towards  setting up shop in China or purchasing or co-branding with a subsidiary corporate entity in China.  Companies still can turn a fair profit and so do some crafty peeps in China who co-distribute or co-develop the games for release there. 

Thuggery and coercion by law :)

x

Originally posted by housemdfan

I don't have the best computer. I can run Elder Scrolls Oblivion on the lowest setting, but it isn't online. When I try to play an MMORPG, everything lags, I have to run it at the lowest settings and even then I don't have fun. Are there any games that aren't browser based that I can play with:
Windows XP
Intel(R) Celeron(R) M processor
1.60GHz
1.59GHz, 448MB of RAM?

 

I don't know if that is enough information. I don't have anymore information for you all.

Maplestory

maybe Dofus  [not sure]

I'd recommend GW BUT you probably have intel built in vid that  doesnt really run GW well [Guild Wars  - it's only going to be a one time fee of $25 on sale for prophecies OR you can try to nab the newer GW platinum - it's the first 3 GW (proph, fact, night) and I think either best buy, circ city or  Go gamer (online) or ebgames (online) had it for under $45 recently ]

I see someone else made the suggestion of a new computer and - they are dead-bang on even though you may be really strapped for cash - you can get a new desktop or slap one together for $300 tops that will surpass what you are using now. you can get a new laptop for $450 that wil surpass what you have now.

you don't need a $1000 gaming rig for the present crop of mmo's  - might for the next bioware mmo in 2 years or the next blizz one in 2-3 years but by then ...those rigs will be $500 commodity boxes :)

x

Originally posted by liddokun

 

Originally posted by noiichi

ok ppl before this gets outta hand, let me explain something. givin the fact that not only have i played american MMO's, i played korean and japanese ones as well ( yes i know both languages ) i would have to agree that the communication aspects of the games make it worth while. im playijng SUN right now and let me tell u. korean gamers LOVE to communicate. this game is a huge success soley on the communication between the people. i was a noob for about 3 hours when i had already 5 people who i could call friends ( and let me tell u, i dont use that word loosely like most people do. ) i was taught the ins and outs of that game real quick and since i travel alot i was invited into a korean guild even though they knew i was black. come on, who wants to solo in a game?? just kicking back and having a nice conversation is a real winner when it comes to MMOS but the american game developers lost track of that years ago sadly :( anyway hope i didnt bore u with my " lecture "

 

Smaller MMOs tend to have smaller tighter knit community. In big massive games like WoW where each server has 20-30K people the general community tends to get harder to become nice as people treat each other as numbers instead of a living breathing person playing. If you check out big massive competitive korean games like Lineage 2 you'd be hard pressed to call the community "nice".

 

I am not a number i am a free man :)

I am a bit of an at-odds dichotomy - the entire purpose of MMOs is to function within the larger groups, circles of interaction and spheres of influence  yet i have such limited time that i prefer solo-ing at first until i develop a level of gear and character attributes that i deem suitable; at that point I then seek out more grouping - guess I just dont like having to over-compete for items or advancement. i have enough competition in life, i prefer to relax in games.

x

Originally posted by Sevenwind

I saw a post on some other gaming site about this WoW runs better with Windows Media Player running in the background. I thought for grins I'd give it a try playing Vanguard.

To my surprise VG does seem to play a bit better. I tested this by going through doors which always made me stutter pretty good. With WMP running in background I would say the stutter 50-75%.

Turning the camera 360 degrees after just logging in made me stutter like crazy. And with WMP going I don't stutter as much on a fresh log in.

Anyone willing to try it out and post their results?

Link to article: http://www.wowinsider.com/2007/12/19/media-player-boosts-wow-performance/

 

 

1) MS used to be more notorious for hidden api and system calls and hooks that other devs didnt know about lol doubt that is the case in WMP  BUT  they could have something that boosts some processes priorities such as oh an optimized codec and some really optimized routines that get called for rendering [does wow do a lot of mpeg 2/4 ??? i dont play wow just seen it plenty at friends so havent had it ever running on my box]

2) maybe some sort of cache-flagging/forcing residency by winblows of certain data & instructions when wmp is running *shrug* 

.... ms is still a beastly gorilla but at least their stuff doesnt try so many shifty things any more - apple seems to have taken that crown with quicktime etc -  i'd recommend disabling/uninstalling quicktime if you have it running at launch that will absolutely improve your performance in games

also turning down most anti-virus suites so they dont scan your game ports traffic ....  for malware/virii [again i dont know which ports WoW uses but i'm sure it's easily determined by checking y our sys or scanning the faq]

think most of the modern media apps are using sse4 instructions [like wmp 10 and up] (on cpus that support it of course lol) 

lastly since more games have more audio ... everyone is always updating their vid driver but also should probably check the latest version of their audio driver [set a restore point b4 u upgrade/update though lol]  and update it if there is a newer stable version available

disk i/o is still the utterly slowest aspect of computing, so flicking off services and processes b4 playing will help keep more of the app in memory and is really the biggest boost  of performance

go with vista 64bit and 4 to 8 gigs of dram - you will see a perform boost over 2 gigs on vista or xp that is noticeable in games and movie playback

x

Originally posted by yayitsandy

after buying vanguard last year only to find out it was trash . like many people i know i ve decided not to buy any newly released mmorpg without trying it first in a free trial or at least wait a few months to see what the reviews are like .i m wondering how many of you feel the same and how many of you are still willing to take a chance and preorder (or buy shortly after release without reading reviews or waiting for word of mouth)

granted most of the cost in pay-to-play mmos is on the back-side rather than the up-front initial purchase but if you have a quality product you *really* want to hook users - then you can reel them in.

i may have cash to bandy around, but i just dont care to keep piling up cds "trying" at the cost of $40 upfront cost.   If a company puts out a free trial then I am more apt to give it a try - otherwise I only pick and choose 2 or 3 a year in terms of MMOs that I am going to acquire. [last year it was GW nightfall, Hellgate, and LOTRO; this year it's possibly Spellborn, definitely WAR, and .... unsure :)]

I also think the sweet spot in trial periods is more like 10-14 days; enough time to explore enough of it on a busy schedule - a taste of the pie without giving away a piece even.

From a curiousity point of view I would like to see how many new subscribers an 'aged' mmo like Eve get's via it's lengthy steam trial period offer.  If it were to even broach 70,000 [doubt it .... but not impossible] that decide to take the plunge and $5 off offer after the 21 days then it already would have successfully provided the ROI they were looking for.   Just a pure guess here but i can see it netting 10,000 new subscribers and if they stick for 2 or 3 months it's still a pure play win.

x

Originally posted by Quingu

 

last night screens from pvmp event.

forums.lotro.com/showthread.php

I've read some of the content improvements along with some of the class improvements but my question(s) to you would be:

1) have they improved the variety of monsters and the AI?   i noticed the AI wasnt quite up to what I was expecting when I was both in the founders offer beta and the first month of play; I assume you've had a lot of hands on and seen or 'felt' some of the more subtle or gameplay improvements. 

That would probably seal the deal for me to get back into it if they improved some of the AI

that and ... solo-ing improvements if any???

Thanks in advance,

x [who goes back to his masters homework ... less exciting and less visually impressive than any of the modern mmos]

Originally posted by elvenangel

Wow you work with a company associated with a software company?! Gasp! I'll do you one better I work for an actual company that makes engines & software and we listen damn closely to our customers otherwise we'd be the hell out of a job.  

Any and every company want to make money but they certaintly aren't going to make money listening to a hardcore minority of WHINERS.  Thats right Whiners.  If you agree with the OP in all senses of reality your a whiner.  There's no lack of games out there for you to enjoy just because there are more of a game type out there that you hate doesn't mean they're shit games.  Someone obviously likes them or companies wouldn't make them.   .   

Making any and every game is a risk no matter how popular the genre is.  The idea that game companies don't pay attention to their market is utterly ridiculous (its just unfortante there are Dev's who have their heads up their buttocks but then this happens in every field of life).    If all games suddenly became the same and catered to just one group of players then it'd be the end of games.   If all games suddenly just appealed to all types of players then in the end games would happen due to the sheer insanity of trying to maintain a game of said size.  

There's something for everyone out there this continued OMG they're not listening to me BS is just getting old I mean come on how much harder can a person  over nothing.   You can't have it your way every single time.

umm agree with your post - figured i should post where i am agreeing for once instead of coming off always as disagreeable or argumentative lol

a lot of the whining comes from:

1) 10-30 year olds that seem to lack a 'fair' attention span

2) i want i want i want - GREED

3) the inability to compromise - a game is not a "principle", it isnt like one is compromising one's high ideals in life to muddle through some of the minor annoyances in a game to get to the creamy-filled center

i agree that a few games are almost like work ... absolutely dont play those ones, but some games can be pleasant little "simple" distractions; if people are ohhh so tired and want an OHHHHHH so complex game - go work on some applied math, programming and BUILD IT YOURSELF if you can freaking do better ya sissy lil whiners [not you elven lol] 

i dont want an extremely complex game - i'm already playing that one it is called LIFE lol

4) lack of critical thinking - just want to kill kill kill - hey that's like an fps then isnt it? isnt a "role playing game" about ... playing the 'role' ... unless the game is "God vs Everyone Else"  your character probably isnt omnipotent - deal with it, use a brain instead of fingers acting like a mouth spouting off about every single game under the sun being worthless

omg time and time again posters are "no game holds my interest for more than a month" then maybe that should tell you to get OFF YOUR A** and MOVE ON TO a SIGNIFICANT OTHER or become a work-aholic or porn-addict or something that DOES hold your interest - goes back to #1 above and adhd syndrome running rampant .....

hmm here's a concept for the "constant" whiners - go daydream - playing a game inside your head that has all the features you want ... you shouldnt get bored with that now should you? you can use all the creativity your tiny intellect can muster to drive the story wherever you want it to go - featuritis galore!!! and you can play this game everyday for the rest of your life .... granted it's usually a solo instance UNLESS you have multiple personalities lmao

now that being said it doesnt mean some opinions are not valid nor well-thought out -some games do "suck", some games do have flaws in one aspect or another -but ..HELLO it is a G-A-M-E  relax enjoy. educated opinions are given more weight and consideration than day-in day-out whiny opinions

maybe 'im just too busy enjoying life and having fun - ...but i rarely have played a game i didnt like , i'd do a little homework and either buy a game or not  based on my research into it

my daughter better never whine and complain about games when she is growing up or i'll take them all away from her - i wont craft a  level 99 whiner of a child

.... back to your engines - slow like 4/5ths  of the companies out there ? or fast, sexy, n sleek under the cpu hood?

  i would *love* to see some of the cell-processor engines and code just to see what some of those devs are parallelizing and where they are failing to take advantage of the cpu [well them and/or the compilers parallel code gen]

x

ruby is for sissy-dofuses, real programmers don't touch it even with a 10 ft python

Originally posted by Szark

The folks at Warhammer Online have posted a calender of events where they will be showing off WAR to the public.  Events included are the New York Comic Con, Toronto Games Day, San Diego Comic Con, Penny Arcade Expo, and more.

Waaagh!!!

Dying to show your support for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning or just learn more about the game and its development? Well stop on by any of the following events for your chance to get your Waaagh on!!!

We'll be all over the US and sneaking into Canada this year and we'll be doing it in style. Engage in RvR, meet the Devs, get to know some of your fellow community members and check out the rest of the show while you're at it. 2008 will be a year to remember!

Read more here.

I will hazard an educated guess of June 30th, 2007 for release - it makes the 2nd quarter *cough*

Also, they really need to release before the kids go back to school after labor day; release dates between Sept 1st and  Halloween just don't garner the kind of impact numbers and adoption any company wants for a software release. School expenses along with a lot of coursework, parents spending more time helping their kids with their homework means less playtime for gamer-parents.

A July 1st-ish release gives it 2 months to gain steam, word-of-mouth and increased sales. If they cant hit that target then they are better off waiting until a Halloween release for the Christmas fall/winter season where more people are indoors.

Just my 2 cents,

x

PS someone should tell them not to bother with Canada - not enough gamers up there to bother with

Originally posted by Gerec

If Vanguard had fixed the names-being-obscured-by-the-environment bug and the performance among other things I might have suggested vanguard. I'm still somewhat hoping the new character models will solve a lot of performance problems when they replace them, but who knows.

If you can't always compete or beat your competitor (say WoW lol) on various characteristics you can always beat them on cost/price; hope to  take away market share *if* you've got similar features/quality that consumers are looking for...

It was a long road to hoe for Sony and it's playstation to climb to the top in consoles; likewise it was a long haul for MS to become profitable with it's console/games division ..... i'm not saying anyone can or will topple WoW but if someone comes along with a better, more fun product at a considerably lower price-point they will eat into  Blizz/Vivendi's cash cow carving out a chunk for themselves.

I dont want to get into the f2p/microtransaction arguments here - i think there is a solid middle ground with a low constant monthly fee and a par or above par game could grab up a nice chunk of users ... [think LOTRO was on the right track with its $9.99 founders deal but perhaps if it had gone a little lower such as $8 a month it might have had 1.25 million subscribers by Christmas 2007]

X

Content is king but kings can be tyrants and easily deposed, kings can be arrogant, ugly, hard to get along with or make stupid decisions.

I will again say I've never played WoW - seen plenty of friends play it live & up-close , holds little to no fascination to me , tis too 'easy' to me other than the hard part of time-sink and i just don't have that sort of time when i'd rather solve problems or raise my daughter.

I have played EQ2 and as a few others have noted

1) EQ2 was finicky with systems - who the heck wants that sort of hassle? blizz has usually been good with games/patches and system issues

2) EQ2 graphics though having a higher polygon count , other tangential factors ... looked kind of staid - seriously, just no groove or catchyness to them [apple plays big on catchyness and flash/glam , something that keeps it afloat amongst computer manufacturers besides the fact that now Leopard is unix certified]

3) EQ2 was difficult to solo in ... quite difficult at times

4) EQ2 tried to tell too much story, too intricate in terms of percentage of quests initially

I logged a ton of hours in d2 and d2lod and u know the graphics were not 'great' but the playability was - it was "fun". Content may be king but fun trumps king any day of the week! EQ2 is more like work, WoW was more hack n slash with some bells n whistles - what i loved about d2 was just going in after a 20 hour day or 80 hour week and hacking n slashing without having to think deeply about quests, items, etc

Also mass impetus is great - tough to stop an 800 pound gorilla when everyone else is a lil chimpanzee trying to get at the banana bunch - look at how big MS is compared to every other OS. Once you get a big lead you can pummel your competitors on multiple fronts if you have to(OS, office suite, database,...).  Blizz took the ball and ran with it and  Joe B. wants to play with his friend Jimmy T online so if they both have WoW accounts and are having fun questing/raiding/pvp-ing they will probably continue to do so   - simple law of physics (thank you Isaac Newton)

I may eventually break-down and buy WoW(doubt it though - going to put some time in 2moons and LOTRO) if they ever drop the monthly sub down under $10 - for my mindless mmo/rpg-ing i do GW. I'm presently potty training my toddler and well raiding sure wouldnt work very well right now under those circumstances (hold on, i need 15-30 minutes to get the kiddle to poop or pee...  ) too many impatient people - so i can go pick and choose what to do in GW either alone or with a friend or 2 and still have some fun :)

Fun is what it is all about - probably the same reason vanguard fell flat on its face -  trying to complicate matters, toss in the kitchen sink and yet the fun factor isnt that much higher. Forums on game sites are always going to be filled with  greedy desires and wishes of uber-features for games, but if you bog down the game with so many complications you really reduce the   fan-base you can reach with it.

In other words the KISS principle still reigns supreme :)  [i'd much rather read a 1 page uncomplicated proof of something in a research paper than a 10 page proof pulling in 20 different areas of mathematics 10 of which i am far from an expert in - would make me want to toss the paper in the trash rather than deal with it]

content is king if kept simple, fun, and you reach a large enough number of people out of the starting gate :) otherwise it's just syntactic sugar....   

x

Originally posted by candygirl6

 

Originally posted by paulscott

As off topic as it is I think it's more crazy that actions of the US would make it end up on a torture state list from Canada.

off-topic:

 

It's not crazy, the US still uses the death penalty. I think the US is actually the only western nation that still uses it.

And Guantánamo Bay is an example of disregarding the Geneva Convention and a violation of human rights and the use of torture.

Every single country on the face of the earth kills people - one way or another. Abortion. Euthanasia. Poor regulatory oversight leading to deaths from chemical, nuclear, or biological incidents [e. coli., chernobyl, ...]

Stick to games or rail against civilization and every politcal machine on the planet to be fair [well okay, maybe the vatican doesnt kill ... or does it??? hmmm]

x

Wonders if PETA will launch a video game ad similar to the current moronic teenage sex ad it just released.

With so many of the same or failed MMOs and a little daydreaming I thought I'd start a thread ripe for arguments and vacuous rants about  top IP properties that couldnt miss as MMOs (in no particular order):

Harry Potter

Dr Who [could do a lot of server resets with time travel - would really make a lot of die-hards ticked off but it would always be an interesting game!]

Dragonriders (McCaffrey universe)

Transformers

Star Wars mmo done by Lucas +/- Bioware with the best graphics around  (George and Co. have the money, the pride, and the prestige to raise the bar several notches on graphics and that might be enough with slightly better game play than most games out there to grab a big enough market share)

Robotech or Gundam (would garner a HUGE asian base along with a lot of us aging anime fans in N America - not enough $$ and people to have both be successful if they both came out so one or the other )

Toy Story - would be a great childrens mmo - with corporate product tie-ins could probably be fee-free to play thus making it a win-win for the dev and parents that would want a wholesome mmo for the kiddles

Batman mmo - dark, brooding, rough PG-13/R, tricky    ton of past stories could be played out as well as new ones - endless

Halo MMO [would be much better than tabula rasa unless bungie/MS had a major brain fart]( I am thinking MS wants another MMO - would be a nice cash cow and asheron's call wasnt too bad)

an entirely new Matrix online done the way it should be done [won't happen but it would succeed if they completely retooled it + some new creative staff + migrated everyone from the existing mmo to it for $5 or less]

Unlike sony that screwed themselves in the foot with EverCrack then EQ2 and now Vanguard - splintering their IP with EQ and EQ2 then throws out Vanguard to sink to the bottom of the ocean like a boulder not just a rock ; talk about heads up posteriors!!!   It's great for a hardware company to compete with it's own products - eat its own young as they say so that you can retain market share [ala HP printers] but it's bad for a software company or at least a game company to do something so boneheaded like Sony - people want a WoW 2 but if blizz was smart with their next mmo it won't be "fantasy" and when they eventually do bring out a WoW2 of sorts they should migrate the entire WoW base rather than leave it behind [my 2 cents and some will disagree so FLAME ON] -------- so a WoW2 with forced migration from WoW circa spring 2011 so all the kinks were worked out by the Christmas shopping season of that year

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Originally posted by Greatness

This is actually a really good idea. Despite not being able to understand other languages, it would be interesting to see how players from other places play. It may seem minescule to others but I just might reinstall factions just to check this out.

actually the way China is consuming and closing technological gaps it may not be a bad thing to learn chinese across the board [it sure as heck isnt an easy thing though!]

i'm actually taking a few days each month to read "A Guide to Reading & Writing Japanese"  (sakade, henshall, seeley, de Groot) - for eventual travel purposes, and  reading Japanese tech & game sites as well as game playing and understanding the in-game text ............... and i want to know what opposing players are saying in-game heh heh

now if only ncsoft had an international server for sign language .... the universal salute ....

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