Here’s the first article in a planned few-parter on shooters. Think of it as a preamble. To keep my ambition in check for this first installment, I’ll just talk about two shooters in particular that have piqued my interest.
We don’t usually cover games industry news at Tap-Repeatedly, because most visitors likely visit other sites to get that stuff. So I’m guessing most of you know about former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling and his newly-failed game developer 38 Studios, which collapsed in May in one of the most spectacularly your-leadership-deserved-it-and-I-still-haven’t-heard-that-leadership-say-boo-about-what-it-did-to-its-people implosions since Hellgate London’s Flagship Studios folded. Thus I give you my commentary on that, in the form of this month’s Culture Clash column for the International Game Developers Association.
I say some pretty nasty things about people in this one. I’m at my best when I’m being nasty so hopefully you’ll enjoy it, and ponder in silence how gently you should all treat me, lest I say nasty things about you!
A recent article on Jezebel got my attention – “Superheroines Always Get Superboobs.” Iris Ophelia quite rightly rails against the limited selection of body types for female avatars in the upcoming new MMO DC Universe Online, which are limited to “tall and busty,” “medium and busty,” and “preteen and busty.” Where’s “athletic?” Where’s “lean?” Where’s “pear-shaped?” Admittedly, DCUO is a comic-based MMO and this sort of thing has gone on in comics since forever. But it’s also …
Hype is a dangerous commodity within online communities. It is sought, and disliked in equal measure. Like an addict, there are the highs before the lows. The slow, steady realisation that the rolling stone of excitement may, more often than not, find itself brought to a halt by an immovable object, known as reality. To ride the wave of hype is a publisher and developer dream. A free underbelly of excitement that ripples through forums …
In a shameless attempt to drum up extra business at the expense of APB, now that the plug has been officially pulled, Hi-Rez Studios, the creators of Global Agenda, have sent out an open letter to all Shooter/MMO fans.
Review by Lewis B Warhammer Online Developer Mythic Entertainment Publisher EA Released July 2009 Available for PC Time Played: over 150 hours. Verdict: 3/5 Middlin’ “Warhammer Online still has promise, but the licence is tragically underused. Mythic has tried to emulate World of Warcraft in so many ways they have lost their identity and reputation in the process. Despite innovation, Warhammer Online falls far short of what could have been something truly special.”
APB creator Realtime Worlds be leavin’ the hizzle, dawg. Various outlets report that the company has entered administration, which I guess is kind of like bankruptcy but politely British. Despite a reasonable amount of pre-release interest in the gang-banger MMO, the game imploded almost immediately upon hitting shelves, thanks to a disastrous public beta and lukewarm reviews.
The MMO market is a very strange beast, and one that analysts don’t fully understand yet. Why not? Because there are still mysterious depths to be plumbed. Years ago I wrote an article about virtual worlds in which I expressed shock at the fact that Lineage had four million subscribers. Now the gorilla is World of Warcraft, and all the big companies are trying to cash in on what they perceive as the MMO money …
It’s a sad day in the Briggs-Burnell household. The time has come to finally hang up my MMOG (Massively Multiplayer Online Game) boots. It’s been a rocky road, and with over ten years experience under my belt and wishing that such an achievement could be placed on my C.V., there isn’t one commercial MMOG on the market I haven’t played. Some less than others, and some with eye watering /played times. But, I have come …
Massively multiplayer online role-playing games are all the rage now-a-days. But here comes one that threatens to change the world of MMORPG gaming? …so say the producers, at least. Supposedly a big hit in Asia for the past few years, Aion will soon be dumped, if it hasn’t been already, onto servers in the U.S. Word on the street is that there have been over 300,000 pre-release orders placed in Europe alone.
All MMOers, even those who don’t play, should watch The Guild, actress/writer/geek grrl hottie Felicia Day’s hilariously goofy and surprisingly accurate webshow send-up of what happens when game junkies meet in meatspace. Day is a Real Life actress, having appeared in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, House, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, and various commercials involving Cheetos and washing machines. Her scripts for The Guild bely a whip-smart sense of humor and true understanding of geekery. The …
It seems obvious, when you think about it. Activision/Blizzard recently announced that Zork Legends, a browser-based, presumably free massively multiplayer game! Now you can visit the Great Underground Empire with your friends, and reflect in live chat on the various inadequacies of the Flathead Dynasty, leading all the way up to Lord Dimwit Flathead and the collapse of his kingdom. Zork’s natural silliness seems to lean well into MMO territory, as oddly-named players behaving badly …