In the movie industry, if a studio is releasing a film they know will be savaged on release, it is a common practice to not let movie critics see it before it launches. This maximises the number of people who will see the awful film because they won’t be warned off by bad reports at … Continue reading
Filed under MMOs …
Two Quick Points
Point 1: E3 is soon and Star Wars: The Old Republic is going to receive nothing but good press, probably even a few ‘Game of E3’ or equivalent titles. It’s BioWare, it’s EA, it’s Star Wars, it’s a hugely expensive title and no video game reviewing organisation wants to be left in the cold by … Continue reading
Lord of the Rings Online Goes Free To Play: Here’s Why
Some fairly recent news has emerged that Turbine’s Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) is going to have a free-to-play (F2P) option added. This has surprised quite a few people, but here’s why they’ve made the move: It’s The Smart Thing To Do Turbine obviously has the experience of Dungeons and Dragons Online experiencing 500% … Continue reading
APB: Collecting Money Is Important
Although there are always cases of companies doing TOO well in collecting money from players, one of the quickest ways a MMO folds is if they can’t get enough income to keep the doors open. As such, putting thought into how that payment model should be structured is critical. Hellgate: London stands out as a … Continue reading
DCUO Announces November 2010 Launch
When I said the other day “unless [DC Universe Online] is planning to start beta in July and launch in December – that’d be a rush – a launch before 2011 is unlikely“, I didn’t mean it as a challenge. However, in the final seconds of a recent video, Jens Anderson announced a November 2010 … Continue reading
Did UbiSoft’s DRM System Work?
Digital Rights Management (DRM) is a controversial issue, with hyperbole on both the pro- and anti-sides. Stripped of rhetoric, it’s actually a cost-vs-benefit issue: how many PC players are developers willing to irritate (cost) in exchange for reducing day 1 piracy (benefit)? what benefits do the PC gamers get in exchange for having to meet … Continue reading
DC Universe Online: Talking Loud, Ain’t Saying Nothing
I have to say I’ve been massively impressed with how DC Universe Online has managed to spin the same (or standard) information out time and time and time again, each time as though it is something new or surprising. Sure, it’s to be expected in new MMOs, but DCUO has really taken the art form … Continue reading
How Many Players Does CoH/V Have in Q1, 2010?
NCsoft has released their financials for Q1 2010. Following up on my earlier post about City of Heroes / Villains’ performance, I’ve had a look. Sadly, results aren’t good. Chartreuse In Q1 2010, CoH/V recorded 3 348 m Won (about US $2.94m) – it’s lowest quarterly revenue to date. Previously, it was the Q4 2009 … Continue reading
How Many Players Does Aion Have in Q1 2010?
I’m going to look at how City of Heroes / City of Villains faired in Q1 2010 in a little while, but news that Aion is going to be closing some servers in North America and Europe means this is a bit more pressing. NCsoft’s Q1 2010 financials are out and paint an interesting picture. … Continue reading
Super Hero Squad, The MMOCCG?
The first trailer for Marvel / Gazillion / Amazing Society-developed MMO Super Hero Squad is up and it definitely gives the impression of the core gaming mechanic being card-based. This makes sense given that every player will want an established IP character, which involves a lot of different Wolverines – everyone can have a Wolverine … Continue reading
World Class Villains 