Tag: mmo
Star Wars: The Old Republic – Bounty Hunter hands-on preview
Somewhere a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Bioware have actually gotten around to releasing their highly anticipated Star Wars: The Old Republic MMORPG. While we were left no clearer as to when the game will…
Ex Modern Warfare devs sue Activision for $500 million
Nearly 40 former employees of Infinity Ward, the development team behind the mega-successful Modern Warfare franchise, have brought a $500 million lawsuit against publishing house Activision. The employees are claiming for half a billion dollars in unpaid royalties and bonuses,…
Modern Warfare senior executives given the boot by Activision
There's been some strange goings on this week between publisher Activision and Modern Warfare developers Infinity Ward. Following claims of "insubordination", Activision have terminated the contracts of Jason Ward and Vince Zampella, senior executives at Infinity Ward. The reasoning…
Next Elder Scrolls to be a MMORPG, ready for 2011?
Elder Scrolls: Oblivion remains one of the biggest and best single-player experiences available on the current generation of consoles. But in a bold step, it seems the next entry into the series could be about to go all World…
Star Wars: The Old Republic coming Spring 2011
If there are two things that almost universally set the hearts of uber-geeks a' racing, it's Star Wars and Massively Multiplayer Online RPG's. So, sorry Mr Uber Geek, steel yourself for a potential heart attack, as word trickles in that…
Final Fantasy XIV beta keys up for grabs from Square Enix
Square Enix are taking the Final Fantasy universe online once again with FFXIV. If, like us, you just cant wait to start the MMO grind afresh, Square Enix are now taking applications for the FFXIV beta phase. Applicants must be…
Niche of the Week: Trukz – a haulage-based MMO
There are some people who go mad over simulation games. It’s a bit like having a train set, but taken to the next level. Well, now you can ‘simulate’ driving thousands of miles across the American midwest, central Europe or the Australian outback in a text-based MMO called Trukz.
It’s got an amazing 16,368 players, who can haul different kinds of cargo through different places, join a company, monitor the weather and a wealth of statistics like fuel efficiency. There’s even accurately modeled driver fatigue and damage to the truck. It’s astonishingly detailed – but I’m sure that’s what its fans love the most about it.
If you fancy having a go, truck on over to the website, and register. There’s even a handy New Players Guide. Let us know your escapades in your cab in the comments below.
Trukz (via RPS)
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Female players now make up about 40% of the MMO population
How convenient. Just yesterday, I was railing against stereotypes of virtual world inhabitants. Today, out pops a survey stating that those stereotypes couldn’t be further off the mark. Players of EverQuest II were recruited in game and asked to fill out a web-based questionnaire.
The findings? Most of the “hardcore” players are female, gamers are healthier than average, and game-playing is becoming a more social activity. Some other interesting results came out – the rate of bisexuality among female players is five times the national average, and whereas male players’ goal was often to “win” and complete things, female gamers were more interested in the social aspects of the hobby.
Just as computing, and console gaming are now seen as gender-neutral activities, so will MMOs and virtual worlds be in the coming years. In the meantime, don’t necessarily expect that massive orc warrior in your dungeon to be a bloke.
(via BBC)
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The dangers of a full-on MMO addiction
Sit down by the fire, grandchildren, and let me explain to you why getting hooked on an MMO isn’t a good idea. Enter Hu Ange, a 22-year-old Chinese gent, who developed a rather nasty addiction to Legend – a browser-based MMO. He’s now on death row, and has just tried to claim ‘insanity’ as an excuse for his crimes.
What were those crimes? Well, it started when his parents gave him 50,000 yuan (£4.8k or so) to support his seafood business in March 07. He spent it ALL on the game, which allows you to buy virtual weapons and equipment with cash. On July 14 2007, he bought 20 packs of Tetramine, a rat poison, which he then used to poison his father…
Wrath of the Lich King launch party details announced
Are you a big World of Warcraft fan? So big that you fancy hanging around in central London until midnight on 12th November, just to be the first to take home a copy of Wrath of the Lich King? Well, here’s all the info you’ll need.
At midnight on the 12th November (that’s midnight between the 12th and 13th, not 11th and 12th) show up at HMV Oxford Street, a short walk from Tottenham Court Road tube station. Blizzard COO Paul Sams and associate producer Lee Sparks will be signing copies and meeting the slightly sweaty fanboys and girls….
