Game Idea: Avatarus

The time for idle gameplay is behind us, it's time to move on to idol gameplay. Avatarus (a Fizzle Co. vision) would create a bifurcated gaming experience where players develop two characters simultaneously: a God and an Avatar. Rule the Immortal Realm above and then rule the miserable Mortal Realm below. This game need not be an MMO, but given my addiction to MMO ideas, I'm going to present it as one. Let's get into the possibilities I find particularly intriguing...

Two Characters, Same Rules

The God
The character creation screen pops up. What type of GOD do you want to be?

A warrior god? Very well sir, rippling muscles and horns are at your disposal. Rampage through the battlefields of the heavenly abodes at will. Oh, a great intellect are we? A Divinity of Divination you shall be. Hurl spells from hands and scathing repartees from yammering maw.

In essence, your God is the equivalent of your character in a standard MMO. The only meaningful difference would be the world around you, which would instead focus on heavenly/hellish themes. You would progress through the game and you would level up your character as one normally does (quests/grinds/etc.)

The Avatar
This is where the story gets interesting. The God would, at some reasonably early point in his development, gain the ability to create an Avatar (I will avoid talking about the ins and outs of this, but suffice to say, the ways and means of this process create intriguing possibilities in and of themselves, which I will likely discuss tomorrow). This Avatar would populate an entirely separate realm, namely the mortal coil. Since your God cannot interact with this realm, he will rely on his Avatar to conduct his earthly business. In the Same Rules framework, this would merely add an additional layer to the Immortal Realm content, and the Avatar would develop and operate very similarly to the God.

This framework would be decidedly easier to implement than the following idea.

Two Characters, Different Rules
Here the roles of the two characters will operate under different objectives. The God would continue an objective similar to that described above: leveling up to become more powerful/prominent in heaven. The Avatar would be created for the purpose of attracting followers to the God who created him. These two roles may interact in a variety of ways, but I like the interplay engendered by a feedback loop. Let's work through it with an example.

After reaching level 10, Goodward Godly gains the power to create an avatar. He elects to spawn this avatar. The Avatar enters the mortal coil and begins to recruit followers. This may occur any number of ways, such as heroic feats (battles), bribery (paying off recruits/donating money to causes), interaction (going around convincing people to follow you through dialogue) and so forth. As the Avatar grows successful in these endeavors, the God gains certain bonuses, such as items, experience multipliers, or unlocking new areas/quests.

Upon receiving these benefits, the God is thereby more effective at gaining experience, which he may employ to enhance his own skills or use to supplement the Avatar's repetoire. The Avatar himself doesn't gain levels so much as it gains new bodies and attributes that will assist him in his recruitment in the Mortal Realm.

Tomorrow I will likely take the time to discuss Avatars, mechanisms for their creation and their interaction with the Mortal Realm. I should note that I hacked out huge swaths of information in the interests of keeping this puppy manageable.

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Saw as a video game?

It has been announced that the movie series Saw is being made into a video game. Alright, when I first read about this, I will admit I was a little confused. The main points of that series are the varied death machines/torture devices. How does one make a video game out of that?

I thought of a couple possibilities. One is that you are the person trapped in a so called "game" and you have to escape by mashing some buttons etc. The second one is that you are the person who has to capture the people and put them into the machines which can be edited. They could release a torture machine editor and you could share them online and everything!

While no details are out yet, I am trying to imagine how this game could avoid an Adult Only (AO) rating which is pretty much a death sentence (pun intended) for a video game. This is due to the fact that some major retailers (Walmart as an example) will not even carry a video game with that rating. I am trying to reserve judgment till I get some more details, but I can't help but scratch my head in confusion at this attempt of movie to video game jump.

Technorati Tags: Saw, Video Game.

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In Search of the Super Quest

Those prone to following my meandering posts are aware of a recent post on the difference between Wandering MMOs and Goal Oriented MMOs. In that post, I noted the linear nature of goal driven MMOs, and how the lack of diversity along the routes to the endgame can create painfully boring grinds for gamers that demand atypical gaming experiences. As I considered this matter, I realized that my major issue really boiled down to a simple concern: choice.

Solution to the linear goal driven MMO? The Super Quest.

Linear MMOs prevent players from fabricating their own in-game realities as they are shunted down preordained paths. Players who object to these paths opt to not partake in the grind and ultimately leave the games for greener pastures (or no pastures at all). In order to capture these players, as well as potentially enhance the gaming environment for non-objecting participants, these linear games must expand horizontally (add a greater depth of content for each level rather than merely add levels to the end). Since it is unlikely that games will return to the free-wheeling ways of games like Ultima Online (and to a certain extent Star Wars Galaxies), games need to achieve two goals: (1) a greater emotional attachment to the linear story line, and (2) add meaningful variables to the experience.

The "MMORPG" acronym is misleading. Most MMORPGs get their "RPG" by being based in a fantasy setting and revolving around a single character, they rarely carry the complex story lines that players commonly expect when they purchase an RPG. A Super Quest would eliminate this deficiency by effectively instilling a RPG subplot into the broader MMO game.

A Super Quest would involve a hyper-stylized and choreographed excursion that players would participate in over the lifetime of their characters. At each level, the next step in this quest would then become available. The quest objectives would typically be story driven and non-superifical (no collecting of pelts etc.) Decisions in this quest would have meaningful results in your interaction with non-quest elements in the MMO by rewarding you with prizes or even separate class specializations. The quest would involve periodic forks so there would be an enhanced replayability. The game would still be linear, but it would be much less so, and it would be exceedingly easy to add content to any point in the quests without requiring a major rehaul of the system.

Here's a quick example (Assume quest parts for each level following the same general pattern):

Level 1: Select Super Quest Arc (perhaps 2-3 options). Complete 1st task.
Level 2: Complete 2nd task.
Level 5: First Fork (Split in quest)
Level 10: Second Fork, Major Reward
Level 15: Fork
Level 20: Class Determinant (Allows you to modify your class in some meaningful way. Options will depend on selections in prior forks).
Level 60: Question completetion, major reward, induction into a certain faction or clan etc.

Now the linear MMO is an actual MMORPG. A Super Quest need not be as engaging as a full blown RPG, but it would add a necessary element that currently lacks in the grind dominate MMOs out there today.

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Technorati Tags: MMORPG, World of Warcraft, Quest

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Ten Books that Should be Video Games

Well, this post is prompted by the rather exciting news that one of my favorite books, Ender's Game, is being made into a video game. The movie will also be forthcoming, but I think we can all agree that games > movies. Ender's Game would almost certainly be on this list were it already not forthcoming. The list is after the jump...

The List

10. The Belgariad Series (David Eddings): I read this five novel series some time ago. It took me a little while to get into the swing of things as it's a slightly older novel, but the story arc is certainly compelling enough to create a solid game. I can see this making an interesting RPG, though it may not lend itself to the type of diversity of experience one might wish for.

9. The Princess Bride (William Goldman): I think everyone has seen this movie, and the book is even better. This game would make an excellent RPG if the right writers were placed on the job. I picture the graphics as something akin to Valve's Team Fortress II. Truly funny video games are a real rarity, and I'd be intrigued by an attempted Princess Bride game.

8. Lord of the Flies (William Golding): I'm not sure if the world is ready for a game that follows the exact plot of this novel, but it is an incredible story, and the possibilities here are compelling. If the fine folks over at 2k Games were to turn the same talent they showcased in Bioshock, I think a game based upon Lord of the Flies could be amazing.

7. Time Machine (H.G. Wells): I'm surprised more classics aren't made into video games, particularly since the licensing rights on some of the older ones would be cheaply acquired if they haven't already passed into the public domain. Time Machine is a game that could really give the right game studio a chance to show the depth of its abilities. The game would morph from time period to time period, and I believe this is one of the few books where the mere plot mechanism, a time machine, would be sufficient to build an entire game around without remaining true to the exact rigors of the plot.

6. Dune (Frank Herbert): It's been a long time since we've seen the last Dune game, and I think the gaming technology has finally progressed to the point where we could do this amazing series justice. I picture riding around on Sandworms and conquering strange worlds in pursuit of a spice monopoly. This series could make an excellent RPG (I think the makers of Mass Effect, Bioware, would be an excellent choice) or a real time strategy. Either way, it's time for a good Dune game.

5. A Song of Fire and Ice Series (George R. R. Martin): Possibly the best fantasy series out there. It's gritty, it's edgy, and it's completely mindblowing. The series has so many twists and turns that any game that managed to live up to the subject matter would be an instant classic. The amount of death this series entails might make it hard to make a linear RPG, but I'd settle for a game akin to something like Civilization or Masters of Orion. The chaotic nature of the books is born from a very complex system of politics and geographic pressures that I feel would translate well into diplomacy/nation building frameworks employed by the games mentioned above.

4. Dragonlance Chronicles Series (Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman): This was the series that got me hooked on fantasy. I'm surprised I haven't seen a recent game attempt at this subject matter. I believe the last one was on the frickin' Commodore 64. This game would make an incredible MMORPG if done right. The subject matter is rich, diverse, and deep. While the Chronicles Series was only three books, there are over 50 Dragonlance books to draw material from. This game really needs to happen.

3. Frankenstein (Mary Shelley): Another classic book that really needs a new game. I really want 2k Games to take on this one. I still haven't decide whether this would make a better RPG (from the eyes of the monster or Dr.) or FPS (from the eyes of a person hunting the monster down.) Either way, the potential for a creepy thriller is definitely there.

2. Sword of Truth Series (Terry Goodkind): Terry Goodkind has just finished his epic fantasy series. Some of the books were incredible, others I found passable at best, but this man can create characters like no one's business. I don't think I've ever managed to empathize with characters' plights quite like I have done with Terry's. I would love to see a dramatic RPG tackle this subject matter. The idea of weilding the Sword of Truth for myself is too great to pass up.

1. Inferno (Dante Alighieri): One of the ultimate classics. A descent in the circles of hell. How is this not a game already? I have no idea what the objective would be, but I don't really care. I'm not sure who the best company is for the job, but I will tell you this: the game could be amazing. It might be my own particular interest in the subject matter, but the mental images I get make me believe this would be a tremendous FPS. All of the souls on the 3rd circle of hell are belong to me =fires rocket launcher=.

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Upcoming Genre Bending Game

As some of you are aware, I'm intrigued by combining game genres to produce interesting new combinations of games. In a prior post, I postulated the intriguing combination of a real time strategy game combined with a role playing game. I've been tinkering with this idea for some time, and it appears that the programmers over at Gas Powered Games had a similar vision. The new genre bender? Demigod. More after the jump...

Now, details are sketchy, but it appears that Demigod seeks to combine two separate styles of play, one that will play similar to an RPG (the Assassin) and one that will play similar to a RTS (the General). Count me among those that are incredible excited about this development. This really is the future of games, constantly redefining the once static genres and pushing forward with new ideas that change our conceptions.

I am very interested to see how they balance the various issue that will arise from this combination. Will they elect to have two separate games as I suggested? Thereby allowing for a full experience of both RPG and RTS that just happen to intersect? Or will they integrate the two, shortchanging one genre for the other. Unless they have truly separated the two genres (only to be combined in the manner I suggested) I don't see any way of avoiding the conflict between the two playstyles unless they have decided to make one genre dominant over the other. Since longterm RTS battles are unlikely to occur under an RPG paradigm, my suspicion is the game revolves around an RTS framework with an RPG mini-game within. While this isn't my favorite option, it's an excllent first step in the right direction by Gas Powered Games. Kudos to them.


Technorati Tags: Demigod, Video Game, RTS, Gas Powered Games, RPG.

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Highlander MMO (Part II)

I was mulling over the Highlander MMO a bit, and thought of a way to improve the system I had set up. I believe the key to keeping a layered server system like this interesting is to allow players to reap the rewards of their victories in the competition after it's completetion while allowing defeated players another crack at the big time.

The prior suggestions I have put forth for victors would remain in effect, but after the completion of all of the competitions on all of the layered servers, they are then re-combined and the process is started anew, though the victors from the layered servers would retain their rewards (becoming uber-players in the recombined server, who I expect will be targetted en masse). The process then would begin again with the servers being re-layered as players die and so forth.

I'm not sure what the exact timing for a competition would be on any server, but I think the ideal move would be to have various options for players to determine. Longer competitions would provoke more strategy/alliances as well as more sporadic dueling as people shore up their resources before doing battle. I suppose longer competitions would provide greater rewards. Shorter competitions would have fewer rewards but would be a much more intense pvp experience.

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TF2 Gets Better

I never really did get into Team Fortress 1, but when the second one came out, I decided to give it a try. The game itself is great. The different classes and the simple objective gameplay is everything I could want in an online FPS. Yet after playing the game for a while, there was something missing.

What was missing was unlockable achievements. Not just any type of them, but more weapons. This will add some much needed playability to the game. I could only WTF PWN someone so many times with different classes before it got old.

According to Valve, the first class to get the new weapons will be the medic. I can't wait to see what the other classes will get.

When these updates start coming out, I will definitely have to dust off my game and start running circles around people with the Scout again.

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HIGHLANDER...the MMO?

Now listen: there are movies, and then there a cinematic masterpieces. The latter category is a rarefied breed composed of such notables as Star Wars (Episodes 4-6), Indiana Jones, and, of course, HIGHLANDER. Now, I'm going to restrain myself here and not go on a 3-4 page tangent on exactly how much I'd give to be one of the sword weilding immortals. Thankfully, these misty dreams may no longer be hapless geek fantasy due to the vision and unadulterated charity of Eidos Interactive, who has recently announced a game featuring the Highlander Franchise. Check out the game trailer (courtesy of http://www.gametrailers.com/.)

Sadly, the game isn't a MMO (in fact the Highlander MMO was cancelled some time ago), but I couldn't help but wonder how it might work...

For those of you unfamiliar with Highlander Lore (shame on you), I'll provide a very brief and potentially innacurate recounting of one particular aspect to the story: the competition. For various reasons, Immortals are required to engage in combat with swords. Victory in these duels is achieved through hacking off your opponent's head (indeed this is the only way to kill an immortal). You then gain your fallen foe's powers and move on to the next duel. The catchphrase of the movie states the ultimate goal of all of these duels: "There can be only one."

So, how do we make a game where players are required to decapitate others and they can't come back lest the competition be neverending? Layered servers.

This MMO would not be for the timid. You would be granted infinite lives, but only one life per server. You may be incapacitated without reprecussion on each server (ex: getting rocked by mobs) but you can only die through decapitation once before you are kicked to the next realm. Upon death, you retain your stats and experience, but you are now in a new "losers bracket" competition. If you die again, you move to the next "losers braket." There will likely be 5-10 brackets before you stay in the realm regardless of deaths.

Each series of brackets will have a player cap of perhaps 5000-10000 players. After this cap is reached, no additional players can enter the bracket. Players who fail to play for over a month will have their avatars moved to a lower bracket (in order to ensure the competition may continue). Eventually the population will thin among the highest brackets to the point where competitions will be difficult to come by, and some sort of organized tournament will be required...until there is only one. Winners of a bracket will achieve various permanent prizes (access to winners brackets, special weapons or other perks).

Now, there is an incredible amount of fine tuning that would need to be done. And I think there is a real possibility of having smaller and more agile servers (competitions of 10-50 where you start with preleveled characters) in addition to the behemoth competitions (where you would level like a normal MMO with the competition as a subplot). How this all blends together leads to some very intriguing possibilities for heirarchical servers and massive worldwide competitions...

And just think of the sweet swords.

Technorati Tags: MMORPG, Video Game, Highlander, Game Trailer, Eidos.

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Public Image Battles for the Vid Biz

Electronic Arts takes off the gloves in the defense of its massively popular rpg, Mass Effect, after an assassination piece on Fox News. EA's response takes a serious bite out of the "fair and balanced" news juggernaut. Some speculation on why video games are targetted so often after the jump...


I suspect video games are the target of hit pieces in the mainstream media for one reason: its easy. News audiences trend older and are generally less familiar with the younger generation's love affair with this form of entertainment. Sensationalist news pieces prey upon this general lack of knowledge, and the mistrust it breeds, for easy puff pieces targetting potential hot spots for debate.

The video game industry, despite its rapidly growing size and economic clout, is relatively unsophisticated when it comes to managing its image among the broader public. Perhaps this comes from a combination of being relatively young industry with generally anti-authority in its roots. Innovation and rebellion often go hand in hand, so it is no surprise that an industry that thrives on constant internal revolution would be generally unwilling to play mainstream games.

Unfortunately, this hesitation does a real disservice to gaming when it prompts intervention from the government or other oversight bodies. The government, often reacting to some new perceived "outrage," over-reacts and hastily enacts draconian legislation that undermines the evolution of the gaming industry. These issues will only become greater as the industry gains additional economic prominence in the years to come. Large targets are shot at more often.

I will say this about EA's response: it was a perfect counterpunch. Rather than gripe and whine about the unfair aspects of the coverage, it draws an interesting analogy that targets Fox's own programming. EA notes the fact that Fox's own primetime shows often portray scenes equally as racy as those portrayed in Mass Effect's sexually charged cutscene. It goes on to note that these Fox programs are significantly more accessible than a game that requires idenitification and $60.00 to acquire.

Of course, this is but one battle of many to come, but kudos to EA for handling it with the professionalism the industry at large needs to show.


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Technorati Tags: RPG, Video Game, Mass Effect, Electronic Arts, Business.

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Wandering v. Goal Driven MMORPGs

I have returned to my first MMORPG love, Ultima Online. Some rather generous benefactors have been kind enough to host a free server, called UODivinity, based upon the Old Skool rules I know and adore. Well, my somewhat diminished return UO started the inevitable soul searching about where games were, where they are, and where they're heading.

As I gallavanted aimlessly throughout the hinterlands surrounding Minoc, the major difference between UO and all of the other MMOs I've played (WoW, DAOC, etc.) became very clear: purpose.


Wandering MMOs
Old Skool Ultima Online, which is still my favorite MMORPG, is utterly bereft of game instilled purpose. The game is what it is, and it is entirely up to you to define your existence and how you will interact with the rules and frameworks erected before you. Players opt to pursue nontradtional pursuits such tailors, blacksmiths, rangers, or sheepherders. Of course more traditional avenues are also available, such as swordsmen or mages. Each of these roles are entirely up to the player to select, and he may elect to change them at any time by developing some skills allowing others to decay.

The point behind this overview is to note the breadth and depth in universe in UO. There are more opportunities and more options in UO than in any other game, and players are left to their own devices to determine how to make these options work for them. In essence, players create their own goals and their own content, and wander around the game world seeking to fulfill these personal objectives. UO must be that broad and deep because players are not directed into any path. Since the game requires players to be creative in their experience, it must give players the tools to make the game interesting. Thus UO content is varied and at times seemingly random in its existence (candles, houses, barrel slates, and so forth).

Goal MMORPGs
These MMORPGs center on game identified goals, generally represented by quests. The game crafts an often superficial storyline to pieces these quests haphazardly together, and the adventurers mow their way through them in an effort to gain unique prizes or quick experience. Since the purpose of the game is to achieve these preset goals, the content, rules, and framework of the game are developed around enhancing the player's ability to achieve this objective.

Let's take World of Warcraft, which is far and away best orchestrated game employing this model. WoW employs a intricate web of quests that rewards the player with quick experience and, most importantly, the chance to obtain powerful weapons beyond those acquired in the game proper. Players who fail to acquire these weapons are uniformly at a disadvantage, which creates an incredible incentive to participate in these events.

This focus is reinforced by the secondary skills players may undertake, such alchemy, mining, or enchanting. All of these skills produce benefits that directly benefit the acquisition of game identified goals. For instance, alchemy produces health potions, which are critical to some dungeon crawls. Mining produces ore which is then employed in blacksmithy which ultimately turns into weapons. I am hard pressed to think of any purely frivolous skills/items in WoW outside of the occasional event related cookies.

As a result of the goal-centricity in the game, players are forced down a single track, that they play over and over again, albeit through different professions. The game is only interesting as long as there a constant influx of additional goal related content, but it is always a linear path. Take the expansions, which add adventure onto the end of a player's life, rather than enriching the player's journey along the way.

Combining Them

Now, I've allowed my biases to creep into my presentation, which is unfair to the goal driven MMORPGs. Frankly, WoW is an amazing game. The world is beautiful, the underlying story intriguing, and the writing excellent. But despite all of these advantages, I could never play the game for more than 3 weeks without quitting for a few months. The confined system left me feeling like I was working a second job that I lost money on. WoW doesn't appeal to my particular brand of playing, but it absolutely appeals to a broader public that craves constant reward and identifiable objectives.

UO was an incredible game, but it ultimately went the way of the dinosaurs because, for all of its creativity, it never managed to take it to the next level. Games with better graphics and fresh outlooks on the genre quickly grabbed the lion's share of the subscriber base, causing UO to wither.

But something is missing from these new games, just as something was missing from UO. Balance. There must be greater breadth in gameplay in WoW, but there must also be purpose and aesthetic beauty in UO. Where's the balance? I'm not quite sure, but I'm sure there will be a post on it sooner or later.

Penny Arcade Post

Technorati Tags: MMORPG, Video Game, Ultima Online, World of Warcraft, Business.

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Conan the Delayed

Oh Conan, I had such high hopes of you coming out on time. To storm throughout the lands on my mighty steed...

Delays in MMORPG's are understandable. I would rather have the launch day be successful than having the login server or even worse, the account creation server down all day. Nothing is more fun than a piece of shiny plastic that you can't use at all.

I still have faith in Age of Conan. Waiting for two more months won't change that. Now if it gets pushed back another two years, that is another story.

I am now going to add 1-2 months to the release date of all my games and hope for the best.

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Leet Halo Playerz v. Xbox Live

Yes...bask in the might and the glory that is my first attempt at drafting a cartoon. See the uneven lines! The awkward text! The masterful stick men! Know it and fear it readers...for this is the future.

For upcoming comics I promise to incorporate digital text, since my freehand is horribly embarrassing once it's blown up to 400%. I promise to continue using stickfigures though, since they're the only thing I can draw besides mountains.

The Story

Microsoft is facing a new class action lawsuit stemming from downtimes over the Holidays. The Complaint is headed up by three gamers that took particular objection to the downtime. Our friends over at Joystiq ran the numbers on how much a day of down time is worth in comparison to the cost of a year's worth of gold service: 13.7 cents. I won't go so far as to say the lawsuit is worth pennies, but I will say the folks have a long road ahead of them, because behemoth XBox Live User Agreement lays the law down pretty hard.


Technorati Tags: Comic, Video Game, Xbox, Halo, XBL.

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WAR, what is it good for? More than you know.

Unless you have been living under a two ton rock, you know that the creators of Dark Age of Camelot (Still one of the only major MMORPG's that had 3 different warring factions) are coming out with another MMORPG this year. This one based in the well known universe of Warhammer. If you don't know about Warhammer, go look at your local hobby store. It is mostly known for its pen and paper table top games. Yes I did dabble in this a bit before I realized it was a lot of work that a computer could do for me.

So what makes this upcoming MMORPG so important? Insiders say WAR is the next "WOW killer," the one that might actually get the job done. So what kind of weaponry is this beast packing?


Let me throw out a number. 557,116. This is the number of applicants so far for the closed beta of Warhammer. This number alone probably makes the marketing team cackle gleefully.

Now the classes of WAR are nothing special. With six different "armies", Dwarfs, the Empire (humans), and high elves rounding out the order side while Greenskins (Orcs/goblins), the Chaos (really evil humans ), and the dark elves on the side of destruction. So nothing really special there, elves, dwarfs, orcs, and humans. But wait! Greenskins aren't just orcs, they have goblins.

Now as someone who enjoyed being a gnome in WOW just because I know nothing is more humiliating than being killed by someone 2 feet tall. My gnome warrior in WOW would tank things probably 10 times bigger than he was. Nobody respected them, and I tried to fix that. This is something I foresee happening in WAR. Goblins have never had the spotlight in almost all fantasy lore. Known as a lesser race, they are mostly used as labor by Orcs and other evil races. My first character for this game will be a goblin, this much is certain.

Will this game be the next WOW killer? No clue, I haven't played it yet. No matter how good races, classes, or anything look on paper, until I sit down and play it for a couple hours, the jury is out.

Technorati Tags: MMORPG, Video Game, Online Game, WAR, Warhammer.

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BRANDED: In Game Advertising (Part II)

The idea of developing in-game brands has always intrigued me. That Nike could develop an in game product that would a recognized as a broader extension of their corporate identity raises interesting possibilities for cross promotion. I believe the key to developing a successful corporate brand is also the very thing that will allow this form of advertising to flourish: gamer incentives.

Let's explore.

Picking up from the prior post on this subject, let's say our hero has acquired a King's Sword of Nike. Nike, seeking to obtain greater exposure to this particular demographic, has paid an undetermined amount for the right to this modifier. Perhaps it has even orchestrated a multi-game deal, which will entail the inclusion of the weaponry in all subsequent expansions. Further, Nike, being a large corporation, had the means to purchase an entire Nike oriented set, composed of five pieces. Nike enjoys some recognition as a result of this investment. Now, we could end the relationship there, and I suspect that the dividends for all involved would be minimal and the system wouldn't develop into a meaningful advertising enterprise. We need to create feedback loops.

Player Ragnus acquires a King's Sword of Nike. As this is a somewhat powerful weapon he is excited about new avenues now open to him in game. Ragnus also realizes that this is a corporate product though, and recognizes the out-game benefits it provides. You see, a fresh King's Sword of Nike provides him with a 1% discount at the Nike Store. By using this weapon to perform certain specified feats he may raise this discount to 3%. At any time he may triple click his sword and instantly pull up a Nike Store menu reflecting his discounts.

But it gets better, because Ragnus just dominated the Nubmaster of the Forest of Noobdungeon has has acquired the Magnificent Cape of Nike. He now gets a set bonus from acquiring two pieces of the Nike equipment set and an additional discount at the Nike store, which also may increased through certain actions. Should Ragnus acquire a full set, he receives significant in-game bonuses as well as substantial discounts at the Nike Store. Nike may also offer additional perks, such as free gear or sweepstakes opportunities if it so chooses.

By adding this additional layer of incentives, corporations will receive increased renown and traffic flow as a result of their branding efforts. Players will receive additional perks for doing what they were already doing: grinding. Game companies will be well compensated for the effort required to develop a seamless in-game/out-game interface. It's just a beautiful synergy of capitalism.

If none of this works, at the very least it would be cool if I could get a pair of elven boots with a Nike swoosh on it. I'm a simple man.

Technorati Tags: MMORPG, Video Game, Online Game, Advertising, Business.

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Game Delays

This post stems from the recent announcement that Super Smash Bros Brawl has been pushed back till March. By my count, that is the 4th time the game has been delayed. Now I understand that a quality game takes time, but constant push backs kind of make you wonder what the hell the development team is thinking by spewing these dates out.

One of my favorite responses by development teams on when a game will be done is, "When it is ready". Firm dates give people something to look forward to. I know I had already renamed February to "month that Super Smash Bros Brawl comes out". This is an honor that March hopefully will now have.

The industry has come to a point that when a game is released on the day first stated, I am surprised. It all comes down to this. I would rather wait 5 years for an awesome game than get a crappy game in a year.

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Conan the MMORPGARIAN!

As a reader of Conan books in my youth, I was excited by all the lore behind it. I highly recommend that anybody who is thinking about playing Age of Conan go read some of the books first. I am also glad that the developer has decided to keep the game true and have it be fairly violent. One of the major things I like about this game are the classes.

Let's talk mage classes. Boom.

Now most games would have wonderful classic mage classes like er the mage... and the warlock. Some might even call them Sorcerers. Conan decided to go with the really obscure and make four different mage classes.These are the necromancer, the lich, demonologist, and the Herald of Xotli.

I know that I started drooling when I read this. Who doesn't want to bring up an army of the dead to defeat their enemies (necromancer). While the lich can actually transform into said creature and wreck havok on the living.

The demonologist is pretty much having little demon friends come to say hi while the Herald of Xotli is a mage who can become a demon.

I enjoy the pet classes and will have a tough time choosing between the necromancer and the demonologist. My friend the coin might come in handy when that decision comes along.

Just from these class descriptions alone I will purchase Age of Conan and give it a fair try. I will know more once I hopefully get into the beta for that.

Well I think this is good for my first post. Feel free to leave comments unless they have to do with my grammar and/or sentence structure...

Technorati Tags: MMORPG, Video Game, Online Game, Conan, Warrior.

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Thoughts of a MMORPG Gamer

Let me first introduce myself. I will be the more "simple" version of Fizzle's complicated word use. No theory here. I play video games, I have no desire to create them. Fizzle and I have been gaming together for going on 16 years now. In fact I hold the sole honor of being the one Fizzle calls when he stares out at the jumble of games at his local Best Buy and ponders which to buy

What are my qualifications? I have been a gamer since the days of the original Nintendo and have owned pretty much every single console since. I am also an avid player of PC games. There is one genre of game that I have played a fair amount, that is the dreaded MMORPG.

Known as the games that become more of a job than a video game, MMORPG's have been a staple of my playing for years now. Starting with Ultima Online and ending recently with World of Warcraft, I have played every single major game of this genre to hit the market.

With me recently getting my soul back from World of Warcraft (aka stopped playing and yes Fizzle has complete control of my WOW account now), I am awaiting the next big MMORPG. The pickings are slim in the near future. Besides Pirates of the Burning sea which I am not even going to get into (Let's just say the sailing system is very realistic, aka really slow and dumb), only two remain. Age of Conan and Warhammer online.

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BRANDED: In Game Advertising (Part I)

With the advent of Tivo and the death of newspapers, it was only a matter of time before large corporate interests, desperate to grab the elusive 25-49 demographic, turned to in-game advertising. I've heard a range of ideas bandied detailing how to incorporate advertising into games. Everything from placing banners around the edge of the screen, to forcing players to watch advertising before admission into their server to actually having advertisements incorporated into the game media itself.

Of the three, I think the third selection has the potential to be the most intrusive and annoying. The idea of seeing a Tampax sign plastered on the back of a goblin corpse is somewhat disconcerting. Somehow, the escape that games provide might seem somewhat dilluted by a flashing banner on the front of the castle's pub noting that overstock.com is offering 4 for 1 on tube socks. But I don't particularly want to wait around to get into my server. Nor do I want a portion of my screen commandeered by annoying distractions that provide nothing to the game content. So...what to do?

Branding my friends. Branding. More after the jump.


You don't purchase a pair of shoes, you buy Nike's or Reebok's. You don't have a gaming system, you have an Xbox or a Playstation. In today's consumer culture, the brand is synonmous with the product. The brand denotes not only the quality of the product, but also the features and aspects one might expect from it. I propose we carry this mainstay of advertising into the gaming world.

Let's work with an example. In one of my favorite games of all time, Diablo, you could acquire a very strong drop known as the King's Sword of Haste. Invoking the name of this weapon was the same thing as saying: "I posses a can o' whup ass." Now, the name of the weapon, King's Sword of Haste, provided the user with a vague suspicion of what implement was capable of, but it wasn't necessarily clear by virtue of the name itself. The weapon acquired this immediate recognition only after the brand of that sword developed and became the equivalent of its attributes.

What does it all mean Fizzle? It means we can do the same thing with external advertising. We can sell the descriptive terms of high end weapons to corporations. So, instead of a King's Sword of Haste, we'd have a King's Sword of Nike. This is a relatively unobtrusive entrance by the corporate world into our game space, but it still carries the advertising message. Look at this sword, it's amazing, Nike is an excellent brand of sword. Hey, I need a new pair of Nikes (triple clicks sword, taking him to Nike's online store).

Since the descriptive words on many of the in game items were already attributed largely arbitrary definitions, we lose nothing by selling some of these descriptive terms. Advertisers could pay higher dollar for better items, knowing they will be more discussed and more highly reknowned.

Tomorrow I'll talk about some of the ancillary benefits that might be accorded to gamers under such a scheme.

Technorati Tags: MMORPG, Video Game, Online Game, Advertising, Business.

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Long Time Lurker, First Time Blogger Joins...

I'd like to welcome my longtime friend, Daster of Misaster, to the blog. He hates writing, but he's got more gaming skills than I care to recount. He'll be providing commentary on his personal views. Frankly, I have little control over the man, and if he torpedoes the blog my only recourse will be to stop talking to him. And sell his WoW account.

I'm optimistic though.

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Saturday Night Mini-Blurb

Hey folks -

I'll be honest, you guys shouldn't expect a whole lot from me on Saturday nights. If I get around to something, it'll generally be a short commentary as opposed to a full blown discourse.

Topic of the night: HTML. I have no experience in programming and I have no idea what I'm doing. This is my first blog and I'm just getting the hang of posting. Now I'm trying to construct a whole new site using HTML (http://www.gametinker.com/). One day my blog may migrate over there to give me a little bit more flexibility (but at this rate, no time soon). I'll put it to you guys this way: If the big boss on Super Mario was coding in HTML the Princess would currently be married to Bowser and my Grey Box would be a smoldering ruin. Sadly, I think no amount of "magic mushrooms" will enable me to conquer this mysterious beast. Damn you liberal arts education....damn you!!!

I've got some great ideas for articles over the next week. I'm trying to figure out a good posting schedule and which days should be dedicated to what types of posts. If people have any preferences, give me a shout out and I'll provide more content on that subject. I've got a few more game mechanics in store, a few comments on current events, and a whole slew of new game ideas. I might also try to inject a few more color commentaries on here, but that remains to be seen.

I'd also like to give a shout-out to http://www.intelligentgamer.com/, where I'm a new editor. I'll be placing some original content over there too, as well as occasionally cross posting (until there is a significant overlap in readership). Also, if there are some websites I should be reading, leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you.

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Casual/Hardcore Revisted: Segregated Servers

I've been known to mill around the forum pages of Penny Arcade. I'll admit, the posters over there have some serious skills at tearing down ideas. All they need is a whiff of weakness and the onslaught is on. On this particular occasion, I cross-posted my blog entry on Casual and Hardcore Gamers, sparking a somewhat convoluted and sidetrack prone debate. One suggestion, offered by a poster named "Zombiemambo" suggested the idea of separate servers for casual and hardcore gamers. I'll admit, I was intrigued and couldn't help but blog...

The idea of completely segregating the playing factions is a unique one, and I initially couldn't figure out a mechanism by which it would be effective. If you decrease the difficulty of the casual server, but retain the entirety of the content, then hardcore players would have little incentive to continue on their hardcore servers except for their unadulterated love of the grind. Thus the point of the server would be defeated, or, at the very least, everyone would have exactly the same maximumly leveled and geared player, making the game somewhat boring.

Of course, you could potentially include additional content on the hardcore servers, and offer experience bonuses on the casual servers. Unfortuantely, this decision would raise serious outrcries from the casual community that has not paid for a full game but has only received part of the benefit.

My suggestion is to limit the players' time. A casual user will determine how many hours of play they will average per week. They will then join a server that targets this hourly rate. For example, a person with a serious time crunch would only have time for 5 hours a week, and so he would sign up for a server that restricts play to 5 hours a week. Of course, to make up for this limited play, the server would feature hyper-accelarated experience gains and lower party size/time requirments to complete segments of large dungeons. Players with more time available would select servers with higher time limits but lower experience acceleration.

There would need to be adjustments, such as allowing extended play for holidays, but this system might allow players with low time commitments to access the entirety of their favorite game's content in a slightly truncated form. There might be some frustration for players who select that wrong server and are forced to curtail their play before they would prefer on certain weeks, which might raise the possibility of alternate timing methods or bonuses such as "time banks" or "rollover hours." (anytime minutes for everyone!)

Technorati Tags: MMORPG, Video Game, Online Game, Game.

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Dimension Shift

Another game idea for my tiny audience of loyal readers.

I've always been fascinated by the entire space/time continuum and the theoretical possibility of infinite parallel dimensions. My idea is to have a bifurcated gamespace where there are two independently operating servers that represent two separate, but interconnected, dimensions. For ease in explanation, we'll have Server 1, which hosts a game that takes place in Dimension 1, and Server 2, which will occupy a separate dimension aptly named Dimension 2. Both Servers will offer a full and interactive game playing experience that is independently enjoyable (and resembles their counterpart dimension in some respects). But the wrinkle in our game is that the actions in Dimension 1 on Server 1 will create immediate, and sometimes radical, change on Server 2's Dimension 2. So, let's talk about DIMENSIONAL SHIFT...(more after the jump).

Dimensions Apart
Server 1 is a world of fantasy, where magic reigns over the landscape. Each person is born with, at the very least, a predisposition toward magic. As usual, there is a constant battle being waged in Server 1 between Light and Dark magic, constantly vying for supremacy over Dimension 1. Quests are undertaken, heroes are made, and overlords are crowned.

Server 2 is a world of science, and technology dominates the mechanics of the world. Robots careen through corridors and hovercraft alight upon floating skydocks. Of course, technology creates the potential for great power, both bad and good. Thus there can't help but be conflict in Server 2, as men battle for dominance.

Dimension Shift
The wrinkle in our story comes from stakes of these intra-dimensional battles: they battle for control of the inter-dimensional conduits. In the magic world, once side accrues enough advantage, they are able to summon magic sufficient to access their allies in the parrellel dimension and send through assistance via a one way wormhole between dimensions. The same is true of the technology dimension, where the winning side may employ sufficient technology to send their own men and weapons through.

Given the foreign nature of these items and persons, there are no developed defense mechanisms to these outsiders and they are incredibly powerful in the alien dimension. A trans-dimensional wizard from Dimension 1 will bring to bear massive power in Dimension 2. Thus, dimensions that work together will benefit greatly from the cooperation by essentially having dimension trade services and exchange students. Indeed, it will create a feedback loop as both sides are able to assist each other to greater heights of power and thereby employ the conduits to greater effect.

Of course, there are numerous caveats, most of which I haven't figured out yet. One of them will certainly be the fact that a foreign item cannot be repaired in its new habitat and will be impossible to recreate once destroyed. Similarly, a dimensional exchange student, once he dies, will respawn in his home dimension, forced to wait for his next opportunity to ride the conduits over. There will be limitations placed on the usage of the conduits, with the explanation that repeated overuse will result in dimensional tears, which will deplete the powers of the side guilty of the transgression (this will help prevent total supremacy by other side) .

Well, this idea just popped into my head tonight, but comments or suggestions would be great!

Technorati Tags: MMORPG, Video Game, Online Game, Invention.

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Hyper-Active Skills: Burning Down the Skill Tree

My Avatar has bushy eyebrows...no, wait...thin eyebrows. His hair is gold, green, blue, maybe crimson. He's light, he's dark. He's tall, he's short. Aesthetically, my avatar is entirely customizable, which allows me to project an image to the online world according to my exact desires.

Sadly, this customization is sorely lacking in perhaps the most critical area of character development: skills. The modern MMoRPG has developed a frightening dependence upon the skill tree, a terribly sterile method for skill development that prompts massive stagnation in game play. Each class is generally allotted only a few avenues of growth, and among these options only one or two are considered "viable" builds. Characters thus often specialize in only a single branch of a tree in order to acquire the more powerful skills. When a character elects to "branch out" and develop multiple branches simultaneously, thereby foregoing the more powerful spells in each, the branches do not work in tandem beyond allowing him diversity in casting. I propose another way, which promotes the same type of creativity in skills that currently exists in appearance: Hyper-Active Skill Development.



Hyper-Active Skill Development

This is a proposal for destroying our old reliance upon stagnant skill trees and moving into a truly dynamic skill environment. Hyper-Active Skill Development will be the product of two processes: Elemental Skill Combination and Skill Synergy. The outcome will be wildly increased possibilities for development allowing players to customize their skills to their exact preferences as a player.

Elemental Skill Combination
The standard skill is an entity unto itself. You may not negotiate with it and you may not alter it. For example, "Melf's Acid Arrow" is an arrow shaped projectile composed of acid. When it impacts it may do a very specific type of effect, such as dealing acid damage. We therefore have four types of non-negotiable elements in this single skill: (1) method of delivery; (2) shape of projectile; (3) composition of projectile; (4) effect. When you elect to accept this skill you take it as is, accepting the parameters without objection.

Elemental Skill Combination will eliminate this automated requirement. Each of the elements will become separately selectable elements that may be combined to create a single skill. Thus, when you gain a level, you will gain not one skill point but 5 or 10. You will then select any elements you desire. You will then place these elements into skill formulas.

Example of a spell skill formula: (Modifier: Delivery)(Modifier: Spell Cast Time)(Fundamental Composition)(Modifier Effect)

Strategy becomes critical. Suppose we want a quick and dirty attack spell. We might select a short range "touch" delivery. Given the context, we would prefer a short cast time. Stunning is most effective when employing electricity, so we would choose that as the fundamental composition. Finally we would choose stun as the effect. Each of these elements would act in cooperation to create an effective stun spell, if we modify any then it becomes an entirely different spell for a different purpose. If we choose a longer cast time, then we might want a longer range delivery, but the added cast time will enhance the length of the stun since more power is devoted to the casting. Each element modifies each other element to determine the final product. This is Elemental Skill Combination.

Skill Synergy
This is the second half to Hyper-Active Skill Development. Every element you select belongs in any number of classifications. Every skill you create is similarly subject to a variety of classifications. As more elements and skills are developed in a single classification the power and potency of all other members of that classification increase, thereby providing synergy bonuses to your character. This is not meant to be a limiting factor, because of the sheer number of classifications applicable to each element and skill; this mechanism is meant to provide a bonus to players that elect to have some cognizable theme in their character but will by no means force "development tracks." Lets try some examples to explain it a bit better.

Say you elect to specialize in "delivery" elements. And you learn projectile, snipe, touch, grasp, telepathic and empathic deliveries. You will become a delivery specialist, providing bonuses such as increased accuracy to each of your delivery modifiers.

Say you specialize in two delivery elements: snipe and projectile with two effects elements: stun and blind. You will gain unique bonuses here as well, such as "incapacitator" bonuses. This particular combination of skills suggests a theme of long-range disabling tactics, so you will receive bonuses commensurate with this theme.

Say you specialize in basic composition, and you learn fire, earth, wind, and water. You will gain an "elementalist" specialization in addition to any other themes you have.

Each character could potentially belong in multitudes of theme classes, each providing unique bonuses and power to the character while still preserving the unique character identity.

Conclusion
Coding nightmare? Potentially, but computing power is arriving at a place where I think this is a viable option for the future. But what about the casual players that don't have time to deal with the intricate strategies that Hyper-Active Skills will promote? Simple, they can elect to use the old skill trees or they may ask for suggestions in their development based off of their prior choices.

Why be a rogue when you can be a Assassinating Incapacitator of Elementality?!?!

Technorati Tags: MMORPG, Video Game, Online Game, Skills.

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McDonalds Throws Video Games Under the Bus

Why accept responsibility when you can shove it on someone else?

In a brilliant move sure to inspire the most fervent of hypocrites, the CEO of McDonald's UK has blamed video games for the rampant obesity in today's youth. Now, I may be inclined to agree that prolonged periods of gaming aren't the healthiest pass time, but McDonald's leading the charge? Really? Need a window for your glass house? Because you're tossing a lot of stones. Or 540 calorie Big Macs.

read more digg story

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Sim City: Apocalpyse

Sim City, a popular city building game owned by Electronic Arts, has been a game I've returned to at various points throughout my life when I've needed a reprieve from faster paced gaming. I enjoy the dramatic differences subtle changes to your city's infrastructure can have on future development (whateva, I drop a power plant in the middle of a residential area...it's my city I do what I want!) The Sim franchise has spread out into a variety of settings (Sim Coaster, Sim Prison, and Sim Tycoon among others). Each setting offers unique fare but often relies on the same building techniques and strategies. In effect, settings change but the rules remain the same. I would like to change the setting AND the rules in a derivation of this old classic...Sim City: Apocalypse.

The Setting
We've learned to love the nuke a little too much. Unlike the idyllic world the Sims normally find themselves in, this simulation takes place in a nuclear wasteland. Natural resources are exhausted and the terrain is a mix of treacherous craters and decimated cities. Rank, stagnant water sits in radioactive pools, and the trees have long since fled the face of the plant. Mutated and malformed animals roam the land in a desperate race between evolution and extinction. This is where the Sims will try to cobble together a civilization.

The Rules
In the standard sims, development was a simple matter of employing money to construct specific patterns to maximize desirability (high density commercial...so hot right now.) I'd like to expand upon this by upping the required innovation to achieve substantial development. In a world facing a massive resource crunch, simple notions of tax and spend no longer apply. I envision a system where the city starts off as a single tent, and all development must come as a result of scouring the surrounding wastelands and decaying cities for resources. Population is not determined by whether there is room for more people, it is determined by whether a new person will survive.

Thus, if you want something more sturdy than a tent, you must deploy a sim to haunt the hillsides in search of caves or crumbling buildings. If you need power, you must send the sims off to find a derelict gas station. Development therefore becomes a matter of recycling for the beginning stages of your civilization. At some point your citizens will acquire adequate knowledge and resources to begin moving beyond recycling and into actual production, thereby requiring less hunting and gathering.

The focus will remain on development, true to the Sim City franchise, but innovation will become a central issue. Where you are severely curtailed in terms of resources, selecting the most critical needs and pursuing them will shape your development rather than the more common development tracks followed in traditional cities. Also, the options for development will be restricted by the surrounding landscape in a way never before realized in Sim City. Since early development will rely largely on recycling due to the largely contaminated natural resources, access to sprawling vacated cities will enhance chances of broad development while starting in the middle of an impact crater will make things trickier.

Honestly, the idea of civilization crawling back into a derelict city really appeals to me. I may be alone in this. So alone. If people get bored I suppose we could have EVIL RADIOACTIVE MUTANTS events to spice it up.

Technorati Tags: Sim City, Video Game, Online Game, Game.

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Mass Effect...So much mass, but we need more effect.

All right, I'm going to start with the simple truth: I love Mass Effect. The main story line was well conceived, well executed, and left me wanting more. It was exactly what I seek when I play through a game, but there is a real hitch: the side trips are woefully inadequate.

Now, the issue might be that I'm comparing these side missions to the unmitigated mastery of the main story line, but that fact doesn't address the frustration I felt when grinding out those forays off the beaten path. They were incredibly repetitive, not just in scenery but also scope and texture. So, what do I expect from Mass Effect II? Complexity.

In a universe hanging on the edge, I would expect one of the prime actors to spend more time developing factions and alliances, bolstering his forces for the events to come. I would expect the recruitment of multiple starships to aid the cause. I would expect the creation of revenue and resource streams outside of items dropped off of suspiciously well equipped mercenaries. I would expect our character to not just be a leader of a small crew of outcasts, but of squadrons. Now, I realize I'm going to run into some immediate problems, so let me scale back my demands into something a bit more reasonable.

Player Bases
I think it would be great if I could establish bases on some of the deserted worlds I visited. I think it would be very cool if I could invest in developing these bases and this investment would pay dividends by offering equipment upgrades to myself and my ship. These bases should occasionally be attacked, and I should therefore occasionally be required to defend them (or lose them). Established bases should give me strategic advantages when I am confronting certain obstacles. I could occasionally undertake various quests to obtain rare items to upgrade my base or rescue important scientists to recruit to work in my base's labs.

Space Combat
This was a giant disappointment for me. I have this massive uber destructive BEATDOWN BOAT and I don't fire a shot? I'm sorry, but you can't place me in charge of such an awesome piece of equipment, let me be a renegade, and then not allow me to blow something up. There are space pirates to be destroyed, aliens to be gunned down, and innocent colonies of wayward humans to be bombarded. Side quests should involve space combat, they should be three dimensional and they should involve ravaging barrages of tactical nukes.

Originality
Bioware has created an incredibly original universe, but I sadly rarely got a chance to interact with it in an in-depth manner. Side quests should involve me reciting Hamlet in Elcor (self-pitying dismay). I should get a chance to use my engineering skill by hand crafting a custom weapon. I should be able to use omni-gel in new and terrible ways. If there is room on the disc for an alien lesbian sex scene there is room on there to allow me to play Space Chess with a Keeper for access to the mainframe.

Technorati Tags: Mass Effect, Video Game, Online Game, Game, Xbox.

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The Great Consolidation Debate

Introduction
I've been watching recent events in the video game industry with a mix of trepidation and optimism. I'm referring to the wave of mergers and acquisitions that have overtaken the video game industry (not unlike the newspaper and radio industries before it.) Of particular note is the Blizzard/Activision merger and Electronic Art's recent acquisition of Bioware and Pandemic, which represent landmark consolidations in the industry.

Blizzard, the gaming powerhouse behind World of Warcraft, Warcraft, Diablo and Star Craft has joined forces with Activision, the publisher of recent hits such as Call of Duty 4 and Guitar Hero Three. Electronic Arts, which resembles something akin to Goliath in the gaming industry (particularly prior to the mergers), has brought games like the Battlefield 2142 to the public in addition to a wide selection of sports games. Bioware created the instant classics Mass Effect and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.

Why the Consolidation is Potentially Good
The days of two paddles, a ball, and a dream are behind us. Games today offer massive adventures featuring incredible worlds, all delivered in increasingly impressive graphics. Understandably, developing these games require substantial investments on the part of the company--and significant risk. For smaller companies, producing a game with the quality such as Bioshock or Mass Effect represents a tremendous risk to the company. If the game tanks, the failure will drag the company down with it, even if the company has enjoyed numerous successes. All of the time and expense spent developing an excellent team of programmers will be lost as the company crumbles--a terrific waste of resources.

A larger company diversifies this risk by producing numerous games simultaneously, and the profits and successes of one game will cover for the failures of another (similar to movie studios). Thus, in a larger company, an excellent development team can suffer an off game without facing imminent doom and destruction. Imagine the unthinkable: Warcraft was excellent, but Diablo was a complete dud...would we have ever seen World of Warcraft? In a corporate behemoth this debate need not occur.


Why the Consolidation Potentially Disastrous
A common argument is that a heavily consolidated industry will suffer from a lack of diversity and innovation. Larger corporations are generally beholden to their shareholders and maximizing profit, which at times creates significant risk aversion in the boardrooms. The refusal to take chances on new and untested ideas could very well result in missed opportunities for the industries and the gamers who rely on it. Also, larger corporations often operate under explicit corporate policies that encourage compliance, which may further hamper diversity in thought.

Thus, when a smaller operation is purchased and incorporated into the mother corporation, many of the attributes that granted the smaller operation flexibility and maneuverability may dissipate. When the employees and managers are responsible only to themselves they may be much more willing to gamble with their fortunes since they are masters of their own fate and will directly reap the benefits of their efforts.

Conclusion
I'm really unsure at this point. I'd have to see what games Bioware and Blizzard churn out in their new homes. Activision has historically been incredible at publishing excellent games while leaving the creative direction in the hands of the game studios they own (so I expect great things from this merger.) I am hopeful for EA, but I know significantly less about their internal management policies. If EA simply provides Bioware with enough funds to take their work to the next level I expect great things; if they attempt to substitute their own corporate vision for Bioware's I'm more skeptical.

Either way, I think we're in store for some real interesting developments. Game on.

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Blending Game Genres

Introduction
I've always been interested in genre-blending in video games. I think there are some excellent examples of this becoming a more common practice in the gaming industry, most notably the recent release of Mass Effect (Bioware, combination of First Person Shooter and Role Playing Game). This particular idea came out of my extension interaction with Blizzard's Warcraft III, which incorporates hero units among the regular fare commonly found in real time strategy games. I would like to take the introduction of hero characters one step further: I would like the heros in the game to be independently commanded by a second player.

Game Framework
In any particular cooperative battle, there will be at a minimum of four players: 2 base/army builders and 2 hero controllers. Army/Base builders will focus on the things real time strategy players typically focus on: marshalling forces, constructing buildings, and creating a sustainable economy. Hero players will focus on the things role playing gamers and first person shooters typically focus on: hero development and the complete and indiscriminate annhilation of the enemy.

The trick to making this an innovative and compelling development is ensuring that the hero controlling players are confronted with a playing environment equally rich to the base/army builders. Many of the use settings games that have attempted to perform derivations of the idea I am proposing now are woefully inadequate in this regard. Hero playing is typically a one dimensional task, and the role served is secondary to the army/base builder's (assuming the heros are not grossly overpowered).

The Hero Playing Character

In order to counteract this failing, playing a hero must be a dynamic interaction between a microworld that is generated spontaneously both from factors in the map as well as the actions of other players as well as macroworld considerations regarding the overarching structure of the game. I envision character development as a highly fluid and highly customizable ordeal, where heros are the product of a class selection process but are rather grown into their epic roles through their deeds in the battles they participate in (not unlike the real world). The factors that will mold characters will be derived from two separate sources: microworld interactions and macroworld influences.

Microworld
Once a hero is transported to a battle, he will instantly be notified of outstanding quests (some carried over from prior battles, others just now available due to the current battle). These quests are side trips that may occur entirely outside of the overarching battle, and are meant to enhance and embellish the hero player's game. The hero playing character will have the opportunity to carry out vast story archs, as the elements necessary to make this possible will spawn at the beginning of each battle in accordance to the hero's profile.

One interesting consideration for hero players to balance is time. They will have limited time to complete some of the non-battle related quests before their services are needed by the army/base builder. If the hero devotes himself overmuch to these separate quests, then the overall campaign will fail without his assistance; however, if he consistently ignores these opportunities, he will not advance as quickly nor will he be as well equipped as some of his opposing avatars. Thus, the hero must pick and choose his spots, and be wise about his development. Many quests will be very short forays, many more will be incrementally completed throughout numerous battles, and still others will be triggered by cooperative events (Example: complete a rush battle).

Each quest will have an effect on the skills and specializations of the hero. Thus, if the vast majority of your quests are completed in the heat of battle, your hero will develop into a warrior. If your quests are instead completed through jack-knavery and trickery, you'll become a thief.

Macroworld
In addition, the hero will have opportunities to specialize in various areas as a result of his battles. These specializations will be derived from macroworld factors and will be known as affinities. Affinities will be determined by the races a hero is most allied with, most often opposing, and so forth.

For example, say a hero has spent 10 battles fighting with the same army/base builder, who always selects Ravenous Donkeys as his race. Due to this symbiotic relationship, the hero will begin to accrue affinity points with the Ravenous Donkeys, taking on attributs unique to this race. Assume further that the army/base building player uniformly battles against the race of Gregarious Goats. The hero controlling player, as a result of his constant conflict with the Goats, will gain specialties in the assassination of our frenzied four legged can eaters.


The Army/Base Building Character
This role will follow a largely traditional real time strategy model with the notable exception that the ABB character will be able to create opportunities to develop and enhance his companion hero character, either through making it possible for him to achieve quests or providing him with buffs/armaments from buildings. The ABB character will ultimately be in control of the larger battle since he is developing the army for his companion hero player to champion.

There really isn't much more I can elaborate on as to the ABB player since the RTS elements will be engaging and interesting in their own right.

Multiplayer Mechanics
Prior to each game, depending on the game settings, each base/army builder would be granted 1-3 independently controlled hero players. I picture this occuring through a sort of recruitment process. An ABB character will go to an online inn or mercenary guild and announce he is in search of specific types of heros. He will then recruit these heros and bring them with him into battle. There are various mechanics I have in mind for how heros will be continually engaged and gaining experience between battles, but I'll detail those at a later date.

Technorati Tags: MMORPG, Video Game, Online Game, Game.

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Video games: Now with more taxation!

I'll be honest, I'm scratching my head on this one. According to this story, a new law has been proposed in the state of Wisconsin. At first glance, it seems pretty harmless: raise the age of adulthood from 17 to 18. Great! Give teenagers another year of indiscretion, I'm on board--we all make mistakes.

Now things get interesting. Raising the age of adulthood will result in increased juvenile court fees. How to pay for them? It seems to me the logical decision would be to decrease adult court budgets and shift the money to juvenile courts to offset the costs. Of course, solutions that involve cutting spending often cause blackouts and terror in capitol houses, so they have arrived at a much more reasonable solution: raise taxes!

But what to tax?

Well, the video game industry did well this year. And I remember reading somewhere that video games are the root of all evil, so let's just tax them! Long story short? 1% tax on games. Sure it won't kill the industry, but why is heck is it getting taxed in the first place?

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The Death of Digitial Rights Management?

According to a recent Wired article, Sony BMG, a major purveyor of music, has decided to abandon its attempts end music piracy through stringent use of DRM. We've all faced it before...can't transfer our music, can't access our music, can't play protected songs on our car stereos. This move will undermine iTunes stranglehold on legitimate downloads and give users more alternatives.

Ramifications for the video game industry? Unclear.

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Tinkering with Call of Duty 4 Matchmaking

By far my favorite Xbox game to play with friends right now is Call of Duty 4 by Activision. As far as I am concerned, it is one of the most realistic and engaging first person shooters to date. With that as a starting point, let me tell you about a few games I played last week.

After battling with some of the Xbox Live issues, I managed to secure a game. The teams were organized and I couldn't help but notice that they appeared slightly lopsided. My team included numerous people of lower ranks making their way through the game the first time. On the opposing side we were facing players that were all on their 5th time through or later. The game starts, and the slaughtering begins. The leet team crushed us, and began a spawn camp campaign that still wakes me up screaming at night. I mustered my CONSIDERABLE skills and got the highest score on my team with 9 kills and 58 deaths.

The game ends, and I decide to continue playing since the matchmaking would surely reorganize the teams--not so. We were playing against 5 friends in a team deathmatch, so they were always placed on the same team. This brings me to my point: there needs to be a separate matchmaking tree for clans. When there are only 5 players per team in team deathmatch, even 3 players working together can utterly dominate the general chaos inhabiting random teams. Few things are more frustrating than being unable to move due to waves of airstrikes and helicopters mowing you down constantly.

Technorati Tags: Call of Duty, Video Game, COD, Game.

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Overcoming the MMORPG Casual/Hardcore Gamer Conflict

The Problem
MMORPG's have come an incredibly long way since my days of MUDing on Gemstone III, but for all the advances there remains a significant issue: how do you keep and properly incentivize BOTH hardcore and casual gamers?



Speaking as a person who has been alternately a hardcore gamer and a casual gamer throughout his life, I have dealt with the frustrations that face both. As a hardcore gamer, I've been frustrated when a game stagnants as a result of new/casual gamers avoiding the game due to the perception it is impossible to "catch up" to the older gamers. When I was weekend wayfaring, I was aggravated by my inability to achieve anything meaningful in games (beyond grinding) because my worth as a companion was precisely nil. I'd fume as my friends relayed fanciful stories of storming keeps in battlegrounds while I was stuck slaughtering rabid raccoons in the Forest of Noobdungeon

So, how do we incentivize casual gamers to join in and play a meaningful role in all elements of the game without frustrating hardcore gamers who may feel their extensive devotion is being undermined by the handouts?

Why Hardcore Gamers Should Care
Hardcore gamers often overlook the critical role casual gamers play in their gaming world. Weekend wayfarers provide a large base for the game economies and provide depth and entertainment to social interactions. While weekend wayfarers occasionally frustrate daily devotees, the empty expanses in their absence, particularly when a hardcore gamer elects to create a new character, would make games that rely on cooperation exceedingly more difficult. Even more importantly, their monthly fees are an engine of growth for games by providing an expanded revenue base, which ensures continued attention and support from the administering company. Companies are often leery of dropping hard earned cash into losing propositions.

Get to the Mechanic Already
Ok ok ok, I can't help but justify myself. This burning need stems from deeply held insecurities. I'm seeing a nightelf healer in World of Warcraft about it.

The answer? Leadership systems. Yes, I know most games incorporate rudimentary ranking and reward systems, and I know most games also include grouping capabilities, but that isn't what I'm speaking of. What I am talking about is a comprehensive world leadership system (that may be split into factions if it serves game purposes) that will create chain of command bonuses.

What's in it for the Hardcore Gamers?
Ranks will not be achieved at set point scores, rather it will be a fluid system where ranks will constantly be redetermined based upon the scores of each other player. Thus, hardcore gamers will have an incentive to continue their devotion and will be rewarded by attaining the highest ranks and staying ahead of competing gamers.

Why do they want the highest ranks? SUPREME EXECUTIVE POWER! The highest ranks will be able to control the world conflict by issuing orders that will accord chain of command bonuses. Lower ranks will be able to refine the broader orders issued above. Each order followed in the chain of command will accord a bonus to the loyal follower. Each follower increases the chain of command bonus accorded to each other follower by empowering the leader and granting him additional options to employ to the followers' benefit.

But what about our Weekend Wayfarers?!
Casual gamers will receive bonuses for following the Hardcore Gamer's leadership. Each bonus followed in the chain of command will provide an additional layer of bonuses that increases the casual gamer's power. These bonuses will be scaled according to the difference between the level of issuing commander's order and the follower's level (thus a low ranking player following a high ranking player will receive a large bonus while a medium ranking player following a medium ranking player will receive a negligible bonus).

So, our casual gamer may operate completely outside of this system and grind to his heart's content away from the world conflict, or he may meaningfuly participate, though he must do so under the restrictions placed upon him by his need for chain of command bonuses. This will allow our casual gamer to participate in a greatly expanded selection of the game's offerings.


Allow me to explain by way of example:

Rank 1:
Rank 1 issues an order to attack Region A. As Supreme Commander, he gains no bonus for following commands. He gains more options of the bonuses to accord to followers as he gains followers.

Rank 2:
Rank 2 decides to comply with Rank 1's order and commences his attack on Region A. He receives a small follower bonus for listening to Rank 1. Rank 2, a high ranking general just beneath the Supreme Commander, refines Rank 1's order by issuing a command to attack City A in Region A.

Rank 3:
Rank 3 complies with Rank 1 and Rank 2's order. He attacks City A in Region A and receives a medium follower bonus for following orders from Rank 1 and a small follower bonus for following the orders of Rank 2. Rank 3, a medium ranking commander, refines both Rank 1 and Rank 2's order by issuing a command that the South Gate of City A in Region A be attacked.

Rank 4a:
Rank 4a complies with Rank 1, 2, and 3's order and gains scaled bonuses for each. He refines the order further, by issuing a command that the South Gate be attacked with archers.

Rank 4b:
Rank 4b is the same rank as Rank 4a, he too complies with Rank 1, 2, and 3's order and gains scaled bonuses for each. He elects not to join 4a's command and instead opts to issue his own command, demanding that South Gate be attacked with mages. 4a and 4b compete for followers.

Rank FILTHY NOOBLET A:
Filthy Nooblet A just joined the game today. He just spent 9 hours killing gregarious goats in the Forest of Noobdungeon and he wants to get in on the action. His lack of power isn't an issue, because he, as a mage, elects to follow Rank 1, 2, 3, and 4b's orders and attacks South Gate of City A in Region A. He gains massive bonuses to his powers and is able to actually participate meaningfully in the battle, though he is by no means the most powerful participant. He has no control over the course of the battle and no one follows him, but he has the possibility of landing the occasional killing blow or providing support at key moments.

Rank FILTHY NOOBLET B:
Filthy Nooblet B is nobody's fool, and he ain't gonna listen to anyone. Ever. He elects to ignore all orders and gains no chain of command bonuses. He grinds in solitude but in contentment. One day he accidently wanders into contested Region A and grinds there, mistakenly following Rank 1's order. He gains a massive chain of command bonus and grinds as he has never done before, but he is an easy target for others who are following more orders on the opposing team and hunt him throughout the contested region.

Conclusion
The system is complex, but I foresee it making online games incredibly dynamic. Strategy between high ranking players will become a must, and factional positioning will make dramatic scenarios for players of all ranks to participate in. There are a number of things I have left out of this framework, but I hope the basic foundation intrigues you.

Technorati Tags: MMORPG, Video Game, Online Game, Game.

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