Alexis Kassan
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EA Sports sets up shop on PS Home
by Alexis Kassan 
Jan 19th 2009 (9 months ago)
EA Sports will be the first Electronic Arts property on PlayStation Home, according to a statement from EA Sports President, Stephen Moore, earlier this month. The Home space will feature online poker and a racing game alongside EA content.The real-time sports information that dedicated fans crave will be available via in-game video walls. There will also be the inevitable ads and trailers. Does anyone else think it's a little "we're at 'now' now" to watch ads for video games on virtual televisions from our televisions using a video game console?
Have your say in FFXI swag design
by Alexis Kassan Jan 18th 2009 (9 months ago)
Square Enix is looking for your help in designing their next round of accessories for Final Fantasy XI. You don't have to submit art or anything, just fill out a brief survey including your purchase habits and favorite NPC characters. There's also a space to write in comments about what merch you want to see.
All surveys must be in by midnight PST on January 28th so head over and fill one out soon. Who knows - there could be a Robel-Akbel plushie or an "I <3 Apururu" t-shirt in your future!
Kids choose digital entertainment over traditional media
by Alexis Kassan Jan 15th 2009 (9 months ago)
A recent survey of moms by NPD shows that kids are more interested in receiving digital content than purchasing physical media such as CDs or DVDs. Though most games still rely on an initial physical purchase of software, there is an increasing trend towards online and on-device delivery.The study also looked at device usage and activities done on those devices. It found that gaming is the most popular activity with around 85% of kids playing on the devices studied. There has also been an increase in cross-platform usage with videos being watched on consoles and cell phones used to listen to music. With all the talk of MMOs on consoles and the ability of devices to handle more tasks each rather than respecting their traditional, separate roles, it seems this trend is poised to continue.
SOE expects the PS3 to be half their business
by Alexis Kassan Jan 11th 2009 (10 months ago)
DC Universe Online
Free Realms
SOE
The ways we play are changing and Sony Online Entertainment wants to be a driver of that change. They will be releasing the Free Realms and DC Universe Online titles to PC and PlayStation 3 with expectations of additional MMOGs going to console in the years ahead. Now SOE President John Smedley states in an interview that they expect PS3 to be about half of their business.It's a bold statement considering the PS3 has been trailing several other systems in usage including its own predecessor. But with Blu-Ray crowned champion of the high-def disc war, an expanding game title selection for the console, online integration and PS Home, the PS3 has a lot to offer gamers. The question that remains in this blogger's mind is, will MMO gamers make the leap to console?
US Age of Conan servers down for the merger of Bloodspire and Hyperborea
by Alexis Kassan Jan 6th 2009 (10 months ago)
AoC
Server mergers have finally come to Age of Conan.
Additional details around how the mergers will be done are available on the AoC FAQ forum threads. If you have characters on these servers (or really anyone playing), it's definitely worth having a look to determine how you might be impacted. Information on further merges has not yet been released.
Update: Servers will be down tomorrow, January 7th.
Four cheers for Tipa's Spellborn gallery
by Alexis Kassan Jan 5th 2009 (10 months ago)
You've got to admit it - Chronicles of Spellborn has some seriously amazing graphics. And to prove that's true, Tipa at West Karana has posted a great selection of screenies. They include some of the High Houses, cityscapes, temples, and yes, the gratuitous undressed character shot.
As if having Within Temptation do the music for it wasn't enough to tempt you (pun fully intended) into the game, these screen shots provide the additional visual stimulus needed to point you to the beta sign-up. If you're in the EU, you can download the client for free. So hop over, take a look, and commence the ooh-ing... and eagerly awaiting launch day in the States.
A little more about Wizard101
by Alexis Kassan Jan 3rd 2009 (10 months ago)
There have been quite a few releases for magic-themed game Wizard101 of late as well as the preview of the first expansion. Enough so that WhatTheyPlay has posted an overview aimed at parents to explain the basis of the game and what they can expect if their kids play it. In a nutshell, Wizard101 is a world where players are students of magic. Combat relies on a trading card system and is turn-based. No one ever "dies" in the game. It's free to play in much the same way that Runescape is - meaning that many areas and quests are only available to paid accounts. The options are numerous in terms of membership levels depending upon what the players (or their parents) want to be able to do. For those parents worried about the community, they do discuss the limitations on communication and the average age of players (about 12). Then again, with family plan pricing available, parents could join their kids in the game and find out for themselves what it's all about.
Kotaku outlines differences between PlayStation Home and Second Life
by Alexis Kassan Jan 3rd 2009 (10 months ago)
SL
There has been plenty of speculation on PlayStation Home and how it compares and contrasts with Second Life as a virtual world. Heck, the creative director spoke about it months ago stating that Second Life players would probably not find much of interest in PS Home. Well, Kotaku has stepped in to explore just that subject.
For those not wanting to get too down and dirty with the full tale, Second Life has much more personal customization. Everything from outfits to dance moves to land masses can be user-generated and added to the world. On the other hand, PlayStation Home allows for minimal add-ons, focusing on creating rich, stable environments - even if that means sacrificing little things like avatar diversity. But with much more content promised, PS Home may well become a better contender for virtual world time.
World of Warcraft tops most played list of 2008
by Alexis Kassan Jan 2nd 2009 (10 months ago)
WoW
Nielsen Research has published its January through October numbers about the top 10 PC games and top 10 consoles by amount of time played. Once again World of Warcraft tops the charts. In fact, WoW has more time played than the other nine titles listed - combined.Coming in at position 6 is Runescape, the browser-based game that could. It had just slightly less share than The Sims 2. Numbers for only October are available on the Nielsen website and show a different makeup for numbers 2-10, with WoW still in first. We can only imagine what this data will look like for November 2008 with the added game time of those who bought Wrath of the Lich King.
Increase ROI by training in virtual worlds
by Alexis Kassan Jan 1st 2009 (10 months ago)
Forterra, makers of OLIVE virtual worlds, along with ACS Learning Services recently conducted a proof of concept in employee training using their customized systems. It's a new approach to corporate dilemmas of training large groups for as little money as possible. The experiment began with training the users on how to move their avatars to interact, thus pushing past potential problems with people being uncomfortable in the virtual space. They were then brought into the training environment where, rather than merely watching slides go by, they must move around and interact to find the answers to questions. How do they know the info got through? Tremendous feedback.
