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Posts with tag player-created-content

The debatable concept of ownership in virtual spaces

Filed under: Business models, MMO industry, Crafting, Opinion, Virtual worlds

Game security news and analysis site PlayNoEvil recently looked at the concept of ownership in the virtual space, in an article called "The Quixotic Quest for Avatar Rights." It explores the question that's been around since the very beginning of virtual interactions: Does the player who invests his or her time into finding, creating, and using an item 'own' it, or is it really just server data that's company property?

For most game and virtual world operations, there's little room for debate. They create the environment and everything in it, right down to a gamer's or user's avatar. However one view expressed at an Austin GDC panel is that while companies work to ensure their legal claim to virtual property, they also foster the illusion that the player has some degree of ownership. While the mindset of the industry isn't likely to change any time soon, there are those involved on the development and business end that would like to see changes regarding 'avatar rights.' Others are pushing for an improved EULA which would ensure the continued growth of virtual worlds, where users have greater control over their own created content. What's your view on this? Do companies have any responsibility to their subscribers or users to relinquish control over player-created content? Are gamers and virtual worlds users unreasonable in thinking the situation should change?

World of Warcraft
New details surface about EVE's 'Walking in Stations' expansion

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Economy, Expansions, Game mechanics, Interviews, Previews, News items, Races


Ambulation, or 'Walking in Stations' as it now seems to be known, is a hotly anticipated feature coming to EVE Online. It represents the first effort by CCP Games to add a more interactive dimension to the game, where players will finally be able to step out of their ships to socialize, play games, and ... modify one another's bodies? Apparently so.

While some information about Walking in Stations is already known, EVE Stratics recently turned up more details. Trish "Seridove" Bennon and Michael "Solace" Lutes recently got some face time at PAX 2008 with CCP Games devs Jeremy Albert (Associate Producer) and Noah Ward (Lead Game Designer, aka CCP Hammerhead) who talked about aspects of the expansion.

Continue reading New details surface about EVE's 'Walking in Stations' expansion

MMO features that haven't made it into Warhammer Online

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Warhammer Online, Opinion


Among the legions of fortunate Warhammer Online fans that have played through beta and the preview weekend is Syp from the Waaagh! blog. He's always entertaining and it's clear he's passionate about Warhammer Online. So when he writes about features in other MMOs that he'd like to see in WAR, you know he's not bashing a game that's not even out of the gate yet. Rather, he's genuinely looking at ways the game could be better.

Syp puts forth his ideal WAR feature set, which includes capturable and trainable pets similar to World of Warcraft's system and the player-created content and sidekicks of City of Heroes. Syp would also like to see WAR include an in-game music player like EVE Online, and other features drawn from Everquest 2 and Lord of the Rings Online. Have a look at the Waaagh! "10 features" post and see if you agree with him on what could make Warhammer Online a better title.
Warhammer Online Coverage Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out all of our previous Warhammer Online features, and don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!

World of WarcraftWorld of Warcraft
The Daily Grind: Loose ends?

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains


MMOs are about story as much as they are about killing things and leveling up. We all immerse ourselves in the various worlds' backstories to different degrees, and most times when we enter a major quest, we're taking part in something to do with unfolding storyline. Expansions and patches extend stories, bringing new factions and zones into the game that were previously only heard of in lore.

But with such a broad realm of ongoing stories in so many different MMOs, the chances are that full closure isn't likely to happen for all of them, and loose ends will be left hanging. City of Heroes players may never get to find out the final fate of the Reichsman, for example, or what the Blood of the Black Stream are, or just who Rularuu really is.

What NPCs and storylines from your MMOs would you like to see the developers return to? Are there any characters whose stories just beg to be fleshed out more? What zones could do with more stories? What quests deserve an extra chapter? And the final question: given the tools, would you write them yourself?

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