variety posts

An early peek at the DC Universe Online storyline

by James Egan Jul 22nd 2009 at 5:30PM

Filed under: Super-hero, Interviews, New titles, Quests, DC Universe Online

DC Universe Online is a superhero MMO in development at Sony Online Entertainment, but one that we didn't get to see much of at E3 2009. That's not going to be the situation with Comic-Con International which is happening this week in San Diego. The DC Universe Online team will be on hand and will hopefully reveal more about the game.

While you won't get to play as Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman, you will begin the game as a hero who fights alongside such comic book icons. In fact, once you roll a character you'll choose a specialty from among super powers, tech powers, or magic powers. That choice will determine the storyline you begin with, according to info revealed in a Variety article. Sony Online Entertainment gave Chris Morris from Variety's 'The Cut Scene' an exclusive on how players will begin the game.

Tags: breaking, chris-morris, comic-con, dc-universe-online, heroes, marv-wolfman, missions, new-titles, quests, soe, sony-online-entertainment, super-hero, superhero, the-cut-scene, variety, variety.com, villains

The Daily Grind: What makes a well-rounded MMO gamer?

by Shawn Schuster Feb 23rd 2009 at 8:00AM

Filed under: Culture, Game mechanics, Opinion, The Daily Grind

If you're playing the same MMO day in and day out, you may be thirsting for something different. Or, maybe you're not. Everyone has their own play styles, their own methods and their own interests in an MMO. Some people are perfectly fine dedicating themselves to one particular game and excelling at it completely. Some people need to have any five games on hand to play at any given time, while others mix the rest of their gaming time with action-packed console titles.

So to this point, we can't help but wonder if the variety makes for a more well-rounded player. Perhaps someone who enjoys console games and MMOs are more likely to support the newer titles that explore fresh gameplay mechanics and business models. That's just an assumption, but we'd like to hear your thoughts on the subject. What makes a well-rounded MMO gamer?

Tags: console, the-daily-grind, variety, well-rounded

Economic shifts, new business models bring more options for MMO gamers

by James Egan Jan 25th 2009 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Business models, MMO industry, Opinion

Tough economic times generally lead to shifts in perspective, and that's exactly the case with the MMO industry given much of the commentary we're seeing lately. In response to these changes in the economy, more companies -- and gamers -- are starting to rethink the alternative business models that have thrived in Asia, and which are increasingly making their way into the western MMO industry. And is that so surprising? Many gamers would like to be able to play more than one or two titles in a given month, but simply aren't able to due to the monthly subscription price (time concerns aside, of course).

Ravious from Kill Ten Rats observes that while MMOs typically demand more of players than standard PC games (at least in terms of time), the wide variety of gaming options that Steam users have come to appreciate could certainly be applicable to MMOs, if other business models beyond monthly subscriptions become viable in the West. Ravious writes, "Whether it is from a Steam-driven library of games, an aging MMO population, an economic recession, or plenty of different business models coming in to the MMO world, I believe that the subscription model of today is nearly done being 'the way'."

Tags: asia, business-models, choice, dedication, f2p, free-to-play, kill-ten-rats, killtenrats, microtransactions, mmo-industry, opinion, ravious, steam, variety