Month: October 2013

Design a Golem, Win Mister Sparkles!

Posted on by Gazimoff

Zojja_01_concept_art

Earlier this month, I ran a competition where you could win a Mini Mister Sparkles for Guild Wars 2. But there was a catch: to enter, you needed to design a competition that someone else could win. It was a little fiendish and so very meta, generating a huge number of ideas. Well done to everyone that took part, and congratulations to the winners!

I still have five more Mister Sparkles Mini codes to give away. After taking the best entries from the previous contest, I think I’ve come up with a fair but flexible way that you could win one of the remaining codes.

Update: The competition is now closed, and I’ll be announcing the winners early next week. Thanks to everyone that took part!

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Mister Sparkles Mini: The Winners (Part 1)

Posted on by Gazimoff

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Wow, a lot of you really wanted to get your hands on a Mister Sparkles Mini! And thanks to the kind folks at ArenaNet, I’m able to share even more of them. I’ve chosen five winners this time around, and one of those entries will be the basis for another competition.

That second competition starts later on this week and will run till the end of the month, so keep your eyes peeled if you weren’t lucky this time round. But before I announce who won, here’s some ideas that came close…

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Free to Play: Myth or Miracle?

Posted on by Gazimoff

It’s become almost a perennial tale: an MMO in distress makes the switch to free-to-play and becomes instantly successful. But, without hard numbers, it’s been difficult to appreciate just how much a difference it can make.

That has now changed. In a great interview with Daniel Tack at Forbes, Rift Creative Director Bill Fisher revealed some fascinating figures. It’s worth reading the entire article, but the headline number is staggering: revenue increased five times. That’s difficult for any developer to ignore.

It gives rise to a number of follow-up questions. Was the uplift a momentary surge or sustained growth? What does the average revenue per active player look like? How reliant are they on a certain subset of players? Has the change improved Rift’s long-term fortunes, or was it just a blip on the radar?

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Pew Pew Pew! Weeeeeeeee-oooow!

Posted on by Gazimoff

Over a year ago, I was drinking an ice-cold lemonade in EA’s Gamescom business suite. Across from me sat Jeff Hickman, VP for Live Services and head of Star Wars: The Old Republic. BioWare had just announced the switch to a hybrid free-to-play approach, and was planning an aggressive update schedule.

During the interview, we also discussed the state of SWTOR’s space game. I mentioned that I was a fan of the old X-Wing and Tie-Fighter series, and was hoping to see something similar in the MMO. Hickman wouldn’t be drawn on any plans, but told me that he had a dedicated space team working on “interesting things.”

As we wrapped up, I shared a promise with Hickman: I’d subscribe just for the chance to dogfight in space once again. Today, some 14 months later, BioWare finally revealed the Space game.

I’m a man of my word, and I’m going to stick to what I said. Later this month, I’ll be resubscribing as promised.

For the Empire!

(Note: I previously put the meeting at Gamescom 2011, not 2012. I’m an idiot.)

Upgrade Season

Posted on by Gazimoff

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Just over two years ago, I built a PC that would be able to play the ‘next generation’ of MMOs. It was a silly notion considering that, at the time, I didn’t have an idea what next generation truly meant. I just wanted to build something that would provide obscene frame rates without leaving me penniless.

It’s a strategy that worked. I’ve gone from WoW: Cataclysm, to SWTOR, to TERA, to The Secret World and Guild Wars 2, all without a hitch. I’ve managed to run them on high settings and capture stunning video. Whatever game I’ve wanted to play, my hardware hasn’t held me back.

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WildStar: Rocket-Propelled Narrative

Posted on by Gazimoff

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I’ve started a new writing gig, working over at MMORPG.com as their WildStar columnist. I’ll be there every week about the latest developments in Carbine’s upcoming MMO, and I’ll also be active in the comments to answer questions and dispel myths. One response in particular leapt out at me speculating about how immersive the lore would be following changes to questing systems.

From my own experience, World of Warcraft was superb at providing a sense of story. There was a deep lore that had built up over the previous three games, which the quest designers could then draw on as they filled Azeroth with content. When it first launched, I was sure to read every scrap of quest text and really immerse myself in the tales surrounding each location.

When I moved on to Star Wars: The Old Republic, I was expecting something similar. BioWare had a reputation for being great storytellers with the Mass Effect Series, and I was looking forward to something similar in MMO form. I wasn’t disappointed either – the levelling experience was huge amounts of fun, even though I found the combat a bit too similar to Warcraft.

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Pin Your Hopes On It

Posted on by Gazimoff

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Competition time! This time though, it’s not me sharing the bountiful loot. Instead, you’ll need to head over to Settler in Exile, where Anhrez is running a crossword competition. The clues for this puzzle have been spread far and wide, so you’ll need to do a scavenger hunt for them.

To get you started on your voyage across the interwebs, here’s a couple to get you started:

  • 23 Across – Infamous Bringer of Justice
  • 35 Across – An Arkship

Don’t forget to head over to Settler in Exile to get the empty crossword sheet and a few pointers on where the other clues might be. Best of luck!

A Peek Inside The Room Two

Posted on by Gazimoff

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When it first launched, The Room caught me by surprise. As the debut title of an unknown studio, the carefully paced puzzle game brought a fresh experience to the iPad. But there was something more to it: an intricate tale of arcane mysticism that refused to be fully unmasked.

Since then, Fireproof Games’ initial offering has made it to both iPhone and Android, and I’d strongly recommend it. Meanwhile, I’ve been desperately craving a sequel. The original took me deep into a rabbit hole, but left me with a collection of questions about the world I’d fallen into. With a sequel on the horizon, I was eagerly anticipating some answers.

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PlayStation 4: A Console for MMO Gamers?

Posted on by Gazimoff

About 5 months ago, I made the decision to preorder a PlayStation 4. Some of you might see that as a bold or brave choice, while others might think that it’s ridiculous or short-sighted. A few might even wonder why, as a heavy-PC gamer with a powerful gaming rig, I’m getting a console at all.

The truth is, I’ve been eyeing up the next generation of consoles for some time now. The graphical grunt and online capabilities of each machine feel like they’re getting good enough to deliver some incredibly rich experiences. Take one look at titles like Titanfall, Destiny, The Division and Dying Light, and it’s clear that the concept of multiplayer gaming is changing. With flexible grouping systems and an open-world feel, they’re beginning to borrow from the MMO playbook.

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Competition: Win a Mini Mister Sparkles!

Posted on by Gazimoff

mister sparkles competition copyMister Sparkles. According to Zojja, he’s the best golem in all Rata Sum. He also has a rather interesting history, even before his adventures in Guild Wars 2.

And now he can be yours. Well, at least a miniature version of him. On my recent travels to gaming expos far and wide, I’ve picked up a couple of code cards for a Mini Mister Sparkles. But I don’t want to keep these for myself – instead, I’d like to share them with those who aren’t so fortunate.

As you can see, I have two codes. But only one will be given away in this competition. You see, I’ve been wracking my brains, trying to think of an ingenious way to provide a challenge worthy of an Asura. After discarding all manner of puzzles, quizzes and tests of wit, I was hit with inspiration.

UPDATE: Did I say two codes? I meant to say ten! The kind folks at ArenaNet spotted my little giveaway and sent over eight more codes to share with everyone. This means that I’ll be giving away five codes in total for this first phase of the competition, and five more in the second phase later this month.

To win a Mister Sparkles Mini, your task is simple: come up with a competition for giving away a Mister Sparkles Mini.

The winning answer will be chosen by me, and used as the basis for a second competition for the second code.

It means everyone gets two chances to win (apart from the first winner – not even Zojja has two Mister Sparkles!), and the entire contest is deliciously meta. I think Snaff himself might approve.

To enter, post a comment below with your idea. Be sure to include a valid email address so I can contact you if you win! And get your thinking caps on, as the first competition closes on 11th October 2013. And if you have any questions, just drop me a mail: gazimoff[at]manaobscura.com.

FURTHER UPDATE: The first part of the competition is now closed! I’ll be picking winners over the weekend and be back on Monday to reveal all! And if you’re not lucky this time around, I’ll be starting the second part of this competition next week.

FURTHER FURTHER UPDATE: The Winners can be found here!