Posts Tagged ‘World of Warcraft’
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008
In a recently completed survey by Parks Associates, results clearly indicate that gamers are interested in micro transaction based free to play titles.
The consumer study of 2,000+ US internet gamers found that only ‘power gamers’ have a strong interest in subscription based MMORPG services. Social, dormant and leisure gamers were found to have significant interest in free to play, microtransaction based models. With this increased interest, Parks Associates indicates that it would be ‘very difficult’ for a new MMO to enter the market with only a subscription based model at this time.
“World of Warcraft, with over 10 million players, exceeded expectations for subscription-based MMORPGs, but it’s unlikely any other publishers will achieve the same in the near term using a subscription model,” said Yuanzhe (Michael) Cai, Director, Broadband and Gaming, Parks Associates.
The study focused on a number of issues and the results are not entirely predictable, but rather interesting. 14% of gamers NOT currently playing an MMO said that they would be interested in starting up the fun again IF they could play the game for free. Only 2% of the gamers surveyed would be interested in starting another MMO with the traditional subscription based service and fee. While this may not be the results that Activision/Vivendi (aka Blizzard and World of Warcraft) want to hear, but it IS good news for publishers such as Frogster (Runes of Magic) and Perfect World Entertainment (Perfect World) that are early adopters of the new model.
The top deterring factor to traditional subscription based MMO’s as tabulated by Parks Associates is the barrier to entry in terms of time and money. “It’s simply too high for many potential customers,” says Cai. “Free-to-play models offer flexibility, and players can choose how much they want to invest based on interest level and play patterns. Micro transaction models have the best potential to grow the U.S. MMORPG audience.”
Tags: activision, Blizzard, free to play, Frogster, internet gamers, microtransaction, MMO, mmorpgs, perfect world, subscription model, World of Warcraft
Posted in industry news | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 8th, 2008
Blizzard’s VP of game design Rob Pardo admitted to Eurogamer in their Diablo III Preview that a console version of Diablo is “theoretically possible”.
While Blizzard told fans at last weekend’s Worldwide Invitational that Diablo III is being developed exclusively for PC and Mac, and had no plans to bring the game to a console platform, Pardo said, “I think it’s theoretically possible. It would have some control changes that I think you’d have to make… But it’s probably, of our major franchises, the one that’s most console friendly, for sure.”
Pardo previously worked as the lead designer for World of Warcraft, and now oversees design for all of Blizzard’s titles. He was quick to point ou the practical and design issues with bringing a Blizz title to a console version.
“You’d need to think about a lot of the point-and-click spells, like point to area-of-effect, or things like line-damage in this direction,” Pardo said. “Target selection is something you’re going to lose on console, you’re really going to be able to do targeting direction, but not specific targeting.”
All hope is not to be lost though. When asked if a console version would require a ‘from the ground up’ redesign, Pardo responded, “Oh, I don’t think it would be a redesigned game. Out of StarCraft, Warcraft or WOW, Diablo would be the easiest game to translate. But it would still take a bit of work”.
Tags: Blizzard, blizzard diablo, consoles, Diablo, diablo iii, game design, Invitational, Mac, rob pardo, starcraft, World of Warcraft, Worldwide, WoW
Posted in industry news | No Comments »
Monday, July 7th, 2008
Broxxigar of Frostmane reported another email claiming to get you into Wrath of the Lich King’s beta. This is not real. Repeat…this is NOT real. Do NOT go to any site via an email reporting to get you into the beta testing of the Wrath of the Lich King.
You may receive any email similar to:
Greetings, You have been selected by Blizzard Entertainment to take part in our special World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King BETA testing. To participate simply log into your account at the special World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King site at http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/wotlkbeta . After logging in and confirming your identity, you will be taken to a download page for the Worlf of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King BETA Client. We thank you for your help and participation in this process, as customer feedback is one of our most powerful tools in creating an outstanding game for all of our customers. If you do not wish to participate, simply take no action, and your account will remain as it is now.
Blizzard Entertainment Inc
Account Administration Team
P.O. Box 18979, Irvine, CA 92623
Regards,
Wrath of the Lich King Development Team
Blizzard Entertainment Inc.
Ign’s wowvault.ign.com first grabbed my attention with the story, and I followed the conversation over here.
Coming directly from a Blizz forum administrator:
The email that you received and depicted in that screenshot is a fake/scam.
This is a ‘phishing’ website, pretending to be a Blizzard site asking for your username and password for “log in purposes”. Instead, upon entering your information here, it will save the information and give it to the creators of the fake website, granting them access to your account.
Please be sure to note that we have not started the Wrath of the Lich King beta program for public play, only the opt-in for a chance of winning access to the upcoming beta. More information about this opt-in can be found here: http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=4754136099&sid=1
Following this link brought me to a familiar message about Blizz opening up the Lich King beta through a lottery system (more or less). If you’ve not yet signed up i.e. expressed interest in participating in the Lich King beta, do so by going to you account. Scroll all the way to the bottom where you’ll see an option to ‘opt-in’ to the beta. This is THE ONLY WAY you can get your paws into the beta. DO NOT go to a phishing site and enter your details. Unless of course, you enjoy losing all your gold, gear, and generally p#*(&%ing off your guild members.
Tags: administration team, blizzard entertainment, download page, entertainment inc, phishing, World of Warcraft, world of warcraft wrath, world of warcraft wrath of the lich king, wowvault ign, wrath of the lich
Posted in industry news | No Comments »
Monday, June 30th, 2008
Apparently Blizzard has had enough with the (probable) massive amounts of ‘Hey, my account has been hacked’ emails that they deal with each day/month/year. To combat this, Blizzard is stepping up security by offering an optional lightweight and Waterproof Authenticator device that is meant to attach to a keychain.
The device is linked to your account and generates a Keychain Token style code that changes after a predetermined time period. After inputting your normal login details, you would then be prompted to enter the alphanumeric code that is displayed on your Authenticator.
This authenticator is not required, but rather an optional security feature available from Blizzard. The device was premiered at the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Event, and will be available shortly on Blizzard’s online store for the whopping price of $6.50. Not a hefty price to pay to ensure that your top gear isn’t ending up at some vendor and you left standing naked in the middle of Ogrimmar wondering wtf? In addition, wouldn’t the Blizzard Authenticator be a welcome addition to your boring keyring? Not quite the ultimate fan badge, but definitely an eye catcher.
“It’s important to us that World of Warcraft offers a safe and enjoyable game environment,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “One aspect of that is helping players avoid account compromise, so we’re pleased to make this additional layer of security available to them.”
Read the official release at: http://www.blizzard.com/security-token
Tags: alphanumeric code, authenticator, Blizzard, blizzard entertainment, CEO, Entertainment, game environment, keychain, keyring, login details, mike morhaime, Ogrimmar, security, Warcraft, World of Warcraft, Worldwide, worldwide event
Posted in industry news | No Comments »
Sunday, June 8th, 2008
In case your living under a rock, The9 is a leading retailer in China’s ‘Holy cow, that’s just enormous’ gaming industry. They focus mainly on operating and developing top titles for the Chinese online gaming market. The9 does this either directly with in house titles OR through affiliate licensing deals. Some of the titles in The9’s portfolio are Granado Espada, Soul of the Ultimate Nation, and a small title you may have heard of: World of Warcraft. To say that The9 are a small deal would be a large mistake.
So it might come as a bit of a surprise that Chief Financial Officer Tony Tse has decided to step down from his post with The9. Mr. Tse has resigned sue to personal and family reasons according to The9’s PR rep. Tse will leave the 9 effective July 4th.
When you’re managing that amount of cash, time really IS money. Wasting now time or money, The9 have also announced that they’ve appointed Mr. George Lai as new man behind the bucks, effective July 3rd (So they have 2CFO’s on the 3rd? Who gets the office?)
Prior to The9, Lai has worked at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu since 2000 and served in various positions including audit manager and senior auditr in Hong Kong, New York and Beijing. In other words, don’t even try to squeeze a penny by this guy…he knows his stuff.
Mr. Jun Zhu, The9′s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented:
“Although we are sorry to see Tony’s departure due to personal and family reasons, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to his hard work during his serving period at The9. In addition, we are very pleased to welcome George on board as our new Chief Financial Officer. George has extensive knowledge in US GAAP and solid background in dealing with public company issues, especially in the fast booming internet industries, and we believe he will fully utilize these knowledge and skill-sets to perform the important managerial role of Chief Financial Officer at The9.”
Tags: Bejing, chief executive officer, chief financial officer, Chief Financial Officer Tony Tse, China, deloitte touche tohmatsu, gaming industry, gaming market, Hong Kong, internet industries, jun zhu, Mr. George Lai, Mr. Jun, Mr. Tse, New York, the9 limited, US, World of Warcraft
Posted in industry news | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008
The Sci Fi channel has announced that it is currently developing a series with it’s own MMO tie in. The concept is simple enough, the series will be added, subtracted, modified and/or adapted based on players’ actions in the online MMO. No official word on what the name of the show will be, but The Sci Fi channel confirms that they are working with Trion World Network on the project.
The LA Times reports that the show will be set 80-100 years in the future and that the Earth as we know it will be unrecognizable. Sci Fi projects the summer of 2010 as a launch date, with more details heading our way at the Comic-Con in San Diego in July.
Sci Fi Prez Dave Howe says, “This is the Holy Grail for us, without a doubt. This is groundbreaking, and I don’t say that lightly.” Howe also gives a nod to industry leader Blizzard, “Bundling a World of Warcraft player community with a series and an on-line social community is something the Sci Fi Channel has tried to puzzle out for several years.”
While the MMORPG field is already quite a crowded place, no one has yet to be able to build a bridge between the online experience and the boob tube. Howe and company plan to engage viewers by planning specified enemy attacks at certain times during the day/evening. I.e. the television show will announce that there will be an alien attack at a certain location within the game at a certain time, and the outcome of the storyline is dependent upon players.
This could be a highly interesting and motivating factor, as CEO Lars Butler of Trion says that the game will be entirely online, but footage of players in battles or other mass gatherings will be incorporated into the series. In other words, get the kill shot, and you and your toon might just make it to millions of Sci Fi viewers. Butler and Howe also plan on making the show match the look of the game with plenty of green screen hyper reality alla ‘The Matrix’ and ‘300’.
Tags: 100 years, Blizzard, boob tube, CEO Lars Butler, Comic, comic con, dave howe, game tv, holy grail, hyper reality, industry leader, la times, mass gatherings, MMORPG, San Diego, sci fi channel, television show, Trion, World of Warcraft
Posted in industry news | No Comments »
Thursday, May 8th, 2008
It seems as though Michael Donnelly’s WoW bot (Glider) has ruffled some serious feathers in the City of Love. Basically, it shakes out like this; Donnelly’s bot ‘grinds, loots, heals, and even farms soul shards without you’ for a small license fee of $25. In other words, this bot will make you boatloads of money, mats, rep, etc. and pretty much anything else you want, all while you’re off at school, the gym, or sleeping.
It’s a well known fact that MMO producing companies have a high disdain for anyone caught cheating the game. Be this gold farming, buying accounts, or using bots to perform automated functions. On the other hand, there will always be those out there that are willing to push the edges of the envelope, and see just how far they can go with Blizzard or any other manufacturer.
Where the legalese comes in is that Blizzard is claiming that Blizzard’s designs expectations are frustrated, and resources are allocated unevenly, when bots are introduced into the WoW universe, because bots spend far more time in-game than an ordinary player would and consume resources the entire time. Hmm: clearly they’re unaware of how much time I spend playing the game. 
Blizzard is also claiming that Glider infringes on copyrights and is a violation of the EULA “because it copies the game into RAM in order to avoid detection by anti-cheat software”.
Donnelly contends that there is no copyright violation present as “no ‘copy’ of the Warcraft game client software is ever made.”
As it stands right now, Donnelly and Blizzard (along with parent company Vivendi Games) are lawyering up, and it looks to be an interesting showdown in the Ring of Blood. Now this is some serious PvP action! And please dear god: let the judge use the phrase PWND, just once: please? 
Tags: Bots, EULA, game, gold, Lawsuit, Legal, Michae Donnelly, money, PvP, violation, Vivendi, World of Warcraft, WoW
Posted in industry news | No Comments »
Monday, May 5th, 2008
With the cost of Gas creeping higher every day, the housing market mired in turmoil, and an estimated cost of $3 trillion for the war in Iraq, the American consumer confidence index (a survey on how the average American views their economic health, both past and present) is at an all time low.
So really, let’s forget about the “real world” and delve into a far more exciting one: games!
America’s biggest specialty retailer of both video games and the associated hardware required to run these games GameStop is expecting double digit growth this year. Growth is forecasted by a number of factors but the accelerating demand for next-gen hardware such as the PS3 has boosted GameStops numbers by a mile. Janco Parterns Mike Hickey explains that success for GameStop is
“highly attributable to video game play attracting a mainstream audience,” with the demographic expansion having much to do with “new consoles like the Wii, which pull back on the geekish complexity of typical content aimed at hardcore gamers.”
Hickey also goes on to attribute massive growth to upcoming new releases and expansion packs. The upcoming (April 29th) release of Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto IV could net the company an expected $100 million in a single week. Tack on the much anticipated 2nd expansion to Blizzard’s “World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King” and GameStop could post record breaking numbers this year. Blizzards first expansion pack “The Burning Crusade” sold 2.4 Million copies in 24 hours and 3.5 Million copies in the first month.
Tags: America, content, GameStop, Iraq, Janco, mainstream, Mike Hickey, MMORPG, Rockstar, video, Wii, World of Warcraft
Posted in industry news | No Comments »
The consumer study of 2,000+ US internet gamers found that only ‘power gamers’ have a strong interest in subscription based MMORPG services. Social, dormant and leisure gamers were found to have significant interest in free to play, microtransaction based models. With this increased interest, Parks Associates indicates that it would be ‘very difficult’ for a new MMO to enter the market with only a subscription based model at this time.
