MMOG currencies in the past, present and future.
MMOG currencies was first introduced from the popular game EverQuest (EQ) with their currency "platinum", also known as "plat". Since the first pioneers of selling plats on Ebay, many have argued and frowned upon those that have ever purchased plats online. I recall many players harassing others with foul names such as "newb" and "ebayer". It has been over 5 years that everyone has been arguing whether the secondary market of trading MMOG money would ever be accepted.
Since the introduction of EverQuest platinum, there were probably more than 70% of players that wouldn’t even consider purchasing plats and discriminated against those who did. As of today, the numbers have been reduced extraordinarily. About 40% of the players now purchase currencies, 30% still disliking the idea and 30% of the other players probably does not care too much and may purchase some them selves in the near future.
Although online game currency is still a new trend to the online gaming community, it is getting popular at a very hasty rate. Within the end of 2010, I believe even the publishers themselves will support the foundation of the secondary market. Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) have now begun their own EverQuest 2 gold auction system and planning to start a new MMORPG in which they intend to sell currencies and items themselves. With their support, I’m sure the secondary market will be accepted over a period of time.
The secondary market is only as successful as the primary. With the release of World of Warcraft (WoW), there are now more than 4.5 million subscribers. A vast majority of those players are probably new to the MMORPG world. A large increase of subscribers means alot more potential for the secondary market. So far, WoW gold has been the hottest seller of the year and perhaps a few more years down the road.
With the huge demand on, many players have even started a career in which they collect money, items and other virutal assets and sell them to players or to stores who may buy them at wholesale price and resell it back to individuals.
The secondary market one day may even be bigger than the primary. Many gamers of today probably spend more on buying currencies, items and equipments than their subscription fee. The publishers themselves can't even deny the fact that there are lots of money to be made in the secondary market that over a vast period of time I'm sure they will be selling their virtual assets themselves. As for whether the players will support it or not, I believe is just a matter of time before acceptance, of course there will always be a few who will dislike the idea.
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Rabu, 11 Januari 2012
Kamis, 20 Oktober 2011
Gender bending in MMORPGs
Gender bending is a very common occurrence in today's most popular mmorpgs. It's an interesting psychological subject, as men tend to play female characters online. Learn why men tend to play female avatars online in this interesting study.
Most MMORPGs, such as Maple Story, RF Online and many other others allow players to experience a fantasy world filled with Orcs, Elves, Dwarves, and many other exotic races. These games also allow players to choose which gender their avatars will assume. While Playing as non-human races is considered unremarkable, playing as the opposite gender (termed gender bending) has always been a divisive issue. Current surveys show that 85% of MMORPG players are male and that males are up to 5x more likely to gender bend than females. This means, on average, at least half of all female avatars in a virtual world are played by men.
There are some very practical reasons why a man would prefer to play a female character online. For instance, it is widely known that others players are much more generous with items and in game guidance to female characters. Females who play a male character give up this gender specific advantage, which likely explains the far lower female gender bending tendency. It has also been noted that in third party MMORPGS many men prefer to spend their game hours staring at the back of a slim female body rather than a bulky man's. Many do not accept these utilitarian reasons alone as being the explanation for gender bending. Some suspect that there are darker and more psychological reasons why a man would dress in women's garb, virtually speaking that is.
That a man would want to play a female character is often evidence enough for many in the online community to label someone a homosexual. But surprisingly, feminist organizations see gender bending as another sign of female oppression. In most virtual worlds, female characters are scarcely clad and are blessed with what we shall term "bountiful assets." It is sexism on the men's part to want to control these polished pleasure bots, or so the feminist argument goes. There is certainly some small minority of men who use female characters to approach other men online but doesn't ultimate responsibility lie on the individual in defending himself against unsolicited advances online?
The issue has gone so far out of hand in some places that game publishers and governments decided they needed to step in. Recently in China Shanda Entertainment, a major developer of virtual worlds, issued a new rule that anyone wishing to create a female avatar must first prove their gender to the company via a webcam. Interestingly, women wishing to play a male character would not need to go through this procedure. Many players faced character deletion if their female avatars didn't have a female face to defend them on the webcam. Not surprisingly, players wore wigs and put on make up to fool the developers into letting them keep their avatars. Shanda may of found the perfect way to reverse gender bending trends between the sexes - by putting additional barriers in front of male gender benders and encouraging female gender bending. (by forcing women to "prove" their sex) Soon China may have the first virtual world where half the men are women!
Most MMORPGs, such as Maple Story, RF Online and many other others allow players to experience a fantasy world filled with Orcs, Elves, Dwarves, and many other exotic races. These games also allow players to choose which gender their avatars will assume. While Playing as non-human races is considered unremarkable, playing as the opposite gender (termed gender bending) has always been a divisive issue. Current surveys show that 85% of MMORPG players are male and that males are up to 5x more likely to gender bend than females. This means, on average, at least half of all female avatars in a virtual world are played by men.
There are some very practical reasons why a man would prefer to play a female character online. For instance, it is widely known that others players are much more generous with items and in game guidance to female characters. Females who play a male character give up this gender specific advantage, which likely explains the far lower female gender bending tendency. It has also been noted that in third party MMORPGS many men prefer to spend their game hours staring at the back of a slim female body rather than a bulky man's. Many do not accept these utilitarian reasons alone as being the explanation for gender bending. Some suspect that there are darker and more psychological reasons why a man would dress in women's garb, virtually speaking that is.
That a man would want to play a female character is often evidence enough for many in the online community to label someone a homosexual. But surprisingly, feminist organizations see gender bending as another sign of female oppression. In most virtual worlds, female characters are scarcely clad and are blessed with what we shall term "bountiful assets." It is sexism on the men's part to want to control these polished pleasure bots, or so the feminist argument goes. There is certainly some small minority of men who use female characters to approach other men online but doesn't ultimate responsibility lie on the individual in defending himself against unsolicited advances online?
The issue has gone so far out of hand in some places that game publishers and governments decided they needed to step in. Recently in China Shanda Entertainment, a major developer of virtual worlds, issued a new rule that anyone wishing to create a female avatar must first prove their gender to the company via a webcam. Interestingly, women wishing to play a male character would not need to go through this procedure. Many players faced character deletion if their female avatars didn't have a female face to defend them on the webcam. Not surprisingly, players wore wigs and put on make up to fool the developers into letting them keep their avatars. Shanda may of found the perfect way to reverse gender bending trends between the sexes - by putting additional barriers in front of male gender benders and encouraging female gender bending. (by forcing women to "prove" their sex) Soon China may have the first virtual world where half the men are women!
Rabu, 23 Februari 2011
2 Moons
Overview The Basics
2moons is an American adaptation of the Korean MMO-RPG Dekaron. It is currently now in open beta. Recommended for 17+ due to language, blood content, and violence.
The Good Whats better than the generic MMO-RPGs
-Fresh Story
-Nice Artwork
- Good Graphics
-Great combat animations
-Not too Repetitive (grind>lvlup>buynewweapon>repeat)
-6 Classes
-Loads of quest for all levels
-More Dungeons
-Fishing!
-NPCs have voices (with original/funny lines)
The Bad Game Issues
-Beta (with known glitches and errors)
-Lag Moments (happens often in town)
-No UI configuration (moving/changing bar options)
-Poor Bosses
-Medium Skill Trees
Summarized Story
During the event of the two moon alignment, the Exile King Rictus and his magicians opened a gate to let the Pitborns and their leader Abbadon into the land. King Rictus thought he could control them but they were too powerful. They took over the land with little opposition. Then came Trieste, the savious, who banded with the six warriors/magicians and fought Abbadon and his forces. Their combined might failed to stop him and so Trieste sacrificed herself to close the gates of the two moons. The seal lasted for centuries it wore off. The Pitborns along with their ruler Abbadon are free to conquer the land. This is where you come in.
Link to full story http://2moons.acclaim.com/about2M/overall.htm
PC requirements
http://phpbb.acclaim.com/2moons/viewtopic.php?t=1284
Casual Gaming
This game goes well with casual gamers as it's quests and dungeons aren't too long nor too hard. Playing from time to time keeps this game fresh. Generic friend and party system makes this game user-friendly and easy to pick up. The game isn't all about grinding to level up so you don't have to spend hours killing the same monsters over and over again.
Serious Gaming
Also good for serious gamers, this game has an awesome battle feature known as "siege battle" where 3+ guilds duke it out in large battles for control of the land! The pvp system can be a bit vicious as entering any dungeon allows you to attack anyone. There are "instances" every twenty levels as well as dungeons for parties. The game has a lot of quests which isn't only limited to collecting items or grinding a certain monster.
Getting Started
Websites
Official Website: http://2moons.acclaim.com/index.htm
Supporting Website: http://www.dekaron.com/
Download: http://2moons.acclaim.com/downloads/game.htm
-pick fileshack for shorter lines and up to a 300kb/s transfer rate
Picking a Server:
Your account works on both servers but any characters made in one server will not be available in the other server. Creating a character on Trieste allows me to use that character on all Trieste servers but you will not find the same character on an Abbadon server. Trieste is usually more packed but has more players to interact with. Abbadon is smaller with only 3 sub-servers but should be less crowded which should get less lag.
Trieste: Kalibus, Asray, Blades, Oread, Horsea, Augur
Abbadon: Soulbane, Heartrender, Lifecrusher
Picking a Class
Azure Knight: With the choice of many melee weapons and physical improving skills, this knight is an overall melee contender.
Segita Hunter: Using a bow or crossbow or even a dagger, the hunter can attack from afar with powerful skills or up close with fast hard hitting attacks.
Incar Magician: The mage in the game with access to magic and three other elemental types of spells, she is a magical powerhouse.
Segnale: This is the healer in the game with great offensive capabilities. She comes with buffs, healing spells, curses, and great melee skills.
Bagi Warrior: Following in the old ways of martial arts, this warrior weilds metal knuckles and can unleash a barrage of fist and fury.
Vicious Summoner: Specializing in poison, you can either equip a dual sword or a staff that enhances magical damage. You can train pets as early as level 15.
Braiken or Loa
It doesn't matter except for the layout. I suggest Loa if you're fresh but then Braiken just seems cooler just because it feels more like a castle. Now you are free to start in the world of 2moons.
2moons is an American adaptation of the Korean MMO-RPG Dekaron. It is currently now in open beta. Recommended for 17+ due to language, blood content, and violence.
The Good Whats better than the generic MMO-RPGs
-Fresh Story
-Nice Artwork
- Good Graphics
-Great combat animations
-Not too Repetitive (grind>lvlup>buynewweapon>repeat)
-6 Classes
-Loads of quest for all levels
-More Dungeons
-Fishing!
-NPCs have voices (with original/funny lines)
The Bad Game Issues
-Beta (with known glitches and errors)
-Lag Moments (happens often in town)
-No UI configuration (moving/changing bar options)
-Poor Bosses
-Medium Skill Trees
Summarized Story
During the event of the two moon alignment, the Exile King Rictus and his magicians opened a gate to let the Pitborns and their leader Abbadon into the land. King Rictus thought he could control them but they were too powerful. They took over the land with little opposition. Then came Trieste, the savious, who banded with the six warriors/magicians and fought Abbadon and his forces. Their combined might failed to stop him and so Trieste sacrificed herself to close the gates of the two moons. The seal lasted for centuries it wore off. The Pitborns along with their ruler Abbadon are free to conquer the land. This is where you come in.
Link to full story http://2moons.acclaim.com/about2M/overall.htm
PC requirements
http://phpbb.acclaim.com/2moons/viewtopic.php?t=1284
Casual Gaming
This game goes well with casual gamers as it's quests and dungeons aren't too long nor too hard. Playing from time to time keeps this game fresh. Generic friend and party system makes this game user-friendly and easy to pick up. The game isn't all about grinding to level up so you don't have to spend hours killing the same monsters over and over again.
Serious Gaming
Also good for serious gamers, this game has an awesome battle feature known as "siege battle" where 3+ guilds duke it out in large battles for control of the land! The pvp system can be a bit vicious as entering any dungeon allows you to attack anyone. There are "instances" every twenty levels as well as dungeons for parties. The game has a lot of quests which isn't only limited to collecting items or grinding a certain monster.
Getting Started
Websites
Official Website: http://2moons.acclaim.com/index.htm
Supporting Website: http://www.dekaron.com/
Download: http://2moons.acclaim.com/downloads/game.htm
-pick fileshack for shorter lines and up to a 300kb/s transfer rate
Picking a Server:
Your account works on both servers but any characters made in one server will not be available in the other server. Creating a character on Trieste allows me to use that character on all Trieste servers but you will not find the same character on an Abbadon server. Trieste is usually more packed but has more players to interact with. Abbadon is smaller with only 3 sub-servers but should be less crowded which should get less lag.
Trieste: Kalibus, Asray, Blades, Oread, Horsea, Augur
Abbadon: Soulbane, Heartrender, Lifecrusher
Picking a Class
Azure Knight: With the choice of many melee weapons and physical improving skills, this knight is an overall melee contender.
Segita Hunter: Using a bow or crossbow or even a dagger, the hunter can attack from afar with powerful skills or up close with fast hard hitting attacks.
Incar Magician: The mage in the game with access to magic and three other elemental types of spells, she is a magical powerhouse.
Segnale: This is the healer in the game with great offensive capabilities. She comes with buffs, healing spells, curses, and great melee skills.
Bagi Warrior: Following in the old ways of martial arts, this warrior weilds metal knuckles and can unleash a barrage of fist and fury.
Vicious Summoner: Specializing in poison, you can either equip a dual sword or a staff that enhances magical damage. You can train pets as early as level 15.
Braiken or Loa
It doesn't matter except for the layout. I suggest Loa if you're fresh but then Braiken just seems cooler just because it feels more like a castle. Now you are free to start in the world of 2moons.
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