I’ve spent the last few days rediscovering an older game, one that I mostly missed the first time around. The short version of its history (with thanks to Dilandau3000’s Let’s Play videos and the Uru website) is that when Uru: Ages Beyond Myst came out in 2003, the live multiplayer aspect planned for it was delayed. That live online portion continued to be delayed for official release, until finally being scrapped completely. Fans of the game and beta testers managed to keep a live version going on their own servers, and later on an official Cyan server, until it was picked up by GameTap in 2007…and then canceled. Cyan eventually got the rights back, releasing it as open source on their supported servers in 2010 as free to play. There is an option to donate towards server maintenance, but it’s not required. This back and forth is why the current incarnation is referred to as “Myst Online: Uru Live (Again).” Continue Reading
Archives
All posts for the month February, 2015
There’s a concept that gamers seem to “get” to varying degrees – the idea that real life is more important than game life. Sometimes this refers to situations where someone needs to leave a game abruptly – a child needs to be put to bed, the dog needs to be let out. Sometimes this refers to a more broad situation – a player can’t be there for a group activity because of work or another prior obligation. For myself right now, it’s pretty vital as I try to balance the idea that this blog was “supposed” to primarily be about gaming with the fact that I have other interests, and other things going on in my life. Continue Reading
I was slow to get into online multiplayer games. When I was a kid, most multiplayer was in person (cue sad trombone over the “death” of couch multiplayer) and when I was older I just didn’t have interest. Most of my adult life has been spent in retail management. After spending all day interacting with so many people I tended towards being pretty asocial after work. I just didn’t have much interest in spending my freetime with anyone other than my close friends. Sometimes not even them. Continue Reading
Full disclosure: I’m editing this on weird sleep. The joy of force rebooting your sleep schedule by staying up all night! I’m usually at least coherent even sleep deprived; but if not you know why. I also swear I’m not trying to piggyback off Tyger on the topic of creativity! For those who don’t follow his show, he posted earlier in the week asking for gamer stories of creativity. It just so happens that I’ve stumbled into one of my heavy writing kicks at the same time. ^^
Anyway. Moving on.
As mentioned, I’ve been getting back into my fiction writing lately. This isn’t where I grandstand about writing the next Great American Novel since I find that pretty unlikely – but there is a blog-related side effect. I’ve always gamed less when I’m in the middle of writing fiction. Getting a blog going, reading, walking the dog, crazy weeks at work – none of those seem to have much effect on my game time, but my “real” writing always has. I don’t think it’s only due to a lack of time or because I have a habit of tunnel vision (though I’m sure both do have an effect). I suspect it’s because both writing AND gaming can be creative pursuits – that they both scratch a similar itch/use a similar type of energy. Continue Reading
So, I had other topics I could have babbled about, but then this month’s Game Director letter dropped for The Secret World. I could geek over the whole thing; but then I’d have nothing to say on the podcast tomorrow. 😛
It did remind me of something that not all companies do well, though – listening to their audience. In this case, their new player audience. Continue Reading
A side effect of this blog – a planned and wanted side effect! – is that it encourages me to revisit some of my fiction writing. I don’t expect to pull a novel out of every random bit, but the process of writing here is a nudge to look at writing I’ve done elsewhere and at other times. That’s something I can learn from; and in this case something that got me thinking about the, “If you don’t like what’s out there; just make it yourself” type of response I see in some gaming discussions. Continue Reading