General Robots

Second Skin: MMO-Doku online anschauen

Second Skin, die MMORPG-Doku über die ich vor einer Weile gebloggt hatte, ist bis 13. August auf Snagfilms.com komplett anschaubar. Es wird zwar ein paar mal Werbung eingeblendet, aber Ihr werdet’s überleben.

Damals schrieb ich: „Second Skin ist eine Doku über MMORPGamer, die vor allem am Beispiel von „World of Warcraft“ Gamer und ihre Beziehung zum Spiel beobachtet, erzählt die Geschichte von Leuten, die ihre Karriere fürs Zocken geopfert haben und jetzt im Keller ihrer Neffen wohnen, oder auch von Leuten, die sich über MMORPGs kennen und lieben gelernt haben.“

Second Skin takes an intimate look at three sets of computer gamers whose lives have been transformed by online virtual worlds. An emerging genre of computer software called Massively Multiplayer Online games, or MMOs, allows millions of users to interact simultaneously in virtual spaces. Of the 50 million players worldwide, 50 percent consider themselves addicted. From individuals struggling with addiction to couples who have fallen in love without meeting; from disabled players whose lives have been given new purpose to gold farmers, entrepreneurs and widows, Second Skin opens viewers’ eyes to a phenomenon that may permanently change the way human beings interact.

Second Skin – Through 8/13 Only! (Danke Froc!)

Second Skin – Doku über MMORPGamers


(Current DirektMMORPG, via BoingBoing)

Second Skin ist eine Doku über MMORPGamer, die vor allem am Beispiel von „World of Warcraft“ Gamer und ihre Beziehung zum Spiel beobachtet, erzählt die Geschichte von Leuten, die ihre Karriere fürs Zocken geopfert haben und jetzt im Keller ihrer Neffen wohnen, oder auch von Leuten, die sich über MMORPGs kennen und lieben gelernt haben. Der Film kommt im August in den USA als DVD, Snip von der Filmwebsite:

Second Skin takes an intimate, disturbing look at three sets of computer gamers whose lives have been transformed by online virtual worlds. An emerging genre of computer software called Massively Multiplayer Online games, or MMOs, allows millions of users to interact simultaneously in virtual spaces. Of the 50 million players worldwide, 50 percent consider themselves addicted. From individuals struggling with addiction to couples who have fallen in love without meeting; from disabled players whose lives have been given new purpose to gold farmers, entrepreneurs and widows, Second Skin opens viewers’ eyes to a phenomenon that may permanently change the way human beings interact — and with possibly devastating consequences.

Dan Bustard sacrificed everything to his MMO addiction. Dan, once a prosperous businessowner with a luxurious house, car and loving fiancé, ended up living in his nephew’s empty basement, playing his game 20 hours a day and using soda bottles as toilets. Fearing death or destitution, Dan enrolled himself in The Safe Haven, a rehab center for online gamers. It proved to be “the worst mistake of my life. After fleeing The Haven, Dan returned to his nephew’s house only to relapse into his old habits. Gradually, he began a slow recovery, on his own terms. And as he begins to regain his old life, his nephew sinks deeper and deeper into his own MMO addiction, more severe than Dan’s, and with far more severe consequences.

Kevin Keel met Heather Cowan on the Peaks of Everfrost, in the virtual world of Norrath. The two fell in love as a knight and a cleric slaying dragons. After blindly declaring their love online, they met for the first time in reality in October. Four months later, Kevin drove halfway across the country on Valentine’s Day to move in with Heather.

NASAs Massive Multiplayer Online Game „Astronaut: Moon, Mars and Beyond“

nasagame

Das hier hatte ich grade in die Links gepackt, es ist aber tatsächlich zu cool, um dort zu verschimmeln. Die NASA plant ein Futurism-Space-Simulator-MMO, oder so ähnlich. Ein WoW in Space mit NASA-Zeugs, als Astronaut auf dem Mond rumspazieren und mit anderen Onlinern Planeten erforschen. Näher werde ich dem Weltraum wohl nie kommen, das wird so cool. Das Spiel soll nächstes Jahr (2010, auch der zweite Teil von „2001“ übrigens) erscheinen.

“This game is going to be a fresh look at the future circa about 2035,” said Heneghan. “This is a huge opportunity for us as a development team to leverage the work of brilliant NASA scientists who are creating the technology, systems and procedures of tomorrow and really pump up the cool factor so that game players can experience something that hasn’t been possible before.”

Taking a page from America’s Army a free online game that Virtual Heroes has worked on, Heneghan said the NASA MMO game will be released in modular parts. This fall will see the first playable demo of the game and then next year the first episodic installment of the game will launch.

Astronaut: Moon, Mars and Beyond will be a ‘first-person-exploration’ game that will also include traditional role-playing game (RPG) elements for both single-player and team-based space exploration, but with a realistic twist. Everything in the game will be crafted based on real NASA technology, as well as on prototypes from esteemed academic institutions for the next generation of robotics, spacecraft, spacesuits and space habitation.

“The core of the gameplay is going to be people building up their characters and as you move forward, you will have more options unlock with new places to go, new equipment to use and new things to do,” explained Heneghan. “We are not so much focused on interstellar flight and all that entails… the gameplay is actually about being in a habitat on a planetary surface and doing things like mining Helium-3 for fuel, operating a hydroponics facility to grow plants and create oxygen and operating robots and vehicles”

First look at NASA’s Unreal Engine 3 based MMO (via /.)

Star Wars: The Old Republic MMORPG

Der nächste Teil der „Knights of the Old Republic“-Reihe wird ein MMORPG, was jetzt keine große Überraschung ist, schließlich hat schon der Frisör meiner Mama davon gehört, aber seit heute ist es offiziell: Der nächste Teil der „Knights of the Old Republic“-Reihe wird ein MMORPG. Und: eine Konsolen-Version des Games ist angedacht.

It’s official, Bioware and LucasArts‘ just announced the first Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Massively Multiplayer Online game — called, Star Wars: the Old Republic During a press conference in San Francisco, CA BioWare’s CEO Ray Muzyka confirmed the company is working on the second ever Star Wars MMO and promising it’s not just a sequel to the original KOTOR game. “There’s that much to it,” he said; referring to how much more they’re adding to the game. He also noted the MMO won’t be just a planet where the player’s character will interact with other gamers who also on the same server, but everyone will be able to explore a full universe, “It’s a whole galaxy. It’s a galaxy of Star Wars.” He went on to say, “It’s going to take your gaming experience to a higher level.”

Mehr Fakten gibt’s bei Kotaku, zum Beispiel, dass man zunächst eine von zwei Seiten wählt (Republic oder Sith), das aber nicht fix ist, sondern dass sich der Gut/Böse-Faktor je nach dem, welche Entscheidungen man im Verlauf des Spiels trifft, verändert. True KOTOR sozusagen.

Confirmed: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic MMO — Info Included
Star Wars: The Old Republic – What We Know So Far

StarTrek Online kommt – von den Cryptic Studios!

Cryptic Studios™, a leading developer and publisher of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), announced today that it has secured the global rights to develop and publish Star Trek® Online, a massively multiplayer online game based on the legendary Star Trek franchise, from CBS Consumer Products.

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Stephen Colbert as a World of Warcraft character

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By Todd Lockwood, apparently rejected for the WOW card game.

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