Game talk

Just when you think you know about most of the MMORPGs out there, along comes something like Argentum Online, developed on a shoestring budget in Argentina — and celebrating its sixth anniversary! It looks like they are running some sort of server test right now, but the history page describes the game as having peaked at thousands of players. It looks like it was always run for free.

There’s even an Argentum Online 2 in development, though it looks like it is still fairly early in the process.

I think it’s safe to say that the formerly difficult server technology is increasingly less so, at least for staging up a modest game. We’ve already seen exponential growth in the number of MMOs and virtual worlds out there — but once anyone can set one up with fairly little effort, how many will there be?

As we all know, Bruce Woodcock’s MMOGChart site has been dormant for a while now. Looks like MMOGData.com is trying to fill the void. There’s no data there yet, but they’re asking for it to be submitted.

This is actually huge: The New York Times is going to use games as “editorial commentary” akin to cartoons. Needless to say, they chose to use Persuasive Games titles for this. Congrats, Ian!

Quite a big step for the industry. It basically renders moot the question of whether games are capable of higher expression. Now, here they are recognized by a paper of record as being just as valid as political cartoons and editorials. Maybe at some point we’ll see one up for the Pulitzer.

Definitely a step beyond the question of whether games can be art or have redeeming qualities, I think. Take that, Jack Thompson.

More and more indie titles seem to be popping up o nthe platforms from the major platform holders. The latest to make the leap is N, the Ninja game from a couple of years back. It’ll be on PSP and on XBLA.

Read More “N makes it to the closed platforms”

Some might say that The Syndicate has always been one for the history books: they have long boasted of being one of the largest and longest running gaming organizations of any kind, and of course are also well-known in the MMO community for being the first guild to trademark its name, which was a rather controversial move.

Well, now they also are the first to have a whole book. I just got an advance copy today and have barely skimmed the first few pages, but basically it’s both a history of the guild and also of MMO gaming in general as seen through their eyes. Alas, no index.