Loading... A Crowd of Smiling Faces

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Daily Column

Loading... putting the 'Mo' in MMOG.

First, the Ten Ton Pulse, your finger on the beating heart of the MMOG industry.

If the Top 10 isn't enough, we also show the Top 20 and Top 50 lists as well, available to everyone on our homepage. (What is Pulse?)

Warhammer Online - 200 BPM
World of Warcraft - 160 BPM
Age of Conan - 77 BPM
Stargate Worlds - 26 BPM
Tabula Rasa - 17 BPM
EVE Online - 16 BPM
Lord of the Rings Online - 15 BPM
Atlantica - 10 BPM
EverQuest II - 9 BPM
Vanguard - 7 BPM

*Super-special superhero Saturday version*

Comic Con is a seething mass of humanity, ebbing and flowing across an enormous ocean of carpeted floor. Unlike many of the events that we attend, this one is open to the public and that gives it a special tenor that isn't found at industry only at shows like GDC or E3. The academics are few and far between, opening up the show's ecosystem to the true flora and fauna, the genuine fans. The show floor appears to be chaos, but is far from it. Strange attractors spin groups of fans out of the swirling mob and into orderly lines only to eventually disintegrate once again into the natural flow of the show floor.

This is my first Comic Con appearance and I hope that it isn't my last. I read comics as a child, but never truly collected many. I'm not part of the comic culture in its core sense, but I appreciate this community's love and passion for the industry. What stands out most for me, perhaps, is that Comic Con is a happy place. That may sound peculiar, but the truth is, and few in the industry will admit it, game industry shows are stodgy, pompous, boring affairs filled with people who wouldn't know fun if it climbed in their pocket and pinched them. There are exceptions of course, but gaming events have somehow changed from the in-your-face, have fun and enjoy the moment functions into chest beating contests over who is the smartest. Something essential has been lost along the way. Developers, please tell me less about what 'you' are doing and more about why your game is fun. The techno-talk about system specs, game mechanics and world size has its place, but that place is somewhere on the ladder at least three rungs below why the game is fun to play. The game industry needs more Josh Dreschers and Paul Barnetts. If the people making the game are fun to be around then there is a good chance that their game will also be fun to be around. We build things in our own image, whether we intend to or not. You can't make a brilliant game if you've forgotten what it is to play just for the sake of playing. Passion for your game itself isn't enough. Passion blinds you, often it propels you in the wrong direction.

The smiling crowds at Comic Con, euphoric over discovering some new piece of comic culture, dressed as their favourite characters are refreshing in a way that is hard to describe. What Comic Con is at its heart is as much a vibe as something I can measure empirically. The attendees are visiting their Mecca and for them it is almost a religious experience. Classic comics, toys and other paraphernalia are handled like holy grails. The crowds are enormous, yet, you are rarely buffeted around as you walk the floor. You hear the words 'Thank You' often.

There were 41,000+ people at Comic Con on Wednesday, flush with joy over just being there to meet their passion head-on. I'll never truly be part of this community. I started too late and I'm not the type of person to dress up as Batman and walk around in public. I do that at home, with the curtains drawn. I have however, started my trek down this interesting road. I picked up Watchmen to read when I get home, not because of the movie coming out, in fact that was a deterrent to me, but because it is a classic part of the comic culture that I wish I knew more about. You can't be part of the fun if you don't participate.

Yesterday I mentioned that shows are enormous affairs that distill down into moments. Here are some from my interviews yesterday.

Stargate Worlds Panel: Chris Klug, Dan Elgren, Howard Lyon and Demetrius Comes stood before thousands of Stargate fans in the largest ballroom of the convention centre and though probably nervous about speaking in front of so many people did an excellent job of portraying what the game will be to a crowd that for the most part had no idea what a MMOG was. Moment: The normally and by normally I mean always guarded and unemotional Chris Klug, smiled, laughed and let out a sigh of relief when I congratulated him after the panel. It was interesting to see the different personality types on the stage. Dan Elgren comes across as the consummate professional. Howard Lyon is the cheerful, genuinely happy to see you member on the team. Demetrius Comes doesn't say very much, but when he does it is either entertaining or insightful. It was an interesting mix and though they were nervous, as anyone would be, they had the Stargate fans cheering.

38 Studios Interview: For the very first time, the team is talking about the direction that game is taking. Moment: Scott Cuthbertson pulling out an envelope and teasing us with exclusive artwork from the game. Here is a guy that you would work your heart out for or with. His charming, lighthearted manner is disarming. You'll get to see that artwork very soon.

DC Universe Video Interview: I interviewed Jens Anderson, the Creative Director. Moment: It was my first time seeing DC Universe and meeting Jens. There isn't much known about the game yet, which can make the interview awkward. I don't have a rapport built up from previous meetings with the interviewee and I don't have any startling questions to ask that will break the ice. I'm not a short guy, but Jens is probably eight inches than me. As Phil said, I needed a box to stand on. In my head I thought, 'This must be what Adam Sessler feels like all the time.' I got through the interview.

Age of Conan Video Interview: I chatted with Erling Ellingsen, a gentleman who I have interviewed or chatted with probably 50 times before. Moment: This was the opposite feel of the DC interview. Erling and I have a rapport and it allowed a short interview to contain a nugget that probably wouldn't have come out otherwise. A new dungeon with an outstanding theme is coming to Age of Conan. You'll need to wait for the video to find out just what it is.

Dinner: The day at the show over and we are exhausted, which means that we eat, get back to the hotel and go back to work. Moment: Jeff had purchased a board game while we were leaving the show. As we were walking from the cab into the hotel I joked that we should get our initial work done, then meet up in the lobby by my room and play it. Phil and Jeff both lit up, but that's as far as it went. In retrospect, we probably should have taken the break and just had fun. I can't tell you how much I appreciate working with people like Phil, Jeff and Michael Sun. Everyone is on top of their game. We work 16+ hour days, but we also laugh, a lot. I suppose like developers, the press need to have a sense of humour in order to truly convey what the MMOG market is like.

Today we are visiting with Cryptic Studios, Paul Barnett and SOE. Thanks for reading... I'm signing off.

I know you're thinking something. Share! The Loading Forums await you. Do you feel the need to contact me personally with naughty pictures or derogatory comments? Here's my E-mail.

[A big thanks to Phil Comeau for putting together the links and Real World News.]

4 new MMOG hand-crafted articles today! 257 in July! 1835 in
2008!

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Comic-Con 2008