If there are any games you would like me to try under Windows [...]]]> I’m about to install the new Windows 7 RC1 build on my gaming rig at home.  I don’t know if this build includes DirectX 11 or not, but I am very much interested to see how my current MMO’s play under this new OS.

If there are any games you would like me to try under Windows 7, let me know and I’ll see what I can do.

Current games:

• World of Warcraft
• City of Heroes
• EVE Online
• Runes of Magic
• Warhammer Online
• Age of Conan
  
• Command & Conquer – Red Alert 3

So, with no further ado, here’s where we stand.

We will definitely be back in the Sheraton this [...]]]> Welcome to the first weekly installment of the DC-MMO Update.  Now that we’re about 5 months away from Dragon*Con, and preparations are underway in earnest, it makes sense for us to keep everyone up to date on where we are.

So, with no further ado, here’s where we stand.

We will definitely be back in the Sheraton this year, specifically in the Athens and Augusta rooms.

The following companies have already confirmed that they will be participating in Dragon*Con this year:
Sony (EQ, EQ2, Star Wars Galaxies, DC Universe Online, Free Realms, The Agency)
Funcom (Age of Conan, Secret World, Anarchy Online)
CCP (EVE Online)
Adventure Quest (AQ Worlds)
Gaia Interactive (Gaia Online)
Wardog Studios (Force of Arms)
Cartoon Network (FusionFall)

We are still in talks with the following companies:
NCSoft (City of Heroes, Guild Wars)
EA/Mythic (Warhammer Online)
Cryptic Studios (Star Trek Online, Champions Online)
Bioware (Star Wars: The Old Republic)
Blizzard (DUHHHHHH)
38 Studios (Copernicus)
Frogster Interactive (Runes of Magic)

We are planning additional panels on topics such as
Guild Management
Dead MMO’s
Free MMO’s
WoW Lore (with authors Richard A. Knaak and Keith R.A. DeCandido)
The state of MMO gaming (with representatives from several MMO companies)
The Guild, starring Felicia Day (not nailed down yet, but we’re working on it)

Of course, we are also planning a series of parties/events for our night time sessions…
Quest Givers (yes, we’re doing the weekend-long live action quests again!)
Kickoff Party on Friday Night
World of Warcraft Trivia Contest
Hardcore MMO Trivia Contest (all games)
WoW Olympics (Gnome Tossing, Dodgeball, Dance Contest, Emote Contest, etc)
Kingdom of Loathing Party
Sony Party (EQ, EQ2, SWG, etc)

We are also working on getting all of the MMO games that we will be discussing included in the computer gaming lab in the Hilton so that you guys can try out some of these games on your own time.  As with all convention preparations, things can (and often do) change at the last minute, but this is a snapshot of where we are as of right now.  We have our 12th, and final, staff member on board for this year and we plan on moving very quickly to finalize our plans for this year so that you guys will have plenty of opportunity to get ready for an outstanding Dragon*Con this year.

If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback, please contact us and let us know about it.  If you’d like to buy a shirt to help us out, that would be great too!.

Yes, we have a staff slot open on the Dragon*Con MMO team. If you want to know what volunteers do at Dragon*Con, you can read this. Unfortunately, this is just the tip of the [...]]]> I’ve had a few e-mails and messages on this subject, so I thought I’d go ahead and throw this out there.

Yes, we have a staff slot open on the Dragon*Con MMO team. If you want to know what volunteers do at Dragon*Con, you can read this. Unfortunately, this is just the tip of the iceberg for the MMO team.

Being in the MMO group is a year-round gig. We start planning next year’s convention about 2 weeks after the end of Dragon*Con each year. What will you be doing?

Do you blog? Can you write well? That’s a start. You’re going to be participating in discussions on forums and blogs all over the Internet.

Obviously, you’ll need to be up-to-date on the latest and greatest MMO’s out there. If you “play WoW sometimes”, that’s not going to cut it… Ideally, you will have played 4 or 5 MMO’s and know enough about others to carry on a conversation without sounding like a total noob. We are especially looking for folks who play Lord of the Rings Online, EVE Online, Warhammer: Age of Reckoning, or Guild Wars.

Do you know people in the gaming industry? If I told you to get in touch with a Community Relations rep at Flying Lab, would you have the foggiest idea who to call, or what game I’m referring to?

Oh yeah, you’ll also need to work your 20 hours at the convention. None of the year round stuff counts towards your 20 hours of time at the convention itself. (We had one staff member who worked over 60, that’s why we’re looking for more help.) We’re going to need you to be bright-eyed and bushy tailed, even if you get scheduled for a 10:00 AM panel the night after working a party until 4:00 AM. What’s more, you’re going to be dealing with game industry professionals, so you are going to have to be able to act like a professional yourself.

Here are some of the other skills that would come in handy in our group.

• Photoshoppery
• Designing your own graphics
• Familiarity with Youtube and Flickr (You’ll be searching for videos and pictures a lot)
• Public speaking (yeah, you might have to work a crowd…)
• Willing to bring (and use) your own laptop to Dragon*Con

If you’re just looking for a place to work 20 easy hours in order to get a free badge, we’re sorry, but we can’t use you. We do most of our meetings throughout the year in Ventrilo, so you don’t have to be local to the Atlanta area. If you don’t have all of the things I listed above, but are willing to work like hell to learn how to do those things, that’ll work too. It’s a fun job, but it’s definitely a job. If you’re interested in working with us, drop us a line with your name and contact information and we’ll be in touch. Ideally, we’d like to have the last spot filled by the time the staff meeting rolls around in March.

-Grim

What do you want [...]]]> Our “month off” is almost over, which means we will be starting our plans for next year’s Dragon*Con soon.   I’ll post some feedback on what we thought worked well, and what we thought we could do better on for next year.  It would really help us out if you guys did the same.

What do you want more of?

What can we do without?

What can we do differently?

What games would you like to see represented next year?

I’m fairly certain that we will not be in the Sheraton next year, but that determination isn’t up to me and is quite a way off.  Assume, for the time being, that we will be in an unknown location.  What kinds of things will improve our track regardless of where it is held?

Also… One of the things we can ALWAYS use more of is “Subject Matter Experts”.  This year, for example, I had to run the Warhammer Online panel because nobody on my staff played the beta, and Mythic/EA had to cancel at the last minute.  If you are willing to run a panel, and have some expertise on an MMO, then step on up and let me hear from you.   As much as I might try, I can’t play more than 2 or 3 MMO’s at any given time.

-Grim