Online Games a Massive Pain

Grok Headline matches for Online Games a Massive Pain

Online Games Of Skill vs. Online Games
Of Chance

Online Games Of Skill vs. Online Games
Of Chance 05/24/2004 04:40 AM
While the US has been notoriously tough on the idea of any online gambling in the US, there are a number of companies doing quite well in the somewhat "gray" area of online games of skill for money. These aren't games of chance, but still require players to put up money, and the winners go home with more than they put in. The difference, of course, is that the win is based (at least somewhat) on the skills of the players. However, this can be a very fine line. Most games involve a mix of skill and luck, and you can make the claim that classic gambling games like poker and blackjack require some amount of skill as well. Still, the online "games of skill" providers claim they're just like a typical sports association, like the US Tennis Association, that sets up tournaments and awards prizes to the winners - minus their own cut. Of course, they conveniently skip over the part about where the money comes from. With these online games, it is still a "pay to enter" sort of contest. Either way, it's not entirely clear how the legal issues will play out. Some states already bar such online games of skill, but many don't. Federal laws are still unclear, and the companies involved in this space are lobbying heavily to try to make the point that they should be allowed to continue where online gambling sites are forbidden.

New NCsoft games show the best, worst in
online games

New NCsoft games show the best, worst in
online games 06/01/2004 08:24 PM
Augustachronicle.com - Mon May 31, 07:30 am GMT

Blackjack Slots 21 a World-Class Casino
- Enjoy Playing at the Largest Casino
Online Now with 201 Online Games -
Receive $1,000.00 Free to Play, No
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Blackjack Slots 21 a World-Class Casino
- Enjoy Playing at the Largest Casino
Online Now with 201 Online Games -
Receive $1,000.00 Free to Play, No
Deposit is Required 09/18/2004 03:27 AM
Blackjack Slots 21 Online Casino is a World-Class Casino with an exciting range of state-of-the-art games, superb customer service with 24 hour live support and exceptional player promotions, quality 3-D graphics, realistic digital audio. We offer all new players $1,000.00 in free chips to download and test drive our casino game software containing 201 games. We are also offering a Hot New Promotion for real money players "Free Frequent Flyer Miles". We hope you visit us today to experience the best in online gaming with fast downloads, exciting games, great promotions and secure transactions. [PRWEB Sep 18, 2004]

What have online games done to us?

What have online games done to us? 06/07/2004 04:23 AM
Content.sina.com - Mon Jun 7, 08:50 am GMT

"Online Games"

"Online Games" 06/03/2004 05:04 AM

Online games could be next big thing,
but not yet

Online games could be next big thing,
but not yet 08/22/2004 11:23 PM
News.nzcity.co.nz - Mon Aug 23, 03:03 am GMT

India can be hub for online games

India can be hub for online games 06/24/2005 03:08 PM
Us.rediff.com - Thu Jun 23, 06:06 pm GMT

Online games could be next big thing

Online games could be next big thing 08/22/2004 11:23 PM
Chron.com - Sat Aug 21, 01:05 pm GMT

A few online games can be priceless

A few online games can be priceless 01/01/2004 11:14 AM
CNN Jan 1 2004 10:01AM ET

Online games Web sites

Online games Web sites 12/24/2004 01:04 PM
Chicagotribune.com - Thu Dec 23, 12:08 pm GMT

Trouble with Online Games

Trouble with Online Games 07/16/2004 08:41 PM

Wired reports on Electonic Arts' decision to shut down UXO (Ultima X: Odyssey) and goes on to elaborate on the pain and cost of running a massive online games.  While developing the game client and server itself is within the realm of developers' abilities, creating the content of a virtual world and keeping it an interesting place to live in is a difficult and neverending task that most developers will find difficult to manage, even if they have a deep pocket like EA.

The missing ingredient in today's online games that full 3D online world developers forgot to translate from MUD (Multiple User Dungeon, a text-only online world) is community participation in building and maintaining the online world.  Instead of hiring legions of artists and area designers, they should have leveraged the creative power of the players themselves by creating tools and offering incentives.  With such legions of superusers, all they needed was a much smaller staff to control the legion.

Player participation in running online worlds should not stop with content but also operation.  Let the superusers handle most of the in-game headaches such as user complaints and conflict moderation.  Going beyond that, superusers should also be used to play NPC roles such as monsters, shop owners, etc.

Unfortunately, EA looked only at the numbers and chose the easy way out instead of using UXO as an opportunity to explore more creative options.

Online games: The next big thing

Online games: The next big thing 08/22/2004 12:34 AM
Agencyfaqs.com - Sat Aug 21, 11:00 am GMT

Gamers Don`t Want Online Games?

Gamers Don`t Want Online Games? 07/10/2004 09:35 PM
Cinescape.com - Fri Jul 9, 09:57 am GMT

Western games go online

Western games go online 08/17/2004 10:55 PM
Stjoenews-press.com - Tue Aug 17, 08:53 am GMT

Wow Factor About To Spike For Ads In
Online Games

Wow Factor About To Spike For Ads In
Online Games 05/31/2004 03:40 PM
Newshub.com - Fri May 28, 08:33 pm GMT

Hasbro Xevoz games go online for Mac and
PC

Hasbro Xevoz games go online for Mac and
PC 01/27/2004 02:49 PM
Hasbro has launched a new Web site to help market its new line of Xevoz action figures -- customizable 5-inch toys that you can build yourself and then play with against other Xevoz players. The Web site features the Xed Arcade -- games that can be played on either Macs or PCs equipped with Macromedia Flash software.

The Longest Yard Online Games

The Longest Yard Online Games 04/01/2005 06:04 AM
Teenhollywood.com - Thu Mar 31, 07:06 pm GMT

China To Censor Online Games

China To Censor Online Games 06/01/2004 08:24 PM
Einnews.com - Tue Jun 1, 10:57 pm GMT

Online games make serious money

Online games make serious money 01/19/2004 06:14 AM
Online multiplayer games look set to rack up more than $1bn in revenues this year, says a report.

Group to classify online games

Group to classify online games 07/09/2004 10:11 PM
Thestar.com.my - Fri Jul 9, 05:50 pm GMT

AT&T Selected to Host Online Games

AT&T Selected to Host Online Games 05/25/2004 01:14 PM
theWHIR May 25 2004 5:22PM GMT

Crackdown on online computer games

Crackdown on online computer games 08/06/2004 11:38 PM
Theage.com.au - Thu Aug 5, 04:02 pm GMT

Tencent To Develop Online Games

Tencent To Develop Online Games 09/02/2004 11:14 PM
Einnews.com - Thu Sep 2, 01:48 pm GMT

Asia and the online games it plays

Asia and the online games it plays 06/02/2004 08:17 PM
Atimes.com - Tue Jun 1, 08:03 pm GMT

Online games play with politics

Online games play with politics 12/26/2004 01:03 AM
Games with a political and social agenda have provided a novel take on world events.

Money Talks in Online Games

Money Talks in Online Games 06/05/2005 11:16 PM
Article.wn.com - Thu Jun 2, 09:45 am GMT

Online Games Could Be Next Big Thing,
But Not Yet (Reuters)

Online Games Could Be Next Big Thing,
But Not Yet (Reuters) 08/19/2004 03:01 PM
Reuters - Video games makers searching for the next big thing to pull in players at Europe's biggest computer games fair hope to tempt more gamers to pit their wits against one other online as Web technology improves.

Reviews: Best, worst in online games

Reviews: Best, worst in online games 06/03/2004 08:25 PM
Cjonline.com - Thu Jun 3, 08:52 am GMT

Online Games will be Boosted by 3G
Networks

Online Games will be Boosted by 3G
Networks 11/17/2003 05:47 AM
3G Nov 17 2003 4:50AM ET

Celebrities Play Top Online Casino Games

Celebrities Play Top Online Casino Games 09/07/2004 11:22 PM
Onlinecasinoreports.com - Wed Sep 8, 01:57 am GMT

Traditional games online: Making your
move

Traditional games online: Making your
move 06/08/2004 08:25 PM
Pcw.co.uk - Tue Jun 8, 03:55 pm GMT

Olympic broadcasters deliver games
online

Olympic broadcasters deliver games
online 08/07/2004 10:49 PM
Bradenton.com - Sat Aug 7, 10:48 am GMT

Tom Online buys Indian games developer

Tom Online buys Indian games developer 12/19/2004 03:22 PM
Thestandard.com.hk - Sat Dec 18, 03:40 am GMT

Checks on Online Games Content to Be
Intensified

Checks on Online Games Content to Be
Intensified 06/05/2005 11:16 PM
Article.wn.com - Thu Jun 2, 01:36 pm GMT

Online Games Strengthen Family Bond

Online Games Strengthen Family Bond 07/09/2004 10:11 PM
Times.hankooki.com - Fri Jul 9, 02:51 pm GMT

Censorship on imported online games
strengthened

Censorship on imported online games
strengthened 05/31/2004 03:43 PM
Content.sina.com - Mon May 31, 08:22 am GMT

China slaps ratings on online games

China slaps ratings on online games 07/08/2004 10:08 PM
Article.wn.com - Thu Jul 8, 06:54 pm GMT

Chinese government censors online games

Chinese government censors online games 06/01/2004 09:10 AM
And Britney's wardrobe gets the once-over

China says online, mobile games must get
approval

China says online, mobile games must get
approval 06/01/2004 08:24 PM
Chron.com - Tue Jun 1, 06:19 am GMT
Grok Description matches for Online Games a Massive Pain
GrokA matches for Online Games a Massive Pain

Fetchfido's Free Online Games - Eskiv

Fetchfido's Free Online Games - Eskiv 07/17/2004 11:00 PM
Flash: Eskiv game .. simple games .. Enjoy

fetchfido.co.uk/games/eskiv/eskiv.htm
track this site | 5 links

"Fetchfido's Free Online Games - Eskiv"

"Fetchfido's Free Online Games - Eskiv" 07/18/2004 03:10 PM

Online Games Having Trouble With The
Whole Free Speech Concept

Online Games Having Trouble With The
Whole Free Speech Concept 12/12/2003 08:51 PM
I'm beginning to wonder if the various creators of online community games really thought through all of the issues they were raising in setting up the games. They were, in some sense, creating a new space, where they were acting as the government. In most cases, they have terms of service - but that's not quite the same as a constitution. So, now, when real-life problems move across the virtual/real boarder, they're struggling. We've discussed this before, and looked at how some are trying to answer the question, but Salon has an interesting article looking at the latest happenings in the Sims Online. One member has been acting as a sort of National Enquirer of the online world and posting articles to a blog. He focuses on the "bad" people in the world - the scammers and other questionable characters. There are some interesting legal issues raised by the people he talks to - such as the underage boy who plays a female character in the game and is engaged in virtual prostitution for in-game money, which can be sold for real cash on eBay. Is that really prostitution? There's also the "Sims Shadow Government" that we've discussed before to try to deal with these situations in the game. It appears that they felt the real government (that is, the company that puts the Sims Online) is absent and so they're there to fill the void. In the meantime, the folks at EA, who run the Sims Online, don't appear to have given this much thought. Instead of dealing with these issues, they've kicked the reporter out and closed down his account, saying he violated their policies. In other words, they seem to be going with something of a despot government that will exile and censor whoever raises any threatening questions. That's their choice, of course, as it is their world. However, it probably won't get them the best reputation as a virtual place to live. How many people do you know who are actively immigrating into countries run by dictators?

Massively multiplayer online games
evolve with dragon-loving masses

Massively multiplayer online games
evolve with dragon-loving masses 05/31/2004 08:13 PM
Nwanews.com - Mon May 31, 05:46 am GMT

Online Billing - Small Business
Accepting Online Payment with 2ndSite’s
Free Service

Online Billing - Small Business
Accepting Online Payment with 2ndSite’s
Free Service 09/02/2004 02:06 AM
Before you send your next invoice, make sure you are not wasting time or money. Small businesses have begun to recognize the cost savings afforded by online billing thanks to 2ndSite Inc.’s free online billing service. [PRWEB Sep 2, 2004]

The companies signed a long-term
licensing deal to create multiplayer
online games based on characte

The companies signed a long-term
licensing deal to create multiplayer
online games based on characte 06/22/2005 02:09 AM
Newyorkbusiness.com - Fri Jun 17, 06:24 pm GMT

Planetwide Games Launches "RYL: Path of
the Emporer" (Open Beta) Massively
Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game

Planetwide Games Launches "RYL: Path of
the Emporer" (Open Beta) Massively
Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game 02/05/2005 09:49 PM
Also offer rare lifetime RYL Founders Guild Membership opportunity. [PRWEB Feb 4, 2005]

Planetwide Games, Inc. Launches "RISK
YOUR LIFE" (Open Beta) - Massively
Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game

Planetwide Games, Inc. Launches "RISK
YOUR LIFE" (Open Beta) - Massively
Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game 09/22/2004 02:26 PM
Risk Your Life is one of the few MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) that bring you an online Virtual reality atmosphere that is both completely interactive and immersive. RYL is a well-balanced MMORPG developed under a 3D environment that allows players to create their own character, define its role, do battle with it in a virtual world. [PRWEB Sep 20, 2004]

Free online Real Estate Listing Service
Introduces Free Integration with
Existing Real Estate Systems. Now,
Realtors Can Just "Set it and Forget
it." ™

Free online Real Estate Listing Service
Introduces Free Integration with
Existing Real Estate Systems. Now,
Realtors Can Just "Set it and Forget
it." ™ 06/24/2005 03:14 PM
Just Real Estate Listings™, an online real estate advertising company, has launched a new web site offering the Realtor™ community a free way to advertise real estate properties on the internet. This service also includes free data integration services which eliminates the need for users to manually enter data. [PRWEB Jun 24, 2005]

Online Dating Magazine Launches Free
Online Dating Newsletter

Online Dating Magazine Launches Free
Online Dating Newsletter 07/20/2004 02:48 AM
With online dating more competitive than ever (and the industry growing by $100 million a year), Online Dating Magazine has launched a newsletter to help users get better results from online dating services, while improving relationships. [PRWEB Jul 20, 2004]

Free online CliffsNotes

Free online CliffsNotes 09/13/2004 10:29 PM
CliffsNotes is now offering 180 literature guides avai lable for free online viewing.

Free Online Gaming

Free Online Gaming 08/11/2004 06:50 PM
G4 Tech TV Aug 11 2004 11:26PM GMT

LoveToKnow Free Online Encyclopedia

LoveToKnow Free Online Encyclopedia 12/03/2003 08:38 AM
LoveToKnow Free Online Encyclopedia
http://1911encyclopedia.org/
The LoveToKnow Free Online Encyclopedia is based on what many consider to be the best encyclopedia ever written. As a research tool, this 1911 encyclopedia edition is unparalleled - even today. LoveToKnow is in the process of updating and editing thousands of the entries, preserving the treasured entries that make it so unique, and adding entries on new relevant topics. We hope that you enjoy and learn from the LoveToKnow Free Online Encyclopedia and that it becomes one of your favorite places for reference information.

The Eleventh Edition filled 29 volumes and contains over 44 million words. It contains over 40,000 articles written by over 1,500 authors within their various fields of expertise. What was particularly remarkable was that many of the entries were written by the most famous people of the age. Henry Ford, for example, wrote the article on mass production. As such, it was considered to represent the sum of human knowledge at the beginning of the 20th Century.

Sir Kenneth Clark, in Another Part of the Wood, wrote of the Eleventh Edition: "One leaps from one subject to another, fascinated as much by the play of mind and the idiosyncrasies of their authors as by the facts and dates. It must be the last encyclopedia in the tradition of Diderot which assumes that information can be made memorable only when it is slightly colored by prejudice. When T.S. Eliot wrote 'Soul curled up on the window seat reading the Encyclopedia' he was certainly thinking of the eleventh edition."

themaster : linux free online rpg

themaster : linux free online rpg 12/10/2003 01:07 AM
version 0.0001

Profiting from free, online content

Profiting from free, online content 07/15/2004 06:50 PM
There isn't a compelling business argument today that would suggest that giving away our content is a good idea. (more) What tangible benefit does the New York Times get in return for being a world news library to us? It's neat to be revered by all as a repository of information, but without a visible associated profit, I can certainly understand why it could be rejected by higher-ups. In the interests of simplifying things, I'm going to make a gross generalization of this and call it: "How do I make money while giving everything away for free?": Advertising The scourge of optic nerves everywhere can still be useful when done tactfully. Loud, garish ads can send people into seizures, drive people to distraction, inspire thousands to write code to block them — all for the sake of making a...

Online for free and easy calls

Online for free and easy calls 03/26/2005 09:26 AM
Article.wn.com - Sat Mar 26, 07:50 am GMT

CliffsNotes Now Available for Free
Online Viewing

CliffsNotes Now Available for Free
Online Viewing 09/09/2004 07:14 AM
CliffsNotes has announced that they've got 180 literature guides online for free viewing. The snag is that viewing is the only thing that's free. Downloading and printing the guides will...

Free Online Wine Course : CIAProChef.com

Free Online Wine Course : CIAProChef.com 04/09/2005 03:24 AM
The Culinary Institute of America offers a free online wine course

prochef.com/wine_2004/free_class.html
track this site | 5 links

Can Papers End the Free Ride Online?

Can Papers End the Free Ride Online? 03/14/2005 06:15 PM
As the battle for advertising dollars intensifies, newspapers are looking for new ways to make money, including charging the visitors to their Web sites.

Cisco manual goes online for free

Cisco manual goes online for free 07/06/2004 09:59 AM
Self-publishing is go

Free SF/F Books Online From Baen

Free SF/F Books Online From Baen 03/08/2004 11:17 PM
Last year I was complaining about the fact that I didn't have any fiction to read and a friend of mine recommended the Belisarius series by David Drake and Eric...

Online service takes parts from design
to manufacture

Online service takes parts from design
to manufacture 06/04/2004 05:36 AM
Pma-magazine.com - Fri Jun 4, 08:09 am GMT

Click and Pay a Little More: The Days of
Tax-Free Online Shopping May Be Over

Click and Pay a Little More: The Days of
Tax-Free Online Shopping May Be Over 06/22/2005 02:03 AM
Online retailers have largely avoided paying most sales taxes. But that situation appears to be near an end.

Hoosiers get free access to online
software

Hoosiers get free access to online
software 06/25/2004 12:11 PM
Indiana residents can access applications, personal files online using free,state-supplied software tools.

"Wikipedia, the free online
encyclopedia, has been having some bad
luck lately"

"Wikipedia, the free online
encyclopedia, has been having some bad
luck lately" 12/29/2003 03:39 AM

Free For All? The Science of Publishing
Research Online

Free For All? The Science of Publishing
Research Online 06/11/2004 05:01 AM
Ecmag.net - Fri Jun 11, 07:35 am GMT

Do's and don'ts of getting free stuff
online

Do's and don'ts of getting free stuff
online 02/05/2005 09:10 PM
King5.com - Sat Feb 5, 06:28 am GMT

OpenCourseWare releases 500th free
online course

OpenCourseWare releases 500th free
online course 12/02/2003 12:17 AM

MIT 's OpenCourseWare ( OCW ) has passed a significant milestone, releasing its 500th course . These course materials, which have been published steady for over a year , are free to anyone in the world using a Web broswer.

(via Converge )

Online Games a Massive Pain