Comments on: Matrix Online goes out with a party, not a whimper http://boingboing.net/2009/07/31/matrix-online-goes-o.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Sat, 18 May 2013 07:23:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/07/31/matrix-online-goes-o.html#comment-557333 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-557333 This was done about 10 years ago with the game Asheron's Call... although in that case it was not the end of the game, but the end of their Beta. It was an MMORPG and instead of just flipping a switch for the end of beta, they had an elaborate story where some kind of comet was rapidly approaching the world. People would log in to find their home town had been obliterated by a meteor, monsters were invading the peaceful lands, volcanoes erupting from what used to be peaceful mountains, and even massive giants attacking cities (I'd say at least 20 times bigger than the avatars) that required dozens, if not hundreds, to take down. For people who played the games in the years afterwards, nothing really compared to the events at the end of the Beta. It was an amazing time, and I'm not sure if there were any games out there at the time that could be modified on the fly to create a story like that. Ravlen This was done about 10 years ago with the game Asheron’s Call… although in that case it was not the end of the game, but the end of their Beta. It was an MMORPG and instead of just flipping a switch for the end of beta, they had an elaborate story where some kind of comet was rapidly approaching the world. People would log in to find their home town had been obliterated by a meteor, monsters were invading the peaceful lands, volcanoes erupting from what used to be peaceful mountains, and even massive giants attacking cities (I’d say at least 20 times bigger than the avatars) that required dozens, if not hundreds, to take down.

For people who played the games in the years afterwards, nothing really compared to the events at the end of the Beta. It was an amazing time, and I’m not sure if there were any games out there at the time that could be modified on the fly to create a story like that.

Ravlen

]]> By: nosarembo http://boingboing.net/2009/07/31/matrix-online-goes-o.html#comment-557601 nosarembo Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-557601 @Quiet Noises, actually there still private Subspace zones alive with a consistent population. Try Extreme Games. SS does not seem to die... @Quiet Noises, actually there still private Subspace zones alive with a consistent population. Try Extreme Games. SS does not seem to die…

]]> By: ESQ http://boingboing.net/2009/07/31/matrix-online-goes-o.html#comment-556854 ESQ Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-556854 Subspace was awesome. I wanted to do this with Meridian59 years ago, but sadly all funding to my department had been cut a full year prior and I had been directed to not expend energy on the game. Special art or items for the day were out of the question. I did manage to convince 3D0 to allow free play for all in the final months and unbanned all accounts (save one) so everyone could come back and say their goodbyes. On the day the skies went dark, many of the game's designers logged on to join the farewells and thank the players for their appreciation. I had worked out a small script for the day, but I'm sure nobody noticed as the messages were lost in the chatstorm. In the final moments I sent a kill message to every character in the game that had ever existed, then shut down the server. I'm pretty sure I am one of the Internet's first virtual mass murderers, as the towns and the forests were littered with thousands upon thousands of avatar corpses just before the arrival of sudden dark... Subspace was awesome.

I wanted to do this with Meridian59 years ago, but sadly all funding to my department had been cut a full year prior and I had been directed to not expend energy on the game. Special art or items for the day were out of the question. I did manage to convince 3D0 to allow free play for all in the final months and unbanned all accounts (save one) so everyone could come back and say their goodbyes.

On the day the skies went dark, many of the game’s designers logged on to join the farewells and thank the players for their appreciation. I had worked out a small script for the day, but I’m sure nobody noticed as the messages were lost in the chatstorm.

In the final moments I sent a kill message to every character in the game that had ever existed, then shut down the server. I’m pretty sure I am one of the Internet’s first virtual mass murderers, as the towns and the forests were littered with thousands upon thousands of avatar corpses just before the arrival of sudden dark…

]]> By: AceJohnny http://boingboing.net/2009/07/31/matrix-online-goes-o.html#comment-557641 AceJohnny Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-557641 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabula_Rasa_(video_game)">Tabula Rasa</a>, a MMORPG initially designed by Richard Garriott of Ultima fame, did the same kind of "Let's go out with a Bang" back in February. Tabula Rasa, a MMORPG initially designed by Richard Garriott of Ultima fame, did the same kind of “Let’s go out with a Bang” back in February.

]]> By: FreakCitySF http://boingboing.net/2009/07/31/matrix-online-goes-o.html#comment-556882 FreakCitySF Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-556882 Here is a video of the final moments of Matrix online. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmTuGq1fP-w&feature=channel Not exciting. Here is a video of the final moments of Matrix online.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmTuGq1fP-w&feature=channel

Not exciting.

]]> By: Brainspore http://boingboing.net/2009/07/31/matrix-online-goes-o.html#comment-557430 Brainspore Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-557430 Isn't "The Matrix Online" redundant? Isn’t “The Matrix Online” redundant?

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/07/31/matrix-online-goes-o.html#comment-556924 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-556924 Didn't all that ash stuff exist in previous in-game story events? Pretty sure they just ran through past events as the game wound down since they didn't have the manpower to build anything new. The players got to say their goodbyes, but I think you're giving SOE a little undue credit. Didn’t all that ash stuff exist in previous in-game story events? Pretty sure they just ran through past events as the game wound down since they didn’t have the manpower to build anything new. The players got to say their goodbyes, but I think you’re giving SOE a little undue credit.

]]> By: Lonin http://boingboing.net/2009/07/31/matrix-online-goes-o.html#comment-557219 Lonin Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-557219 A funny and surprisingly heartfelt goodbye to The Matrix Online was done by gaming site Giant Bomb. Two of the staff there, who had never played TMO, signed up for the last month and had weekly installments of playing the game until the end. Last night they live-streamed the final 2 hours of the game. http://www.giantbomb.com/the-matrix-online-not-like-this-finale/17-1130/ A funny and surprisingly heartfelt goodbye to The Matrix Online was done by gaming site Giant Bomb. Two of the staff there, who had never played TMO, signed up for the last month and had weekly installments of playing the game until the end. Last night they live-streamed the final 2 hours of the game.

http://www.giantbomb.com/the-matrix-online-not-like-this-finale/17-1130/

]]> By: Quiet Noises http://boingboing.net/2009/07/31/matrix-online-goes-o.html#comment-556756 Quiet Noises Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-556756 Sometimes I wish this is what they did with Continuum/Supspace, a true multiplayer legend. That game was just too damned good to fizzle into obscurity like its current state. It was just barely worth playing the last time I logged on to hack around, about 18 months ago, which is a shame as it was one of the simplest game engines ever, yet delivered so much variety, gameplay and excitement. Sometimes I wish this is what they did with Continuum/Supspace, a true multiplayer legend. That game was just too damned good to fizzle into obscurity like its current state. It was just barely worth playing the last time I logged on to hack around, about 18 months ago, which is a shame as it was one of the simplest game engines ever, yet delivered so much variety, gameplay and excitement.

]]> By: WalterBillington http://boingboing.net/2009/07/31/matrix-online-goes-o.html#comment-557276 WalterBillington Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-557276 @3 you want to be careful with that! My wee brain can start to construct an argument about the damage to society and potential illegality of avatar murder - along the lines of is not an avatar an extension or even more desirable expression of our lives? Its extinction, with or without consent, could be ... well, prosecutable. @3 you want to be careful with that! My wee brain can start to construct an argument about the damage to society and potential illegality of avatar murder – along the lines of is not an avatar an extension or even more desirable expression of our lives? Its extinction, with or without consent, could be … well, prosecutable.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/07/31/matrix-online-goes-o.html#comment-556796 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-556796 I bet there was a great upsurge in private server members. I bet there was a great upsurge in private server members.

]]>