Empowering Players

June 25, 2007 · Filed Under General, Online · 10 Comments

I was inspired by the comments on my latest post about the Top 5 Myths about GMs. Some really agree that there are a lot of players who feel that all employees are GMs. Also, I got support and feedback that indeed, GMs are understaffed and over-worked.

I agree. With a lot of tasks that a GM has to do, there has to be some sort of “assitance” needed.

That’s precisely the point why I (together with GM Garamond and the RF team) started the RF Vanguard program. And this is what empowerment is all about

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Contest: New PW CBT 20!

June 24, 2007 · Filed Under Contests, Perfect World · 16 Comments

Short post.

Send in your entries now! Will award 20 new winners for Perfect World Closed Beta Testing either tonight or tomorrow morning.

Instructions are here Just change the title to PW CBT 20 BATCH 4

List of previous winners are here. Don’t forget to subscribe so that you’ll be qualified. Best of luck!

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The Week That Was (in Level Up) III

June 24, 2007 · Filed Under Level Up · 5 Comments

Due to some deadlines that I had to meet at the office, I wasn’t able to post this regular week-ender. I promised myself I’d compile a brief “week that was” before the weekend. Well… better late than never.

It still was NOT a quiet weekend in the halls of our office. Ragnarok was still very much in the limelight as the final decision/solution for the dreaded Item Dupe issue was finally given the green light.

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Things My Guild Taught Me

June 24, 2007 · Filed Under General, Musings, Online, Gaming, Ragnarok · 3 Comments

Before I came aboard Level Up in 2004, I was active as a guildmaster in Philippine Ragnarok Online. Our guild was not a popular one, we didn’t number in the hundreds and we weren’t even aggressive in PVP or Agit Sieges (but we got one in Payon for a week! Woot!).

But we were happy. I started the guild as a way to get in touch with friends. Since we were all busy with jobs and family responsibilities, the guild – which I dubbed “The Fellowship” (named after the same moniker as our tabletop RPG group founded in the 90s), was a way for us to meet every night and catch up, go “dungeon delving” and rip the butts of powerful beasts along the way.

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Video: CNN Future Summit - Virtual Worlds

June 23, 2007 · Filed Under General, MMORPG News, Infotech, Videos, Online, Gaming · 7 Comments

This recently released 1-hour feature from CNN, called “Virtual Worlds” tackles the big business of online games and services and how this culture has blossomed into the mainstream. Hosted by Kristie Lu Stout, the feature elaborates on how “technology shapes the ways that we communicate and play in the future.”

With a powerhouse panel of experts and CEOs of notable companies such as flickr and Linden Labs (among others) and also attended by psychologists and Nick Yee, one of the world’s leading experts on the behavioral studies of online games and its users.

Credit goes to Nick Yee for editing the entire show and putting it in a capsule 8-minute version.

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Russian Gets 3 Years for RO Private Server

June 23, 2007 · Filed Under MMORPG News, MMOments, Ragnarok · 17 Comments

I never thought I’d see the day when an actual operator of an illegal Ragnarok private server will be behind bars. Here in our country, our company has worked closely with the authorities to search and raid Internet shops and establishments operating or patronizing private servers - whether they be LAN-based or those operating online.

But don’t screw with the Red Police… they mean business. Good work, comrades! (Yuri would be proud).

Photo courtesy of www.destructiod.com

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The Top 5 Myths About Game Masters

June 22, 2007 · Filed Under General, Musings, Online · 19 Comments

More often than not, a lot of players have misconceptions on what a Game Master (GM) is. What do we do? What are our jobs? Are we like gods on Mount Olympus hurling thunderbolts and banning players on a whim?

The most common assumption is that GMs’ are all-powerful beings that have complete and utter control over the game and its denizens. How I wish it were true. Quite the opposite. In order to avoid corruption, bias and favoritism within the ranks, a GMs powers are limited. He or she is given powers and tools to do specific tasks according to the job description.

Another funny thing to note is that some younger players think that ALL employees of a gaming company (like ours) are GMs. If this were the case, there would be utter chaos in the office and no true work will be done.

Read more as I venture into the myths about GMs…

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Video: Transformers the Game

June 22, 2007 · Filed Under Videos, Gaming, Movies · 4 Comments

Check out the coming video from Transformers the Game by Activision. Set for a July 26, 2007 release date (US), the formats supported will be available for theXbox 360, PS2, the Wii, PSP, PS3, PC, and the Nintedo DS.

This trailer shows some in-game footages and how they transform. Sorta like a glimpse of things to come in the movie which will be out July 4.

Enjoy!

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Gamer Babe: Zymotic

June 22, 2007 · Filed Under Gamer Babe · 7 Comments

Today, this is a special feature of Gamer Babe.

Our guest for the interview is known by her alter-ego “Zymotic”. But iRL, she’s Francesca, 19, from Italy. Zymotic is our first non-Filipina to be featured in Gamer Babe.

Hopefully, we’ll have more guests from abroad as Gamer Babe turns international.

Zymotic’s a rare kind of Gamer Babe. She’s practically tried a lot of MMORPGs and she shares with us her experiences.

On with Zymotic’s interview after the jump!

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Official Perfect World PH Wiki

June 22, 2007 · Filed Under MMORPG News, Online, Perfect World · 5 Comments

Kudos to the Perfect World team!

They just announced the launch of the official Perfect World Philippines Wiki. Unless you live under a cave, you probably know what a wiki is. Just take the example of www.wikipedia.org (’nuff said).

http://pwwiki.levelupgames.ph

At any rate, th Perfect World Wiki is an ongoing project where anybody can contribute! As you start your journey in Perfect World, multitudes of discoveries await to be uncovered! Share these discoveries with your fellow denizens, post them on the PW wiki, create new articles and correct certain facts, or provide additional information on already existing ones.