I think the move is lousy too, for most of the same reasons others have stated. I think ultimately the change is dangerous, both to the customers and to the health of the community. And I say this as someone whose “real ID” has been a matter of public record for a number of years now.

But there’s another aspect to this I’d like to talk about which I haven’t seen discussed so far.

My instinct is that this change will peel away yet another layer of the magic of MMOs: that of being able to pretend you’re someone else. Sure, anonymity can empower jerks to act like even bigger jerks, but the illusion of the avatar also does great things. It allows disabled gamers to ignore their physical limitations; it allows the meek to act with confidence; it allows the person with an average job and an average life to become a legend.

The danger of connecting MMOs too closely with real life is that it takes away the game’s function as a vehicle of escape, perhaps even limiting the potential of the game to inspire the imagination. That’s a heavy price to pay for cutting down on forum spam.

Of course the message boards are technically separate from the game itself, but they represent a big part of the MMO experience for a sizable number of players. That connection is being impacted by the RealID change, which means yet another aspect of the classic MMO experience is being lost–if you’re a WoW player, at least.

Now, let me pontificate to MMO developers for a minute.

From personal experience, I know that keeping a gaming forum as useful and troll-free as possible is a huge pain in the ass. Guess what? It’s also the price you pay for coming to the dance. I don’t care how big your community is or how many posts you have to moderate–hire the freaking staff to do the job right. I understand the motive of wanting to create a cleaner environment for your posters, but don’t take the positive experience away from the good folks in the name of shutting up the asshats.

There is a certain charm in the forum hero known only by a clever handle. The MMOs of tomorrow need to hold onto all the charm they can, not let it slip away–regardless of the motive.

Monday at work I must have vented my frustration a half-dozen times. At one point, I even proclaimed that I would have been happy if only the film makers had reshot the original script and added updated special effects.

After fuming for a while, I realized I hadn’t seen the original film in many years. So over lunch I fired up Netflix and bounded over to my instant queue, where I had the old Clash of the Titans waiting for me.

By the time I was 30 minutes in, I realized how utterly wrong I had been. If the original script were shot today, moviegoers would laugh themselves out of the theater. It was bad. Really bad.

So why did I have such fond memories of this film from when I was a kid? While I’d like to think my tastes in film are more discerning now than when I was a boy, it couldn’t just be the ignorance of youth. Because despite the movie’s terrible dialogue and overwrought acting, I had one thing right: the movie told a really good story.

What I’d done was internalize the myth. I’d taken what was great and resonant about the story and hung onto it, discarding all the nonsense that sticks out like a sore thumb when watching the film today.

We do the same thing with so many aspects of life, including MMOs. Many of us look back on our days in Ultima Online, EverQuest, Asheron’s Call, and other early online games through the haze of selective memory. We internalize the myths that matter: the long camps that netted a coveted item, the fight to survive a Mistmoore train, your raid wiping and recovering in the wee hours of the morning. These tales are as vivid and vital today as they were when first experienced, and serve as the foundation for countless reminiscences with old friends.

But when I go back to EverQuest to check out the latest expansion or run through a familiar area, the game is virtually unplayable to me. The interface feels archaic, a huge impediment that actually gets in the way of my fun. Yet despite many evolutions over the years, it’s largely the exact same interface I spent countless hours interacting with.

Interfaces aren’t memorable. Dialogue and quests fade away.  The myths we internalize are rooted in the heroics of social interaction and the drama of emotional investment. If you can make a game–or movie, or book, or comic–with an experience that genuinely moves the audience, you can make something memorable. Because by doing so, you will have touched he myths that lie at the heart of all of us.

First off, it’s great to have a major fan-centric gaming event in Boston. The fact that the show sold out for all three days is a testament to how many rabid gamers we have on this side of the country. No question that a show like this was long overdue.

The organizers certainly seemed to have learned a lot from the original PAX in terms of keeping things running smoothly. Though the entrance was a massive choke point (more about this later), once inside things ran like clockwork. It was fast and easy to pick up my badge, and grabbing goodie bags and program guides was a snap. Most of the lower level is a maze-like queue that winds its way toward the second floor, but despite a crowd the line was flowing briskly.

There are some weak points I hope improve next time around:

• Need a better facility – The Hynes Convention Center is not a great venue. The entryway was a massive bottleneck compared to more modern facilities. The cement floors and drab walls gave off a prison vibe. It just wasn’t a pleasant place (although easy access to a decent food court is a plus).
• Industry support felt tentative – The expo floor wasn’t exactly brimming with exciting booths. Local studio Turbine had a nice area, and a few others (like Realtime Worlds, who showed off APB) did as well. But overall it felt like many big-name publishers had little more than a token presence.

Perhaps the show’s proximity to E3 precluded many companies from committing resources, or maybe they just wanted to see how the first year of the show went. Either way, I hope there is more of a big-name presence next year–and I hope it takes place in a location that better shows all that Boston has to offer.

Overall the arrival of PAX East is a huge boon to gamers and developers alike. I’m confident the show will be a huge success and will only get better in the years to come.

My contribution has the uncharacteristically academic title “Memorable Experiences in Virtual Worlds.” Don’t worry–I’m not going all Raphtastic on ya. I’m building upon the basic premise of my talk with Owlchick last year at GDC Austin, where we asserted that the player’s stories are more compelling than those made by game designers.

Why does this fit a virtual reality conference? The panel is all about designing user experiences, and I submit that currently the most accessible form of virtual reality is found in massively multiplayer online games. Now I just have to convince the audience of that fact.

What follows is a non-scientific recap of what drove my purchase decision and how I ended up with the Alienware M11x.The Shopping Trail

My quest began with the HP Mini 311, which stood out because the Nvidia ION graphics promised smoother video playback than similar netbooks. However, reviews led me to conclude that any machine based on the Atom processor would not meet my power standards. Hey, even if I’m being practical, I still need a machine that can play some games.

Accepting that I was going to be spending more money than I’d originally planned, I next eyed up the HP Pavilion dm3t. This capable machine can be beefed up with a number of options, including a GeForce 105M card. I was concerned that the 13.3″ screen might hurt airplane usability a bit, but it was a really tempting machine–especially when a big coupon around the holidays dropped a maxed-out $1399 system down to $899. But I hesitated a day and the coupon expired, leading me to shop elsewhere.

Next I focused on the ASUS UL30Vt-A1, which features an even beefier GeForce 210M. Not only does its brushed aluminum exterior look sexy, but it can play games quite well. Oh, and it also fulfilled my practical requirement of long battery life. I was close to buying this machine, oh, so close, but then…

International CES 2010 arrived in January, and low and behold one of the most buzzworthy announcements was a “netbook” from Alienware. Dubbed the M11x, they promised this laptop would be a true gaming machine packed into a tiny form factor. I put my purchase plans on hold until I could find out more about this tiny powerhouse.

The Dell site started taking orders for the M11x at the beginning of February, and after reading this review of the laptop, I ordered mine on February 8. The website taunted me, saying I’d have to wait a full month for my new PC to arrive. But wonder of wonders, my baby showed a couple weeks ago. What follows is my non-technical, entirely subjective review based on practical experience. If you want benchmarks and hard data, there are plenty of other reviews that can give them to you.

Aesthetics

First off, the M11x is sexy. As with their other models, Alienware is using LED lighting to provide a modern, gamer-centric look. While initially I was going to go with the silver case, I ended up with the black–it just looked too cool. One caveat about the black case, though–its glossy surface shows fingerprints really easily, so keep it wiped clean for maximum sex appeal. Handily, they included a cloth slipcase for the notebook which helps keep it clean. If vanity is important to you, rest assured that you’ll get tons of compliments on how eye-catching this machine is.

The screen is great. The WLED screen is extremely sharp, and reading even small text is easy on the eyes. It doesn’t have the widest viewing angle, though; the colors can get a bit washed out unless you’re looking straight on. I also wasn’t a big fan of the default settings, so I decreased the gamma and upped the contrast to sharpen the blacks. After that bit of tweaking, I’m very happy with it. Also worth noting is that the Nvidia graphics feel noticeably crisper and more colorful than the Intel card, so I use the performance graphics unless I will be on the battery for an extended period.

This laptop runs very cool and quiet. When browsing the Web or doing simple tasks like writing this review, the fan rarely revs up. Of course when the GeForce card is enabled and you’re gaming, the fan kicks in and runs regularly, but the machine is still relatively quiet. When I’m in an area with ambient noise, I honestly don’t even notice the fan running.

Being an 11.6″ laptop, the keyboard is a bit smaller than full-size. I’m a big guy with fairly large hands, and the reduced keyboard size isn’t a bother at all. Some users complain about the narrow arrow keys in the lower right corner or the placement of the delete key, but I have been able to type comfortably for hours at a time.

The M11x is very quick to enter and exit stand-by mode, which lets you get busy using it rather than waiting around. The built-in webcam runs facial recognition software, which is really handy as a security tool–so long as you’re in an area with decent lighting.

Portability

This machine has a ton of power packed into a small footprint, so it’s heavier than most systems its size. But even so, at about 4.5 pounds it’s far lighter and easy to carry than a larger gaming rig. I ended up buying a messenger-style bag built for a 13″ Mac, which nicely holds the computer, power supply, mouse, and sundries.

I’m pleased to say that the M11x is a great traveling companion. I was able to use it comfortably in coach on a flight from Baltimore to Boston, a short flight with planes that tend to be on the smaller side. I haven’t been able to test the full 6+ hours of battery life the machine is supposed to get when the Intel graphics chipset is enabled. I should get a better idea of battery life on the long flight to San Francisco for GDC.

Gaming

Needless to say, the biggest selling point of the M11x is its capability as a legitimate gaming rig. Certainly its GT 335M graphics card and fast hard drive are the cornerstones of its gaming muscle, as the dual-core SU7300 processor isn’t exactly a powerhouse. The system BIOS lets you overclock the CPU, but I haven’t tested that myself yet.

The machine comes with Steam installed, along with Portal. Since there is no option for an internal DVD drive, Steam comes in quite handy. To be honest, I still buy physical copies of games more commonly than digital, but I have a feeling that habit is about to change.

(On a side note, I avoided Alienware’s overpriced external DVD drive and bought a $45 generic model on Amazon. It’s proven very handy for installing software and ripping music, though you can certainly live without one.)

When ordering the system you can elect to have World of Warcraft pre-installed, which is just plain handy. I only had to download the latest patch and was ready to log in.

Admittedly, I have not been able to try out as many games as I would like. You can check out the Hardware Heaven review for benchmarks on specific games, including many recent titles. I can say from personal experience that both Portal and World of Warcraft play extremely well on this machine. WoW (which, admittedly, isn’t a huge hardware hog) runs smooth as glass. I honestly forget I’m playing on such a small machine.

When I play games, I don’t feel the need to record a framerate. I can tell very quickly whether a game feels responsive enough for my tastes. So far, I have never felt like I was compromising quality 0r responsiveness to play on this machine. If that opinion changes after I’ve tried out games like Dragon Age on it, I’ll post an update to this article.

Conclusion

I highly recommend the Alienware M11x. Though it certainly isn’t cheap ($799 minimum, a bit over $1000 nicely equipped), it has a lot going for it: looks and feels great, very portable, and extremely capable gaming performance. It’s powerful enough to be my go-to machine at home, and it feels much more comfortable atop a lap desk than a full-size notebook. It’s solidly built and extremely satisfying to use.

Your needs or desires may not require the horsepower and expense of this model, but if they do, you won’t go wrong in buying one. No doubt the M11x will inspire competition from competitors, and future versions of the unit will probably feature beefier CPUs. For my purposes, the M11x was exactly what I wanted and I am very satisfied.

The aspect I find interesting is that a number of, shall we say, developers of a certain age (such as Richard Garriott) are moving from big-budget studios to the social realm.

In addition to smelling all the dollars in the water, I posit that there is another element at work here. The relative simplicity of web and mobile development is reminiscent in many ways of the first big era of console and home computer games. A few guys in a room can build a game from start to finish and make ridiculous money doing so. Old guys like Lord British find themselves back in their comfort zone.

You tend to see these folks in blogs and interviews touting statistics and trends which support their theories, which is only natural; developers tend to write and give presentations that promote their world view. This is why you have to study developer blogs with a watchful eye, because you should assume they will frame facts in a way that supports their assertions.

For example, I tend to write about big-budget MMOs because that’s the kind of game I enjoy working on and playing. I certainly enjoy playing Peggle, but I don’t see myself ever taking a job to design such a game. I’d probably end up making a version of Breakout where each brick spits out a quest when you hit it and you use your paddle to catch falling pieces of epic loot. In other words, I’d sink my career.

I don’t begrudge anyone making or playing social games, though; it’s not my cup of tea, but I see no need to get snotty about it. I think social gaming is performing a valuable service to the industry by pressing a virtual reset button. While big-budget games and giant publishers continue to drive hardware evolution, ubiquitous platforms like Facebook and the iPhone will once again allow lean-and-mean development that proves you don’t need top-end graphics to make a fun game.

Needless to say, the more developers that jump on this trend, the more garbage consumers will be served. And, inevitably, social game development will balloon out of control and become just as muddy and expensive as the current generation of console games.

But that’s okay–a new industry reset button will come along soon enough. Game design is, ultimately, about pattern recognition.

“I’m going to go out on a limb here, and assert that setting a realistic scope is one of the most difficult challenges an MMO producer will face.”

Lum understates his point. He shouldn’t.

Scope is a balancing act. When making an MMO that seeks to evolve the genre in some way (assuming you want to do that, of course), you need to figure out how much of the New & Sexy you really need. But more than that, you need to question your assumptions about The Must Haves to be sure you’re not wasting time building expensive features just because that silly Warcraft game added them four years in.

How do you do this? You have to be brutally honest with yourself about the core vision of your game. This core vision is not a 10,000 page document–I’ve seen much-vaunted 10,000 page design documents, and they’re utter jokes. You need a list of four or five bullet points that describe the foundation of what your game is, and you use those four or five things as razors to evaluate every feature you consider putting into your game.

If a feature can’t stand up to your razors, you change it or cut it. It doesn’t matter if the feature in question is your greatest stroke of genius ever, or the most perfect example of design or art or code or music anyone has ever experienced. If it doesn’t advance the core vision of your game, it needs to change or go away.

Check out the director’s commentary on deleted scenes of your favorite DVD and you’re likely to hear how a certain scene was the director’s absolute favorite thing he ever shot, but ultimately he realized that it worked against the film and had to go. It’s painful to murder your darlings, but discipline is necessary in any art form.

Scott is right about something else, too: Nobody is ever going to give a developer an award for thoughtful scoping. But if you have the force of will to trim your game down to the purest core of what it can be, and you have the resources to polish that core so that it is excellent and fun, you will succeed and become very rich in the process.

It’s also interesting how many live albums showed up on my list. I enjoy live albums when bands add something new to the performance over the studio versions, so you can assume that any live discs that made my list have that element in common.

Without further ado, please enjoy my favorites from the past year. Let me know what you think, and please suggest anything you think I might enjoy.

Like It

Adam Lambert – For Your Entertainment – This record is needlessly over-produced–Lambert’s vocals are way too strong to be so buried in the mix–but there is a core of a really strong album here. When it works, it works big, such as on the title track. But we want to hear Adam, not his producers. I look forward to follow-up efforts that feature his vocals rather than somebody behind the mixing board. Biggest surprise: Lambert often sounds more like Richard Marx than Freddie Mercury.

Muse – Resistance - This is a solid record from a great band. So why don’t I love it? Because I feel like this is about the fourth time I’ve heard this album. There has been little to no evolution across the band’s last several releases, and there is nothing here that stands out and makes me say “I haven’t heard them do that before.” Muse has a reliable formula at serious risk of going stale, so I hope they can inject a bit of freshness into their next effort.

Bad Lieutenant – Never Cry Another Tear – What was the last good New Order record you heard? Well, here’s one for you. Bernard Sumner’s new project sounds like a reinvigorated version of his last band, focusing on the beat-combo sound with just a hint of the electronic dance grooves that pioneered an entire genre. I generally hate it when bands are named after movies, but in this case the music wins out.

Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest - This extremely eclectic record is hard to categorize. With moments ranging from avant-jazz to pop to folk and many other influences in between, Grizzly Bear makes a unique concoction that stands out from the crowd. If you’re looking for something off the beaten path, check these guys out.

Crystal Method – Divided By Night – These hard-driving electronic dance numbers never fail to disappoint, though some feel more innovative than others. The band makes good use of guest appearances by Justin Warfield (She Wants Revenge) and Peter Hook (New Order), but some of the other guests don’t bring as much to the table. Still, a really good record to drive to.

Flight of the Conchords - I Told You I Was Freaky – It’s not quite as fresh or engaging as their first album, just as the second (and seemingly final) season of their TV show wasn’t as consistently strong as their first. But even so, there is plenty of brilliance to justify purchasing this record. My hope is that the band can focus on writing great songs rather than writing songs that have to fit the plot of a TV episode, and that future endeavors allow the duo’s musical brilliance to shine.

Mark Kozelek – Lost Verses Live – Played live in an intimate setting, these Sun Kil Moon and Red House Painters songs take on a new life over the studio versions. Seeing Kozelek live is one of those experiences you don’t forget, so every opportunity to capture it on record is worth the effort.

Rufus Wainwright – Milwaukee At Last – I love the way Rufus can effortlessly move from campy bombast to startling earnestness. While this live album doesn’t contain all of my Wainwright favorites, it’s still a worthy record showcasing one of our best modern troubadours.

The Bravery – Stir The Blood – Plenty of bands these days are cashing in on the sounds of New Wave and Power Pop, but few do it as consistently well as the Bravery. Even on first listen to this album, my toes were tapping. This might have made it to the Love It category if I had more time with it, but it came out fairly late in the year so I haven’t had enough listens to justify the higher ranking just yet.

Love It

Sting – If on a Winter’s Night… – Sting is protesting loudly that this is a winter album, not a Christmas album, and certainly it is more somber than traditional holiday fair. What makes it work is that Sting is savvy enough to inject just the right amount of pop flair and sing-along melodies to keep it grounded. But for the record, I wish he had gone into the studio with the Police instead.

Leonard Cohen - Live in London – Leonard Cohen has spent the last 40 years teaching a master class on how to write kick-ass songs, and he doesn’t look to be letting up in his golden years. With a typically amazing band backing him up, Cohen’s sardonic brilliance shines through. You’d swear he doesn’t sound a day over 74.

Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix – You’ve probably heard some of this band’s catchy-but-quirky power anthems on various TV commercials and found it impossible to resist humming along. This was definitely one of the best rock records of the year, though I hope for a more consistent brilliance on their follow-up.

David Sylvian – Manafon - Sylvian is my favorite solo artist, and I love the experimental direction his work has taken as of late. That said, this record is definitely not for everyone. The minimalist music is often discordant and challenging, often more of a noisescape than a melody. Still, there is something about the lyrics that recalls Secrets of the Beehive for me, and I find the new record to be immensely personal and introspective. Those willing to make the journey away from the mascara-laden days of Japan may find the experience of Manafon as rewarding as I do.

Placebo – Battle For The Sun – These glam rockers have been putting out solid records since they started, and their latest is no less a sonic feast. Their sexually ambiguous hedonism is a blueprint for the kind of albums Adam Lambert should be making, laden with biting irony and irresistible hooks. The band has never sounded sharper.

Lisa Germano – Magic Neighbor – Best known for her violin duties alongside more rock icons than you can name, Lisa Germano has made a career out of releasing haunting solo albums that showcase her diverse musical skills. From breathy vocals to echoing dance beats, Germano once again reminds us how compelling her understated style can be. Magic Neighbor is the soundtrack to a cabaret for lost souls, the audience serving as ghostly observers to an otherworldly dance.

Andrew Bird – Noble Beast – Bird has released a number of records across several labels, all of which are worth the trouble of tracking down (or, I guess, downloading). On his latest, Bird once again explores a number of styles and is as likely to remind you of early Talking Heads as he is to recall Radiohead. Something of a chameleon, the real Andrew Bird is in there for those willing to look–and you’ll be rewarded for doing so.

Lily Allen – It’s Not Me, It’s You – What’s not to love about Lily Allen? She’s got the cutest British accent you could ever imagine and croons lilting 60s-esque pop full of frank lyrics about sex and relationships. The music is instantly catchy, but it’s Allen’s frank ballsiness that sells the experience. A naughty delight.

Iron & Wine – Around the Wall – This two-disc collection of rarities from I&W is a fan’s wet dream. While comprised of many solid songs that measure up well to the band’s album tracks, the styles have enough range that I find this set lacking cohesion. On paper, the notion of Iron & Wine covering New Order’s classic “Love Vigilantes” seems brilliant, yet I found the effort a bit forced. Still, these are minor quibbles and anyone who enjoys this excellent band shouldn’t think twice about picking up this collection. Perhaps I find Around the Wall to be overshadowed by the brilliant…

Gotta Have It

Iron & Wine – Norfolk 06-20-05 – This live set, quietly released in an unassuming sleeve on Record Store Day (if you don’t know about Record Store Day, shame on you!), showcases the band at its most engaging. While the recording itself is not technically the best quality, the warmth of the performance shines through like a beacon. The eighteen songs crammed onto this CD distill the charm of Sam Beam’s work down to a single memorable experience that is not to be missed.

Bat for Lashes – Two Suns – Cute girl singing catchy songs about knights and sword fights? Awesome! I can’t tell you what’s going on in the mind of songwriter Natasha Khan, but I love the unexpected twists and turns of this record. Part Kate Bush, part Cure, all amazing. A deluxe edition was released later in the year, featuring a second disc of live and bonus tracks. Highly recommended, especially for the standout track “Daniel.”

St. Vincent – Actor - Even more of an artsy experiment than the Bat for Lashes album, this disc by the luminescent St. Vincent (singer/songwriter Annie Clark) is evocative and, at the risk of repeating myself, unexpected. But while the Bat for Lashes record stays largely in the realm of the pop song format, Actor constantly keeps you guessing as to what turn will be thrown at you next. This is a close runner-up for my album of the year.

Joe Henry – Blood from Stars – If we’re fortunate, Heaven will turn out to be a shadowy club where the house band plays a steady, thumping groove that encompasses the best of jazz, blues, folk, and pop craftsmanship without falling into any one style. This band will be led by the creaky wail of Joe Henry’s plaintive vocals, making even the loneliest of souls feel a bond of kinship. Blood from Stars is another brilliant addition to Henry’s esteemed catalogue, a gem from one of the greatest songwriters of our time. My album of the year.

In Memoriam

On Christmas Day the great Vic Chesnutt passed away in an Athens hospital. Left partially paralyzed by a car accident at age 18, Vic found he could still strum a guitar and released over a dozen albums, two of which were produced by R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe. A fixture on the Athens scene, Chesnutt’s heartfelt songs spoke of hope in an era of pessimism. He will be greatly missed.

I learned of this scam because Curt called me in the morning and asked “Are you at the hotel now?” To which I replied, “Huh?” And after a good laugh and a chat with our IT gurus (shout outs to Brandon, Jeff, and Dave), we discovered the source of the problem and I had the account frozen.

So, if you got an email from me yesterday asking for money, you can ignore it. If I ever do find myself in such a predicament, you can rest assured that the plea for help will have much better grammar than the fake did. Even in the most dire of need, one should make time for proper spelling and punctuation.

I must say it was heartwarming to see how many people contacted me to make sure I was okay. I even got calls from some fansite folks I got to know in the EQ2 days, which was really cool. Some days I think I will end up despised and alone like old Mr. Scrooge, but it’s nice to know that I haven’t reached that point yet.

Hope you all had a great Christmas and avoided getting mugged overseas!

When World of Warcraft sprang wholecloth from the minds of Blizzard back in 2004, there simply had been nothing like the game at any point in history. Anyone daring to trod down this same path is doomed to failure!

Okay, I get the point that some companies are indeed specifically trying to make knock-offs of WoW, and agree that such a strategy in and of itself is flawed. However, to imply that WoW represents originality is ludicrous. The game launched as an evolution on an existing title–the main innovation being a dedication to polished and fun gameplay. It has certainly moved in its own direction over the ensuing five years, but let’s not forget that it started as an upgrade to the EverQuest experience.

Despite what some naysayers claim, the achievement-based Diku MMO is a popular style of game with many directions it can grow. While games that don’t venture far from the established core are likely doomed to mediocrity, those that innovate key aspects of the experience have huge potential for success. As ever, it comes down to execution.