6 Responses to “ION Game Conference”

1. on 26 Jun 2008 at 6:04 pm1 josh fredrikson

   I wanted to Hijack this post…. and be nostalgic for a moment… and wonder if there ever was a chance for Toby Ragaini and Tim Brennen and Andy Reiff and Chris Dyl and Jason Booth would ever have the chance to work on, if not contribute to the next child of Asheron’s Call v1 … for purely selfish reasons I wish there was another sandbox MMO like AC that would become what AC was and more… I miss AC, and all the other MMOs fall flat, yet because of the lack of players and such, I just cant get back into the original AC.

   AC Was and might always be the best MMO ever created. Thanks Toby for your effort into such a great product, even if it wasn’t marketed/promoted correctly, or let die because of xp chains and cheaters.

   More players who feel like me.. reading all the posts did make me more despressed as I contimplate logging into WoW for another night of the same:

   http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/160903/page/1

   Your original post that I found and really enjoyed
   http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20000525/ragaini_01.htm

2. on 27 Jun 2008 at 12:57 pm2 Toby

   Wow, thanks Josh.

   I’m afraid the chance of any new Asheron’s Call content being produced is slim and certainly outside of my personal ability to make happen.

   Its been eight years since I left Turbine. Of the list of talented folks you mention, only Chris Dyl is still working there.

   It’s been hard to watch from a distance as Turbine weathered its up and downs. It was especially bitter-sweet to see the story I had written for the shadow war play out after I left. I was delighted to see it come to fruition but my disappointment of no longer being able to contribute was palpable.

   In the end, I think we need to appreciate AC for what it was: a labor of love that will not soon be equaled in scope and daring. For all its numerous flaws, it seems to have made a positive impact on many people, and for that, I am truly happy.

3. on 28 Jun 2008 at 11:25 am3 Charlie Seljos

   Hi, Toby –

   I’m actually a friend of Ryan O’Rourke from high school. I’d be really interested to hear your impressions on the ION conference you attended, particularly in regard to the discussions on the economics of virtual worlds. The idea that there corporations that run what effectively amount to gaming sweatshops, where people play games to sell virtual property for real-world cash, sounds like something I might read in a Gibson or Stephenson novel.

4. on 02 Jul 2008 at 2:05 pm4 Toby

   Charlie, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that this is happening. Its your basic labor arbitrage. Sweatshops are producing our toothbrushes and sneakers, so its only logical that they would produce our WoW gold.

5. on 28 Aug 2008 at 8:36 am5 Sara

   It’s been a while since we’ve had an update. How’s the game coming along?

6. on 26 Oct 2008 at 3:20 am6 Joseph

   I also want to Hijack this post, hehe. After spending a long while reading about Asheron’s Call I stumbled onto this blog through a link in your Wikipedia article.

   I have never once experienced something like Darktide, nor do I suspect I ever will again. I just want to thank you, and all of the original developers, for making something so incredibly amazing. No other game has the cajones for things like vitae penalties and players dropping item. No other game pits players against other players all of the time, no matter what the circumstances, level, or unfairness. No other game truly interacts with its players like Turbine did with GM controlled characters. No other game was it possible to actually beat those GM characters (GG Thistledown protecting the crystal

   Asheron’s Call is the MMO so many people love and miss. I’ve tried going back, it’s just not the same now as it was then, even if a lot of things haven’t changed. It’s hard to explain, but there was something magical about Asheron’s Call, and it’s no longer there anymore.

   Maybe someday we’ll all get to experience that magic again. Good luck in your future development endeavors. There are a lot of people who really appreciate what you helped create in ye-old age of the 1990’s.

   Thank you,
   - Level 126 Og Mage, Darktide
   - Level 100 Dagger/Melee Spec, Frostfell

   *grins* My captcha is Blood. Fitting. I hated that bastard.

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