Post by Zeli on Dec 4, 2006 9:44:45 GMT -5
Source: Gizmo Café
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Source: Gamespot
www.gamespot.com/news/6162588.html
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Could “Rupture” Be a World of Warcraft MySpace?
Napster once allowed millions of listeners the ability to share their music. Although a utopian kind of idea, it didn’t sit particularly well with the music industry, and the RIAA eventually shut down the party. Now, Napster’s founder, Shawn Fanning, wants to get people back together, this time in a massive gaming forum that is supposed to improve on a World of Warcraft interactive element he believes is broken.
The idea stems from Fanning’s own disgust with the lack of cohesive social environment in the online phenomenon. Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft has raked in about 7.5 million visitors, making the land of Azeroth a very busy place.
Those breaking down Fanning’s idea have called it a “MySpace for Warcraft”. Although Blizzard (makers of games like Warcraft I, II, III, Diablo, and Starcraft) are remaining mum on the topic, Fanning wants to pull statistics from the online game to his site, where users can boast the strength of their character. That level fifty orc sure will bring in the ladies.
Fanning is tentatively calling the idea “Rupture”. It will also feature instant messaging abilities, meaning the site could suck at the teet of a whole range of different popular internet trends.
It’s an interesting idea, and credit to the popularity of WoW that just a concept of this sort could drum up such attention.
Published Sunday, December 03, 2006 10:39 PM by Brando
Napster once allowed millions of listeners the ability to share their music. Although a utopian kind of idea, it didn’t sit particularly well with the music industry, and the RIAA eventually shut down the party. Now, Napster’s founder, Shawn Fanning, wants to get people back together, this time in a massive gaming forum that is supposed to improve on a World of Warcraft interactive element he believes is broken.
The idea stems from Fanning’s own disgust with the lack of cohesive social environment in the online phenomenon. Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft has raked in about 7.5 million visitors, making the land of Azeroth a very busy place.
Those breaking down Fanning’s idea have called it a “MySpace for Warcraft”. Although Blizzard (makers of games like Warcraft I, II, III, Diablo, and Starcraft) are remaining mum on the topic, Fanning wants to pull statistics from the online game to his site, where users can boast the strength of their character. That level fifty orc sure will bring in the ladies.
Fanning is tentatively calling the idea “Rupture”. It will also feature instant messaging abilities, meaning the site could suck at the teet of a whole range of different popular internet trends.
It’s an interesting idea, and credit to the popularity of WoW that just a concept of this sort could drum up such attention.
Published Sunday, December 03, 2006 10:39 PM by Brando
Source: Gamespot
www.gamespot.com/news/6162588.html
Napster founder targets WOW for next project
Shawn Fanning to build virtual online community for online gamers; Blizzard's World of Warcraft to be first featured game.
By Tim Surette, GameSpot
Posted Dec 1, 2006 1:53 pm PT
Shawn Fanning started a digital phenomenon when he built Napster, one of the original peer-to-peer file-sharing programs released on the Internet. Now Fanning is looking at another phenomenon, Blizzard Entertainment's massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft, for his next project.
BusinessWeek Online is reporting that Fanning is planning to introduce Rupture, "a virtual social community for online gamers," sometime in the near future. The idea reportedly stemmed from Fanning's own troubles with communicating with other World of Warcraft players.
The MySpace for Azeroth will pull data directly from WOW and publish stats and information on a personalized page. Gamers will also be able to instant message while playing, as well as track the progress of their guilds and organize playing time with their online buddies.
Rupture will rely on ads for revenue and also focus on exchanging info on gamers' real lives, should they have one. WOW is the first game on the plate for Rupture, but no other titles have yet been mentioned.
Blizzard was unavailable for comment as of press time.
This isn't the first online community site planned around World of Warcraft. In July, an online dating site titled "World of Datecraft" invited night elves and others to mingle and find matches for some offline romance. The site has since been taken down.
Shawn Fanning to build virtual online community for online gamers; Blizzard's World of Warcraft to be first featured game.
By Tim Surette, GameSpot
Posted Dec 1, 2006 1:53 pm PT
Shawn Fanning started a digital phenomenon when he built Napster, one of the original peer-to-peer file-sharing programs released on the Internet. Now Fanning is looking at another phenomenon, Blizzard Entertainment's massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft, for his next project.
BusinessWeek Online is reporting that Fanning is planning to introduce Rupture, "a virtual social community for online gamers," sometime in the near future. The idea reportedly stemmed from Fanning's own troubles with communicating with other World of Warcraft players.
The MySpace for Azeroth will pull data directly from WOW and publish stats and information on a personalized page. Gamers will also be able to instant message while playing, as well as track the progress of their guilds and organize playing time with their online buddies.
Rupture will rely on ads for revenue and also focus on exchanging info on gamers' real lives, should they have one. WOW is the first game on the plate for Rupture, but no other titles have yet been mentioned.
Blizzard was unavailable for comment as of press time.
This isn't the first online community site planned around World of Warcraft. In July, an online dating site titled "World of Datecraft" invited night elves and others to mingle and find matches for some offline romance. The site has since been taken down.
