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Interview With Sundog of Radio Free Zion
RosethornKB writes "KillerBetties.com has an interview with Sundog of Radio Free Zion, an internet broadcast whose purpose is to entertain players of The Matrix Online and will broadcast live events when the game goes live. From the article: "Rosethorn: How will you manage multiple server coverage?
Sundog: We are trying to develop enough of a following in beta to allow us to support a different stream for each server, with its own DJs and coverage. So far, the community has been wonderfully supportive of what we are trying to do and hopefully that will translate into the right numbers to allow us to expand that much when the game goes fully live this spring.""
it reads more like a FAQ
Now, this is awesome, one can listen to live broadcats from work, stregthening addiction more than ever.
:)
Now if only they did WoW too
-- no, im not german
-- Technology for the sake of technology is as pathetic as eschewing technology because it's technology.
The guy does have a point - communities are important in MM online games. I'm not sure music is the right way to bring everyone together (he identified the issue of people having different music tastes...). I know I'm quite picky about my music and I'd rather listen to things I enjoy. ...but having some kind of server-specific radio station talking about recent server events, or organizing current events would be quite cool.
I store my recipes online (the way nature intended)
Not a bad interview...
I havent *actually *listened** to RFZ, but have heard it is relatively good...
I enjoyed the matrix movies, as well as the matrix music and so on that goes worth it.
I wander when the time will come that radio streams will overtake traditional FM radio in lister quantity... Can it happen?
Novel idea, maybe it'll pay off in non obvious ways.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
so if he starts talking about "freeing ones-self" will the Matrix Online FCC take away his digital broadcasting license? or will his co-workers turn into agents and kill him?
Maybe I just woke up extra cynical today, which you wouldn't think possible.
--- Ban humanity.
Justice Radio has been doing pretty much the same in City of Heroes, specifically for the Justice server (funny that).
---- Take the Space Quiz!
FWIW, there are already radio stations for other MMORPGs. The one that comes to mind is GridStream productions http://gridstream.org/ for Anarchy Online.
Live audio with Shoutcast/Icecast is a great idea, but don't spoil my ping times with it (guess what *I* play).
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur
How long before the Sentinels detect his signal and rip him into itty bits?
I was reading this with the thought, "After the last two movies flopped or were generally panned, why are they doing this?" The other thought that I had was, "isn't the MMORPG market over-saturated as it is?"
It seems that this is going to be a huge flop because of these two facts. Are we entering the age of horrible movie tie-in MMORPGs? Remember the last Matrix related game? It was pretty much running through hallways with 200+ pages of dialog.
Ah, another Games article by RosethornKB, the Roland Piquepaille of the Games section.
At least Killer Betties doesn't have ads, so I suppose it isn't as bad. And the content is actually original. (I think.)
But still - we're seeing a lot of links there...
Imagine the next version of Grand Theft Audio having streaming audio for network-enabled PS2s. That way you woulnd't get sick of the same stations over and over while looking for spray tags, etc. Covering events in the game would be optional, but it does happen in San Andreas. You will hear scripted news reports after certain missions, giving it a nice touch.
How long will it take this game to be as big a flop as the last two movies in the trilogy were...
Just spin another corporate record, monkey-boy. And know that the ability of talking your blather over a song just until the vocals start is the most useless skill known to humanity.
Well, back to my MP3 harvesting.
--- Ban humanity.
Both beta testers said they were deeply hurt when they realized that they were not in fact playing an online demo of TRON 2.0.
If you don't know what AltaVista is (was), get off my lawn.
MMOG's have had radio stations dating back to the heyday of Ultima Online.
Gridstream Productions of Anarchy Online (www.gridstream.org) is by far the biggest and most successful MMOG radio station out there. Daily live DJ parties, constant music, and special events on the weekends... you name it, GSP has done it. Pretty much everyone who's played AO for longer than 2-3 months has heard of GSP or is an active listener. GSP has crashed entire zones of the world with thier parties. They take care of the musical genre problem by having a variety of DJ's who all have slightly different musical tastes. If you don't like the music one night, tune in another to see if you like the music then.
Slightly OT... But does anybody know what Radio Free is? There seems to be a lot of mention of the phrase, but I can't seem to type the right thing into google... radio free this, radio free that, what does it actually mean? free radio?
I mean wasn't the point of the movie that we're already in one?
I used to broadcast a radio station for one of the in-game clubs for Anarchy Online when it first came out. It really helped build the community and immerse people in the club atmosphere.
We used to have dance competitions (as you could macro together different animations to create complex dance routines) and theme nights. Hell, I spent more time in the club playing music than I did out in the world on the level treadmill. Also I would do things like play "Bad Boys" when a group would walk in wearing cop armor.
Hopefully it will work out well for those Matrix inhabitants. My advice is tie it into the game world as much as possible. Set up a place in game to function as the radio station and have events. Radio "call-in" contests giving away in-game items might be cool to do. Things like that...
Sorry, OT. But still.
must... stay... awake...
Good for you! I am SICK and TIRED of people making fun of our President, George Bush, in the media. He is making bold, tough decisions, and that is bound to generate criticism but it has gone too far!
George Bush is a GREAT man and a GREAT President who needs the support of ALL his constituents now that the election is over.
When I hear a joke like that on radio and TV, I not only stop watching that program but also take not of all the advertisers/sponsors of that program - and then I never buy those products/services again.
The election is over, folks. Lets rally behind a great man.
What really blows my mind is when I hear a Christian criticize Bush... I want to slap them and say "Oh so you like anal sex and killing babies, huh???"
MMOG's have had radio stations dating back to the heyday of Ultima Online.
And prior to that, DIKU MUDs had Music channels.
(..what?)
For the record, I myself am one of those Godless liberals GWB dislikes so much, but I do recognise that people have a right to their history and have a right not to have the names of their sacred objects abused. And Zion is a name of deep resonance in our culture, whether it is part of the demand for a Jewish homeland or whether it is referred to in Milton or the Requiem Mass. Nowadays, we are just getting to be culturally sensitive enough not to use the word Mecca out of context, and I doubt if the makers of the Matrix would have been stupid enough to do that. Or that they would have called their holdout The Vatican. Or Canterbury Cathedral. Or...I hope you get my drift.
But then, the people who made the film obviously don't even know what Matrix actually means. Goodbye Western culture, it was nice having you.
Panurge has posted for the last time. Thanks for the positive moderations.
Did anyone video capture this? It sounds funny. :) I know they exist for SW:G and WoW games.
Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
In the UK we have "Mecca Bingo".
With stupid, annoying TV adverts of women screaming when they win, and how smart and trendy Bingo players are.
(>;-(
How do they pay for the music they publish? Do they have any license, or are they just broadcasting to their audience, increasing MO sales, without any compensation? Did they even buy the copies they're streaming, or just download pirated MP3s? Do the copyright owners know or care? What does the RIAA have to say about it, that might possibly be right? Even when RFZ produces their own business model, will it include compensation for the music makers, so the business is sustainable?
--
make install -not war
I think you need to look up the word "troll" in the context of the Internet. Nothing you have lebelled a troll has been a troll. One was misplaced sarcasm and the other was a mere quip.
--- Ban humanity.
Unfortunately the variety of music they play is horrid and the people who run it are arrogant pricks.
- Zion - Digital Man, from Signals
- Radio - Spirit of Radio, from Permanent Waves
- Free - Free Will, from Permanent Waves
- Sundog - Chain Lightning, from Presto
NicholasI've seen a few others mentioned it but need to stress the point that this is not a new concept. GridStream Productions (http://www.gridstream.org) has been around for years within Anarchy Online. They have been featured in PCGamer and also on Tech TV. They've been by far the most successful MMORPG radio station of it's kind. Many other games have stations as well.. City of Heroes, Star Wars, etc. I wish this station, as to all others the best of luck.
"We try and cover as wide a spectrum as our Matrix Online community covers - mostly, we play a mix of rock and techno."
While this isn't too surprising due to the nature of the game, it sounds like a slight against the players.
Lets just think... thousands of players immersed in a virtual world and DJs keeping a virtual radio station 24/7 for them, talking about virtual events in that world - this surely is a new frontier of insanity.
Which website did you copy that from?
Really, if you read comments on websites enough, you really begin to feel sad. At least you can laugh about it here on Slashdot.
The Sims Online had several radio stations. They were for the most part very organized and did "live" brodcasts within the game, they had trivia contest, interviews, etc. I created some t-shirts for one of the stations --it was a legit real world station with its own call letters. One night a week the station was also played at a real life bar. I can't help but wonder what the folks at the bar thought of the DJ shouting out to the people in Calvin's Creek or of invites to use the dance cages at Angel's House, etc. A co-worker of mine also tells me that Quake had Shoutcast. In short, this is not a new idea, nor will it be enough to "save" a game if the game itself isn't compelling to players (we all know how well The Sims Online has fared).
~Fricka
OffLineTshirts.com
nT