Anthropomorphic Influences

It's well known that fans of anthropomorphic characters, aka "Furries" have been a part of Second Life about since it started. But they're also a part of many games. "World of Warcraft," the old powerhouse of MMOs, had a few anthro races. "Skyrim" has two. And more. Mods of popular games allow you more options at playing a nonhuman character. Nydia Tungsten recently had a few things to say about the issue.

Read Nydia's story in Other Grids, MMOs, and Games.

Elder Scrolls Skyrim

Skyrim is not a new game. It was first sold eight years ago. It wasn't perfect, having a few glitches and bugs. But it quickly developed a devoted fanbase who would play the game again and again. Among them is Nydia Tungsten. In her return to the Newser, she writes about why she still plays the game occasionally.

Read more in Other Grids, MMOs, and Games.

Gaming News: Steam Suddenly Ending Modder Payment System, WoW Numbers Drop, A Cheater's Public End

There's been some interesting gaming news lately. The latest numbers of World of Warcraft are out. Guild Wars 2 got the attention of gamers from all around when a cheater people complained about on the forum had a youtube of his fate posted there. And we finally look into Steam's payment system for those wanting to make mods for the still popular Skyrim game, which was taken down after only for days. One of the problems with it, some brought up, was how Skyrim's modders were being treated by the game's creators.

Read more in Other Grids and MMOs.

Elder Scrolls Online to Drop Subscription Fees

Almost a year ago, we reviewed the "Elder Scrolls Online" MMO, based on the story universe of "Skyrim." A year later, they will be dropping the requirement to pay subscription fees every month or so. It won't be a true "Free to Play," as like games such as Guild Wars 2, you need to buy it. But once you make the initial purchase, that's all you need. The change will be part of their upcoming expansion, "Tamriel Unlimited," on March 17. Unlike many MMOs, the game will also be available for Apple computers. In June, the game will also be out for the XBox and Playstation.

Players with subscriptions beyond March 17 will find their memberships changed to a Premium account, or "ESO Plus." Such accounts will have access to zones and quests regular ones do not, as well as "character progression bonuses," plus an income of "crowns," an in-game currency to spend at the game store on items like mounts.

The change to a pay-once-to-play MMO did not come as a surprise to Andy Chalk of PC Gamer, "this is an entirely unsurprising outcome. There are plenty of quality free-to-play MMO options already on the market. ... I don't think The Elder Scrolls Online was ever able to shed its reputation for being over-hyped and under-delivered, and generic fantasy MMO experiences just aren't enough to justify 15 bucks a month in this era." It was also noted that the game's price of $60 will be unchanged, "Add on the cost of future game packs, mounts, and whatever else catches your fancy, and I can't help but wonder if even the sub-free version of the game might be a little too pricey for its own good." Nydia's review of last year's beta stated that some of the bugs had yet to be worked out. In the opinion of this writer, it appears other gamers concluded the same and the game got off to a bad start, or it continued to underwhelm gamers whom had high expectations from the makers of Skyrim. 

Sources: PC Gamer, elderscrollsonline.com 

Bixyl Shuftan

Skyrim-Inspired Sim and Builder Merceal Smythe

With all the attention over the Skyrim video game a few months ago, it's no surprise someone would be inspired to make a place much like it in Second Life. Recently, MistressBubbles Bondar got in contact with SL Newser to show off one in progress. As the discussion went on, it became about more than just this sim, but also about the builder behind it and some of the points about making a roleplay sim.

Read more in Places.

Upcoming Article

SL Newser got in touch with a builder creating a sim based on the "Skyrim" video game. The article is still in progress, so stay tuned.

Review of Skyrim

There's been a bit of talk about one game that has some elements of a MMO, but is really a single player game, and is billed as the cutting edge of gaming today: Skyrim. Actually the fifth game in a series, Xymbers Slade took a look at it to see if it lives up to the hype.

Read more in Extra.