December’s many article roundups and awards always remind us that it’s hard to remember what happened last month, let alone what happened way back at the beginning, so this year (as in 2015Â and 2016), we decided to poke through our MMO coverage, month by month, to hit the highlights and frame our journey before we launch into 2018.
If you were still reeling from the devastating loss of EverQuest Next in 2016, the announcement in January of this year that Landmark was being kicked the curb too was salt in the wound. In fact, the beginning of 2017 was a dark spot for MMOs, with Firefall in limbo, Marvel Heroes rolling out an unwelcome patch, The Repopulation being sold to the company that almost snuffed it out, and the Asheron’s Call series on the chopping block. Even Nostalrius had regrets! We did, however, see the launch of Conan Exiles and get our first whisper of Elder Scrolls Online’s Morrowind.
Read on for the whole list from January of this past year.
TOP NEWS STORIES OF JANUARY 2017
Why and how Warhammer Online failed
Gamers resurrect LEGO Universe as Darkflame Universe with January alpha
Rumor: Moonlight Blade is heading for the west
Video game voice actor strike continues, union claims it could aid developers
Watch the recording of the Tolkien Professor’s inaugural LOTRO lecture
New Nostalrius PvP server goes live this weekend
Rumor: Elder Scrolls Online players datamine map of Morrowind’s Vvardenfell, hint at DLC
Landmark is shutting down on February 21
Firefall: The dead game that won’t die
Dave Georgeson offers players encouragement on Landmark shutdown
2001’s Battleground Europe plans Steam debut this summer
The New York Times declares it’s ‘time for a reality check for virtual reality’
The struggles and successes of SWTOR
MMOs Chronicles of Elyria, Dual Universe, and AQ3D were among top crowdfunded games of 2016
Tibia celebrates its 20th birthday
Standing Stone on LOTRO’s 10th anniversary, Mordor expansion, and studio move
Check out one of the oldest Asheron’s Call players… in all senses of the word
The $2B ZeniMax Oculus Rift trial begins
Recapping Crowfall’s equity investment Q&A
Ashes of Creation unloads 25-minute Q&A video
HeroWarz plans a year-long shutdown
The Repopulation will relaunch in Q1 2017, now owned by Idea Fabrik
Nostalrius has decided handing its WoW emu code to Elysium wasn’t such a good idea after all
Pathfinder Online in talks with anonymous ‘game agency’ for further development
The Repopulation’s new owners say pay-to-win is off the table
Asheron’s Call player preserves 50 towns in videos
Atlas Reactor launches its fully free-to-play patch with a new freelancer
Black Desert introduces the family fame system with today’s patch
Watch EVE Online’s dev history, in a mesmerizing timelapse video
Blizzard defeats Bossland bot-maker in German supreme court ruling
Wizards of the Coast forms new digital games studio led by Jeffrey Steefel
Marvel Heroes: ‘Biggest update ever’ is underway this afternoon
Pokémon Go made $950 million in 2016, but players aren’t walking as much
SWTOR launches 5.1 Defend the Throne with new trailer
Daybreak: ‘We have not given up’ on H1Z1’s console launch
MMORPG developers, GDC organizers speak out against US ‘Muslim ban’
Conan Exiles has formally launched early access with mixed reviews and new trailer
Elder Scrolls Online announces full-fledged Morrowind expansion for June 6
Massively OP comment system switchover FAQ
FAVORITE EDITORIALS OF JANUARY 2017
Guild Chat: Reflecting on 2016’s MMO guild issues and commenter advice
WoW Factor: A wishlist for 2017 in World of Warcraft
Wisdom of Nym: Final Fantasy XIV and the ever-shifting landscape of class imagery
Choose My Adventure: Preparing to re-enter Lord of the Rings Online
Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR predictions for 2017
Chaos Theory: The Secret World says sayonara to 2016
Hi-Rez Expo 2017: Hands-on with online card game SMITE Rivals
The Game Archaeologist: Hero’s Journey
Leaderboard: Which Daybreak MMO is most vulnerable in 2017?
Flameseeker Chronicles: Ten things I’d forgotten from Guild Wars 2’s Living World Season 1
Jukebox Heroes: Six MMOs that need official soundtrack releases
Tamriel Infinium: Elder Scrolls Online’s Homestead player housing blew my mind
Choose My Adventure: Starting my journey in Lord of the Rings Online
EverQuesting: The loss of Landmark
WoW Factor: New classes in a post-Legion world
One Shots: Tabula Rasa’s 21-gun salute
Guild Chat: Balancing real life and MMORPG commitments
MMO lockboxes, keys, and booster packs: Gambling or gaming?
Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR Creative director discusses a ‘new adversary’
Perfect Ten: The MMOs with the most unclear futures in 2017
Choose My Adventure: The most depressing road trip in Lord of the Rings Online
Massively Overthinking: The future of a global MMORPG industry
Massively OP Interview: Standing Stone on LOTRO, DDO, and Daybreak
Examining the potential for exercise and exploration in Pokemon GO
Massively OP Interview: Exploring LOTRO with the Tolkien Professor
Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR’s Creative Director on Uprisings and Update 5.1
Wisdom of Nym: First impressions of Final Fantasy XIV’s patch 3.5, part one
The Daily Grind: Have you ever participated in a protest in an MMORPG?
Flameseeker Chronicles: A guide to Forsaken Thicket, Guild Wars 2’s first raid
In appreciation for Dereth: The life and times of Asheron’s Call
Perfect Ten: MMORPGs that walk on the weird side
Massively Overthinking: Death and dying in MMORPGs
WoW Factor: The state of professions in Legion
In appreciation for post-apoc Dereth: The life and times of Asheron’s Call 2
Ten life lessons I learned from the Asheron’s Call series
ALL 2017 MONTH-IN-REVIEW POSTS TO-DATE
MMO Year in Review: Landmark is wiped off the map (January 2017)
MMO Year in Review: A home of your own in Elder Scrolls Online’s Tamriel (February 2017)
MMO Year in Review: City of Heroes necromancy in Master X Master (March 2017)
MMO Year in Review: Ship of Heroes abandons Kickstarter (April 2017)
MMO Year in Review: Ashes of Creation vs. Wild West Online (May 2017)
MMO Year in Review: Morrowind, Stormblood, and Secret World Legends (June 2017)
MMO Year in Review: July was the high mark of the year for MMORPGs (July 2017)
MMO Year in Review: Johnny Depp + Secret World = profit? (August 2017)
MMO Year in Review: Expansion 2 for Guild Wars 2 (September 2017)
MMO Year in Review: Lockboxes, CCP, and Destiny 2 (October 2017)
MMO Year in Review: WoW Classic and the doom of Marvel Heroes (November 2017)
MMO Year in Review: Star Citizen’s alpha 3.0 finally arrives (December 2017)
