There was a phase our genre went through about five or so years ago when every new MMO – even the ones that most people would’ve agreed were pretty standard MMORPGs – were trying to rebrand themselves with brand-new acronyms and genres. It wasn’t a new trend, of course; ArenaNet tried it with CORPG (competitive online roleplaying game) back in the aughts, but it really peaked a few years ago. We had a game use MEOW (multiplayer evolving online world), MMOSSL (massively multiplayer online shooter slash loot game), OTWG (online throne war game), and most recently, MSARPG (multiplayer survival action roleplaying game).
I tend to let MMOFPS and MMOARPG and MMOARG slide because those really do feel more like hybrid genres than like an attempt to weasel out of calling a game an MMO. But some of these others… I wish they’d just stop.
What’s the goofiest not-an-MMO acronym you’ve seen an MMO try to adopt – and what should it be using instead?
Every morning, the Massively Overpowered writers team up with mascot Mo to ask MMORPG players pointed questions about the massively multiplayer online roleplaying genre. Grab a mug of your preferred beverage and take a stab at answering the question posed in today’s Daily Grind!
