MMO blogger Digital Visceral asked the question, “Where have all the good MMORPGs gone?” but the underlying question isn’t one of scarcity or burnout. Rather, it’s a search for new games to fill the still-burning desire to play online games in an era that seems more hesitant than ever to make them.
“It’s easy to see that the genre is in a rut,” the author writes. “And until we see new MMORPGs that build on the foundations of their progenitors, embrace new technology, and retool their formulas in-line with market trends, I expect it to stay that way.”
Many Welps: My Entropia Universe project begins
“Yes you read that right: Entropia Universe. That game with the real cash economy that you probably last saw an ad for in, like, 2010. It’s one of those games that get’ an article someone making six figures selling virtual property every once and a while and then goes back to the niche corner it’s been hiding in. The game I lovingly refer to as the Flea Market of MMOs. I have a long and storied history with Entropia Universe and I’ve never played it.”
Gamer Reverie: LOTRO guides and resources
“Not sure where to find information about something in Lord of the Rings Online? Something more advanced than Learning LOTRO has covered so far? I got you. Here’s a brief collection of helpful links to guides and resources on various topics from our amazing game community! There are probably a lot more, but I stuck with some basics compiled with the help of a kinmate.”
24 Hours In: You all meet in a tavern…
“I’ve written before about the sometimes baffling structure of questing in DDO. Unlike most MMOs which lead the player from one quest hub to the next the adventurer in DDO arrives in Stormreach and… stays there. The city is a one big hub, or rather a series of connected hubs, and finding something to do that’s on-level isn’t always easy.”
MMO Juggler: Champion points in Elder Scrolls Online
“Well, I finally did it. Got to level 50 in ESO! Now I switch over from gaining levels to gaining Champion Points instead. I’ve read about this system, and the UESP link has a lot of info, but there is nothing like experiencing it first hand. Next goal: CP 160.”
Priest With a Cause: Burning Crusade Classic, yay, I guess?
“It was just a matter of getting the details, most importantly the actual launch date – and that we didn’t get. On the one hand I’m a bit disappointed because I was really hoping to be able to book time off work soon (hah), but on the other hand Blizzard not wanting to commit to a date yet implies to me that the rumours about an early summer launch may well turn out to have been overly optimistic, and that wouldn’t be an entirely bad thing for me as it would give my guild more time to clear (and re-clear) Naxx.”
Leo’s Life: End of the road for Anthem
“Anthem is a failure of BioWare management, full stop. The devs built some spectacular systems, and as a proof of concept, Anthem just knocks it out of the park. When taken as a whole, that’s where the game fails, and that is entirely at the feet of the directors. ”
Every day there are tons of terrific, insightful, and unusual articles posted across the MMO gaming blogosphere — and every day, Justin reads as many as he can. Global Chat is a sampling of noteworthy essays, rants, and guides from the past few weeks of MMO discourse.
