Columns

Enjoy a run-down of our recent long-form pieces, both game-specific and more general. You might also be interested in our list of all of our columns and recurring articles. [Follow this category’s RSS feed]

One Shots: The Sunset Club

52
WildStar is about to be inducted into the worst club there is in the gaming world -- the club whose only requirements is that...
The core here is so hard.

The Daily Grind: What’s a hardcore MMO to you?

36
Sometimes we have ads that get me thinking. Case in point, the most recent ad on our site for the upcoming Lineage 2 classic...

LOTRO Legendarium: Future classes, business models, and direction

23
For any MMORPG fan, the future often weighs heavily upon the mind. We get excited about what secrets might be in development. We wonder...
Drift-slidin' away.

Betawatch: Worlds Adrift gets a new experience for PvE and tutorials

2
Are you a fan of Worlds Adrift but hate having any PvP in your mixture? Good news, then, you can go check out the...

Chaos Theory: The rosy side of the Secret World Legends’ less-than-ideal scenario situation

15
Do you know that feeling of anticipation? That's what I'd felt when I was given the heads-up at DragonCon that Secret World Legends was finally...
I'm important!

Vague Patch Notes: Trickle-down metagames in MMORPGs

4
A while back, there was an interesting set of data coming out of a discussion about Overwatch. The discussion was about the concept of...

The Daily Grind: How fast do you consume patch content in MMOs?

16
I do the exact same stupid trick every time there's a patch for Final Fantasy XIV. I play the heck out of it in...

Hyperspace Beacon: What will we see on SWTOR’s ‘ancient Jedi world’?

16
Producer Keith Kanneg wrote, "[T]he next phase of the SWTOR storyline will kick off with a bang on the ancient Jedi world." Let's look at the clues that let us know exactly which Jedi world that is, why I am excited to see that world, and what we will likely see on that planet. I don't think I have to mention it at this point, but I will: Possible spoilers ahead, but only if I am right.

Perfect Ten: My favorite WildStar memories

17
As I grow older, I start to worry about the loss of memories that are precious to me. I already joke that I'm pretty...

Flameseeker Chronicles: First impressions of Guild Wars 2’s A Star to Guide Us

9
We've had just enough time to digest that epic trailer, and now A Star to Guide Us is live. This is the fourth episode...
Sing a song of madness.

Wisdom of Nym: Picking apart Final Fantasy XIV’s patch 4.4 notes

2
Now we enter the descending period of Stormblood. This isn't exactly a bad thing or a problem or anything; it's just the way things...

EVE Evolved: Two ways that EVE Online’s monetisation could be expanded under Pearl Abyss

26
When Pearl Abyss bought out CCP Games last week, the overwhelming message to EVE Online players was that it would be business as usual...

One Shots: Gung-ho Gandalf

25
It's one thing to get a stern talking-to, even when you deserve it. It's another thing when that lecture comes from a gruff angel-wizard...
cat, i'm a kitty cat, and i dance dance dance and i dance dance dance

The Daily Grind: Are guilds important to your MMO experience?

32
There was a time in MMO history when a guild was more or less a requirement to do much of what you would want...

The Game Archaeologist: City of Heroes moves into the Paragon Studios era

13
As we move into the fourth of five installments in the history, development, and downfall of City of Heroes, you may be wondering why...
It couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of of theoretical games.

Betawatch: Star Citizen wants you to mine rocks and buy another concept ship

31
What do you know, there's another concept ship for sale over in Star Citizen. And it's relentlessly specialized in one specific field, making it...
Sorry, guy.

Vague Patch Notes: WildStar deserves its shutdown, even though we loved it

28
Last week, when we heard that WildStar was being shut down, I penned a truthful, heartfelt eulogy for the game as it could've been....
No need to whale about it.

Massively on the Go: Our guide to legendary and EX raiding in Pokemon Go

0
It's a bit odd to say this about a Pokemon game, but raiding in Pokemon Go is kind of a big deal. Multiplayer has always been...
Weird dog.

The Daily Grind: Which MMO gives the best experience with the least time to play?

41
We are a long way removed from the days of Final Fantasy XI, a game where you would not even consider leveling if you...
I'm definitely an elf!

Perfect Ten: My favorite MMORPG names

17
Stuff in MMOs has names. That's... like, a defining feature. We all know that. These games have titles, and they have expansions, and they...