Massively Overthinking: Morality and compelling choices in MMOs
The most recent episode of The Psychology of Video Games podcast touches on a subject we don't tackle very much: moral choices. It's an...
Activision-Blizzard Q2 2019: Revenues dip again, WoW subs rise, expanded teams en route for Blizz
Remember in February when Activision-Blizzard posted record high financials but followed it up with a devastating round of layoffs? And then remember when the...
Q2 2019 financials: Nexon revenues dip as Netease sees international growth
Nexon's business has been under close scrutiny this year as its owners attempted a sale and then reorganized instead, prompting layoffs earlier this week and...
MMO Business Roundup: Riot’s diversity ‘progress’, NetEase’s esports arena, DayZ down under, and Twitch threats
Welcome back to another roundup of what's going on in the business of making online games! Let's start with the most controversial of the...
The ESA’s 2019 E3 journalist database breach wasn’t at all a one-time thing
Last weekend, we learned that the Electronic Software Association, the US's biggest video game lobby backed by some of the biggest companies in the...
The ESA says a crapton of game companies are finally embracing lockbox transparency
Under pressure from no less than the US Senate, the FTC held the first of its planned video game monetization workshops today, and while...
US Federal Trade Commission outlines the agenda for a lootbox-related workshop on August 7
Conversations, studies, and outright rancor over video game lockbox practices have caught the notice of several world governments as readers of MOP already know,...
Square-Enix Q1 2019 financials: Final Fantasy XIV helps drive revenue spike
One brings shadow, one brings the light, but Shadowbringers itself brings great financial results. The results for the first quarter of the financial year...
Working As Intended: We’re all full up on moral panics right now, but thanks
It's no great secret that MMORPG fans fall toward the middle of the age spectrum, given the history and peak of our genre. This...
Nexon’s PC and mobile consolidation ends up with employee layoffs after all
It looks as if rumored efforts to merge PC and mobile divisions weren't just rumors, and according to Gamasutra, the company has closed two...
The Daily Grind: Which MMORPG boasts the most outrageously oversized weapons?
Last week, an old friend of my family (who happens to be an amazing photographer) uploaded a fab shot of a statue of a...
Nexon aims to fully acquire Patrick Söderlund’s Embark Studios with a stock buyout
On the heels of multiple financial news bursts, Nexon has decided to spend money on a studio once again. This time the cash splash...
Roblox celebrates 100 million monthly users with a special shoulder accessory
We all know that Roblox is one of those games that no one seems to know anyone who's actively playing even as it keeps...
Researcher stomps the ‘lockboxes are Kinder Eggs’ defense into paste
Most if not all of us pretty much felt the same way Dr. Daniel King, senior research assistant from the School of Psychology at...
Make My MMO: City of Titans devs release lore novel, Ship of Heroes talks character creation beta
This week in MMO crowdfunding, Kickstarted City of Heroes spiritual successor City of Titans released a novel penned by Jack Snyder from Missing Worlds...
LOTRO Legendarium: A timeline of Lord of the Rings Online from 1994 to 2019
When I wrapped up writing my previous LOTRO column on the game's first year of live operation, I felt that I had left this...
NCsoft Q2 2019: Guild Wars 2 may be eyeing a mobile version (again)
Those with long memories might recall that way back in 2010 prior to Guild Wars 2's launch, ArenaNet made a (small) bit of noise...
The Daily Grind: Which MMORPG offers the best farming and gardening experience?
Not gonna lie, I really like farming in MMOs. No, not the grindy kind of farming, just the actual process of farming crops on...
Betawatch: Astellia has giveaways, features, and loyalty for its second beta
Gosh, Astellia is going hard on its beta testing, isn't it? Like, almost to a surprising degree. Sure, you sort of expect an overview...
Red Dead Online teases new roles as watchdog group questions Rockstar’s tax history
Red Dead Online has been a bit of a non-entity this year, contrary to our hopes anyway. The MMO-ish version of Red Dead Redemption...
