Generally used to describe MMOs from before World of Warcraft’s launch in 2004, though sometimes shortened to describe just the first few MMOs launched prior to 2000.
classic mmo
Richard Garriott on how players ‘destroyed’ Ultima Online’s ecology
With a couple of months to go before its official launch, Shroud of the Avatar has more than a few challenges to overcome to...
Massively Overthinking: Our MMO hopes and wishes for 2018
One of the frustrating bits about our end-of-the-year content rollouts is that sometimes predictions and story roundups can come across as negative. It’s way too easy...
Old School RuneScape starts its fifth anniversary with a world-spanning dragon quest
Believe it or not, but 2018 marks the fifth anniversary of the debut of Old School RuneScape, the 2007-era version of the MMO that...
Leaderboard: What’s the best classic MMORPG still running in 2017?
Those of you who've been following Massively OP for a while know that many our writers have a fondness for old MMORPGs - that's...
The most popular MMORPG conversations of 2017
Last week, we posted a rundown of the most popular MMORPG articles of 2017, calculated strictly by the number of pageviews they got. Today, we're going...
Battle Bards Episode 112: MMO minigame music
It’s time to take a diversion to play — and listen — to the minigames tucked inside of our MMOs! The Battle Bards haul...
MMO Year in Review: Expansion 2 for Guild Wars 2 (September 2017)
We’re taking a time-machine back through our MMO coverage, month by month, to hit the highlights and frame our journey before we head into...
The most popular Massively OP MMO articles of 2017
One of my favorite things to do every year is drill down the top articles on the site for our readers. I don't mean...
Jukebox Heroes: MMO carols for your gaming joy
If someone -- and we are not necessarily suggesting you -- were to create an MMO Christmas carol album, what songs would be included?...
The ultimate guide to The Game Archaeologist’s MMO archives
When we moved over here to Massively Overpowered, some of us transplanted our long-running columns to the new space. I perhaps felt most devastated...
Massively Overthinking: Our MMO predictions for 2018
With 2017 drawing to a close and 2018 rushing up to meet us, the Massively OP team has regrouped for another round of bold...
Dark Age of Camelot is developing a free-to-play option for 2018
While many MMO studios wait until January to release their year preview letters (and the lazy ones put it off until Ash Wednesday), Dark...
Funcom is launching a ‘saga server’ specialty shard for Age of Conan called Saga of Zath
So much for maintenance mode: It appears that Funcom has plans yet for Age of Conan, if the studio's email to players and post...
RuneScape winds down for Christmas, promises mobile talk in the new year
The RuneScape team is out of here, y'all. Turn the lights off, nobody's home.
Oh, they'll be back, it's just that Jagex is winding down...
Jukebox Heroes: The 2017 Online Video Game Music Awards
Oh, I can hear all of you out there, mewing with frustration that Massively OP hasn't yet announced the truly important awards yet this...
Anarchy Online might be considering a new fresh start server
Sometimes all it takes to light a fire under a gaming community is a simple poll.
Funcom sparked a bonfire of interest by asking fans...
The MOP Up: Wakfu climbs the Mineral Tower (December 17, 2017)
The MMO industry moves along at the speed of information, and sometimes we’re deluged with so much news here at Massively Overpowered that some...
Legends of Aria faces down closed beta testing
Ultima Online spiritual successor Legends of Aria is preparing to go through a major transition over the new year as it winds down its...
The Game Archaeologist: Revisiting the first three months of World of Warcraft
Were you there?
Many of us were. Many weren't. Either way, November 23rd, 2004 was a watershed date for the MMORPG industry and one watched...
MMOs you’ve never heard of: Rogalia, Lazarus, Dead Maze, We Ride, and SOS
Welcome back to our intermittent series on MMOs and other multiplayer games you you’ve never heard of! Let's run down five more floating to the...
