editorial
Vague Patch Notes: The many flavors of ‘boosting’ in the MMO genre
The other day MOP's Bree and I were having a discussion about boosting. This is not entirely unusual, but it was unusual insofar as...
Massively on the Go: Monster Hunter Rise’s Sunbreak expansion remains solid one month later
It's been about a month since Monster Hunter Rise’s expansion Sunbreak released, and I'm still enjoying myself. Personal issues exploded during release that prevented me from...
The Soapbox: Why diversifying your MMO gaming is the smart thing to do
Allow me to indulge in some retrospection for a moment as I sit back on my rocker, squint into the fading afternoon light, and...
Working As Intended: MMOs that wish they were Star Wars Galaxies
"My friends and I would skin someone alive for an SWG 2," an old Star Wars Galaxies player recently wrote on Reddit, and that...
Vague Patch Notes: Themepark MMOs need open spaces, too
Let me start off this particular column with a story about Star Wars: The Old Republic. I've mentioned before how this was a game...
The Soapbox: WoW’s talent trees don’t deserve your nostalgia
As World of Warcraft's Dragonflight expansion marches into alpha testing, we're getting more glimpses at its new/old talent system, which harkens back to the...
Vague Patch Notes: Yes, sandbox MMOs need tutorials and guidance, too
I'm going to make some sandbox fans a little miffed right here with my opening premise. Yes, your sandbox MMO needs tutorials and probably...
The Soapbox: Fallout 76 absolutely needs better social tools to thrive
Unpopular opinion time: I have to say that Fallout 76... is kind of a great game right now. I know that the launch and...
From the Depths: Fun World of Warships warships that actually existed
When World of Warships launched in 2015, the historical significance of the many ships researchable and purchasable within the game was taken into heavy...
Vague Patch Notes: A love letter to the people going above and beyond in the MMO genre
Let's just lead off with a very simple statement. Hey there, teams out there working on MMOs and doing more than you need to?...
Massively on the Go: Pokemon Go teases strong spotlights coming in July
Niantic has now released the July events for Pokemon GO and, so far, it's not exactly exciting. July Community Day is Starly, and as it's...
Massively on the Go: Pokemon Go’s Community Day is still more about catching than community
Pokemon GOÂ finally gave us a good pokemon to catch for Community Day, and I'm happy about that. Really. Had this been 2019, it could...
Vague Patch Notes: You are not immune to predatory monetization in MMOs
This week, I want to expand on something I mentioned in last week's Vague Patch Notes as an offhand thing that bears further examination....
Vague Patch Notes: Examples of predatory monetization in the MMO industry
So, if you've been paying attention to this column over the past few forevers, you will have no doubt noticed by this point that...
Design Mockument: Mocking up Final Fantasy XI-2
"Wait just one cotton-picking minute," you say. "Square-Enix is not hurting for another MMO after Final Fantasy XI. It has one. It's called Final Fantasy...
Massively on the Go: Pokemon Go Fest 2022 was not the worst Go Fest by a long shot
Let me start off by saying Go Fest 2022 was not perfect. We saw Pokemon learning moves they weren't supposed to, Flygon learning its...
Massively on the Go: Maybe it’s time Pokemon GO buddies get the Pikachu treatment
As we've been discussing over the last few weeks, Niantic's pursuit of forcing Pokemon Go players out into the world to generate salable data...
The Soapbox: Are modern games more disposable than ever?
Atlas Rogues went out not with a bang but a whimper. I forgot it even existed. And after it closes July 5th, it's gone....
MMO Burnout: Miss Heroes of Might and Magic? Try Songs of Conquest
If I were president of video games™, I'd make sure every computer has a copy of Heroes of Might and Magic 3 installed in it. And...
Vague Patch Notes: Mobile MMOs, free-to-play MMOs, and the path of microtransactions
When I first started playing Magic: the Gathering, Revised was the new hotness and I got used to the idea that Serra Angel was...
