editorial
The Soapbox: Hoping for Amazon to succeed where Lord of the Rings Online failed
It's not often I really get excited about an upcoming MMORPG. Partly this is because of the industry slowing down, and partly this is...
Vague Patch Notes: Why live MMOs struggle to onboard new players
There are, at the time I write this, two basic approaches for getting new players up to speed in existing MMOs. Both of them...
MMO Burnout: Sinking boats (and sleeping with the fishes) in World of Warships
As they crept along at a mere 15 knots, the commander kept a close eye on the horizon. He signaled to turn the craft,...
Massively on the Go: Pokemon Go’s third anniversary report card
Well hey, it seems like it's another birthday for Pokemon Go, so you all know what we have for the anniversary party: another report card!...
Massively on the Go: First Impressions of Harry Potter Wizards Unite
I know I've given Niantic hell when it comes on iterating on its Ingress formula, especially in terms of Pokemon Go, but Harry Potter: Wizards Unite...
Vague Patch Notes: The curious case of the esports bubble
I've been thinking a lot about esports lately. This is not actually something IÂ like to think about, mind you; my general attitude toward esports...
Massively on the Go: Exploring Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge augmented reality game
I wasn't expecting to be very excited about the new Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge until I read there'd be an augmented reality game mixed in....
Vague Patch Notes: Don’t take it personal, it just ain’t your (MMO) story
Here's an interesting fact of trivia for you for today: I am pretty much clocked out when it comes to news about H1Z1. The game...
Vague Patch Notes: On fans and fanboys in MMORPGs
When you play Final Fantasy XIV, you are going to be stuck playing one of an assortment of jobs, with no actual customization to distinguish...
Vague Patch Notes: MMOs are not the same as your single-player games with servers
Recently, I've been trying to get into Bloodborne. This isn't a result of my disliking the Souls franchise as a whole, just that it's never...
Not So Massively: Yearning for an MMO future free of loot
Throughout all of the Drama over Anthem's loot issues, I've just been rolling my eyes. Not because I think Bioware screwed up -- arguably...
Vague Patch Notes: It’s all right for MMO studios to stop trying
Let me tell you about last year's NaNoWriMo project. If you've never taken part in National Novel Writing Month, it's a great reason to...
Vague Patch Notes: The community is and is not the MMO
The community is not the MMO. That should be obvious. There is a game to League of Legends that exists without any of the toxic...
Vague Patch Notes: The occupant’s dilemma in MMORPGs
This is the story of Stanley.
Stanley had a hobby, and that hobby was playing MMOs. Every day, he logged in to Final Fantasy XI, where...
Vague Patch Notes: Finding motivation within MMOs
Here's a fun question to ask yourself when you're doing basically anything in an MMO: Why am I doing this? It's usually at once...
Vague Patch Notes: The philosophy of challenge in MMOs
Today, I want to start thing off by talking about Final Fantasy. This is not entirely surprising. What may be surprising is that I'm talking about Final...
Vague Patch Notes: It’s not the MMO endgame – it’s the sudden stop at the end
When I first pitched the Vague Patch Notes that ran a couple weeks back, it prompted a big long discussion with MOP's editor Bree...
Vague Patch Notes: Online games are a marathon, but they still need to start running
One of those phrases we like to use a fair amount here is the fact that running an MMO is a marathon, not a...
Vague Patch Notes: On play conditioning and the lecture of experience in MMOs
Yes, it's another week in which we talk about abstract concepts that underpin the way we play video games, this time inspired by a...
The Soapbox: A pre-mortem for Star Wars The Old Republic, a game that never knew what it had
Would you believe that Star Wars: The Old Republic is shutting down? I'm going to bet that you could believe it, and I'm even going to bet...
