evergreen
The Game Archaeologist: SOE’s many MMO spin-off digital card games
One thing that I deeply admired about old Sony Online Entertainment was that it strove to experiment, innovate, and take risks. Sometimes those special...
Vague Patch Notes: MMOs are useless, and that’s completely fine
When you play an MMO, you are developing a skill. That skill is playing that MMO. It's not a skill with a great deal...
Perfect Ten: MMO character customization options that don’t get enough love
There are two types of people in the world: those who can't get through the character creation menu fast enough to start playing "LordBladezz"...
The Game Archaeologist: Jeff Butler on EverQuest, EverQuest Next, and Vanguard
As an MMO historian, I have to applaud the work of former SOE developer Shawn Lord in his huge interview series with the people...
Vague Patch Notes: Why the depth of an MMORPG’s world matters
The world doesn't need first impressions from me when it comes to Elyon. Why not? Well, for one thing, basically anything and everything I would have...
Perfect Ten: 10 MMOs that waved goodbye without ever making it to launch
If you've somehow missed this fact, then I hate to be the one to inform you of it, but it's time you learned: MMOs...
Wisdom of Nym: Final Fantasy XIV’s cash shop and the existential horror of monetization
The fact that there's a cash shop in Final Fantasy XIV is something that is absolutely impossible to discuss in a value-neutral fashion. Simply...
LOTRO Legendarium: Why Lord of the Rings Online is worth playing in 2021
It has come to my attention that there are more MMO nomads than normal this summer who are casting about for a new game...
Perfect Ten: My top 10 MMO pet peeves
In general, I try to be an optimistic fellow. When it comes to MMO gaming -- you know, that hobby we apparently love and...
Perfect Ten: MMORPGs that would actually benefit from a Classic server
Here's the thing about having a classic server for a lot of MMORPGs: It doesn't actually do much. In order for a classic server...
Wisdom of Nym: A letter to new players and old hands in Final Fantasy XIV
The population surge in Final Fantasy XIV must be stopping. It absolutely must be nearly over at this point or already over. It absolutely...
The Game Archaeologist: Defining the eras of MMORPG history
With MMO history stretching back to the early 1980s (and even before), this genre has accumulated a whole lot of history over the years....
Perfect Ten: The top 10 non-traditional MMO fantasy races
Elves. Dwarves. Humans. Halflings. Gnomes. Hobbits. Dark elves. High elves. Half-elves. Wood elves. Keebler elves. Elvish impersonators.
Are you as tired as I am of...
LOTRO Legendarium: 10 features that would make LOTRO even more fun
For me, it's been a great month of easing back into Lord of the Rings Online after taking a sabbatical from Middle-earth. With the...
Perfect Ten: The 10 stages of returning to an old favorite MMO
In my illustrious career of sitting on my butt and mashing the 1-4 buttons over and over, I've returned to many MMOs like an...
Casually Classic: Why it’s so good to Zangarmarsh and chill in WoW Classic
Burning Crusade's Outland shows all the hallmarks of being a playground for developers to flex and try new things. I always was amused at...
Vague Patch Notes: Hating an MMO isn’t the same as having a personality
There was a friend I had at one point who had a particularly annoying habit. Whenever I would bring up something obnoxious that was...
Perfect Ten: MMOs with the noisiest fanbases
In my particular neck of the woods, there are a lot of big fans of the Boston Red Sox. There's also something of a...
Lawful Neutral: Defining toxicity in the MMO industry
One of my earliest memories from World of Warcraft isn't really a positive one. It was in back in the Wrath days. My guild...
The Game Archaeologist: Why 2008 was one of the wildest years for MMORPGs
In the relatively short history of MMORPGs so far, there have been a few years that I would say were watershed moments for the...
