evergreen
Perfect Ten: 10 notable MMO developers that shut their doors
When En Masse Entertainment announced that it would be closing its doors this fall, we here at Massively OP came to the realization that...
Not So Massively: Reflections on Blizzard, one year after the Hong Kong fiasco
Almost exactly a year ago, I declared that the Blizzard I loved is dead, in reaction to the Blitzchung/Hearthstone/Hong Kong fiasco.
Twelve months later, that...
WoW Factor: The problem with World of Warcraft’s storytelling
Back a long while ago, when I reviewed the prequel novel for World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, I noted that my general policy has been to...
Perfect Ten: What gamers need to understand about MMO mages
So the first two times I tackled this type of topic for the Perfect Ten column here on Massively OP, I had the advantage...
Massively Overthinking: Are isometric MMOs more or less immersive than 3-D?
I was chit-chatting with MOP reader (and prolific tipster!) Panagiotis the other day about Ultima Online's big news when he hit on a topic...
Vague Patch Notes: What we mean when we talk about MMO success – and failure
Yesterday, aside from love being such an easy game to play, MOP's Justin graced us with a Daily Grind asking about why it was RIFT...
Perfect Ten: 10 tools MMOs use to tell stories
While some players like to rebel against the notion that MMORPGs are storytelling experiencies, that narrative is exactly why I show up to these...
Not So Massively: The dos and don’ts of stealing from single-player games
In my last Not So Massively column, I looked at the right and wrong ways for other genres to steal from MMOs. But in...
The Game Archaeologist: The short ride of Auto Assault
When you think of post-apocalyptic video games, what comes to mind? Most likely it's a crawl through a bombed-out or zombiefied landscape as you...
Vague Patch Notes: Why stan an MMO with nothing to show for itself?
We need to talk about Star Citizen, folks. But maybe not in the way you might be thinking. Not about the game's development, which is...
Perfect Ten: Why do players keep playing MMOs they hate?
Hating your recreation is an oddly common hobby for a lot of people. It's not universal, of course, but after any given new game...
Jukebox Heroes: LOTRO’s Great Wedding soundtrack
One reason why I keep highlighting Lord of the Rings Online patch soundtracks in this space is that the studio actually makes an effort...
The Soapbox: The joys of MMO collecting
I’ve often sat and pondered exactly what it is that I enjoy about the MMO experience. After all, being educated about your own likes...
Perfect Ten: 10 amazing hidden quests in World of Warcraft
Finding quests in World of Warcraft is not exactly what you would call "difficult," as the game famously stuck giant floating exclamation marks over...
Not So Massively: The dos and don’ts of stealing from MMOs
Recently I played through the new PC port of the open world RPG Horizon Zero Dawn. While playing it, I was struck by how...
LOTRO Legendarium: The quiet consistency of Lord of the Rings Online
I want to start this LOTRO Legendarium column today by talking about, well, by talking about World of Warcraft. Like probably many of you,...
Massively Overthinking: Contemplating in-game advertising
Last week, EA announced that it would finally be removing all the in-game ads from UFC4 after a few days of intense complaining from...
Perfect Ten: How to speak with your family members about playing MMOs
The nice part about growing up with serious social awkwardness as "the weird one" in my family is that really, every strange fixation I...
Vague Patch Notes: Apple vs. Epic is not good vs. evil
So Epic has really gone all-in on fighting against Apple here, huh? The company is using Fortnite as a wedge in hopes of bringing down...
The Soapbox: Feeling the loss of an MMO community
Back in 2012, I was almost a year deep into Lord of the Rings Online and enjoying my time both in the game and...
