for science
Can’t see the eclipse in person today? Here’s how to watch it with online with some gaming flair
As we noted on Friday, there's a major celestial event happening for North America today: A lot of you are about to see an...
NASA teams up with Epic’s Fortnite and Microsoft’s Minecraft to stream the April 8 solar eclipse
If you somehow don't know about the solar eclipse this coming Monday, then you're probably not in the US since that's all anyone here...
For Science: EVE Online’s Project Discovery initiative opens signups for mobile testing
At EVE Fanfest last fall, CCP Games announced that its latest Project Discovery push would essentially set EVE Online players to training AI in...
Vague Patch Notes: The limits of data in MMORPGs
Yesterday, I went on a rant about data. As you probably guessed from the various columns wherein I attempt to use data to analyze...
WoW Factor: Blizzard didn’t reveal World of Warcraft sub numbers – it drew a Mystery Line
It will not surprise anyone reading this to learn that there are things which upset me. This is just part of being a human...
GDC’s 2024 industry survey: Game devs weigh in on AI, layoffs, unionization, RTO, and more
Every year, GDC conducts an industry-wide survey of game developers and compiles the results in its State of the Game Industry, the 2024 edition...
Study finds social media game ads don’t properly disclose the existence of lockboxes and in-game purchases
A recent study conducted by legal expert and lockbox researcher Leon Y. Xiao has been completed and it finds that lockbox disclosures in social...
A look back at the MMO and gaming science topics of 2023
This month marks MOP's ninth consecutive year covering science-related news specific to MMORPGs and MMOs, but like last year, there wasn't nearly as much...
Video game trade association says most people want video games for Christmas, huh
When I asked my kids to write me out their Christmas wish lists this year, they both turned in lists with games and game...
What’s the most cost-effective inventory option in Lord of the Rings Online? One blogger’s done the math
Lord of the Rings Online blogger and guide-maker extraordinaire FibroJedi has pubbed a super useful post this week we just have to highlight because...
Quantic Foundry’s survey examines the motivations of gamers drawn to sci-fi settings
Quantic Foundry - aka the Nick Yee-backed analytics company that's most well-known for its Gamer Motivation Model - has shared some responses from an...
Diablo IV serves up ‘Nightmare Fuel’ audio experience in order to induce thematic lucid dreaming
The marketing team behind Diablo IV continues to prove it's either extremely creative or taking some extremely powerful substances. The latest marketing stunt from...
Lawful Neutral: Reverse engineering World of Warcraft’s subscriber numbers
Do you know what time it is? It's almost quarterly financial report time! We probably won't see a full quarterly report from Activision-Blizzard as...
MMO Business Roundup: MY.GAMES’ CEO, Valve’s antitrust fine, and research on China’s gaming regulations
Welcome back to another quick roundup of MMO and MMO-adjacent business news. Numbers numbers numbers. In fact, this edition has the whole trifecta: business,...
Hunters lead the pack for deaths on World of Warcraft Classic’s hardcore realms
All right, how many of you found out the hard way that Feign Death turns into actual death if you don't interrupt it before...
EVE Fanfest 2023: EVE players will help cure cancer with new Project Discovery minigame
Back in 2016, EVE Online developer CCP Games announced an unusual partnership with scientific research organisation MMOs and the Human Protein Atlas. They created...
Unity adds AI tools to its asset store while Electronic Arts reasons AI generation is a ‘co-pilot’ for artists
The fresh blood in the games industry water continues to be AI generation tools for art assets and writing. This time we zero in...
Lawful Neutral: How might the so-called AI revolution affect the MMO genre?
This article has been rolling around in my head since ChatGPT rocketed into the public awareness a few months ago, and just in the...
World of Warships kicks off ocean conservation charity collab with Popeye for Force Blue
This might just be the weirdest thing we've ever gotten in the mail at MOP, and I say this as someone who once inexplicably...
Preserving Worlds is an indie TV docuseries about preserving classic MMORPGs
So here's something fun we just learned about thanks to a friendly tweet: Preserving Worlds is a 2021 indie TV show on Means TV...
