game design
Vague Patch Notes: Getting meta in MMORPGs
This week, MOP's Chris ran afoul of the MMO meta when he was going through New World. Only he... didn't, not really. He ran...
Perfect Ten: The 10 types of MMO rotation
Rotations! They're not just just for your tires any more; they're in your MMORPGs, determining what order you should press the shiny buttons on...
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...
Playable World’s Raph Koster refutes claim that his book Theory of Fun espouses a regressive agenda
Reading comprehension is an important skill that one could argue is being lost to the flood of hot takes and those who absorb only...
Vague Patch Notes: Why in the world do you want the Riot MMO to be a thing?
Let's make something clear right up front: If you came into this column eager to head for the comments section to say, "Well, I...
Besieged by bitcoin bots, BitCraft reiterates that it’s not a crypto or NFT MMO
We've been shaking our head ruefully at BitCraft's name for several years now, as it seemed clear to us that the name could be...
Massively on the Go: Pokemon Go’s Sinnoh Tour turned players into guinea pigs
Both the Pokemon GO's Sinnoh Tour LA Tour and now the Global Tour have both ended, and while there are good points to be...
Massively Uplifting: Dragon Con and The Game Awards demonstrate the rise of awareness, accessibility, and inclusion
It is not uncommon to spend the beginning of a year reflecting back on the old while looking forward to the new. That's something...
World of Warcraft game designer shares the full backstory of the Mists of Pandaria Warlock revamp
While Mists of Pandaria isn't exactly the talk of the World of Warcraft scene right now, it may be when Mists Classic is invariably...
Massively on the Go: Pokemon Go’s Los Angeles Sinnoh Tour was one step forward and one step back for Niantic
Pokemon GO's Sinnoh Tour LA Tour has come and gone, and honestly... it's helped me appreciate some parts of the Hoenn Vegas Tour while...
Into the Super-verse: Missing in City of Heroes is part of what makes it hit
It seems like we're never going to be done talking about City of Heroes at this point, and clearly I am here for this....
Perfect Ten: 10 problems that really hurt The Secret World
For whatever reason, The Secret World is one of those games that people keep going back over mentally, an MMO that still collectively has...
Diablo IV fleshes out the Seneschal companions coming in Season of the Construct
Last night's Blizzard stream on Diablo IV's already well-fleshed-out Season of the Construct dropped both eyecandy and details on the upcoming content. "Associate director...
Massively Overthinking: Hopes and fears for MMOs in 2024
For our first Massively Overthinking of the year, we're drawing a hard line between what we think will happen, what we mean to make...
Black Desert lead devs share well-wishes and coupon codes with players to mark the new year
The beginning of 2024 is being looked ahead by lead devs of Pearl Abyss, as Black Desert on PC and console and Black Desert...
The Soapbox: The ‘problem’ with MMO hoarding
I remember a number of years ago, in an article for a game I can't recall, an MMO developer discussed how an early build...
From the Depths: World of Warships teases key mechanics changes to subs and aircraft carriers
World of Warships is a title that seems to be under constant scrutiny for community interactions, aggressive monetization, and the deployment of random mechanics...
Corepunk’s latest NDA-free test round sees mixed reviews, early game complaints, and survival annoyances
The latest NDA-free alpha test for OARPG Corepunk is almost wrapped up (it ends this Wednesday, December 20th), but already player impressions are a...
Blade & Soul shares early gameplay videos and communication plans for Neo Classic servers
We're still not entirely sure just what Blade & Soul is doing with its upcoming Neo Classic servers, but it looks as if NCsoft...
The MOP Up: DCUO talks about its creative process
DC Universe Online Narrative Designer Lynnea Glasser recently sat down for an interview about the creative process behind the MMORPG and its new Justice...