game design
Design Mockument: Can an open PvP full-loot system for MMOs be designed fairly?
I have an interesting relationship to open PvP design in MMORPGs, or at least I find it interesting. I don't think this kind of...
Why I Play: Five years in, Fallout 76 has become expansive, flawed, and engrossing
War might never change, but Fallout 76? That sucker has changed a whole lot since its debut five years ago.
For as long as I've...
Massively Overthinking: What’s next for Blizzard under Microsoft?
So the Microsoft acquisition of Activision-Blizzard is basically a done deal. Oh, sure, the FTC is still fumbling around with hapless appeals, but look,...
EVE Evolved: Is it too late to start playing EVE Online?
Sci-fi MMO EVE Online reached a special milestone this year with its 20th anniversary, and for many people, it raises an interesting question: Is...
Wisdom of Nym: Examining Final Fantasy XIV’s Growing Light group content (spoiler-free)
So, here we are at the end of the Endwalker patch cycle for Final Fantasy XIV. That isn't entirely true, of course; we all...
Massively Overthinking: What’s the most chaotic behavior you’ve seen from MMO players?
A week or two ago, I found myself discussing Ultima Online by way of trying to convince our work chat that players often do...
Wurm Online’s owner Game Chest Group sees negative profits but says it’s ‘on the right track’ in Q2 financial report
Yesterday we reported on Wurm Online's end to a two month-long bout of radio silence, which saw corporate owner Game Chest Group detail efforts...
MMORPG sandbox BitCraft details the importance of core-skills and interdependence in its crafting systems
Clockwork Labs has been teasing... something for BitCraft over the course of September, noting just a week or two ago that it's been a...
EVE Fanfest 2023: The EVE Online FPS is back as EVE Vanguard this December
It's safe to say that EVE Online has a complicated history with first person shooters. The idea of stepping foot on the planets of...
Unity is adding excessive new per-install fees – game developers aren’t having it
Unity has been struggling with its public and corporate relations over the course of 2023, first with multiple rounds of mass layoffs that cut...
Global Chat: Getting sucked into Palia
Cozy life sim Palia is making more converts, even after a rough start. One player who's glowing brightly about the title is The Friendly...
Massively Overthinking: What’s Blizzard’s next move?
Gamers and pundits talked a big talk about Blizzard's prospects over the last few years. Don't worry about the weak revenues and plunging MAUs,...
The Daily Grind: What MMO class concepts need a complete refresh?
Not all tropes are bad. Familiar patterns ease us into unfamiliar settings and systems, and so I understand why MMO developers aren't constantly reinventing...
Massively Uplifting: Spring and summer philanthropy and farewells in MMOs
'Tis the season! What season? Why, spring and summer! Spring is a time of growth, and our gaming-verse certainly saw growth of the generous...
Amazon Games’ Bill Trost vacates creative director position to become lead designer for Ashes of Creation
The name of Bill Trost will likely strike familiar to older vets of the MMORPG genre. He was one of the original design leads...
Vague Patch Notes: Why we should evaluate MMO systems based on how they break
Back before Final Fantasy XIV's reboot launched, Naoki Yoshida talked about how the developers had plans to make certain primals be world bosses. Players...
Little Orbit’s ‘Web 2.5’ platform that lets players sell digital creations is just another blockchain pitch
Last August, Little Orbit, the studio that's known to MMO players as the stewards for APB: Reloaded and Fallen Earth, talked up its blockchain...
Bossa Studios CEO discusses company’s shift towards co-op and PvE multiplayer titles
The name Bossa Studios tends to conjure up the story of Worlds Adrift 'round these parts. Readers might remember that the promising sky piracy...
Massively on the Go: WalkScape’s Schamppu wants game to walk the fitness walk
It turns out I wasn't alone in WalkScape piquing my curiosity, so those of you who are intrigued by a new RuneScape-inspired walking-centric MMOARG...
Global Chat: Do MMOs need help from artificial intelligence?
With tech news becoming more and more dominated by the sophistication and place of artificial intelligence, blogger Tobold asks if AI might be the...
