game design
Wisdom of Nym: Final Fantasy XIV’s forced grouping serves an important purpose
It's not exactly a secret, but just in case you didn't know this, Final Fantasy XIV has dungeons that are absolutely necessary to progress...
Perfect Ten: The 10 types of MMO loot I’m always thrilled to get
Loot's not something that I see discussed much these days among MMO players. It's probably because loot's been around since the beginning of online...
The Daily Grind: Do you judge MMOs by what’s in their screenshots?
A week or two ago, the MOP staffers were chatting about a new MMO we were covering - Fioresia Online - and its screenshots...
Vague Patch Notes: Yes, Virginia, that counts as an MMO
There is a particular comment we get on a semi-regular basis, and it is always wrong. It shows up on a wide variety of...
Why WB Games should make a new Asheron’s Call game in 2021+: The mechanics
Just based on lore alone, WB Games should make a new Asheron's Call game. As I argued last time, AC has the qualities of an underutilized...
Why WB Games should make a new Asheron’s Call game in 2021+: The lore
So we recently brought up how Asheron's Call 2 died twice during the winter seasons, with the second one being a double funeral with the original...
Massively OP’s 2020 Awards: MMORPG of the Year
MassivelyOP’s end-of-the-year awards for 2020 continue today with our award for MMORPG of the Year, which was awarded to Elder Scrolls Online last year.
Longtime...
Massively on the Go: Understanding what an MMO community will pay for
Earlier in December, I posted some Pokemon Go news that included player complaints about a recent Mr. Rime paid event. While there was a good...
Massively OP’s 2020 Awards: Indie MMO of the Year
MassivelyOP’s end-of-the-year awards for 2020 continue today with our award for Indie MMO of the Year, which was awarded jointly to Villagers & Heroes...
Albion Online studio Sandbox Interactive just got bought out for more than €100M
As it turns out, the MMO industry is going to see one more big buyout move before 2021 is upon us. Last night, Albion...
Massively OP’s 2020 Awards: Best MMO Business Model
MassivelyOP’s end-of-the-year awards for 2020 continue today with our award for Best MMO Business Model, which we could not reach a staff consensus on...
The Soapbox: Pet battles are one of the best things WoW ever did (which is why I’ve never played one)
Pokemon first burst onto the scene when I was in elementary school. I've always been lukewarm at best toward anime and "cute" things, so...
Massively OP Podcast Episode 299: Out of the Shadowlands and into the light
Eliot joins Justin and Bree to discuss World of Warcraft: Shadowlands' launch, Fallout 76's surprise patch, FFXIV's next patch, and TERA's console crossplay, with a Daily Grind Blitz to lead us in, plus mailbag topics on remaking older MMOs and storylines that wreck your roleplay.
Massively Overthinking: Gratitude for the devs of the MMO genre
Thanksgiving conveniently falls on a Thursday every year, which means it's the perfect topic for our regular Thursday Massively Overthinking roundtable. I've asked our writers what they're grateful for in and around the MMO genre the last couple of years - and now we're gonna do it again.
First impressions of Netmarble’s A3 Still Alive: Is it relevant in 2020?
What's going with MMO names these days? First there was V4, and now we have A3. The full title is A3: Still Alive, which...
LOTRO Legendarium: How to make Lord of the Rings Online Classic work
Twice now this year we have heard from Standing Stone Games' Jeff Libby that, no, a hypothetical LOTRO Classic isn't in the works, nor...
Massively-on-the-Go: Gotta cash’em all in Pokemon Go
In the last few editions of the Massively-on-the-Go column, I've been covering the deluge of events and updates Pokemon Go has received quite suddenly...
Massively-on-the-Go: Niantic’s ‘Mega’ missteps in Pokemon Go
Previously in our Massively-on-the-Go column, we covered the deluge of events and updates Pokemon Go has seen this season, with a bit of commentary. While...
Wisdom of Nym: Final Fantasy XIV’s borrowed power is generously loaned
If you've been active in the larger MMO discussion sphere over the past few months... well, thanks! It's the field I work in, after...
The Daily Grind: Do you like pop-up objectives in MMOs?
Thinking back to my first days in WildStar, I think my brain went on sensory overload due to all of the Stuff that kept...
