The former head of SOE and Daybreak. Affectionately known to gamers as “Smed.”
john smedley
The Game Archaeologist: Free Realms
Its very name was a declaration of rebellion against the status quo. In an era that had yet to shift from a subscription-only model...
Daybreak has been sold – again – this time to EG7 Global for $300M
Who had this on the end-of-the-year bingo card? Apparently, Daybreak has been bought out - again.
The company holding the hot potato this round is...
EverQuesting: A sweet sixteen EverQuest II anniversary retrospective
Happy birthday, sweet sixteen! If you think I've waited 16 years to be able to sing that to EverQuest II, well, you aren't wrong....
Massively Uplifting: Shattering mental health and disability stereotypes while increasing gaming inclusivity
Back to school? That quintessential September mantra may not be a given for everyone this year. However, what is still a given is the...
PAX Online 2020: Pantheon, Ashes of Creation, Amazon, and Crowfall devs on the future of online games
What could online gaming look like going forward? That was the overall topic discussed by a number of devs as part of in a...
Amazon is apparently working on a new unnamed sci-fi MMO
Former SOE and Daybreak boss John Smedley has been a fixture at Amazon Game Studios for the last few years, working on at least...
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...
Amazon is hosting a game tech event for game devs tomorrow
Amazon Games' John Smedley appears to be pretty fired up about an event that Amazon Web Services is hosting. It's called The Digital Download,...
The Game Archaeologist: The rise and fall of Landmark and EverQuest Next
The year was 2013. Sony Online Entertainment was still a functioning and seemingly robust MMORPG studio, and its yearly SOE Live convention was a...
Obituary: EverQuest and Vanguard developer Mike Hutchins passes away
It is always a somber occasion to bring to you word of the passing of another MMORPG developer, but it is also the opportunity...
The Daily Grind: Have you ever paid for MMO-related services like coaching?
A few weeks back, MMO veteran dev John Smedley posted a tweet about paying for, of all things, coaching in a video game, and...
John Smedley and Scott Hartsman put out a call to help a former EverQuest II dev
This story crossed our desk with some signal boosting from John Smedley and Scott Hartsman this weekend:Â A little less than a year ago, former...
The celebration of life event for Brad McQuaid will be rebroadcast tonight for those who couldn’t attend
If you aren't in California, you probably missed the real-world memorial for Brad McQuaid, which was held in San Diego earlier this week. Fortunately,...
Ask Mo: The hits and misses of MassivelyOP’s 2019 predictions
The day has come: the day when we look back at last year's predictions for this year and see how we did. Yep, this...
Massively Overthinking: What MMO were you hoping to hear much more about this year?
Going through our coverage of 2019's MMOs, I realized there are a bunch of games that have previously been on our "anticipated" lists that...
Remembering the life and work of legendary MMO designer Brad ‘Aradune’ McQuaid
When the news hit last night, it brought everything to a screeching halt in the Massively OP office: At the age of 51, veteran...
Former EverQuest, Vanguard developer passes away; colleagues raise money for his family
Please be aware that this post contains discussions of suicide, which we realize may upset some readers. Please read with caution and comment respectfully.
We're...
Perfect Ten: MMOs that flirted with permadeath
This month, Dungeons and Dragons Online will be venturing where many MMORPGs have feared to tread: into the realm of officially supported permadeath. The...
Recapping the whole 38 Studios mess as Curt Schilling contemplates run for Congress
You folks remember 38 Studios, right? The studio at the heart of one of the most scandalous fiascos in the whole MMO genre? It's...
Rumor: Z1 Battle Royale, H1Z1’s PC version, seems to be in big trouble as devs confirm layoffs
Note: We'll be updating this piece at the end with the latest, and we've also put out a second piece here with NantG's statement.
It...
