“Pay-to-win” aka P2W is a term used by online gamers for any game system or mechanic that allows a player to acquire advantages over other players using real-world money.
pay to win
The Soapbox: Pokemon Unite’s monetization is gross and threatens a competent game
By now, you've probably seen several articles about the poor monetization in Pokemon Unite, often based on Reddit posts or streamer hot takes. Most talk...
Massively on the Go: Pokemon Unite is genuinely fun – for new and casual MOBA players
When Pokemon Unite was first announced, I had severe doubts I'd even give it a shot. I know I'm the local Pokemon guy, but there are many games in the...
The Daily Grind: Is there any truly not-pay-to-win MMORPG out there?
Pay-to-win has become one of those phrases that has been used and overused so often that everyone's exhausted of the concept. Where once it...
TitanReach attempts to put its controversies in the past with new details on early access development
Indie MMO TitanReach has had a strange run to date. It caught our attention in 2020, when it launched a $430,000 US Kickstarter, which...
Elementia is a self-described ‘MMORPG with old-school values’ currently in pre-alpha
I can only imagine how many indie devs asked themselves how hard making an MMO could be and then realizing that it's phenomenally difficult....
Vague Patch Notes: Money makes the MMO world go round
I had some thoughts after the most recent bit of news we got from Star Trek Online about how, you know... the game costs...
New World ‘won’t consider selling anything other than cosmetic items until 2022 at the earliest’
Amazon's New World was the subject of much debate this month when a leaker exposed the state of the game's cash shop in the...
Perfect Ten: Everything in MMOs that is pay-to-win
I have stated before that I have a complex relationship with the term "pay-to-win." On the one hand, it tends to refer to something...
New World confirms cash shop items will be cosmetic-only at launch after alpha test storefront worries arise
New World very nearly doused its own flame before even leaving alpha. With the game's last major alpha update, the devs elected to test...
Fans hope to revive Allods Online by handing out free one-month subs
If we're all very honest with ourselves, Allods Online is no longer a big deal over in our part of the world, especially the...
Four Winds: Why are Asian MMOs monetized the way they are?
Welcome to Four Winds, Massively OP's newest column, dedicated to Asian MMOs and the culture around it. As the resident Black Desert columnist, I'm...
City of Heroes: Homecoming starts its holiday event and improves long-range transport
Oh, there's no place like City of Heroes: Homecoming for the holidays, for no matter how far you should roam... you can always get back...
Desert Oasis: Black Desert Online should be 2020’s MMO of the year
Well here we are again, heading to the end of another year. And while many are eager for this year to end, us gamers...
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...
Hands-on with the four Vs of Nexon’s mobile MMO V4
One of my friends once said to me, "Carlo, I always see you play those random 6 out of 10 MMOs, and I don't...
Massively Overthinking: The MMOs we intentionally avoid
A few weeks back, I read a Twitter thread about people who avoid specific games and types of games, and the folks chiming in...
EVE Online’s new Training Boost Bundle causes consternation in the community
In space, nobody can hear you scream, but in EVE Online you can hear the distinct wail of a community uproar thanks to the...
Vague Patch Notes: Have we ever really had an MMO sequel?
In the wake of Justin's recent column on whether or not MMO sequels are a good idea, MOP reader Bobfish had an interesting question...
Darkest Dungeon’s Butcher’s Circus DLC and PvP mode are live for bloodthirsty fun
Darkest Dungeon is generally not a game we'd cover here on MOP, since it's been a single-player RPG for most of its long life....
Global Chat: Just say ‘no’ to coin weight!
When Pantheon recently announced that it would be adding coin weight to its inventory management system, little did the devs know that they were...
