Sandboxes are a type of MMO that emphasize player freedom and expression. They frequently include mechanics for building, crafting, trading, character customization and development, roleplaying, destruction, and significant interaction with the world and other players. A sandbox that is dominated by an open-PvP or free-for-all ruleset is sometimes pejoratively called a gankbox. Contrast with the themepark.
sandbox
Thousands turn out for terminal EVE Online player’s final birthday bash
EVE Online is probably best known for its ruthless player alliances sparking massive wars over territory, but this week everyone set their differences aside...
Desert Oasis: Putting Black Desert’s music system in context with other MMOs
Back in the day, I used to really be into the ukulele. I used to play in open mics and sold them as my...
RuneScape adds a shadowy Yak Track, celebrates Pride, and offers a word on suspicious account recovery emails
Jagex just can't seem to stop fussing over Archaeology in RuneScape. This week's patch notes once again have a number of adjustments to the...
Population Zero writes about the errors made during the game’s early access launch
At this point, it's no secret that Enplex Games' multiplayer survival sandbox Population Zero had a rough start. The title stumbled out of the...
Black Desert adds the cutest lil furry critters you ever did see in Papua Crinea update
OK, so who had "adorable mammals in Black Desert" on their 2020 bingo cards? Because that is what you're getting with today's update as...
The Daily Grind: What are the coolest MMO alien races?
OK, for today's topic, we're going to be limiting ourselves strictly to scifi MMORPGs (sorry fantasy, you'll have to settle for pretty much 95%...
Massively OP Podcast Episode 277: All the wonder in the ‘verse
Justin and Bree discuss LOTRO, WoW Classic, Black Desert, Star Wars Squadrons, DC Universe Online, Torchlight III, and Anarchy Online, with adventures in RIFT, SWG Legends, and The Outer Worlds, and mailbag topics on LOTRO leveling, MUDs, and the next generation of MMO fans.
The Soapbox: No, forced grouping in MMOs isn’t ‘social’
Thinking back to high school, I'm awash in memories of the many deep, meaningful relationships that spawned as a result of being forced to...
Crowdfunded ‘action-survival MMORPG’ Frozen Flame opens testing for founders in July
At the top of the month, which somehow feels like years ago, we covered Frozen Flame, a multiplayer survival RPG with a graphical vibe...
Whatever happened to Secret World Legends, The Realm reboot, and Shadow’s Kiss?
Ever pause during your day and find yourself wondering, “Whatever happened to that game?” With hundreds upon hundreds of online titles these days, it’s surprisingly easy...
Battle Bards Episode 171: Forest Tales 2
Hitch up your shorts, buckle your boots, and step into another deep forest of MMORPG music with the Battle Bards! As diverse as the...
The MOP Up: Niantic halts plan to discontinue Pokemon Go on old mobile devices
This month, Pokemon Go announced that it was discontinuing support for 32-bit Android mobile devices, mostly devices released prior to 2015, including the 1st-gen...
The Game Archaeologist: The virtual worlds of the 1990s
With the increased speeds of modems and the move into 3-D space in the 1990s, some game designers thought it was a logical conclusion...
The Stream Team: A glimpse of Glacio goodness in Astroneer
Massively OP's MJ has been having fun with her friends in Astroneer thanks to the dedicated servers. And now she has a chance to...
World War II Online aka Battleground Europe offers everyone a free premium month
It's been a while since we poked our heads into World War II Online, the Cornered Rat Software MMO formerly known as Battleground Europe....
MMO Business Roundup: Richard Garriott, Square-Enix’s charity, Stadia, and Team Fortress’ racist bots
Welcome back to another quick roundup of video games business and industry news relevant for the MMO genre.
Richard Garriott: Apparently, the former icon of...
The fresh start server land rush for ArcheAge Unchained players begins tomorrow
Is there anyone out there who actually likes land rushes - that crazy of logging in and desperately scrambling to try to claim digital...
Black Desert’s new Q&A covers everything from dancing and new classes to inflation and endgame
Apparently, Heidel Ball was a big success for Black Desert this year, such that Pearl Abyss couldn't even answer all the questions players had...
Inside Star Citizen looks at the Vanduul fleet, shows off AI updates, a new ship, and new locations
I've always considered Star Citizen to be the Gran Turismo of internet spaceship games, particularly since the developers at CIG seem to be very...
Who really owns RuneScape? A new Chinese lawsuit in the UK is poised to find out
Ah, remember 2019? Such a terrible year, made good only in hindsight. Throughout that year, we wrote about how RuneScape developer Jagex was put...
