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
Get an advance look at a few of Age of Wushu 2’s locations
While we continue the long, long wait for Age of Wushu 2 to make its way over to the western world, at least we...
One Shots: Starlight, starbright
As someone very much on the outside of this whole Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire thing, my observations is that this is some...
The walking dead stagger into RuneScape for a new battle royale-style survival mode
Staggering and shuffling their way into players' worst nightmares, zombies have infested the normally cheery arena of RuneScape and need a little pruning. That's...
Brad McQuaid: MMO devs are ‘making the very, very early foundations of the Holodeck’
Pantheon and MMOs like it are bringing our dream future one step closer (or at least, Lt. Barclay's dream future), Brad McQuaid suggests in a new interview...
Raph Koster on how Ultima Online pushed the MMO industry forward
Game Designer Raph Koster continues to ponder the significance of Ultima Online on this, the 20th anniversary of the MMORPG's historic release. In a...
Star Citizen is down to just five critical issues to tackle before the Evocati see alpha 3.0
Another week, another countdown to Star Citizen alpha 3.0, and we are getting close. In this week's Around the Verse, Cloud Imperium says it's...
Jagex disqualifies botfarming winner of $20K Old School RuneScape tourney
Last weekend, Jagex held its annual RuneFest event in London, where the studio demoed its mobile edition and teased plenty of upcoming content for both...
Overwatch deals with ‘ban bug,’ publishes Zarya comic
Here is a fun bug indeed: Overwatch has a glitch that's been accidentally slinging seasonal bans at players who did not deserve them. It's...
Legends of Aria begins final alpha
Rest time's over, boys and girls, so dust yourself off and get back into the thick of the alpha. In this case, it's Legends...
The Survivalist: How procedurally generated maps stretch the life of survival MMOs
It's no secret that I love to explore. And exploring the dangerous new worlds of survival games has been something I have really been...
Wild West Online ends tech alpha early, adjusts bounty system for early access
It shouldn't surprise anyone after those rough couple of Wild West Online tech alpha weekends, but alpha 3 has been "postponed" - actually, it...
Battle Bards Episode 106: Early access themes
Instead of looking back at MMORPGs this week, the crew of Battle Bards launches forward into early access! What would a show about music...
The Stream Team: Exploring Black Desert’s Kamasylvia expansion
Black Desert's Kamasylvia expansion launched today, and Massively OP's MJ is eager to see the elven woodlands. She wants to frolic in the Shady...
Are MMOs and video games fulfilling our need for productivity?
Here is a question for you to ponder: Do MMOs make you feel more productive than your main job or school? If so, it...
ArcheAge Begins begins pre-registration with signing bonuses
Sorry, we couldn't resist that intentionally confusing headline! Anyway, for those interested in checking out the mobile spin-off of ArcheAge, your time is now.
Pre-registrations...
Ultima Online’s F2P mode launches spring 2018, limits housing, boats, and banks
Two decades after launch, Ultima Online is still going strong, and as we reported over the weekend, soon - spring 2018, to be exact...
Elite: Dangerous players are putting together fragmented accounts of fighting the Thargoids
One of the first players to encounter the Thargoids in Elite: Dangerous provided a video of the encounter, and the bad news is that...
PlanetSide 2 revamped continent locking in this week’s Critical Mass update
Daybreak went all-out in PlanetSide 2 this week with a massive new update, though you probably wouldn't know it unless you play the game....
Black Desert’s free Kamasylvia expansion launches today with tier 9 pegasi
Black Desert has just rolled out the first part of its Kamasylvia expansion today - it's a free update that's been long-awaited on western shores, bringing a...
Albion Online adds 5v5 PvP arenas with today’s Joseph update
The long-awaited Joseph patch has just landed in Albion Online, its first update since its launch this past summer. Albion heard you liked PvP, see,...
