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
Jukebox Heroes: The top 10 EVE Online music themes
One of the great things about the EVE Online soundtrack, other than its perplexing popularity despite being mostly an ambient synth score, is that...
Pilfering pants and PvP in Shards Online community roundtable and January tourney
It's all fun and games until you lose your pants! If you've been wondering what is up with Shards Online lately, the answer is...
Check out MapleStory 2’s Rune Blader and piano jam
Hungry for more glimpses of the adorably colorful MapleStory 2? Steparu posted a new video from the game's beta that shows the Rune Blader class going through...
EVE Online’s plans for the Citadel expansion and skill trading
The big excitement in the EVE Online world right now is the upcoming Citadel expansion, which is slated to arrive sometime this spring. CCP...
Exclusive Interview: John Smedley reveals Hero’s Song, his new open-world OARPG
Today, we finally learn what John Smedley has been working on since he resigned from his decades-long role at Daybreak.
The industry veteran has founded indie...
Black Desert’s character creator tool available; CBT2 begins February 18
If you're most interested in when you can get back into playing Black Desert Online again, the answer is on February 18th. It's just...
The Daily Grind: What’s the best MMORPG for shy gamers?
A few weeks ago, Massively OP's Eliot Lefebvre wrote about the intersection of social anxiety and MMOs. It was a surprisingly popular article, with gamers...
Wild Terra discusses dynamic world maps and PvE safe zones
Wild Terra's server structure is undergoing a transformation.
In a new dev blog, the developers explain that the sandbox's servers will each boast a unique,...
Fans are remaking RuneScape with Neverwinter Nights 2’s toolset
Most RuneScape fans would probably agree that Jagex's game is very fine indeed, but there are always those who look at an MMO and think,...
The MOP Up: Titan Siege debuts (January 17, 2016)
The MMO industry moves along at the speed of information, and sometimes we’re deluged with so much news here at Massively Overpowered that some...
MMO Mechanics: MMORPG mechanics predictions for 2016
In the last edition of MMO Mechanics, I looked back on 2015 and the mechanics I managed to squeeze into the column: We looked...
One Shots: This little piggy went to market
I love me a good in-game marketplace. It always makes me think of commerce, of adventure, and of clashing worlds. Too bad we're usually...
Star Citizen recaps December’s progress across all of its studios
Even as December 2015 is fading into the distance, Star Citizen has a few words to say about the progress its team made during...
The Game Archaeologist: Online gaming service providers of the ’80s and ’90s
As graphical MMOs took off in the 1990s with the advent of games like Neverwinter Nights, The Realm, and Ultima Online, many of them...
TUG’s second brain vomit vlog talks monetization
Titled "To free, or not to free," TUG's second vlog highlights the subject of monetization. While discussing the free-to-play topic, Nerd Kingdom CEO Peter Salinas...
Black Desert explains how both of its cash shops will work
Black Desert rep Belsazar has posted a lengthy missive from the Pearl Abyss developers explaining the details of the game's cash shop and announcing...
PWE shuts down World of Jade Dynasty for redevelopment
Perfect World Entertainment has decided that it will be going back to the drawing board with one of its newest titles.
The studio announced today...
Star Citizen releases Alpha 2.1 with new flyable ships and player-trapping elevators
The skies are a little more crowded today in Star Citizen with the release of Alpha 2.1 to the live servers. The patch added...
Massively Overthinking: Just how massive is massively multiplayer?
Recent tweaks to the taxonomy structure of Massively OP and coverage of what we formerly called "Not-So-Massive" games prompted a resurgence of internal discussion about the types...
ECO’s third alpha balances skill points and ecosystems
The second major update to ECO's alpha testing has arrived, and it brings along the game's skill point system. It's an early version of...
