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
Xsyon’s trade update is now live
Xsyon players are enjoying their second major update this month, thanks to the recent trade patch, which follows on the heels of the architecture...
Das Tal adds cheaper Kickstarter tier, playtest weekend
Lots of new info just came out on the systems of the open-world battle arena Das Tal, but today's news blast is financial in nature....
Star Citizen suffers huge asset leak, answers community questions
It's not been the best week for Star Citizen. The upcoming space sim suffered a massive 48 GB data leak after a community manager...
ArcheAge’s ‘altogether different’ approach to server merges
Trion hasn't formally announced server merges for ArcheAge yet, but the publisher is at least thinking about it, judging by a forum post made by...
MapleStory 2 might be launching on July 2nd
With the conclusion of its beta testing periods, everyone is wondering when MapleStory 2 is actually going to launch in its native South Korea,...
The Daily Grind: How can MMOs design for both vets and newbies?
This morning's Daily Grind question comes to us from Kickstarter donor Specus, who asks,
I've seen many games where new players have trouble joining a...
Survival sandbox Novus Inceptio is now on Greenlight
Post-apocalyptic sci-fantasy MMO Novus Inceptio is now on Steam Greenlight. The indie title aims to diverge from current MMO norms and create an "integrated...
EverQuesting: Learning about Landmark’s dungeons
I thought I saw a dev dungeon reference. I did! I did see a dev dungeon reference! And it's about time.
I have to admit...
Das Tal continues Kickstarter push with a megaton of new info
Have you been keeping up with Das Tal's Kickstarter updates? The game's crowdfunding drive has hit its midpoint, and Fairytale Distillery has posted everything from an...
Memorial Day weekend sales starting at 99 cents
Memorial Day weekend has brought some great deals for a variety of MMOs, including TUG, Guild Wars 2, EVE Online, World of Tanks, Infinite Crisis, and...
One Shots: My imaginary friends
Here's a fun thought: What if we aren't actually playing MMOs? What if we're just sitting in front of blank screens, creating fantasy worlds...
Make My MMO: May 23, 2015
This week in MMO crowdfunding news, The Repopulation got an official launch window. Then it got a new trailer. Das Tal got off to...
ArcheAge preps a barrel racing daily event
ArcheAge is gearing up for its annual Rum Runner Rapids event, which looks to involve drinking, whitewater rapids, and barrels out of bond.
More specifically,...
Here’s a new(ish) trailer for The Repopulation
A couple of days ago, The Repopulation announced that it was launching in Q4 2015. The dev team also put a new trailer on...
Ultraviolence, virtual worlds, and why I hate myself for loving GTA Online
OK, maybe that title is overly dramatic. Still, I feel guilty for liking Grand Theft Auto Online. I've touched on this before, as have...
Pathfinder Online expands holding and adds company feuds
If there's another group of players in Pathfinder Online and you hate their stupid faces, the most recent patch to the game's Early Enrollment...
Gloria Victis adds SpeedTree 5, a first person view, and more
Gloria Victis has published its version 0.2 pre-alpha changelog. The dev team says that this build is the first public version of the fantasy...
Age of Wushu opens The Warrior’s Journey expansion
Feeling the urge to travel vast, untamed lands? Then it might be up to Age of Wushu to fill that need. The martial arts...
EVE Online sheds some light on… texture lighting
Players spend a lot of time staring at the hulls of their EVE Online ships, so it makes sense to make those ships as...
Ultima Online seeks players for expansion focus group
Ultima Online producer Bonnie Armstrong has put out a call for player focus testers. Broadsword is searching for somewhere in the neighborhood of 250...
