sandbox

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.

Tree of Life launches early access on May 27th

Eliot Lefebvre - May 20, 2015 16

Nothing like a quick turnaround to pique your interest in a game, right? Tree of Life came out of nowhere to announce that its brightly...

Leaderboard: AI vs. player competition

Jef Reahard - May 20, 2015 60

Monday's blurb about NCsoft and its AI research was sort of interesting, don't you think? The Korean firm isn't the first MMO company to...

Eternal Crusade lays out its plan for open world conflict

Justin Olivetti - May 20, 2015 7

Just because Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade will be primarily a PvP title doesn't mean that it's going to section itself off in tiny little...

The Repopulation to launch in Q4 2015

Justin Olivetti - May 20, 2015 49

Just when you thought The Repopulation was doomed to be in eternal testing, Above and Beyond Technologies announced that it's releasing. This year. This...

ArcheAge subreddit clarifies P2W censorship; Trion bans exploiters

Bree Royce - May 20, 2015 55

Another day, another Reddit drama, although the one swirling around ArcheAge appears to be coming to a middle. In a message titled Transparency is...

Funcom financials trend downward, new CEO appointed

Justin Olivetti - May 20, 2015 55

While it could have been worse, Funcom's Q1 2015 financials could have been a heck of a lot better, too. In yesterday's financial report,...

Das Tal devs talk about inspiration, weapons, armor, and meaningful conflict

Justin Olivetti - May 19, 2015 8

Das Tal is forging ahead with its Kickstarter campaign, netting over $19,000 out of its $55,794 goal with 21 days left. The team is...

Tamriel Infinium: What we know about Elder Scrolls Online’s Imperial City

Larry Everett - May 19, 2015 15

Even before the PC launch of the Elder Scrolls Online last year, there was something the community pined for: the Imperial City. In my first trip...

Landmark dev: Dungeoneering will become a large part of the game

Justin Olivetti - May 19, 2015 59

Landmark is a sandbox MMO that allows players to engage in a number of non-combat activities, but playing as a pure pacifist might be...

Albion Online’s newest dev answers community queries, snaps at EVE trolls

Justin Olivetti - May 18, 2015 14

Albion Online is surely milking its acquisition of Game Designer Matt Woodward for all its worth. After Albion heralded his arrival with a level...

CCP Games buys back $20m in bonds, drops Legion trademark

Brendan Drain - May 18, 2015 54

News is circulating in the EVE Online blogs and forum that developer CCP Games has just bought back $20 million in publicly traded bonds....

ArcheAge spawns fresh Reddit drama over pay-to-win

Bree Royce - May 18, 2015 241

Third time's a charm with Reddit! Remember back in March when a Skyforge moderator threatened to ban anyone using the term pay-to-win and was...

Voxelnauts Kickstarter melds VR, voxels, and sandbox gameplay

Bree Royce - May 18, 2015 28

What do you get when you stick a sandbox, voxels, and VR into a blender? You get Voxelnauts, a new voxelbox -- actually, they're calling...

The Daily Grind: Has your favorite MMO been DDoSed?

Jef Reahard - May 18, 2015 60

So, Shroud of the Avatar got DDoSed yesterday. Shroud of the Avatar!? While there's really no excuse for any DDoS attack, it kind of...

EVE Evolved: Building your own empire

Brendan Drain - May 17, 2015 11

When CCP announced its far-reaching plans to overhaul EVE Online's territorial warfare gameplay, players were cautiously optimistic but understandably guarded. EVE's old sovereignty system...

Elite’s Mac client benefits the PC; Powerplay update delayed

Jef Reahard - May 17, 2015 15

Hey Elite fans, did you miss Friday's newsletter #75? If so, it's worth reading for the news about the Mac client and the Powerplay beta. Originally...