See: The Soapbox
soapbox
The Soapbox: Paid MMO headstarts foster segregation and resentment in exchange for a revenue boost
The weekend before World of Warcraft: The War Within's global launch was not the same as past launches. In the lead up to the...
The Soapbox: Feeling the FOMO effect of positive MMO news
It was the other week that I saw the very unexpected headline right here on MOP: "Daybreak bought Palia studio Singularity 6 and aims...
The Soapbox: If MMO classes aren’t broken, please leave ’em alone
Last week was a pretty big one for Lord of the Rings Online. The 17-year-old MMO opened up a pair of new progression servers,...
The Soapbox: Why MMOs are the ultimate creature comforts
As long as I can remember, I've been an avid fan of re-consuming my favorite forms of media. I used to read the same...
The Soapbox: Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail, mortality, remembrance, and last chances
Earlier this week, at least at the time of this op ed's writing, I completed the main story for Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail, and...
The Soapbox: Why I’m OK with ‘missing’ attacks in City of Heroes
The other day in the MassivelyOP work chat, we were talking about City of Heroes. Shocking, I know. But I've mentioned before that I...
The Soapbox: Casuals and soloers need challenging MMO content too
In a recent press Q&A around the announcement of Elder Scrolls Online's Gold Road chapter, Zenimax creative director Rich Lambert appeared to dismiss the...
The Soapbox: Hearthstone is probably in for another boring year in 2024
I recently got a survey in my email on Hearthstone and its future. The last time a Hearthstone survey got sent out, the idea...
The Soapbox: The ‘problem’ with MMO hoarding
I remember a number of years ago, in an article for a game I can't recall, an MMO developer discussed how an early build...
The Soapbox: In defence of World of Warcraft Cataclysm
When Blizzard announced Cataclysm Classic servers for World of Warcraft, there was some bemusement in the broader MMORPG community. Cataclysm has always been controversial,...
The Soapbox: Will Diablo IV’s Vessel of Hatred be a sufficient answer for Path of Exile 2?
Everyone loves a good enrage timer, right? It puts pressure on everyone involved in a raid or boss fight to pull their weight and...
The Soapbox: The real cost of breaking trust with gamers
There's a quote going around these days in gaming spheres about trust being like a broken vase that can be fixed but will never...
The Soapbox: How Vanguard’s diplomacy system could be revived and improved
Once upon a time there was an MMORPG called Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. It wasn't the most popular MMO, but it did cultivate a...
The Soapbox: Why Cryptic’s MMOs are the epitome of comfort gaming
They say you never forget your first kiss. I honestly can't recall much about mine, but I do vividly remember the day that I...
The Soapbox: The day my son lost his first online video game to a sunset
It was a few weeks back that I walked into our family room and saw my 14-year-old son crouched over the iPad with a...
The Soapbox: Why The Secret World really failed
We're back with part two of my long-overdue post-mortem of The Secret World, my favourite MMORPG of all time. In the first part I...
The Soapbox: A belated The Secret World post-mortem
This weeks marks the eleventh anniversary of the launch of The Secret World. While the game is still playable (for those with existing accounts),...
The Soapbox: Raiding isn’t the problem with World of Warcraft
It is by now clear that World of Warcraft's Dragonflight expansion hasn't exactly set the world on fire. This has set off another round...
The Soapbox: MMO housing is so much more than a frivolous feature
When The Sims launched in 2000, what seemed like a dull and laughable concept on paper proved to be one of the most compelling...
The Soapbox: Hating on the competition is no way to promote an MMO
Recently, RIFTÂ was back in the news, offering free subscription time to new and returning players. While I salute Gamigo's generosity here, whenever the topic...
