staff roundtable
Massively Overthinking: MMO monetization run amok
Over the last couple of weeks, the monetization of unreleased games has become a pervasive and uncomfortable theme for the MMO genre. Just in...
Massively Overthinking: 2017’s MMORPG zeitgeist
This time last year, I polled the Massively OP writers for their opinions on which MMOs had had the best year, or half year,...
Massively Overthinking: Disentangling MMO classes and races
Last week, a guildie of mine mentioned that he'd been interested in Crowfall until he realized he couldn't be a gerbil (Guineacean) of the...
Massively Overthinking: Being Uncle Owen in MMORPGs
Ever since the tone-deaf SOE proclamation that nobody wanted to play Uncle Owen in an MMORPG, contrary me has consciously fought that very stupid...
Massively Overthinking: Is the MMO genre facing an identity crisis?
MMORPG blogger and MOP commenter Isarii (@ethanmacfie) recently published an excellent video positing that the MMO industry is facing a "massive identity crisis."
"The MMO...
Massively Overthinking: Competitive PvE in MMORPGs
During last week's podcast, Justin and I bumped into a tangential topic about competitive PvE and how relatively rare it is in MMORPGs, which...
Massively Overthinking: Are MMORPG players a minority in their own genre?
Deep in the comments of the MMOs-vs.-survival-sandboxes thread from last week, reader miol_ produced a beautiful comment about how MMO players have become a...
Massively Overthinking: Disassembling MMORPGs for parts
This week's Massively Overthinking comes to us from Xijit -- and I think you'll agree it's quite timely.
"In light of The Secret World getting reworked into...
Massively Overthinking: MMOs, from hardcore to casual and back again
Massively OP reader Suikoden wrote this great question to the podcast -- too good to let just Justin and me answer it. It's a...
Massively Overthinking: It’s the end of The Secret World as we know it
I think I can speak for most of our staff in saying that in November when Funcom first promised a "major upgrade to both retention and...
Massively Overthinking: Competition vs. community in MMOs
Quantic Foundry, the games research group we've been tracking ever since it posted its original Gamer Motivation Model, has a new piece out this...
Massively Overthinking: The City of Heroes Master X Master debacle
On Tuesday, NCsoft announced that it plans to introduce Statesman, from the long-sunsetted City of Heroes, as a playable character in its MOBA, Master...
Massively Overthinking: When social play in MMOs is predatory by design
Blogger Tobold recently wrote a provocative piece on social play in MMOs, as pointed out to us by our dear tipster Sally. In a...
Massively Overthinking: That moment when your MMO looks like a ‘fire sale at an exotic pet store’
Massively OP Podcast listener John recently sent us a really great question that saw Justin and me sharply divided in terms of our responses,...
Massively Overthinking: Mainstream misconceptions about MMORPGs
Massively OP reader Arsin Halfmoon pitched the team a great question this week, poached straight from the podcast list:
"As someone deeply invested in the MMO...
Massively Overthinking: Is the MMORPG genre taking a much-needed breather?
Massively OP donor and commenter Tibi sent this epic question to our podcast and kindly allowed me to share it here instead for maximum...
Massively Overthinking: Are MMOs designed for ‘low-skill gamers’?
Ages ago on the MMORPG subreddit, a player made a bold statement: MMORPGs are designed for low-skill gamers.
"I remember being dazzled by EverQuest and...
Massively Overthinking: Unholy MMORPG hybrids
Massively OP reader and frequent tipster Gibbins wants us to play match-maker.
"I love the wonderful world that Bethesda created with the Fallout franchise, not...
Massively Overthinking: Breaking your immersions in MMORPGs
Veteran MOP reader and tipster Nordavind is going to break your immersions. Just kidding. He does have a question for us all on that...
Massively Overthinking: Death and dying in MMORPGs
In March of last year, MOP's Justin wrote a detailed guide to the most common death penalties in MMORPGs. Last September, Gamasutra pulled seven...
