Masthead Studios' CEO Atanas Atanasov answers the question: Sandbox games have proven that they stand the test of time. Why do you think the sandbox model appeals to players even after all these years?

When MMORPGs emerged from their MUD roots – before becoming one of the highlights of the gaming industry – they came along with a promise that players would immerse themselves in a persistent virtual world that they can not only play inside, but one that also shapes the course of its destiny along with their character’s rise in power and influence.

Ultima Online pioneered both the genre itself and the concept for player-driven economy and flexible political system; but as new games became larger, intricately more complex and successful, and their player base grew from thousands to millions, new hurdles caused the genre to stray from its initial direction. Game designers opted to strip their games of the sandbox mechanics in order to tightly control the direction in which their games would evolve, ultimately making sure the player’s experience was as well orchestrated as it was in single player games. MMORPGs became more about acquiring shiny loot rather than influencing a world with your actions.

Read Atanas Atanasov: Why Love the Sandbox?