The List

Right now we are in a bit of a lull in the MMO release schedule. Crowdfunding campaigns like Crowfall keep on trucking and the astronomically high level of hype around Star Citizen continues to escalate, but both of those games are pretty far off from a real release. This list isn’t going to mention any current crowdfunding games, nor will it mention stuff that will go into a closed alpha of any kind – only open betas and full releases.

It seems like a new VR headset is announced every few months now. First there was the Oculus Rift, pioneering a newly discovered market segment. Now we have Sony’s Project Morpheus, Steam and HTC’s Vive, the Samsung Gear, and a whole host of other companies clamoring to get in on the topic while it’s still hot. Since they’re not widely owned yet and are still very much in developmental stages, it’s tough to tell exactly how it will play out, but it’s an exciting time for sure.

As with all too many other aspects of our lives, it can be temptingly easy to apply either binary or at least not highly differentiated thinking within the context of the MMO category. So, for instance, we tend to regard a game as either good or bad, or if we choose to add a third grouping, as mediocre. However, with a bit of reflection, I suspect many readers can name elements you remember from titles that weren't very well-received overall. Here are some of mine.

Being a guild leader is hard. It’s really hard. In fact, it may as well be considered a full-time job in a lot of cases. Between knowing all of your members just like a manager at work, running websites and forums just like a standard website owner, and organizing activities for everyone like some type of deranged virtual event planner, being a guild leader can bring out the best (or worst) in anyone.

The number one term applied to the development of Crowfall so far seems to be the H-word. Yes, folks, the hype train has left the station and it has a long journey ahead of it, but that's part of the fun of being an MMO fan, right? Many of us enjoy the excitement that comes from seeing a new MMO peek its head up over the horizon, as we hope and pray that it will fill the hole in our heart that was left after the last dozen games promised us the world.

Love is in the air this time of year. Stores are lines with pink and red decorations, flowers poke out in every direction, and romantic gifts are littered across the aisles. In fact, the upcoming holiday Valentine’s Day just so happens to be on a Saturday this year.

When I first played Dragon’s Dogma back at its launch in 2012, I felt like I had stumbled across something that would surely go down as a cult classic. It was rough around the edges, had some quirks that wouldn’t appeal to everyone, and lacked a true multiplayer mode. As it turns out, I wasn’t far off.

The concept of sequels is very familiar to anyone who plays video games, so much so that we basically expect any hit to spawn one, if not more. In the MMO space, the situation is somewhat different because the titles continue to grow and evolve over time. Accordingly, follow-ups aren't nearly as common. That said, it wasn't hard to come up with a handful that would potentially be of significant interest for me.

The zombie survival genre has grown to become something decidedly different from anything else in the industry. With a combination of elements from several different existing conventions, zombie survival games have worked out their own niche that continues to rise in popularity. It makes sense when you think about it.

After nearly one hundred twenty hours, I finished my completionist run through Dragon Age: Inquisition today. As I sat staring at the credits and waiting for the short epilogue cinematic that would come after them, I was left with a curious sense of emptiness with a mental image of an empty calendar filled with endless days stretching out in front of me.

Sword Art Online II recently wrapped up. I haven’t actually watched the second leg of the Sword Art Online story as I’m late to the party on this topic, but I’ve seen all of Sword Art Online I and was enamored with the concept. If you’re unaware, Sword Art Online, or SAO for short, is an anime about a group of people that get trapped inside of an MMORPG. The catch is that if they die in the game, they die in real life as well.

Now that the bold new year of 2015 is upon us and we’re striking out into unknown territory, I felt like it was only appropriate that we take a look at MMOs that let you embark on grand voyages of your own. When doing research for this list, I noticed that there are shockingly few MMOs with robust sea-based content. As a result, some of the games on this list feature sailing as an extra feature, while some of the games have sea adventures as the primary gameplay mechanic.

Full-time jobs, children, spouses… It happens to all of us: the good things swoop in and steal game time right out from under you. It begs the question: are MMOs even for us anymore? We’ve been through the wringer and have your answer, and eight crucial tips to make sure you succeed.

Another year has come and gone, and with that flurry of levels and experience points goes many of our most-wanted RPGs finally delivered. 2014 was a good year for roleplaying games with the likes of Dragon Age: Inquisition leading the pack but 2015 looks to be downright spectacular. We here at MMORPG have spent a lot of time discussing this year’s games, but with New Year’s Eve fast approaching, let’s look ahead to what next year has in store.

Well, 2014 is almost over. It has been a year full of…stuff. Overall, the gaming industry as a whole was pretty disappointing. It seems like the biggest moments of the year are underscored by horrible launches, broken games, greedy publishers, and lazy developers. There were plenty of bright spots, no doubt, but overall it’s hard to argue that the year wasn’t disappointing.