Bill Murphy

There are way too many MMOs these days. No, scratch that. There are way too many terrible, no-good, self-playing, web-based clones of clones MMOs these days.

Ubisoft’s Watch_Dogs is not what I expected to call an RPG. In fact, we’re not even going to list the game here on our new RPG game list. But if the series keeps on its current path, we just might have to revisit that decision. Ubisoft sent me a copy for my PS4 (unexpectedly), and when I booted it up I was pleased to find an open world modern day RPG.

Earlier this week, I and some other team members here at MMORPG were trying to guess just where the game would land in terms of critical acclaim. We were pretty evenly divided into two camps. One side believes that WildStar will sit in the 80s, and the other side of the argument thinks that Carbine’s freshman game will fall somewhere in the mid-70s due to backlash that other recent MMO releases have been receiving.

Blizzard's Heroes of the Storm recently entered a small "technical alpha", and I managed to somehow luck out and snag a key. I've been playing the game pretty much any chance I get since Friday, quite possible because it seems Blizzard's done it once again. They've taken what makes a genre work, extracted the good and left out what some might consider the bad. Read on to find out why it's eating up all my free time.

WildStar doesn’t hold your hand… it drags you by every body part in a million different directions and can leave you feeling absolutely torn on what it is you should be doing. My question for Carbine and you all is: does WildStar point the player in too many divergent directions or is more always better in an MMO trying to please so many playstyles?

From here on out, you might see a lot more RPG coverage, that's without the MMO, on MMORPG.com. Today, Managing Editor Bill Murphy lays out why and what it means for the MMORPG coverage you've come to know and love. TLDR? It doesn't mean much. Read on!

There’s been a lot of controversy lately about “faction turncoats”. What’s funny to me is that this is the kind of thing players have been dying for Zenimax to allow. But now that we have it, the folks who wanted factions to remain race-locked are now speaking out about how they think this move is a.) A cash grab or b.) Somehow wronging the lore or c.) Breaking the game’s PVP. Parties are crying over a bit of spilt milk but this is all better for the game.

Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft is the current "it-game" around the online gaming space, and for the life of him... Bill can't figure out why. So today, he's going to kvetch about how he can't get into the game, and ask you all for tips on how to get more enjoyment from Blizzard's wildly popular online TCG. Read on and educate Bill!

No this isn't a religious column from Bill Murphy this week. Instead, it's a quick look at why we as MMO gamers always seem to be waiting for the next big thing, instead of enjoying what we do have while looking forward. Read on, see if you agree, and leave a note in the comments.

During PAX Prime, we held our annual Future of Online Games panel. The panelists were from all over the industry, and our own Managing Editor took a few key points home from the discussion. Read on to see what those were.

In today's MMO space, much of what made the genre great has been taken out, namely the will to -achieve- things as opposed to being given them. In his latest column, our Managing Editor Bill Murphy talks about why achievement is important and why it matters. See if you agree before leaving your thoughts in the comments.

Now that Blizzard has pushed any further information and development of its 'Titan' MMO to the distant future, it's time for EverQuest Next to take the spotlight. Check out our thoughts on the subject before heading to the comments to discuss.

One of the more common occurences as more games go free to play is to see "soft launches", so-called open betas, where the team can hide behind the beta moniker but simultaneously profit by taking players' money for cash shop items. In his latest column, Bill Murphy takes on this troubling trend. Read on and then tell us what you think in the comments.

Scarlet Blade has been receiving a lot of attention lately, less for its gameplay mechanics than for its gratuitous use of cleavage. We take a look at the game and how we believe it's a huge step backwards for the industry. Read on and then weigh in with your thoughts in the comments.

Developers have been having increasing difficulty keeping end-game players entertained and have struggled with what to do to keep them involved as customers. In today's column, Bill puts on his sweater with elbow patches, lights up the professor's pipe and weighs in with theory-crafting about endless progression. Check it out, class, then submit your work in the comments.