MMORPG.com News Manager Garrett Fuller pens this weekly column on the genre in general every Wednesday.
This week if the news taught us anything it is that the MMO leap to console systems has now been validated. Yesterday, Matt Firor made a few announcements in a feature on GameIndustry.biz about the success that Elder Scrolls Online has had in the console market. It opened a lot of eyes in the game world and perhaps this is the jump start we need to really begin seeing major companies invest in MMOs again.
Chronos is one of the earliest games out and ready for the Oculus Rift. We had the opportunity to chat with Gunfire Games President and Game Director David Adams about Chronos to learn more about the game and much more.
This is an article I have wanted to write for a long time. Today with all of the news about the shut down and response to the World of Warcraft server Nostalrius, I feel like it is time to finally talk plainly about the existence and importance of "legacy servers" in MMO gaming.
MMOs have shifted and changed over the past decade. We have seen the rise of theme parks like World of Warcraft and Star Wars: The Old Republic, only to circle back to sandbox games like ARK and DayZ do crazy numbers on Steam. So the question becomes what is the perfect balance of an MMO. Right now in an age where no game is trying to be an MMO, there certainly seems to be a lot of them around.
Gaming can go full circle with trends and concepts. Back in 1997 Ultima Online created a concept that allowed large groups of players into a digital sandbox to grow a fantasy world together. EverQuest picked up the ball and ran with it scoring a huge touchdown by taking the game from an isometric view into a third person view.
After taking time to read yesterday’s feature on The Upcoming MMOs of 2016 it really seems like more and more games that are launching in 2016 are already playable now. I’ve asked this question years ago when beta keys were given out like candy as a marketing ploy to get new players into the game. Betas are supposed to be for testing, at least, they used to be. Now, instead of being used to market a game, they are just outright used to sell the game in early access.
If you didn’t spend a fortune last weekend or on Cyber Monday and still have a few bucks left in your virtual wallet, well, there are still some great finds out there. Gamers looking for some last minute deals will find that even though Amazon’s busiest day has past us, there are some leftovers in the fridge from Thanksgiving.
Game Design is a funny thing. There are many ways to create and build all types of games. Over the past twenty years we have seen the tremendous rise of video games into our popular culture, and now they are here to stay. However, in this latest batch of games coming forth in 2015-2016 there is a new element to design as studios try to capitalize on a growing market: eSports.
Movies made from video games are an extremely risky business. Games give the fan something a movie never can, the ability to play in that world. It hits on way more of your human senses than just sitting in a theater staring up at the big screen. As much as the past three major generations have grown up on movies, I think we are finally starting to see the first true generation who care more about interactive entertainment, than just viewing entertainment.
The RPG genre has never been so filled with amazing content. This year some major titles are hitting the scene with successful games like The Witcher and Fallout 4 on the menu, anyone can see that a new golden age of RPGs is here. InXile Entertainment is right in the driver’s seat for the Indie scene with games like Wasteland 2, Torment: Tides of Numenera, and a new take on The Bard’s Tale.
After a controversial exit from the company he founded (Red 5 Studios), Mark Kern has moved on to a brand new project. Since he's a sometimes columnist here at MMORPG.com, we're lucky enough to have talked with Mark about his next project: an online world steeped in VR, community building, virtual currencies, and user-generated content. Read on for more.
With Richard Garriott's big announcement today of his new RPG in development and with the successful funding of the PlaneScape RPG, it appears the RPG is on the rise. We've got some thoughts to share about this most recent development. Read on!
Ultima Online in its simplest and purest form is a sandboxer's dream. We've been spending some time playing on a 'free shard' and have a list of lessons we've learned about what a true sandbox is. See what we've got to say before leaving your own thoughts in the comments.
2012 is nearly over and it's always fun to take a look back at the games that we spent lots of hours enjoying. We'll be spending this week talking about the games that we, the staff of MMORPG.com, caught our attention in the year that was. As ever, join the conversation in the comments. Garrett weighs in with his choices on this third day of 2013. Read on!
A lot of interested eyes are pointed squarely at Star Citizen to see if the crowd funding method will produce a 'worthy' MMO. In Garrett's latest column, he explores whether how this method could possibly work and set a new precedent for the industry. Read on!