A Retrospective Look at World of Warcraft

Watch me talk about how Blizzard's hit MMO World of Warcraft influenced me as both a gamer and a lover of fantasy fiction.

Vertical Progression In MMO’s: Incentive? Or Annoyance?

Ever since the old-school days of pen & paper role playing games, when players had no other choice other than to hunker around a table with dice in one hand and a soft drink in the other, vertical progression has been a staple of the RPG formula. This concept transferred over well to the digital/online space when massively multiplayer games such as Ultima Online and Everquest started showing up in the mid to late 90’s. But now that we’ve officially entered the 21^st century, is giving players a giant mountain of vertical progression to climb really the best way to hold their interest?

Where’s My MMO Horde Mode?

Ever since its original debut in Epic Games’ Gears of War 2, the concept behind the popular “Horde Mode” gametype has gone on to become one of the core pillars of co-op multiplayer gameplay. 

While predominantly featured in shooters such as Halo (Firefight), Mass Effect (Galaxy at War), and even Saints Row (“Whored” Mode), lately it has started showing up in other, non-shooter multiplayer environments such as the recent console MOBA Guardians of Middle Earth (Survival Mode) and even action hack-and-slash games like God of War: Ascension (Trial of the Gods). However, there’s one genre in which Horde Mode seems strangely absent given its emphasis on social and often cooperative gameplay: massively multiplayer online games.

Do We Take Our Ability To Chat In-Game For Granted?

It has become almost a given these days that online games include some form of in-game chat function to help facilitate communication. MMO’s, online shooters, even popular MOBA and strategy games allow players to voice their opinions, thoughts and concerns with the simple press of the enter key or “push to talk” button. 

Dizzying Heights: Why Do MMO’s Need Such A High Level Cap?

I’ve been a big fan and avid player of ArenaNet’s Guild Wars series for a fair number of years now. The lack of a subscription fee coupled with its emphasis on cooperative team-based play felt right at home for me as did its low level cap of 20 for player characters. This level cap was low enough to not feel too grindy but also high enough that it still felt like a worthwhile effort to reach it. 

So when I heard that the game’s sequel Guild Wars 2 would have a level cap of 80, on par with most other current-gen MMO’s, I’ll admit I was a little disappointed. As much as I may advocate the philosophy of the journey being more important than the destination, it is still discouraging to know that my lack of free time is all that’s preventing me from participating in a given title’s endgame.

Can Subscription-Based MMO’s Survive In Today’s Market?

When they read that Bioware’s Triple-A MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic was converting to a free-to-play model this Fall, I doubt many gamers were surprised. The Old Republic is just one of many MMO’s that have made the switch from a sub-based business model to a F2P one over the past few years, other notable examples being Turbine’s Lord of the Rings Online and SOE’s Everquest II. The question is, was the plan to make it a sub-based MMO doomed from the start?

Super Hero MMO's: Something For Everybody

As an on again-off again player of NCsoft's City of Heroes for the past three or so years, and as someone who recently managed to get his PS3 back up and running in order to take Sony's DC Universe Online for a spin, I have to say I'm pretty happy with the direction Super Hero MMO's are heading in.

Guild Wars 2 Beta Impressions

This weekend marked the final beta session for ArenaNet’s upcoming MMO Guild Wars 2 before its official release on August 28th and I was lucky enough to snag an invite. As a longtime fan and player of the original Guild Wars, I was excited to dive head-first back into the world of Tyria and to see for myself how Guild Wars 2 is shaping up. Read on for my thoughts and opinions and feel free to share your own in the comments.

Read the full article at explosion.com

Copernicus Rising: What Happened To 38 Studios?

How does a company that develops one of the hottest selling RPG's of the year go from on top of the world to filing for bankruptcy?

Read the full story over at explosion.com 

Gaming on a Budget; 3 ways to become a more thrifty gamer

These days, considering the economy, the rapid pace at which new video games and video game systems are being released, and the overall cost of keeping up with the latest games, it goes without saying that trying to stay at the forefront of such development can be taxing on your wallet.  Throwing down $60 for a new 360 title, upgrading your PC with various parts to run the latest computer games, even playing a few months of a pay-to-play MMO are just a few of the large costs that can become part of an average gamer’s life.  Today I want to share a few ways in which we gamers can alleviate the financial pain of being modern gamers and hopefully steer the industry in a more economically viable direction.