The Rehabilitation of Blizzard’s Alex “Furor” Afrasiabi
It's been an interesting journey for WoW's Lead World Designer Alex Afrasiabi. Almost 10 years ago he started out as the infamous guild leader of the Fires of Heaven an …
How Lord of the Rings Should Have Ended
A few years ago I found this video gem on YouTube entitled How Lord of the Rings Should Have Ended. I realize this is old news but perhaps there are …
Impressions of PAX 2009
This past weekend I was fortunate enough to be able to spend a few hours at the Penny Arcade Expo otherwise known as PAX at the Seattle Convention Center. This …
Blizzard Reboots WoW with the Cataclysm Expansion
Nothing puts a damper on the player’s suspension of disbelief faster than when they finally realize there are no more horizons left to explore and conquer. That said, nothing excites …
EverQuest2 Revisited Part 2: Travels in Faydwer
This week I'm continuing with my journey back into the new Norrath of EverQuest 2. I've switched gears from my travels and experiences with the legacy content of Qeynos and …
EverQuest2: Stranger in a Strange Land
A few days ago I wrote an article describing what a new player might find in their first 15 minutes in EverQuest2. As far as EQ2, I have no axe …
Initial Impressions of Aion
Lately the MMO world has been buzzing with interest about a new offering from NCSoft called Aion. I purchased the Collectors Edition in order to get access to the paid …
EverQuest2 Revisited Part 1: Analysis of the First 15 Minutes
One of the first things I learned as a game designer is that the first 15 minutes of your video game is critical. It is during this brief window of …
Those Poor Downtrodden Tolkien Kids
I've just read an interesting article entitled Tolkien's children fight for 'Lord of the Rings' gold by Los Angeles Times columnist Rachel Abramowitz. She claims that the Tolkien Estate has …
Dude, Who Stole My Community? Confronting the Inertia of MMO Players
We all come to MMOs and virtual worlds with grand expectations. For months before a MMO is released we experience the hype about how this time it will be different. …
Why Players Should Be the Ultimate Content for MMOs
In every game and sport since the dawn of time, human participants have been their existential lifeblood. The test of skill, athletics, teamwork and stamina as participants go head …
Brad McQuaid: The Once and Future King?
Ten years after the release of EverQuest -- one of the most beloved and revered MMOs of all time -- one if it's creator's Brad McQuaid has apparently resurfaced. For …