The Decline of Social Interaction in MMORPGs
A few weeks ago at BlizzCon during an interview with WoWInsider’s Anne Stickney, Blizzard’s Alex Afrasiabi — the World of Warcraft Creative Director — made a rare and frank admission. He …
Tag: MMORPG
New Lower Price for Elder Scrolls Online Standard Edition Available at Amazon
If you have been on the fence about trying Zenimax’s Elder Scrolls Online MMORPG because of the high price, now may be a great time to take advantage of a great …
Frogdice Reinvents the MMORPG with Stash on Kickstarter
Rarely do I ever endorse a Kickstarter project, but there is an interesting and unique MMO/RPG hybrid called Stash that I would like to recommend to my readers. Forged by …
Landmark Closed Beta Review: Bold Ideas Constrained by Designer Timidity
Watch most Twitch.tv streams that showcase SOE’s Landmark “sandbox” virtual world and you’ll see a familiar sight to those that follow the comic book and the superhero genre. You’ll see …
Elder Scrolls Online Beta Report: Another Predictable Theme Park MMO
I had the opportunity to have participated in two Elder Scrolls Online beta weekends. During the previous beta weekend I was able to devote some significant time to playing two characters …
Belated BlizzCon 2013 WoW Impressions: Trapped in the Mind of Chris Metzen
For World of Warcraft devotees the almost annual BlizzCon love fest is like an American State of the Union address combined with the euphoria of an Amway convention. There is …
BlizzCon 2013: Can the Return of Alex Afrasiabi Save World of Warcraft?
While viewing the schedule for the upcoming BlizzCon 2013, I noticed a familiar name in the lineup of panelists: Alex Afrasiabi. It seems that Alex, missing from the public eye …
How Class Interdependence Can Build Community in EverQuest Next
One of the highest objectives a fantasy MMORPG should strive for is the creation of a vibrant and passionate community. For the player, the benefits of a robust community are …
EverQuest Next Reveal at SOE Live: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
By now most EverQuest devotees have watched the video presentations and read all of the coverage on various gaming websites about SOE's reveal of EverQuest Next in Las Vegas over …
Guest Essay: Why Was EverQuest So Immersive?
In advance of Friday's big reveal of Everquest Next (rumored to be released in a playable form - presumably Beta - by the end of the year), many fans have …
Gartner Hype Cycle: Virtual Worlds in the Trough of Disillusionment
Recently I became exposed to an interesting idea called the Gartner Hype Cycle. It’s implications might be useful to those of us still interested in the future viability of virtual worlds and …
I Believe
What is it about the concept of belief that captivates the imagination of the human race? I can recall many instances even in cinematic history that demonstrate belief. Alastair Sim’s …