Gaming monetisation didn't arrive as a villain. It arrived as a reasonable proposition — a way to fund ongoing development and to reward engaged players. Then the reasonable proposition became a psychology experiment. Then the psychology experiment became the product. Here's how it happened and why you should be annoyed about it.

Hey guys,

I recently livestreamed another hour of Shroud of the Avatar, and this time it was all about a chill and steady silver mining grind in Elysium Mines. No intense battles, no high-pressure quests—just a relaxed session farming resources and talking about the game.

For most of the stream, I focused on mining silver ore, which is actually a pretty calming activity if you’re just looking to unwind. The atmosphere in Elysium Mines fits perfectly with that laid-back vibe, making it a great spot for casual grinding.

During the stream, I also shared my thoughts on whether Shroud of the Avatar is newbie friendly. Interestingly, I don’t think the issue is difficulty. The game isn’t necessarily hard for beginners—it’s more that the experience can feel a bit tiresome. Progress can be slow, and some mechanics aren’t as welcoming or intuitive as you’d expect from a modern MMORPG.

Read full story »

Hey guys,

I almost ended up doing a full 2-hour livestream of Myth of Empires: Throne, and honestly, it turned out way more chill than you’d expect from a PvP-only game.

For those who don’t know, Myth of Empires: Throne is the free-to-play seasonal version of the game, focused entirely on PvP. But funny enough, my session didn’t really feel intense at all. Most of the time, I was just gathering resources, crafting items, and slowly building up my base. It had that relaxing, “zone out and grind” kind of vibe that survival game fans will definitely enjoy.

Read full story »

Weekends and to-do lists: A pairing few can escape. And that includes Massively OP’s MJ, who has quite a list of tasks she needs to work on in AdventureQuest 3D. There are plenty of floors to mop up in the Crypt of Mortis (have you seen the spiders down there/!) and not a few items […]

We knew it was coming this fall thanks to investor calls, but now it’s official: Aion 2 launches globally in September, according to the launch reveal at Summer Game Fest earlier this evening. “First launched in Korea and Taiwan in November 2025 to critical and commercial success, NC’s hit MMORPG will become playable for a […]

Who’s ready for a Cryptic MMO round-up? Let’s kick off this hootenanny in Champions Online, where a pair of events are running in June: the Nightmare Invasion (with new rewards) and a smaller Qliphothic Bonus Event. Both of these are active through the first two weeks this month. Then over in Star Trek Online, Cryptic […]

So in the last entry in this Warframe frame guide series, I expressed joy that we had reached a point where all of our frames were at least reasonably good. This time, sadly, we are in misery. I’m not going to bury the lede here: Even though I quite like two of these frames, none […]

It’s Pride month, and that means those of us in the Alphabet Gang are suddenly marketable again! Facetiousness aside, it’s a time when lots of MMOs, MMORPGs, and multiplayer titles highlight and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community within their playerbases, so obviously we’re going to raise a glass and raise awareness. Wizard101 and Pirate101 have both […]

What is it about WoW Classic that hits the spot for some players – including me? It’s a surprisingly difficult question to answer, mostly because I think that a lot of it comes down to nebulous feelings rather than hard, data-driven facts. There’s something about the feel of this legacy MMO that strongly resonates in […]

In the wake of Destiny 2’s imminent collapse, MOP’s Chris and I were musing on which games would benefit most from the exodus of players who will eventually leave when given no fresh content or even seasons on a loop (a bizarre choice, but Sony clearly enjoys leaving money on the table or we wouldn’t […]

Long-time fans of RIFT know that the game has a peculiar preoccupation with corgis — which is, in part, due to former Trion Worlds’ Scott Hartsman guidance and his passion for the dogs. Well, now the little doggos are all over the place in the game, thanks to Corgi Month this June. “It’s once again […]

You might recall that early on in Hollowed Oath’s Kickstarter run, we had some concern that it wasn’t going to fund, but in the end, the game has done it. Last night, studio God Mode Games finished out its crowdfunding run with $166,000 pledged compared to its $100,000 goal, with just under 700 backers. Those […]

Not to be outdone by the reveals from its elder brother, RuneScape has delivered a taste of what’s to come this month as Jagex has published another monthly roadmap with dates and details for upcoming releases. We’ll start with what’s out this week specifically, which is headlined by a new quest at Havenhythe known as Secrets of […]

February is a time for lovers, a time for cuddling, and of course a time for Mabinogi players to take stock of their wings and whether or not they are enchanted optimally. That last one might not feel like it is quite traditional, but the quality-of-life patch that the game has just dropped adds a number of […]

Star Trek Online’s Chimerans prove to be more adaptive foes after this past week’s patch: “You will now see them gaining resistance to all damage types, once per damage type they receive.” Yeah, good luck with that you non-adapting space captains! And this is just the beginning of the rest of the news! Read on for a […]

RuneScape is once again continuing to outline its series of overhauls and updates that are couched in its Road to Restoration efforts, and this time it’s talking about auras. Or more specifically, the elimination of them in the MMORPG’s next update. According to feedback from players, auras create more problems than they’re worth, imposing time pressure […]

Maybe a poetry recitation is a pretty dull affair if you stumble into one at a coffeehouse in real life, but in Project Gorgon, it’s the social event of the week that draws all the partiers — and giant glowing green bears — to slam down some lyrics and boost some skills. There once was […]

This past August, we reported on the VR MMORPG Ilysia, which transitioned to a free-to-play business model while still maintaining its early access development. It’s been a few months since that update went live, so it’s time to provide a quick check in. In terms of updates, those have kept on coming, even if sporadically, with a primary […]

In the Venn diagram comparing WoW Classic and Lord of the Rings Online, there’s a large overlapping section that simply says “chill gameplay.” And that’s probably why I appreciate both titles: because they feed that need I have to slow down, drink in the game world, and focus on a long leveling journey with no […]

If someone was keeping track of MMORPG gaming achievements that encompassed all of your online career, would you have earned that special award that said that you — yes you — had tried and played a 2-D MMO at some point in your life? There aren’t a lot of them out there, but it’s not […]