MMO Week in Review: Hello, 2012

At the end of every week, we round up the best and most popular news stories, exclusive features, and insightful columns published on Massively and then present them all in one convenient place. Miss a big MMO or WoW Insider story last week? You've come to the right post.

The turn of a new year is a time for reflection, and this week we did just that in our Best of 2011 Awards and The Perfect Ten, in which we took a stroll back through 2011's most exciting MMO stories and plucked out our favorite games of the last 365 days. After all, it's been a gigantic year for the MMO industry -- RIFT and Star Wars: The Old Republic launched, Star Wars Galaxies closed, World of Warcraft announced Mists of Pandaria, CCP Games ticked a whole bunch of people off, and at least a zillion games went free-to-play.

The new year is also a time to look into the future, so naturally we furbished up our crystal balls and made predictions (some more serious than others) about how the genre will fare in the coming year. Will Pandaria sink WoW? Will browser-based and mobile MMOs continue their rise to prominence? Will TOR crash and burn? Will The Secret World be a hit? Bring it on, 2012!

Join us past the break for a look at this week's top MMO stories.

BioWare's docs: Free-to-play can't invest and create at our level
Muzyka and Zeschuk banter about the quality of F2P and sub games.
Gamer drops $16,000 on Age of Wulin virtual sword
Does this count as pay-to-win in real life?
Reid on Reddit: SWTOR fans ask him anything and everything
SWTOR's community manager talked about ability delay and more.
Videos document player battle with ArcheAge's Kraken
Check out the XLGAMES' incoming sandbox sea-combat.
Analyst claims that SWTOR points to a healthy MMO market
MMO industry: Not dead yet!
The Guild Counsel: Does SWTOR need a better LFG tool?
Karen wonders whether dungeon finders are bad for communities.
Not So Massively: Free Steam games and promotional gifts
Brendan scoped out the new Doctor Who MMO and more.
Ask Massively: Further answers to the same questions edition
Will we or won't we host a "TOR Insider" blog?
Newest patch notes Star Wars: The Old Republic highlight bug fixes
A million slicers cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.
Flameseeker Chronicles: High achievers
Rubi discusses the proposed Guild Wars 2 achievement system.
The Soapbox: Adding story to SWTOR
Jef asks, how will BioWare move TOR's story forward?
Hyperspace Beacon: Force reflection
Larry highlights his spot-on and way-off SWTOR predictions.

And from our sister site, WoW Insider...

Reader Comments (20)

I hope in 2012 we will see Twisted Metal + Burnout + Eve Online type of MMO.

@(Unverified)

I'll just be happy to see Twisted Metal!

All I want is for GW2 not to lie like SWTOR and be an actual change in the mainstream MMO landscape.

@That damn hairy banana

That's the funny thing. SWTOR laid it all out on the table. I have yet to see the "lies"

@(Unverified) : indeed, SW:TOR is imho an extremely poor game that has really set the genre back, but I can't think of anything even remotely deceptive about it. We've known for years that it would be mostly derivative with its innovative features being actively damaging to the MMORPG landscape.

Well I'll be going back to DCUO for my MMO fix until I can try out Secret World. SWTOR is good but I don't think its worth the $15 a month and I have a lot of games to still finish. Not to mention its only a couple months until Syndicate, Twisted Metal, and the Vita come out.

@The angry pro consumer gaming ga

Same here. Went back to DCUO after AoC %$^&ed up the patches just to try it out for a few (pass some time), see how it changed, I wound up playing for 9 hours that night...before I knew it, the sun was coming out...I could'nt believe my eyes as to how fun and great this game is now after all the DLC, bug fixes, and healthy population.

Im loving it. LOVING it!

I can assure you GW2 is different ;) that is all I can say about that.

@(Unverified)

I'm hear to back up what this person is saying.

@drunkingamebar

Here...

Hope to see SWTOR Crash and burn

@Rivalo Haters gotta hater I guess unfortunately for you it won't. SWTOR is a good game with a huge upside.

I've played GW since it came out and GW2 has done nothing to impress me in fact if anything it's actually turned me off.

My games of choice this year will be DCUO and SWTOR both good games with bright futures.

I hope SWTOR continues to go absolutely swimmingly so I don't have to mix with the unwashed who refuse to pay a sub. Enjoy your cash shop kiddies.

Hopefully TORcraft will finally loose its hype and burn. ITs a bad example of the industry that ALREADY loves copying existing games and AVOIDING innovation. If the game that basically took wow and put it in space continues to do good, I do not expect any innovation from western mmo scene.

Hopefully TSW does good and hopefully Archeage finally gets a western publisher and hopefully GW II does not suck as much as TORcraft. These three are pretty much the only hope mmo industry has.

playing SWTOR (36 Sage healer) still in love with this game!! Now i reluctant to play any mmo without good story and companions to keep me invested. It's seem SWTOR have everything: sometimes i just solo focus on story and crafting, sometimes i only do party quests and flashpoints.

@DokiDokiBawanga

DCUO has basically the EXACT same things except companions and crafting...

But better, MUCH BETTER combat...

@Faction 3 played it and don't think it have better combat al all and story in tor is much much superior imo.

@DokiDokiBawanga

You must be used to the "spamming 1,2,1,1,1,4 until the mob is dead" type of play.

To each his own.

@Faction 3 it's more complex than that. clearly you have not been it hard fights in TOR.

I can't verify my account because this website has really poor account management options and I can resend the letter to myself T_T.

MMO Week in Review: Hello, 2012

Reader Comments (20)

Posted: Jan 1st 2012 8:05PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jan 1st 2012 9:58PM drunkingamebar said

Posted: Jan 1st 2012 8:09PM That damn hairy banana said

Posted: Jan 2nd 2012 1:55AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jan 2nd 2012 8:43PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jan 1st 2012 8:39PM The angry pro consumer gaming ga said

Posted: Jan 2nd 2012 1:09PM Faction 3 said

Posted: Jan 1st 2012 8:41PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jan 1st 2012 10:00PM drunkingamebar said

Posted: Jan 1st 2012 10:00PM drunkingamebar said

Posted: Jan 1st 2012 9:25PM Rivalo said

Posted: Jan 1st 2012 9:51PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jan 2nd 2012 12:14AM tooright said

Posted: Jan 2nd 2012 6:04AM Kitanishi said

Posted: Jan 2nd 2012 10:38AM DokiDokiBawanga said

Posted: Jan 2nd 2012 1:05PM Faction 3 said

Posted: Jan 2nd 2012 1:48PM DokiDokiBawanga said

Posted: Jan 2nd 2012 2:31PM Faction 3 said

Posted: Jan 2nd 2012 2:42PM DokiDokiBawanga said

Posted: Jan 3rd 2012 1:57PM (Unverified) said

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