MMOGology: Will mobile MMOGs evolve genre expectations?
What makes an MMOG an MMOG? When we talk about massively multiplayer games, certain expectations immediately form in our minds. Looking at the components of the acronym itself it seems pretty straightforward. We know that MMOG stands for massively multiplayer online game. The qualifications of what ...
MMOGology: Mobile MMOGs
Several weeks ago at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) Steve Jobs announced the 3G iPhone. The announcement wasn't much of a shock to industry experts since other cell phones have been using 3G networks for several years. In order to remain competitive, it was only natural for Apple ...
MMOGology: There's no place like Azeroth
I was running my daily quests for the Shattered Sun Offensive this week when one of the officers from our guild popped online. He said he was back from a session with Age of Conan and was having a blast with it. I asked him if he liked the combat mechanics – he did. I asked if he liked the ...
MMOGology: Age of Conan, PC vs 360
Age of Conan's official release date is tomorrow (May 20, 2008) and MMOG players around the world are salivating at the chance to get down and dirty in the world of Hyboria. In fact, the level of interest is so intense that as I'm writing this article I can't even access the official Age of Conan ...
MMOGology: Attack of the bots
A few weeks ago Tateru Nino wrote a great piece about the use of bots in Second Life as marketing tools to make virtual worlds feel less lonely and appear more populated than they actually are. The article got me thinking about the use of bots in games and the many purposes they serve, not only as ...
MMOGology: Grand Theft MMO
On Tuesday, April 29th, 2008 Rockstar Games released Grand Theft Auto IV (GTA IV), one of the most anticipated games of 2008. Based on early reviews (all of which have been unanimously positive) it looks like the latest installment in the series has exceeded expectations. Everything about GTA IV ...
MMOGology: Sex games
Can you feel it coming? With less than a month until Conan's release, the pressure cooker of excitement building for the new MMOG by Funcom is about to blow its load. At least part of this excitement stems from the fact that Age of Conan deals with mature themes. Unlike the cartoony World of ...
MMOGology: Gamerz is speshul
Gamers have always taken a degree of flack about their hobby of choice. Some people call gaming a waste of time (whereas watching TV is completely productive), some people bash it as anti-social escapism (whereas reading a book is akin to attending a gala), some people deride it for its focus on ...
MMOGology: Playing around
Whether it's completing quests, running dungeons, or taking down super villains, any good game has decisive goals for player progression. Most of the time there is a clear and structured path that will get players quickly from one goal to the next. You level up, you unlock new abilities, you get ...
MMOGology: A touch of class
With all the Age of Conan news hitting the press lately, the Conan hype machine has finally caught me in its greasy, barbaric cogs. With a visceral, action-based combat system, player-city building and mounted combat, it looks like Age of Conan is doing enough unique and exciting things to make it ...
