Avengers: Age of Ultron Film Review
Western popular culture seems to have an enduring fascination with superheroes that permeates all forms of media. Films, comic books and video games are all about the deeds and glory …
Why I Support the Honey Badgers and #GamerGate
Liberty has always been one of the defining attributes of Western civilization. The freedom to believe or disbelieve is essential to who we are. In the marketplace of ideas, good …
The Destructive Legacy of Blizzard’s World of Warcraft
At the end of 2014, Blizzard Entertainment celebrated the 10th anniversary of World of Warcraft. There can be no doubt that WoW is a juggernaut that changed how we play …
The Decline of Social Interaction in MMORPGS – Full Interview
What follows is the full transcript of the interview I gave a University of Texas at Dallas student regarding the decline of social interaction in MMORPGs which was the basis for …
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 …
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 …
What it’s Like Not to Be in the EverQuest Next Landmark Alpha
Since the release of the EverQuest Next Landmark alpha in February and all the surrounding hoopla it seems that everyone is in the alpha. To be honest, I can’t think …
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 …
The Curse of Groundhog Day Continues: No Dynamic Content for Pantheon MMO
In the classic film Groundhog Day, Bill Murray is forced to relive February 2nd over and over. Eventually he learns from his mistakes, perfects his strategy and wins the heart …
Brad McQuaid’s Pantheon MMO: Return of the Prodigal Son
Brad McQuaid is back. Almost 15 years after the release of EverQuest and 7 years after the release of his Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, the prodigal son of the MMO …
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 …
Compendium of My EverQuest Articles
After becoming interested in the upcoming EverQuest Next being revealed at SOE Live on August 1, 2013 in Las Vegas at Planet Hollywood, I've done a lot of soul searching …
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 …
EverQuest Next: I Want to Believe Again
It's been a frustrating couple of years for the MMORPG genre and its devotees. The once mighty Blizzard Entertainment has had to suffer the embarrassment of years of declining subscriptions …
38 Studios: Requiem for a Lost Virtual World
The recent drama and subsequent bankruptcy of Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios has haunted me these past few weeks. Although I was just a bystander, I was living somewhat vicariously through …
38 Studios: A Cautionary Tale of Blind Visionaries
No one can deny that this past week has been a catastrophe of near biblical proportions for Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios and their proposed “Copernicus” MMO. By now most avid …
Concert Review: Kevin Eubanks Quartet at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley in Seattle
Guitarist Kevin Eubanks is primarily known for his 15 year tenure as the leader of The Tonight Show Band. When I watched Jay Leno on late night TV show, it …
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 …