The Absolute Wretched State of the MMORPG Genre
Normally I avoid talking about YouTubers and streamers. Today’s video centric video game commentary scene is much like blogging was 20 years ago. It’s a good fit for today’s short …
Tag: Richard Bartle
Star Trek’s Holodeck, Virtual Worlds and the Future That Never Was
When they write the history of virtual worlds and interactive entertainment, the introduction of the Star Trek's holodeck that captured the imagination of millions of sci-fi fans will surely be included.
A Glimpse into the Pantheon Development Process at Visionary Realms
If you love the original EverQuest then you’ve spent an exceedingly long time in the wilderness waiting for a comparable MMORPG to come out. For years we have been told …
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 …
Chasing the Virtual Dragon and the Search for Wonder
Many years ago when I first started to be seduced by the charms of EverQuest — the first fully realized 3D virtual world — I was overcome with a feeling …
MMO Design Lessons from Hannibal Lecter and Why Combat Needs Fixing in RIFT
Ever since watching the Silence of the Lambs movie I've been somewhat fascinated by a particular scene in the film where the character of Hannibal Lecter quotes Roman Emporer Marcus …
RIFT MMO Beta Impressions and How to Fix What’s Wrong
Now that Trion Worlds has lifted the NDA and I have a few hours of spare time during the Christmas holidays, I'd like to share some of my impressions of …
Why the MMO Industry Needs a Real Cataclysm
Admittedly, I've fallen out of love with MMOs. After 11 years of being passionately involved in this pursuit and having the patience of a saint, the same old predictable …
EverQuest2: Stranger in a Strange Land
A few days ago I wrote an article describing what a new player might find in their first 15 minutes in EverQuest2. As far as EQ2, I have no axe …
Why Players Should Be the Ultimate Content for MMOs
In every game and sport since the dawn of time, human participants have been their existential lifeblood. The test of skill, athletics, teamwork and stamina as participants go head …
Upside Down Cake: Contrived Controversy in the MMO Blogosphere
This week a well known MMO industry blogger and community manager Cuppycake posed a "controversial" question. Let me paraphrase: do game designers who blog know what the heck they …
WoW Patch Notes We Might See in the Future
There is one undeniable fact about World of Warcraft: as the MMO ages it's becoming less challenging. For lack of a better word WoW is being dumbed-down as Blizzard feels …
Corruption, Treachery and Deceit at Wikipedia
Reverence for knowledge and history are two things that are absolutely essential for the continuance of any great civilization. At times in our history we have had emperors, kings and …
Bartle Questions Virtual Torture and the Lack of Choice in WoW’s Quests
Virtual world evangelist Richard Bartle has made the news yet again in the MMO blogosphere. Richard Bartle the grandfather of virtual worlds, recently posted a blog article about some concerns …
WoW: How Blizzard is Cheating Explorers
Are you an explorer? Do you play MMOs primarily to see new areas? Do you delight in discovering what may lie beyond the next valley or hill? If you play …
Raph Koster on the Bartle Controversy
Before you can evolve you have to *want* to evolve. You just don't stumble upon greatness, you need to aspire to something greater. First comes the desire, then comes the …
Why They Hate Richard Bartle
Well lots of folks are upset with Richard Bartle including players, bloggers and some MMO developers. Why? On the surface it’s because he has the temerity to speak his mind …