It’s becoming a running trend for me not to note MMOG Nation’s birthday (Jan 9th) as it goes past. I was either sick or on the road in early 2007, and this year I was both. I have had the creeping crud lodged in my chest since I got back from CES, regrettably. That’s been really good for MMOG playing, and really bad for things like working. Which, as you may have noticed, is something I enjoy doing.

In any case, to commemorate the site’s second anniversary I thought I’d drop a headpat on few personal favorites things from the past year. I’m not going to even tongue-in-cheek call them ‘awards’ like I did last year; these are just the things that made me well pleased in the past twelve months.

Playing A Good Game - 

I know I’ve complained and kvetched, but EverQuest 2 was the game I spent the most time playing this year. Despite its (many) flaws, I’m now very used to the refurbished lands of Norrath. I have really enjoyed running around with my gnomish companions, and we’re definitely getting into the strange and fabulous world of high level play. We were kvetching the other night about the really awesome high level mounts, actually, and how our guild-less-ness ensures it’ll be some time before we snag Wargs or Rhinos or anything like that.

I’m incredibly impressed by what I saw of Kunark, and I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to reach high level with a static party. Good times.

I also want to call out Guild Wars, a game that I unexpectedly fell head over heels in love with this year. I’ve been working through the Nightfall and Eye of the North content at a lackadaisical pace - just something fun and Massive to fill time with every once in a while. I’m really : / that Shawn is closing up Guildcast. His show is one of the big reasons I appreciate this game as much as I do. Van Hemlock, of course, is another big reason - and he just finished up his exploration of Arena’s world.

Meeting New People -

The thing I’m probably most proud of from the past 12 months is the number of interesting folks I’ve had the chance to chat with. Writing about Massive games and on this blog has put me in touch with bloggers, designers, producers, podcasters, executives, and journalists … many of whom seem to think I’m not doing an utterly horrible job. That’s mighty satisfying. To the folks who I’ve had the pleasure of befriending this past year - thank you. And the same to those of you who continue to put up with me. Your efforts have been noted in my log.

Admiring The Crusade -

The biggest thing in Massive games this year, and I basically had no part in it. My highest level WoW character is 62. I’ve seen Hellfire, a little bit of Zangermarsh, and Shat. That’s about all of Outlands I’ve seen. That said, I spent all year really admiring how much Blizzard is willing to shake up the status quo in their own little universe. Faster leveling, bigtime changes to PvP, and a general attitude of competence all around. It’s a hell of a show to watch, even though I’m mostly on the sidelines.

The best bit: I’ll likely be participating a bit more directly in Azeroth, thanks to the kind invitation from some Hammy fists.

Drinking the Koolaid -  

I started the year very grumpy about the whole RMT/microtransaction thing. My view was very close to Mr. Jacobs’: subscriptions 4eva. Part of that view was my general focus on AAA games. Bigtime titles generally imply bigtime fees, right?

My exposure over the last twelve months to smaller titles like MapleStory has changed that view a lot. I still don’t love the idea of playing a game where another player’s wallet can hit me for direct damage, don’t get me wrong. Just the same, paying a few pennies for fun stuff in Gaia or a Nexon title holds a lot of appeal. Kid experiences, especially, seem like the perfect fit for that business.

The biggest thing that changed my mind in this area is my ongoing frustration with flat fees. I want tiered options, darnit! I want family plans and publisher packages! Give me options, soulless corporate overlords!

Anticipating the Up and Comers -
I spent quite a bit of the year looking forward to the works of outfits like 38, Carbine, and Red 5. Now I’m bottling up a good deal of anticipation for 2008, for the works of these companies, as well as other unannounced newbs like BioWare. Cryptic and Arena are both working on seekrit games as well. It feels like my days working as a crappy programmer again - lots of time spent pondering what these games are going to be like. In most cases, we don’t even know the genre of these titles. Quite! Fascinating. If even one or two announce this year, it’ll make for even more fun times and theorizing.