I put a lot of effort into this one, and I think it turned out pretty well. The newest MMOG Nation colum at GameSetWatch is all about the CoH vs. MUO vs. DCUO. It’s not about the games, so much, as it is about what the fight means in a larger context.

Change, then, is ultimately what this fight represents. New players in the Massive space have announced themselves. Perhaps for the first time in a long while, jaded gamers can look up from the ruddy glow of Molten Core and see a light on the horizon. There will be flames on message boards, debates about design choices, and analyzing of screenshots. Most important of all, there will once again be passion in the eyes of Massive gamers tired of companies promising ‘Everquest … but different!’. In the end, what every Massive gamer wants is not a hot elf chick. It isn’t phat loots or cybering, guild drama or farmed gold. Massive gamers want to have fun. They want to feel powerful, like they have real choices to make and an impact on the virtual world around them. They want to feel like they’re part of a community. And, of course, they want to wear cool costumes.

Getting linked off of the front page of the EQPlayers site was fun, but is anyone reading these things? Is it worth the time I’m putting into them?

The newest ‘MMOG Nation’ column is up on GameSetWatch, entitled “When is a Game not a Game?”

Spaces like Second Life aside, there are very few ‘virtual worlds’ out there that can legitimately claim the title. In my mind, that’s a good thing; we refer to them as Massively Multiplayer Online Games, MMOGs, or MMORPGs, for a reason. The example I point to most often when discussing this topic is Sony Online’s Star Wars Galaxies (SWG). I’m harsh on the game for many reasons, but at the root of the problem is the fundamental question of identity. Galaxies launched trying to be a world, when what all the people logging in were looking for was a game. Today I’m going to talk about how SWG launched differing from more game-oriented and successful MMOGs, how the recent changes to the game illustrate the need for ‘gamey-ness’ in a Massive space, and why the concept of a ‘virtual world’ is inherently flawed in the first place.

So, I should point out that I see these columns as good places to raise issues and maybe get some people who wouldn’t otherwise think about Massive gaming to do so. In other words, I don’t always believe what I’m preaching. In this case, I mostly agree with what I said, but I thought I’d point it out just the same.

Not too long ago, my feelings about Sony Online’s Everquest (EQ) were mostly frustration and disappointment. Despite its position as a genre-defining title, the release of EverQuest 2 signaled to me that Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) was no longer going to be focusing on the game … I can now say categorically that I was wrong.

I recently had the opportunity to take a tour of the upcoming expansion, Serpent’s Spire, with EQ Lead Designer Travis McGeathy. I’ve seen the light. Today I’m going to look at EverQuest’s past, the reason for my reversal of opinion, and where the game is going. Finally, I’ll talk about why I think the direction Everquest is headed (and the revamp of Ultima Online) signals nothing but good things for the future of Massive gaming.

GameSetWatch - COLUMN: MMOG Nation - ‘Resurrecting EverQuest’

Every time I think I can sit on my throne built out of righteous Sony Online annoyance …

I find it utterly flabbergasting that the same company that has so royally screwed up the Star Wars license can craft such a customer-focused and cogent expansion. Obviously, very different teams and pressures is the explanation, but it’s still a little brain-bending.

My second column for GameSetWatch has gone up, this time with a slightly broader and more esoteric bent. It’s the ‘Random Dialogue’ column from MMORPGDot all over again, and I’m very grateful to Simon for the chance to write it.

With development times measured in years and half-decades instead of quarters, nothing will break your heart as badly as a crappy Massive game. Today I’m going to be talking about the inflated expectations that long MMOG development times can build, why I think Pirates has fulfilled player expectations, and what future titles can do to ensure that high hopes stay grounded in reality.

GameSetWatch - MMOG Nation: The Appeal of the Unseen

The fine people of MMOG Nation have answered a call. The result? A new beachhead on the rocky shores of GameSetWatch. I’ll be writing some MMOG-related blah-blah every other week for Gamasutra’s alt.games blog. I’m going to steer clear of the boring design-related stuff … I talk about that enough here. Instead I’ll be aiming for funny/interesting/general audience posts.

Here’s hoping it works out.

My first post concerns the Drow of DDO, and why they’re a sign of bad things ahead.