Post by Morreion on Dec 30, 2017 12:24:08 GMT -5
PERFECT TEN: THE BIGGEST MMO STORIES OF 2017
MASSIVELY OP’S BEST OF 2017 AWARDS: BIGGEST MMO STORY OF 2017
THE GREAT LOCKBOX/LOOTBOX DEBATE
MASSIVELY OP’S BEST OF 2017 AWARDS: MMORPG OF THE YEAR
THE ELDER SCROLLS ONLINE
MASSIVELY OP’S BEST OF 2017 AWARDS: MOST UNDERRATED MMO OF 2017
TIE: BLACK DESERT & SECRET WORLD LEGENDS
MASSIVELY OP’S BEST OF 2017 AWARDS: BEST MMO BUSINESS MODEL OF 2017
TIE: WORLD OF WARCRAFT & FINAL FANTASY XIV
MASSIVELY OP’S BEST OF 2017 AWARDS: WORST MMO BUSINESS MODEL OF 2017
STAR CITIZEN
MAKE MY MMO: THE BIGGEST MMO CROWDFUNDING NEWS OF 2017
1. The great lockbox controversy
Sure, lockboxes weren’t anything new, but a perfect storm over them erupted this year thanks to brewing public opinion, red-hot developer quotes, debates over their legality, bans in certain countries, and a little game called Star Wars Battlefront II. As studios attempted to defend their inclusion in games, players pushed back against predatory marketing tactics. While lockboxes are probably here to stay, at least a conversation over them began on a much larger scale than ever before.
7. Star Citizen Alpha 3.0 drama melts the internet
The repeated delays of Star Citizen’s Alpha 3.0 and the thinning patience of its long-suffering community came to a head in July when the team announced that the alpha was still nowhere near ready for primetime. The internet erupted, dogs and cats started living together, and the war on Christmas was canceled this year in favor of a war on Star Citizen. The studio had to repeatedly defend the delays and ramped up communication about the progress of the build. Will it arrive by the end of 2017 or slip into another calendar year? We shall see!
8. Ashes of Creation becomes the largest MMORPG Kickstarter to date
“Go, Ashes, go!” That was our chant back in May, when we saw Ashes of Creation sprint through one of the most exciting Kickstarter campaigns in recent memory to become the most-funded MMORPG on that platform at $3.27 million. With a strong showing at conventions, an expansion of the development team, and more sales on the website, this MMO became the game to watch in 2018 and beyond.
Sure, lockboxes weren’t anything new, but a perfect storm over them erupted this year thanks to brewing public opinion, red-hot developer quotes, debates over their legality, bans in certain countries, and a little game called Star Wars Battlefront II. As studios attempted to defend their inclusion in games, players pushed back against predatory marketing tactics. While lockboxes are probably here to stay, at least a conversation over them began on a much larger scale than ever before.
7. Star Citizen Alpha 3.0 drama melts the internet
The repeated delays of Star Citizen’s Alpha 3.0 and the thinning patience of its long-suffering community came to a head in July when the team announced that the alpha was still nowhere near ready for primetime. The internet erupted, dogs and cats started living together, and the war on Christmas was canceled this year in favor of a war on Star Citizen. The studio had to repeatedly defend the delays and ramped up communication about the progress of the build. Will it arrive by the end of 2017 or slip into another calendar year? We shall see!
8. Ashes of Creation becomes the largest MMORPG Kickstarter to date
“Go, Ashes, go!” That was our chant back in May, when we saw Ashes of Creation sprint through one of the most exciting Kickstarter campaigns in recent memory to become the most-funded MMORPG on that platform at $3.27 million. With a strong showing at conventions, an expansion of the development team, and more sales on the website, this MMO became the game to watch in 2018 and beyond.
MASSIVELY OP’S BEST OF 2017 AWARDS: BIGGEST MMO STORY OF 2017
THE GREAT LOCKBOX/LOOTBOX DEBATE
Andrew Ross (@dengarsw): This whole lootbox situation. We as a genre have been dealing with it about as long as mobile games have. The fact that western AAA companies latched onto it after the recorded history of its issues in Asia is downright embarrassing. Maybe it’s my American pride, but I keep feeling like our industry should have come up with something better by now, rather than taking gambling and putting it in a digital dress.
MASSIVELY OP’S BEST OF 2017 AWARDS: MMORPG OF THE YEAR
THE ELDER SCROLLS ONLINE
Brianna Royce (@nbrianna): Elder Scrolls Online. In fact I thought Elder Scrolls Online deserved it last year too, but I was outnumbered and Black Desert was a worthy adversary that also deserved it, so I had no cause to be sad. In a way, I’m kind of glad it all shook out as it did because taken holistically, ESO is even better this year than last, adding huge patches like housing, multiple DLC, and the massive Morrowind expansion. It managed to weather its controversies nicely too (I’m thinking of the fuss over chapters vs. DLC). I’m glad to see it getting its due this year, especially since it launched relatively poorly and has come such a long way now.
MASSIVELY OP’S BEST OF 2017 AWARDS: MOST UNDERRATED MMO OF 2017
TIE: BLACK DESERT & SECRET WORLD LEGENDS
Tina Lauro Pollock (@purpletinabeans): Black Desert has a fantastically rich set of mechanics folded into a compelling world, and I have been known to gravitate to it when thinking out potential MMO Mechanics articles, but I’m totally guilty of underrating the game myself and not giving it the discussion space it deserves. Must try harder in 2018! It’s one of the most-feature complete MMOs in terms of covering the gameplay cornerstones of the genre, despite having a heavy PvP reliance, and I don’t feel that it gets enough credit for this. It’s not my type of MMO, but it is super consistent and largely succeeds at keeping its fans happy, without the fanfare given to other titles that give less.
MASSIVELY OP’S BEST OF 2017 AWARDS: BEST MMO BUSINESS MODEL OF 2017
TIE: WORLD OF WARCRAFT & FINAL FANTASY XIV
Eliot Lefebvre (@eliot_Lefebvre): World of Warcraft. What. Yeah, I am as surprised as effing anybody. But not only has the game kept up steady updates through the whole year, it also moved the WoW Token into working more like PLEX, simultaneously freeing up players to earn more stuff through gameplay and making a buy-to-play option more viable for the title. Weirdly enough, this year that business model is really working itself well. This year is weird. Runner-up: Final Fantasy XIV.
MASSIVELY OP’S BEST OF 2017 AWARDS: WORST MMO BUSINESS MODEL OF 2017
STAR CITIZEN
Justin Olivetti (@sypster): Star Citizen. The longer that time goes by without a full game release, the more ridiculous it seems to be “selling land on the moon” (or pretend spaceships) that fans can’t fully enjoy right now. The expansion of this model to selling land claims was truly ridiculous and highlighted one of the big problems with many of these early access and crowdfunded MMOs.
MAKE MY MMO: THE BIGGEST MMO CROWDFUNDING NEWS OF 2017
Crowfall, Shroud of the Avatar, and Camelot Unchained didn’t make it out the door
They’re not in trouble, but the original trifecta of crowdfunded throwback MMORPGs had some setbacks. Camelot Unchained has yet to move into beta one since the opening of its Seattle studio last year, though it’s spilled plenty of ink on its plans for when it does, while both Shroud of the Avatar and Crowfall delayed soft launches this year, and both turned to now-legal small-scale equity crowdfunding to raise additional money to see the games to launch next year. (SOTA also has a formal March launch date for 2018.) Project Gorgon continues to poke along too; we’re still expecting Steam early access soon.
They’re not in trouble, but the original trifecta of crowdfunded throwback MMORPGs had some setbacks. Camelot Unchained has yet to move into beta one since the opening of its Seattle studio last year, though it’s spilled plenty of ink on its plans for when it does, while both Shroud of the Avatar and Crowfall delayed soft launches this year, and both turned to now-legal small-scale equity crowdfunding to raise additional money to see the games to launch next year. (SOTA also has a formal March launch date for 2018.) Project Gorgon continues to poke along too; we’re still expecting Steam early access soon.
