An Introduction to Elder Scrolls Online

Requinx has an in-depth introduction to the Elder Scrolls Online with plenty of links to help in understanding this big MMO built for PCs.  It's very useful in trying to get your arms around this game.
https://www.requnix.com/elder-scrolls-online-review-2020

I've found a nice guide here at gamepressure.com, too.
https://guides.gamepressure.com/the-elder-scrolls-blades/

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The State of MMOs from a Developer's Perspective

I've got a wonderful article for you tonight in which a developer looks at MMOs and the problems they face from the perspective of a game maker, not a game player. Andrew is Karthias (a terrific writer and former Feral Druid blogger) and DDO is Dungeons and Dragons Online.  DCUO is DC Universe Online.  Read the comments here for more interesting discussion.
http://psychochild.org/?p=1012

Here's the article that the writer is reacting to.
http://biobreak.wordpress.com/2010/11/03/consoles-rule-pcs-drool/

Here is what Karthias says about the current state of MMOs.
http://systemicbabble.com/videogames/mmo-doldrums/

And here is Screaming Monkey's take on it all.
http://screammonkey.wordpress.com/2010/11/05/action-apples-and-rpg-oranges/

Interesting reads especially since I think Blizzard has console envy.   I can see PCs and consoles becoming more and more alike in the Gold Rush that is the melding of television and Internet and gaming and downloaded content like movies.

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Rumors of a Bungie MMO

With Activision now publishing future Bungie titles, it should be no surprise that rumors of a Bungie Halo MMO should start circulating.  I did find Kotick's quote surprising, however, since I was unaware that Blizzard had any customer service.
http://www.massively.com/2010/10/25/blizzards-pardo-talks-bungie-mmo/

Bungie has announced that Halo Reach is their last Halo game and they want to go in other directions.
http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/100/1007095p1.html

I doubt that a Halo MMO is in the cards, although I imagine Activision would love to have one. I believe that Battle.net has been set up as the first step in a plan to capture the console game crowd.
http://kotaku.com/5676270/consider-the-possibility-of-activision-games-running-on-battlenet

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The MMO Forecast

I should subtitle this "Looking Into the Crystal Ball" as Pot is taking a look at various articles predicting MMO sales, that these games will be very popular in the East, and explaining why judging MMO success by whether they have more subscribers than WOW is wrong.
http://www.mmomeltingpot.com/2010/08/game-by-night-and-broken-toys-are-mmos-in-good-shape/

On the same topic, here is a preview of Guild Wars 2, which is a PC game that will be free to play once you buy the disk (or download the software directly) but which will have microtransactions inside the game.  It is due out in 2011.
http://pwnwear.com/2010/08/12/guild-wars-2-preview-omfg/

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Tobold Reviews "A Tale in the Desert"

Interested in a crafting MMO set in Egypt?  Tobold is playing A Tale in the Desert and reporting his experiences day by day.
http://www.mmomeltingpot.com/2010/08/curious-about-a-tale-in-the-desert-tobold-shines-the-light-on/

The review continues on Tobold's blog.  Here is Day Four.  I'll add more days as he works his way around the game.
http://tobolds.blogspot.com/2010/08/tale-in-desert-5-day-four.html

http://tobolds.blogspot.com/2010/08/tale-in-desert-5-day-five.html

http://tobolds.blogspot.com/2010/08/tale-in-desert-5-day-six.html

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER:  Tobold's ongoing review snagged him some free game time from the developers.  Also, please note the Comment below that explains this game is North American-concentric, which means anyone in other parts of the world are basically ignored.)
http://tobolds.blogspot.com/2010/08/tale-in-desert-disclosure.html

http://tobolds.blogspot.com/2010/08/tale-in-desert-as-social-experiment.html

http://tobolds.blogspot.com/2010/08/casual-and-hardcore-in-tale-in-desert.html

http://tobolds.blogspot.com/2010/08/tamagotchi-in-tale-in-desert.html

http://tobolds.blogspot.com/2010/08/random-bunch-of-thoughts.html

http://tobolds.blogspot.com/2010/08/player-participation-to-game.html

http://tobolds.blogspot.com/2010/08/gathering-ore-and-herbs.html

http://tobolds.blogspot.com/2010/08/best-mini-game-in-tale-in-desert.html

http://tobolds.blogspot.com/2010/08/mule-in-desert.html

http://tobolds.blogspot.com/2010/08/virtual-marriage.html

The Pot has started posting gathering/crafting tips.  The first one covers grass and making bricks and has some general tips.
http://www.mmomeltingpot.com/2010/08/tldr-a-tale-in-the-desert-bricks-grass-and-other-annoying-things/

Cooking Skill, Part One
http://www.mmomeltingpot.com/2010/09/tldr-a-tale-in-the-deserts-cooking-skill-part-1/

Glassmaking
http://www.mmomeltingpot.com/2010/11/a-tale-in-the-desert-tldr-glassmaking/

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Tidbits about Curt Schilling's New Game

It will be called Kingdoms of Amalur:  Reckoning.  More information here.
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3180477

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Real ID Firestorm's Aftermath UPDATED AGAIN

Echoes of Blizzard's decision to expose players' real names on the forums are reverberating still.

Gordon summaries the most interesting posts on this issue.
http://blog.weflyspitfires.com/2010/07/11/the-best-of-the-rest-real-id-forum-fiasco-edition/

Gazimoff's looking at Blizzard with a changed perspective now and starting to look for alternative MMOs that have casters such as those he likes to play.  If you want to see what's in the near future, check out his list of possibilities.
http://www.manaobscura.com/?p=949

Finally, Gnomeaggedon has made plans for life after WOW.   He has come to some hilarious conclusions about Blizzard, what he might like to do in Real Life, and what gamers can look forward to in WOW.
http://gnomeaggedon.net/2010/07/12/my-life-after-wow/

July 6, 2010 is the date the Real ID on the forums policy was announced.  It was rescinded (for now) on July 9.  During this time, many serious players' views of Blizzard and its parent companies changed forever.

UPDATE:  Some folks about Blizzard's privacy breech complained to the ESRB which has something called a Privacy Online policy.  When the ESRB emailed these folks all back with one email pointing out Blizzard had rescinded the policy, they used Reply All, which exposed all the complainers' email addresses to each other.  Sigh.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/12/esrb-unintentionally-exposes-email-addresses-of-people-who-filed/#continued

UPDATE:  The ESRB has apologized.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/13/esrb-issues-apology-over-email-leak/

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Blizzard Has Considered a Free-To-Play Model

This is according to an interview the lead designer did with PC Gamer that will be in their next issue, out tomorrow.  Don't count on being able to cancel your subscription tomorrow, however.  And count on their adding lots of micro-transactions in-game to cover costs.  Thanks to 1UP for pointing this out.
http://www.pcgamer.com/2010/06/30/blizzard-discuss-making-world-of-warcraft-free/

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Game Reviews and Previews

If you are getting tired of WOW and need a break, you might be interested in reading two brief reviews of Final Fantasy XIII.
http://www.brigwyn.com/2010/05/28/guest-post-final-fantasy-xiii-review/

Or you might want to read Matticus' analysis of the new games on the horizon (Star Wars:  The Old Republic, Guild Wars 2, Tera:  The Exiled Realms of Arborea, Cacataclysm).
http://www.worldofmatticus.com/2010/05/29/what-will-the-mmo-of-tomorrow-bring/

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The Game We Get is the Game We Deserve?

Wolfshead has written an article the whole Blog-o-sphere is talking about.
http://www.wolfsheadonline.com/?p=4221#a41a0

And here is an article from 2004 that clearly predicts the situation we are in now, although not in all details.  After all, there hasn't been a growing maturity of the player base.  In fact, we are seeing the opposite as far as I can tell.
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/2157/soapbox_why_virtual_worlds_are_.php

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The Five Minute MMORPG

How to level from 0 to 80 very very quickly.
http://kotaku.com/5532199/from-level-0-to-level-80-in-just-five-minutes

Here's the game site.  "Hot PvP action"
http://www.fiveminutemmorpg.com/

Obviously the Blog-o-sphere is obsessed with speed this morning.  If you are interested in zipping through the plot of the Star Wars classic trilogy as quickly as you level above, Big Red Kitty has a video for you.
http://www.dphowell.com/2010/05/05/bathe-in-the-awesome/

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MMO Documentary (Part One)

Thanks to Tobold I have a link to the first episode of the documentary.
http://current.com/participate/vc2/92368016_mmo-future-shock.htm

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WOW in Space UPDATED

A bit about an upcoming space-themed MMO called Allods Online.  There is a link to a video.
http://tobolds.blogspot.com/2009/11/wow-in-space.html

UPDATE:  Massively has done a preview with a video of their own game play.
http://www.massively.com/2009/11/13/first-impressions-allods-online/

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The State of MMOs

Thanks to Of Teeth and Claws I discovered this article about the current state of MMOs.  Whether you agree or not, it is an excellent attempt to analyze the state of massively multiplayer PC games today.
http://www.psychochild.org/?p=810

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Tuesday Morning Comics

The Circles of Hell for an MMO player, courtesy of Ctrl+Alt+Del.  Here's the link to Tim Buckley's drawing if you can't enlarge the above enough to see and laugh.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_f5d_BcsegDQ/SsCwx70AcNI/AAAAAAAABh8/3FNHruCXkyQ/s1600-h/20090928.jpg

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Detailed Aion Review

This review is by a gamer who played it in the closed beta version.
http://www.worldofmatticus.com/2009/08/26/aion-beta-review-from-a-wow-players-perspective/

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