https://massivelyop.com MMORPG news and opinions Fri, 10 Jun 2022 17:11:21 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.1 https://massivelyop.com/2022/06/11/into-the-super-verse-is-there-any-hope-left-for-the-future-of-superhero-mmos/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/06/11/into-the-super-verse-is-there-any-hope-left-for-the-future-of-superhero-mmos/#comments Sat, 11 Jun 2022 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=391078 When we got the news in May that EG7 and Daybreak had canned its in-development Marvel MMORPG, I didn’t have much of a reaction. Probably few of us did. Aside from knowing that the studio was doing something Marvel related with Jack Emmert in charge, we had precious little information about the game itself. And […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/06/11/into-the-super-verse-is-there-any-hope-left-for-the-future-of-superhero-mmos/feed/ 21 https://massivelyop.com/2022/03/24/into-the-super-verse-no-i-do-not-want-daybreaks-marvel-mmo/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/03/24/into-the-super-verse-no-i-do-not-want-daybreaks-marvel-mmo/#comments Thu, 24 Mar 2022 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=379981 Greetings, true believers! This particular column is actually not the result of reader requests but specifically from our editor, who has long noted that we have never done a column about what we’d want from Daybreak’s unannounced but confirmed Marvel MMORPG. And you know, in the abstract, that is a good thing to write about. […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/03/24/into-the-super-verse-no-i-do-not-want-daybreaks-marvel-mmo/feed/ 50 https://massivelyop.com/2022/02/19/into-the-super-verse-the-joy-of-travel-powers-in-superhero-mmos/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/02/19/into-the-super-verse-the-joy-of-travel-powers-in-superhero-mmos/#comments Sat, 19 Feb 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=375569 I lived for level 14. Before level 14 was torture — after was bliss. I speak, of course, of City of Heroes “back in the day,” not as it is at present. In its first years, level gain took a significant amount of time, and those first dozen-plus levels were excruciating because you’d be largely […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/02/19/into-the-super-verse-the-joy-of-travel-powers-in-superhero-mmos/feed/ 18 https://massivelyop.com/2021/12/30/into-the-super-verse-a-look-back-at-superhero-mmos-in-2021/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/12/30/into-the-super-verse-a-look-back-at-superhero-mmos-in-2021/#comments Thu, 30 Dec 2021 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=368051 Superhero fans were not lacking in news, games, and events this past year, and there’s always the promise of much more to come in 2022. But before we jump to the next level, I thought it would be helpful to look back at all of the developments from superhero MMORPGs in 2021. From brand-new games […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/12/30/into-the-super-verse-a-look-back-at-superhero-mmos-in-2021/feed/ 6 https://massivelyop.com/2021/10/21/into-the-super-verse-has-homecoming-torched-the-plans-of-city-of-heroes-successors/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/10/21/into-the-super-verse-has-homecoming-torched-the-plans-of-city-of-heroes-successors/#comments Thu, 21 Oct 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=358762 Anyone who has followed my career for a while is probably aware of the fact that I love City of Heroes. This is not a revelation or a surprise. I was writing about the game from pretty early on in my career up to the point that we finally waved goodbye to the title. This is […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/10/21/into-the-super-verse-has-homecoming-torched-the-plans-of-city-of-heroes-successors/feed/ 24 https://massivelyop.com/2021/09/17/design-mockument-fresh-ideas-for-city-of-heroes-2-in-2021/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/09/17/design-mockument-fresh-ideas-for-city-of-heroes-2-in-2021/#comments Fri, 17 Sep 2021 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=353949 Back in 2019, I had the idea to make Design Mockument semi-regular column because I like doing this sort of thing. I put out one installment of it out talking about a hypothetical sequel to The Matrix Online, and then, uh… 2020 happened, and then most of 2021 happened, and I actually totally forgot this […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/09/17/design-mockument-fresh-ideas-for-city-of-heroes-2-in-2021/feed/ 17 https://massivelyop.com/2021/08/10/into-the-super-verse-first-impressions-of-ship-of-heroes-mission-beta/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/08/10/into-the-super-verse-first-impressions-of-ship-of-heroes-mission-beta/#comments Tue, 10 Aug 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=349055 With other City of Heroes spiritual successors lagging behind in development, the weight of our hope for the future of superhero MMOs lays upon the shoulders of Ship of Heroes. Heroic Games is making great strides in bringing this title to market, although it’s not quite there yet. What is here, however, is Ship of […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/08/10/into-the-super-verse-first-impressions-of-ship-of-heroes-mission-beta/feed/ 3 https://massivelyop.com/2021/01/23/into-the-super-verse-will-we-ever-get-a-marvel-mmorpg/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/01/23/into-the-super-verse-will-we-ever-get-a-marvel-mmorpg/#comments Sat, 23 Jan 2021 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=319300 While DC Universe Online is coasting high on its success in Year Ten, it feels a shame that there’s no Marvel MMORPG to match it. Marvel is still a blazing hot IP as it moves into Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it’s sad that MMO players who love that universe don’t have […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/01/23/into-the-super-verse-will-we-ever-get-a-marvel-mmorpg/feed/ 44 https://massivelyop.com/2020/12/20/into-the-super-verse-a-heroic-year-of-superhero-mmo-development/ https://massivelyop.com/2020/12/20/into-the-super-verse-a-heroic-year-of-superhero-mmo-development/#comments Sun, 20 Dec 2020 19:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=315268 As we get ready to tuck 2020 into the annals of history and venture into the wilds of 2021, it’s a good time for superheroes to kick back, down some eggnogs, and reflect on how their MMORPGs have fared over the past 12 months. For the most part, this year didn’t shake up the status […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2020/12/20/into-the-super-verse-a-heroic-year-of-superhero-mmo-development/feed/ 4 https://massivelyop.com/2020/08/26/into-the-super-verse-marvels-avengers-feels-like-marvel-heroes-by-way-of-destiny/ https://massivelyop.com/2020/08/26/into-the-super-verse-marvels-avengers-feels-like-marvel-heroes-by-way-of-destiny/#comments Wed, 26 Aug 2020 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=297848 This past weekend, I finally had a chance to actually try out Marvel’s Avengers because the game was running its open beta. Certainly I’d already gotten the sense that there was a fair amount of controversy over this title right from the word go, but there was always going to be no matter what. At this […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2020/08/26/into-the-super-verse-marvels-avengers-feels-like-marvel-heroes-by-way-of-destiny/feed/ 58 https://massivelyop.com/2020/08/14/into-the-super-verse-early-impressions-of-valiance-online/ https://massivelyop.com/2020/08/14/into-the-super-verse-early-impressions-of-valiance-online/#comments Fri, 14 Aug 2020 14:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=295882 When I heard that Valiance Online was going to be running an open beta this week to coincide with the PlayNYC convention, I knew I had to get in and check out what this superhero MMO had going on so far. Valiance Online’s always seemed like it’s been trailing the other two serious City of […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2020/08/14/into-the-super-verse-early-impressions-of-valiance-online/feed/ 20 https://massivelyop.com/2020/07/18/into-the-super-verse-seven-tips-for-designing-amazing-mmo-superhero-costumes/ https://massivelyop.com/2020/07/18/into-the-super-verse-seven-tips-for-designing-amazing-mmo-superhero-costumes/#comments Sat, 18 Jul 2020 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=291825 While we all know that the real endgame in any MMORPG is fashion, superhero titles take this much further than the rest of the field. Your costume in a superhero MMO is a great part of what defines you. It’s your creativity that you’re putting out there, giving everyone else a sense of what your […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2020/07/18/into-the-super-verse-seven-tips-for-designing-amazing-mmo-superhero-costumes/feed/ 6 https://massivelyop.com/2020/04/18/into-the-super-verse-catching-up-with-the-big-superhero-mmos/ https://massivelyop.com/2020/04/18/into-the-super-verse-catching-up-with-the-big-superhero-mmos/#comments Sat, 18 Apr 2020 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=278079 With the weirdness of the quarantine and how it’s been impacting game development, I thought it might be a good time to take a tour around all of the different superhero MMOs (both live and in the making) to see what’s going on in the genre. After all, if there were ever a time that […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2020/04/18/into-the-super-verse-catching-up-with-the-big-superhero-mmos/feed/ 11 https://massivelyop.com/2020/03/21/into-the-super-verse-getting-started-with-champions-online-in-2020/ https://massivelyop.com/2020/03/21/into-the-super-verse-getting-started-with-champions-online-in-2020/#comments Sat, 21 Mar 2020 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=273930 The sharp rise and fall of Champions Online back in 2009 resulted in a game that’s made for an easy target of jokes ever since. The title has languished in a semi-maintenance mode for over a decade now, never quite deserted enough to kill outright but never quite popular enough to justify regular development. Yet […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2020/03/21/into-the-super-verse-getting-started-with-champions-online-in-2020/feed/ 33 https://massivelyop.com/2020/02/22/into-the-super-verse-how-city-of-heroes-welcomed-me-into-mmos/ https://massivelyop.com/2020/02/22/into-the-super-verse-how-city-of-heroes-welcomed-me-into-mmos/#comments Sat, 22 Feb 2020 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=267901 As we approach the first anniversary of City of Heroes’ revival on the rogue server circuit, I wanted to take this opportunity to share a testimony with you about how City of Heroes became my personal gateway into the wide world of MMORPGs. It wasn’t that I was unaware of MMOs prior to 2004, it’s […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2020/02/22/into-the-super-verse-how-city-of-heroes-welcomed-me-into-mmos/feed/ 10 https://massivelyop.com/2020/01/04/into-the-super-verse-what-superhero-mmos-offer-that-other-games-dont/ https://massivelyop.com/2020/01/04/into-the-super-verse-what-superhero-mmos-offer-that-other-games-dont/#comments Sat, 04 Jan 2020 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=262071 When I was in high school, the Console Wars were heating up between SEGA and Nintendo. I’m afraid to report that many of my friends did not survive their tours of duty in those 16-bit countries. But what I do remember is how SEGA came up with a rather brilliant (if now pretty laughable) campaign […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2020/01/04/into-the-super-verse-what-superhero-mmos-offer-that-other-games-dont/feed/ 14 https://massivelyop.com/2019/11/30/into-the-super-verse-13-text-based-superhero-mmos-you-can-play-today/ https://massivelyop.com/2019/11/30/into-the-super-verse-13-text-based-superhero-mmos-you-can-play-today/#comments Sat, 30 Nov 2019 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=257327 As part of this column covering superhero MMORPGs, we have looked at the usual suspects: MMOs of the past (Champions Online, City of Heroes, DCUO, Marvel Heroes) and those of the future (Ship of Heroes, City of Titans, Valiance Online). But the other day I was answering the commissioner’s phone call when I found myself […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2019/11/30/into-the-super-verse-13-text-based-superhero-mmos-you-can-play-today/feed/ 6 https://massivelyop.com/2019/11/09/into-the-super-verse-ship-of-heroes-character-creator-is-bare-bones-yet-still-engaging/ https://massivelyop.com/2019/11/09/into-the-super-verse-ship-of-heroes-character-creator-is-bare-bones-yet-still-engaging/#comments Sat, 09 Nov 2019 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=252918 Every once in a while, Hollywood releases a pair of movies from different studios at the same time that cover, more or less, the same subject. It’s always a bizarre coincidence (if it is that) when it happens, and I felt this way recently when both City of Titans and Ship of Heroes both released […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2019/11/09/into-the-super-verse-ship-of-heroes-character-creator-is-bare-bones-yet-still-engaging/feed/ 5 https://massivelyop.com/2019/11/01/into-the-super-verse-running-city-of-titans-character-builder-through-its-paces/ https://massivelyop.com/2019/11/01/into-the-super-verse-running-city-of-titans-character-builder-through-its-paces/#comments Fri, 01 Nov 2019 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=251196 Mark this date in your history books because the battle of superhero MMO character builders is on! Both Ship of Heroes and City of Titans are releasing their character builders for supporters to tinker around with, giving us superhero fans a unique preview into the customization and flexibility of these all-important tools. And while we’ll […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2019/11/01/into-the-super-verse-running-city-of-titans-character-builder-through-its-paces/feed/ 8 https://massivelyop.com/2019/10/16/into-the-super-verse-catching-up-with-valiance-online/ https://massivelyop.com/2019/10/16/into-the-super-verse-catching-up-with-valiance-online/#comments Wed, 16 Oct 2019 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=248832 So far in the Into the Super-verse column space, we have touched base with two of the three upcoming City of Heroes spiritual successors: namely, Ship of Heroes and City of Titans. But I wanted to make sure that we gave some time to the third project, which is why I reached out to Valiance […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2019/10/16/into-the-super-verse-catching-up-with-valiance-online/feed/ 8 https://massivelyop.com/2019/10/03/into-the-super-verse-why-ship-of-heroes-character-customization-tool-is-so-important/ https://massivelyop.com/2019/10/03/into-the-super-verse-why-ship-of-heroes-character-customization-tool-is-so-important/#comments Thu, 03 Oct 2019 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=246816 What kind of hero are you going to be today? In most MMOs, that question and its possible answers are watered down and homogenized, but in a superhero MMO, it seems to carry a special weight and meaning. You’re not merely a class or a role so much as an identity, forged from many parts […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2019/10/03/into-the-super-verse-why-ship-of-heroes-character-customization-tool-is-so-important/feed/ 9 https://massivelyop.com/2019/08/12/into-the-super-verse-how-ship-of-heroes-is-winning-the-superhero-race/ https://massivelyop.com/2019/08/12/into-the-super-verse-how-ship-of-heroes-is-winning-the-superhero-race/#comments Mon, 12 Aug 2019 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=237777 When it came to the explosion of spiritual successors to City of Heroes, there’s definitely something to be said about being first on the scene. City of Titans got out there with a Kickstarter in 2013 and raised an astounding $678,189 from fans desperate for a superhero MMO fix. Valiance Online tried its own hand […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2019/08/12/into-the-super-verse-how-ship-of-heroes-is-winning-the-superhero-race/feed/ 32 https://massivelyop.com/2019/07/19/into-the-super-verse-a-possible-glimpse-into-city-of-heroes-2/ https://massivelyop.com/2019/07/19/into-the-super-verse-a-possible-glimpse-into-city-of-heroes-2/#comments Fri, 19 Jul 2019 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=234680 In 2010, popular video game network MTV noted that NCsoft had filed an interesting trademark for a possible City of Heroes 2. While companies file trademarks all the time without always following up on them, these legal efforts do indicate intent and options. For a community that was greatly devoted to the superhero MMORPG, the […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2019/07/19/into-the-super-verse-a-possible-glimpse-into-city-of-heroes-2/feed/ 23 https://massivelyop.com/2019/07/04/into-the-super-verse-a-quick-and-dirty-guide-to-picking-the-right-city-of-heroes-archetype-redside-edition/ https://massivelyop.com/2019/07/04/into-the-super-verse-a-quick-and-dirty-guide-to-picking-the-right-city-of-heroes-archetype-redside-edition/#comments Thu, 04 Jul 2019 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=230565 The fun thing about City of Heroes is… well, there are lots of fun things. But one of the fun things is that the game is set up so that even the worst picks a player can make can still usually wind up being viable. The old joke went that you could make a secondary […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2019/07/04/into-the-super-verse-a-quick-and-dirty-guide-to-picking-the-right-city-of-heroes-archetype-redside-edition/feed/ 17 https://massivelyop.com/2019/06/20/into-the-super-verse-a-quick-and-dirty-guide-to-picking-the-right-city-of-heroes-archetype-blueside-edition/ https://massivelyop.com/2019/06/20/into-the-super-verse-a-quick-and-dirty-guide-to-picking-the-right-city-of-heroes-archetype-blueside-edition/#comments Thu, 20 Jun 2019 16:30:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=229587 What’s amazing about the unexpected City of Heroes revival (and does that ever feel good to type) isn’t just that old players are eager to go back, but that new players are seeking out the game. Sure, that’s not precisely stunning when the game has had years for fans to say how great it was and what a […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2019/06/20/into-the-super-verse-a-quick-and-dirty-guide-to-picking-the-right-city-of-heroes-archetype-blueside-edition/feed/ 49 https://massivelyop.com/2019/06/07/into-the-super-verse-why-didnt-champions-online-do-better/ https://massivelyop.com/2019/06/07/into-the-super-verse-why-didnt-champions-online-do-better/#comments Fri, 07 Jun 2019 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=228202 A while back I was flipping through the backlog of my personal gaming blog, looking at the history of my gaming trends, particularly in regard to City of Heroes. One thing that amused the 2019 me is how excited and hopeful I was for the debut of Champions Online a decade ago. I mean, I […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2019/06/07/into-the-super-verse-why-didnt-champions-online-do-better/feed/ 56 https://massivelyop.com/2019/05/16/into-the-super-verse-getting-to-know-city-of-heroes-all-over-again/ https://massivelyop.com/2019/05/16/into-the-super-verse-getting-to-know-city-of-heroes-all-over-again/#comments Thu, 16 May 2019 17:30:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=224601 It has been well over a decade since I played City of Heroes with any regularity, and yet when I saw that familiar loading screen come up this past weekend, it was as if no time had passed whatsoever. Some memories only need the smallest of keys to unlock all of the familiar sights, sounds, […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2019/05/16/into-the-super-verse-getting-to-know-city-of-heroes-all-over-again/feed/ 46 https://massivelyop.com/2019/04/27/into-the-super-verse-six-things-that-made-marvel-heroes-great/ https://massivelyop.com/2019/04/27/into-the-super-verse-six-things-that-made-marvel-heroes-great/#comments Sat, 27 Apr 2019 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=221953 With all of the City of Heroes revival talk lately, our office chat turned in the direction of other MMOs we’d love to see resurrected. I think we all have our laundry list, but I was surprised to hear both Ben and Tyler strongly advocate that Marvel Heroes be one of the first ones to […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2019/04/27/into-the-super-verse-six-things-that-made-marvel-heroes-great/feed/ 37 https://massivelyop.com/2019/04/17/into-the-super-verse-the-death-of-the-city-of-heroes-community/ https://massivelyop.com/2019/04/17/into-the-super-verse-the-death-of-the-city-of-heroes-community/#comments Wed, 17 Apr 2019 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=220166 Kingdom Come is a 1996 DC Comics miniseries by Mark Waid and Alex Ross. The central conceit of the story is that it takes place after the familiar DC Comics heroes step away from their roles as superheroes due to an increased trend of ultra-violent heroes leads them to believe they no longer have a […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2019/04/17/into-the-super-verse-the-death-of-the-city-of-heroes-community/feed/ 125 https://massivelyop.com/2019/04/13/into-the-super-verse-trying-dc-universe-online-for-the-first-time/ https://massivelyop.com/2019/04/13/into-the-super-verse-trying-dc-universe-online-for-the-first-time/#comments Sat, 13 Apr 2019 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=218726 While this column will no doubt be looking at the superhero MMO releases that are currently in development, it’s also here, as we said, to look at the past and present titles in this genre. One question that’s been nagging me is why we are so keen to see one of the upcoming titles come […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2019/04/13/into-the-super-verse-trying-dc-universe-online-for-the-first-time/feed/ 12 https://massivelyop.com/2019/03/22/into-the-super-verse-five-reasons-to-be-excited-for-city-of-titans/ https://massivelyop.com/2019/03/22/into-the-super-verse-five-reasons-to-be-excited-for-city-of-titans/#comments Fri, 22 Mar 2019 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=215751 When NCsoft closed City of Heroes’ doors in 2012, it was anything but a normal MMO closure due to a lack of interest and population. On the contrary, the thriving and devoted community rallied around the superhero title in a tremendous fashion and vowed that it would do something, anything to keep CoH’s spirit alive. […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2019/03/22/into-the-super-verse-five-reasons-to-be-excited-for-city-of-titans/feed/ 16 https://massivelyop.com/2019/03/02/into-the-super-verse-taking-a-closer-look-at-city-of-heroes-paragon-chat/ https://massivelyop.com/2019/03/02/into-the-super-verse-taking-a-closer-look-at-city-of-heroes-paragon-chat/#comments Sat, 02 Mar 2019 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=211967 Welcome to Massively OP’s brand-new column covering superhero MMORPGs — past, present, and future! One might even say it’s a continuation of our past columns on this subgenre like A Mild-Mannered Reporter and Marvel Heroics. Eliot and I, both long-time superhero game fans, will be alternating in an examination of the games and topics in […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2019/03/02/into-the-super-verse-taking-a-closer-look-at-city-of-heroes-paragon-chat/feed/ 12