After the recent events that unfolded at Daybreak Games (formerly Sony Online Entertainment), a studio that is developing several titles that I am watching closely, I had to take a moment, step back, and just catch my breath. For the past year I had completely submerged myself in everything the studio was doing, so much so that I even shelled out the $20 to jump into H1Z1. For those that don't know, I hate bad zombie tropes, I don't find horror movies or themes very entertaining at all, and I definitely was not enthusiastic about sharing my game-space with a bunch of crazy man-eating trolls.

I was literally sucking up everything the studio was throwing out to me, just to get some taste or idea of what their deeper mindset was behind their games. As an original EverQuest player and someone who spent a good amount of time kicking around in DCUO, I've most always been a fan of their mechanics and the feel and art styles of their games. So of course seeing the rebirth of EQ3 from SOELive 2013 videos and demos with EverQuest Next - I couldn't help but be consumed by this ambitious new project. Also, as someone who studies game design and game theory, I was very excited to see a big studio trying to push the envelope and really attempt to break the current mold.

So needless to say, the layoffs were painful. A lot of core contributors, visionaries, and founders of the game concept were sent packing - not to mention some of the most public faces of the entire company. It still hurts, and I don't think I'll get over it for quite some time... Seeing a strong public statement about a commitment to EverQuest Next coming from Daybreak would go a long way towards initiating the healing process, but it will still take a lot of time. (It's worth noting that Daybreak's headman John Smedley did offer some reassurance of that fact - but we're going to need more than just words this time around.)

The whole process has made me take a moment to reevaluate my investments and where I want to spend my money. I still have high hopes for EverQuest Next - as even half of the planned game-experience would have been twice as good as any current MMO on the market (other than WoW - which caters to an entirely different audience). So I believe it can still find success and certainly answer a sustainable niche in the genre. Again though, those are my hopes. They used to be my beliefs, but I'd be lying if I said my faith hasn't wavered. That's no slight against the people that remain, but rather a testament to the quality and quantity of the people that were let go.

So I am deciding to at least broaden my horizons a bit - in the event that EverQuest Next doesn't turn out to be the game that the original team was creating. I've always been active in other games over the past year - but they haven't typically been MMOs. Peeking into the Warlords of Draenor expansion is about the only recent MMO experience I've given a fair shake. I dipped my toe into the waters of GuildWars2, and that was as far as I made it before walking away from the pool. Maybe I can resell my account for the $10 I spent (sorry GW2 fans - it just wasn't meant to be for me).

Crowfall - An adaptable Strategy/MMO Hybrid

I haven't gotten to really give anything that's currently in development a good look, but Crowfall is extremely intriguing - as a fan of strategy wargaming and also MMORPGs, it looks to be an interesting blend of the two genres. Reading through the games FAQ answered a lot of the initial design and concept questions I had - and I didn't see anything disconcerting about the game just yet. You can be certain I'll be watching closely for the game announcement coming up soon that they've got counting down to on their main page.

Das Tal - An isometric Indie Sandbox/PvP Hybrid

As for a smaller project I'm keeping my eyes on - Das Tal is a tiny sandbox-styled PvP indie MMO coming out of Europe that I've been monitoring. My initial Alpha play-test about two weeks ago left a good taste in my mouth, though the game is still very early in its production process. It's not at all like the big first or third person graphically immersive experiences of the MMO developer giants -  but they are working what they have to fabulous results. It's got an isometric perspective and a bit of an Ultima Online feel to it - though the controls feel much more similar to a console action-RPG type of game. This is one that looks to be very controller friendly (though the PC controls feel excellent as well). With enough interested and funding support - I could definitely see this one going cross-platform. They've recently been opening up the playtests to larger numbers of players - so if you're interested, go sign up for access! There is also a brief ReadMe section that explains some of the ins an outs you might want to know before you pick up the game and play. 

Other Thoughts and Things

So those are just a few games I'll be watching more closely now, as I continue tracking the changes to EverQuest Next's development timeline. As the saying goes, "Don't count your chickens before they hatch." Which in my recent experience, are wise words indeed.

I'll also be dipping back into other games I enjoyed playing over the past year, with Firefall by Red5 and Windward by Tasharen at the top of my respective lists (one list of launched titles, and another list of games under development). I also expect to spend a bit more time playing League of Legends and SMITE as the eSports side of the industry continues to heat up. I've been playing League since launch and continuously been impressed with the way Riot keep the game fresh and engaging; but SMITE really captures the immersion with it's unique camera positioning.

Anyhow, thanks for reading everyone. Have a great weekend!


To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our EverQuest Next Game Page.

Last Updated: Mar 13, 2016

About The Author

Alex has been playing online games and RPGs for quite some time, starting all the way back with Daggerfall, EverQuest, and Ultima Online. He's staying current with the latest games, picking up various titles and playing during his weekly streams on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings with both MMOs and MOBAs being feature plays. Hit him up on Twitter if you have a stream request for Freeplay Friday! Two future games he's got a keen eye on are Daybreak's EverQuest Next and Illfonic's Revival.

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