2015 MMO Awards Highlights

While Massively OP’s 2015 awards officially wrapped up last Friday, a few lingering reflections and summaries remain. As is tradition, I’ll compile all the award details in one comprehensive overview, shed light on the rationale behind our choices, and contrast our staff rankings with the ongoing popular vote, which continues for another week. Join me for an in-depth look at the highlights from 2015.

One standout title from the year is Trove, which offers an exceptionally enjoyable experience given its modest development costs and the vast array of content packed into its voxel-based universe. Despite this, it often gets dismissed as a childish game due to its visual style. Personally, I believe this perception overlooks its true value.

Elder Scrolls Online emerged as a strong contender in the public’s eyes, securing the runner-up spot. It has made significant progress and has grown considerably, but its development pace remains somewhat sluggish.

On a lighter note, in response to popular demand, we included a category for the most overrated game of the year. Unsurprisingly, World of Warcraft took the top spot, earning the disdain of many of our readers.

The most defining story of 2015, according to both our staff and the community, was Sony Online Entertainment’s dramatic upheaval. This was a clear consensus. SOE, once a pillar of stability in the MMO world, faced a tumultuous year starting with its sale to Columbus Nova, followed by extensive layoffs that cut ties with some of the genre’s top developers. The departure of long-time leader John Smedley, who had helmed the company for over twenty years, marked a significant turning point. Compounding the chaos was the ongoing drama surrounding the EverQuest franchise. These events prompted many of us to reassess the state of the MMO industry, highlighting how quickly a once-stable organization can be upended.

Reflecting on this year's awards, it’s almost ironic that winning the "most improved" accolade can be seen as a backhanded compliment, since it implies the recipient had a significant amount of room for growth. WildStar, for example, struggled through its initial year and a half, facing substantial hurdles that many acknowledged. While shifting to a free-to-play model wasn't a cure-all, the dedicated updates and patches throughout 2015, especially those aimed at shedding its hardcore image, helped elevate WildStar's standing.

Interestingly, in the final tally, WildStar narrowly surpassed The Elder Scrolls Online in the popular vote, signaling a shift in player perception. The voting hints that WildStar’s efforts resonated enough to turn the tide slightly in its favor.

Meanwhile, Square Enix’s steady performance this year might have been influenced by its geographical distance from Western audiences, shielding it somewhat from the criticism directed at local developers. Despite that, they successfully avoided major pitfalls in 2015, culminating in a well-received expansion for Final Fantasy XIV. Sometimes, simply delivering a solid, crowd-pleasing update is enough to secure the top spot.

Cloud Imperium Games garnered about 45% of the player vote, a surprising statistic considering they haven't yet launched a fully operational MMO. This indicates a passionate, optimistic community eager for what’s to come.

Throughout the voting process, concerns about The World of Warcraft’s declining trajectory weighed heavily on our minds. We certainly don’t want to suggest that the award was a commentary on our fondness for WoW; rather, its downward trend feels disheartening, especially given how pivotal it has been to the genre’s development. It’s a disappointment to see such a flagship franchise falter, as it’s not only about the game itself but about what its health signifies for the entire MMO landscape.

The silence surrounding EverQuest Next was another notable point. It was the second choice among our staff, and unsurprisingly, it dominated the reader poll as well. Come on, Daybreak—what’s happening there?

Finally, the category covering non-traditional MMORPGs was an easy pick this year. With titles like Ark: Survival Evolved surging on Steam charts and capturing players’ imaginations with its unique dinosaur survival mechanics, it’s clear that the gaming community’s interests are broadening beyond classic MMORPGs. This category’s winner reflects a year where innovation and diversity in online gaming took center stage.

Award Controversies

This entry stings a bit; I even chose to bury it over a weekend instead of trying to boost its visibility, simply because of the controversy surrounding this particular award. It shouldn't bother me, yet it does. Last year, I wasn't too upset when Star Citizen took the prize—after all, they’re backed by deep pockets and could handle the criticism. Similarly, NCSoft probably has thick skin for the Blade & Soul nod, even if the staff seemed a little hesitant, as if expecting a storm cloud to appear. That storm seems to have arrived later than anticipated!

Interestingly, many of you voted for Star Citizen, despite calling us pessimists. It’s a bit ironic.

There was also some discontent about the award for expansions not being "new." You're correct—these expansions weren't fresh releases. But this accolade was aimed at recognizing industry trends, not innovation. In recent years, major MMORPG developers shifted away from large-scale expansions toward smaller updates, so it’s encouraging to see a renewed interest in substantial expansions. Our readers echoed this sentiment, with expansions narrowly winning the popular vote, edging out the trend of sandboxification, which we also support.

The most confusing award for some was labeled “biggest trainwreck,” formerly known as the “biggest genre embarrassment” or blunder of the year. We assigned this to the ongoing Star Citizen drama, fueled by one of the internet’s most notorious trolls. It was an embarrassing spectacle for everyone involved.

However, some of you have long memories and strong feelings, as you chose to highlight ArcheAge for this dishonor. Not just a specific incident, but the entire game. That’s quite the commitment.

Game Awards Overview

In a close race, Guild Wars 2’s Heart of Thorns narrowly edged out Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward by just half a vote to claim the writers’ award, barely surpassing its competitor. Personally, I found it challenging to distinguish this accolade from the MMO of the Year award, as I attempted to evaluate the expansions independently of the controversy and the overall game states before and after their release.

Focusing solely on the expansions, Heavensward appeared somewhat conservative, offering more of the same, while Heart of Thorns, as I mentioned in the comments, was a bold move that significantly altered perceptions of Guild Wars 2. The public, however, favored Heart of Thorns by a much wider margin.

When it came to anticipation, Star Citizen dominated the popular vote with ease, capturing the imagination of the community. For the writers, though, the decision was more complex. The award remained in limbo for nearly two weeks, caught in a tie among Star Citizen, Crowfall, and Camelot Unchained until one writer shifted his vote, ultimately declaring a winner. This voting drama hints that these three titles are the ones to watch as we head into the new year.

Interestingly, EverQuest Next was not nominated this year, despite having won in both 2013 and 2014.

My personal vote diverged from the public’s. While I believed Heart of Thorns was the superior expansion, I felt Guild Wars 2 didn’t have an outstanding year prior to its release, and post-expansion, it still faced significant PvP and endgame challenges. Consequently, I couldn’t justify voting for it. On the other hand, Final Fantasy XIV’s approach with Heavensward was somewhat cautious, but that conservatism kept the game stable, content flowing, and players satisfied. I was pleased to see it win among the writers.

At the time I wrote this, Final Fantasy XIV led the public vote, but then Elder Scrolls fans flooded in over the weekend and overtook it!

Ultimately, we were spared the disappointment of having no winner this year!

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