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With the console servers shutting down, Julian says goodbye to his first MMORPG.

Now that we are firmly entrenched in the 8^th console generation and PC gaming is back on the rise, you would be forgiven for not hearing about the server shut down of the final game from the 6^th generation: Final Fantasy XI. Even though the PC version released first and remains active to this day, the game began as an ambitious project for the PlayStation 2, and finally closed its PS2 and Xbox 360 doors on March 31, 2016. While it wasn’t the first massively multiplayer online role playing game to make its way to consoles (Everquest Adventures on the PS2 has that distinction), it was the entry point for many gamers into the world of the MMORPG. I was there for the final days of Final Fantasy XI on the console (I had been playing it on the Xbox 360 in recent years), and it was a bittersweet farewell, indeed.

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It's time to slay the dragon!

Welcome to a very special edition of Nerds Without Pants. Julian is joined by a couple of lovely ladies—Shanna and Allison—who are experts on the topic of the day: massively multiplayer online role playing games. That’s MMORPGs for you savvy ones. With Star Wars: The Old Republic doing well below expectations and Final Fantasy XIV needing a complete redesign this episode of NWP asks what’s so special about these types of games, and why do people still play them?

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An MMORPG nomad might've found a home.

The last MMORPG to which I dedicated myself was Final Fantasy XI, which I played for about four years before I finally quit. Although my excitement for the game would eventually fade, my desire to be part of a persistent digital world continued. I attempted to scratch the itch by trying almost every other major option available: World of Warcraft, Aion, Final Fantasy XIV, Star Wars: The Old Republic, TERA, Lord of the Rings Online, and even the bite-sized iOS game Order and Chaos. I found limited success with FFXIV mostly because my wife plays, and TERA got my attention for its stylish combat. But ultimately, the search continues, and I’ve decided to give Guild Wars 2 a shot.

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Indications that the game will be coming this year also ring true.

The original Guild Wars made some waves when it was released by providing a rich and robust MMORPG experience without the financially restricting monthly fee.  The upcoming sequel looks to continue this tradition later this year, and while a select few were able to participate in the recently ended closed beta, Mike O’Brien, ArenaNet Founder and President, has promised that we should expect “progressively larger events.”

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Blizzard recently announced the latest expansion for World of Warcraft. We break down what's new so you don't have to.

There was a whole mess of announcements made at this past weekend’s BlizzCon.  There was the revelation of a sweet collector’s edition of Diablo III and the news that it’s possible to get a digital copy of the game for free, but the biggest deal was the official revelation of World of Warcraft’s 4^th expansion: Mists of Pandaria.

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