8. Everquest Next
If there's one genre desperately in need of some new ideas, it's the MMO. Since World of Warcraft's release all the way back in 2004, there have been many pretenders to the throne, who have sought to usurp Blizzards all-conquering behemoth. Most of them have attempted to do so by copying it a bit, then adding in some shiny graphics and one or two unique features of their own. Last year's Guild Wars 2 perhaps came closest, by dismantling the traditional quest structure and by virtue of being incredibly accessible to pick up and play. Yet WoW still lumbers on, with subscription figures that have barely been dented as it's seen the majority of rivals fall into the ignominy of free-to-play (incidentally Everquest Next will be free-to-play from the start). Everquest Next is a little different though and when it comes to MMO's, different is good. The first major divergence is that unlike most MMO's with their incredibly static worlds, things change in Everquest, environments are destructible and the world is dynamic, changing over time. We hope this goes beyond the mechanical dynamic quests of Guild Wars 2, which were basically quest chains that ran in never-ending cycles. The second and perhaps more enticing aspect of Everquest Next is what they're calling Landmark. Landmark essentially puts into the players hands the tools used by the developers to create Everquest Next. With these tools you can essentially create your own world, building and shaping as you see fit. Landmark has clearly been inspired by Minecraft, only the tools here are far more powerful (and let's face it, the results are prettier). So, if you've ever had an idea for an MMO that was more interesting than the rote fantasy we're usually served up, chances are, Everquest Next will allow you to create it. There is the potential here for players to craft and share thousands of unique worlds and experiences, to create worlds for your friends to explore and get lost in. Now that sounds like an MMO worth waiting for.