As another quarter of 2011 has passed, it’s time to update the Top 10 Free-to-Play MMO Games of 2011. You can compare the list to the previous one from Q2 right now to see how its changed and weigh in on how you think it should have gone.
7 Hellgate
The top three remain the same in the new list. They each have giant communities, large holdings, and maintain accolades and awards sufficient to keep them in the top three and the GameOgre community agrees that they have a lot of the mindshare of players. As a result, they haven’t moved much.
The upset comes, however, right in the middle where a property by Perfect World Entertainment jockeys for position with a property of Nexon: newly unveiled Rusty Hearts and Dragon Nest nearly tied for 4th place on the list with the sheer interest of the MMO community behind them. In fact, it took looking at the GameOgre community itself to choose which one would be weighted higher and, winning by a fire-breathing snout, it came out as Dragon Nest.
Perfect World International all bit fell off the radar in spite of a large community and some solid awards, but Forsaken World remains largely in the consciousness. Also, it means that Perfect World Entertainment still retains two properties in the Top 10 leaderboard—alongside Nexon who also has two.
This quarter, Hellgate made it onto the list due to the interest of the GameOgre community and it’s surprising resurgence after changing from a pay-to-play game into a free-to-play game. Although it’s position in the leaderboard is somewhat shaky, it’s phoenix rise onto other lists gives it a position at number 7.
The leaderboard bottoms out with old standby favorites of RuneScape, AIKA Online, and Runes of Magic all three of which proved to be tenacious enough to maintain notable popularity in other MMO leaderboards and also have the notice of the GameOgre community.
As for who got dropped off the list? Dragonica has all but fallen out of favor with the GameOgre community and the MMO world at large, they’ve received some awards, but they’re not sticky enough to remain in the Top 10. Also, Maplestory, while extremely popular across Asia, just didn’t have what it takes to stand up against the new rivals of Dragon Nest and Rusty Hearts who really created a disruption in the entire playerbase for MMO games.
Still looking forward to the next three months.
As always, your input is highly valuable and if you’d like a say in how we weight or gauge the next Top 10, please put it into the comments below (or follow the Top 10 list link and comment there!)
LoTRo and DDO? I don’t agree…
Why not? What would you put in the top two positions?
If anything I’d swap DDO and Rusty Hearts and fit in LoL somewhere, but great list.
Don’t get me wrong, LoTRo and DDO are great games, but they are def. not the best games of 2011 (which isn’t even over yet).
None of the F2P game players would give a vote for game in which YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR QUESTS. Also as I can see this is the list for best MMO games, not MMORPG, where is LoL? where are shooters? World of Tanks? those are all MMO games.
Aika? Runescape? Really?
I only partly agree about Vindictus, it deserves a place on the top10 list but i’m not sure about #3.
I wont tell you who should be in #1 #2 #3 positions because that would be only my opinion, but battle would rage between RH, DN Vindictus and maybe even FW and LoL if you take all MMO games not just MMORPG’s.
Keep in mind, this isn’t the final 2011 list. This is simply the best of the third quarter of 2011 — thus the Q3. The final one won’t happen until after 2011 ends.
@Aaddron Ah yes, I don’t know why League of Legends hasn’t shown up on any other lists yet, but it should be a contender.
@Supernatural Opinion is good! Feel free to give it even on the top slots — in fact, the list here is largely opinion, it’s built on other top 10 lists and then weighted against what people at GO are voting on and talking about.
Point-in-fact, direct opinions will end up receiving more weight in the end on how the list ends filling out. The idea here is to start discussion and you’ve done a great job of entering it so don’t worry about mentioning what you think should be at the top.
I hope everyone does.
So Runescape is 8th, huh? I guess people still enjoy playing games that anyone with a licensed copy of Hero Engine could develop in a week.
RuneScape has surprised me at how popular it is, however, like many of those at the bottom right now (and Hellgate also) it’s at threat of falling off the list before the final version for 2011.
What an excellent and uniquely inspiring list of games….my favorite is Dungeons and Dragons Online.
Lord of the rings 1st place i dont agree with that i would say that Vindictus or Dragon nest would be the best game of this games on the list
Everything is good LOTR:online definitely deserves 1st place,I suggest everybody to try that game
Great thing Runescape was on that list or else I’d freak.