The intent of this blog is to advocate policy change in the gaming industry, no matter how futile this may be.  However, I'd like to take a minute to introduce a little mmorpg that truly is a gem.

Maple Story is a free game that breathes fresh life into the mmorpg genre by taking traditional aspects of mmo's and kicking them squarely out the door.  Adopting a two dimensional side scrolling approach with a simplified control scheme help new people learn the ropes in less than an hour, and then have them running around slaying monsters and completing quests just as fast. 

The gameplay is very fast, with a hands on approach rather than pointing and clicking.  There isn't much strategy, but comparitively speaking there doesn't need to be a whole lot.  The idea of this minimalist approach helps elevate this game above other wannabes trying desperatley to penetrate a saturated market by appealing to mmorpg newbies and offering something to veterans as well.

My only complaint as such is the massive amount of time needed to become embedded in the game (creating a guild is a daunting task, with the amount of money needed ranging in the hundreds of hours of hunting and selling).  However, if your content for a distraction or just wanting to see something new, Maple Story is perfect.  Check it out at http://www.mapleglobal.com/