MMO Roundup: Politics, cosplay, and The Secret World

MMO subscriber numbers have peaked, says industry analyst
Industry analyst Michael Pachter has a history of blowing hot air, but when he speaks, others listen. Pachter is back with a few more controversial remarks concerning the growth -- or lack of it -- in the MMO market. Speaking at the Evolve Conference, Pachter said, "It looks to me as though the MMO market is as big as it's ever going to be -- as far as subscription MMOs."

TERA guild farms itself for political gain, playerbase outraged
TERA's endgame political system features something called a Vanarch, a player-elected representative. Vanarchs can impose taxes, toggle PvP on or off, and generally meddle in the affairs of other players. En Masse recently adjusted the system to allow Vanarchs to rise to power through guild-vs.-guild combat. In doing so, it cleared the way for mega-guilds to split in two and farm their way to political office.

Amazing amateur MMO cosplay
While many facets of geek and video game culture are adequately represented in the cosplay community, MMORPG cosplayers can be a little harder to find. Is it truly underrepresented, or is it simply harder to find? Check out Massively's top 10 amateur MMORPG cosplay.

The Secret World's launch and future
The Secret World, the modern day urban fantasy MMO from Funcom, launched very recently. Massively had an opportunity to sit down with The Secret World's creative director Ragnar Tornquist and discuss the game's present and future.

Massively Speaking Episode 208: Invest in copper
Massively Speaking, Massively's MMO podcast, returns this week with hosts Justin Olivetti and Bree Royce. Topics include Funcom, City of Heroes, Vanguard, TERA, and Guild Wars 2.

Massively's week in review
Don't let WoW Insider do all of the talking when it comes to Massively's best content of the week. The Massively staff themselves have picked out what they think is the best content their site has to offer in their own weekly roundup.