Masthead Studios' Earthrise is an ambitious new skill-based MMORPG that seeks to blend together sci-fi elements, PvP action, and a sandbox approach to gameplay and turn them into something different, something compelling. We recently had the chance to get more details about the game straight from Masthead CEO Atanas Atanasov.

Looks like that recently announced Marvel MMO game is still quite a ways off. Marvel Comics bigwig Simon Philips reveals that the team is aiming for a 2012 release. But why take that long? According to him, they're planning to make it coincide after the rush of Marvel movies to hit theaters (The Avengers, Captain America, Thor, Iron Man 2, Spider-man 4, X-Men Origins...). Aside from that, there are developmental matters to consider as well.

Did you know that the EverQuest MMORPG for the PlayStation 2 is still running? Did you even know it existed? Anyway, that's besides the point. Those who missed out on the PS2 version might get a chance to experience it on this get. SOE has suggested the franchise might find its way to the PlayStation 3.

As the attorney general of South Australia, Michael Atkinson has been one of the most rabid critics against the introduction of an R18+ classification in Australia. This has made him a frequent target for Aussie gamers. GameSpot recently had a chance to ask Mr. Atkinson why he's so against the R18+ rating. Check out Mr. Atkinson's point of view after the jump.

I've always been pretty hesitant with Free Realms - I can' t get past the whole "it looks too kiddie" factor - but seeing this dev interview is giving me second thoughts. It's free-to-play, it's on the PC and one of the PS3's very first MMORPGs, and overall, the concept sounds pretty fun. For sure, it's not a game for everyone, but hey - if you've got 30 or 40-something year-olds playing Neopets, then that shouldn't be all that bad.

Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) president John Smedley has said that he believes MMO gaming on the PS3 will bring in a lot of new players, and these players will in turn account for up to half of SOE's business. More from Smedley after the jump.

If things went differently, we could have actually been romping around Vana'diel and consorting with Shantotto on the PS3. Turns out that Square Enix had plans to release Final Fantasy XI on the PS3 as well. According to Hiromichi Tanaka, the PS3 version could have seen the light of day if only Sony didn't fall short on the bargain. More so, continuing plans of getting the MMORPG on the console are proving fruitless because PS2 backwards compatibility across all PS3 SKUs is looking quite impossible.

In a recent interview, DC Universe Online (PS3, PC) writer Geoff Johns revealed that SOE's MMORPG will be ready by late 2009 or early 2010. He also talked about his method as he worked on the game. Check it out in the full article.

Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime was interviewed recently about the MMO leviathan, World of Warcraft, and what we can expect in the near future. The most important keynote: No changes to the subscription rates.

World of Warcraft's Wrath of the Lich King delivers a lot of new stuff to the game. A new continent, new dungeons, a new class, and even new character customization options for the fashion conscious who likes a perky new haircut ever day.

But why is Blizzard charging gamers for this service? Explanation after the link.