Ever since ZAM brought you the news that Warhammer Online had switched to a partial free-to-play model, we've been eager to jump into the MMO and check it out from the perspective of a new player. Last month we interviewed Mythic Entertainment producer Josh Drescher about the new "Endless Trial" implemented in patch 1.3.2, and why it might be the glimmering spark of hope the MMO so desperately needed (last winter, droves of players left WAR to face down Arthas in WoW's Wrath of the Lich King).

The new Endless Trial converted about a quarter of the game—Ranks 1 to 10, or "Tier 1"—into a free-to-play MMO. Just as its name implies, it's a never-ending trial that offers nearly-unfettered access to Tier 1 content without requiring a dime for the game itself or a subscription fee. In addition, the developers went back to the drawing board to improve the early game experience (as well as enhancing some existing mechanics), and came up with the "New User Journey". To get a better understanding of these new features from the standpoint of both a new and returning player, ZAM signed up for the Endless Trial and went back to WAR.

The MMO industry isn't as "niche" as it used to be. Proof of that concept is perhaps the current rise of MMO-styled video games like Borderlands, the new post-apocalyptic first-person shooter. Developed by GearBox Software, it's the newest multi-platform (PC, Xbox 360, Playstation 3) adventure-shooter in a recent trend of "MMO-like" games; that is to say, technically it’s not an MMO, as defined by the usual "persistent world" criterion. However, it wouldn't be difficult for newcomers playing their first couple hours of cooperative mode online to mistake Borderlands and a MMOFPS, if they didn't know any better.

It's one of the newest "hybrid" FPS-RPG titles gaining popularity within the gaming community since recent titles like Fallout 3, blurring the line between what we previously defined as "atypical" elements of FPS games and RPGs. Released to widespread anticipation on October 29, Borderlands goes beyond the hybrid gameplay we saw in titles like Fallout 3, offering a more "MMO-like" experience in both single-player and multi-player modes. In this preview, ZAM takes a look at this developing new genre from the single-player perspective in Borderlands. Our second installment—coming up in a day or two—takes a more in-depth look at its online "co-op" and other multi-player modes, which further define Borderlands as one of the most "MMO-like" games we've seen to date.