I used to think that the notion of a “mid-life crisis” was somewhat ridiculous… until I found myself deep in one. It kind of crept up on me over the past couple years, as I became low-key obsessed with older music technology, collecting CDs and modded iPods. It felt like I was rediscovering a joy that I had abandoned to more modern conveniences.
But it was only very recent that it hit me like a Mack truck that I was subconsciously fighting back against current pop and tech culture that’s become so dull, so blah, and so very stagnant. Once I actively noticed this trend, I began to see it everywhere. Nobody’s really that thrilled with objectively more powerful modern gadgets when they come onto the market. Movies today have completely abandoned the mid-budget film and comedy. Modern TV seems hellbent on ruining franchises.
It began to make sense to me why I was increasingly investing in nostalgia and thinking about older times because the landscape now isn’t that exciting (and for the sake of peace here, I want to limit this column to talking about pop culture and technology in specific). There are exceptions, yes, and there are possibilities on the horizons, but do you honestly see anyone flipping out over, say, AI on phones the way we used to about a flying toasters screensaver or translucent gadgets?
Listen, this is my mid-life crisis, not yours, and I’m not trying to start up an argument like an old man chastising whippersnappers about the better days. However, I will say that I’ve noticed that I’m very much not alone on this position. I’ve watched numerous YouTube videos in the past few months all hitting on this same topic. Reddit boards like r/nostalgia and r/90s overflow with people desperate to flee the flat, lifeless culture of today for the reminder of a time brimming with potential and personality.
I’m not even joking here when I say that I would gladly trade every movie and TV streaming service in the world to have the old Netflix back — yes, the one that mailed you DVDs (and had an amazingly huge selection, I might add). I dearly miss the internet when it wasn’t overrun with AI and bots and what appears to be widespread depression.
I’m not Marty McFly, and I don’t have a time machine that can whisk me back to whatever era that made me the happiest and most comfortable. But I don’t have to accept the current cultural landscape as mine. None of us do. There are options. The retro tech market, as I hinted at earlier, is booming with interest. Even younger generations are flocking to things like GameBoy SPs, manual typewriters, record players, and wearing an iPod Nano 6th generation like a watch to confuse your local barista.
After all, I don’t have to be slave to current releases; I can watch the movies and TV shows from the time periods that felt the most lifelike and creative. I don’t have to subscribe to an algorithm that feeds me tunes; I can purchase, curate, and own a music library customized to my tastes that’ll never be removed because of licensing issues.
Wow. I am sounding like ranty dude shouting at clouds. I told you I was going through something. Forgive me.
The point is, I have a choice. You have a choice. If you like modern stuff, more power to you. If something from the past feels better and there’s a way to access it, there’s no shame availing yourself of that even if people give you odd looks.
What does this have to do with MMOs at all? I’m glad you asked. Because in all of this mid-life crisis, none of it touched upon my preferred genre of gaming. MMORPGs today are still as interesting and engaging to me as they were 20 years ago. And that’s because a lot of them that were around 20 years ago are still here and still being played by thousands upon thousands of people.
These games may look creaky and dated, especially if you do a screenshot comparison to some of the slick AAA-budget titles published these days. But that’s not a deterrent. In fact, it’s kind of what makes me like them more because they were born in a more colorful and creative period and still retain that personality.
I can’t hop back to 2004 and meet my wife again and enjoy a head full of hair that’s not streaked with grey. But you know what I can do? I can boot up a 2004-ish version of World of Warcraft and get lost in the comforting vibes of old Azeroth. I can shell out a handful of bucks to buy all of classic Guild Wars and go back through the game campaign with the community that’s turned out for its 20th birthday. I can make superheroes in City of Heroes, go through progression servers in EverQuest, and enjoy some of the same haunts in Lord of the Rings Online that I did back when George W. Bush was still president.
What I’m trying to say is that out of all of the things that have been slowly and gradually removed from pop culture over time, the MMORPG isn’t one of them. I think it’s amazing that these online worlds are, by and large, still kicking as strong as they are in 2025. Each one is a portal to a past era, laden with memories. And I can step into any of these and enjoy the flavor of the ’90s, the 2000s, and the 2010s not alone, but with other excellent players.
It’s not a solution for my crisis, but it’s nice to know that one of the hobbies that I like the most hasn’t gone extinct when I wasn’t watching.
Everyone has opinions, and The Soapbox is how we indulge ours. Join the Massively OP writers as we take turns atop our very own soapbox to deliver unfettered editorials a bit outside our normal purviews (and not necessarily shared across the staff). Think we’re spot on — or out of our minds? Let us know in the comments!
