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Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Splitting the MMORPG genre
One of the recurring rumors in the MMO blogosphere is that World of Warcraft would come out in a version for this or that next generation console. With variations of the rumor being either the console game accessing the same servers as the PC version, or there being a "lite" version for the console, not requiring any keyboard. I don't know if Blizzard will ever do that, but there is already a lite version of Everquest called Everquest Online Adventures for the PS2, and Final Fantasy XI has both the console and the PC access the same server. With the next generation consoles being increasingly networked and internet-ready, it is only a question of time when we will see more console MMORPGs.
One of the recurring comments in the MMO blogosphere is console gamers wouldn't be very welcome, being not as "mature" as PC MMORPG players. While it is true that the average age of a console gamer is probably much younger than the average WoW player, and that the monthly fee keeps a lot of bored teenies away from MMORPGs, I don't think that expanding the MMORPG genre to consoles would be a bad idea. In fact the growth in total player numbers would probably allow us to split the genre is several sub-genres, appealing to different demographics.
There are already existing differences in MMORPGs: PvP vs. PvE-centric. Casual vs. hardcore. World-centric vs. game-centric. Soloable vs. enforced grouping. But in most cases these are just differences by degrees. The PvE game LotRO has a PvP monster play part, while even the most PvP-centric game like Lineage has PvE parts as well. Nobody agrees what a casual game is, even WoW is too hardcore for some. Nearly all games offer both solo and group content to varying degrees.
Where I see a much clearer split of the genre coming is in the way that MMORPG combat is handled. Several of the upcoming games are promising to make MMORPG combat more action-oriented, with aiming and more frenetic clicking. Apart from the technological problem of how to realize this when there is lag, MMORPG action combat obviously would appeal more to a younger demographic. Older players, like me, aren't really excited about the idea. Me, on the other hand, I'm dreaming about MMORPG combat which would be more strategic, slower, and require more thinking. I get excited about games like Puzzle Quest and Metal Gear Acid, which use puzzles or trading cards as combat mechanism. But I'm fully aware that this deeper but slower way of combat isn't likely to attract the younger crowd. But hey, if the genre grows big enough, there is room for games for all ages. Even a turn-based strategy game like Heroes of Might & Magic 5 still sells very well, because there are enough older gamers out there to buy it.
Consoles would be ideal to support action MMORPGs, with or without sharing servers with PC clients. The MMORPGs with slower, more strategic combat mechanisms would probably sell better on PCs. Besides the differences in combat, console MMORPGs would probably be more game-centric, with few social elements. It's hard to chat using console controls. On the PC side games could become more world-centric compared to WoW. The recent article on WoW in The Times discussed among other things how the (adult and female) author would have liked more social elements in the game, for example having a jukebox and a pub quiz or raffle on offer in the WoW taverns.
On the business model side, games with no monthly fee would probably be more attractive for a younger crowd. For older gamers a monthly fee isn't that much of a problem, and many would even be willing to pay more for things inside the game. That could be booster packs for the trading card combat game, or it could be fancy outfits like those being sold in Second Life or some Korean games.
In short, there are lots of ways in which MMORPGs could develop, and they aren't all going to be of the one-size-fits-all kind. By accepting that different solutions of platform, combat system, or business model could be ideal for different demographics, the genre could open itself up for a much larger variety.
- posted by Tobold @ 7:57 AM Permanent Link
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IN the nPhilippines, the free to play forever business model is the one taht works, with the money coming from people buying in-game items legitimately, or from advertising revenue through loading screens.
Strangely, it actually works, and the company that does it even sponsors events, making the community a little bit happier as well.
Strangely, it actually works, and the company that does it even sponsors events, making the community a little bit happier as well.
# posted by 
: 4/4/07 09:49
: 4/4/07 09:49
Does a monthly subscription really put off younger players? Guild wars has no monthly sub and yet the community is fairly mature in my experience. Sure you get idiots but nothing on the scale of WOW. The quality of the user support sites is a testament to the general maturity of players. Just compare the superb support site Guildwiki (http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Main_Page) to the flame war mess that is Thottbot. Guildwiki plays a similar role in Guild wars to Thottbot in WOW - it is the first site most players go to to get info about the game.
One of the recurring comments in the MMO blogosphere is console gamers wouldn't be very welcome, being not as "mature" as PC MMORPG players.
A theory I don't agree with. It might have been true 10-20 years ago that consoles were for people too broke, young, or dumb to use a pc, but Windows changed that.
Don't laugh. Just remember how bad things were before Win 95, and now with XP, I haven't had a major computer problem in years.
Also, unlike even 10 years ago, computers are dirt cheap. The price gap between computers and consoles hasn't closed, obviously, but it has certainly shrunk.
And the internet has given the masses no choice but to get a pc. What was once a geek or professional's toy is now a common household appliance.
So I don't think console mmorpgs could possibly dumb down the base any more than it already is.
A theory I don't agree with. It might have been true 10-20 years ago that consoles were for people too broke, young, or dumb to use a pc, but Windows changed that.
Don't laugh. Just remember how bad things were before Win 95, and now with XP, I haven't had a major computer problem in years.
Also, unlike even 10 years ago, computers are dirt cheap. The price gap between computers and consoles hasn't closed, obviously, but it has certainly shrunk.
And the internet has given the masses no choice but to get a pc. What was once a geek or professional's toy is now a common household appliance.
So I don't think console mmorpgs could possibly dumb down the base any more than it already is.
# posted by : 4/4/07 14:29
: 4/4/07 14:29
The key is the keyboard, not the price of equipment or the fee. PC games use one and consoles (mostly) do not. This has long separated the two as people who cannot type just wont get as much from WoW as those that can type.
But there are some WoW players that can't type. They use voice chat and macros to good effect and/or rely on others to do the party chatting when voice isn't available to all players.
But therein lies the key that will unite both systems. Voice! Consoles and VOIP technology will change the gaming landscape for good.
I picture a game with voice activated commands. Speech-to-text translation. You could even have NPCs capable of simple conversations with the players. At this point, the keyboard would lose some of its usefulness and blur the lines between the two types of gaming interfaces.
But there are some WoW players that can't type. They use voice chat and macros to good effect and/or rely on others to do the party chatting when voice isn't available to all players.
But therein lies the key that will unite both systems. Voice! Consoles and VOIP technology will change the gaming landscape for good.
I picture a game with voice activated commands. Speech-to-text translation. You could even have NPCs capable of simple conversations with the players. At this point, the keyboard would lose some of its usefulness and blur the lines between the two types of gaming interfaces.
# posted by : 4/4/07 15:43
: 4/4/07 15:43
It's true that splitting the MMO genre will expand the market. But I kind of like being a part of a global experience where 8M+ people are playing the same game. It makes me wonder when I pass random people on the street, whether they play WoW, and what level their mains are at.
When I lined up for the midnight release of TBC, I got to chat with a lot of random WoW players. I expected that everyone who lined up was hardcore about leveling to 70. Instead, I was surprised to find that most people in line didn't even have 60's, much less raiding experience. They were just there because it was a "grand opening", a part of video game history and someplace fun to be.
When I lined up for the midnight release of TBC, I got to chat with a lot of random WoW players. I expected that everyone who lined up was hardcore about leveling to 70. Instead, I was surprised to find that most people in line didn't even have 60's, much less raiding experience. They were just there because it was a "grand opening", a part of video game history and someplace fun to be.
A lite version of WoW is what id rather play. Quests are usually the same ole mail delivery or kill this ans return type and from a console that could be simplified down to:
Press A, if you want to do a mail delivery quest. and have a more interactive map available.
Press B, if you want to do a assination quest. Offer a arrow pointer to where the mob is (turn feature on/off).
The part that makes a lite version of WOW at a disadvantage is in the tiny details. Such as creating custom macros/gui/customizations. A PC can generally do whatever you throw at it, a console might be able to as well but console games are more geared to be a unified and cohesive design versus a customized and text/command based interface. A metaphor would be like... users using unix/linux(pc) or windows XP home edition(more like a console).
If for example they put WoW-lite on xbox360 and Ps3 and allowed cross-platform gaming, it would be a major success and instead of 8 million people figures... you could probably double that simply because the price for a console vs gaming PC's.
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Press A, if you want to do a mail delivery quest. and have a more interactive map available.
Press B, if you want to do a assination quest. Offer a arrow pointer to where the mob is (turn feature on/off).
The part that makes a lite version of WOW at a disadvantage is in the tiny details. Such as creating custom macros/gui/customizations. A PC can generally do whatever you throw at it, a console might be able to as well but console games are more geared to be a unified and cohesive design versus a customized and text/command based interface. A metaphor would be like... users using unix/linux(pc) or windows XP home edition(more like a console).
If for example they put WoW-lite on xbox360 and Ps3 and allowed cross-platform gaming, it would be a major success and instead of 8 million people figures... you could probably double that simply because the price for a console vs gaming PC's.
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