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Sunday, September 02, 2007
Do we want sequels?
DM Osbon sent me a mail about a Blizzard developer saying that they might be working on another MMO, and the possibility of WoW2. = # # = sent me a mail about EQ3, work on which should be starting now if they want to space releases of sequels evenly. While I really can't say about the timing, I think there is a greater than even chance that one day we will see sequels of the most successful MMORPGs around. But what's so special about sequels?
When WoW came out it was accused of being an EQ clone. And a lot of future games will be called WoW clones. Fact is that fantasy MMORPGs already strongly resemble each other. Strip away the lore, and you can call them anything you like. If by some twist of fate all the Blizzard developers had worked for SOE instead, and the SOE developers for Blizzard, EQ2 would now have the gameplay of WoW, and WoW the gameplay of EQ2. Just the names of the cities would have been inversed. There is nothing specific to the gameplay of EQ2 that makes it, and only it, the only valid sequel for the original Everquest.
Warhammer Online : Age of Reckoning for practical purposes is a sequel of Dark Age of Camelot. Calling it WAR instead of DAoC is a marketing decision. Sure, the Warhammer universe inspires a lot of ideas on how the different races should look and act, but you could have gotten away with pretty much the same races in a game with a different name. The reason why one day we will get a WoW2 is that it is easy marketing. Making exactly the same game and calling it something else, would be a more difficult sell. But with WoW being so successful, people will automatically assume that WoW2 is as good, while a differently named game wouldn't have that advantage.
- posted by Tobold @ 8:32 AM Permanent Link
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Well, as I said; if SOE wants to release a new EQ every 5 or 6 years then that means that work on EQ# has already begun. It will be interesting to see how much EQ3 looks like WoW, but more interesting will be how EQ3 address this new business model that Smedly keeps harping about; a business model that moves away from monthly fees in favor of a velvet rope system.
I think SOE has one bullet left in the chamber and they better hit their target. This is not a developer that has lived up to their hype since Velious was released. It's been all downhill since then. While a "World of Everquest" would be derided, it would still be the needed hit that SOE needs and has needed for some time.
Another problem for SOE is their art department; a completely new team with a new and fresh style is desperately needed, as almost everyone agrees that EQ2 graphics are just plain ugly. All that detail with no style. The kind of graphics you might see in a corporate training video. To call them bland is an insult to the word bland.
If SOE is truly working on an EQ3, it would make sense to hear an announcement late next year, assuming they'd need a year for media hype and play testing - that would put the game on a Holiday 2009 release.
I predict an announcement at next year's EQ fan fair and if I'm wrong, no one will remember this post anyway )
I think SOE has one bullet left in the chamber and they better hit their target. This is not a developer that has lived up to their hype since Velious was released. It's been all downhill since then. While a "World of Everquest" would be derided, it would still be the needed hit that SOE needs and has needed for some time.
Another problem for SOE is their art department; a completely new team with a new and fresh style is desperately needed, as almost everyone agrees that EQ2 graphics are just plain ugly. All that detail with no style. The kind of graphics you might see in a corporate training video. To call them bland is an insult to the word bland.
If SOE is truly working on an EQ3, it would make sense to hear an announcement late next year, assuming they'd need a year for media hype and play testing - that would put the game on a Holiday 2009 release.
I predict an announcement at next year's EQ fan fair and if I'm wrong, no one will remember this post anyway )
# posted by 
: 2/9/07 09:43
: 2/9/07 09:43
Business wise a sequel makes no sense. You harvest your own customers first and lessen the income of your first mmog. Why spend millions on something where you loose on your first anyway?
Of course after 10 years it makes sens, which is the average lifespan of a big mmog.
Making a mmog with a different setting and game mechanic is ok as it might attract people from other mmogs or interest groups.
Its a very difficult decision doing so and I dont think WoW2 is on Blizzards plans. WoW will live until 2015 minimum.
Of course after 10 years it makes sens, which is the average lifespan of a big mmog.
Making a mmog with a different setting and game mechanic is ok as it might attract people from other mmogs or interest groups.
Its a very difficult decision doing so and I dont think WoW2 is on Blizzards plans. WoW will live until 2015 minimum.
A sequel could be interesting only if the sequel is a different game.
With different game I mean something completely different in gameplay. If is too similar... why doing a sequel when you can just patch the old one?
But maybe I'm forgetting easy money with marketing....
With different game I mean something completely different in gameplay. If is too similar... why doing a sequel when you can just patch the old one?
But maybe I'm forgetting easy money with marketing....
In my opinion (I talked about this when I heared that Guild Wars 2 is coming out), if you want to make a sequel for mmorpg you need to introduce an element that can't be done simply by patching the game (for example guild wars will have a more wow-like environment, new game mechanics etc).
Also you need to introduce an element that will keep the players playing until the sequel comes out (in GW Hall of Monuments, which you can inherit from your GW1 character to your GW2 character. Basically the more titles you get, the "hotter" the hall is and you gain special stuff in GW2 from HoM).
All in all that's what it should be. They need to figure out some new way of making the hottest mmorpg of the decade if they expect me to merrily skip from wow to wow2 :).
Also you need to introduce an element that will keep the players playing until the sequel comes out (in GW Hall of Monuments, which you can inherit from your GW1 character to your GW2 character. Basically the more titles you get, the "hotter" the hall is and you gain special stuff in GW2 from HoM).
All in all that's what it should be. They need to figure out some new way of making the hottest mmorpg of the decade if they expect me to merrily skip from wow to wow2 :).
If they want to release Wow2 they'll have to end WOW. That's the only way they'll get a mass jump into the new game. It's just too hard for your average player who only spends 4 to 8 hours a week in game to start all over in a new game unless they have friends there.
It's really hard to go from being able to fund your alts and talk with your online friends ingame chat to being all alone and starting the ball all over again.
I think if they tried the sony version and ran wow and wow2 at the same time it would just fracture the populace and finish the job of destroying the social aspect of the game completely.
It's really hard to go from being able to fund your alts and talk with your online friends ingame chat to being all alone and starting the ball all over again.
I think if they tried the sony version and ran wow and wow2 at the same time it would just fracture the populace and finish the job of destroying the social aspect of the game completely.
In response to =##=:
"Another problem for SOE is their art department; a completely new team with a new and fresh style is desperately needed, as almost everyone agrees that EQ2 graphics are just plain ugly."
Erm, you what!? I just recently decided to try out WoW to see what I was "missing out on". Not a hell of a lot if you were to judge by art alone to be honest (which naturally is not the only way one should in fact judge). I have to say that I clearly fall in the small minority of not "almost everyone" who thinks that EQ2 UI and graphics blow WoW and Vanguard (the only other two I've tried) completely out of the water.
EQ2 has lessons to learn from these two, but art and UI are not among them!
"Another problem for SOE is their art department; a completely new team with a new and fresh style is desperately needed, as almost everyone agrees that EQ2 graphics are just plain ugly."
Erm, you what!? I just recently decided to try out WoW to see what I was "missing out on". Not a hell of a lot if you were to judge by art alone to be honest (which naturally is not the only way one should in fact judge). I have to say that I clearly fall in the small minority of not "almost everyone" who thinks that EQ2 UI and graphics blow WoW and Vanguard (the only other two I've tried) completely out of the water.
EQ2 has lessons to learn from these two, but art and UI are not among them!
Smed has said that naming it "EverQuest 2" was a mistake he wouldn't repeat, so I doubt a EQ3 is in the works. Also SOE is not going to make any more fantasy MMOs and try competing against WoW, EQ, EQ2, Vanguard, WAR, etc etc etc (hence FreeRealms and Agency.)
# posted by : 3/9/07 02:06
: 3/9/07 02:06
I have some hope for vanguard i guess my dwarf paladin looks pretty awsome on that games graphic engine. As far as the game scenery to lvl 20, I wasnt disappointed other than the low framerate in some spots..
Sequels can be good for some game storylines. For example diablo 3 would probably have more players than WoW. Starcraft 2 will probably have more players than starcraft 1 + warcraft 1,2,3 combined.
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Sequels can be good for some game storylines. For example diablo 3 would probably have more players than WoW. Starcraft 2 will probably have more players than starcraft 1 + warcraft 1,2,3 combined.
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