i think congratulations are in order - WAR got its first clone! :D

aaaah, they grow up so fast... ;)))
 

"but otherwise everybody is talking about how well polished the game is, not how innovative it is"
Maybe they figured it out. People have been playing WoW for years, not because it's offering anything radically new or innovative, but because it works.
 

Have any references of bloggers you follow that are in the Beta and are talking about it?

I know I can use Google to find random bloggers, but I'm interested in your particular recommendations, if don't mind sharing them.
 

Do you want a Beta invite?
 

I think if you were to opening tell people that you are NOT in the beta... that would ensure that you wouldn't get in.

So in keeping it secret, you stay on the company's good graces and if you were to ask for a private beta key they are more likely to grant you one.

I wanted to comment on something else about innovation.

Innovation (or differentiation) gives you something to say to draw in new players. "Hey we're different!".

Polish (or experience) gives players a reason to like your game over time and see what else you would do with it.


Players are increasingly disillusioned with companies that claim they will build the next biggest thing, only to launch "not ready", "with lots of bugs".

Latest Blunder: FF14
 

"Polish (or experience) gives players a reason to like your game over time and see what else you would do with it."

And that's really a lot of it.

That said, once people actually see either zone boss invasions or full zone events, they do tend to walk away with an entirely different sounding (in a good way) impression about the game and how far we really are pushing some conventions. :)

- Scott
 

Have any references of bloggers you follow that are in the Beta and are talking about it?

Try Spinksville and the links given there.
 

People have been playing WoW for years, not because it's offering anything radically new or innovative, but because it works.

Err, arguably people started playing WoW because it was the first "casual" MMO. I would consider that quite radical and innovative.

They also beat WAR to the punch of RvR (though maybe DAoC originally had this?), introduced phasing technology, cross server instances, might even have been one of the first to include successful instanced end game.

You're not giving WoW the credit that it's due.

It doesn't really matter who comes up with the idea first. First to market/best to market is the only thing that anyone cares about, or should care about. If TERA takes off and is really "the end of tab based targeting" like many say, no one will remember that Darkfall pioneered this.