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Are current MMORPG companies in a panic?
Theodoros
Member Posts: 38
As we all know, a lot of highly-anticipated games are coming out in the near future, hoping to put the smackdown on the current heavywights. The question is, what are the heavyweights doing about it? Or do they even care? And should they care? I know that DAoC is coming out with their Frontiers PvP expansion soon. Coincidence? I think not.
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Two of the HeavyWeights are making a new game...
EQ2 (EQ) and UOX (UO). The only other one is DAoC, I am not sure if they have another game in the pipe or not. But they will tend to persevere I think. Considering their subscriptions are way more than they NEED to stay in business. They have been making huge profits hand over foot for the last couple of years (or more).
With the financial backing, and the right team of programmers, I could even create an mmorpg and make it stand up with the some of the big names you refered to. Some of the best games ever made were designed by player's themselves and when you turn into the "Dev" your outlook changes.
You're thinking from a gamer's (player) perspective. To the "Dev's" and everyone else behind the creation, marketing and production of the mmorpg, its business pure and simple. And it's cut throat.
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ARGHHH! IT'S UXO, NOT UOX! IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ULTIMA ONLINE!!!
Ok, now that that's out of my system...
Of course the older companies will continue to release products while the new heavy-hitter MMO's are released. Think of it this way:
1. Old companies can only compete in 2 ways: releasing new content on their games, and relying on the fact that they ARE established to not lose too many customers. Other than that, there's not really much else they can do.
2. New companies will knock any feature on an older game that they have improved, thus causing older companies to A) fix/improve the feature and
not do anything and take the verbal beating/loss of customers who care about said features.
3. Older companies releasing new products (a la EQ2, UXO, and Lineage 2) will still continue to support their older products. They are there to make money and will do anything to keep a complete customer base while culling the souls of new players. No doubt SOE will still release expansions for EQ during and after the release of EQ2. Not doing so would be bad business.
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Its all the same. What makes them different is what the developers tweak so they can sell the games as "new" and "unique".
You mention big MMORGS: The biggest is Lineage 1 (in Korea)
Final Fantasy XI also has more subscribers then DAOC afaik.
AO is also quite big.
I don't think those games will die in the near future.
Just look at EQ: It's still going strong with all those good titles around.
The only title affecting all those games a lot will be WoW i guess but SWG showed us how a overhyped game can disappoint.
I remember the "When SWG is out noone will play X anymore!!!" sentence very well.
Yes it's UX:O or Ultima 10: Odyssey. Indeed it is not the sequel of Ultima Online. The sequel has long beed squashed by EA entitled "Ultima Worlds Online: Origins" or "UWO:O" aka UO2. I'm seeing this UOX (it doesn't even exist) around at gaming boards. We have to clear them :P
Okay enough of that.
Yes true, I agree, once you become a part of them, your point-of-view changes because it becomes "pure business". I used to be a "voluntary (for the lack of term)" GM (GameMaster) and now I'm giving my service, experience, and knowledge for a fee not free. My point-of-view change. I do it now to earn, to live.
True indeed that many MMOGs nowadys are/were made by fans why? Most of the reasons are the companies do not listen to the players, they only listen to themselves. They have a reason ofcourse. There is the fact that the investors want this and that (just like what happened to Richard G. and OSI). Again when money is involved, if you are doing business for "a living" things do change. Especially the purposes and decisions.
Finally, count UO, U10:O (as I prefer to write it so they'll know it's not UOX), L, L2 to the list. Don't ignore RO though, they're coming up with RO2, there is also D&D Online, and Matrix Online folded down.
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