Anyone else feeling the MMO era is dying?

Enigma

True, there are many potentially good MMOs coming out in the next couple of years but does anyone else get a feeling that MMOs today are just plain crap?

I dont know...Im getting that feeling. Anyone else feeling this way?

warrioralpha

nope, talk for yourself

whitedelight

I feel there is a lot of crap out there, but it isn't dying. I think the numbers are bigger than they have ever been, but so is the amount of trash games.

Raitsesman

The greatest era of mmorpg-s is ahead.The games keep getting better and better and more and more people are starting to play them

boognish75

  Well, lol,

  I dont think the mmo era is dying, it is in fact growing as a trend, what is dieing is the heart and authenticity put into games as well as the mmo veteran crowd is simply growing up and out, As I am growing older i feel that the heart is gone from mmo makers, remember how eq , and earth and beyond were experimental, and an experience, we the mmo crowd were smaller back then and the horizon of mmo's were new back then as well. As i see new games coming out it just doesnt feel like it was made with heart and m,agic anymore, its hard to actually do that when the companies are trying to make every stinking game cater to the flood of players which makes the games have a little bit of everything to cater to everyone but not enough of any one of the things to make it special, as the masses pour into any scene the heart and soul seem to leave and watered down mediocrity seems to come into play.

Rintintin

Originally posted by boognish75


  Well, lol,
  I dont think the mmo era is dying, it is in fact growing as a trend, what is dieing is the heart and authenticity put into games as well as the mmo veteran crowd is simply growing up and out, As I am growing older i feel that the heart is gone from mmo makers, remember how eq , and earth and beyond were experimental, and an experience, we the mmo crowd were smaller back then and the horizon of mmo's were new back then as well. As i see new games coming out it just doesnt feel like it was made with heart and m,agic anymore, its hard to actually do that when the companies are trying to make every stinking game cater to the flood of players which makes the games have a little bit of everything to cater to everyone but not enough of any one of the things to make it special, as the masses pour into any scene the heart and soul seem to leave and watered down mediocrity seems to come into play.

I think part of it is that the novelty of the experience wears off for us old timers.  It's the same with anything, as you get older you look back at how much more magical things were in the "old days".  Don't get me wrong, I fully enjoy the comforts of modern society.  I think as we mature (if that is possible for gamers) as gamers, we expect more depth and complexity to games.  But lets face it, for the most part, most recent games are as complex, in their own way, that the earlier games were. 

deucallion

Originally posted by Raitsesman


The greatest era of mmorpg-s is ahead.The games keep getting better and better and more and more people are starting to play them

The games keep getting better and better?  Are you daft?!  Lemme guess, WoW was your first MMO?  The first MMOs were the greatest.  Those of us that were there can attest to that.  Just as most of us these days can agree that 2007 was a crap year all around for MMOs.  However, you are right about more and more people playing them.  Paradox i know, but it's true nonetheless.   Here's hoping 2008 will be a better year!

trev9999

WAR + AOC = best next gen MMO releases and then Hero's Journey is first next gen game after those next gen games. Guild Wars 2 as well

ThomasN7

There is only a few good mmo games out now and honestly you could take 3/4th of the mmo games on the game list, toss them out the window and noone would miss them. Take a good look at the up coming mmo games, AOC, Warhammer and Aion are the only ones that people are really going to play. Other mentionable mmo games that people might wait for are Guild Wars 2, Bioware mmo and possibly Stargate Worlds.  People will still continue to play WOW, EQ2,Lineage2,EVEand FFXI Online until the next big thing comes out which frankly might be awhile. Though, I am pinning my hopes on a great Bioware mmo and Guild Wars 2.

Scalebane

i don't think its dieing, i think there are a lot of burnt out gamers just trying to find something they can get excited about again.  I don't think we will see games offer anything new or exciting anymore, there is only so much they can do with games.

As i look at all the games that come out anymore, if you look at them the only thing that changes is the story, the game play very rarely is different and like i said i think there are just a lot burnt out on gamers.   Maybe we have played games for too long? i dunno, but i have went back to playing ccg's and pen & paper more then pc/console games anymore.

I still do like to keep up to date on games tho, hopeing one day there will be something to catch my eye hehe...i only log into warcraft for few hours a week anymore, if my friends bug me to get on heh.

popoisfat

nothing quite hits the spot anymore for me , i played asheron's call since beta and turbine ruined it lol and now its impossible to find something worth playing again and i've tried just about everything, any of you veterns like me got some suggestions?

truenorthbg

Originally posted by Enigma


True, there are many potentially good MMOs coming out in the next couple of years but does anyone else get a feeling that MMOs today are just plain crap?
I dont know...Im getting that feeling. Anyone else feeling this way?

No.

1. If Vanguard keeps improving, I will be very confident.
2. Elder Scrolls MMO.
3. Possible KOTOR MMO.

Yes.

1. Too much raiding.
2. Too easy, no thinking: WoWification.
3. Focus on PvP [I play Unreal Tournament 3, about a good hour a day, and that is where I want to exclusively PvP, pretty much.]

So, we shall see.

Scalebane

I also believe gamers play mmo's so hardcore they quickly burn themselves out and all the content,  then they bug and bug for more content.   Perhaps us gamers should slow down abit eh? 

razerblade29

first where did u hear about elder scrolls mmo

and second u say too mutch raiding and too mutch pvp, then what else does that leave for combat

truenorthbg

Originally posted by Scalebane


I also believe gamers play mmo's so hardcore they quickly burn themselves out and all the content,  then they bug and bug for more content.   Perhaps us gamers should slow down abit eh? 

I think you raise an excellent point.

 

I think one of the reasons why I enjoy Vanguard so much is that leveling is slower and there is a ton of content for like 11 starter areas. 

 

I do not like games where it is a rush to max level to 1) raid, 2) faction grind, and/or 3) PvP.  I want a deeper PvE experience with 1) world immersion, 2) character customization [your character should be always developing, such as EQ 1's AA points], 3) deep Questing, and 4) etc.

ValiumSummer

I always "feel" that the MMO era must be dying every time I get fed up with a game ... And that happens too often.   However, there are currently 800+ people on this web site right now (at 11:00 pm Alaska time) reading about a game they are either playing or hope to play.   

Clyptso

MMOs aren't getting worse and worse but there is not alot new awesome stuff being put out that gets MMO vets excited. We seen it all and most new MMOs are just same old stuff. MMO vets just can't stay interested for long and any new games and since the market is being flooded with MMOs they keep trading games. Most new games get better after first expansion too but most people move on by then.

Its really truly simple more MMOS are being made and people are always looking for something new and moving to the next game. My friends do it all the time now. Thye can't just try to play one MMO they always have move to the next hyped game. They play that a few months and then move to the next. Alot people do it now. Everytime new MMOs come out or are being made people look forward to playing them and they will try it few months and then move to next. Its been like that since people left EQ 1. People just can't stick to one MMO anymore and always looking forward to the next big thing. Not all games are bad as people make them out when they quit but people just need a excuse as why they quit another MMO while they waiting for the next big thing to come out imo.

People are just hoping too much for a game thats owns all the other MMORPGs they played that they are really disapointed when a new game does come out. Its not the MMO era that is dying but what is dying is length of time people subscribe to to MMOs because they want to play the next  decent looking MMO that comes out.

Lobotomist

I can only say that at this moment there is no MMO really worth playing , and upcomming MMOs like AOC and WAR are not that hot either. Bioware will make just another WoWish clone...

The only hope I think are Fallen Earth and Infinity , but both are produced by small companies, and we know what that means

Lauraliane

the MMO era isn't dying, but it is certainly at its worth. The problem is that developing an MMO takes 4+ years, so basically the MMO we have today and the ones we ll  have in the next couple years will all be descendant from the EQ1/DaoC/WoW model.

We are playing that model for more than 10 years now, and it begins to feel old, I always feel like I am playing the same game. Of course the setting is different, of course the graphics are different, of course there is a few "original" features here and there to make you think it is a whole new omg thirg gen MMO or whatever.

But in fact, it is still the same thing than it was back in EQ1, the "core" game mechanics haven't evolved a bit, we are still stuck with shitty IA, no physics, crappy "aggro system", the classical 4 archetype "range, melee, heal, dps" and sometimes "crow control".

It feels like every devs on the planet bought the same "Creating an MMO for dummies" book and is following it carefully.

WAR, AoC, Aion or whatever will be the same, and I simply do not feel like playing them, or any of the upcoming mmo for that matter. I d rather stick with my current game, waiting for an actuel "new gen" MMO to come. One that will be a really new step and not simply the same fu...mechanics with fluff and marketing features all over to brand it "Third gen".

We need real AI, we need physics and environment interaction, we need new combat system that stop using the "aggro" thing and the whole "archetype" model. Then, they can put whatever environment, setting or marketing features over it, but first, they need to change the core mechanics. Cause as of today, those mechanics are all but prehistoric.

It will happen, but not before a long time I think, so get ready to get the same sh... for a few more years.

nomadian

Have to wait for these new gen releases; War, AoC,Pirates etc.
But I'd say maybe mmos as old-timers knew them could be gone or not replicated. It was maybe quite a niche appeal.

walker68

 I dont think its dying  but not many games have as much loyalty as before. Since DAOC for me I have a hard time sticking with a single game for  more then a few months at a time. But I just look at it as a short term adventure and move on untill I find one that will hook me.  I know Ill enjoy WAR 

 

 

Lobotomist

Originally posted by Lauraliane


the MMO era isn't dying, but it is certainly at its worth. The problem is that developing an MMO takes 4+ years, so basically the MMO we have today and the ones we ll  have in the next couple years will all be descendant from the EQ1/DaoC/WoW model.
We are playing that model for more than 10 years now, and it begins to feel old, I always feel like I am playing the same game. Of course the setting is different, of course the graphics are different, of course there is a few "original" features here and there to make you think it is a whole new omg thirg gen MMO or whatever.
But in fact, it is still the same thing than it was back in EQ1, the "core" game mechanics haven't evolved a bit, we are still stuck with shitty IA, no physics, crappy "aggro system", the classical 4 archetype "range, melee, heal, dps" and sometimes "crow control".
It feels like every devs on the planet bought the same "Creating an MMO for dummies" book and is following it carefully.
WAR, AoC, Aion or whatever will be the same, and I simply do not feel like playing them, or any of the upcoming mmo for that matter. I d rather stick with my current game, waiting for an actuel "new gen" MMO to come. One that will be a really new step and not simply the same fu...mechanics with fluff and marketing features all over to brand it "Third gen".
We need real AI, we need physics and environment interaction, we need new combat system that stop using the "aggro" thing and the whole "archetype" model. Then, they can put whatever environment, setting or marketing features over it, but first, they need to change the core mechanics. Cause as of today, those mechanics are all but prehistoric.
It will happen, but not before a long time I think, so get ready to get the same sh... for a few more years.

So true

klapdoor

You need to look further ahead: 10, 20, maybe 50 years. We are currently nearing the 'Space Invaders' age of gaming. We have now seen the 'Pong' era where one breakthrough game was copied endlessly by others,  and we are currently in the 'Breakout' era. Here developers try to be 'creative' and make a variation on that original game, but essentially it is still the same. For the 'Space Invaders' era there will be some new concepts and games (but, of course, everyone will copy that also). This will go on and on...

 

Now the above analogy is certainly not perfect, but it is to show that we are currently only at the inception of a concept. If technology continues like it currently does, you need to start thinking a lot bigger. Things like virtual reality, tactile interfaces, full immersion, a permanent and consistent alternate reality... That is what this part of the gaming industry is slowly working itself towards.

 

So no, the MMO era is certainly not dying, but it is going through a mostly boring phase...

 

 

wolfmann

Originally posted by klapdoor


You need to look further ahead: 10, 20, maybe 50 years. We are currently nearing the 'Space Invaders' age of gaming. We have now seen the 'Pong' era where one breakthrough game was copied endlessly by others,  and we are currently in the 'Breakout' era. Here developers try to be 'creative' and make a variation on that original game, but essentially it is still the same. For the 'Space Invaders' era there will be some new concepts and games (but, of course, everyone will copy that also). This will go on and on...
 
Now the above analogy is certainly not perfect, but it is to show that we are currently only at the inception of a concept. If technology continues like it currently does, you need to start thinking a lot bigger. Things like virtual reality, tactile interfaces, full immersion, a permanent and consistent alternate reality... That is what this part of the gaming industry is slowly working itself towards.
 
So no, the MMO era is certainly not dying, but it is going through a mostly boring phase...
 
 

It is just a tad bit sad, that thinking big is not on the developers "education list" nor is it on the investors "knowledge list" ...

Things like:

Virtual Reality, is a concept that money men and MMO game developers fear like hell itself, since it doesnt blend easily with static themepark games and simple "go kill 10 rats" quest thinking.

Tactile interfaces? Not in their handbook, and definitively not in their "how to make a mmo" class in college (Wich incidently is teached by failures in the industry like SWG-NGE's Helios). Devs are thaught that players are sheep, and that they should not and will not handle comlexness of the UI, So make it flashy, keep it simple, and never challenge the player.

Full Immersion is a thing devs believe is "Making the game play like singleplayer game", because that would give the player a movielike experience... Thats immersion right? Thats what they learn in programming MMO ABC, and thats what tey learn when they train with the veteran developers. Immersion to them is not immersion to us... They give us a static world for us to immerse ourselves in.. Kind like sending you to Disneyworld, and then try have you believe that you are in fact visiting Duckburg.

Permanent and consistent alternate reality is also something devs fear. Because it's the total oposite of making a themepark game. It's no reality they are looking for... Having the consistent gameworld change, is tuff on the players, or thats what Heliass is teaching in college.

 

None of the game industry of MMO's are working towards part of this above, none. In their book, virtual reality is dead, worlds are dead, themeparks are what earns them the $'s.

And thats how it is going to be, until game developement comes back into the hands of the gamer, instead of college kids that took coding ABC in college because it would net them a job and eanr them $'s.

elate

I wouldn't say it's dying, but I'd say mmorpgs aren't 'progressing' as quickly as they used to. That might be because a few larger companies have spied the profits and put together games full of features taken from other profit-making games.

That has disappointed quite a lot of people, including myself, but we're still subscribed to mmorpgs.

They'll surely come a time when the market is so big that there will be at least one game with exactly the features you are looking for.

If you are disappointed with mmorpgs, I say don't abandon them and instead support through subscription the game you do like. They will get better over time because the market will get bigger and games strive to be different, new niches in the market will be found, rainbows will appear and we'll all live happily every after. I guarantee it.

Kyleran

No, MMORPG's aren't dying, getting a bit stagnant, sure, and for a while we'll deal with the failure of a few games that try to copy the WOW formula.  Then developers will decide that its time to do something new and we'll see some better games. 

I think the problem might be in our thinking..... should an MMORPG be a lifetime investment?  Maybe we should really only look to play them for 6 months to a year, enjoy what we can, and then move on to the next game? 

I realize that in the early days of MMO's people stayed with a game for more time, but hey, we had fewer choices.