I don't think the simplifying of MMOs has anything to do with FPS games. I think it's just something that has happened by itself.
The gaming industry is just like any other entertainment industry.
People want something original so enough that it's not boring. But familiar enough to get to grips with fairly quickly.
MMOs used to be a huge jump in complexity from most other games (other than RTS). Going from Splinter Cell (arguably one of the more intellectual and skillful action games out there) to pre-CU Star Wars Galaxies is an incredible jump. There were no proper tutorials. The only guides were other players. And the pre-CU SWG world was incredibly complex. All sorts of crazy stats and variables. Cities, towns, houses.
In order for an MMO to appeal to the mass market they need simple combat and stats, simple game mechanics and economies, a thorough tutorial among other things like good graphics and sound.
MMOs were always seen as a niche market so people never bother making them accessible because the people who wanted to play them would seek them out. Since World of Warcraft, gaming companies have realized the MMO industry is potentially a lucrative one. Which is why more and more MMOs are taking the simple and accessible route.
On a side note, I've noticed FPS games are becoming more innovative and actually more complicated.
Maybe some day FPS and MMOs will meet somewhere in the middle and we'll have a perfect MMOFPS :-)
MMOs played (In order of how much I've liked them): Star Wars Galaxies, World of Warcraft, Vanguard, City of Villains / Heroes, Guild Wars, Warhammer Online, Age of Conan, Tabula Rasa, Anarchy Online, Ryzom, Final Fantasy XI, Matrix Online, RF Online, Rappelz, Hero Online, Roma Victor
I have no problem with having two genres. MMORPGs and MMOFPS. If people want an FPS , only bigger with more players online at a time, and devs want to make it for them, go for it. Just don't call it an MMORPG, because it won't be, since the RPG elements will have been stripped from the game.
I completely agree. There's more than enough room for all of these types of MMO games. The publishers just need to be sure to have detailed descriptions so nobody jumps into a MMORPG thinking its an FPS (Tabula Rasa) or vice versa.
MMO games played or tested: EQ, DAoC, Archlord, Auto Assault, CoH, CoV, EQ2, EVE, Guild Wars, Hellgate: London, Linneage II, LOTRO, MxO, Planetside, SWG, Sword of the New World, Tabula Rasa, Vanguard, WWIIOL, WOW, Age of Conan
Games are mainstream now. You've gotta look harder for the diamond in the rough. You see this in every genre in gaming currently. Some company throws out crap and hypes it to all hell, receives 100/100 reviews and gets called game of the year, only to be completely forgotten about next month when the cycle starts again with another game.
Maybe some game companies will come along and see an opportunity with the hardcore market, but honestly I'm not convinced there's much of a hardcore market to make a game for. Sure a lot of players say they want something different, but when a company has to skimp on graphics because they don't have the money, just watch how many of them won't give it a second look.
Comments
I don't think the simplifying of MMOs has anything to do with FPS games. I think it's just something that has happened by itself.
The gaming industry is just like any other entertainment industry.
People want something original so enough that it's not boring. But familiar enough to get to grips with fairly quickly.
MMOs used to be a huge jump in complexity from most other games (other than RTS). Going from Splinter Cell (arguably one of the more intellectual and skillful action games out there) to pre-CU Star Wars Galaxies is an incredible jump. There were no proper tutorials. The only guides were other players. And the pre-CU SWG world was incredibly complex. All sorts of crazy stats and variables. Cities, towns, houses.
In order for an MMO to appeal to the mass market they need simple combat and stats, simple game mechanics and economies, a thorough tutorial among other things like good graphics and sound.
MMOs were always seen as a niche market so people never bother making them accessible because the people who wanted to play them would seek them out. Since World of Warcraft, gaming companies have realized the MMO industry is potentially a lucrative one. Which is why more and more MMOs are taking the simple and accessible route.
On a side note, I've noticed FPS games are becoming more innovative and actually more complicated.
Maybe some day FPS and MMOs will meet somewhere in the middle and we'll have a perfect MMOFPS :-)
MMOs played (In order of how much I've liked them): Star Wars Galaxies, World of Warcraft, Vanguard, City of Villains / Heroes, Guild Wars, Warhammer Online, Age of Conan, Tabula Rasa, Anarchy Online, Ryzom, Final Fantasy XI, Matrix Online, RF Online, Rappelz, Hero Online, Roma Victor
I completely agree. There's more than enough room for all of these types of MMO games. The publishers just need to be sure to have detailed descriptions so nobody jumps into a MMORPG thinking its an FPS (Tabula Rasa) or vice versa.
MMO games played or tested: EQ, DAoC, Archlord, Auto Assault, CoH, CoV, EQ2, EVE, Guild Wars, Hellgate: London, Linneage II, LOTRO, MxO, Planetside, SWG, Sword of the New World, Tabula Rasa, Vanguard, WWIIOL, WOW, Age of Conan
Games are mainstream now. You've gotta look harder for the diamond in the rough. You see this in every genre in gaming currently. Some company throws out crap and hypes it to all hell, receives 100/100 reviews and gets called game of the year, only to be completely forgotten about next month when the cycle starts again with another game.
Maybe some game companies will come along and see an opportunity with the hardcore market, but honestly I'm not convinced there's much of a hardcore market to make a game for. Sure a lot of players say they want something different, but when a company has to skimp on graphics because they don't have the money, just watch how many of them won't give it a second look.