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Whats happened to the MMO and video game industry?
griff66
Member Posts: 51
Ive grown up with video games my entire life. I never thought I'd actually stop, I thought it would always be part of my life even if I did become casual. But in the last year or two, I have slowly been stopping. I could just be me, but honestly I think it's the industry. Not to mention the news reports of the video game industry falling in sales very quickly. I remember being excited for multiple games of all sorts from console to MMO's a few years ago. Now it seems as though theres nothing... especially in the console world, I don't see anything new or remotely revolutionary. And MMO's are just repeating themselves and its all similar shitty games. The only partially interesting things are in the far future. We need a turn around. period
What do you think actually caused this tank in the video game industry?
Whats going to turn this around?
Give me your thoughts
Sorry if someone has posted something similar, havent been active on this site for a while
Comments
It's too expensive to make games these days. Taking risks is not worth it, the company really has to trust it's developers to let them create something revolutional. When gaming industry was young there was not such a problem, since making games didn't cost as much cash.
Agreed. As far as mmos go, everyone's played wow, do devs really think that people want to do it all over again in a game with half the polish and half the content? Seems pretty common sense to me.
IMO, the time of the hybrid (sandbox/themepark) has arrived. The first dev to make a compelling, polished hybrid could capture and hold the market for years.
Agree 1000%. Problem is most of these companies have CEOs and shareholders running things, setting deadlines and asking questions and wondering why it's not like WoW or how is it like WoW. I'm not knocking WoW, but with this reality, exactly how is the genre supposed to progress and take chances on such a hybrid.
The only way is for an independently wealthy MMO gamer that isn't enamored with WoW and that understands the genre needs a soundly funded, Sand-park game. And I don't see that happening anytime soon. So, we have to deal with "suits" making our games instead of actual gamer/devs who possess that "spirit" and "love" for creating worlds that the early devs did.
"Many nights, my friend... Many nights I've put a blade to your throat while you were sleeping. Glad I never killed you, Steve. You're alright..."
Chavez y Chavez
The answer in short is, we did. We caused this decline due to our own unrealistic expectations. Just go look at all of the boards here. Nearly 90% of the topics are some negative view of this or that game and infinitesimal whines about some minute issue that spells doom and gloom for the product.
These unrealistic expectations have caused an industry which now cuts corners (premature launches, bugs, etc) in order to produce a product or result (remind you of something else? Think Wall Street, economy.)
This is coupled with the fact that in the MMO world everything is thrown up against WoW as a basis for success and anything short of that is considered failure in the eyes of the majority.
Nothing is going to turn this around save for companies keeping titles under wraps for as long as they possibly can before we begin creating expectations, and that's hard to do because one you would like to get constructive feedback but can't really do that because once you do talks about deadlines come up putting you on a time table to meet the demands from the customer base and the stock holders.
It's not even our constructive criticism that is so wild as much as it is the expectation as to when these expectations can be met. The time tables and pressure to release the title is where the largest problems occur.
I think the game industry has hit the brick wall. Especially MMO industry.
Problem is that they set the bar to high.
Games like WOW cost hundreds of millions of dollars to produce , on other hand expectations are equally high when game like WOW brings billions of revenues each year.
When you invest 100 million in a project there is no place for risk. So everyone plays safe. And to get investors to invest they promise them to copy the money maker game - WOW
The game companies are run by accountants. People with no vision, no flexibility. People that view the world trough flowcharts and statistical analysis.
The ball needs to be stopped. Calm down.
Its again time of the indies. Small but original project. Small companies with few people working on project they love.
Its allready evident...with games like Braid, World of Goo...etc in singleplayer arena.
Now its time for indy MMO companies
Agree 1000%. Problem is most of these companies have CEOs and shareholders running things, setting deadlines and asking questions and wondering why it's not like WoW or how is it like WoW. I'm not knocking WoW, but with this reality, exactly how is the genre supposed to progress and take chances on such a hybrid.
Square-Enix is aiming to do this with FFXIV, actually. Even if some may hate the serie or the company, taking such a risk is something I personally respect in this age of gaming. We players should encourage the devs to taking such risks, even if it means we have to sacrifice something in return.
And if SE succeeds with their plan, that also means more diversity in the MMO genre in general. Only WoW won't be copied anymore, maybe the dev's will be encouraged to take more risks that way. I don't think it can be a bad thing.
Starting small, but complete (functioning and fun end game) and VERY polished is the way to go. Players aren't accepting garbage like they used to.
This is what Warhammer should have done. One racial pairing (2 races/8 classes) and add others in expansions.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
It's a mix of the genuine problem of too many copycat games and too many veteran gamers whining that things aren't like they used to be.
Agreed. I've been playing video games from arcades, pong, atari 2600 and on (dagnabit!). Find myself now subbed to no MMO's and not playing any video games, other than minesweeper.
It happened gradually, from excited about announcements to happily playing, to excited about announcements to not so happily playing, to not really excited about announcements anymore.
Probably a combination of having seen it all, to the homogenization of the industry. No single party's fault.'
In fact... yesterday... I found myself in a model hobby shop *CHOKE!*. I didn't buy anything (yet, but had my eye on a F/A-18) but I took their card and I realized my video game as a hobby days are probably over.
I think my loss of interest is due to what seems a reverse from what was increasing complexity towards increasing simplicity. I went from arcade, to console, to PC. From single player, to multiplayer, to massively multiplayer. From moving the yellow square to managing a thriving virtual economy. But now console gaming is where its at. The shelf space for PC titles is less than ever. MMO's are in a stage where they're trying to make their own jump to consoles and as a result they seem, to me at least to provide a far shallower experience from what I previously enjoyed in MMO's.
Could all change in the future of course but for this grizzled old player, its a barren virtual wasteland.
P.S. Get off my lawn!
Corners are totally OP!
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
I think a big thing for the MMO industry is going to realize this: The industry is pretty much dominated by WoW, whether you like it or not. Most of the players are truely getting sick of the game. It's becoming a job more than a game. People are absolutely drooling for something polished, new, innovative, with a large immersed world. NOT ANOTHER ****ing WOW CLONE. Thats all weve seen these passed few years, and as far as I'm concerned thats all we are seeing.
There have been a few games to deliver this, but they have problems. Major problems that actually break the game.
Corners are totally OP!
I always get caught with that 50/50 guess on the last corner. Terrible way to lose a game. Nerf corners!
Welcome to middle age=) You become more choosy and picky, your time more valuable and your tastes more refined. Having fun yet? I remember when I wanted every Atari game because of the cool picture on the box, played every NES game I could rent from the local videostore(before Blockbuster) no matter how crappy it was, thought my SegaCD was the BOMB(still have it in a crate). Now I ONLY play top notch games that are worth my time, rarely buy a game new, and have completely skipped the Xbox360/PS3 generation, waiting on whats next. As for MMOs, for me they mostly sucked until 2004, so sue me;)
The ratio of good to crap is actually the same now as its always been. MOST games have always been $#&^@. But when you're younger, you just don't care. As a veteran gamer from the pong, Asteroids and Space Invaders days, Its been interesting experience how much has changed, esspecially how what once cost a quarter now costs 2$.
What happened to the industry? It became hugely popular. It's no longer run by and for nerds, but rather by social butterflies that geeks used to play online games to avoid.
If you think things suck now, wait until it's all digital download and you're a content renter instead of a game owner.
The video game industry has in fact changed but it is only because of the customer.
The big money is in flashy games that lack deep content but have cool particles and explosions (or cool moves depending on the game). That is the sad situation EA figured out long ago. You toss out a game with cool graphics and instant action, you put out a couple patches to fix the broken parts, but don't fix all of them. Then a month or two later you release the next game which is flashier. People are already bored of the first one because it had so little to do, or are frustrated by the completly broken cheats allowed and so they buy the next one in hopes of a better product. The cycle continues.
That maximizes the money because people buy games more often, instead of buying one game that is fun and playing it for months, perhaps even a year or longer.
Now with consoles it is worse, look at Halo 3. The game is a rip off of other prominant FPS shooters but the new generation hadn't seen those others so they ate it up. Then, since Halo is really only usefull as a multiplayer game, every few months they release a map pack for $5. Thing is you can't play the majority of the multiplayer modes WITHOUT THE NEW MAP PACK. So they literally force you to keep paying them to play a multiplayer FPS. Best part is the new map pack always gets phased out of the map rotations after a month or two because everyone hates them. So you paid to keep playing the same exact game.
But since customers will keep shelling out money to these types of strategies it won't change. Luckily there are still a couple companies that put out quality games but it is becoming rare.
I think you nailed it. Its become "cool" to play video games and the cool folks demand something they can not only play but they can easily do well get all the cool stuff associated with the game. Remember when only sailors or badboys had tatoos? Now its cool and everyone has one. Same with games.
You've made me feel bad about my age and what I've become. It's all too true. I never thought the greatest gaming generation would ever get old. I'm going to plug my 360 back in and shoot some kids in the face, bunch of crap talking punks!
You've made me feel bad about my age and what I've become. It's all too true. I never thought the greatest gaming generation would ever get old. I'm going to plug my 360 back in and shoot some kids in the face, bunch of crap talking punks!
Make sure you tell them to get off your lawn when you shoot them!
I don't feel bad about my age as much as I feel bad about losing a good friend (video games)
Even GTA 4 wasn't as awesome as it should have been.
the video game industry is fine..its the MMO world that needs electroshock therapy
Console:
Borderlands
L4D2
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising
Dragon Age
MMO:
"farts"
I still have a sub in LOTRO but have been spending more time playing Legend of Zelda Windwaker on the gamecube than my MMO. Funny how games we took for granted at release seem so good compared to what we see now. Gonna load up Ocarina of Time after i beat Windwaker
QFT, and to OP, sorry friend. I feel the same way.
Too many wow players whining that a game is not like wow, or this just looks like wow.
One of the main reasons i dont play wow is because of its community...i was watching a live stream of Aion the other day, and every second person who came in would either say "this looks just like wow" or "wow is much better than this" without even playing the damn game..the problem isnt the mmorpg developers, its the mmorpg community.
I know what you mean. I used to eagerly plan future upgrades to my PC to facilitate my gaming hobby. Now you're more likely to find me on Cabela's website planning the next rifle or crossbow I'm going to buy. I'm more excited this year about the opening of Deer hunting season than any computer game.
I've also found myself staring at the unopened boxes of Warhammer 40K and Warhammer Fantasy miniatures I have across the room. Thre's easily $800 worth of minis I need to paint.
IF FE takes a turn for the worse and World of Darkness Online comes to show CCP getting away from their roots and latching on to the themepark WoW method of design, honestly, seriously, I'm done with MMOs for sure, computer gaming in general most likely. Interest in MMOs is what keeps me up on other game types and if I stop playing MMOs, I'll probably stop buying the 10+ games a year that is my norm.
But hey, then I could get that ATV I want and take a couple of hunting trips out of state to boot!
"Many nights, my friend... Many nights I've put a blade to your throat while you were sleeping. Glad I never killed you, Steve. You're alright..."
Chavez y Chavez
Yeah, I have tons of Warhammer 40K figurines, armies, tanks, hover thingies, and I really do miss playing with them. On a table. (they are all painted though, with a thick layer of dust- maybe I'll go dust them off and visit a hobby store and see if folks are still playing this once a week) With a room full of guildmates. Drinking beer, laughing, talking shit, having a jolly ol' time. I even miss playing Magic The Gathering in sanctioned tournaments, beating the number one guy in Japan was my biggest feat with a 4 color all dual lands deck super speedy BOO YAH!... Even model planes, I had just about every imaginable aircraft in the the US Air Forces' hanging from my celing when I was in elementary school.
It's sad but true, the deep, dark, lonely internet has degenerated a lot of traditional hobbies. Even though Everquest was like crack, it would not stop me from going into the ocean during my day, but when night came, I hurried home to log on.
I wouldn't mind the video game industry going from a 800 lbs.. gorilla to a 90 lbs chimp! =D
Its the games.. Its the developers really, well its them because its the Publishers too..
And the overload of these lame game schools craating developers that don't even know what a game is.
If you think your cute little guy waving his hand in a game is what makes it fun, you should please leave the industry.
If you think adding blur to my screen maeks your game fun.. you should leave the industry..
If you think i can use the same moves on just a different mob and increase that for 40 levels, you should leave the industry
If you make a MMO game and I fill up my inventory in 2 days with shit i would kinda like to keep for sentimental reasons or future use, you should leave the industry..
If you release the same game year after year after year and simply change the names of players, and buy out the rights so you have no competition, you should leave the industry..
I CAN GO ON ALL DAY but i think you get the point
All kidding aside,
Peter Porker