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When is the fantasy/medival MMO trend going to end?
steelmanwho
Member Posts: 7
Seriously, the concept of medival/ fantasy based MMO has been done to death over the past decade and a half. The only alternative genre that has recently emerged to counter this standard of MMORPG games has been the Kung fu style. Yet reality is, its just the same load of excriment packaged in an Asian wrapping. It's time for change...
Several years ago, I was an avid WoW player. And I remember one of the cruelest April fools jokes Blizzard ever played on its community. It went something like this..
Log into Blizzards WoW site, on April 1. See a banner ad for a new Blizzard MMORPG, World of Starcraft. Click the link, and they had screenshots of what appeared to be an actual game. The buzz in WoW got so big, in that 1 day it could of been considered the most anticipated game of the decade. Yet at 11:59pm the same banner ad, had a stamp over it, saying April fools, and no longer had a working link. The next day it and all evidence of it was gone.
Why was this such a cruel joke?!! because it took 2 things people wanted to see and combined them into 1 amazing game idea. It took the constant Fantasy/medival theme out of the MMO, and replaced it with something with an edgier appeal, Sci Fi. It also used a well known game with an already huge fan base to add to the hype.
Since that day, it's kind of sad that nobodies marketing department picked up on that. And instead both gaming dev's and pub's have poored most of there resources into trying to copy WoW's success by sticking with the same theme blizzard used. Currently atleast 70% of MMORPG games are fantasy/ medival based. 15% is Kung fu/ fighting, 10% is sci fi, and barely 5% is superhero (even though that should be considered scifi). None of these new games have even tried to capitolize on any of the current trends. Frankly it's more then suprising that while MMORPG's are usually played by the same people who enjoy Anime/Manga, no company has tried securing rights to make a game out of an anime with a huge fan base.
Think of it... How many games with completely new themed worlds could be created if all dev's did was look to gamers other interests??
Anyway, this was just a little brain candy for you to chew on, next time you log into your game, and find yourself bored with the same old, same old...
Comments
Well... you wont have any issues finding modern/sci fi games either, so what do you want developers to do? Quit their job and let us play the games we already got?
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe.
It has been done well so few times that I think there is still plenty of room for great games in that genre. There isn't room for bad games in any genre.
To be honest, fantasy isn't really dead, it's just that game developers have no real touch for storylines ( except Bioware, but even they have gotten cold in recent years ). They need to hire a decent, professional writer to do it for them, instead of releasing something like Vanguard, which is fantasy cliché piled on top of fantasy cliché.
I bought the fantasy / mideval trend will ever end. Reason is that it's hot, has been hot and always will be hot...
Don't forget that the genre dates back to the old Dungeons& Dragons (1974 released) and since then a lot of RPGs have hit the computers. With that, the stories are numerous. Tolkien opened up genre for adults, and since then there've 100s of new releases per year (Wheel of time and more recently Harry Potter).
...as long as books are published based on the genre, MMORPG's will also be made...
It is not the "trend" or "period" that counts.
It is the world and gaming value that counts in a video game.
Want a real mmorpg? Play WOW with experience turned off mode and be Pve_Pvp King at any level without a rat race.
Fantasy mmos will never end they at least should be the easiest route for variety in mmos but few did it or tried to be a bit immaginative.
I understand the burn-out on the whole D&D type fantasy, it has been the only successful type of MMO aside from EvE, but ones like Global Agenda are trying to do something different, also look out for Sony's The Agency. Also, you mentioned Blizz using World of Starcraft as the April Fools joke, they DO have a new MMO in development under a completely new IP, whose not to say that breaks the mold. I've heard rumors that it might follow something more of a steampunk style, and it's Blizzard, so not to sound too fanboish here, if anybody is going to successfully break the fantasy "standard" of MMO's, it would be them to usher in a new age of <insert new blizz mmo> clones.
Just saying
Lots of people simply will not play non fantasy mmo's. They do not find Sci-FI appealing and do not want a game with advanced technology in their game. Now the people that pretend to play MMO's and actually only just post on message boards because they do not have the patience or maturity to play any MMO will always demand change but in reality these people will never play any game and will always be the 1st to be critical.
You must like dragons or spaceships
thats where developers imaginations ends.
Generation P
Although I agree with you OP that the genre is over-used...but people do and will continue to eat it up. Look at a recent game, such as Dragon Age. The game consists of a ton of fantasy cliche's, and is essentially the LOTR screenplay, rewritten and dumbed-down; but people still love it. It seems to be a genre that you can hand out the same stuff over and over, and it will still be bought. That is pretty unique.
Personally I dislike anything in the genre that doesn't feel original these days as well, but that doesn't mean the market isn't there.
People like fantasy.
I suppose the trend will end when peoples preferences change.
Playing: EVE, Final Fantasy 13, Uncharted 2, Need for Speed: Shift
At the end of the day, fantasy is easier to do. When designing Sci-Fi MMO, you have to make various new and unseen races, several different planets, preferably design the whole "space" mechanic... It's a lot of work. With fantasy you can focus on a single world and employ a lot of the same cliches and shortcuts. That may seem "bad", but in reality, it lets devs focus on the actual game.
Now, true, Science Fiction doesn't need to be set in space. But then you run into other problems, setting-wise and creating a feasible gameplay, that suits your world, and actually balance it is next-to-impossible. It's not the lack of creativity, it's the lack of guts.
I hate WoW because it made my plush hamster kill himself, created twin clones of Hitler, punched Superboy Prime in reality, stared my dog down, spoiled my grandmother, assimilated me into the Borg, then made me into a real boy, just to make me a woman again.
MMORPG's are one thing first, RPG's. RPG video games have been primarily fantasy themed since the 80s, evolving from tabletop RPG's in the 70's which were also fantasy themed. It is not a trend, but a staple, one that has been arnound fo 30 odd years.
Originally posted by Scagweed22
is it the graphics? the repetativenesses? i mean what is the point? you could be so much more productive in real life
Real life brings repetition and pointlessness too. The only thing real life offers is Great graphics. Its kinda expensive too and way to dependent on the cash shop. Totally pay to win as well. No thank you. Ill stick to my games.
^^ These developers make games people want to pay to play, they don't just go out there and start making weird whacked out Matrix-like games... OH wait, they did have a Matrix game, but guess what? It wasn't popular. This was back when the movie itself was popular.
Simply said, developers make fantasy based MMO's because they work, and because people still prefer casting magic bolts, fighting with sword & board, and shooting arrows. The trend will end when people change their preferences. That or when a company makes a worthy scifi MMO that's worth investing time into. But MMO gamers are kinda funny in a way. People tend to make characters that they can either relate to, or they imagine themselves being. There's a reason why good looking race tend to dominate the ugly race in MMO's. So this brings up another point... it's kinda hard making good looking scifi characters.
People often criticize gaming companies for making fantasy/medieval MMO's, but exactly what else could they do?
EQ1-AC1-DAOC-FFXI-L2-EQ2-WoW-DDO-GW-LoTR-VG-WAR-GW2-ESO
Hehe ye so true.. atleast for the most part... Ive said it before and I say it again.. give us a new Anarchy Online!!!!!!
Im personally sick of the Fantasy genre. Im currently playing Eve Online( havent played much lately), AOC, and STO atm. Earthrise and SW:TOR should lossen up the sci fi mmo genre well this year!
(DDDDDDDDDDDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH teached Cmdr Shapard in Mass Effect how to line dance! Miranda joins in!)
All my opinions are just that..opinions. If you like my opinions..coolness.If you dont like my opinion....I really dont care.
Playing: ESO, WOT, Smite, and Marvel Heroes
Exactly.
Not only that there are people who prefer fantasy. No matter how cliche it can become.
I actually have found that I usually don't purchase or never finish sci-fi games. I like watching sci-fi movies but when it comes to playing them I can't seem to make the leap.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
High fantasy, probably, but I haven't seen many medieval games.
NEVER
As someone who studies Medieval literature--trust me, very few games are Medieval. I would love to see more Medieval games. Problem is, then you can't be a furry or some sort of scaly thing. Most people like variety in races, and thus a true Medieval game probably wouldn't pick up that well.
Personally, I think you're starting to see that trend end now--STO, SW:KotOR, Global Agenda, Champions, etc. are all recently released or will be released, and, while not being several games, all are "bigger" (ie: P2P, Corporate funded) games.
But I'm a total fantasy junkie, so bring on the dragons! :-D
probably even longer than that!
It won't.
As a general rule, fantasy is more imaginative than sci-fi, for example. The limiting factors for fantasy are far more lenient than in other backdrops.
That is exactly right, and we're not saying NO to save WoW, because it is already a lost cause. We are saying NO to dissuade the next group of greedy suits who decide to emulate Blizzard and Cryptic, etc.
We can prevent some of the future games from spewing this crap, but the sooner we start saying no, the better the results will be.
So - Stand up, pull up your pants, and walk away.
- MMO_Doubter
The heart of the rpg genre is fantasy.I don't mind playing different thing like horror,sci fi,shooter,western but i do realize that rpg where built on fantasy.The "trend" is not going to end because the what the genre is built on.
Have you checked out Fallen Earth, massively.com 2009 Game of the Year? (Also Game of the Year on several other sites.)
Graphics are amazing, game play is fun and unique, active crafting, PvE, PvP, and roleplaying elements. Actually, the crafting system is one of the best - if not the best - in any MMO I have ever seen, and the PvE is fun and entertaining.
All set in a post-apoc setting like the Fallout Games. The company offers a free trial:
https://www.fallenearth.com/trial
If you're interested in a different, non-fantasy setting, take from the game with a loading tagline of:
"There are no elves in Fallen Earth. if you see one, kill it."
Blizzard working on another MMO (even under another IP) is a concept even blizzards top officials have said is idiotic. Mainly because it would mean they were competing against themselves. They already have alot put into the next WoW expansion and releasing another MMORPG would take away from that.
As far as Scifi type mmorpgs, so far, there has been a ton of crap produced. One of the top Scifi MMORPG games out there now is Huxley, which sucks. I should know I was a beta tester for it, and the simple fact they made it a F2P peer-to-peer game with cash shop, ruined the entire concept of the game. Face it, most of the MMO games coming out now are going directly to F2P with cash shops, because they think that will make the most profit. Yet they forget about the fact that no subscriptions means they have to cut back on other things, such as server costs. Bad servers = bad games.
The only hope I see in the distance future to break the fantasy tread, is in the possible Warhammer 40k MMO, that has been talked about, or DC universe online. However, so far it seems DC universe is only going to be released on PS3 (or atleast thats the only officially announced platform it will be on).
All I'm saying is since dev's don't appear to have any type of imagination of their own, maybe they should start teaming up with already successful companies for concepts. Think about the possiblities...
Here's a few examples, off the top of my head: Bleach, Transformers, Gundam, Underworld...
Sure, dev's would have to get the rights to make a game out of anything like that, but with the backing of the main company, you can be almost garrunteed a successful game.
Example: Say a company like Viz media granted Cryptic studios the rights to create a Bleach based MMORPG. Not only would cryptic already have a ton of backstory to work of off, but they would have everything they needed to create the world, including the backing of the creator (Tite Kubo) to assist with any artwork concepts, and help ensure the integrity of his work.
One last thing, to say people play fantasy based, because scifi doesn't intrest them, I don't buy it. One thing I have seen time and time again in superhero based MMORPGS is people from WoW or any other fantasy based MMO, checking out a game like CoH/V or Champs and being more then impressed with the character creation and customization in those games. The amount of work put into that 1 aspect of the games, in and of itself, makes people turn their heads and check out the games more.