I might get beat up for this, but I still think that MMO genre is in its infancy. The reason I suppose this fantasy element has been so overdone is perhaps because it is such a safe bet.
I mean WoW brought tons of people to this market, perhaps along with EQ as well. Right now it just seems like Companies and Dev Teams are still trying to get the feel for what this market can do. I think we haven't even seen the half of what they can yet. The MMO's of the future might come in all kinds of flavors...from SIMs to Command and Conquer, and maybe even COD, and perhaps even adventure, cult, and drama based gaming.
The possibilities are truly endless here.
Do not try to be a great gamer, just be a gamer. Cause, I don't care how good you are anyway.
Give me an MMO set in antiquity. That's a truly dangerous world.
"Listen, you fuckers, you screwheads. Here is a man who would not take it anymore. A man who stood up against the scum, the cunts, the dogs, the filth, the shit. Here is a man who stood up." - Robert DeNiro
the MMO genre works well with the fantasy genre, and vice versa. Most fantasy is about going out on quests slayin' monstahs.
So the current system for MMO's works very well with that.
for other genres...
Superheroes are REACTIONARY. A villain robs a bank, heroes stop them. A super villain holds the world hostage, heroes stop them and save the day. Doesn't fit well with the standard mmo system.
Sci-Fi is EXPLORATORY. about discovery. So for MMO's you have to develop a system that allows people to search and find things(after which those things get posted all over the net), or you leave a trail of breadcrumbs, which frustrates explore-minded people.
Horror is SURVIVAL. so it automatically becomes pointless in an MMO where you're generally rezzed from death.
Fantasy just works better for game mechanics that make up an MMO. There's certainly arguments to make for cause and effect; that those game mechanics exist BECAUSE most MMO's are fantasy or whatnot. Fair enough.
I'm not saying developers can't make systems that meet the needs of other genre's, but fantasy is so much less risky. As long as there's a market for it, it will be served, first.
Comments
I might get beat up for this, but I still think that MMO genre is in its infancy. The reason I suppose this fantasy element has been so overdone is perhaps because it is such a safe bet.
I mean WoW brought tons of people to this market, perhaps along with EQ as well. Right now it just seems like Companies and Dev Teams are still trying to get the feel for what this market can do. I think we haven't even seen the half of what they can yet. The MMO's of the future might come in all kinds of flavors...from SIMs to Command and Conquer, and maybe even COD, and perhaps even adventure, cult, and drama based gaming.
The possibilities are truly endless here.
Do not try to be a great gamer, just be a gamer. Cause, I don't care how good you are anyway.
Give me an MMO set in antiquity. That's a truly dangerous world.
"Listen, you fuckers, you screwheads. Here is a man who would not take it anymore. A man who stood up against the scum, the cunts, the dogs, the filth, the shit. Here is a man who stood up." - Robert DeNiro
the MMO genre works well with the fantasy genre, and vice versa. Most fantasy is about going out on quests slayin' monstahs.
So the current system for MMO's works very well with that.
for other genres...
Superheroes are REACTIONARY. A villain robs a bank, heroes stop them. A super villain holds the world hostage, heroes stop them and save the day. Doesn't fit well with the standard mmo system.
Sci-Fi is EXPLORATORY. about discovery. So for MMO's you have to develop a system that allows people to search and find things(after which those things get posted all over the net), or you leave a trail of breadcrumbs, which frustrates explore-minded people.
Horror is SURVIVAL. so it automatically becomes pointless in an MMO where you're generally rezzed from death.
Fantasy just works better for game mechanics that make up an MMO. There's certainly arguments to make for cause and effect; that those game mechanics exist BECAUSE most MMO's are fantasy or whatnot. Fair enough.
I'm not saying developers can't make systems that meet the needs of other genre's, but fantasy is so much less risky. As long as there's a market for it, it will be served, first.