mergers?

grumb7fish

I've been thinking about the topics and replies I've read both here and elsewhere. One thing that frequently comes up is the opinion that MMOs have hit a dead end. In the respect that what was once a jaw dropping experience (think your first mmo) has become just one more short-lived 'rush' that dies well before the the 14 day trial is up. Individually MMOs seem to have their merits but soon lose their luster. "STO sucks because its all combat and lame crafting" "WOW sucks it is too easy and pve carbears omg *cry*" "SWG was-- (not going to open that door)" "EVE is a spreadsheet game combat sucks and is boring mining blows and wtf is a Villard Wheel?"

Do you think that some MMOs could ever merge (not necessarily borg-style, but you know) and bring their respective works to the table and make a larger game that integrates all (some, most) of their work? Think MMO gestalt. HUGE amount of content, multiple playstyles, mechanics, crafting, etc. Each game having on its own successfully tried and tested their code and working model, would it be hard to integrate the two? Think hypothetical merger Anarchy Online with EVE (think of that in the most broad, general concept)? Splash on the cool graphics, backstory, etc later (though certainly a very relevant concern). Wouldn't that be cool?

I have no knowledge of the behind the scenes when it comes to the programming and general day-to-day a mmo company requires.  Business-side to be a huge issue a given, but could it be done? Would the cost be prohibitive? the business side really -that- much of a bitch to even attempt it? Has it  ever been tried? If it can be done why hasn't it been done? Even if it wasn't a complete and immaculate smelting just having all of that content and potential for growth, wouldn't it be worth trying?

 

I think that I along with everyone else wants an awesome game that will once again 'blow your mind' like the first time. I've played sooo many MMOs that I could stroll down memory lane about my favorite MUD, my first MMO, and.....when I got bored. Maybe a merger wouldn't work, I don't know - but something  has to give you know? If all of these new games aren't cutting it for us(me) then what? Sit on my hands waiting for for *another* Star Wars MMO? What?!

Anyway. Merger: is it possible? What do those of you that know far more than I think?

Interesting

Maybe CCP's World of Darkness will be different than everything else we have seen to the point where it will blow people's minds. Because when CCP bought White Wolf Publishing, or made a deal, dont know... the guys behind it were "different" Role Players,  not the G.U.R.P.S or D&D type (because there are big distinctive differences).

 

Their focus was on Stories, Setting, Lore. A bigger focus on literacy. It had an endless potential for content, it ressembled aspects of real life that didnt had too much focus on "mechanics" and focus on vertical progression. Combat was just a fraction of it. Combat in World of Darkness wasnt necessary.

 It was amazing because the whole fun, derived from social aspects, from player choices, their position, opinions, behaviours, stances in the whole scheme of things, their relations, interests, it was so complex and intrincate. It was a completelly different RPG "experience" from GURPS and D&D, back then.

The themes were varied, the focus was on players choices, the role play, their effects on others, the story, the situations and events.  It was the perfect role playing experience, one could emulate all aspects of life, from any book, movie, culture, religion, anything.

White Wolf Publishing was an evolution of pen and paper RPGs, that had superated the need for objectively measurable rules and mechanics, like GURPS, neither it was limited like D&D. (stuff didnt made sense, because it was a bad adaptation of board games and very limited cultural influences, therefore it had dumb rules, its like the mmorpgs from today, because they derived from it)

 

So what I think would blow my mind, would be an MMORPG, with the "RPG" concepts from World of Darkness, instead of the RPG's concepts that derived from GURPS and D&D. This would disrupt of lot of prejudices that in my view, are limitting the MMORPG genre from flourishing and trully showing its potential.

 

A new era of "social" RPGs. I mean "social", not because what we currently have is not social, but because what we have for "social" elements in our MMORPGs are just after thoughts. Developers dont design games based on what kind of social structure they want.

 

CCP already experienced what it is to delegate freedom (power) into the hands of the players. In World of Darkness, it will give another step, as it is intrinsic for that system.

 

I think it has the potential to embrace all these micro-social networks target consumers, from all ages, it is so broad that our parents could take an interest to it. (something unconceivable for todays games).

 

We have no idea what World of Darkness will turn out, and what lines of thoughts and design decisions and concepts they will make, it might became something lame and disappointing.

 

Like: dumbing down the complex network of interests and conflicts, for something like Dark Eden, "vampires killing stuff over and over for loot ! buy this potion of power on the cash shop now!"

 

The potential is there. White Wolf Publishing and CCP. Both are very competent. They have the ingredients to make something different, inovative, never seen before, something that we couldnt even envision right now. Something that could open a second hole on the market, like WOW did in 2004. Farmville/Facebook games is just the tip of iceberg of the potential World of Darkness have.