I am an older player, but have been playing MMOs since the launch of Everquest I. I have tried to remain optimistic about the MMO genre since then, but the last three years of bug ridden, over-hyped, under-performing MMO launches has really jaded me. I may not be completely 'done' with the MMO scene, but I am getting close. I intend to give Guild Wars 2 a decent try, but I have pretty much quit playing MMOs for the time-being.
Its not so much that I have outgrown them--its the greed of the game companies CEO's and absence of true innovation from the developers that has led to the current sad and lack-luster state of the MMO genre as a whole. (yes, this has been stated here in the forums before). Quality game play, story and decent game mechanics has taken a back-seat to revenue-streams and profit taking; this has become especially apparent with companies like Time Warner/Turbine, Funcom, EA and Cryptic, etc.
I am especially saddened that so many gamers continue to open their pocket books to some of these companies, for this only encourages and supports the current state of affairs. Until we, as MMO gamers, start making a serious vote with our hard-earned money, MMOs will continue to be over-hyped, under-whelming pixellated worlds designed to do little more than nickel and dime our wallets for as little value as 'corporate' thinks they can get away with.
In closing, I will say that if Star Trek Online, Age of Conan, Warhammer, Champions, along with some others (yes, I could go on), is the best these companies can do for the 'new generation of MMOs', then maybe it would be better for the MMO genre, as a whole, to eventually disappear. Pathetic is, I think, the most fitting adjective here.
I agree the launches need to be better. First impressions are everything. But I'm not done with this genre. i'm waiting on SWTOR and nothing else, as I love Star Wars and Bioware and MMOs. I currently only play Champions Online. (Yes, I play CO, it's an awesome game and I've been playing since before launch.)
"If you're going to act like a noob, I'll treat you like one." -Caskio
I think I am done with them since I am tired of paying monthly. I don't mind a good F2P model where I can buy the major features once to unlock them. Now I would be more interested if they sold time along with 30 day increments. This way I could buy a block of time and play whenever I want to without just paying for a month where I may play as little as 1 hour for a month depending on my schedule.
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I agree the launches need to be better. First impressions are everything. But I'm not done with this genre. i'm waiting on SWTOR and nothing else, as I love Star Wars and Bioware and MMOs. I currently only play Champions Online. (Yes, I play CO, it's an awesome game and I've been playing since before launch.)
"If you're going to act like a noob, I'll treat you like one." -Caskio
Adventurers wear fancy pants!!!
I think I am done with them since I am tired of paying monthly. I don't mind a good F2P model where I can buy the major features once to unlock them. Now I would be more interested if they sold time along with 30 day increments. This way I could buy a block of time and play whenever I want to without just paying for a month where I may play as little as 1 hour for a month depending on my schedule.