rift could be the next big mmorpg.

GrayGreene

Originally posted by luciusETRUR

Retail release was March 1st, and no servers are low? Shocker. This was the case with.. um pretty much any MMO in recent history. You really have to wait until next month, or even a few months. You won't know for awhile if it's the next "WoW" or even "WoW competitor". They marketed themselves as a WoW-like game. and it is, but whether it's popular or not for a long period is still up in the air.

I don't think other developers should look at this as a good model to follow. Making niche games like Darkfall, EVE or something maybe more in-line with mainstream MMOs, but that focus on certain groups of people and tailoring the game to them is the way to go. When you try to grab the attention of WoW's audience, you're going to fail, or be much less successful.

Here's a big reason why: Why should I quit a game I know inside and out for a game I don't that's nearly the same. Maybe Rift is different enough (with Rifts and it's class-system), but beyond those two things it isn't very different than other mainstream MMOs. They have a good development team from what I understand, and it's fairly polished game with raid content already in the game. It's a good start, but time is the ultimate factor and there hasn't been enough surveying of the outcome.

Your conclusion is pre-mature by miles.

I disagree.  The difference here is this game is playable, polished, and competent.  Other mmos in your "recent history" were lacking in at least one, if not all of those categories.  This game is only in its infancy and already doing this well.  WOW was not this good when first released.  The only danger Rift has is itself, or the new MMORPGs coming out that seem to be minding their launches as well.  2011 is definitely the comeback year for the MMORPG.  Rift may not be the one standing tallest at the end, but for the next few months will certainly reign as heavy weight champ.  

Redemp

Originally posted by RiftFan

 

edit: Mav do not challenge me on Aion knowledge because take my word I kept playing long long after you quit and started judging from afar. I know exactly how that game was when it launched and NCSoft earned that title of NCSoon for a very good reason. Aion was busted from day 1 in it's NA/EU release.

 

 You are wrong, Mav is right. Aion was a smooth launch in comparison to just about every Mmo in the years preceeding it. Regardless that I hate the game, think the dungeon grinds, and level grinds were absurd in a Westernized mmo ... it was still a superb launch. I played for a month on Siel ( Spelling? ) with the WarriorPoets, cleric named Maul .... launch was fine.

majypoo

Originally posted by Ender4

 

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Originally posted by majypoo

Rift sold 20,406 in it's first week in Europe according to VGChartz, don't think it's going to be the next big mmo.

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This seems highly unlikely unless it is counting first week sales and ignoring head start sales or something. We know servers hold at least close to 2k active players each, people have counted and got close to 2k per server on full servers. High pop has to be at least close to 1500 and I'm willing to bet medium is at minimum 500 and most likely is higher. There is no way the active total was that low even with the most pessimistic counting, much less the total sales which have to be much higher than the active total players.

VG have updated their world sales it's at 127,166, I imagine Trion might have double that due to pre-order digital sales. So I expect around 250k.

MMO.Maverick

Originally posted by majypoo

VG have updated their world sales it's at 127,166, I imagine Trion might have double that due to pre-order digital sales. So I expect around 250k.

250k? A merely 2500 players per server? I don't know, seems highly, very highly unlikely to me.

Phry

Originally posted by MMO.Maverick

Originally posted by majypoo

VG have updated their world sales it's at 127,166, I imagine Trion might have double that due to pre-order digital sales. So I expect around 250k.

250k? A merely 2500 players per server? I don't know, seems highly, very highly unlikely to me.

probably they'll increase those figures by a 100 percent factor once more sales results come in..  but.. for a new game.. isnt 250k good?  I like the game but.. i really think that games involving WoW like figures are a pipedream, i don't see it ever happening again, i think any game that even hits the 500k mark within 3 months of release is doing extremely well, anything more than that is.. unrealistic imo.. and probably just won't happen.

MMO.Maverick

Originally posted by Phry

probably they'll increase those figures by a 100 percent factor once more sales results come in..  but.. for a new game.. isnt 250k good?  I like the game but.. i really think that games involving WoW like figures are a pipedream, i don't see it ever happening again, i think any game that even hits the 500k mark within 3 months of release is doing extremely well, anything more than that is.. unrealistic imo.. and probably just won't happen.

Oh, it isn't about what figures makes Rift a success or not. It's the figure of 99 servers and how many players each server can cater to. In most MMORPG's since the days of Everquest that has been between 10-30k players.

So my guess for 100 well populated servers with some of them even having queues would be a lot higher than just 2500 players per server.

 

As for numbers, well, AoC, WAR and Aion all had about 700k-1 million game units sold in the first month. I'd say Rift's figures would be more along those lines. We'll see though as more news becomes available about it.

The_Korrigan

What WILL make Rift's success (or not) is if the game can keep its players beyond the first few "honeymoon" months...

Sovrath

Originally posted by Ramonski7

Originally posted by helthros

I understand what you're saying, but I just don't get why you've convinced yourself that b2p can't produce content. You've convinced yourself, through greedy companies, that paying 15$ a month is the only way you can maintain a quality product.

 

OP moves, comps, bugs were fixed regularly.

 

 

GW1, a game I payed for YEARRSS ago, still provides unbelievable quality with their customer service department. I didn't remember a single thing from my account when I tried to retreive it last year (you know you did too when you started getting that gw2 itch!). Talking to the cs rep for a bit I was able to get my account back and the whole experience was just flat out pleasant.

 

Also, you're forgetting that if GW2 does their PvP anywhere near as well as GW1 did it, then they can expect to gain revenue from 'pro' competitive play. That's something all these 15$ release themeparks (other than WoW) can't hope to achieve.

It's not a question of if B2P mmo companies can produce content, but how much content would they be willing to sink into their game if the numbers aren't adding up? Everyone knows that traditionally P2P mmos are developed with expansions already on the back burner because developers know that's what players expect and that's what that 15 a month entails.

 

But if you have a mmo that isn't generating the cash needed to justify turning those planned expansions into actual products, whether it be a lack of box sales, subscriptions or investor interest, then you get games that have long stretches between x-pacs and waning support. This is all of course if developers have not set a expansion schedule to begin with.

 

So the burden of B2P expansion support falls squarely on the shoulders of the players and how many buy that initial base product, how fast they burn through the base content and the untold amount of how much revenue is needed to reach the threshold that triggers devs to go ahead with a x-pac. So in other words, when the numbers start rolling in expect an expansion.

That's exactly my point.

Thane

played it, wasn't too impressed, not much new in it just alot of polished old features.

but hell, if you like it, hf playing :>

Kyleran

Originally posted by nttajira

that the best mmorpg to come out since wow

accept it or not , for many people that this way .

and this game will not fail , accept it or not .

stay in the grim veteran mmorpg corner , and hype more gw2 and swtor

rift will be in the shining corner for some time

 

and im REALY enjoying rift , im having so much fun .

when the hype will wear off im still going to enjoy rift , probably , but who know ?

 

maybe you are right and everyone will leave after 1 months ( about 3 week now )  ? seriously you realy think that ?

 

 

Will everyone leave? Of course not. Will Rift follow the traditional pattern of starting out strong in sales but see subs peak and then steadily drain away month after month, yep, pretty confident thats the way its heading.

Ethian

Originally posted by Robokapp

watch what happens at begining of april.

 Unfortionately Sir, you fail :-)

Ethian

I hope your all having fun but for many of use, we're bored sick of tab targets mindless themepark MMOs. I have 0 interest in RIFT personally. Not trying to ruin anyones parade here, just my opinion. Shout out to all the other anti-themepark gamers :-)

 

Go go gadget RIFT! lol 

Amana

This thread is just all over the place at this point.  Locking it.  Do feel free to create or add to open threads in the particular subjects being discussed here.