DCUO was actually a really good MMO at launch. However, it lacked content and the patches and additional content actually caused problem. That was SOE screwing up another MMO and not a console problem.
It's only going to take one good console MMO for there to be a shift. And there are a good half dozens console MMOs that should be released in the next year.
not aware of any console MMO's even in development.. let alone half a dozen.. hope its not games like Halo reach.. which are as much an MMO as Counterstrike is.. ie.. not one. so unless we're talking real MMO's .. i just don't see it.. at the moment there is no indication of any kind of shift towards Console based MMO's...
Console MMOs in development: Undead Labs zombie MMO, Defiance, Planetside 2, Everquest Next, Dust 514 and the unannounced Turbine console MMO.
All are hitting console within a year or so.
.. Defiance.. hard to imagine how they will manage to balance a FPS game for the PC so that the console players stand a chance.. but.. once more info is out we'll see if it makes it to console even.. Planetside 2 or Next.. currently vapourware, and questionable if it would be console anyway, Everquest Next... stands more chance of being on console, probably along the lines of Everquest online adventures.. but.. we'll see how that goes.. nothing certain even at this stage.. Dust 514... on PS3 only.. as the dirt side part of Eve... always felt that was a let down.. but .. PC players would have had too much advantage.. so i can see why it was limited to PS3 only.. even if i don't agree with that decision.. a hell of a lot of IF's in there tbh.. a long long way from being definite or even 'platform' changing...
When one or more of the console MMOs listed above really catches on and significant community emerges...do I get to say I told you so? Or are you going to come up with reasons why console MMO player don't really count as MMO players?
I wont hold my breath waiting for that to happen. Console gamers are not going to pay the premium PC players are willing to pay for an MMO ontop of their live/PSN subs etc. Not in anything like the number PC gamers will. If they were willing to pay premium prices for premium experiences they would already own a PC....
"Premium" PC MMOs? The trend even among PC MMOs is towards either free to play, buy to play or freemium.
Have you been living under a rock for the last few years?
Yeah i had to laugh at that too. Sure, all these MMORPGs released in the past decade have been of such superior quality over any console game. I guess thats why so many of them have so many dedicated players that continue playing them for years on end rather than leaving after the 1st month or 2 due to boring repetetive gameplay which was copied from the other dozen MMOS released that year, tons of bugs and no support, etc.
Oh yeah, and of course we all know every MMO gamer plays every MMO and pays a sub for every one of them at the same time. Nobody sticks to playing just one or 2 games steadily and pays that $15-30 a month and cancels their other accounts so theyre not paying another $15 a month for a game they stopped playing. And lets not forget we also pay more for our PC games than the average $60 for a box that console gamers pay. Yeah screw those cheap ass console gamers who arent willing to pay for quality stuff.....
Btw.. IIRC a sub for XBOX live costs less per month than a typical MMO (doesnt it go for something like #12 a month now vs $15 for an MMO) even if you buy month to month. Most people actually buy the Xbox live subs in longer periods (since it is for access to all games an dthey have no problem buying that full year vs being wary of paying a full year of an MMO which you may get bored with in a few weeks) which cuts the price about in half, i think like $6-7 a month when averaged out over the year. Those poor console gamers cant afford another $10-15 a month for an MMO. Hell i bet its extremely rare that anyone who plays a console game and subscribes to XBOX Live or PSN even owns a PC, let alone actually plays an MMO and pays subs for that too....
ummm i have dcu i play it fine with mouse and keyboared O_O so what are you saying its build for it. it just depends on style so nothing is build for nothing it just depends on how you want to play
The fact that an MMO can be made for and released on a console does not mean I will buy it and play it on one.
1 - I do not buy Sony products. Period. So Sony's numbers mean jack diddly to me.
2 - I own a 360. That does not mean I use it often. I use it when I want to play a game best suited for console play, like Fable - which was so obviously made for console that computer gamers prefer to use their Fable disks as coasters or frisbees. Or DA2, which also suffered from the "holy sweet baby Jesus, what the bloody hell did you do to my game?!" syndrome where, if I'd known it was going to be so horrifically BAD on PC, I'd have saved myself the trouble and bought it for my 360, since it was clearly made for the console crowd and screw the PC players (thank you SO MUCH, EA... now go play with your sports titles and leave BioWare alone).
3 - DCUO is your example? Free Realms? Seriously? Go pick a title that is not a Sony game. First, there are damned few gamers, MMO or otherwise, that take Sony seriously. It's not the NGE - any sane, rational person got over that a long time ago. It's the way Sony does business. Sony kills games, lies to customers, and THINKS THIS IS ACCEPTABLE AND ETHICAL BUSINESS PRACTICE. NGE is synonymous with what not to do, we all know that. Sony took over MxO from a moderately okay company and literally destroyed that game by... doing nothing. They had INTERNS running the show with a single dev overseeing them. No joke. The recent major hacking scandal and their defense was "what, a week isn't timely notification?!"
Honestly, Drew. Give me something to work with besides Sony and FFXI (which I tried to like. I really, really did. But that game suffered from some of the most piss-poor design I have ever been horrified to witness). I admit to being extremely skeptical because I strongly prefer my PC to my console (and I used to strongly prefer my console). But MMORPGs are group endeavors that are supposed to support this concept called role playing. Call me crazy, but it breaks the immersion for me when that female character gets on voice - which you will HAVE to do on console unless we suddenly have to buy a $150 keyboard attachment - and has a bass so deep I have to adjust my sub so I don't scare the crap out of my neighbors.
"You are obviously confusing a mature rating with actual maturity." -Asherman
Maybe MMO is not your genre, go play Modern Warfare...or something you can be all twitchy...and rank up all night. This is seriously getting tired. -Ranyr
Console are made of the cheapest hardware possible to cut overall cost. You can never upgrade it like a PC.
high end PC will ALWAYS > console flavor of the month.
I will NEVER buy another console. If I got a few hundred to spend I will put it into my PC.
P.S. commenting about using a keyboard to play MMO's? Really? I don't use a keyboard to game. I got a G13 logitech left hand controller and a G5 mouse, which have much better possibilities then a PS3 controller, but if you MUST have a gamepad they do make many options including a actual Xbox 360 controller that works great with every game I have used it for.
Like many people already said, console hardware gets outdated so fast compared to pc hardware.
By the time PS4 and Xbox720 hardware is created its already dated and old, as a week later PC hardware already had multiple upgrades in each department.
Let alone when a console is 1 year older or even longer.
Check Battlefield 3 on PC and the console's: 24 players versus 64 players, its no contests realy.
Sure WoW could be played on a console and iam sure some other mmo's qualify for a console release, but i would never ever play that on a console.
And it seems PC hardware has become so cheap, that a midrange PC can be bought brand new for 500 euro wich is still better hardware then a console has today
Console gaming might get worse then ever, when pc prices drop even more it will make the concole even absolute in my opinion.
Like many people already said, console hardware gets outdated so fast compared to pc hardware.
By the time PS4 and Xbox720 hardware is created its already dated and old, as a week later PC hardware already had multiple upgrades in each department.
Let alone when a console is 1 year older or even longer.
Check Battlefield 3 on PC and the console's: 24 players versus 64 players, its no contests realy.
Sure WoW could be played on a console and iam sure some other mmo's qualify for a console release, but i would never ever play that on a console.
And it seems PC hardware has become so cheap, that a midrange PC can be bought brand new for 500 euro wich is still better hardware then a console has today
Console gaming might get worse then ever, when pc prices drop even more it will make the concole even absolute in my opinion.
Exactly. Consoles will be obsolete in a couple of years simply due to the technological issue.
Im surprised people even play or say they play fps games on consoles.. fps is one of the game types requiring a top nocht system technological upgraded almost on a monthly basis.
MMOs are the opposite of what console players want.
I remember when people said the same thing about consoles and first-person shooters. Hell, I was one of them.
Then Halo came out and that all went out the window.
Actually....console gaming and FPS games go right in hand, with them being related to casual entertainment.
Thats is NOT to say that there aren't serious gamers with consoles or vice versa. Just that, MOST casual gamers (and I'm not talking about ultra casual facebook gamers) will spend $200-$400 on a console before they will drop $1,000-$2,500 on a decent gaming PC rig.
The console is this easy painless experience that allows you to just fire up the machine & the game you want to play and there isn't anything else to worry about. Conversly, PC gamers have to be aware of other applications running in the back ground, be Windows Savy to navigate & trouble shoot basic windows problems, and deal with other software / hardware issues that may have nothing to do with the game they want to play.
Console gamers also don't have to worry about keeping up with the latest technology in frequent hardware / software upgrades.
I'm NOT making an argument for Console gaming.....quite frankly, I like the complexibility & flexibility that PC gaming gives me.......BUT, this is the argument for why many console gamers get generalized as a casual gamer.
Now that I got that out the way........most casual gamers want quick game experiences that last in 30-60 min spurts, and one that you can just jump in and jump out. First Person Shooter games are perfect for this. I can see how there might have been some worry about the gamepad controller.....but the gaming philosophy around FPS games are perfect for the general console demographic.
MMORPGs on the other hand, are the exact opposite of a FPS. It's a persistant world where players are expected to play atleast 2-3 hours at a time for 10-20 hours a week. HOWEVER, PC MMORPGs seem like they are heading the way of single player RPGs.....so that expectation might be changing. If they can manage to bring MMORPGs more in-line with RPGs....then maybe it may be a better fit for the generalized console audience.
Like many people already said, console hardware gets outdated so fast compared to pc hardware.
By the time PS4 and Xbox720 hardware is created its already dated and old, as a week later PC hardware already had multiple upgrades in each department.
Let alone when a console is 1 year older or even longer.
Check Battlefield 3 on PC and the console's: 24 players versus 64 players, its no contests realy.
Sure WoW could be played on a console and iam sure some other mmo's qualify for a console release, but i would never ever play that on a console.
And it seems PC hardware has become so cheap, that a midrange PC can be bought brand new for 500 euro wich is still better hardware then a console has today
Console gaming might get worse then ever, when pc prices drop even more it will make the concole even absolute in my opinion.
Exactly. Consoles will be obsolete in a couple of years simply due to the technological issue.
Im surprised people even play or say they play fps games on consoles.. fps is one of the game types requiring a top nocht system technological upgraded almost on a monthly basis.
Really? In a couple of years? You guys are COMPLETELY ignoring all the benefits associated with console game development and console game play.
A standardized platform allows game developers to write more efficient code that doesn't have to work with 30 different video cards and device drivers
Plug n' Play setup essentially allows for a technological idiot to plug the system up and game
Low Maintienance in upgrading software / hardware or trouble shooting software / hardware
Cheap Start-Up Cost in purchasing the initial unit
As for the FPS on consoles....I don't get it either (from a controller standpoint), but you have A LOT LESS "Keeping up with the Jones'" when everyone is running on the same platform standard. In otherwords, you don't have to spend $500 on the latest & greatest graphics card (which ends up being only a small upgrade) because you don't have to worry about the next guy upgrading either. Everyone is on the same standard, so no need to try to keep up.
Another point , MMO , stands for Massive Multiplayer Online. I'm sorry but population caps of 50 players per instance really doesn't qualify as massive in my mind. Which leads to the whole instancing thing that needs to occur to make these games possible on the current generation of consoles. So unless the new generation can up the numbers, the consoles are doomed mediocrity.
Another point , MMO , stands for Massive Multiplayer Online. I'm sorry but population caps of 50 players per instance really doesn't qualify as massive in my mind. Which leads to the whole instancing thing that needs to occur to make these games possible on the current generation of consoles. So unless the new generation can up the numbers, the consoles are doomed mediocrity.
Vuk, we are actually seeing this push to make MMORPGs LESS "Massive" on the PC front.....with games like SW:TOR, Rift, and the latest releases of WOW. More focus is being put on instancing and phasing, in order to create a more RPG like experience in order to suit a more casual audience (who probably own said consoles).
So it isn't the consoles upgrading their hardware......its users asking the developers to lower the "bar" as far as Massive Multiplayer gaming goes.
"will spend $200-$400 on a console before they will drop $1,000-$2,500 on a decent gaming PC rig"
Well I have a very decent gaming rig for less than $600. Secondly, by the time you add mouse and keyboard interface you are close to $600 with a console. The PC has far more memory today than any of the consoles and that is a real limiting factor when it comes to games.
So it basically has nothing to do with price. It more or less depends on where the games you prefer are on what media.
"will spend $200-$400 on a console before they will drop $1,000-$2,500 on a decent gaming PC rig"
Well I have a very decent gaming rig for less than $600. Secondly, by the time you add mouse and keyboard interface you are close to $600 with a console. The PC has far more memory today than any of the consoles and that is a real limiting factor when it comes to games.
So it basically has nothing to do with price. It more or less depends on where the games you prefer are on what media.
That's fine and all that you can build a decent gaming rig for $600. You are probably a PC enthusiast like myself. I've built most of my PCs and a few others for friends. I also don't think it's all about price but it does have something to do with it.
There are a lot of people out there like my two old roomates that would never build or even have a gaming PC built regardless of price. Especially just so they can play one or two genres of video games. On the other hand they would probably play some of the MMOs coming out if they were available on console. My two old roomates aren't alone either, many of my other friends would love to get their hands on games like SWTOR but wouldn't even think about playing games on anything other then a console. The PC gaming market has become a niche sadly and I'm willing to bet the next generation of consoles will have MMOs more in mind because of the money they bring in.
FPS developers realized these things a few years ago and it's only a matter of time before MMO developers realize it as well.
Do I like it? No I don't. Do I think anyone who is clinging on to the idea that it won't happen is delusional? You bet.
"will spend $200-$400 on a console before they will drop $1,000-$2,500 on a decent gaming PC rig"
Well I have a very decent gaming rig for less than $600. Secondly, by the time you add mouse and keyboard interface you are close to $600 with a console. The PC has far more memory today than any of the consoles and that is a real limiting factor when it comes to games.
So it basically has nothing to do with price. It more or less depends on where the games you prefer are on what media.
It's also a question of convenience of use. Consoles are more convenient, and their automatic update systems make sure people don't have the opportunity to screw themselves up.
Consoles don't need the owner to be diligent about video driver updates, they don't need to make sure their Windows is up to date. Oh ya, is your 600 rig running legal, purchased copies of everything? Because it's an ignorant assumption to think that people should be expected to learn/apply the knowledge needed to properly pirate/install/activate all the software.
Sure it's easy to someone who's done it before, but grab someone who isn't computer savvy and see how teaching them the process is. On a console, it's a lot easier to teach "update now" whenever the game or system prompts you.
And the biggest reason why the console MMO needs to take over sooner, is standardized hardware. I know people have mentioned it before, but it's clutch. Why go through the trouble of testing/verify compatability with infinite hardware configurations over the 2-3 per console.
Right now, console MMO's are in the same place console FPS games were before Halo. There've been some good attempts, but no one has released an MMO 100% designed for console yet. But now we have Zombie Labs and CCP, both making from their original announcements, console-dedicated MMO's.
Console MMOs are due, it's only a matter of when, and really a question of "what took you so long to get here".
Lets Push Things Forward
I knew I would live to design games at age 7, issue 5 of Nintendo Power.
Support games with subs when you believe in their potential, even in spite of their flaws.
Another point , MMO , stands for Massive Multiplayer Online. I'm sorry but population caps of 50 players per instance really doesn't qualify as massive in my mind. Which leads to the whole instancing thing that needs to occur to make these games possible on the current generation of consoles. So unless the new generation can up the numbers, the consoles are doomed mediocrity.
Vuk, we are actually seeing this push to make MMORPGs LESS "Massive" on the PC front.....with games like SW:TOR, Rift, and the latest releases of WOW. More focus is being put on instancing and phasing, in order to create a more RPG like experience in order to suit a more casual audience (who probably own said consoles).
So it isn't the consoles upgrading their hardware......its users asking the developers to lower the "bar" as far as Massive Multiplayer gaming goes.
I agree, there's plenty of blame to go around. Frankly, the enlargement of the consumer base has widen the appeal of the MMO's to the public, and thereby expand the context in which these games operate in. While it's always been about getting to the end of the game and getting the best gear to raid , etc... you had to do it in a team atmosphere. Nowadays a great many players prefer to do it solo. Anyone remember the massive dungeon raids ? When's the last time one of those happen ? I can recall my last dungeon crawl of a group larger then 5 people , Vanguard . It involved a great deal of team co-ordination and preparation. it is what we allow or expect it to be.
I can attribute the push also to devs that believed or viewed consoles as the future of gaming and it was sold to them that way by $ony and M$. Thereby designing games accordingly. $ony has all but shut down the PC gaming arm of $OE. When's the last time $ony launched a successful PC game ? M$ supposedly completely withdrew from PC gaming due to "piracy " ( hahahaha ) issues . What it really boiled down to was, console games offered a larger profit margin.
"will spend $200-$400 on a console before they will drop $1,000-$2,500 on a decent gaming PC rig"
Well I have a very decent gaming rig for less than $600. Secondly, by the time you add mouse and keyboard interface you are close to $600 with a console. The PC has far more memory today than any of the consoles and that is a real limiting factor when it comes to games.
So it basically has nothing to do with price. It more or less depends on where the games you prefer are on what media.
Define "Very Decent"
Sure, you can go on the cheap and pick up an AMD processor over an Intel...or slap on a pirated copy of Windows. But thats beside the point, most people are going to purchase their PC from a big box store.
Most PCs in these stores are configured to a specific demographic. For example, you typically won't find a PC with an i7 processor & 2 gigs of RAM. You won't find a computer with a low end processor, RAM, Motherboard, and have a $600 video card inside of it.
So if you want a good video card, 9 times out of 10......the rest of the hardware in the computer will be on par, meaning the PC is going to cost you atleast $1,000 after its all said and done. By the way, it is INCREDIBLY EASY to spend $2,000 on a gaming PC.
So yea...this comes back to how you define "very decent". Do you have some Frames per Second metrics or benchmark tests?
"will spend $200-$400 on a console before they will drop $1,000-$2,500 on a decent gaming PC rig"
Well I have a very decent gaming rig for less than $600. Secondly, by the time you add mouse and keyboard interface you are close to $600 with a console. The PC has far more memory today than any of the consoles and that is a real limiting factor when it comes to games.
So it basically has nothing to do with price. It more or less depends on where the games you prefer are on what media.
It's also a question of convenience of use. Consoles are more convenient, and their automatic update systems make sure people don't have the opportunity to screw themselves up.
Consoles don't need the owner to be diligent about video driver updates, they don't need to make sure their Windows is up to date. Oh ya, is your 600 rig running legal, purchased copies of everything? Because it's an ignorant assumption to think that people should be expected to learn/apply the knowledge needed to properly pirate/install/activate all the software.
Sure it's easy to someone who's done it before, but grab someone who isn't computer savvy and see how teaching them the process is. On a console, it's a lot easier to teach "update now" whenever the game or system prompts you.
And the biggest reason why the console MMO needs to take over sooner, is standardized hardware. I know people have mentioned it before, but it's clutch. Why go through the trouble of testing/verify compatability with infinite hardware configurations over the 2-3 per console.
Right now, console MMO's are in the same place console FPS games were before Halo. There've been some good attempts, but no one has released an MMO 100% designed for console yet. But now we have Zombie Labs and CCP, both making from their original announcements, console-dedicated MMO's.
Console MMOs are due, it's only a matter of when, and really a question of "what took you so long to get here".
I don't understand how you can compare FPS & MMORPG gaming and point over the hill to the next coming of MMO gaming on the console.
The psychology around FPS gaming is VERY similar to that of the general demographic of the console gamer. They share similarities in that it doesn't involve a lot of "nerd knowledge". You don't have to get all in the weeds of trouble shooting driver issues or completing some quest to get a 1 hour buff of +4 dex to help you level over the next hour.
*The average* Console gamer wants to sit down - GAME for 45 min - Eat - GAME for 30 min - Run to the Grocery Store - GAME for 45 min - Walk to Dog
The average MMORPG gaming session lasts what......60-180 min?
The average FPS match lasts what......20-30 min?
Which do you think is a better fit for the console?
Sure it could happen... if microsoft backed off on xbox live... or the new nintendo console is more mmo friendly.(kudos to sony for their open policies) Still the vast majority of mmo fans are pc gamers... and I wince at the idea of playing a mmo focused around a game pad. Sure you can buy keyboards for the games but do you really think the average console gamer is going to go to buy an extra piece for their system when most games work fine without it? I doubt it.
On the up side it would allow devs to push the envelope more.. instead of focusing on the lowest common denominator. Meaning better graphics and a smoother running game in general. They wouldn't have to make it work on as many different systems. So maybe but we'd havet to see a shift in the current attitudes of the companies running these systems for it to be truly worth it.
Ahem....not buy extra gear?....Kinect?....Move?....WiiFit?
Please! Console players will buy whatever gets them their fix.
Comments
Yeah i had to laugh at that too. Sure, all these MMORPGs released in the past decade have been of such superior quality over any console game. I guess thats why so many of them have so many dedicated players that continue playing them for years on end rather than leaving after the 1st month or 2 due to boring repetetive gameplay which was copied from the other dozen MMOS released that year, tons of bugs and no support, etc.
Oh yeah, and of course we all know every MMO gamer plays every MMO and pays a sub for every one of them at the same time. Nobody sticks to playing just one or 2 games steadily and pays that $15-30 a month and cancels their other accounts so theyre not paying another $15 a month for a game they stopped playing. And lets not forget we also pay more for our PC games than the average $60 for a box that console gamers pay. Yeah screw those cheap ass console gamers who arent willing to pay for quality stuff.....
Btw.. IIRC a sub for XBOX live costs less per month than a typical MMO (doesnt it go for something like #12 a month now vs $15 for an MMO) even if you buy month to month. Most people actually buy the Xbox live subs in longer periods (since it is for access to all games an dthey have no problem buying that full year vs being wary of paying a full year of an MMO which you may get bored with in a few weeks) which cuts the price about in half, i think like $6-7 a month when averaged out over the year. Those poor console gamers cant afford another $10-15 a month for an MMO. Hell i bet its extremely rare that anyone who plays a console game and subscribes to XBOX Live or PSN even owns a PC, let alone actually plays an MMO and pays subs for that too....
/sarcasm
ummm i have dcu i play it fine with mouse and keyboared O_O so what are you saying its build for it. it just depends on style so nothing is build for nothing it just depends on how you want to play
.....
The fact that an MMO can be made for and released on a console does not mean I will buy it and play it on one.
1 - I do not buy Sony products. Period. So Sony's numbers mean jack diddly to me.
2 - I own a 360. That does not mean I use it often. I use it when I want to play a game best suited for console play, like Fable - which was so obviously made for console that computer gamers prefer to use their Fable disks as coasters or frisbees. Or DA2, which also suffered from the "holy sweet baby Jesus, what the bloody hell did you do to my game?!" syndrome where, if I'd known it was going to be so horrifically BAD on PC, I'd have saved myself the trouble and bought it for my 360, since it was clearly made for the console crowd and screw the PC players (thank you SO MUCH, EA... now go play with your sports titles and leave BioWare alone).
3 - DCUO is your example? Free Realms? Seriously? Go pick a title that is not a Sony game. First, there are damned few gamers, MMO or otherwise, that take Sony seriously. It's not the NGE - any sane, rational person got over that a long time ago. It's the way Sony does business. Sony kills games, lies to customers, and THINKS THIS IS ACCEPTABLE AND ETHICAL BUSINESS PRACTICE. NGE is synonymous with what not to do, we all know that. Sony took over MxO from a moderately okay company and literally destroyed that game by... doing nothing. They had INTERNS running the show with a single dev overseeing them. No joke. The recent major hacking scandal and their defense was "what, a week isn't timely notification?!"
Honestly, Drew. Give me something to work with besides Sony and FFXI (which I tried to like. I really, really did. But that game suffered from some of the most piss-poor design I have ever been horrified to witness). I admit to being extremely skeptical because I strongly prefer my PC to my console (and I used to strongly prefer my console). But MMORPGs are group endeavors that are supposed to support this concept called role playing. Call me crazy, but it breaks the immersion for me when that female character gets on voice - which you will HAVE to do on console unless we suddenly have to buy a $150 keyboard attachment - and has a bass so deep I have to adjust my sub so I don't scare the crap out of my neighbors.
edited for typos
Firebrand Art
"You are obviously confusing a mature rating with actual maturity." -Asherman
Maybe MMO is not your genre, go play Modern Warfare...or something you can be all twitchy...and rank up all night. This is seriously getting tired. -Ranyr
No. Console MMO is not the "future".
Console are made of the cheapest hardware possible to cut overall cost. You can never upgrade it like a PC.
high end PC will ALWAYS > console flavor of the month.
I will NEVER buy another console. If I got a few hundred to spend I will put it into my PC.
P.S. commenting about using a keyboard to play MMO's? Really? I don't use a keyboard to game. I got a G13 logitech left hand controller and a G5 mouse, which have much better possibilities then a PS3 controller, but if you MUST have a gamepad they do make many options including a actual Xbox 360 controller that works great with every game I have used it for.
Console's will never hold any serious mmo
Like many people already said, console hardware gets outdated so fast compared to pc hardware.
By the time PS4 and Xbox720 hardware is created its already dated and old, as a week later PC hardware already had multiple upgrades in each department.
Let alone when a console is 1 year older or even longer.
Check Battlefield 3 on PC and the console's: 24 players versus 64 players, its no contests realy.
Sure WoW could be played on a console and iam sure some other mmo's qualify for a console release, but i would never ever play that on a console.
And it seems PC hardware has become so cheap, that a midrange PC can be bought brand new for 500 euro wich is still better hardware then a console has today
Console gaming might get worse then ever, when pc prices drop even more it will make the concole even absolute in my opinion.
Exactly. Consoles will be obsolete in a couple of years simply due to the technological issue.
Im surprised people even play or say they play fps games on consoles.. fps is one of the game types requiring a top nocht system technological upgraded almost on a monthly basis.
Actually....console gaming and FPS games go right in hand, with them being related to casual entertainment.
Thats is NOT to say that there aren't serious gamers with consoles or vice versa. Just that, MOST casual gamers (and I'm not talking about ultra casual facebook gamers) will spend $200-$400 on a console before they will drop $1,000-$2,500 on a decent gaming PC rig.
The console is this easy painless experience that allows you to just fire up the machine & the game you want to play and there isn't anything else to worry about. Conversly, PC gamers have to be aware of other applications running in the back ground, be Windows Savy to navigate & trouble shoot basic windows problems, and deal with other software / hardware issues that may have nothing to do with the game they want to play.
Console gamers also don't have to worry about keeping up with the latest technology in frequent hardware / software upgrades.
I'm NOT making an argument for Console gaming.....quite frankly, I like the complexibility & flexibility that PC gaming gives me.......BUT, this is the argument for why many console gamers get generalized as a casual gamer.
Now that I got that out the way........most casual gamers want quick game experiences that last in 30-60 min spurts, and one that you can just jump in and jump out. First Person Shooter games are perfect for this. I can see how there might have been some worry about the gamepad controller.....but the gaming philosophy around FPS games are perfect for the general console demographic.
MMORPGs on the other hand, are the exact opposite of a FPS. It's a persistant world where players are expected to play atleast 2-3 hours at a time for 10-20 hours a week. HOWEVER, PC MMORPGs seem like they are heading the way of single player RPGs.....so that expectation might be changing. If they can manage to bring MMORPGs more in-line with RPGs....then maybe it may be a better fit for the generalized console audience.
Really? In a couple of years? You guys are COMPLETELY ignoring all the benefits associated with console game development and console game play.
A standardized platform allows game developers to write more efficient code that doesn't have to work with 30 different video cards and device drivers
Plug n' Play setup essentially allows for a technological idiot to plug the system up and game
Low Maintienance in upgrading software / hardware or trouble shooting software / hardware
Cheap Start-Up Cost in purchasing the initial unit
As for the FPS on consoles....I don't get it either (from a controller standpoint), but you have A LOT LESS "Keeping up with the Jones'" when everyone is running on the same platform standard. In otherwords, you don't have to spend $500 on the latest & greatest graphics card (which ends up being only a small upgrade) because you don't have to worry about the next guy upgrading either. Everyone is on the same standard, so no need to try to keep up.
Another point , MMO , stands for Massive Multiplayer Online. I'm sorry but population caps of 50 players per instance really doesn't qualify as massive in my mind. Which leads to the whole instancing thing that needs to occur to make these games possible on the current generation of consoles. So unless the new generation can up the numbers, the consoles are doomed mediocrity.
Vuk, we are actually seeing this push to make MMORPGs LESS "Massive" on the PC front.....with games like SW:TOR, Rift, and the latest releases of WOW. More focus is being put on instancing and phasing, in order to create a more RPG like experience in order to suit a more casual audience (who probably own said consoles).
So it isn't the consoles upgrading their hardware......its users asking the developers to lower the "bar" as far as Massive Multiplayer gaming goes.
"will spend $200-$400 on a console before they will drop $1,000-$2,500 on a decent gaming PC rig"
Well I have a very decent gaming rig for less than $600. Secondly, by the time you add mouse and keyboard interface you are close to $600 with a console. The PC has far more memory today than any of the consoles and that is a real limiting factor when it comes to games.
So it basically has nothing to do with price. It more or less depends on where the games you prefer are on what media.
That's fine and all that you can build a decent gaming rig for $600. You are probably a PC enthusiast like myself. I've built most of my PCs and a few others for friends. I also don't think it's all about price but it does have something to do with it.
There are a lot of people out there like my two old roomates that would never build or even have a gaming PC built regardless of price. Especially just so they can play one or two genres of video games. On the other hand they would probably play some of the MMOs coming out if they were available on console. My two old roomates aren't alone either, many of my other friends would love to get their hands on games like SWTOR but wouldn't even think about playing games on anything other then a console. The PC gaming market has become a niche sadly and I'm willing to bet the next generation of consoles will have MMOs more in mind because of the money they bring in.
FPS developers realized these things a few years ago and it's only a matter of time before MMO developers realize it as well.
Do I like it? No I don't. Do I think anyone who is clinging on to the idea that it won't happen is delusional? You bet.
It's also a question of convenience of use. Consoles are more convenient, and their automatic update systems make sure people don't have the opportunity to screw themselves up.
Consoles don't need the owner to be diligent about video driver updates, they don't need to make sure their Windows is up to date. Oh ya, is your 600 rig running legal, purchased copies of everything? Because it's an ignorant assumption to think that people should be expected to learn/apply the knowledge needed to properly pirate/install/activate all the software.
Sure it's easy to someone who's done it before, but grab someone who isn't computer savvy and see how teaching them the process is. On a console, it's a lot easier to teach "update now" whenever the game or system prompts you.
And the biggest reason why the console MMO needs to take over sooner, is standardized hardware. I know people have mentioned it before, but it's clutch. Why go through the trouble of testing/verify compatability with infinite hardware configurations over the 2-3 per console.
Right now, console MMO's are in the same place console FPS games were before Halo. There've been some good attempts, but no one has released an MMO 100% designed for console yet. But now we have Zombie Labs and CCP, both making from their original announcements, console-dedicated MMO's.
Console MMOs are due, it's only a matter of when, and really a question of "what took you so long to get here".
Lets Push Things Forward
I knew I would live to design games at age 7, issue 5 of Nintendo Power.
Support games with subs when you believe in their potential, even in spite of their flaws.
I agree, there's plenty of blame to go around. Frankly, the enlargement of the consumer base has widen the appeal of the MMO's to the public, and thereby expand the context in which these games operate in. While it's always been about getting to the end of the game and getting the best gear to raid , etc... you had to do it in a team atmosphere. Nowadays a great many players prefer to do it solo. Anyone remember the massive dungeon raids ? When's the last time one of those happen ? I can recall my last dungeon crawl of a group larger then 5 people , Vanguard . It involved a great deal of team co-ordination and preparation. it is what we allow or expect it to be.
I can attribute the push also to devs that believed or viewed consoles as the future of gaming and it was sold to them that way by $ony and M$. Thereby designing games accordingly. $ony has all but shut down the PC gaming arm of $OE. When's the last time $ony launched a successful PC game ? M$ supposedly completely withdrew from PC gaming due to "piracy " ( hahahaha ) issues . What it really boiled down to was, console games offered a larger profit margin.
Define "Very Decent"
Sure, you can go on the cheap and pick up an AMD processor over an Intel...or slap on a pirated copy of Windows. But thats beside the point, most people are going to purchase their PC from a big box store.
Most PCs in these stores are configured to a specific demographic. For example, you typically won't find a PC with an i7 processor & 2 gigs of RAM. You won't find a computer with a low end processor, RAM, Motherboard, and have a $600 video card inside of it.
So if you want a good video card, 9 times out of 10......the rest of the hardware in the computer will be on par, meaning the PC is going to cost you atleast $1,000 after its all said and done. By the way, it is INCREDIBLY EASY to spend $2,000 on a gaming PC.
So yea...this comes back to how you define "very decent". Do you have some Frames per Second metrics or benchmark tests?
I don't understand how you can compare FPS & MMORPG gaming and point over the hill to the next coming of MMO gaming on the console.
The psychology around FPS gaming is VERY similar to that of the general demographic of the console gamer. They share similarities in that it doesn't involve a lot of "nerd knowledge". You don't have to get all in the weeds of trouble shooting driver issues or completing some quest to get a 1 hour buff of +4 dex to help you level over the next hour.
*The average* Console gamer wants to sit down - GAME for 45 min - Eat - GAME for 30 min - Run to the Grocery Store - GAME for 45 min - Walk to Dog
The average MMORPG gaming session lasts what......60-180 min?
The average FPS match lasts what......20-30 min?
Which do you think is a better fit for the console?
Ahem....not buy extra gear?....Kinect?....Move?....WiiFit?
Please! Console players will buy whatever gets them their fix.