But more importantly it seems that this person didn't get the meaning of "F2P", which means that you either pay or grind your ass off and are STILL excluded from certain "premiums". Everybody seriously playing will anyways get the item-shop equivalent of a subscription and if such a thing is not available then the combined cost of things you buy in the mall is usually equal or even exceeds a subscription fee.
Thats not true at all. The better F2P games, like DDO or Vindictus allow "serious" playing them without spending much or even any money. In DDO you might want to buy some of the bigger packs, but if you like to play several characters etc., you'll earn enough points without even trying. In Vindictus, you only get an actual advantage if you sell NX for gold, and that is just taking trading to another level with the way it works.
You may also not have noticed that most P2P games do not cover everything with the subscription fees. It starts with the game itself, continues with every expansion, and they still have a cash shop that sells everything from costums over exp-buffs to unique mounts.
"Not true at all" is not true at all. Of course I didn't mention ALL f2p models, otherwise this would have been a veritable booklet. There are some games with a payment model which isn't flat in the face nagging, bitching and excluding like SWTOR. My favourite example here is TSW. They make you want to buy the issues with good stories and the rest is fluff, even the xp, ap whatever boosters, since the game is in no way competitive.
The second point might be that we have a differing interpretation of "serious gaming".
Of course I have noticed that a couple of subscription games (P2P is misleading) try to get additional return on their investment with cash shops and I find that quite apalling. It just looks greedy and should - if they really HAVE to introduce idiotic items like sunshades and bikinis into a high fantasy game - be craftable or otherwise obtainable ingame.
But all this is beside the point of the OP. TESO will not fail because of subscription models or whatever, but only if it is a bad game (which I don't know). And it will be successful when the players feel they get their money value back in entertainment.
The best thing about subscriptions though is for me that it keeps a lot of people out of a game I never ever wanted to play with in the first place. Which is mostly but not exclusively the self entitled crowd who cannot understand that making games is an expensive business and not a thing created for their free and unlimited leisure and where the developers and producers better jump at their tiniest whim.
This article was by someone who doesn't even play MMOs trying to tell us what will fail and their only reason - because its a sub game and SWTOR was also an MMO. Wow, what an uncanny resemblance. You going to tell me someone that hasn't played these games knows more about the players inside them than YOU or ME.
Thanks for the typical post by those defending the game. Toss out everything you cant refute and focus on one small part of it you can.
Not once has anyone defending this game pointed to one thing in the game that is remotely innovative. Its just another MMORPG that brings nothing new to the genre other than its a new MMO, the very thing that has caused so many games to fail over the last 7 years.
Go look at what I typed earlier in the thread - I've given plenty of reasons why this game has it going on. You picked the wrong poster to accuse of not leaving evidence behind.
Oh, don't want to be bothered to read all 13 pages, then you just reinforce exactly what I said, we need a damn rating system on these comments so that ones related to the topic can be top of mind instead of buried by doom or bromance comments.
You did not give a single innovative thing about this game. Once again, reinforcing what I said. We don't have a rating system because of posters like you. Fanboys will really shutdown the forums then with their group mentality of "they must saying only good things or attack attack attack".
"People who tell you youre awesome are useless. No, dangerous.
They are worse than useless because you want to believe them. They will defend you against critiques that are valid. They will seduce you into believing you are done learning, or into thinking that your work is better than it actually is." ~Raph Koster http://www.raphkoster.com/2013/10/14/on-getting-criticism/
I know of one. You get to play in Tamriel. That should be more than enough for the remaining players this game will have. Much like SWTOR. People living out their fantasies fighting with lightsabers.
A setting is not innovation nor does it retain a large amount of players, every single game that failed is an example of that. the fact you used that as your example shows how little the game is bringing to the genre.
"People who tell you youre awesome are useless. No, dangerous.
They are worse than useless because you want to believe them. They will defend you against critiques that are valid. They will seduce you into believing you are done learning, or into thinking that your work is better than it actually is." ~Raph Koster http://www.raphkoster.com/2013/10/14/on-getting-criticism/
I know of one. You get to play in Tamriel. That should be more than enough for the remaining players this game will have. Much like SWTOR. People living out their fantasies fighting with lightsabers.
A setting is not innovation nor does it retain a large amount of players, every single game that failed is an example of that. the fact you used that as your example shows how little the game is bringing to the genre.
On this scale for the IP, I would argue that maybe it is. Also I was only giving one reason that might be good in making this title not fail completely.
You say "large amount of players". I believe the game doesn't need nor will it have a large amount of players.
I'm saying that the people who will stick with the game will do so thanks to the setting. Not thanks to any innovation. Which indeed I've seen none of to write home about.
Thanks for the typical post by those defending the game. Toss out everything you cant refute and focus on one small part of it you can.
Not once has anyone defending this game pointed to one thing in the game that is remotely innovative. Its just another MMORPG that brings nothing new to the genre other than its a new MMO, the very thing that has caused so many games to fail over the last 7 years.
Go look at what I typed earlier in the thread - I've given plenty of reasons why this game has it going on. You picked the wrong poster to accuse of not leaving evidence behind.
Oh, don't want to be bothered to read all 13 pages, then you just reinforce exactly what I said, we need a damn rating system on these comments so that ones related to the topic can be top of mind instead of buried by doom or bromance comments.
You did not give a single innovative thing about this game. Once again, reinforcing what I said. We don't have a rating system because of posters like you. Fanboys will really shutdown the forums then with their group mentality of "they must saying only good things or attack attack attack".
Hold still. Take this slower. I said this game was doing innovative things? Don't put words in my mouth. You quoted me using innovative. It wasn't my claim.
You replied to my post stating that no one defending the game pointed to one thing innovative with a response that states that I need to read your previous replies........So now you are taking the next typical step of those defending this game, arguing to argue.
You had no reason to even reply to me since you are not actually targeting anything I am saying.
But its nice to see you are admitting the game isn't bringing anything new or advancing the genre at all, that its just another MMORPG clone.
"People who tell you youre awesome are useless. No, dangerous.
They are worse than useless because you want to believe them. They will defend you against critiques that are valid. They will seduce you into believing you are done learning, or into thinking that your work is better than it actually is." ~Raph Koster http://www.raphkoster.com/2013/10/14/on-getting-criticism/
I know of one. You get to play in Tamriel. That should be more than enough for the remaining players this game will have. Much like SWTOR. People living out their fantasies fighting with lightsabers.
A setting is not innovation nor does it retain a large amount of players, every single game that failed is an example of that. the fact you used that as your example shows how little the game is bringing to the genre.
I haven't played it yet, but from some of what I'm hearing there are things like block not RNG, based on what I'm seeing. There are skills, but it sounds like you need to physically block them. Not ground-breaking, but not entirely uninnovative.
Classless system? Again, something people always complain about the class system.
The game server is shardless. I believe this is something that I hear people complain about all the time. So it's not a "given" on the feature list.
Large-scale PvP. This is something that people raved about when CU was announced, so why is having PvP battles with hundreds of people all of a sudden not innovative for TESO?
What about just walking up and taking shit that's in the environment? a la every ES game in history? Hell, if I want to take that urinal cake, I'm gonna take it!
IDK, just sounds like a bunch of haters imo. If it was any other game *COUGH* Archage *COUGH* people would be worshipping it sight unseen.
Read the rest, I added some innovation to make you happy. But it won't be happy so I'll be content to know that you wish to call this game a clone. I think I'd rather call this game home. If they pull this off, I will def. be playing this game.
I don't know what the rest of you will be doing - maybe calling everything a clone for the next 10 years. It must suit us all just fine or we wouldn't be doing it
I read it all, you gave no innovations. A game having something only a few have is not being innovative. And yes, a game that doesn't bring a single thing NEW is a clone. Do you know what the word innovate means?!? And to top it off, you continued with your "the article was nothing more than a it will fail because of sub" rant. Typical deny everything you cant refute even exists posts.......
"People who tell you youre awesome are useless. No, dangerous.
They are worse than useless because you want to believe them. They will defend you against critiques that are valid. They will seduce you into believing you are done learning, or into thinking that your work is better than it actually is." ~Raph Koster http://www.raphkoster.com/2013/10/14/on-getting-criticism/
Lazy article. There are reasons ESO might fail but just shouting "Subscription!" and "SWTOR" isn't going to cut it if you want to convince me with an article like this.
I also have a problem with people saying subs are "outdated". The same kind of people say "desktop PCs are outdated!" Well guess what, plenty of people left in the world aren't willing to ditch their PC for a tablet or ditch their quality sub MMO for a cash shop mess. I don't see any cash shop MMOs setting the world on fire in terms of sales anyway.
There were bad design reasons SWTOR failed. ESO might make similar bad decisions but I won't know that til I play it.
Sell a few million boxes, juice it for a subs, switch it over to free to play. This is the normal pattern for most AAA releases and the companies know this. They will make a profit, and we will say it failed and the game will likely be like warhammer and dead in 7 years. The people who put money in the game will make money. The studio will close because you cannot really juice sequals for MMOs.
Also what is forbes fettish with MMOs. They releases lots of crud articles on MMOs. Everyone thinks they are some kind stocker informed articles when in reality they are mostly sht like this.
Classless system? Again, something people always complain about the class system.
The game server is shardless. I believe this is something that I hear people complain about all the time. So it's not a "given" on the feature list.
Large-scale PvP. This is something that people raved about when CU was announced, so why is having PvP battles with hundreds of people all of a sudden not innovative for TESO?
What about just walking up and taking shit that's in the environment? a la every ES game in history? Hell, if I want to take that urinal cake, I'm gonna take it!
IDK, just sounds like a bunch of haters imo. If it was any other game *COUGH* Archage *COUGH* people would be worshipping it sight unseen.
It is not a classless system. TSW is a classless system. In TESO if you chose a "class" you cant use the skills of "other class". Its a fake system created to make it look like TES to get more TES players to buy it. You are still locked into your choice and yes, if you play a sorcerer and equip a restoration staff for heals, you will be a weak healer with weak DPS. You will never heal as good as a healer class will heal. Sure, you can tank as a Sorc, but you will lack the basic tank skills that come with the tank class making you a second rate tank.
A game server is not game innovation, its server innovation.
Large-scale PvP.....behind an invisible wall and will never top WoWs(yeah im going to say something good about that bad game) open world PvP during vanilla when Orggrimar was once attacked by over 1000 alliance players.
Walking up and taking shit in the environment?!? I could do that in Asherons Call. And that is not an ES staple, like first person, its in EVERY RPG. Taking environment items goes back to Ultima 1....
IDK, just sounds like a bunch of fanboys imo. Desperate for something new that is somehow going to be different than the last failed MMO despite using the same formulas over and over while slamming anything *COUGH* different *COUGH*.
"People who tell you youre awesome are useless. No, dangerous.
They are worse than useless because you want to believe them. They will defend you against critiques that are valid. They will seduce you into believing you are done learning, or into thinking that your work is better than it actually is." ~Raph Koster http://www.raphkoster.com/2013/10/14/on-getting-criticism/
Name the clone where the UI is almost non-existent as this game is.
Or any of the rest - you can't name one game - not one.
Predicated it - I am freaking psychic )) /pats self on back for being so brilliant.
Stealth, a game innovation bringing a new game element to the genre.
Giving everyone stealth, re-using someone elses idea in a different way.
BTW, Asherons Call 1 had a much smaller UI. Also, UI? Seriously? You got THAT smug thinking you found innovation in a massive AAA MMORPG by thinking its UI is innovative.
OMG THE UI IS INNOAVTIVE THIS IS SO WORTH PLAYING NOW!
wow..........so little can be said that people are pointing to the UI to find innovation.
"People who tell you youre awesome are useless. No, dangerous.
They are worse than useless because you want to believe them. They will defend you against critiques that are valid. They will seduce you into believing you are done learning, or into thinking that your work is better than it actually is." ~Raph Koster http://www.raphkoster.com/2013/10/14/on-getting-criticism/
It's such a tired old dance - CG trailers out the ass, big hype, great reviews, huge amount of pre-orders, then they lose more than half of the population in the first three months, then F2P limbo. AoC, WAR, Rift, TOR - dead or dying, even granddaddy WoW is on a steady decline... people are weary, they want a new MMO formula, true action combat, meaningful player interaction, a persistent world, innovative content. TESO is far too late to the party.
"The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands, To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming! On we sweep with threshing oar, our only goal will be the western shore."
There seems to be a large group of players that are really against ESO for sometimes comical reasons (I want modded skyrim!!!11) so I have no doubt that there will be no shortage of disappointment. The last time I saw this kind of attitude towards a game here was actually with the anti-WoW crowd 4 or 5 years ago.
ESO may very well crash and burn, or it may actually do just fine, and it no doubt will have a vocally polarized MMO community trying to spin either outcome in their favor.
If this game were EA made, I would be wondering if some trolls were really paid trolls as in the past but screw that as I don't really care today. If I am honest, SWTOR failed. There is a reason Bioware went the way of the dinosaurs with only a skeletal rebranded remnant retained that will never meet the content release goals they announced before release. The bottom line is that for what they spent they didn't garner the returns expected and all those big names now work somewhere else. Its a free to play grinder with the gall to charge you for hot key bars and sell bikini panties for your characters in the cash shop to stay a'float. It is what it is. A horrible disappointment that killed the willingness of investors to take chances in future games because if a Star Wars MMO can't make it what can?
So the guy at Forbes is a sci fi writer with two books to his name that he tries to hawk at the end of his article and no real game experience outside of playing. It's kind of like this site I guess in that he writes opinions the brand name lets us take seriously for a while. I will even concede that he makes decent points regarding the business model but ultimately his snarky attitude with the developer return comments at the end leave me feeling he is too high on himself and ZOS too much on the defensive already. They read like they are about to have a twitter war.
*Strawberry Cup Cakes* man I can write a better article than the Forbes guy... Pfft.
There are a lot of troubling details about TESO that leave a large portion of the pundits and forum warriors looking at this title as if it is the most likely to fail. I lean that way myself, it's a disaster waiting to happen. But if you are going to write an official opinion on a big name site for a feature article at least take the time to do it right and with a degree of professionalism.
Seems many around here haven't beta tested the game. I hope you guys get to play the game in open beta. It should be around Feb/March. NDA hasn't been lifted of course. Zenimax is just avoiding an eventual shit storm. Guild members and other Alliances called quit. Unless Zenimax changes the atrocious PvE and classes, which I doubt it, Forbes will be laughing at you. Enough with the PvE dumbing down. Dull characters, a sorcerer that can't cast an invisibility spell butt he Nightblade can. Sorcerer can't cast a fear spell, the Nightblade can. What is goin on? A sorcerer that needs a fire staff to cast a fireball, a frost staff to cast frost spells? Really? No underwater exploration. Well, exploration doesn't exist!
You gotta play it so you can see this nonsense. Here's hoping Bethesda doesn't crap on TES VI !!
/back to Skyrim
It so happens that in Lord of the Rings, Gandalf couldn't cast anything without his staff, so there! lol.
1. He is using SW:ToR as his example of how something so potentially viable can fail. This would be fine, IF considering that had SW:ToR been a fun title (and it was god awful, sorry Star Wars LARP/COSPLAY folks, the game did you no justice), this would be a viable argument. "Here's this great game that failed," this guy is saying. Reality is that you can hang a sign on a pig and call it a horse...and that's what the industry has done for years. SW:ToR was a pig of a game, and I mean that in the nicest of ways. Just processed E-Sport nonsense.
2. If TESO keeps their fail UI/combat/movement mechanics model, and even that awkward side view of the character while you're moving in 3rd person...then yes, this game is doomed to be a niche game at best where folks like me will play (yes, I will play) and do their best to ignore the above.
But telling the readers that F2P is the savior of the industry is a flat out lie. If this guy even plays mmo video games ( I refuse to call them RPGs anymore), he should well know what happens when the flood gates of bots and children fill a f2P cash shop Pay to Win universe of linear gaming. Monthly subs don't necessarily make a better game, but they are at least a thumb in the leak at the dam wall...the game still needs to not be crap (still waiting)...
F2P is fail in itself and over time I believe even the American base of players who seem to love being stroked by countless 5 race 4 copy paste classes will start to get wise while they get older. F2P belongs in the video game system industry...XBOX, PS4, and so forth. That's the population they are aiming at anyway.
So far, the folks at Zenimax, while horribly lost on the basics of their game (sigh...dammit!), have enough faith in their title to avoid the cash shop Asian tidal wave that has consumed so many lesser projects.
2. If TESO keeps their fail UI/combat/movement mechanics model, and even that awkward side view of the character while you're moving in 3rd person...then yes, this game is doomed to be a niche game at best where folks like me will play (yes, I will play) and do their best to ignore the above.
Except people like/love that (including myself) so there is no universal merit to your statement except that you don't like it.
the UI/combat/movement is probably based a bit off skyrim (to a point) as well as the slightly offside character in 3rd person. And I don't recall that particularly being an issue (it had other UI issues because of the port).
Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb."
Comments
"Not true at all" is not true at all. Of course I didn't mention ALL f2p models, otherwise this would have been a veritable booklet. There are some games with a payment model which isn't flat in the face nagging, bitching and excluding like SWTOR. My favourite example here is TSW. They make you want to buy the issues with good stories and the rest is fluff, even the xp, ap whatever boosters, since the game is in no way competitive.
The second point might be that we have a differing interpretation of "serious gaming".
Of course I have noticed that a couple of subscription games (P2P is misleading) try to get additional return on their investment with cash shops and I find that quite apalling. It just looks greedy and should - if they really HAVE to introduce idiotic items like sunshades and bikinis into a high fantasy game - be craftable or otherwise obtainable ingame.
But all this is beside the point of the OP. TESO will not fail because of subscription models or whatever, but only if it is a bad game (which I don't know). And it will be successful when the players feel they get their money value back in entertainment.
The best thing about subscriptions though is for me that it keeps a lot of people out of a game I never ever wanted to play with in the first place. Which is mostly but not exclusively the self entitled crowd who cannot understand that making games is an expensive business and not a thing created for their free and unlimited leisure and where the developers and producers better jump at their tiniest whim.
You did not give a single innovative thing about this game. Once again, reinforcing what I said. We don't have a rating system because of posters like you. Fanboys will really shutdown the forums then with their group mentality of "they must saying only good things or attack attack attack".
"People who tell you youre awesome are useless. No, dangerous.
They are worse than useless because you want to believe them. They will defend you against critiques that are valid. They will seduce you into believing you are done learning, or into thinking that your work is better than it actually is." ~Raph Koster
http://www.raphkoster.com/2013/10/14/on-getting-criticism/
A setting is not innovation nor does it retain a large amount of players, every single game that failed is an example of that. the fact you used that as your example shows how little the game is bringing to the genre.
"People who tell you youre awesome are useless. No, dangerous.
They are worse than useless because you want to believe them. They will defend you against critiques that are valid. They will seduce you into believing you are done learning, or into thinking that your work is better than it actually is." ~Raph Koster
http://www.raphkoster.com/2013/10/14/on-getting-criticism/
On this scale for the IP, I would argue that maybe it is. Also I was only giving one reason that might be good in making this title not fail completely.
You say "large amount of players". I believe the game doesn't need nor will it have a large amount of players.
I'm saying that the people who will stick with the game will do so thanks to the setting. Not thanks to any innovation. Which indeed I've seen none of to write home about.
After spending time on these forums, I have realized that there will always be people who bash GW2 and call it a "disaster". I just lol at it.
You replied to my post stating that no one defending the game pointed to one thing innovative with a response that states that I need to read your previous replies........So now you are taking the next typical step of those defending this game, arguing to argue.
You had no reason to even reply to me since you are not actually targeting anything I am saying.
But its nice to see you are admitting the game isn't bringing anything new or advancing the genre at all, that its just another MMORPG clone.
"People who tell you youre awesome are useless. No, dangerous.
They are worse than useless because you want to believe them. They will defend you against critiques that are valid. They will seduce you into believing you are done learning, or into thinking that your work is better than it actually is." ~Raph Koster
http://www.raphkoster.com/2013/10/14/on-getting-criticism/
I haven't played it yet, but from some of what I'm hearing there are things like block not RNG, based on what I'm seeing. There are skills, but it sounds like you need to physically block them. Not ground-breaking, but not entirely uninnovative.
Classless system? Again, something people always complain about the class system.
The game server is shardless. I believe this is something that I hear people complain about all the time. So it's not a "given" on the feature list.
Large-scale PvP. This is something that people raved about when CU was announced, so why is having PvP battles with hundreds of people all of a sudden not innovative for TESO?
What about just walking up and taking shit that's in the environment? a la every ES game in history? Hell, if I want to take that urinal cake, I'm gonna take it!
IDK, just sounds like a bunch of haters imo. If it was any other game *COUGH* Archage *COUGH* people would be worshipping it sight unseen.
Crazkanuk
----------------
Azarelos - 90 Hunter - Emerald
Durnzig - 90 Paladin - Emerald
Demonicron - 90 Death Knight - Emerald Dream - US
Tankinpain - 90 Monk - Azjol-Nerub - US
Brindell - 90 Warrior - Emerald Dream - US
----------------
I read it all, you gave no innovations. A game having something only a few have is not being innovative. And yes, a game that doesn't bring a single thing NEW is a clone. Do you know what the word innovate means?!? And to top it off, you continued with your "the article was nothing more than a it will fail because of sub" rant. Typical deny everything you cant refute even exists posts.......
"People who tell you youre awesome are useless. No, dangerous.
They are worse than useless because you want to believe them. They will defend you against critiques that are valid. They will seduce you into believing you are done learning, or into thinking that your work is better than it actually is." ~Raph Koster
http://www.raphkoster.com/2013/10/14/on-getting-criticism/
Lazy article. There are reasons ESO might fail but just shouting "Subscription!" and "SWTOR" isn't going to cut it if you want to convince me with an article like this.
I also have a problem with people saying subs are "outdated". The same kind of people say "desktop PCs are outdated!" Well guess what, plenty of people left in the world aren't willing to ditch their PC for a tablet or ditch their quality sub MMO for a cash shop mess. I don't see any cash shop MMOs setting the world on fire in terms of sales anyway.
There were bad design reasons SWTOR failed. ESO might make similar bad decisions but I won't know that til I play it.
Sell a few million boxes, juice it for a subs, switch it over to free to play. This is the normal pattern for most AAA releases and the companies know this. They will make a profit, and we will say it failed and the game will likely be like warhammer and dead in 7 years. The people who put money in the game will make money. The studio will close because you cannot really juice sequals for MMOs.
Also what is forbes fettish with MMOs. They releases lots of crud articles on MMOs. Everyone thinks they are some kind stocker informed articles when in reality they are mostly sht like this.
It is not a classless system. TSW is a classless system. In TESO if you chose a "class" you cant use the skills of "other class". Its a fake system created to make it look like TES to get more TES players to buy it. You are still locked into your choice and yes, if you play a sorcerer and equip a restoration staff for heals, you will be a weak healer with weak DPS. You will never heal as good as a healer class will heal. Sure, you can tank as a Sorc, but you will lack the basic tank skills that come with the tank class making you a second rate tank.
A game server is not game innovation, its server innovation.
Large-scale PvP.....behind an invisible wall and will never top WoWs(yeah im going to say something good about that bad game) open world PvP during vanilla when Orggrimar was once attacked by over 1000 alliance players.
Walking up and taking shit in the environment?!? I could do that in Asherons Call. And that is not an ES staple, like first person, its in EVERY RPG. Taking environment items goes back to Ultima 1....
IDK, just sounds like a bunch of fanboys imo. Desperate for something new that is somehow going to be different than the last failed MMO despite using the same formulas over and over while slamming anything *COUGH* different *COUGH*.
"People who tell you youre awesome are useless. No, dangerous.
They are worse than useless because you want to believe them. They will defend you against critiques that are valid. They will seduce you into believing you are done learning, or into thinking that your work is better than it actually is." ~Raph Koster
http://www.raphkoster.com/2013/10/14/on-getting-criticism/
Predicated it - I am freaking psychic
)) /pats self on back for being so brilliant.
Stealth, a game innovation bringing a new game element to the genre.
Giving everyone stealth, re-using someone elses idea in a different way.
BTW, Asherons Call 1 had a much smaller UI. Also, UI? Seriously? You got THAT smug thinking you found innovation in a massive AAA MMORPG by thinking its UI is innovative.
OMG THE UI IS INNOAVTIVE THIS IS SO WORTH PLAYING NOW!
wow..........so little can be said that people are pointing to the UI to find innovation.
"People who tell you youre awesome are useless. No, dangerous.
They are worse than useless because you want to believe them. They will defend you against critiques that are valid. They will seduce you into believing you are done learning, or into thinking that your work is better than it actually is." ~Raph Koster
http://www.raphkoster.com/2013/10/14/on-getting-criticism/
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
On we sweep with threshing oar, our only goal will be the western shore."
There seems to be a large group of players that are really against ESO for sometimes comical reasons (I want modded skyrim!!!11) so I have no doubt that there will be no shortage of disappointment. The last time I saw this kind of attitude towards a game here was actually with the anti-WoW crowd 4 or 5 years ago.
ESO may very well crash and burn, or it may actually do just fine, and it no doubt will have a vocally polarized MMO community trying to spin either outcome in their favor.
You make me like charity
If this game were EA made, I would be wondering if some trolls were really paid trolls as in the past but screw that as I don't really care today. If I am honest, SWTOR failed. There is a reason Bioware went the way of the dinosaurs with only a skeletal rebranded remnant retained that will never meet the content release goals they announced before release. The bottom line is that for what they spent they didn't garner the returns expected and all those big names now work somewhere else. Its a free to play grinder with the gall to charge you for hot key bars and sell bikini panties for your characters in the cash shop to stay a'float. It is what it is. A horrible disappointment that killed the willingness of investors to take chances in future games because if a Star Wars MMO can't make it what can?
So the guy at Forbes is a sci fi writer with two books to his name that he tries to hawk at the end of his article and no real game experience outside of playing. It's kind of like this site I guess in that he writes opinions the brand name lets us take seriously for a while. I will even concede that he makes decent points regarding the business model but ultimately his snarky attitude with the developer return comments at the end leave me feeling he is too high on himself and ZOS too much on the defensive already. They read like they are about to have a twitter war.
*Strawberry Cup Cakes* man I can write a better article than the Forbes guy... Pfft.
There are a lot of troubling details about TESO that leave a large portion of the pundits and forum warriors looking at this title as if it is the most likely to fail. I lean that way myself, it's a disaster waiting to happen. But if you are going to write an official opinion on a big name site for a feature article at least take the time to do it right and with a degree of professionalism.
Think of it as a "best practices" MMO.
@PigglesworthTWR on Twitter
Pigglesworth @ EQNForum.com, MMORPG.com, EQNextfans.com, ProjectNorrath.com, & EQNFanSite.com
Malcontent @ EQNexus.com & EQHammer.com
It so happens that in Lord of the Rings, Gandalf couldn't cast anything without his staff, so there! lol.
There Is Always Hope!
1. He is using SW:ToR as his example of how something so potentially viable can fail. This would be fine, IF considering that had SW:ToR been a fun title (and it was god awful, sorry Star Wars LARP/COSPLAY folks, the game did you no justice), this would be a viable argument. "Here's this great game that failed," this guy is saying. Reality is that you can hang a sign on a pig and call it a horse...and that's what the industry has done for years. SW:ToR was a pig of a game, and I mean that in the nicest of ways. Just processed E-Sport nonsense.
2. If TESO keeps their fail UI/combat/movement mechanics model, and even that awkward side view of the character while you're moving in 3rd person...then yes, this game is doomed to be a niche game at best where folks like me will play (yes, I will play) and do their best to ignore the above.
But telling the readers that F2P is the savior of the industry is a flat out lie. If this guy even plays mmo video games ( I refuse to call them RPGs anymore), he should well know what happens when the flood gates of bots and children fill a f2P cash shop Pay to Win universe of linear gaming. Monthly subs don't necessarily make a better game, but they are at least a thumb in the leak at the dam wall...the game still needs to not be crap (still waiting)...
F2P is fail in itself and over time I believe even the American base of players who seem to love being stroked by countless 5 race 4 copy paste classes will start to get wise while they get older. F2P belongs in the video game system industry...XBOX, PS4, and so forth. That's the population they are aiming at anyway.
So far, the folks at Zenimax, while horribly lost on the basics of their game (sigh...dammit!), have enough faith in their title to avoid the cash shop Asian tidal wave that has consumed so many lesser projects.
Except people like/love that (including myself) so there is no universal merit to your statement except that you don't like it.
the UI/combat/movement is probably based a bit off skyrim (to a point) as well as the slightly offside character in 3rd person. And I don't recall that particularly being an issue (it had other UI issues because of the port).
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo