I would say we have already seen the end of three eras.
The first was pre-WoW, a game changing the genre. The second was pre-solo gamers, chasing a bigger player base changing the genre. The third was pre-cash shop, a revenue model changing the genre.
These have not been the only factors by any means, but each time the nature of MMO gameplay had a seismic shift.
I am 43 years-old. Not a noteworthy accomplishment in a country where survival into middle age isn't that unusual, but I've also enjoyed video games since I was a little girl in my first arcade, and I've been playing MMOs since 2001, so I have some experience in this area.
This is a lull based on hardware limitations. We simply aren't into the new, exciting world of truly immersive, world-spanning interactive gaming yet (I'm reading Snowcrash again, though, so maybe I'm being overly optimistic?)
If I'm correct, everything is going to seem stale, doom and gloom, over with and done until we surpass our limitations and step into a new, awe-inspiring generation of multiplayer games.
Then again, what the hell do I know? I thought Kinect was going to usher in a new era.
I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy, accompanied by an educational system which would be oriented toward social goals.
I think the key is finding balance. Something in between Blizz's "accessibility" and being challenging enough to keep non casuals sated. You will never keep super-carebears or hardcore content locusts happy no matter what you do. There is a sweet spot out there and some MMO will eventually hit it again... at least for a while. I honestly don't think it will have to follow some kind of technological leap. It is just hitting a subject and play style that grabs the masses.
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"Be water my friend" - Bruce Lee
I would say we have already seen the end of three eras.
The first was pre-WoW, a game changing the genre. The second was pre-solo gamers, chasing a bigger player base changing the genre. The third was pre-cash shop, a revenue model changing the genre.
These have not been the only factors by any means, but each time the nature of MMO gameplay had a seismic shift.
This is a lull based on hardware limitations. We simply aren't into the new, exciting world of truly immersive, world-spanning interactive gaming yet (I'm reading Snowcrash again, though, so maybe I'm being overly optimistic?)
If I'm correct, everything is going to seem stale, doom and gloom, over with and done until we surpass our limitations and step into a new, awe-inspiring generation of multiplayer games.
Then again, what the hell do I know? I thought Kinect was going to usher in a new era.
I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy, accompanied by an educational system which would be oriented toward social goals.
~Albert Einstein
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