When Do You Consider An MMO To Be Truly Dead? | MMORPG.com

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When Do You Consider An MMO To Be Truly Dead? | MMORPG.com

A constant criticism we read is that an MMO is dead, especially after a controversial update, or dearth of updates altogether. But when do you actually consider an MMO to be truly dead?

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Elidien_ga

I think its a case of two Rubicons. The first, is personal. The game may be vibrant for others but for me its dead. This can be a lack of players, content, development, or whatever else that personally just kills the game for me.

The other of course is that universal idea that a game has died. I would say for MMOs and similar games its either a lack of players to the extent that you cannot complete content or that developers no longer are releasing new content and basically development of new things has ceased.

You mention New World and the game is dead to me. I played it for years and now player counts are under 500 on some servers. Its a game built around a vibrant and healthy population and without it, the game suffers. In addition, other than a console launch, I find the coming content to be very little and limited after such a long break without new content. That to me, is dead.

cheyane

I saw this happen on a server in WoW I was playing on Horde side. The AH had so few things on it. Most were on the Alliance side. The server was okay but the side I was on was dead.

This is not about the game but a server but it applies to a game too if so few are playing to even sell things. It's dead.

Angrakhan

It's dead when it has lost the critical mass of players required to grow meaning it's now in a death spiral. It may be online and there may be players but month over month has consistently fewer players and it's obvious at some point critical game systems like raiding and the economy are simply going to crumble due to lack of players. Dead MMO walking basically. Go pull up the New World steam charts and you will see what I'm talking about. The numbers tell the tale.

numatic

To me, an MMO is dead when it can no longer financially support itself due to the population. There's always going to be a hardcore few that want to play, but they don't pay enough to keep the servers on and salaries paid.

That's at least my definition. The community uses "dead game" way too frequently. There's MMOs that still run who peak at 1k players online. DAoC still runs live servers and some days there's like 5 people online. I think it's safe to say DAoC live is dead, though they've been known to hit a random peak of a few hundred once in awhile. However it's been said they keep the server up because someone at EA has a soft spot for it. But that's kind of like keeping your 16yr old dog alive that needs dialysis 5 days a week, 8 different medications, no teeth, is blind and deaf simply because you can't let go.

New world is far from "dead", it's just that it's dead compared to what it was at it's peak. I think the console release will bring in an influx of players which will sustain it for long enough to continue on for a bit. I however do not think it will revitalize the game. The devs proved they are incapable of solid direction and listening to player needs by ignoring end game content. Instead they seem bent on restructuring the language behind NW to call it an ARPG so that they can't be blamed for no end game because it technically "ended", since they refuse to call it an MMO now. That's kinda like making a BLT and calling it a ham sandwich.

coercer02

I remember playing Warhammer Online over 10 years ago, and it was pronounced dead and lost any further support, even though it had higher playcount than New World does right now.. so I think each case is different.

Angrakhan

coercer02 said:

I remember playing Warhammer Online over 10 years ago, and it was pronounced dead and lost any further support, even though it had higher playcount than New World does right now.. so I think each case is different.

WAR's death was due to the licensing cost of renewing the Warhammer license with Games Workshop not being worth paying given the dwindling subscriptions. When it shut down it was down to three servers, so the claim the player count was higher than New World is right now at the point WAR shut down is unlikely. It was probably similar or less with only 3 servers. It was another case in point of a death spiral. I promise if the game were hauling in millions it would still be online today.

Tiller

Q: When Do You Consider An MMO To Be Truly Dead?

A: When Daybreak games takes it over

Kothoses

When its shut down and there are no community servers.

Other than that its alive, it might not be as popular as others, but aslong as there are enough people that you can see the parts you want to, and it is still running its still alive.

Tokken

when it goes on maintenance mode.

Dattelis

When matching for basic content/pvp takes 30mins to 1hr+ (looking at you Rift, Gamigo just sell it off already so a REAL developer can bring the game back to life, damn).

ultimateduck

There's dead as in the developer shuts the game down. Even then private servers open up (see Warhammer Online, City of Heroes, Star Wars Galaxies)

There's dead as in the player complaining wants other people to stop playing because that player no longer likes the game.

Then there's dead as in a game may still be running, but there aren't enough players to do all the things the game has to offer.

To me, a game isn't dead until I can no longer play it in any form.

Kyleran

For more than 15 years now most MMORPGSs have been Dead on Arrival, well at least to me.

Wargfoot

When I stop playing, it is dead.

Super73

If I have to scroll down more than once on twitch, it's dead.

Pher0cious

When you shut down 99% of the servers and go F2P2W. Only zombies live on by eating whales.

Lithuanian

Game is dead when:
1) It officially closes. May exist as rogue severs, but game that was is no more. Bye-bye, miss American pie...
2) It officially enters maintenance mode. Which means: formally no more updates, fixing really bad bugs only. Compare to old versions of Windows: no support, no updates.
3) No word from developers for a really long period of time, on all media (website, discord, forums, fb...).
4) Morally - when player thinks game has lost what made it unique and in player's opinion population/socialization is very low. Really depends upon each person. Example: for haters, Lotro is dying since the day I joined...

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Neoyoshi

It's dead when it's either shut down or abandoned by it's developers.

We've seen old MMORPG's get resurrected by fans so a good MMO can simply become dormant.

However the truly great titles never seem to actually die; Everquest, Dark age of Camelot, and many others are still up in operation.

I believe there is always room for improvement for the genre, and while this will be very bias for me to say; Final Fantasy XIV is the one leading the way in showing whats possible.

I also believe South Korea still has a lot that it can contribute to the genre, it just has become a question of finding that middle ground between innovation and business.

cdubbz

Like a lot of people in here, I think the answer is multifaceted. Objectively, an MMO is dead when the servers shut down and it can't be played anymore. Why people START saying the game is dead can be down to many things but it's usually down to player perception; content droughts and population decline seem like the main things that get players barking about an MMO dying. The dreaded maintenance mode is also a pretty strong indicator that a game is on its way out.

cameltosis

First, a game becomes "dead to me". This is purely personal reasoning, and is when I decide a game is not worth my time. There are a whole bunch of things that could cause this, but it's typically either a feature I hate, or the business model.

Then, there is "functionally dead" as I think of it. This is when the population drops too far for certain parts of the game to function properly. Maybe there aren't enough people to do keep sieges, or for PvP arenas to pop, or perhaps the player economy crashes because there aren't enough people engaging.

Then the is "actually dead", where the developers turn off the servers and nobody can play at all.

Finally, there is "undead", where a game had enough of a good idea that motivated former players decide to resurrect the game as a rogue server.

Super73

Elidien_ga said:

I think its a case of two Rubicons. The first, is personal. The game may be vibrant for others but for me its dead. This can be a lack of players, content, development, or whatever else that personally just kills the game for me.



The other of course is that universal idea that a game has died. I would say for MMOs and similar games its either a lack of players to the extent that you cannot complete content or that developers no longer are releasing new content and basically development of new things has ceased.



You mention New World and the game is dead to me. I played it for years and now player counts are under 500 on some servers. Its a game built around a vibrant and healthy population and without it, the game suffers. In addition, other than a console launch, I find the coming content to be very little and limited after such a long break without new content. That to me, is dead.

k

Lateris

When a studio's management or leadership outsources development to another country outside their headquarters, ceases communication with the player base, and experiences a drastic drop in population to insignificant numbers (with an average of 3,000 or fewer players 24 hours a day, seven days a week), it raises important concerns. Pilots, Adventurers, and Explorers, Let's break down the implications:

1. Leadership Accountability:
- The decline in player numbers warrants attention from the board of investors and executive leadership. They should assess whether the current leadership is contributing to this decline.
- Consider evaluating the effectiveness of the leadership team responsible for decision-making, communication, and overall strategy.

2. Root Cause Analysis:
- Investigate the root causes behind the drop in customers. Possible factors include:
- **Technology**: Is the game outdated or suffering from technical issues?
- **Design**: Are gameplay mechanics, graphics, or content failing to engage players?
- **Consistent Bugs**: Frequent bugs can frustrate players and drive them away.
- **Customer Service**: Bullying tactics or poor customer service can harm the player experience.
- **Communication**: Lack of transparent and effective communication can erode trust.

3. Communication Matters:
- Effective communication is crucial. When studios outsource, maintaining clear channels of communication between the headquarters and the outsourced team is essential.
- Regular updates, transparency, and responsiveness help build trust with players and prevent misunderstandings.

4. Service Viability:
- The declining population indicates that the live service may be at risk of becoming unsustainable.
- A comprehensive review should determine whether the game can recover or if it's time to consider other options.

Addressing these issues promptly is vital to revive a struggling live service or make informed decisions about its future. The numbers will always indicate a failing live service or a "dead game".

ultimateduck

Wargfoot said:

When I stop playing, it is dead.

What happens when you start playing it again? Do you bust out the paddles and yell "BREATHE DAMNIT, BREATHE!"

Kyleran

ultimateduck said:

Wargfoot said:

When I stop playing, it is dead.

What happens when you start playing it again? Do you bust out the paddles and yell "BREATHE DAMNIT, BREATHE!"

People play MMORPGs that they leave "again?" Who knew? 

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