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What exactly makes an MMORPG successful?
Jesabelle
Member Posts: 7
After reading a few posts, I have to say these forums seem to have less trolling than most other MMORPG forums I've come across, which is refreshing to see. Some look at trolling as pointing out an injustice to their pretty penny, but obviously there's a higher amount of ignorance and bitter distaste in their posts as opposed to a fair look at what needs to be changed, for whatever reason.
So, what exactly makes an MMORPG successful? I think there are a number of factors, and a few of the reasons why MMOs seem to be hitting rock bottom is simply because of us, not the game mechanics. Expectations are put up so high once a success has hit the market, and we all know what I'm referring to here, but before that there was a success all the way back to the origin of MMORPGs and other genres, as well. I think that age as well as experience plays a great factor, if not the greatest factor. Inexperience on the designers side also plays a great factor, obviously.
Most MMORPG players seem to range from late teens to older adults, particularly 18-40. From my experience, in all types of MMORPGs, you see people in their 20s, and early 30s much more than you do people in the early teen years. It depends on all levels.
From my own experience while growing up playing all sorts of online games, action RPGs, real-time strategy, MMORPGs... it was based on the experience for yourself and playing with friends more than it was based on population, polished mechanics, and the fine minor details that a lot of us hold up high. Hell, every online game I've played while growing up had some sort of ongoing problem was ironed out of time. Even World of Warcraft. That game wasn't that great at first, but the experience was lived ignoring the minor and major details that we'd face later on, because playing with friends, and a fairly new experience was greater.
I never played EQ, DaoC, but I've read enough posts from so called 'Veternans' to understand how they rose to success as well. It all has to do with technology advancement, proper advertisement and the audience that's attracted to the game. MMORPGs are obviously much more common than they were before, unless you consider every second 20 year old's 2D disaster a rise for MMORPG products, but really, if you look at it, all of these games stood still among only a few other titles, and that's how they got their success. World of Warcraft came along, and became the most popular and successful game.
We're at the point now when other companies are obviously trying to get a piece of the success that WoW has gotten. Game designers and producers alike are looking at how that company has done so well, and they can't help but envy them, regardless of if there product 'is not a clone or representation in any way of World of Warcraft', but you can only touch up on the setting for Elves and Dwarves so many times.
I think there's a certain line has been drawn at this point. I did some research and there's a ridiculous amount of MMORPGs, and cross-genres alike being produced at this point in time, all set for late 2008-2012 releases. There's got to be somewhere between 40-60 titles in production all around the world, from mediocre companies with little tools, building up with what they can, to very successful companies like Blizzard. That's a damn lot of games following similar paths, the competition is going to be bitter.
We're all growing up. I think that there are three different types of people who play MMORPGs. The ones that see it as a hobbie, and can completely immerse themselves in the nature of the lore and the mechanics of the game, those that see MMORPGs as a past-time they really enjoy, and those who hop from game to game looking for the next best thing, easy to judge, easy to criticize due to such high expectations. The guy who started playing WoW after playing FPS games his whole life, who found a new love for WoW. Introduce this Jim to Warhammer, and once he can pick up at least 4 or 5 flaws and you've got yourself a troll playpen where trolls are raised. The most vile critique due to his or her own nature.
The standard is down in thick bold letters now. That standard is World of Warcraft, whether you can come to terms with that or not. It has done something in the gaming industries that all companies and game designers and producers alike thrive to acheive. I'm in no way a WoW fan boy, but I definitely do support the fact that Blizzard can put out a game, and make some serious cash with it, no matter what.
So what do you think makes an MMORPG successful? How would you go about releasing your own MMO if you had a production team and a team of good designers on your hands?
Comments
I would say that the formula for a good and successful MMO is:
1. A good and recognised IP.
2. A solid developer with previous MMO experience.
3. Low system requirements.
4. A good launch with stable servers.
These will get you box sales and a solid playerbase at launch, but that's fairly easy. Retaining the subs past the first couple of months is the hard part, because many developers seem to completely miss out on the importance of:
5. Depth
Simply put, if you want people to keep playing your game (and paying your subs) then you need to provide a depth of gameplay that engages people and galvanises them to want to log on. WoW does this very well by catering to most mainstream playstyles; you have the hardcore raiding, the casual grouping, the PVPing, the solo questing/grinding and the time consuming (and often useful) crafting.
None of these elements is particularly outstanding; most have been done (and done better) in other MMOs, but the fact that WoW has all of them in the one package is what makes it a very attractive MMO to play for anyone who enjoys the freedom of choice.
For example; most people would not have two subscriptions to two different games on the basis that one of them is a great PVP game and the other is a great PVE game; the majority would plump on the game that has very good, but not great PVE and PVP.
I've played many of the new MMO's and have felt that they have lacked somewhat in the depth department; I try to remember that WoW was also lacking when it was first launched but one can't escape from the notion that if MMO's want to compete with WoW, they need to step up because they're not competing with the "just launched" WoW, but the current well-developed one.
I suppose it's a good thing that people are still willing to play a game with a graphical engine that is 4+ years out of date; it at least proves that the majority of gamers can look past the gimmick and shinyness and still focus on the quality of the gameplay.
Hopefully that will, (along with the recent spate of failed/failing MMO releases) encourage new MMOs in development to turn out higher quality products.
I'm not a fan of WoW, either, but I also give the devil his due in admitting that Blizzard knows what the hell it's doing in terms of putting together games that will be massive hits (WC3, SC, D2, WoW). They know what they're doing from the business point of view better than anyone else in the industry -- far better, it seems to me.
As for MMO success ... the way I see things is that WoW certainly brought more people to the market, but because there are now so, so many games available, the population is split. LOTRO has maybe a few hundred thousand, WAR probably up to 500k, AoC maybe 200-300k, Station Pass probably has 400k or so ... these are guesses based on what I have seen on various sites, but I think when you add up the non-Asian market, you have probably close to 2m apart from WoW, and then WoW's 4.5-5m. The reason why WoW is so much bigger than everyone else is simply that (1) it was the game that expanded the market, so that's the one where everyone has a level capped character, (2) it plays on everyone's machine and (3) it is very easy to pick up and play compared to virtually any other MMO. Everyone else has been trying to chase WoW's magic, but they can't, because replicating WoW is not going to work -- people are looking for something else, other than WoW with new skins. And most of the WoW with new skins type games have shipped with more bugs or content gaps than WoW has, which again leads to inevitable and negative comparisons -- something which limits the size these other games can grow to at this stage.
I think for future MMOs, if they follow a WoW-like model, they can achieve moderate success if they are stable, well-designed and relatively unbuggy -- moderate success meaning up to 500k or so. Beyond that, I think it's going to take a new idea -- something different from WoW's approach, which was a rehash of EQ's approach and the general DikuMUD genre of design. I don't think WoW clones, even well done ones (LOTRO was quite well done) have a realistic hope of achieving massive success in the shadow of WoW until WoW dies off ... and that's not happening soon. People have been eagerly predicting WoW's death for years, but it just keeps growing, and each expac breaks sales records.
Ease of play, mostly.
We want the things we want to do to be easily attainable through a structured system. Challanges are nice, yet when we don't get that piece of loot after a raid "it's a wash."
Make it easy enough to get what you want and people will flock to it. Make it structured and easy, and it's a huge success. Throw a lot of loot on top of that, and well you have WoW. Easy to play, structured well, polished too, and huge variety of loot.
A dyslexic man walked into a bra.
1. Good graphics, but doesn't require the best computers. (WoW succeeded here)
2. Constant updates. Updating as fast as, or faster than people can keep up with.
3. In-depth skill system with many variations that won't leave a unique player in the dust.
4. Stat-growth system that players can control according to their playing style (Fiesta succeeded here)
5. A plethora of unique bosses and dungeons/raids/instances for all different level ranges and classes.
6. Classes that are a unique asset, besides the typical DPS-Tank-Healer parties. (trappers, disablers, etc.)
7. Unique monsters varying in size, shape, color, etc.
8. Different terrains with monsters suited to it. (Scorpions in a desert, elves in the forest, etc.)
9. In-depth crafting system that can actually yeild good stuff, rather than having all the best gear dropped by bosses.
10. A fair equipment-upgrading system with no ridiculous attributes like DOUBLE YOUR DAMAGE, etc.
11. A cash shop that's PURELY cosmetic. (if necessary)
12. A customizable UI. (ROSE skins ftw!)
That is until you post on the EQ2 forum, where their catty types think it's fun to report others for even quoting them. :rolleyes:
BTW, competition in the MMO genre is not something to think as progress. It's part of the programming trend that any game that's successful is to copy it. Progress is not remaking old IP into newer games; copying WoW and just using different 3d models and textures; and working on the same tired formulas. Progress is a dev house coming out with something really new -- like a true crafting and trading MMO. There's too many raid/pvp centered MMOs to fill a literal barn, and it's getting old as each borrow from each other making it even more boring.
.:| Kevyne@Shandris - Armory |:. - When WoW was #1 - .:| I AM A HOLY PALADIN - Guild Theme |:.
Low system requirements is the key winner here. Notice MOST photo-realistic MMOs fail, why? Average MMO player doesn't have a "hardcore" machine. The easier your MMORPG is to run, the larger potential market that you have.
One reason The Old Republic will do well i think. A big reason WoW did as well as it did when first released. A great IP is nice, but really not required. While original IP can't draw in the fanboys that established IPs can, it's not as important as you may think.
EQ was an original IP, and back in its day it was a huge success.
If you're not using feint, you're not doing enough damage.
Author of http://themmoexperience.blogspot.com and writer for http://www.negativegamer.com
As was Asheron's Call an original IP and it did well enough to keep it in company with EQ and UO in conversations.
A truly developed original IP/world is part of what is missing (and is wrong) with MMO making today in my opinion.
"Many nights, my friend... Many nights I've put a blade to your throat while you were sleeping. Glad I never killed you, Steve. You're alright..."
Chavez y Chavez
There are 2 ways of doing a succesful MMO (or any other game):
1. Either make something good that no one else made before or:
2. Make what someone else done before but a lot better.
A succesful game should be fun to play, that is the basic. Either you can niche it to be fun for a particular crowd or try to make it fun for everyone, the last thing is off course a lot harder.
It isn't really more to it than that but it is still easier said than done.
It continues to exist and add new content year after year.
It's as simple as that.
1. the game has to be fun.
2. the game needs to run on a 5+ year old system.
3. thats it really.....
PLaying: EvE, Ryzom
Waiting For: Earthrise, Perpetuum
Nice post.
I think the most important reason are:
1) game cannot be broken (meaning have some issue that is so maddening to make the game unplayable. i.e. bots and market stuff in Lineage 2)
2) The game must playable by everyone (low requirements, easy to use)
3) have an easy learning curve (not EVE)
4) have things for all types of gamers.
Essentially, WoW has them all. Other games are just run by their investors who rush the company to throw out a piece of crap not realizing that the game will fail at its current state. Oh well.
You can see my sci-fi/WW2 book recommendations.
1. No gamebreaking bugs at launch.
2. Provide enough content at launch.
3. Do not make the learning curve too steep, you want people to be able to understand it and play it.
4. Subscribers are the benchmark of your success. Keep the subscribers happy and look to expand your player base.
5. Make it fun! No matter how good of a game you thought you made if people do not find it fun then all your hard work goes down the toilet.
you had me until the standard is world of warcraft.
could we please get correspondent writers and moderators, on the eve forum at mmorpg.com, who are well-versed on eve-online and aren't just passersby pushing buttons? pretty please?
ok, seriously... who from blizzard north, that had an active hand in creating starcraft, diablo, or warcraft... is still employed by blizzard?
could we please get correspondent writers and moderators, on the eve forum at mmorpg.com, who are well-versed on eve-online and aren't just passersby pushing buttons? pretty please?
The more money a gamer spends on their rig, the more they're probably willing to pay for a game itself = Game is making just as much money.
I do agree with you, but I just had a wave of logic
Well from the developer/production standpoint, it seems to unfortunately be that if you can't make the next WoW anything else is futile. I don't quite get that mentality as WoW just came along at the right time and was presented the right way. It's fun, easy and not a rig intensive game - its something a casual gamer can enjoy or a raid/pvp/arena maniac will love too. There isn't a hard learning curve, it doesn't take itself seriously in its mocking cartoonish fashion, etc. It also appeals those from 10-50+. That's a hghly succesful game,
Seriously though from the development/production $$ side what does it take to be succesful - 250K subscribers 500K, 1million, 5million?
As I don't have an insider track on what costs to produce and then maintain a game is, I'm not sure what a 'success' can be viewed by industry professionals.
WoW, may not be the best game out there, but it mainstreamed gaming for the masses and has allowed for all the the 250+ MMOs on the market and in production to exist.
Proud member of Hammerfist Clan Gaming Community.
Currently playing: RIFT, EQ2, WoW, LoTRO
Retired: Warhammer, AoC, EQ
Waiting: SWToR & GW2
Well thought out post.
I would disagree on one point though. i think a new wow-like MMO can be successful if it is done in a completely different setting (like sci-fi). No one has done that with Wow's polish and attention to details yet.
WOTLK is good not because it drastically changed the system (except may be phasing .. and even that is an incremental feature). It is good because of the CONTENT built upon the system.
In that last statement, you are completely wrong.
WAR wasn't succesfull because the mechanics sucked.
AoC wsn't susccesfull because it was unfinished and uninspired in certain levels.
You can't blame the comunity for not playing a crappy game. And you can't blame the gamers for complaining about the games they don't like, specially afters this games are hyped as THE next BIG thing.
Maybe thats why all the companies are failing nowadays, they are managed by people like you who think that the consumer should shut up and consume whatever it's given to him.
A comunity can be bad in a good game, but usually, a good game creates a good comunity by itself.
A game that is fun atracts players. If the players are happy they start loving the game. If they love the game, they see the other people playing and knowing they love the game too they strart feeling simpathy for them.
This is what creates a good comunity out of thin air. Good things, that make people happy, create good comunities arround them.
As an example, look at Savage 2 (yeah, i know, i just found it, I love it and i can't stop recomending it).
The game has half of its servers empty right now. Mostly because It has 0 publicity. Wait a couple of months and you will see how that comunity grows.
To be played and won the games needs maturity, comunication and being a good figther and strategist. Since the game is fun people get thrilled to learn this new things, by learning new things they estimulate their brains. With time, they will feel like talking with the othe people.
The current apathy that a big chunk of the online gamers is because we haven't seen a single good game in 5 years. We don't care to talk because we are not even going to play "that much".
It's just like entering a bad pub, you check out the entratainment and then realize you should probably go somewhere else.
In my opinion the only thing that makes an MMO successful is if the developers listen to the player base. For example people want something new, unique, and not recycled from another game. If the devs go by what they think the player base wants it will ultimately go down the hole for a large number of possible players.
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A work in progress: (Update: 08/09/10)Easily find your favorite type of MMO
Savage2 has been out for quite a while now. I was there in beta and the 1st month. I was there for a while with the original. S2 already reached its peak a long time ago.