Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
The best potential for a successful MMO is the on Iphone/Ipod?
Varny
Member Posts: 765
The Iphone/Ipod is probably going to become the handheld gaming device of choice for most people. The problem with the DS and PSP is they're dedicated gaming machines and take up too much room in the pocket. Adults also don't want to be seen with them and they don't have any online distribution like Itunes that you use 3G to easily download.
The Iphone is just an all in one device and has the advantage of being a phone. Adults will buy one because of this and then maybe they'll get into a bit of gaming as Itunes is so easy to use on the actual device. Kids tend to go for the Ipod because their parents wont let them run up a bill or the Iphone is too expensive. They'll play through Wifi at home from what I've seen.
I don't want to carry two devices in my pocket and I've always wondered why Sony didn't make a PSP mobile phone but oh well. So I go for the Iphone and because I can use 3G I'm always online download games. The Iphone is an expanding market with millions of users and tons of games are selling over 2 million Units or more. Games like Tap Tap revenge are massively popular and people have shown they're willing to pay for tracks or use in game advertising to get credits to pay for them.
I believe the best new MMO and one to have massive success is the next one that can come up with an innovative way to play on the Iphone and Ipod. I don't just mean these Pet Wars or Mafia wars games but something with an Avatar and an online world.
Comments
I'm not so sure if a true MMO could capture the IPhone crowd.
It's not disimilar to one of the facebook type games where millions play but a real MMO player would not be seen dead playing them.
Many PC users who are the main market of the current MMO will never own anything Apple just a principle thing I personally won't as just like Sony VAIO I think Apple products are overpriced rubbish.
That leaves this IPhone MMO with a target audience that is not used to MMO's and are more likeley of a console background with insta gratification easy fbut fun games.
Not to say it couldn't happen I'm just not 100% sure that the market is there in amongst those IPhone/Ipod users.
I am an avid apple fan, and have been gaming on macs happily now for about 3 years, although I recently left the iphone for a blackberry and dont plan on looking back. That being said, I would definitely go back to iphone if an mmo that really captured me was released for it.
I second pretty much everything you said and believe that it could very well happen.
Originally posted by Scagweed22
is it the graphics? the repetativenesses? i mean what is the point? you could be so much more productive in real life
Real life brings repetition and pointlessness too. The only thing real life offers is Great graphics. Its kinda expensive too and way to dependent on the cash shop. Totally pay to win as well. No thank you. Ill stick to my games.
Well "avatar-based MMO" brings up a lot of preconceived connotations.
Could it do MMORPGs like existing avatar-based MMOs? I'd go with a strong "probably not". Different platforms have different strengths and constraints. Simply stamping out a copy of traditional MMORPGs (except on an iPhone) would be disasterously bad.
Could it do it's own variety of MMO? Definitely, just like MafiaWars/Farmville are their own type of social MMO. This could certainly involve an avatar but the core gameplay would be very different from existing MMOs (just like Farmville has avatars, but plays nothing like a traditional MMORPG.)
I still think the most potential for success lies in making quality Facebook MMOs. Instead of the shallow social MMOs which exist so far (Farmville/MafiaWars.)
"What is truly revealing is his implication that believing something to be true is the same as it being true. [continue]" -John Oliver
touchpads are so overly restrictive, that the game must be incredibly shallow and simple to be controlled by that.
I seriously doubt that a MMO where you can move (with problems) and maybe use 1 or 2 basic attacks (with problems) can become sucessful.
The touchpad doesn't mean the game must be shallow. I'm sure there are chess games on the iPhone. Is Chess shallow simply because you use a touchpad to play it?
It's a simple matter of making an MMO which makes sense, given the strengths/weaknesses of the platform it's on. This rules out typical avatar-based MMORPGs we're used to, but doesn't rule out MMORPGs entirely -- even very deep ones.
"What is truly revealing is his implication that believing something to be true is the same as it being true. [continue]" -John Oliver
The touchpad doesn't mean the game must be shallow. I'm sure there are chess games on the iPhone. Is Chess shallow simply because you use a touchpad to play it?
It's a simple matter of making an MMO which makes sense, given the strengths/weaknesses of the platform it's on. This rules out typical avatar-based MMORPGs we're used to, but doesn't rule out MMORPGs entirely -- even very deep ones.
The problem is that you are going against what everybody expects to be a MMO.
You dont have that problem with chess, people expect chess games to be either drag and drop, or point'n'click.
Im quite sure that you can make an action (think Double Dragon sort of) game for the iPhone with good gfx, and it would succeed. Because people would know what to expect from a Double Dragon game (kick,punch) and would find exactly that.
But then people expects MMO games to have some "sort of" WASD + strafe type of movement, no less than 20 keybinds (2 full bars) for different skills and items, shortcuts for the UI navigation, targetting.......chat.
Regarding control, the leap in complexity is terrorific, and a touchscreen simply cannot cover that. You'd need to get back to the very basics, and either make an action game with controls as simple and minimalistic as possible, or a RPG like those old 8bit zeldas....doubt any of both approachs would score very far int the MMO community...
would they sell? well, I guess some people would buy them
would they succeed on such an epic scale to become "Teh Future"? dont count on that...
anyway the iPhone still could provide backup for some MMOs, and maybe in the future a game without those would be considered "incomplete", I think Wow already has some iPhone tools like armory and such
Well, you know, people who say "it can't be done" are not usually ones that move a field forward. BUT - this will be something quite challenge, certainly. I wouldn't necessarily say avatar-based games won't work. I played the demo of assassins creed on my iPod and that actually worked quite ok. Then again, it's not really 3D.
MMOs are games that require a bit of time to play and that is something I wouldn't want to do on my iPod or iPhone, if I have a PC or console at home. Because really, who has time to play an online game on an iPhone while not being at home - on a small screen, with short battery life (3G connection, WLan, graphics etc) and mediocre graphics.
Maybe, just maybe,the iPad would be a more suitable platform - if it takes off. But even with a larger screen and better ways to control your avatar, the other concerns still apply.
An iPhone application that lets you interact with a game that you normally play on a PC or console - that would be interesting. For example Eve - riding the tube home and quickly sell some stuff or start training a new skill.
Couldn't care less about it. If you're so addicted you need to play a MMO on the go, holy %$^#&
Anything on an Iphone or will feel like I'm playing a 16-bit early 90's game anyway with lousy controls. I've outgrown that a while ago. Maybe for people that weren't able to experience that generation of games, it might feel fresh, but for me it would be like choosing to listen to a cassette or 8 track instead of a CD or MP3. Sorry.
Customer expectations are irrelevant. Produce something fun, and they'll play it.
Before MMORPGs existed, did people expect MMORPGs? No. But someone produced something fun, and people played it.
"What is truly revealing is his implication that believing something to be true is the same as it being true. [continue]" -John Oliver
ahhh,but that is not my point. one thing is introducing people to something they have never seen. a whole different story is changing totally something that people already recognizes,is confortable with, and has been elevated to the category of "must have".
hell, right now you can find people refusing to play console MMOs because of the console pads. In their opinion those controls dont suit the gameplay and the game inevitably has to be dumbed down.
try to make them play thru a touchpad, they will laught in your face.
The only ones I presume would be interested on something like that would be those that dont care a damn about MMOs right now. A totally new market with no premade mindset of what is or isnt "right", what "fits" and what doesnt, zero expectatives.
Maybe those would freak out and buy it like candies, but definetly not the "old" pc gaming MMORPG generation.
Interesting concept.....
Being the owner of a crappy old nokia I cant really be certain, but I would think that Android based devices would be an equal if not better platform for an MMO on portable devices.
But I do think there is a market for it. It would be ok for the games to be fairly simple. Something you could play while on the bus or train without missing your stop ;P
Anything more time consuming would be far better handled on bigger machines... and bigger screens.
There has also been a lot of buzz about tying existing games together with mobile appliances and services so you could check on various aspects of the game while away from home and so you could chat ingame.
Unless you constantly travel what is the point? If you have time to game on your Iphone why not use that time to game on your PC.
Instead of typing keys, I can imagien you tilting the ipod around to show if you are going left. center, or right, with the camera there to see if the direction has changed...
New mediums demands new ways of using it, instead of wanting to bring the WASD mevement to an environment where it's doomed.
i think only one mmo can be sent to an iphone or console like that its everquest(1)
they do that in flight games, and as far as I know, those kind of games are far from any iPod/iPhone top 50 best sellers
and you havent think about that properly. after 10 minutes of walking around like that your neck would be in pain and you'd hate the game.
the iPhone/iPod is for instant-gratification-10-minutes-long game sessions,good for action/puzzle simple games with minimal controls. not to play MMOs for hours.
its simply not the right platform for this genre, thats why it isnt built to support it.
ahhh,but that is not my point. one thing is introducing people to something they have never seen. a whole different story is changing totally something that people already recognizes,is confortable with, and has been elevated to the category of "must have".
hell, right now you can find people refusing to play console MMOs because of the console pads. In their opinion those controls dont suit the gameplay and the game inevitably has to be dumbed down.
try to make them play thru a touchpad, they will laught in your face.
The only ones I presume would be interested on something like that would be those that dont care a damn about MMOs right now. A totally new market with no premade mindset of what is or isnt "right", what "fits" and what doesnt, zero expectatives.
Maybe those would freak out and buy it like candies, but definetly not the "old" pc gaming MMORPG generation.
Well my first post in the thread basically described how a typical avatar-based MMORPG would be dumb to make. It would make no sense, given the strengths/weaknesses of the platform. You can get similar gameplay, but you're not going to have 6 bars of hotkeys and WASD. A touchpad isn't going to cut it.
But my point is: it doesn't matter.
Gamers gravitate towards fun games. If something better comes along, most gamers will play that instead. Sure, I know gamers who were so zealous about their favorite game or genre that they missed out on other fun titles, but the majority will gravitate towards whatever is most fun (even if they don't do it in the shortterm.)
I mean I keep wanting to agree and say the iPhone will never have a game that interests me. I think it probably won't, for screen size alone, but I also think it's totally possible that someone really nails an amazing concept and all of us gamers start buying up iPhones to rush to try the new hotness (this assumes a scenario where the game is genuinely amazing and deep, not simply a fad game that everyone's latched onto.)
"What is truly revealing is his implication that believing something to be true is the same as it being true. [continue]" -John Oliver
I would have to concur with the OP. I think that given time iphones/itouch MMO's will eventually come to be. I think there is definitely a market for them, as people just like to play games in general. There are all sorts of gamers, some like simple games such as tetris and bejeweled, others like rpgs or fps games, and then some like MMO's.
I don't think it has anythign to do with the fact that the iphone/itouch is made by Apple. I could care less who the phone was made by, it offerred what I was looking for: a touch screen, easy to use, 3G capabilities, and mp3 capabilities. Since getting it I probably play games on it more then I use most of the other features it offers. I constantly look for games on the App store that might be of interest, and anything that suggests the possiblity of a good RPG or possible MMO, I almost always check it otu.
There is a game currently available to play on the iphone/itouch called Parallel Kingdom, that does allow you to interact with people in a massive setting, assuming that there are that many people in the area you are in. The game offers, crafting/farming, fighting and exploration. Then there are other action style fighting games like Hero of Sparta that allows for better fighting, graphics, level advancement, various items and better graphics and a story to follow. If a company can combine the basics of both of these games, you would basically have an mmorpg.
I personally believe it is just a matter of time.
Which Final Fantasy Character Are You?
Final Fantasy 7
If I could train skills and mess with the market on EVE, from my phone.... that would be awesome.
Like Trading Card Games? Click Here.
as I previously stated I dont own one of these fancy new phones and having only had a few opportunities to mess around with IPhones I cant be sure if my assesment of them is accurate.
But I could see many oportunitites for engaging gameplay. It most likely wouldnt be MMOs like we know them or atleast it would only be a tiny part of those MMOs, like an AFK tool where you could check in with the game while on holiday or work.
As far as a standalone MMO:
You could control a sword swing by moving your finger across the screen or cast a spell by drawing a figure on the screen. Dodge by and lunge forward by moving the whole phone.... Something like that.. Or you could swing the phone around like it was a sword maybe.. HAH would love to see people doing that ;P Of course you couldnt see the screen at the same time
I may be way off on how it could be done but I dont really see a reason why it couldnt be done in any way at all. But still it would be far from the games we playing on the pc or console.. It would be a game you could pick up and play for 10-15 minutes and still achieve something. Perhaps it could even be something that tied in to RL.. You phone makes a noise and you see you have encountered another player.. his phone also alerts him that you are near... now DRAW... you pull out your phones and procede to either fight or whatever.. :P Remember those swinging their Iphones around like swords? :P
I dunno.. I just way more posibilities than I see problems.. :P
Yeah thats what I meant by AFK tools.. I cant remember if they are actually working on anything like that but they are certainly thinking about it. Aswell as making an EVE social network site like Facebook that could be accessed from out of game.
And sadeisinsane thanks for the tip on those games.. first one looks awesomely geeky.. I love it.. the other blew my mind with the graphics potential of the IPhone.. I never knew it could do that. I am fairly confident that a tidalwave of mmos for phones is not far away.
You can easily play a game like Diablo on an Iphone and you can make a game with big buttons and fewer skills like Guild wars. However I'd like to see something innovative for the touch screen and not just a port. EVE Online is in a perfect position to let you train skills or even create gameplay only for the Iphone to make money.
I hope it happens. There have been a few attempts. Outer Empires tried to be an EVE for iphone but it's pretty shabby really. Think it's almost a one man effort though. Need an established company to have a go. There are a number of good RPGs for the iphone. I like the idea of carrying an MMO around in my pocket.
I know Blizzard is attempting to port the auction house capabilities to the existing armory app.
Other MMOs can do similiar ports to allow some sort of limited gameplay from the iPhone/iTouch.
Hell, I would jump all over an MMO that had interactive access through the portable device.