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Is it just the games fault?
tomatoos
Member Posts: 16
So the more and more this genre evolves, the worse it seems to become for many people.
Maybe not for everyone, but a great deal of players keeps on waiting and waiting for something good, and .. nothing good comes along.
Have you ever thought it might not just be the games, but the community, the way guilds are organised before the game, the beta testing, the previews, the contests, mainstream, the hype,...it wasn't like that in the past.
Some games aren't that different from EQ and DAoC, but they still fail, so many games that are ok, still fail, is it because everything around MMO became commercial, guilds, hype, just everything is so different, it's big business now, it's not a few people playing on a sunday morning in a genre no one knew anymore.
So is it really just the games or..everything?
Comments
Yeah, it's the games sucking. The mmo I want to play isn't impossible to make...far from it. They just won't make it.
We live in a whole new era of gaming and you can never compare situations. We can only wonder what could have happened if. If MMO's were just kept for a small hardcore niche, then maybe yes, that little niche might have been more satisfied but you and me might not even be here.
I'm for one really curious what the future might bring though, I still haven't found that one true MMO yet sadly and sadly I don't see any games coming out thats going to furfill that gap ;(
I'm going to have to agree. Companies rule and everything comes down to the almighty dollar- it's certainly possible to make better quality MMORPGs than what we are getting- it just isn't cost effective.
That's what happens when business controls games. It takes sacrifice and love to truly make great art / games.
Mainstream was the worse thing to happen to mmorpgs.
^ Agreed, most gaming companies have become money hungry. It's become more of a job than a passionate hobby.
We are all puppets in a fancy show, the trick is to seize the ropes that bind us, and become the puppeteer
Was it the consumers fault when Pinto's were blowing up?
Was it the consumers fault Chevorlet was producing vehicles with 15 MPG standards with gas prices close to 5 dollars?
Was it the consumers fault that the Japanese auto makers were listening to what the market wanted, developed strategies to make low cost high quality cars, and developed mangerial techniques to motivate their employees to be the best?
I'm real sick of these people thinking consumers are the ones to blame. Its not my fault Chevorlet decided to go against what the market wanted, just like its not my fault the MMOs that are being produced aren't want we want.
Take a cue from the American car industry. Low quality turds, with "low gas mileage"(little content for you slower folks) will not be a successful venture. The US goverment will not bail you out. You're not too big to fail.
I blame the games.
However, I don't have quite as negative a view about the MMORPG situation as you seem to. I think there are a lot of really great games that cater to a good amount of audiences. EVE, WoW and DnD are 3 examples that cater to different crowds and offer a pretty darn good MMORPG experience depending on tastes.
But when a game comes out that doesn't cater to my needs (which sounds a bit whiney to begin with), I blame the game, not the fans of the game or the gaming community in general. It's not the communities fault that the game developers blew up SWG. It's not the communities fault that game developers keep releasing too early.
I agree with you guys...but from a business POV....what are they to do to make the "Perfect" game when everyone has their own vision of what it should be like. No matter what they add or take away from a game, someone is going to be upset about a few of those features. Theres just too many people in the world with their own likes and dislikes. Should these companies send out a spam email to everyone in the world asking what they want in a game...tally the votes and add the features the majority of the population wants...even if they did...this wouldnt make the "perfect" game....right? I think most of us are just over the WOW factor of MMO's at this point...we've been there, done that....and were running out of options. How much change are we really going to see in a few months by the time the next mmo is released?
Again, I agree with you guys in your points...I'm just playing Devil's Advocate here to see what you guys think companies could and should do in the future to make that "next best game"
Competition is fierce, most people only sub to one, or at most two games at a time. A lot of people already have their favorites. New games get 30 or 60 days of subs and start a steep slide. That scares corporate, funds get cut, and you end up with a zombie game that lingers before death.
Big money into niche market doesn't make sense, so big budget games cater to the widest possible userbase and it shows. This screws players who don't want "mass market appeal".
The last thing I'd want to be right now is either an open-world PvPer or a sandboxer. Not much available and very little coming down the pipe. Maybe one of the low budget Indies will climb out of the woodwork with a big hit. I'd really like to see something come along that makes the SWG Pre-CU people happy.
About the only thing I've seen on the horizon, which could be really big is GW2. There couldn't be a better time for an econo-MMO (no subs right?) to hit the market it a big way.
And this is the issue that the OP is bringing up.
If they made the MMO you want to play, it would satisfy you and you would proclaim it "good", but I can guarantee you that large segments of the MMO community - the ones that don't like your type of game - would be proclaiming it "epic fail" and say that it sucks.
So, would your dream game actually "suck" if some segments of the MMO community said it did?
That's where we are in MMO gaming today. Too many people believe their personal tastes define the genre, and that their opinions are fact. Neither is true. Tastes within the MMO community are more diverse now than ever. A game isn't "bad" just because it doesn't appeal to everyone.
Hell hath no fury like an MMORPG player scorned.
Here is what is different:
No MMO will ever be my first again (or second, third, fourth, or fifth or sixth for that matter), so the newness has definately worn off.
Racial spew going from zero in chat to damn near constant in some games.
A plethora of quest based, shallow crafting, linear, fantasy games (when I prefer no quests, indepth crafting, an open world, and sci-fi).
So I guess there's plenty of blame to around.
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
its alot like all entertainment at the moment
diverse
Just when you think you have all the answers, I change the questions.
I recently enjoyed some time playing minecraft and I could see it being fun
building a fort.. fighting against others.. fun but you never know.. could be a giant waste of money.. (..edit speaking of "new sandbox mmos" not minecraft in particular which isn't an mmo).
Just when you think you have all the answers, I change the questions.
I am really looking forward to seeing some good MMORPGs with new context. Specially with this economy and any venture off from venture capital it is a lot easier to stick with more well known concepts even if they fail rather than trying new ones even if they are brilliant. The whole thing is so stupid but absolutely real.
TOP MMORPG GAMES
Lets face facts its both. Game companies today need to take a page from wow on the biggest thing of all and not release a game early hoping to capitilize on hype. They need to make sure the game is finished. REady to hit the market . To many times new mmos dont do that. they rush the release and end up with a game thats broke and needs time to fix.
Then there is the community. They are fickle. i Like wow. Im not gonna lie i love world of warcraft its a blast. I enjoy almost everything about it except the whiny community that perfers to pick on new players instead of help them out. We were all new once and im afraid some game communities forget this. That leads to newer players not sticking around. It also forces games to make things a bit easier on the newer player.
U cant have a game that isnt easy to learn and play early and have a community thats a bunch of jerks. To often in mmos thats what happens. There are exceptions but thoes are usually in the niche games. Problem is devs want what blizzard has in wow. A mainstream success. Not many of the mmos coming out say we wanna be eve.
That said communities make decisions on what game to play based off hype. The problem is games have to succeed quickly due to the ammount of money devs put into them or else they fail. This leads to alot of free 2 play titles coming out. That arent as well done.
In the end its both sides fault. Teh game companies for often rushing unfinished games to market and the community for not always sticking it out on newer titles knowing that they all take time to grow. Even wow took time.
Most of you agree that creating the best game is possible it's just that companies are not willing to do it because it's not cost-efficient.
Hmmm... you guys may have a point, but I don't completely agree. If what you refer as best is similar to what I believe is best, then I think that argument does not make a lot of sense. Why would a company not create the best game if they are able to? If you argue it's business, it's money, then I disagree. If that game is really the best, then money should never be a problem since people will be willing to buy or play it.
Given that, I don't think it's all the companies' fault. Maybe the community is to blame as well. We all have our own expectations. I myself have my own expectation and I am pretty much satisfied with the games I am playing. Take note that I don't even pay since I don't want to spend my money on games, but I am still satisfied.
Played: Runescape, Adventure Quest
Currently playing: Aika Global, Atlantica Online
Waiting for: Cardmon Hero, Dynasty Warriors Online
Hey Mods, can you give this person a spotlight tag.
He/she hit the nail.
HYPE KILLS!!!!!!!
LOOK AT WARHAMMER PEOPLE!!!!!
DAMN LOOK AT AoC!!!!!
Philosophy of MMO Game Design
Absolutely, but what I think we've seen a lot of are games that try to offer a shallow experience to many different tastes rather than picking one or two that really fit with the concept of the game and just do those very well. Quality speaks for itself.