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General: Coming Soon: Pocket MMOs
SBFord
Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
The popularity of smart phones and handheld console devices like the Nintendo DS are growing by leaps and bounds. With the increased ownership of such devices comes the ever-widening pool of games and gamers. In today's column, MMORPG.com's Bill Murphy takes a look at the possibility that MMOs will be the next big thing in handheld gaming. Check out Bill's ideas and then let us know what you think in the comments below.
Taking a look at games such as the massively popular Monster Hunter series and how they’ve already achieved success with an online-multiplayer component, it’s easy to see the potential for more persistent online experiences in the handheld space. With the next generation of handhelds, there may be ample opportunity for more innovation and more diversity in the MMO industry, but there are certainly hurdles to be overcome.
Read more of Bill Murphy's column, Coming Soon: Pocket MMOs.
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Comments
360 I also spend an insane amount of time gaming on my smart phone (iPhone). I've played action beat em ups, fighting games, full 3d sandbox RPGs, platformers and FPS games. Most of these games also have fully functional online multiplayer. So with that said I don't see why original and new mmorpgs can't work on mobile platforms. Right now iPhones and Androids are capable of early PS2 graphics and that kind falls in line with the new upcoming portable handhelds. I could see some really cool mmos on these devices in the future.
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Pocket legends model is actually perfect for the hand held. I think all MMO handheld games in the future should copy it. Like Buying zones instead of gear or other types of DLC for micro transactions. Keeps the game fair and subs would make the game never sell. Also gameplay wise they would have to mimic a lot of the same things like pocket legends does. Like Instant grouping, auto grouping. One has to remember that Pocket games are for quick thrills not long play sessions. So any successful Pocket MMO will make it easy to get in and out of game fast for short fun. Pocket games are for the spare 15 min you have in a line or chair waiting.
A Droid Mmo would be cool using google maps. Concept, Your walking around in the real world while google uses gps to track you. Mean while you have quest and monsters can ambush you at any second, Then the best part.... your phone turns into a weapon and actually can tell how much hp damage it does by how hard you swing it..... I would so get this game
This is the main point that needs to be taken. Those of us that want to do the full MMO thing will not be squinting trying to follow all the details and progressions on a small screen. Quick jump and play would be best for Mobile MMORPGs.
From the perspective of someone that is a fan of Monster Hunter, however, if they do design an MMORPG with the playstyle depth of Monster Hunter, then by all means, a few hour gameplay session is by all means possible and acceptable IMHO.
Subscriptions for this, however, will not work, and will be death for whatever IP desides to implement it.
Well considering that some MMO companies already have phone apps you can use to interact with their games (WoW and Fallen Earth off the top of my head) , I see no reason why they wouln't take the next step and just try to create games directly for the mobile platform.
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You would have to carry around extra batteries to play something like this. I have a brand new phone and found out quickly that playing any games uses up significant portions of the charge. Dumb idea until someone comes up with better batteries.
Toaster, think of the implications of what you are asking for. Just take the wii controller as an example of how dangerous movement is to such a item and you want to do the same thing with your phone? Just to clue you in, if you are in contract you are probably looking at $500 to replace a broken phone that slipped loose when you were swinging. Lawsuits alone would soon put such a mmo company out of business.
I saw the title of this thread and just assumed they meant for the Nintendo DSi and PSP and stuff like that. They hold a battery charge for a decent amount of time, but man you are seriously right if we're talking for the iPhone and smart phones. Mine sucks battery like nobody's business when you play games on it.
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Having not read the articale i can say given the time and resources, maybe 10/20 years down the road we probly will see better pocket MMO's on phones that can support this kind of game play. Right now this is considered new media games and companies are just begining to experiment to see what is possible.
As the smartphones get more and better bandwith, this will keep growing years down the road. Will this be the future of MMO's i have no idea but it's a possibility. I do know as computers get smaller and more powerful we will see some wonderous things happening, hell we may even see computers and smartphones combine even in our lifetime.
I work with clients with schizophrenia that play that game a lot. They seem to think its a grind.
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Its an iteresting idea. My issue is screen size. Tec has not got to the point where this would be something I would do. The other one is battery life.
Battery life continues to be reasonable stable even though the processing power of mobiles grows with each generation. People who play games heavily on mobiles have to already have issues with needing to do an intra-day recharge.
Regarding screen size, I agree. What I hope developers look into is a contextual UI (as opposed to static) to allow a maximzed use of screen real estate based on what a player is doing in the game.
As of last year SmartPhone gaming populations of gamers surpassed that of Handheld gaming. The majority of handheld gamers are Japanese. Its true they manufacture and create the handheld consoles and while we see kids playing them, we see smartphones a lot more on people today.
In fact, on my trip to Europe I went to Paris, France and Madrid, Spain and walking down the street I took notice to something odd. In my travels there not once did I see anywhere a kid with a handheld console, but I saw people with Smartphones.
I live in Massachusetts and everywhere I go I see people giving handhelds and smartphones their undivided attention and causing problems to the point that now there are stores and laws in place that restrict where and when one can use a smartphone or a handheld device.
Check out Parallel Kingdom, an MMO for Android phones. It runs on a very similar concept.
And for those moaning about battery power on smartphones....ummm...plug it in? I play a lot of games on my Android, I go about 6 hours and then plug the phone in for a bit while continuing to play.
More and more MMOs are being developed for Android devices, and with the rapidly increasing power of the platform (1.6ghz dual core processors in one upcoming model) I think this could be a great compliment to MMORPG gaming.
They have already begun this technology of pocket size gaming, haven't you seen the Naga switchblade? its a mini game player that has a smart UI keyboard, its amazing!
This seems interesting..
As someone once said, size DOES matter. Too small a screen. Sure kids using the Nintendo DS are used to it but not for me. When I want to 'game' I want a full screen.