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New study: most sci-fi mmos players only play F2P
nariusseldon
Member EpicPosts: 27,775
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/38980/Study_36_Of_US_MMO_Players_Choose_SciFi.php
And I quote:
"In comparison, 68 percent of U.S. sci-fi MMO players choose to play only free-to-play titles, and do not play any pay-to-play MMOs at all."
Let's see if TOR can buck the trend.
Comments
This is because most sci fi MMORPGs are low budget indie games that have no choice but to go F2P in order to stay afloat.
Yes sci fi MMORPG fans play F2P...not because they prefer it but because they have close to no alternative.
Well jeez, considering the sheer magnitude of F2P MMORPGs flooding the entire genre and the other fact that sci-fi titles in this genre are almost extinct, the study is kinda stupid.
"I have only two out of my company and 20 out of some other company. We need support, but it is almost suicide to try to get it here as we are swept by machine gun fire and a constant barrage is on us. I have no one on my left and only a few on my right. I will hold." (First Lieutenant Clifton B. Cates, US Marine Corps, Soissons, 19 July 1918)
Not only are most sci fi mmos low budget to begin with, I wouldn't even really call Star Wars hard sci-fi. It's more magic, swords, fantasy prince/princesses, and dark lords than even some fantasy mmos. Or is it just me?
This, since SWG I've tried to search for a good Sci Fi MMO with very little luck. Either they are more fantasy than Sci Fi (Ryzom) or have some crappy action combat system (planetside). Then there is ponzi scheme Entropia Universe. And Eve, well I really don't want to pay as a ship.
No Star Wars has been established as a Sci Fantasy setting, and not hard Sci Fi such as Dune etc.Yeah, this.
I thought of Eve and um... that's about it on the market right now. I guess Planetside is still around and isn't F2P. Perpetuum, I've not played it so I don't really know the revenue model for that game. AO is still around isn't it? And Fallen Earth, which again I haven't played and don't know the revenue model for.
Galaxies is kaput. GA went F2P. BSG is F2P. I can't really think of many more off the top of my head.
Aside from Eve, there really isn't much population out there.
I'm sure there are more Sci Fi MMO's that I just don't know of, but there aren't many and they haven't been that popular (Tabula Rasa, which I actually admit to liking a bit, but not enough to pay for, and Galaxies which I liked in the beginning).
I guess technically TOR is SciFi, but in times I played in Beta it felt just like WoW, only with Blaster Rifles instead of Fireballs.
Bounty Hounds Online will probably go live in the new year. I've been playing the North American beta, and it has a lot of promise. The developers are smoothing out rough patches and implementing new stuff all the time, once it gets out of beta I think it could be a contender.
this!
Free online MMOs
1.) Dune is not hard science fiction. Clarke wrote hard science fiction. Dune doesn't care about scientific accuracy or technologies (other than making sure it's known that only the navigators can pilot ships in FTL travel, but it doesn't really care why!).
2.) As many other people have said, most SciFi mmos are free to play.
3.) I'm curious how this company calculates their metrics for popularity. Sub numbers don't work as f2p doesn't have sub numbers (and we all know number of accounts means nothing... unless this is the metric they used and all of their "data" are useless). I'm always weary about "point estimates" and private "research" groups that force you to buy their reports. Who wants to get data from a for-profit?
Star Wars is space opera, Star Trek is space fantasy. Neither are good sci-fi.
Played: UO, EQ, WoW, DDO, SWG, AO, CoH, EvE, TR, AoC, GW, GA, Aion, Allods, lots more
Relatively Recently (Re)Played: HL2 (all), Halo (PC, all), Batman:AA; AC, ME, BS, DA, FO3, DS, Doom (all), LFD1&2, KOTOR, Portal 1&2, Blink, Elder Scrolls (all), lots more
Now Playing: None
Hope: None