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Could the MMO-Genre be massive successful, if it was very diverse?
MMOs by design, are games built around massively multiplayer experience at gameplay.
In theory, diversity in itself, spreads out the general MMO populous across a large list of MMO-games.
But the spread-out of potential populous reduces the "massively multiplayer" experience in MMO-games.
So back to the original question. Could the MMO-genre be massively successful if it was very diverse?
Philosophy of MMO Game Design
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You do realize there are MMO markets outside of America right?
The Korean market is far more healthy than the U.S. market largely because there it's far more diverse. That also means they can still afford to make big budget MMOs because the market is still up for grabs rather than here where one title is dominating.
I would have to say the "MMO " genre is very diverse and financially successful right now, it just doesn't produce many new titles that are designed towards my tastes.
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It's very diverse in that there are a lot of choices, financially diverse not so much. WoW takes in around a billion dollars a year the number two Western MMO SWTOR takes in about $160 million a year. One game is taking up a huge part of the market share even though a number of other games are able to do well or at least stay afloat.
Does it really need to be massively successful? Genre already feels at times it is being crushed under its own weight.
Pretty much my take on it as well.
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These new genres are diverse and make up some of the most played titles in the world.
Yes....
As for customer choice, diversity allways wins, so I think if mmorpg's are designed with a 500k players base in mind then it removes the innovation shackles - the wow effect.
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Seems a bit of a strange observation from the OP tbh, isn't the MMO genre so successful because its so very diverse, we do after all, have MMO's that encompass everything from FPS to RTS, and all sorts of flavours in between, isn't that why its so hard to create a game, that isn't like any other? Instead the most popular 'genres' have the most variations, if anything, the competition is driving the market, games are successful because they are better than their peers, its a bit like MMO Darwinism, evolve or face extinction
I don't know OP with today's gamers am afraid we only see diversity within it's combat realm.
All other aspects of what a MMORPG could be have been stripped down to the more hack and slash type with some rpg elements attached.
Diverse as in one character can do all then sure the genre has evolved. But it aint the diversity I wanted from my MMORPG experiance. But does seem what most seem to consider diverse these day's.
I agree with pretty much all of the above. I find it completely and utterly absurd that despite all the MMORPGs we have out now, it's nearly impossible to find one that doesn't revolve around simulated warfare.
Exactly. It's a completely redundant thread.
Mhmm, I would've thought taking a look at the gazillion different MMOs out there should be enough to answer both questions.
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Well, the more different MMOs there are the higher are the potential player numbers.
That said, the games still needs to be good to attract larger numbers of players no matter how different they are from eachother. Mortal Online is very different from the rest of the MMOs and so is Eve but while Eve is doing fine MO have never had many players even though it is rather different from the rest of the games around.
But basicly: Yes.
Really? Most are fantasy trinity games, quest driven with about the same difficulty and same focus group. Sure, there are a few different games like Eve but most use more or less the same mechanics (levels, cooldown skills, same controls, group dynamics and do on) as the large majority of games.
How is that diverse?
Well, see part of the community on this site has submitted to the idea that LoL, Dota2, D3, Marvel Heroes, World of Tanks, CoD, Online Poker (basically any online multiplayer video game) are all MMOs. So I suppose if one's brain was wired in such a way, it would appear as though we have quite the diversity in the genre.
In reality however, the genre has been in a sorry state of stagnation and likeness for years now.
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Diverse?
How's WoW, Swtor, Rift, GW2, FF XIV 2.0, ESO, Wildstar are diverse? They are all very similar to one another.
Only MMORPG that is diffrent(aside from few small indies) is EVE.
Aside of MMORPGs we have one other MMO - MMOFPS to be exact = Planetisde 2.
How's that diverse?
I said yes but sucess depends on the producer point of view, so we cant say it.
Very well said, MisterZebub.
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MOBAs and lobby games really are their own cathegories though. I don't see how a MOBA could be a "Massive Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game". And frankly do adding them together make both genres a disfavor, they are very different typres of games with different goals for the players and different gameplay. It is kinda like putting Skyrim and Call of duty in the same genre because both are first person. Nothing against those games at all and great they are doing so well but that doesn't make them MMOs.
When you instead focus on the actual MMOs things are sadder right now. MMOs could easily diverse more while still being MMOs and that needs to happen or we will soon only see Asian games comming out on the market.