1. Asheron's Call 2. The beginning of Turbine's decline by losing touch with it's original player base and jumping on the big name IP themepark design. I was a huge AC fan and remember well the naivete of it's player base thinking we would get AC advanced with updated tech. This was the start of the industry only caring about growth over concept. After this each founding company of the genre started dropping like flies to big business and what once was a niche hobby became reshaped into cash cows with little regard to it's original audience (rpg, MUD hobbyists ... typically not a group who considered themselves video gamers).
2. Warhammer online. Fan of the IP but the mess it became with both the development team and game was a big let down.
3. Wow. Odd choice I know because of it's overall success but Blizzard showed early on it had no intention of building upon the game but instead rewriting and reshaping it toward greater manageability and industry trends. Recently it appears they simply want to throw it into maintenance mode as best they can with separate and automated systems like a true fairground and throw the vast majority of it's earnings into new gaming trends. It is what Blizzard does and always will do but it is still a shame what has become of a once proud game.
In general I'd say the greatest failed hype was mmorpgs themselves. It was an industry completely taken over by big business and absorbed into general video gaming. The entire industry was shaping toward something greatly different than the origins of the mmorpg. A hobby was something that took up the majority of your time and did not consume itself. RPG was a hobby. Board games was a hobby. MUD was a hobby. Video gaming is also a hobby but not unto itself. That industry was built from the ground up as a consumable product. It demanded you came back for more and to purchase new products over and over again. The mmorpg may never have had a chance.
Once the concept of a virtualized living world converted to video game format the industry engine took over and it was not allowed to exist in it's original form. One may say this was inevitable but the original developers also could have chose not to sell out. It is apparent many hold regrets and want a second go around. I hope this ship hasn't sailed but the timing for a resurrection likely couldn't be better.
3. SWG. The game was so bad that at one point us players organized an ingame protest and GM's killed all the players. It lasted a while but definitely failed to live up to franchise name.
2. SWTOR. Sensing a trend here? From no endgame content at launch including Ilum (broken mass pvp). The devs actually told players that they expected them to roll alts to generate more playtime because the stories of the characters were so well written (they weren't). It has improved significantly since then but still shows it's roots with wanting to charge F2P players for action bar space.
1. Rift. This game was labeled by Trion as the "WoW Killer". Talk about setting your game up for failure. I was there at launch and my guild had one of the first kills of Greenscale (boss in the first raid). The body proceeded to fall through the floor and a GM told us to "try again next week". Next week, same result. 90% of the guild unsubbed. It has since made great strides in F2P and content but it will never live down the "WoW Killer".
Please note these games are all profitable and doing well these days.
Guild Wars 2 Star Wars: The Old Republic Rift
All these games were hyped through the roof. Now they have settled into their respective niches and are doing great. But a lot of drama could've been avoided if they didn't toot their own horns quite so loud.
I'm pretty sure WildStar takes the cake for hype-fails. It was one of the most overhyped games and everyone and their mom wanted to play it. Looking at it now, you would never even know it had more than the 2 servers it currently does.
I knew it before I clicked this "thread" (not sure it deserves the name), but as usual, people tend to confuse "failed game" with "a game I didn't like but which is still a massive success".
For instance, I viscerally HATE movies like "Twilight" or "Transformers". To me (and just to me, opinion you know) there are piles of stinking crap. Yet I can't call them a failure, considering the box offices scores they have.
3 MMORPGs with big names, big hype, which failed and ended being shut down?
- Vanguard
- Warhammer
- SWG
There are a few more, but those are the most obvious ones.
Those listing games like SW:TOR, Rift, GW2 or even WoW (seriously?) didn't understand the question, or conveniently ignored it so they could once again climb on their little soapbox and post about their personal hatred of specific games which are in no way failures.
The Op asked:
"I'm curious what was your bad experience(?)"
The Op therefore is asking about failure in relation to personal experience and not just bound by a game's commercial success. This begs the question:
Did you understand the question?
Now would you define the playing experience of Wow in vanilla and even BC the same as it is now? Does the original Wow even exist anymore? How does this differ in anyway than not being able to play SWG or any other cancelled game?
Man I almost forgot about that game. I too was disappointed. I didn't feel there was much hype with it compared to other recent hype trains but I had my hopes.
3. SWG. The game was so bad that at one point us players organized an ingame protest and GM's killed all the players. It lasted a while but definitely failed to live up to franchise name.
Are you serious gm killed protesters ? lol that's funny but i heard good things about swg on the forums. Lot of ppl would like to have new swg.
I knew it before I clicked this "thread" (not sure it deserves the name), but as usual, people tend to confuse "failed game" with "a game I didn't like but which is still a massive success".
For instance, I viscerally HATE movies like "Twilight" or "Transformers". To me (and just to me, opinion you know) there are piles of stinking crap. Yet I can't call them a failure, considering the box offices scores they have.
3 MMORPGs with big names, big hype, which failed and ended being shut down?
- Vanguard
- Warhammer
- SWG
There are a few more, but those are the most obvious ones.
Those listing games like SW:TOR, Rift, GW2 or even WoW (seriously?) didn't understand the question, or conveniently ignored it so they could once again climb on their little soapbox and post about their personal hatred of specific games which are in no way failures.
The Op asked:
"I'm curious what was your bad experience(?)"
The Op therefore is asking about failure in relation to personal experience and not just bound by a game's commercial success. This begs the question:
Did you understand the question?
The OP first asked "I'm just wondering what do you guys think was the biggest hype of all time that failed ugly.", and then added the sentence you quoted out of context so conveniently just to try to bash me.
So my question remains... have you really understood the question, or are you just using this thread out of topic so you can climb on your little soapbox and hate some specific games?
Well you appear to only want to argue pointlessly over interpreting broken and poorly written english using modern slangs of the word "fail".
Carry forward with in your bitterness ... I'll ignore it from now on as it has zero contribution to the discussion other than in your own head.
3. SWG. The game was so bad that at one point us players organized an ingame protest and GM's killed all the players. It lasted a while but definitely failed to live up to franchise name.
Are you serious gm killed protesters ? lol that's funny but i heard good things about swg on the forums. Lot of ppl would like to have new swg.
Whoa! When did this happen? I only stuck around the game for he first year or so. What failed for me was the core game play. It falls in the category of games like TSW, Swtor and ESO (to use more modern examples) where I like about 50% of the game and can't stand the other 50%.
My only regret with SWG is not trying out the space expansion. I don't think I have been in a AAA mmo where GM abuse was an issue or at least personally experienced it. My one try at custom servers on the other hand ... yeesh.
I knew it before I clicked this "thread" (not sure it deserves the name), but as usual, people tend to confuse "failed game" with "a game I didn't like but which is still a massive success".
For instance, I viscerally HATE movies like "Twilight" or "Transformers". To me (and just to me, opinion you know) there are piles of stinking crap. Yet I can't call them a failure, considering the box offices scores they have.
3 MMORPGs with big names, big hype, which failed and ended being shut down?
- Vanguard
- Warhammer
- SWG
There are a few more, but those are the most obvious ones.
Those listing games like SW:TOR, Rift, GW2 or even WoW (seriously?) didn't understand the question, or conveniently ignored it so they could once again climb on their little soapbox and post about their personal hatred of specific games which are in no way failures.
If you don't see how gw2 should be on the list then you might want to reread the question again yourself. The hype surrounding gw2 was insane. I've never seen anything like it before, gw2 was not only going to kill WoW it was going to kill the subscription model itself, it's combat would kill the trinity, and the events would be so deep the game wouldn't even need raiding as we would all just be doing events over and over to see the hundreds of possible outcomes. People lined up to gush over how mindblowingly innovative gw2 was going to be and how it would change absolutely everything. Do you remember the can we can we count to 10,000 before gw2 launches thread?
Going from the most hyped MMO release of all time to a game that is getting by but not doing great where most people who were out of their minds about how good gw2 was going to be can't even be bothered to log in anymore.
As compared to games that launched with small fraction of gw2's hype then died or did really poorly.
Well given how amazing EQ1 was back in the day you can imagine how hyped fans were for EQ2. Releasing the same time as WoW only made EQ2 all the more painful to witness. And worse still, EQ2 never even approached being a halfway decent game. it was terrible from launch to it's soon to be death and will sadly get outlived by EQ1.
I knew it before I clicked this "thread" (not sure it deserves the name), but as usual, people tend to confuse "failed game" with "a game I didn't like but which is still a massive success".
For instance, I viscerally HATE movies like "Twilight" or "Transformers". To me (and just to me, opinion you know) there are piles of stinking crap. Yet I can't call them a failure, considering the box offices scores they have.
3 MMORPGs with big names, big hype, which failed and ended being shut down?
- Vanguard
- Warhammer
- SWG
There are a few more, but those are the most obvious ones.
Those listing games like SW:TOR, Rift, GW2 or even WoW (seriously?) didn't understand the question, or conveniently ignored it so they could once again climb on their little soapbox and post about their personal hatred of specific games which are in no way failures.
The Op asked:
"I'm curious what was your bad experience(?)"
The Op therefore is asking about failure in relation to personal experience and not just bound by a game's commercial success. This begs the question:
Did you understand the question?
Now would you define the playing experience of Wow in vanilla and even BC the same as it is now? Does the original Wow even exist anymore? How does this differ in anyway than not being able to play SWG or any other cancelled game?
Ofc I'm asking about your personal bad experience because I can't trust this comercial websites anymore so you got the question right. I want to read all the annswers to know what to avoid lol
I knew it before I clicked this "thread" (not sure it deserves the name), but as usual, people tend to confuse "failed game" with "a game I didn't like but which is still a massive success".
For instance, I viscerally HATE movies like "Twilight" or "Transformers". To me (and just to me, opinion you know) there are piles of stinking crap. Yet I can't call them a failure, considering the box offices scores they have.
3 MMORPGs with big names, big hype, which failed and ended being shut down?
- Vanguard
- Warhammer
- SWG
There are a few more, but those are the most obvious ones.
Those listing games like SW:TOR, Rift, GW2 or even WoW (seriously?) didn't understand the question, or conveniently ignored it so they could once again climb on their little soapbox and post about their personal hatred of specific games which are in no way failures.
If you don't see how gw2 should be on the list then you might want to reread the question again yourself. The hype surrounding gw2 was insane. I've never seen anything like it before, gw2 was not only going to kill WoW it was going to kill the subscription model itself, it's combat would kill the trinity, and the events would be so deep the game wouldn't even need raiding as we would all just be doing events over and over to see the hundreds of possible outcomes. People lined up to gush over how mindblowingly innovative gw2 was going to be and how it would change absolutely everything. Do you remember the can we can we count to 10,000 before gw2 launches thread?
Going from the most hyped MMO release of all time to a game that is getting by but not doing great where most people who were out of their minds about how good gw2 was going to be can't even be bothered to log in anymore.
As compared to games that launched with small fraction of gw2's hype then died or did really poorly.
I do agree with you on this one too. I was on the GW2 hype train for a while too ... until I logged in to play it in beta. I never before lost all interest so fast. Same thing repeated with Wildstar but I wasn't really hyped in any way for it so wasn't too much of a let down other than the shiny newness and sliver of hope each new mmo brings.
Word of warning though. Your reply may likely only be met by the internet kiddie's "I win" button ... the meme pic.
Comments
My biggest disappointments were:
1. Asheron's Call 2. The beginning of Turbine's decline by losing touch with it's original player base and jumping on the big name IP themepark design. I was a huge AC fan and remember well the naivete of it's player base thinking we would get AC advanced with updated tech. This was the start of the industry only caring about growth over concept. After this each founding company of the genre started dropping like flies to big business and what once was a niche hobby became reshaped into cash cows with little regard to it's original audience (rpg, MUD hobbyists ... typically not a group who considered themselves video gamers).
2. Warhammer online. Fan of the IP but the mess it became with both the development team and game was a big let down.
3. Wow. Odd choice I know because of it's overall success but Blizzard showed early on it had no intention of building upon the game but instead rewriting and reshaping it toward greater manageability and industry trends. Recently it appears they simply want to throw it into maintenance mode as best they can with separate and automated systems like a true fairground and throw the vast majority of it's earnings into new gaming trends. It is what Blizzard does and always will do but it is still a shame what has become of a once proud game.
In general I'd say the greatest failed hype was mmorpgs themselves. It was an industry completely taken over by big business and absorbed into general video gaming. The entire industry was shaping toward something greatly different than the origins of the mmorpg. A hobby was something that took up the majority of your time and did not consume itself. RPG was a hobby. Board games was a hobby. MUD was a hobby. Video gaming is also a hobby but not unto itself. That industry was built from the ground up as a consumable product. It demanded you came back for more and to purchase new products over and over again. The mmorpg may never have had a chance.
Once the concept of a virtualized living world converted to video game format the industry engine took over and it was not allowed to exist in it's original form. One may say this was inevitable but the original developers also could have chose not to sell out. It is apparent many hold regrets and want a second go around. I hope this ship hasn't sailed but the timing for a resurrection likely couldn't be better.
You stay sassy!
Age of Mourning
Dark and Light
Stargate online or whatever it was called.
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
3. SWG. The game was so bad that at one point us players organized an ingame protest and GM's killed all the players. It lasted a while but definitely failed to live up to franchise name.
2. SWTOR. Sensing a trend here? From no endgame content at launch including Ilum (broken mass pvp). The devs actually told players that they expected them to roll alts to generate more playtime because the stories of the characters were so well written (they weren't). It has improved significantly since then but still shows it's roots with wanting to charge F2P players for action bar space.
1. Rift. This game was labeled by Trion as the "WoW Killer". Talk about setting your game up for failure. I was there at launch and my guild had one of the first kills of Greenscale (boss in the first raid). The body proceeded to fall through the floor and a GM told us to "try again next week". Next week, same result. 90% of the guild unsubbed. It has since made great strides in F2P and content but it will never live down the "WoW Killer".
Please note these games are all profitable and doing well these days.
Guild Wars 2
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Rift
All these games were hyped through the roof. Now they have settled into their respective niches and are doing great. But a lot of drama could've been avoided if they didn't toot their own horns quite so loud.
Asheron's Call 2 .I dumped it the second I played the beta realising it was quite bad.
Warhammer I actually enjoyed this game initially but in the end I left it
Age of Conan It was fun but then I left Tortage.
Now, which one of you will adorn me today?
i'm surprised there's no mention of Wildstar.
d'oh! and just as i wrote it someone did mention it xD
I had fun once, it was terrible.
This is pretty much the ultimate top 3 list.
Other people just try to use the word fail to express their personal disappointment.
My runner up on top 4 would probably be Tabula Rasa. Quite some Garriot-related hype, but not as big a name/franchise as 2 of the top 3.
Definitely Warhammer. Paul Barnett hyped that game like a true pro.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWvAznIRVLA
1. Chronicles of Spellborn
2. Guild Wars 2
3. Rift
Hedonismbot: Your latest performance was as delectable as dipping my bottom over and over into a bath of the silkiest oils and creams.
The Op asked:
"I'm curious what was your bad experience(?)"
The Op therefore is asking about failure in relation to personal experience and not just bound by a game's commercial success. This begs the question:
Did you understand the question?
Now would you define the playing experience of Wow in vanilla and even BC the same as it is now? Does the original Wow even exist anymore? How does this differ in anyway than not being able to play SWG or any other cancelled game?
You stay sassy!
Man I almost forgot about that game. I too was disappointed. I didn't feel there was much hype with it compared to other recent hype trains but I had my hopes.
You stay sassy!
Are you serious gm killed protesters ? lol that's funny but i heard good things about swg on the forums. Lot of ppl would like to have new swg.
Well you appear to only want to argue pointlessly over interpreting broken and poorly written english using modern slangs of the word "fail".
Carry forward with in your bitterness ... I'll ignore it from now on as it has zero contribution to the discussion other than in your own head.
You stay sassy!
Whoa! When did this happen? I only stuck around the game for he first year or so. What failed for me was the core game play. It falls in the category of games like TSW, Swtor and ESO (to use more modern examples) where I like about 50% of the game and can't stand the other 50%.
My only regret with SWG is not trying out the space expansion. I don't think I have been in a AAA mmo where GM abuse was an issue or at least personally experienced it. My one try at custom servers on the other hand ... yeesh.
You stay sassy!
1. Wildstar
2. Archeage
3. Warhammer online
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.
Edgar Allan Poe
If you don't see how gw2 should be on the list then you might want to reread the question again yourself. The hype surrounding gw2 was insane. I've never seen anything like it before, gw2 was not only going to kill WoW it was going to kill the subscription model itself, it's combat would kill the trinity, and the events would be so deep the game wouldn't even need raiding as we would all just be doing events over and over to see the hundreds of possible outcomes. People lined up to gush over how mindblowingly innovative gw2 was going to be and how it would change absolutely everything. Do you remember the can we can we count to 10,000 before gw2 launches thread?
Going from the most hyped MMO release of all time to a game that is getting by but not doing great where most people who were out of their minds about how good gw2 was going to be can't even be bothered to log in anymore.
As compared to games that launched with small fraction of gw2's hype then died or did really poorly.
1. Warhammer
2. SWTOR
3. AA
All Time Favorites: EQ1, WoW, EvE, GW1
Playing Now: WoW, ESO, GW2
Well given how amazing EQ1 was back in the day you can imagine how hyped fans were for EQ2. Releasing the same time as WoW only made EQ2 all the more painful to witness. And worse still, EQ2 never even approached being a halfway decent game. it was terrible from launch to it's soon to be death and will sadly get outlived by EQ1.
So I'm going to go with:
1. EQ2
2. Vanguard
3. Warhammer Online
Honorable mentions: TESO, ArcheAge, FFXIV
I don't remember there being much hype for SWG.
That was before the WoW days when MMOs were still super niche. Even with the Star Wars name, wasn't a massively hyped game if I remember right.
So the top hype to failure games would be WAR and Tabula Rasa for me.
If I had to choose a 3rd it'd probably Ultima Online X: Odyssey.
UO2 looked too weird IMO, but Odyssey looked interesting. Damn you EA/Origin!
UO2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EGWBSjHVGI
UXO - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVoDp5QKjiA
Ofc I'm asking about your personal bad experience because I can't trust this comercial websites anymore so you got the question right. I want to read all the annswers to know what to avoid lol
Yet 2 of these games are still going strong.....
Anarchy Online
Age of Conan
... and the biggest failure... can we have a drum roll please? No? Ok.
The biggest fail in my experience has to be Horizons!
I do agree with you on this one too. I was on the GW2 hype train for a while too ... until I logged in to play it in beta. I never before lost all interest so fast. Same thing repeated with Wildstar but I wasn't really hyped in any way for it so wasn't too much of a let down other than the shiny newness and sliver of hope each new mmo brings.
Word of warning though. Your reply may likely only be met by the internet kiddie's "I win" button ... the meme pic.
You stay sassy!