People are ready for a new, heavily promoted, strong IP, AAA MMO. It's time.

GPrestige

I haven't posted here in ages. I remember the era when there were new MMOs coming out very frequently - BIG MMOs. It was around 2008-2012. Everyone was excited for Age of Conan at one time, then AION, then RIFT, then SWG, etc. etc. I know a lot of these fell off, but it felt like the golden age of MMOs. There was always something to look forward to. Everyone thought they were going to have the big "WoW killer". 

Now that I look back, there were some people here on these forums who claimed that WoW would end up killing itself, and nothing else would. Little did we know how right they were. WoW is going under, and people are quitting in droves (for more on that, just go read any post discussing the latest expansion Battle for Azeroth). Yet, if you've listened to any of these people, they are thirsty as hell for something to fill the void. They aren't quitting because they are done with MMOs, it's because what they want isn't being offered anymore. 

I feel like a new triple-A MMO, heavily promoted/advertised, with all the right features that people have been craving would do phenomenally right now. There are a lot of small, niche MMOs out there that are doing fine in their own right, but there needs to be a new mammoth to take the spotlight. If you know of one coming up that might do this, please, feel free to post it here.

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

MrMelGibson

The traditional mmo we have become accustomed to is dead. Other than niche titles like Pantheon. We won't be seeing any AAA MMOs anytime soon. The next big mmo will be something revolutionary that no ones seen before. It won't be for a long time though. In till then, you're gonna see a lot of mmo-lite or hybrids. And mostly likely they will avoid using the title of mmo like the plague.

delete5230

I agree with the last two posters 110%. 

Triple A will not touch the mmo market until mmorpg's rise again.  When they see big $$ signs they will attempt again... money money money.

delete5230

DMKano said:

What the OP doesn't realize

there isn't enough people ready for a new AAA to make it worth the cost, which is well over 100million today for a polished AAA game.

That's why every AAA studio has moved away from traditional MMORPGs - there's just not enough player interested to make it profitable.

OP your only hope are indie studios at this time.

The time of the Elves  MMOs is over

? 
Over a 100 million to make ?... You seem to be the money man so I guess I'll have to some reason believe you.... If this is true, I see "greed" by everyone associated with the video game market. Pure greed !!

Enough player interested ?... No interest because mmorpg's suck and mmorpg's are not mmorpgs anymore. 

People didn't leave, they stopped being made.

Scot

DMKano said:

What the OP doesn't realize

there isn't enough people ready for a new AAA to make it worth the cost, which is well over 100million today for a polished AAA game.

That's why every AAA studio has moved away from traditional MMORPGs - there's just not enough player interested to make it profitable.

OP your only hope are indie studios at this time.

The time of the Elves  MMOs is over

Yes but in the films you are quoting the Elves did come back and saved the Rohirrim from disaster (unlike the books).

So I am going to say there is yet a chance for a renewal of the Last Alliance of real MMORPG players (us Elves) with the players of tiny/easymode/solo MMOs (you mannish lot).

One of the reasons ESO was a AAA success is that there had not been a AAA relaease for some years, that is a big factor. Unless the east releases another BDO, we are ready for another AAA right now.

Yes it would have to be hybrid in game play (as ESO was) but I would hope it would be able to steer closer to old school ideals than ESO did.

Another thing it would need is a great IP, The Witcher MMORPG, something like that.

But where DMkano is right is that investors are unlikely to put up the money for a AAA MMORPG as the insiders in the gaming industry say a new AAA would not be a success. I guess the same insiders said the same thing about ESO hmm?

WargfootYV

I think the OP is correct; however, it would have to be introduced as a highly polished product right out of the gate.  The whole pre-beta releases that burn everyone out before the product is finished couldn't be a part of the process, IMHO.

Xasapis

I think SC needs to become a success, before people brave their money by supporting directly high risk projects.

SBFord

"People are ready for a new, heavily promoted, strong IP, AAA MMO. It's time."

I read this title and think to myself that, while it may be time, there isn't a game developer or potential game that would survive the "hype" and the unreasonable expectations of fans. I don't blame a single studio for saying, "Thanks but no thanks."

Mikeha

"I feel like a new triple-A MMO, heavily promoted/advertised, with all the right features that people have been craving would do phenomenally right now"


Thats the part that stood out to me. What are the right features that people have been craving? 

Wizardry

Well op i am not sure what you mean by heavily promoted because the LAST thing we need is marketing TACTICS to sell games,what we do need however as you mentioned is a quality AAA game.
As to Wow i actually never thought a single thing about the game when it came out,heck i didn't even know anything about Blizzard,i only know over time it is NOT a quality game and Blizzard is not a AAA developer,it just took me a while to figure it out.
Anyhow this is not what i think about blizzard anyhow and as to those other games,Aion was grossly over rated,yes i was also there thinking AOC would be great but in the end all of those games were barely mediocre.

IMO the best game to actually do something for the genre,that also has tons of systems,many of which other games don't have was FFXI.So we went through a lengthy transition of EQ1>FFXI>EQ2/Wow.Then another lengthy transition to ONLY get better graphics with a couple mild improvements in BDO and FFXIV.

Even back during the EQ2 inception that gave us housing and better lighting/graphics.However for Gameplay it was FFXi which was basically a EQ1 clone but in reality a FF3 clone gave us improved game play systems.

As i write,i do NOT see a single game improving on anything already done,instead i expect the lesser.Fewer and badly designed systems,gaited/linear content and the current trend of hand holding markers that remove immersion.So what will happen is all those starving for a NEW great game will spend and over rate yet another mediocre game just because we are bored and tired of waiting.

Hatefull

SBFord said:

"People are ready for a new, heavily promoted, strong IP, AAA MMO. It's time."

I read this title and think to myself that, while it may be time, there isn't a game developer or potential game that would survive the "hype" and the unreasonable expectations of fans. I don't blame a single studio for saying, "Thanks but no thanks."

Exactly. Once again, the gamers, are more the problem than the solution.

This is why you do not see sports games dying, they know EXACTLY what their audience wants, and they give them that. FPS titles, still have a strong following because it's easy to give the fans what they want. MMORPG? Impossible, like Kano said, you would need a dump truck full of cash, and there is still no guarantee you will make a dime on the game. MMO RPG gamers are so eclectic in their tastes, trying to interest enough of them to make a game worth trying to make is impossible.

We will, however, spend several hundred dollars buying boxes so we can get that new super awesome set of armor. Instead of paying 15 bucks a month for the ability to own everything in the game if we play long enough. 

We will spend more time developing apps to make encounters as mindless as possible than we will fighting said encounters. We will spend hours on youtube before we log in to play just to ensure there is no real challenge awaiting us.

So do we really want a new Trip A MMO? I think not, well some of use do, like maybe ten or so. The rest just want to write apps and make a new Youtuber/Twitch Streamer famous while we eat up all there is to do in a game in a week then move on to the next shiny.

Vermillion_Raventhal

I think there are still too many MMORPG.  I wouldn't count on anything big until at least 2025.  Unintended consequence of F2P allowing should be shuttered MMORPG hang around for years.

I would like the genre to tone down the graphics.  Focus on the players and community.  Focus on multiplayer aspects of the world and gameplay.  Kill the questhub themepark design and design a functional world. 

Flesh out gameplay beyond combat.  Combat is given but where is exploration, trade, crafting, politics and etc. 

Ungood

an All-in-Wonder MMO is really not the future.

With the rise of MOBA, Battlegrounds, and upcoming Realm vs Realm focused games, MMO's have lost their hold on the Be-All-End-All they used to be.

Not to mention that people going to MMO's today, expect the new game to have the same amount of content that their last MMO had, which, had several expansions done before they left their old MMO, so new MMO's are expected to have vastly more content to them then the older MMO's had at launch.

Scot

DMKano said:

Scot said:

But where DMkano is right is that investors are unlikely to put up the money for a AAA MMORPG as the insiders in the gaming industry say a new AAA would not be a success. I guess the same insiders said the same thing about ESO hmm?

ESO wasn't a success until the console launch as far profitability.

At the time claims were made of questionable success - those were based on PC only.

Also it wasn't "insiders" who said this - but the top market research firms in the industry including EEDAR.

https://www.eedar.com/

Scroll to the bottom of the page - see the list of the companies who use EEDAR for market research.

Zenimax used to be listed there - they requested their name be hidden, they are still a customer

I can't see how that's relevant, I am not saying a new AAA would be a success in solely the PC market, just that is would be a success. It may need to go to console, it may like ESO did have to drop subscription only after three years, but it is a profitable venture. I could certainly see the case for planning an earlier console release after ESO's example.

Scot

SBFord said:

"People are ready for a new, heavily promoted, strong IP, AAA MMO. It's time."

I read this title and think to myself that, while it may be time, there isn't a game developer or potential game that would survive the "hype" and the unreasonable expectations of fans. I don't blame a single studio for saying, "Thanks but no thanks."

And a bah! Humbug to them!

Rhime

MrMelGibson said:

The traditional mmo we have become accustomed to is dead. Other than niche titles like Pantheon. We won't be seeing any AAA MMOs anytime soon. The next big mmo will be something revolutionary that no ones seen before. It won't be for a long time though. In till then, you're gonna see a lot of mmo-lite or hybrids. And mostly likely they will avoid using the title of mmo like the plague.

Ashes of Creation, Camelot Unchained, Star Citizen...

MadFrenchie

Hatefull said:

SBFord said:

"People are ready for a new, heavily promoted, strong IP, AAA MMO. It's time."

I read this title and think to myself that, while it may be time, there isn't a game developer or potential game that would survive the "hype" and the unreasonable expectations of fans. I don't blame a single studio for saying, "Thanks but no thanks."

Exactly. Once again, the gamers, are more the problem than the solution.

This is why you do not see sports games dying, they know EXACTLY what their audience wants, and they give them that. FPS titles, still have a strong following because it's easy to give the fans what they want. MMORPG? Impossible, like Kano said, you would need a dump truck full of cash, and there is still no guarantee you will make a dime on the game. MMO RPG gamers are so eclectic in their tastes, trying to interest enough of them to make a game worth trying to make is impossible.

We will, however, spend several hundred dollars buying boxes so we can get that new super awesome set of armor. Instead of paying 15 bucks a month for the ability to own everything in the game if we play long enough. 

We will spend more time developing apps to make encounters as mindless as possible than we will fighting said encounters. We will spend hours on youtube before we log in to play just to ensure there is no real challenge awaiting us.

So do we really want a new Trip A MMO? I think not, well some of use do, like maybe ten or so. The rest just want to write apps and make a new Youtuber/Twitch Streamer famous while we eat up all there is to do in a game in a week then move on to the next shiny.

While I'm not implying your overall post is wrong, sports games aren't a good indicator of how to provide fans "what they want."

If fans had a choice between free gameplay updates, including roster updates, multiple years instead of being forced to purchase a brand new title every single year just to get up to date rosters and have access to the online multiplayer service, I doubt many would volunteer the extra cash.

But sports games have to be licensed through the league organization.  And those licenses are exclusive.  As such, if you wanna run the Patriots offense with your boy Tom Brady, fork over the cash EA wants or bust.  That's not a good position for consumers, and I doubt if asked objectively whether they thought being in that position was ideal, most would say they enjoyed that position.

Wellspring

delete5230 said:

I agree with the last two posters 110%. 

Triple A will not touch the mmo market until mmorpg's rise again.  When they see big $$ signs they will attempt again... money money money.

Maybe "Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen" will be the game to bring Triple A's back.

MadFrenchie

Wellspring said:

delete5230 said:

I agree with the last two posters 110%. 

Triple A will not touch the mmo market until mmorpg's rise again.  When they see big $$ signs they will attempt again... money money money.

Maybe "Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen" will be the game to bring Triple A's back.

I'm thinking Daybreak's new EverQuest project is what's gonna save this genre.  For sure. /sarcasm

jonp200

Take into account the costs associated with a new IP, the hype, over-the-top expectations; and our collective glee and desire to dance on the grave of any publisher that doesn't hit it out of the park on release day and very few companies will take on that risk.

I agree Indies will be the saviors of this genre but time to ratchet down expectations for the flashiest graphics and new cutting edge engine.  They have a hugely difficult task.

I have always thought The Secret World by Funcom was a great example of this.  If you read their financial filings, they bet the company on TSW being a success not so much in the game itself being hugely successful but in proof of concept for their engine.  The plan was to develop other titles using it.

We all know the story.  Issues with bugs, stability, lack of marketing, an open beta using an older build of the engine...a buy to play model. Like it or hate it, they took a lot of risks with character progression and mod support using Flash. Most people found this overly complex.  Finally Guild Wars II launching shortly after release.. It was a disaster and nearly did them in with the loss of many of the core development team and writers, e.g. Ragnar T.

I maintain the game had one of the best narratives in recent history but it wasn't enough to move it forward.

Conversely, something like Candy Crush gets launched and is essentially a license to print money and it is easy to see why things have shifted.

Mendel

Lots of people seem to think that there is a future for a full-fledged AAA MMORPG, maybe with a major IP.  Does anyone actually know of one in development?  I certainly don't.  To me, that means that about the earliest we could see one would be in the 2025-2028 time frame.  Even if some indie games kindle a resurgence in MMORPGs, it will have to have very widespread appeal to attract the money necessary to make a AAA class game.  Even more, the indie games will need to step into unknown territory and expand the genre beyond combat with magic and crafting.  Again, I don't see this as a goal for anything currently in production.

Tyggs

"When the student is ready, the teacher shall appear" Y'all aint ready

Groqstrong

Right now the we are experiencing the rise of Mobile, MMO Arpgs, and BR games, we won't be given a grande MMO Rpg for awhile.  That said, the only company in my opinion that has an IP big enough, lore strong enough, and following large enough is Blizzard.  An MMO Rpg based on a StarCraft or Diablo universe or a completely new universe would bring in the players by the droves.  Albeit they don't continue to shit on their playerbase.

Vermillion_Raventhal

I also think people are in denial about themepark MMORPG.  Just no reason to make them. They are low scope games in a big scope genre.  Scaling it down to coop just make sense.  That's what they have been functionally refined down to based on metrics. 

I don't think developers see the value or want to be first to take the risk on making MMORPG based on new foundations.  Likely wait on a semi successful indie title to do it first.

ChildoftheShadows

Don't be stingy when it comes to supporting indie teams. If they're creating something up your alley them give them a bit of support. It's not like you'll go broke dropping a few bucks and it goes a long way to help bring them to fruition.

It's the only way you'll get niche MMOs.

hikaru77

Xasapis said:

I think SC needs to become a success, before people brave their money by supporting directly high risk projects.

SC is already a success.