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How disturbed are you by this trend?
Koltrane
Member UncommonPosts: 1,049
It started with Microsoft's rather abrupt abandonment of Mythica, which was followed with an announcement from Tektonic that Ninth Domain is facing termination. Now we hear a rather final report from Cyber Warrior that Rubies of Eventide is closed. This is a kind of 1-2-3 punch that has many of us who follow the genre reeling.
I certainly don't think that the MMOG phenomenon is about to implode, and the three closings may be only peripherally related, but the short time frame in which all three occurred is quite disturbing.
Are we looking at a coincidence, or the beginning of a thinning of the MMORPG herd? With so many games both live and in production, it is only logical that some will fall by the wayside, but when three go down this quickly, it's time to ask if there's trouble in virtual paradise.
Anyone have any thoughts?
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Old timer.
Comments
I think there is a natural ebb and flow to these kinds of markets - and by that, I mean markets that:
1) Start fairly small.
2) Experience some growth, and more importantly, some profit. Because the number of products on the market is still relatively small, customer base participates in each undertaking (each game), since each is new and different.
3) Suddenly everyone rushes in to cash in with their version to get a piece of that money pie.
4) Customer base gets disenfranchised; you no longer have every player trying every product, because so much of the output is poorly-designed and hurried to market.
5) Weaker competitors collapse as the now-seasoned player base chooses only the best products.
That's basically what happened to the comic book market in the early to mid 90s. I think the MMORPG industry is in step 2, but about to move into step 3. The three that have already been withdrawn are just a step ahead of schedule.
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Those who beat their sword into plowshares usually end up plowing for those who don't.
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Those who beat their sword into plowshares usually end up plowing for those who don't.
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Omol da'Ox
The Blooded
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Omol da'Ox
Rubies has been in trouble for a while now. They were were to shut the game down a few months ago, but somehow got enough money or resouces to keep it going. Honestly this game has been in development since at least '97 (that I know of). While I did beta test it for a lil while it was not ready for public release. I won't bash it here.
But yes I do believe we have a overflow of games in deveopment and only the strong will survive. Too many similar game types just ruins the market. I'm surprised the RTS genre hasn't imploded with all the similar types of gameplay it has.
I think M$ figured out they just isn't enough money to be had with Mythica and the game would just be another title in a crowded field of mmo's.
i think it would be nice if they fired the Developers instead of terminating the actual game
Ok, everybody, lets get together and chant:
Fire Raph Koster, Fire Raph Koster, fire Raph Koster, fire Raph Koster........
People who have to create conspiracy and hate threads to further a cause lacks in intellectual comprehension of diversity.
The list of MMORPG's in development are as long/longer than your arm. Not all of the can came to pass. The market works, those worthy will come to be, those not will be canceled by Microsoft for a game company headed by a man with a proven track record and a similar theamed game.
This type of things happens to games/movies/books/restaurants/stores and everything else in every other market. We're just not following them so closely and we seldom notice.
I consider this just be the first wave, I'd expect allot more bloodshed before we're done. This market is growing but still young and small. (relativly speaking)
MMO-(insert type here) will become the new "common" form of home entertainment. This genre has bright future. (buy stock now)
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MMORPG is a fairly new market .It will grow but companies jumping into it are far too many .
To put my two cents worth in...
I think a major problem is that so many of the MMOG's are based on two concepts: fantasy or sci-fi. The fantasy genre is so heavily flooded that it's hard to see much difference/uniqueness between the various games. From a purely visual/gameplay perspective, everyone can see the differences between Everquest, Asherons Call, and FFXI. But they all become 'over-similar' in regard to 'aesthetics'. As for sci-fi, at least one developer has a huge potential due to its license, namely SW:G. I haven't played too many of the sci-fi based ones myself, but I don't see the market being swayed in that direction except toward SW:G, and I attribute that success to the popularity of Star Wars, not the quality of the game.
There are three games coming out that I am greatly anticipating. The first of these is City of Heroes. The biggest factor (IMHO) in this games appeal is there are NO other games in its genre, ie comic-book superheroes. It would perhaps be a bit impractical, but could you imagine if Marvel and DC were to create their own MMOG's? Of course, everybody would want to play their favorite hero, which would create a ton of problems and complaints, but if CoH can get around this issue, I'm sure the big boys will eventually give it a try as well. Keep your eyes on this one, I'm betting it knocks a few of the reigning MMOG's down a few, maybe within a year of its debut.
The second game I'm interested in seeing debut is Lord of the Rings Online. I don't expect this to be hugely popular however. I think it will instead be riding on the coattails of the movies success. I realize there is a huge fanbase out there, but I think that same fanbase will instead be more drawn to my third choice, coincidentally being developed by the same company as LOTR:O. This is, of course, Dungeons & Dragons Online.
DDO has an enormous wealth of material to draw from. The size of the fanbase is incredible. This game has the greatest potential for (financial) success of anything currently on the market. It also has the potential for the greatest number of complaints, due to the equally enormous complexity of its rules. Aside from the games being based on the most widely popular fantasy setting though, it's no different from the other fantasy based MMOG's. (Just my humble opinion of course, though I've played D&D for twenty years).
Variety. That is what I think the MMOG industry is lacking. DDO will capitalize on the settings familiarity and popularity. This most likely will draw a lot of players from the other already established fantasy MMOG's. CoH will capitalize on its uniqueness, at least until other developers introduce similar themed games. Resident Evil Online could have been a great game, had it been better executed, since there are very few horror based MMOG's. And I wouldn't put it past someone to develop a wrestling based MMOG before too long, in the theme of the WWF, or whatever they're calling themselves today. So simply put, in order for a developer to be able to do more than just survive in this industry, they are going to have to create a truly unique product, and not just rehash what's already there and give it better graphics.
Sorry for the longwindedness, but there you have my reasoning for the MMOG trend.
Peace
I think that a lot of companies are still trying to cash in on UO's and EQ's success in the fantasy setting. There are way, way too many fantasy MMORPGs out there and a whole lot more in development. The sad thing is that instead of the gameplay evolving over the years, like it should, it basically stays the same with few minor changes here and there.
Maybe the development houses are to blame for being afraid to try something new. Or maybe the publishers are to blame for not wanting to try anything new. I doubt that anyone knows the real reason. The sad fact is that there are only so many orcs and elves a person can kill before the boredom drives him/her away. And when the person leaves in hopes of finding something different, where is he going to go when the whole freaking market is saturated with fantasy game that don't really offer anything new besides different graphics?
That is why I'm really looking forward to City of Heroes. Yes, it's a carebear game, which I don't really mind, but at least I won't have to see another elf or orc.
The whole MMORPG market is in dire need of something unique and different.
I voted for: There's not enough variety in current MMORPGs.
Look at what we have so far. Most MMORPGs are the same with a bit different graphics.
Example: Horizons
It's a Flop because it has NOTHING new to offer. YOu can play dragons. woohooo Really nothing new there.
I'm playing eve online because it's different from the typical kill rats, kill skeletons, kill demons to gain level.
Rubies of Eventide is a good example. I Betatested it and thought: WTF? Who is gonna play this. It's not only NOTHING new. It's even worse then what's on the market allready.
I am sure there's a lot potential in this market still and lots of people willing to pay for a MMORPG.
You have to come with something new though since the classical MMORPG marlet is ruled by the major companies and their games. (EQ, DAOC, FF XI, Linage 2 (soon))
I'm looking forward to play Ryzom (it has some nice new ideas) and Linage 2.
Lineage 2 is classical MMORPG but there you don't level just for leveling. You level to get strong for PvP and castle sieges and i am looking forward to this.
My conclusion: There's still lots of potential but the devs have to stop producing EQ clones.
Greetings,
I think it's the "greed" factor. A company looks at 10,000 players at $15.00 a month and sees the gold mine.
I don't think they understand what attracts us to the game and the extended cost of development to get there.
UO made it because they were one of the first and they had been writing RPG for a long time.
UXO and maybe Blizzard will make it too, because they've spent time in the past and have a good feel for what we like.
Several others I have seen, seems to think we just want to hack monsters or craft stuff. We've been there, and done that. We thrive for the next level, even if we don't know what that is yet.
Take a chance! Making something new that fails is much better than making something old that will fail.
-Ravon
It's better be hated for who you are, than loved for who you aren't.
It's better be hated for who you are, than loved for who you aren't.
I think the MMORPG genre is a huge sucess and can only get better.
The only problem I face is that companies don't want to take a risk and usually end up with making clones of sucessful mmorpg's.
The first company who takes a leap into a whole new idea of mmo's will come out on top.
Anyways, alot of companies are starting to make MMO's like the matrix online, MEO, L2,EQ2,UXO,WoW, and alot more...
I think it's a good thing that some MMOs die off, heck it's what the whole capitalist sytem is based on.Put out a good product and live to develop another, if a company puts out a POS then I hope they die off.Change and competition can only benefit the consumers in the end.
On another note I,along with probably every other fantasy fan, grew up reading Dragon Lance novels and i hope that all these new games will eventually lead to a MMO set in the land of Krynn.
∙name: EViLD0G
∙clan: [EXE]
∙playing: EQ, SIMS, AC, AC2, DAoC, FFXI, RS
∙planning: DnL, WoW
Yep, what he said. It's capitalistic survival-of-the-fittest.
Also, ditto on what Constantine said.
Remember the disappointment when UO2 suddenly cancelled? Well, there back with UX:O (which I still privately call UO2).
MMORPGs will exist as long as the Internet does. And that will be a very, very long time.
~ Ancient Membership ~
I agree with this. Survival of the Fittest. We are finally beginning to weed out the crap games. The last one (few) standing will be the winner(s).
This happens all the time in the gaming arena. Somebody makes a break through game and makes bank on it. Then a whole bunch of other shops jump in and try to copy the idea. Most of them fail, a few succeed. Look at Diablo, how many crap clones came from that? Command and Conquer spawned a bunch of crap clones. It happens over and over. These companies that jump on the bandwagon and copy a proven formula need to quit copying ideas and start coming up with their own.
I personally am glad to see them fail miserably.
As a few people have mentioned.. I also believe its all to do with Story and the game not just graphics but graphics and screenshots even doctored ones set on max resolution ( as if anyone can play a mmorpg like that, ok you might with 2 people running around but a raid of 40+ players) not a chance. your PC will blow up from lag lol
Lets look at this for a game to survive and become popular with a good customer base it has to have the following.
Great graphics, "Imersion", Wonderful story line addictive, pvp if people want it (even if its a seperate server), rewards for hard work and passive players. good community and trade system, CUSTOMER SERVICE which is top notch, Developement team that LISTENS!!
Now to achieve all them things not just over the release period it takes a vast input of money. Now iam afraid alot of the smaller companies do not have this money pot. Where Sony and blizzard and the other giants do. So even though the content of some of these smaller games are great, people do not flock to them becuase they expect the best for their money. So the games fail.
So we loose mmorpgs ok its sad but until we can do something about the trend we are we seeing over the last few years. Games being released way to early and because we the players dont do much or should i say cant do anything about it. Games are getting released early full of bugs and we willing pay for it.
SWG iam guilty of paying for a unfinished product, i played beta, told C3po many a time all the way from Beta2 there are many issues that needed sorting but his hands were tied. Its the money men wanting to see a return on thier money who then pressure the devs and what happens they get sloppy and games get worse becuase its rushed.
I personally think we will see many more games in the near future being stopped before release. i think you will find that microsoft will not bother with mmorpgs anymore the market is tough enough as it is and with that investors will not put money in to smaller companies who wish to make a mmorpg.
So the fat cats of Sony will enjoy the news they are hearing and continue to abuse us all by releasing games not finished because they can get away with it.
I so pray iam wrong.
I've been playing MMORPGs casually for the last 4 years. My first being EQ, second DAoC, third AO and now SWG. I'm not a power-gamer, but have become more interested in the community of these games, and what makes one more successful over the other.
Being an avid "role-player", I've been rather disappointed in the actual roleplaying aspects. So far AO and SWG have made my role easier to play with the content and objects provided in the game. Unfortunately, the companies aren't to blame...it's the players. Most I have found are more interested in power-leveling so fast that they have spent little time really developing their character and involving themselves within the community. There are plenty of roleplayers out there though, it's just finding the right server or "guild".
There are too many MMORPGs coming out of the woodwork to jump on the proverbial "band-wagon". Have you noticed an influx in MMORPGs that are related to recent movies? I think it's the industries way of drawing in more people who would not normally play an MMORPG to become immersed in their favorite movie.
I'm not too disturbed by the trend of failing MMORPGs. Companies succeed and fail everyday, it's their motivation to provide the best product/service that will determine their success in maintaining a customer base.
I cried when the days of the BBS went away and L.O.R.D. the door game (IMO the FIRST really good MUD) had no more support. Then i found MUD's alot died and new ones were made then came the real meat of the Online RPG the MMOD and MMORPG's ipso facto Online gaming will only get better my friends.
I currently play Hostilespace by Interadventure... for some strange reason even the biggest skeptics of this game get sucked into the nice cleaness and cheap thrills!! If you wanna check it use me as your sponosr and i'll hook you up ingame o.< www.hostilespace.com/sponsor?=OMUADDIBO
so dont worry friends the future of MMORPG is only fading to return brighter tomorrow.
Three products leaving a field that likely counts near 100+ is hardly anything to panic about.
I am me
I am me
Creativity in game production basically desides if the game will suceed or flop. If they just could keep up with squaresoft's creativity they would always succeed. Square soft has constantley came out with new games and each time a new concept or new worls or creatures bringing back the best of the old and effectively introducing the new ideas. new rpg elements and real-time based gameplay are key to the sucess of a game. I just hope the programmers or producers think about this for there next ideas.
We all die sometime,
I'll be waiting.
We all die sometime,
I'll be waiting.
Gold rush!Thats all it was.Simply put if a poor man goes out and finds gold and becomes rich then tells others about where he found it what happens.All rush there and first few that get there make it big.
Then when thousands get there it starts to get very competitive and those without the stomach for the competition of those hoping to be millionares get dissapointed and leave.
Is the gold less in demand to the buyer no it is still as valuable as ever.Only fewer miners now as the get rich overnight folks are gone and only those that are ready to put in the hard work and over time reap the rewards are left.
Same thing in mmorpgs.The market is there for it .But with everyone making them the market is going to be too saturated.
99% of mmorpg players have time for 1 or 2 mmorpgs at best.Very few have time for more then 1 mmorpg.
I think this is a good thing in some ways.Only people left will be those that actually feel they have made a game worthy of years of gameplay.
Maybe now gone will be the half baked no content games feeled with bugs.Maybe now we will have less pretty pictures and more gameplay.