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[Column] General: Two Lessons From February
SBFord
Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
The MMOG category is large and diverse enough to be a consistent source of interesting news and food for thought. Last month, as usual, there was no shortage of news about individual MMOGs. February was also rather interesting for those among us, myself included, who track what's going on in the industry and the market. During the past few weeks, we had the chance to learn at least a couple of notable lessons... if we didn't know them already.
Read more of Richard Aihoshi's The Free Zone: Two Lessons from February.
Comments
Seeing how many games where shut down, publishers do not seem to have qualms about it. That means that games that are still running are profitable. Even more so if they were P2P before and got changed. Either it's even more profit, or loss (and shutting it down soon) vs. profit (and keeping it running indefinitely).
I also don't think the problem is really "they play a game i don't enjoy", but the fear that developers and publisher will focus on those kind of games. If ten times as many people play game A compared to game B, it's likely there is more money to be made with game A, too. And with the rush to get a WoW clone or a MOBA out of the door, we can see how easily it can happen that the whole industry focused on just one type of game. If i happen to not like it, the near to intermediate future is looking bleak. Heck, we are still recovering from the "WoW clone" years, and there are still more MOBAs to be released.
Where to place the line that separates hardcore from non-hardcore? I ask, is it actually that clear cut? At the very least it's a rather erratic one with blurred edges. Maybe the difference is even all made up?
I'll wait to the day's end when the moon is high
And then I'll rise with the tide with a lust for life, I'll
Amass an army, and we'll harness a horde
And then we'll limp across the land until we stand at the shore
2... I don't believe in begrudging other people their fun, tho for sure there are games people play that I don't understand how they enjoy them. I do understand that people don't want the mcdonaldization of their genre, I don't either. But the existence of McDonald's doesn't preclude the existence of Peter luger's.
3... a combination of needing groups and being able to make important character decisions that might require out of game research
RIP Ribbitribbitt you are missed, kid.
Currently Playing EVE, ESO
Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed.
Dwight D Eisenhower
My optimism wears heavy boots and is loud.
Henry Rollins
I can state for a fact that many F2P games/companies were operating at a loss until ~2010/11. The intent was to operate at a loss to build market share, then use that to monetize at a later date. However there was a change in the market starting September 2009. This is when DDO went F2P, and started the chain reaction that resulted in most western MMORPG's becoming F2P.
Once it was clear that it would not be possible to build a dominant market share vs these F2P conversions, games/companies had to move to a positive revenue model.... and many failed at this point. We saw many games close, companies get bought out/merge and a general shakeup in the market.
Today (2015) F2P games are operating in the green, or they are being shut down quickly. There is no longer any real tolerance for games that do not bring in revenue. The games/companies that have converted to F2P are making enough money to sustain the game, sustain development, and some of them have enough extra to build new games. These companies are not getting rich, but they do make enough to continue in business, and to make more games (several of them are public, so you can see the revenue in thier quarterly/annual reports).
Do you believe most F2P MMOGs are profitable? I honestly have no idea.
Which do you think are making the most money? No clue. Maybe swtor?
Why is it a problem for some people when other gamers enjoy titles they don't play? Our society places win loss conditions on everything it can.
Where do you place the line that separates hardcore and non-hardcore MMORPGs, and why? Hardcore,casual, terms made up to categorize a playstyle which has unfortunately turned into yet another individualistic label
1. SWTOR
2. Jealous
3. Hardcore isn't a game type or feature, it's a play style and/or commitment level
1. Profitability is defined by having a greater revenue over the lifetime of the game than the cost to develop and maintain it. Business model isn't going to ensure this one way or the other, there are far more variables involved than just how you monetise it.
2. The number of gamers in all genres and across the board is growing year on year, especially with online games. Who cares what the majority genre is, provided the minority genres are still successful.
3. Hardcore is a poor term, it can be interpreted in many ways. For me, there are simply two types of game that many call MMOs.. the traditional massively multiplayer game (WoW) and the not-massively multiplayer game (DOTA).
Eric, you nailed it. Sony is hemorrhaging money, they are spinning off lots of marginal businesses. Daybreak fired off all those people because they are taking the studio in a different direction, they just don't need them. Richard's view is that of a gamer, not a business person.
Anyone waiting for EQNext is in for a rude awakening. The old SOE is dead. I feel sad for EQ and EQ2 players, their world is about to change, or already has, for the worse.
As to MOBA's they are so just different than any MMO I just fail to grasp how any intelligent person can confuse them.
Of course there are many f2p MMO's that are profitable. There would not be so many of them if they were not.
Nothing wrong with criticizing a bad game no matter than others like it. It just begs the question since there are so many good games out there why would you waste your time with a bad one?
A hardcore game is at minimum a full loot pvp type.