Looking at the MMO market, one might get the impression that it is currently in a bit of a crisis. But Bioware sees it quite differently.
Are MMOs in crisis? Blizzard currently does not plan to develop any new games in the genre and canceled the World of Warcraft “successor” Titan about two years ago, Daybreak halted development on Everquest Next, and no major AAA MMORPGs have been presented at any gaming expo in recent times. However, according to Bioware, the studio behind Star Wars: The Old Republic, the MMO market is currently larger than ever before.
MMOs have evolved
In an interview with MCV, Bioware’s James Ohlen stated that the success of Activision’s Destiny and Ubisoft’s The Division shows that the genre is still expanding. People today have lost the understanding of what the genre can encompass. James Ohlen explains that many believe that an MMO is a hardcore game. However, two of the strongest brands now also belong to the genre – Destiny and The Division. Both are MMOs that are only referred to as such.
Those who play MMOs would also recognize this. The genre has expanded significantly and has even spilled over to mobile games. He is likely referring to the success of Pokémon GO, which many label as an MMO and which also shows strong parallels to other games in the genre. MMOs are no longer what they used to be, those hardcore online RPGs; the genre has changed and evolved. Star Wars: The Old Republic is indeed a classic MMO, but one can distinguish it from competitors due to the fact that it is a Star Wars game and the focus on storytelling.
Do you see it the same way as James Ohlen? Are MMOs no longer what they once were, and has the genre evolved?
