The trend in online gaming is increasingly moving away from large player masses and towards smaller groups, which often operate in instances. MyMMO author Andreas Bertits asks: Is this the path that (M)MORPGs must take in the future to be successful again?
The developer studio Improbable, which works on Spatial-OS technology, explains something that has been visible in the MMORPG sector for some time: The interest in ‘Massive’ games is waning and is shifting towards smaller game sessions.
Basically, this means that games like The Division, Destiny, or Anthem are currently more popular with us players in the West. These titles rely on shorter game sessions with a manageable number of players. The “Massively” is fading further into the background – at least here in the country. According to Improbable, the situation is quite different in Asia.
Does this mean that MMORPGs should forgo the “Massively” to achieve greater success? About two years ago, I posed the question in a column: “Is the ‘Massively’ disappearing from MMORPGs?” and it seems that the answer to that is now “Yes”.
Back then, I pointed out how more and more online games are focusing on instances for smaller groups and how these games are becoming increasingly popular. This is more true today than it was then.
What is the problem with “Massively”?
The shorter the intervals in which players can achieve something, the quicker the success experiences come. This naturally motivates and provides fun. But this is just one aspect of why titles with shorter game sessions are successful.
Much more, it’s also about the freedom to experience a game the way one wants. Currently, there is a discussion surrounding the action-adventure Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice by From Software. Is it too hard? Should there be an “Easy Mode”? Here opinions diverge. The question that arises is: Why not?
Isn’t it about having as much fun as possible with a game and not being frustrated by it? What harm does an Easy Mode do to those who don’t want to use it? Why should anyone impose how they should experience a title on others?
This decision to experience a game the way one wants is important for many, and it plays a significant role in MMORPGs. What if I don’t want to have to look for a group for the dungeon first? What if I want to defeat the final boss alone? Or why should I have to deal with strangers when I just want to play with my friends?
Do we still need “Massively” today?
Massively in MMORPGs means being thrown into a world with thousands of players. Of course, no one has to interact with these people, but many contents are designed for larger groups. MMO fans may consider this to be correct since these are group games.
Yet it is precisely this “compulsion” that can be off-putting. Especially when other games show that things can be different. If you can have a lot of fun in a Destiny or The Division with friends in small game sessions, play at your own pace, and get continuous success experiences, why should you give that up?
Strangers, or random players, can be annoying, that’s just how it is. But why should you let your fun be spoiled by such people when it doesn’t have to be? There are titles that you can play together with friends and that are a lot of fun. So, shouldn’t you rather choose those?
Can MMORPGs do better without “Massively”?
“Massively” has a problem today. The pressure to group, the focus on having to play in a larger group with strangers, the often long game sessions where you experience relatively few success moments … this no longer seems to be what the majority of players want.
This was already apparent two years ago in my column. Today we have confirmation. For hardly any classic MMORPG that comes to market is truly successful. Even titles like Atlas, that start strong, drop off significantly over time. This could also relate to the early-access system, but it is simply evident that “Massively” games no longer reach the broader audience.
And this is paradoxical. Because “Massively” lives from the “mass”. Is it a temporary trend? It is hard to say in the gaming industry. Turn-based combat in computer games was long considered dead. Today games like XCOM or Divinity: Original Sin 2 achieve success with this system.
“Massively” could also come back. But at the moment it seems that developers have to forgo this term to be successful. Online games for smaller groups and shorter game sessions are currently what is in demand.
Contrary to my column from two years ago, the question is no longer whether the “Massively” will disappear from MMORPGs. There is already evidence of that. Much more, a new situation shows itself: If MMORPGs are to become MORPGs, then it seems that successes could once again be achieved.
