I don’t need to beat around the bush. Blizzard consistently makes great games. Some old WoW friends might complain, saying “everything was better back in Vanilla”. Diablo 3 might not have been a good game at release, but it has developed into more than just a solid hack&slash over the various patches.
Adding to that is the simple fact that Blizzard does not release games they are not satisfied with. They have canceled both “StarCraft: Ghost” and “Titan” as well as “Thrall’s Adventure” because they did not meet their own standards.
No matter what criteria one may establish for a “good game”, financially speaking, Blizzard titles have always been a huge success. No game from this company has ever been out of the sales charts for less than several weeks. Yet, I dare to suggest that “Heroes of the Storm” will not be a financial success – even though many people will play and love it.
The MOBA Model: Skins for Cash
Skins in MOBAs – The one true key to success?
Whether it’s SMITE, DOTA, or LoL – the three major representatives of the MOBA genre generate their largest revenues undoubtedly through the sale of premium skins.
The new variants of existing heroes offer no gameplay advantage, but are usually designed to be slightly more elaborate, significantly cooler, or just absurdly funny. This is a wonderful model for characters that are new and relatively unknown.
Of course, a god like “Zeus” or “Freya” is technically not new, but nobody really associates a detailed appearance with these deities or even a sophisticated backstory.
The Problem: Epic Can’t Get More Epic
And so we come to the problem of “Heroes of the Storm”: The characters are all epic heroes or feared adversaries. They are not new, and anyone who hears the name “Thrall” immediately has a very specific Orc in mind. An even better example is “Arthas”. Anyone who has played Warcraft 3 or WoW will immediately associate that name with the runeblade Frostmourne and the dark armor of Ner’zhul.
How is it possible to create a skin variant that is even more epic than the typical appearance of the great leader of the Scourge that we have known for over ten years? What could look better than Kerrigan, the Queen of Blades, in her beloved form as the leader of the Swarm?
It is practically impossible to further enhance an already incredibly cool character. This may still work for lesser-known heroes like “Murky” or “Abathur” through silly skins, but really notable characters can’t be polished up like that.
When No Skin Appeals
[intense_blockquote color=”#ffffff” border_color=”#fa2f2f” width=”40%” rightalign=”1″]What heresy would it be to put Uther the Lightbringer in a medic costume now?[/intense_blockquote]
You should never apply your own opinion to others, but I believe that with this view, I represent a considerably large group. In Smite, I had the immediate urge to own many new skins.
In Heroes of the Storm, there isn’t a single skin that I desperately want. I love the characters in their current form, which is also the one with whom I’ve spent weeks, if not months and years in games. What heresy would it be to put Uther the Lightbringer in a medic costume now? Not even Kerrigan’s succubus skin could tempt me to spend money. And THAT really means something to me.
Just a Theory
This is of course just a theory of mine. We do not have official sales figures for this game, and especially with the “Founder’s Pack”, I can well imagine that some impatient player has jumped in. Therefore, Blizzard may be better off at the direct launch than other MOBAs, where you couldn’t just “buy in” – but in the long run, especially after the release, the incentive to spend real money could disappear.
What do you think? Do you share my assessment of the design of the characters? And how could Blizzard change that? What could be designed to create new incentives to want to invest real money?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Users are saying that as soon as they do anything in the game, the pesky creatures stick to their heels. Often, the only thing that helps is what Rick and the other survivors in “Walking Dead” are not allowed: a rustic logout.
Some capitulate in the face of the zombie hordes and want to take a break. But there are also others who handle the new challenge like this:
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Our cover image shows a player who intentionally gathered a huge zombie horde, then jumped onto a roof to see how many there were. A poor other player came by, attracted the attention of the zombie horde, was eaten, and the situation was resolved.
The calm before the storm – this could describe the current situation regarding the action role-playing game The Division by Ubisoft. In addition to alleged alpha leaks in the past weeks, fans are eagerly awaiting a release date. Some are creating their own real world inspired by The Division out of sheer anticipation.
Detailed Plastic Models
The Reddit user ToykyoJoe has posted very interesting pictures on the front page of the internet (reddit.com). Anyone who first thinks this is in-game material is mistaken. The graphics of The Division are good but still not on par with reality. Instead, ToykyoJoe has created his own models based on previously released gameplay scenes. And they look quite stylish.
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The release of The Division is supposed to take place in 2015. Rumors that an Xbox beta would start as early as March, after there were indications of an open alpha, were probably just false hopes – unfortunately. The alpha leaks, as we reported, were more illusion than reality and turned out to be mostly incorrect. Nevertheless, we are convinced that Ubisoft does not want to run the project into the ground and that we can still shake up New York City this year. In the meantime, enthusiastic fans can ask ToykyoJoe if he would send a few models for a small fee. This way, one could already play The Division.
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In Destiny , a player has achieved a Crota kill that has garnered a lot of attention. Even the pros in the US forum reddit are impressed.
Last night, a user posted a video of a Crota kill on reddit. The usually hardened users there were impressed and urged Destiny’s Community Manager, DeeJ, to make the Crota kill the video of the week. Everywhere, there were words of praise and admiration.
What is to be seen? No, it is not a new speed record being celebrated. Not even solo is the Guardian going solo. Together with his brother, a boy named Derek plays the raid and takes down Crota as the Swordbearer in the video. Derek suffers from infantile cerebral palsy and can only operate the controller with his hands and feet simultaneously.
This is the same condition under which actor RJ Mitte suffers, who plays the character Walter White Jr. in the US series Breaking Bad. And it is the condition that often affects people who are derogatorily called “spastics.” It often arises from brain damage in early childhood.
The video shows how the young Guardian elegantly and clearly takes down Crota and celebrates in the end.
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Guardians are particularly impressed that the boy has learned to compensate for his handicap so skillfully that no one in a raid would notice that there isn’t a non-disabled player behind the Guardian. On the contrary: “He’s better with his feet than I am with my hands!” is often said. Especially players who know someone with a disability are moved and feel inspired by the player’s performance.
For the MMO shooter Destiny , much depends on the next DLC “House of Wolves.” We asked the mein-MMO community what matters most to them. And over 3000 players voted.
2400 voted on whether House of Wolves is the last chance for Destiny
Your reaction to the article was overwhelming. To the question of whether “House of Wolves” is already the last chance, nearly 2400 readers voted.
1055 votes, 44%, said: No, it is not the last chance yet.
A more critical view was held by 38% of the votes: Yes, it is the last chance for Destiny, they said.
18% were undecided.
The sentiment is neck and neck. This can also be seen in the comments. Here, most lean towards clear poles. For some players, the game is worn out, they see empty friend lists and know the strong competition that lurks for Destiny with Witcher 3, The Division, and numerous other games. And the criticisms known since the release are repeated and confirmed: Uninspired story, too much repetition, too little new content. If Bungie disappoints with the next DLC, they say they will be gone for sure.
Others believe in Bungie. They are already grateful for the many hours of fun that Destiny has provided and believe that Bungie will still explore the potential and that many things will improve with House of Wolves and many will return.
What is most important to you for House of Wolves?
And what do you wish for House of Wolves? Almost 3100 Guardians voted within a week. And: It is incredibly balanced. Of the four options we gave you, even the least chosen received 20% of the votes.
Most wished for more exotic bounties, treasure maps, events, and adventures. So more to do for solo players. 30% of the votes went to that.
More story and atmosphere received just under a quarter of the votes (24.3%). Every fourth person wants Bungie to improve here especially.
Almost as many (23.4%) wish for a focus on replayability of strikes, as well as tougher bosses. Bungie should also take another look at the older raids: Crota’s End and The Vault of Glass.
And still, one in five of you (19.4%) wants Bungie to focus on the new raid, providing better content here with interesting enemies and challenges.
You can see that the four points we offered are very close together. Players have different priorities here; everyone plays the game a bit differently and wishes that Bungie improves in other areas.
Many also demanded several of the points we proposed.
It is clear: The community is divided, but far from hopeless. Even if it is important for Destiny and Bungie to deliver a DLC “House of Wolves” that brings more than “Darkness Lurks,” the fate of the franchise is not yet dependent on it. They have likely already reached too many players. However, it is certain that many will carefully observe whether Bungie can and will deliver. Some Destiny players have surely been lost along the way up to this point. Whether they can be won back seems questionable, given the sometimes drastic views.
Blizzard has now announced a date for when the remaining Blackrock cards for Hearthstone will be revealed. Players can watch live. This will take place on Monday, March 30th, in a live stream. The event is scheduled for 7:00 PM our time.
It is like with the last expansions Naxxramas and Goblins vs Gnomes: In the beginning, they are stingy with cards, showing only 2 or 3 per week. And then, as the release of the expansion approaches, they unleash them all at once. This is also the plan this time. However, this time you can be part of it.
In a live stream, the community managers of Hearthstone will introduce all the remaining cards. This is set to happen on Monday, March 30th, at 7:00 PM our time. The expansion itself is set to arrive on April 3rd.
In the sandpark MMO ArcheAge the communication between US publisher Trion Worlds and the Korean developer XLGames has once again led to a misunderstanding.
Recently, a new event has gone live in ArcheAge. This was announced in one of the last live streams. Players were supposed to be able to kill a red dragon. And they would then have one hour to loot the dragon’s body, or so it was said.
When the event actually went live, there was no sign of an hour. After a significantly shorter time, just a few minutes, the body disappeared. In the relevant forums, threads were seen: “Trion Worlds has lied to us again.” The tension between players and the US publisher Trion Worlds has been tense since the launch, one could say.
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In a forum post on Thursday and in a live stream from Friday, the clarification was provided: It was a misunderstanding. At Trion Worlds, they believed (and communicated it that way) that it meant one hour of “real time.” In Korea, however, it was meant as “one hour in-game,” which passes by much faster.
They could not test this at Trion Worlds beforehand because such events are firmly embedded in the code of ArcheAge and only become active when their time has come. For the future, they want to change this in order to test events before their appearance and to provide significantly better information.
My MMO says: We have named the difficult partnership between XLGames and Trion Worlds as our MMO Fail 2014. That should be opinion enough at this point.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
EVE Online is a superlative MMO in many aspects: the most players online on a server or the largest battle within an MMO. However, the game only sets such records with appropriate hardware.
1838 iPhones connected in series
In EVE Online, there is only one server (excluding the test server) named Tranquility. Here, 65303 players can be online at the same time. It might not sound like much, but considering that players are all on a single server, it surpasses even the most populated WoW servers. 3936GB of RAM and 2574 GHz are necessary for this. That’s the performance of 858 high-end processors or 1838 iPhones.
B-R5RB Bloodbath
During the massive battle in the B-R5RB system, the CCP hardware often fell short. Thus, the battle was partially moved to another node. Through this additional node, a better transfer of user clients and the CCP server took place. However, a few players who were not actively participating had to be disconnected from the server; but the battle could continue fairly smoothly. 5000 players faced each other in this largest clash so far and wiped out an equivalent of 300,000 US dollars – not a small amount.
We have a battle of 5,000 players. Let’s disconnect 100 players so the battle can continue.
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Lags occur everywhere. In EVE Online, these brief interruptions can be particularly frustrating, as every ship you lose is gone forever. Reviving at the next graveyard is not an option. To eliminate the lag problem in larger battles, CCP introduced the Time Dilation system in 2010. As shown in the video, time is simply slowed down. This doesn’t eliminate the symptoms of lag, but the consequences can be mitigated. This makes the life of a fleet commander in a 2500-man fleet considerably easier.
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New Eden consists of more than 5000 individual star systems, by the way. As with the battle of B-R5RB, high player numbers in one of these systems are unpredictable and happen spontaneously. The reason is jump drives, which allow players to jump from almost any position in New Eden to another… and suddenly, you find yourself in the middle of the largest EVE Online battle. The star systems are arranged in a cluster system, and in the future, CCP wants to respond better to massive fights. To do this, more power will be allocated to the 0.0 systems.
In Destiny especially Blade Dancers have discovered new farming spots that resemble the former loot cave. However, with a huge yield: Up to 10,000 Glimmer in 6 minutes is said to be possible.
It is a kind of “Loot Cave XXL” that players have discovered. Although “discovered” is not the right word: They have rather found a method to properly exploit these spots.
The yield is fantastic: Over 10,000 Glimmer in 6 minutes is said to be possible, along with engrams en masse and items that can be sold.
However, the farming spot also has some downsides: It is only active during the “The enemy is moving against each other” public events, making it available only for a few minutes per hour. These server-wide events cause opposing factions among the enemies to attack each other. At very specific locations in the world of Destiny, an endless spawn of many enemies occurs.
Blade Dancers, a special subclass of Hunters, have come up with the idea of how to tap into this stream of enemies best: directly at the source. They go in here with at least 2 Blade Dancers and 4 other players for support – in a full raid group. Then the Blade Dancers – with the right skills – can enter the so-called “Infinite Super” mode. They have their super ability constantly active. Because there are several of them, they can keep collecting orbs and thus feed their super. They yield more when players are in a group.
Since players do not have to stay at a safe distance, as was usually necessary with loot caves to keep the spawn free, an incredible frequency is possible at which the enemies bite the dust, drop their loot, respawn, and taste space dust again.
This all sounds too fantastic to be true, doesn’t it? And indeed, it is a fantastic sight when you take a look:
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Here, not only the gameplay is great, but also the loot yield. Of course, additional glimmer-increasing means are also used, like Blue Polyphage for Vex enemies or the black Wax Idol for the Hive.
The most popular “XXL Loot Cave” for this spot is located on Venus – as seen in the first video. But other “event” caves also work with this method, as shown here with Thralls in the Cosmodrome on Earth. The YouTuber called it: The most fun he has had in Destiny in ages.
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The Free2Play MMO Rift is revamping its wardrobe system: appearances and colors will now be collected in a collection.
As an MMORPG player, you know how it is: A new piece of armor is found and it just looks silly . The pants don’t match the boots, the chest piece doesn’t match the helmet. Luckily, good spirits invented “Transmorgification”: This allows items to keep their stats but look like others. Normally, you have to carry around the old “pretty but useless” items forever. This changed last year in Guild Wars 2. Now the Free2Play MMO Rift follows suit.
We already reported on this two weeks ago, that Rift wants to orient itself towards the unrivaled wardrobe system of Guild Wars 2. At that time, it was still in an early “Yes, it will probably come this way, but it could also be nonsense” phase. Now a few weeks have passed and Trion Worlds believes: Okay, this is now definite. With the next patch 3.2, the wardrobe system will be switched and enriched with the luxury that only GW2 players were familiar with.
In a blog to the community, the new system is presented: In principle, you can now determine how the piece of armor or weapon should look. And for the appearance selection, you have all the items you have collected and whose appearance has been unlocked by collecting.
The exact processes might be particularly interesting, we quote Trion Worlds:
What happens when everything goes live?
The system will check your inventory, your bank, and your wardrobe and automatically unlock all corresponding appearances.
The system will unlock the appearances of items that you have earned but may have already discarded. For example, if you have achieved the successes in the Flooded Halls, which grant you the Water Helm and Shoulders, these will be automatically unlocked for you. All appearances of the weapons you have reshaped will also be unlocked for you.
The “real” items that were in your wardrobe will be sent back to your character by mail and retain their values (color, soulbinding status, craftsman name, etc.).
The data of all your wardrobe sets will be entered so that they match the existing ones, including the appearance of the items, color, and visibility checkbox.
You can read more details in the Rift blog. We have linked the source for you below.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In collaboration with the developer Dream Reactor LLC, we are giving away 50 keys for the closed beta of the card game Spellweaver TGC.
Recently, we presented Spellweaver TCG as a possible alternative to Hearthstone. In cooperation with the developer, we are now giving away 50 keys for the closed beta. Additionally, there are 7,500 gold, which corresponds to 6 booster packs.
With the start of the open beta on April 24, 2015, there will be a reset of accounts. Those who have invested money will not have to mourn the loss. After the reset, they will receive 1.5 times what they purchased back. Furthermore, for every 10 games completed in the closed beta, they will receive 1 booster pack in the open beta (up to a maximum of 50).
We are conducting the giveaway with the raffle tool godankey, following the motto: First come, first served. Your data will be anonymized, not stored, and only used for sending the codes. Participation is free, and legal recourse is excluded.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The fantasy MMORPG Crowfall has successfully completed its Kickstarter campaign. With the help of supporters, a few remaining goals were achieved in the final stretch.
On March 26, the Kickstarter campaign ended – a remarkable total of 1.7 million dollars was raised. $200,000 of that was raised in the final 24 hours. As a nice side effect, several outstanding stretch goals were reached in the last moments. Most of them concern the supporters, who can look forward to additional content and bonuses – such as a personal blacksmith, guaranteeing improved crafting and a unique relic.
But there is also something for all players: The rules system will be expanded with a new goal. 12 factions, each representing a god, will be able to fight for control over the campaign map. Those who want can now also join the battle with a new archetype, the Minotaurs.
After the 1.6 million dollar mark was reached, a competitive feature was unlocked, allowing the best guilds to compete in an ongoing tournament. However, they first need to qualify by winning a campaign. In the subsequent tournament battles, there will only be one winner, who receives a special artifact that signifies who among them is the best: the Dragon Throne.
Those who missed the Kickstarter campaign can also support the developers on the official website crowfall.com via PayPal. However, different bundles are available for that. If you want to learn even more about the great Kickstarter success, we recommend our previews:
Hoping that the release of “Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns” is just around the corner, ArenaNet is announcing more and more changes in the upcoming addon. Players who enjoy making life difficult for their opponents with conditions can especially look forward to this.
No more conditions cap
Conditions such as Bleeding previously could only stack on an opponent up to a certain cap. This especially complicated the teamwork of characters who are specialized in these conditions. For example, the more players stand on a boss, the less damage each individual player added through the conditions. Logically: Once a cap is reached, using skills only extends the duration of the conditions but does not add new stacks.
There is now a gameplay trailer for Halo Online, the multiplayer offshoot of the shooter franchise in Russia.
Last week, we reported on Halo Online, a game that 343 Studios aims to win fans in Russia. The multiplayer shooter is being developed by Saber Active exclusively for the Russian market as a free-to-play MMO. Whether the game will eventually come to other regions is still uncertain.
The game runs on a modified version of the Halo 3 engine, has no campaign, but offers competitive modes supporting battles between 4 to 16 players.
Such offshoots of major franchises as MMO versions in other markets are not uncommon: For instance, there are Borderlands Online or Call of Duty Online in China.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The two Korean MMO giants NCSoft (Guild Wars 2, WildStar) and Nexon (Maplestory) have a problem with each other. This was evident again at an NCSoft shareholder meeting.
Nexon (Atlantica Online, Maplestory, Vindictus) is not a big name from our western perspective, but in Korea it is the market leader. NCSoft, on the other hand, is known to us with Guild Wars 2 and WildStar, while in Korea, despite having the incredibly popular Lineage franchise, it plays a subordinate role in the concert of MMO giants.
Nexon is the largest shareholder in NCSoft and has recently attempted to gain greater control over the corporation. To defend against a possible takeover, NCSoft has acquired shares in the mobile game specialist NetMarble. This was again brought up at an NCSoft shareholder meeting.
Many hopes of NCSoft are pinned on a successful Guild Wars 2 add-on.
There, Nexon representatives wanted to know why NCSoft acquired the shares in NetMarble at such a high price. They also mentioned that the NCSoft CEO had elevated his brother and his wife to high positions in the company without informing Nexon.
Kae-Tik-Jin, the CEO of NCSoft, was confirmed at the meeting for three more years as CEO of NCSoft and defended himself against Nexon’s attacks: NetMarble is a solid investment and worth the price. He agreed that it is unusual to promote family members, but stated that his brother and wife work hard. Both have already achieved successes that justify these promotions.
Lineage Eternal is the next arrow in NCSoft’s quiver.
Nexon did not go so far as to vote against the renewal of Kae-Tik-Jin’s contract. However, they requested transparency and asked that important decisions be explained.
For 100 days, the open beta has been running, and new classes have been added like the Beast Master and the Blader , a new area has already opened, gameplay tweaks are coming in thick and fast, new features are being added monthly, and soon this lady, the Valkyrie, will be next: Although not everything in Black Desert is all cheers, fun, and joy, and there are flaws in the concept, 1.5 million players have checked out the game, and there is really a lot to see:
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The MMO shooter Destiny does not have matchmaking for the raids, but prefers that the community does it. In any case, they trust the fans to fill in the numerous information and feature gaps and thus bind them more strongly to the game.
In an interview with vg247, Destiny’s community manager DeeJ explains how matchmaking works. The “auto-matchmaking” works for the “simple group tasks” in Destiny, but it is not possible to find players for the more difficult tasks in the game via an algorithm. Those who want to defeat Atheon or Crota cannot rely on an anonymous and automated mechanism.
With matchmaking, Bungie has now given in somewhat. For a long time, matchmaking for heroic strikes was not possible. However, this has now been allowed. At the moment, it is only deactivated for the Nightfall, the weekly Dawn Strike, and the raids.
Instead, players find each other through LFG tools on external sites or via Facebook groups. They come together through forums. And Bungie is absolutely satisfied and in agreement with this, as it is said. Yes, moreover: They have explicitly encouraged this. And those who are waiting for matchmaking for Nightfall or the raids can probably wait for a long time.
“When like-minded players come together and work on something together, it is so much better than if we wrote an algorithm that works for everyone,” DeeJ said in the interview. “When small clusters of players come together, it is, in our experience, much better than a system that applies to everyone.”
Leaving gaps for others to fill
My MMO thinks: The experience of recent months seems to confirm Bungie’s position here. At least for players who are willing to overcome their reluctance and seek out others. Because while in “auto-matchmaking” it increasingly happens that individual players go afk and let themselves be carried by the rest of the group, it is different when players connect through Facebook groups or forums. Here everyone is accountable by their own name.
This is also an experience from other MMORPGs. While “auto-matchmaking” makes it significantly easier to find other players, the appreciation for those players diminishes drastically: The “you only see each other once” concept of anonymous matchmaking is not exactly one of the highlights of modern MMORPGs.
It is indeed an interesting idea to leave gaps and voids that are filled by the community. Even early on, there were websites that provided event timers, or YouTubers who explained specific game mechanics or discussed weapons, as the shooter was very stingy with information.
Perhaps that is why the game has so many large YouTube channels, because there is this demand for information and the thrill arises to engage with Destiny outside of the game, deciphering its secrets. In a game that spoon-feeds everything, that would surely not be the case.
The still popular World of Warcraft has also spawned professional sites that thrive on telling players what Blizzard keeps from them: from complicated damage calculations to professional data mining.
The success seems to justify Bungie’s approach: Destiny certainly has one of the most active, creative, and useful communities ever.
Evil tongues even claim that Destiny has also exploited these gaps in storytelling to keep the story as flat as possible, so players can keep rushing through the missions …
The zombie MMO H1Z1 has revealed its plans for April. Among other things, new player models and some fresh features are coming.
H1Z1 has published a roadmap outlining the next stops. So far, the biggest issues have been addressed. In April, they will start bringing new features into the game. Most of these were outlined and discussed back in 2014.
These include:
A new, revised dam,which will serve as a venue for server-wide events. (April 2)
New workbenches, which can either be crafted or found in the world. Here, special recipes and actions are possible. For example, ammunition can be dismantled and reassembled into new ammunition for another weapon. Weapons can be disassembled and pieced together into weapon repair kits. (April 2)
Handcuffs and the first tier of armor are coming on April 9.
Additionally, a group system is set to be part of H1Z1 (April 9)
On April 23, the 1st-Person Battle Royale will introduce a new variant into the game. On this server, there will be zombies, and the perspective will be limited to first-person view.
The planned updates also include plans for bug fixing and a more effective combat against cheats.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The god MMO Skyforge has responded to player feedback from the first closed beta and presented a catalog of how they want to redesign Skyforge to make it more enjoyable for players.
On the Skyforge homepage, the developers outline the following plans:
30% more FPS – to be achieved through client optimization
Looting can be done during combat; currently, players must be out of combat to loot.
The weekly limits will remain, but activities for players who have hit the “progression” cap will be introduced.
Beginners will receive a broader range of activities earlier.
Beginners will be able to take on challenging missions with high difficulty early on, if they wish.
The Adept system will be completely redesigned, allowing players in Skyforge a maximum number of adepts, so they do not have to buy each one individually at a high cost.
Cooperating with friends will be easier in Skyforge, as players will be able to set the difficulty of instances themselves, similar to Diablo 3.
A “Looking-for-Group” function will also be implemented.
And they want to unlock the upper level of the progress atlas sooner, so players can begin to work towards a new class.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Since the end of Blizzard’s Titan, no major Western MMORPG has been announced for the next few years. What has dried up the MMORPG market? Part of it is also the players, we think.
In April and June 2014, The Elder Scrolls Online and WildStar were perhaps the last major Western MMORPGs to be released for the foreseeable future. Since then, fans of the genre have been asking: “Where is the next game I can wait for? What’s in the pipeline?” And the answer must be at the moment: “Actually nothing.” A completely new state for MMORPG fans who are used to being courted by several contenders for their attention.
Since the genre began, there has always been something for genre fans to look forward to. Usually, the next hope was expected in the following year. The history of Western MMORPGs is full of “the next big thing, the next big title.”
Everquest and World of Warcraft – 2 MMORPGs that shaped the genre.
In the past, admirers lined up …
After Meridian59 came Ultima Online came Everquest came Dark Age of Camelot came Star Wars Galaxies came World of Warcraft came Lord of the Rings Online came Warhammer Online came Final Fantasy XIV came Rift came Star Wars: The Old Republic came Guild Wars 2 came The Elder Scrolls Online came WildStar. And many other titles, even important ones, were in between.
Each time the new game did not meet expectations, one could look forward to the next one. That one would have the crucial feature more. One looked forward to the next, to the better match that would do everything right, much nicer, much more attentive, much more mature than the last “ex”-game would be. But now there seems to be no “next” anymore.
Of course, some small glimmers of hope still shine. We have presented the 5 most promising MMORPGs of the next 2 years.
But with the recent controversies surrounding the former “Sony Online Entertainment,” the brightest glimmer of hope has dwindled to a flicker. Already under the article, we were asked why we did not present the “most promising” games as “more promising,” but instead painted a rather sober picture of Black Desert, Bless, Skyforge, and the other titles.
Why is no one making MMORPGs for us anymore?
If you look at which major Western MMORPGs were released in 2014, you come to two games: The Elder Scrolls Online and WildStar.
In 2014, there were two top-tier challengers. Ultimately, however, many were disappointments.
However, if you look at the standards and exclusion criteria MMORPG fans apply, you might think that 20 games have been released, from which they could pick the right one. MMORPG players think they are the school beauty, deciding with whom they will go to the ice cream parlor among 300 applicants. Just as it has been all those years, where studios tried to cut a slice of the WoW cake and courted the MMORPG target group.
However, the reality now looks different: We are no longer the sought-after beauty; we are picky, and no one likes us.
But how do we deal with the few applicants for our attention?
The Elder Scrolls Online was quickly dismissed by many MMORPG fans, hardly given a glance: No open world? Weird single-player title trying to be an MMORPG? Ugh, what’s up with that combat system? Not for me! Next please!
Only hiding helps now!
WildStar had even worse cards with many: Kiddo graphics? Space stuff? Hardcore stuff? WoW clone! I’m out. Next please! And suddenly the waiting room was empty.
But what would you do if you tried to go out with the pretty girl ten times and she rejected you every time because you did something wrong? Would you try it an eleventh time? Or just talk to someone else?
MMORPGs need to find players to survive
If these large games with long development times and high budgets cannot reach their “actual” target group, then it is only logical that other studios will not attempt the same thing the next year. It would be economic madness to stake money on poison.
In general, MMORPGs are the king class of game development. Studios work on them for years, must incorporate countless features, develop their own world, need voice actors, writers, designers, server structures, often 200, 300, 400, even 500 people work on a title for years, without generating a dime during the development time.
SWTOR – a painful topic among MMO veterans. Even today, missed opportunities are still lamented.
And it is so difficult to succeed: One competes against products that have been on the market for years, which have a huge lead in content and features. And those are precisely the two things MMORPG fans are all about.
When the games finally come out, they often suffer from growing pains; they can be like a foal that can walk, but is clumsy and keeps falling over. And at that moment they are judged, weighed, and dismissed. At that point, their fate is determined.
One shouldn’t shed tears for the poor studios, but one must understand how much effort it takes for them to court our favor. And that they cannot make a game that only caters to a few.
The games need to find a target group, and if they cannot reach the actual one, online games try to poach “outside the target group.” Titles like Skyforge or Destiny are successful models because they do not target the “MMORPG” audience, but rather the shooter or MOBA audience. These are the new school beauties with whom everyone now wants to go out …
But why are we no longer that? Aren’t there enough of us? Have we really changed so much in recent years? Have we become fewer?
Who are MMORPG fans actually?
The actual “MMORPG” fans, the core target group that games like The Elder Scrolls Online or WildStar would need to reach in order to be successful, are fragmented.
There are different groups of MMORPG fans that cannot all be reached because their playing styles and goals are not compatible. A selection:
The Star Wars Galaxies Veteran: Wants to immerse in a game and let go, preferably a simulated second world that runs by its own rules. Wishes for Ultima Online with better graphics, even more features, and then he’ll see if he likes it.
The Ex-Hardcore Gamer: Used to play a lot, is now busy with work, has only a few hours a week, but still wants a game where he can make progress and have as much fun as he used to. Wishes he could return to his youth.
The Casual Player: Finds the idea of leveling up and getting better gear really good. Likes to meet friends and do something, but doesn’t want to play too much or read too much about the game. Wishes for something like Farmville with more MMORPG elements … preferably on a smartphone.
And now one must imagine: One wants to develop a game that reaches enough players from these target groups. And these are certainly not all!
Will Skyforge provide the perfect blueprint? Spoiler: No!
So if that’s the case, then I won’t play it!
Only it is still the case that within these target groups, there are various complicated exclusion criteria (the numbers are made up).
For example, 80% of power gamers reject everything that does not support the “holy trinity” of tank, healer, and damage dealer.
In the second group, the veterans, 70% are involved, who only want to play something that goes beyond this outdated class mechanic.
And in each group, there are 30% who strictly reject gender lock.
20% absolutely want contemporary graphics that only work on top machines.
40% never want to see a fantasy scenario again.
30% find science fiction silly.
Some only want to play human-like races, while others absolutely do not want that.
Some want first person, others wouldn’t mind trying iso.
One gamer plays nothing without housing, the next one doesn’t touch something with daily quests.
Fully voiced quests are the ideal for one, while for the other it’s exactly what has ruined MMORPGs.
The first absolutely wants PvP, the second does not, and the third actually doesn’t play PvP but wants it because it somehow belongs to it.
Mandatory open PvP is heaven for some, hell for others.
For some, “small zones” are dreadful.
One exclaims: “I won’t touch a game without a story!”
Another has to have an action combat system, but not too hardcore, just … yes, just right … it must be perfect.
Pah! That’s how it should be, and not otherwise!
This is not negotiable!
And all these wishes and ideas are non-negotiable for certain parts of the groups. It’s enough when someone had a bad experience with some second-rate game six years ago. That sticks with them and manifests as: Never again lava zones! It’s a bit like discovering a worm or insect in a certain type of vegetable and making a clear oath: “Never again apple!”
Sounds drastic and as if we are exaggerating? Just look at how discussions are held about new game announcements.
This is said among indie games: It looks like it’s from the 80s.
Among free-to-play titles: It’s definitely pay-to-win; I won’t put up with that scam.
Under “classic games”: WoW clones.
Under “Asian games”: Gender lock! I don’t play that.
The perhaps currently strongest alternative to WoW, “Final Fantasy XIV”, has recently been outright rejected by someone, because: “Every race looks like a girl!”
Of course, the developers are also to blame
So that we do not misunderstand: Of course, studios have messed up a lot during the “We can just make a ton of money if we create a game like WoW” era. And that timeframe has also yet given us the feeling: A new game will come out in a few months! Maybe that will be the right one!
But who looks at today’s fragmented MMORPG target audience: Who can blame the studios for no longer crafting a game that meets their exact expectations?
Because each fragmented group is too small in itself for studios to “tailor” a game for them.
And we sulk because no one wants to invite us to the ice cream parlor anymore.
So what is to be done?
What remains to be done, now that such a bleak picture of the future is painted?
On the one hand, you can look at the games currently available on the market, as they are no longer clumsy foals. Some have blossomed into proud steeds. 2015 is likely to be a year to focus on existing titles: Final Fantasy XIV (Heavensward) and Guild Wars 2 (Heart of Thorns) are getting expansions, TESO 2015 has nothing to do with what came out in 2014, and The Secret World has recently received a makeover and is certainly worth a look.
On the other hand: As hard as it may be for many, one must also reconsider one’s own views on whether every wish is truly etched in stone to which one simply cannot deviate. The starting position has changed: The applicants are no longer lining up.
The alternatives are a genre change or complain that studios simply no longer make games for them and that there are only watered-down MMO-light games. That can be fun, but it also loses its appeal over time.
The MMORPG player who wants something to play in the genre in the coming years will have to learn to make compromises. As a target group, we are simply not in demand as we used to be.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
