MMO fans continuously call for more sandbox MMORPGs. But how many of these games could successfully survive in the market?
MMORPGs differ from single-player role-playing games in that they aim to retain players over the long term. Looking at World of Warcraft, this MMO has been played for about twelve years now. Many fans invest a lot of time into an MMORPG, especially in those genre representatives that focus on sandbox elements alongside a story (or instead of a storyline).
Who plays in more than one sandbox?
Players want to help build cities, expand and decorate their own houses, improve their skills, and provide the community with self-crafted goods. In principle, you live a second life. This is very fulfilling for many and offers a break from everyday life. But do you then need a third, fourth, or fifth life? The second life in a virtual sandbox consumes a lot of time. Building and decorating a house takes time, just like gathering resources and crafting items or improving the hero’s skills.
Do you want to invest this much time into more than one game? Does it make sense to play three, four, or five sandbox MMORPGs? World of Warcraft has shown what happens when an MMORPG hits the market that appeals to a very wide audience. When WoW was released, many gamers engaged with this game and not with many others. This had an impact on the entire market. Naturally, many development studios wanted a piece of this MMO pie, but none could measure up to World of Warcraft. Many MMOs were somewhat successful, but many were also discontinued.
Is more than an additional virtual life necessary?
The number of truly successful MMORPGs with a very large player population is limited. In the realm of theme park MMOs, the situation is somewhat different compared to sandbox MMOs. Once the content is exhausted, players move on to another game and return when there are new updates. A pure sandbox MMORPG offers no content in the form of quests or story. The content is created by the players. So why would someone who has a second life in a sandbox MMO switch to another that essentially offers the same?
In this virtual world, you build a life, make friends, pursue a profession, and contribute to the society. You invest your heart and soul into this game and this virtual world. Can this also be done with even more sandbox games?
Therefore, the call for more sandbox MMORPGs appears paradoxical. Those who are satisfied with their sandbox usually stay with it. Hence the question: How many sandbox MMORPGs could successfully sustain themselves in the market if players really only need one?
