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Community: "MMOG-ecutioner"
Posted: Thursday March 18th, 2004
by
A lot of games have gone under the axe lately. And none of them have really suprised me. Whether the concept surpassed the reality of a game, the graphics and design failed to hold the interest of gamers, the net-wide advertising scheme didn't work, the mother company decided to apply a tourniquet before the bloodletting killed the patient, or the cold expanses of space swallowed all of their content, many games have just failed to find their niche within the now flooded MMOG market.
I think some of these game companies forget that there are a finite number of gamers that are willing to pay $12 or more a month to play a game they can never truly win. That being said I KNOW they forgot the fact that there is more than one good game worth paying high monthly fees to play. For some odd reason, most of these companies believe that they are going to have a high enough draw to be the next big thing. **shrugs** Delusions are as rampant these days as 2nd rate game designers.
And, on my short list of "who's next" are Shadowbane and Anarchy Online. Sure, they're both changing and growing. They're both striving to provide more meaningful functionality within their games, but at what cost for what return? Planetside isn't far behind itself. Honestly, I expect that one to go before the other two.
Now, when I say "who's next" I'm really only referring to the more major players. There are so many halfassed MMOGs out their right now, and more coming, that it would be virtually impossible to predict which failure landmine will go off next. I'll just watch and snicker.
Or heck, maybe I'll just join the herd and make my own MMOG. I'll call it "Folly". And inside the game world of Folly, you will each be able to play roles within a burgeoning MMOG company. Be a designer with big ideas an no real talent or ability to produce. Or, be an artist or animator that can't get a 3D figure to look, or move, realistically despite the "assistance" of motioncapture and texture photographs taken from real life. Ooo Ooo... or be a corporate pinhead! an overzealous, money-grubbing, tyrant who thinks shifting good people all through out the company will be the "shake up" they need to get their collective asses in gear and bilk the loyal playerbase out of enough money to buy you a new house in the Caymans. Or, just be an eager board troll, gobbling up every scrap of information that's released like it's your last meal, then regujitating it word for word all over the various lifeless "fansites" that are little more that heads on an unoriginal-hydra.
But, I'll take the time to digress now... before I really say what's on my mind and stop candy-coating it.
[ discuss ]
I think some of these game companies forget that there are a finite number of gamers that are willing to pay $12 or more a month to play a game they can never truly win. That being said I KNOW they forgot the fact that there is more than one good game worth paying high monthly fees to play. For some odd reason, most of these companies believe that they are going to have a high enough draw to be the next big thing. **shrugs** Delusions are as rampant these days as 2nd rate game designers.
And, on my short list of "who's next" are Shadowbane and Anarchy Online. Sure, they're both changing and growing. They're both striving to provide more meaningful functionality within their games, but at what cost for what return? Planetside isn't far behind itself. Honestly, I expect that one to go before the other two.
Now, when I say "who's next" I'm really only referring to the more major players. There are so many halfassed MMOGs out their right now, and more coming, that it would be virtually impossible to predict which failure landmine will go off next. I'll just watch and snicker.
Or heck, maybe I'll just join the herd and make my own MMOG. I'll call it "Folly". And inside the game world of Folly, you will each be able to play roles within a burgeoning MMOG company. Be a designer with big ideas an no real talent or ability to produce. Or, be an artist or animator that can't get a 3D figure to look, or move, realistically despite the "assistance" of motioncapture and texture photographs taken from real life. Ooo Ooo... or be a corporate pinhead! an overzealous, money-grubbing, tyrant who thinks shifting good people all through out the company will be the "shake up" they need to get their collective asses in gear and bilk the loyal playerbase out of enough money to buy you a new house in the Caymans. Or, just be an eager board troll, gobbling up every scrap of information that's released like it's your last meal, then regujitating it word for word all over the various lifeless "fansites" that are little more that heads on an unoriginal-hydra.
But, I'll take the time to digress now... before I really say what's on my mind and stop candy-coating it.
[ discuss ]
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