Hello folks, I am the Bitter Clinger and every time a big MMORPG title or franchise shuts down, we tend to do some soul-searching.
Of course, we were all caught off guard when Aeria Games announced they would be shutting down the servers for Scarlet Blade at the end of the month. Many fans of the genre are still reeling from the news. After all, if Scarlet Boobs can't... I mean, if Scarlet Blade can't make it in this environment, then what chance does anyone else have https://pheasantridgegc.com/? Okay, on a more serious note, this video was inspired by Bill Murphy who has an article on MMORPG dot COM, where he explores the question of whether or not the MMORPG is dead. This latest examination has likely been triggered by a spate of bad news, including layoffs at Carbine Studios, the imminent demise of Wildstar Online, and the cancellation of EverQuest Next I guess the premise being that if triple-A titles like EverQuest Next and Wildstar Online can't make it, then the genre must be dead or at least dying. Mr. Murphy also quotes Ryan Dancey, the former CEO of Goblinworks, as saying something to the effect of Wildstar being the last big budget MMORPG that we'll see for some time. Presumably indicating a reluctance to invest big money in the genre. Now, I have to reluctantly agree with Mr. Dancey. There is significant resistance to investing big money in the market, but that's not because the MMORPG is dying; quite the opposite. The reason investors are holding back is because the market is saturated, and the existence of titles like Scarlet Blade is evidence of that. On the other hand, the failure of a particular MMORPG could be for any number of reasons, and all of them good reasons. Wildstar Online seems to check all the boxes for an MMORPG, but it's not very fun to play. My guess is that's because it is so similar to the gameplay in World of Warcraft. So, a large number of online gamers were already burned out on those game mechanics by the time Wildstar came around. Now, EverQuest Next is the most disappointing failure in recent memory because it is exactly the kind of big-budget game that could be successful in this market. The EverQuest franchise is popular and it's owned by a big development studio, but they just didn't have the right people to pull it off. The cancellation of EverQuest Next says more about Daybreak Games than it does the MMORPG genre. Frankly, Brian Dancey made his own missteps in the market while he was at Goblinworks. But all of this isn't meant to disparage anyone. These games are made by people, and people sometimes make mistakes. I'm simply pointing out that these particular failures don't indicate a problem with the MMORPG market. It's tempting to deflect blame when things don't go the way we planned. For example, if I can't make a successful MMORPG, then it MUST mean the MMORPG genre is dead, or at least dying. The truth is it actually indicates a mature and healthy market. A healthy market will not tolerate mediocrity. Now, it will support niche versions of a bigger genre, and those niche players may be willing to overlook certain things, like less than stunning graphics or a few persistent bugs, if it means a focus on their preferred gameplay or feature. Having said that, mainstream players expect the latest and greatest graphics and animation, they expect a large variety gameplay options, and they expect decent customer service. And that's why big budget MMORPGs are such a big risk. If you rush a triple-A title out the door and it has too many bugs, or it doesn't have enough gameplay options, or it has the wrong monetization scheme; players will simply leave and an overwhelming majority of those who leave will never give the game a second chance. So, it takes more than a big budget to create a successful triple-A title in today's MMORPG market. The good news is there are still plenty of people willing to risk it. Consider this, it's only March and we've already seen the launch of three major MMORPGs in 2016. Blade & Soul launched to some pretty high praise in January. Black Desert Online was also released in North America earlier this month, and finally Tom Clancy's The Division landed on the 8th of March. I would consider all three to be Triple-A MMORPG titles. They all have top-shelf graphics. They all have top-shelf animations. Blade and Soul launched with the best localization I have ever seen in a foreign MMO. Black Desert Online introduced some innovative ideas for both PVE and PVP game mechanics. And finally, The Division is the latest attempt to drag the MMORPG out of the sword and sorcery fantasy setting, and I think that's a good thing. And yes; I absolutely consider The Division to be an MMORPG. Now, I realize a successful launch does not equate to a successful game. We'll have to revisit this in a few years to see how things shake out for these titles. Speaking of shaking things out, wait 'til I lay this on you: Scarlet Blade was released three years ago this month. Wildstar Online will have to survive for another 15 months, until June 2017, in order to be as successful, at least in terms of longevity. A word of warning folks, you don't want to think about that one for too long because it will drive - you - insane. Ladies and gentlemen, we've been through this before with many genres. Just to pick one example, before the MMORPG came the RPG. PC gamers enjoyed a number of genre-defining titles in the 80s, including the Ultima series, Bard's Tale, Might and Magic, and of course, Rogue: The Adventure Game from 1983. Now, you may have heard that the RPG market had collapsed by the mid-90s, and there is some truth to that. We had the Eye of the Beholder series from 1990 to 1993. We had Darklands in 1992. We had Dungeon Hack in 1993. And then we did have a few years of some pretty horrific RPGs. But even that drought only lasted until 1996 when Bethesda released Daggerfall, Blizzard Entertainment comes out with Diablo, and then Bioware blows us all away in 1997 with Baldur's Gate. RPG players have been ridin' on a gravy-train with biscuit wheels ever since. So, don't worry about the MMORPG genre. Sure, there may be times when we're burned out on the mainstream MMORPG options, and we can't find a title with the niche gameplay we prefer; but be patient. The MMORPG genre is alive and well, and the market for MMORPGs is still ripe for developers of all sizes. So, even if you're one of those people who are willing to sacrifice fun gameplay in order to stare at tits and ass all day while you're playing video games, fear not. I'm sure some game studio will come along and make an MMORPG just for you. Until then, this is Bitter Clinger, signing out.
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AuthorI like sport and all types of gambling games. Also, I`m a writer, so I help people to understand the online casino niche and other related niches like betting on sport, iGaming etc. Working with gambling projects: https://www.casinoslots.co.nz/casino-software Archives
March 2019
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