So here's my take from the front lines...
The Good (Clint Eastwood as "Blondie")
Guild Wars 2
Yes, yes, I know...it's the Exciting New Product with twice the flavor and half the calories!!! I tried Guild Wars a few times, but it just never grabbed me. I saw this one coming and was solidly "Meh". But it started looking more interesting as time went on, so I went ahead and pre-purchased to get access to the betas. After about 4 hours of the first beta weekend I was thinking I had made a mistake. About 8 hours in, I was feeling better about my purchase. By the end of the weekend I was so upset it was going away I was tearing out my hair in distress (Metaphorically, as I'm not actually limber enough to get a good grip on my back hair and that's about all I have left).One stress test and another beta weekend later, I'm still very excited for it. Sure it has a lot of standard MMO tropes (fantasy setting, phat lewtz, hot bars, etc.), but a lot of the design is avoiding the standard MMO implementations. It looks and feels new and interesting. It's still got issues and needs polish, but it's the one game I'm most looking forward to right now. And that's Good.
Please hurry guys. Please. Pleeeeeeeeeeease. Me wanty.
EVE Online
On the other end of the spectrum, is EVE Online. This is a game I've subscribed to 3 different times, for varying lengths. I consider the guys at CCP to be enormously talented amateurs because of some of the mistakes they've made, and the game is certainly not for everybody, but I put this in the Good is for two reasons in particular.First, they started small and have grown in the right way, organically. They either grew their niche or outgrew it. They should be a model for the way small MMOs can have a serious impact (and make some serious bank). Don't shoot for the stars, aim for the Moon first (oooooo, space game humor!).
Second, they've screwed up. And when they've screwed up, they've (eventually) admitted it and done whatever they can to ameliorate the damage. Because they've been willing to take good-sized risks to improve the game substantially over time, they've taken some missteps. Too many games won't even TRY anything new for fear of derailing the gravy train. And if they do screw up, the standard response of most of 'em is to delete forum postings and feign good cheer. CCP is willing to take their lumps.
But they should have fired the employees who cheated in-game like a fucking shot.
Rift
I played Rift at launch for a few months and again for a number more, just earning my 6 month veteran rewards (on the day I cancelled my sub, coincidentally). At first I found it too...vanilla. When I went back I found they'd added some very nice sauces and sprinkles onto the vanilla and now it was quite tasty indeed. Why'd I unsub? I'd level-capped 3 of the 4 classes and was a bit bored.But I'll be going back soon. Why?
Because these guys crank out (quality) content like nobody else in the MMO business. Nobody else is close. 1.9 will be adding a huge new PvP system, instant adventures anywhere, mentoring, and hopefully training little critters on the landscape into cosmetic pets. Then comes the EXPANSION with Storm Legion. Tripling the size of land area, new level cap, 4 new souls, etc.
They are not screwing around. This game is much better than release and it was the most polished MMO at release I've ever seen (by FAR). These are professionals expanding and improving an already-good piece of work. They should be a model for companies trying to grow a triple-A, mainstream game just like the EVE guys are for growing a niche game.
EQ/EQ2/AO/UO/DaoC/CoH/Vanguard/DDO/CO/STO/etc.
Why these guys? Simple...because they are still running. Too many games that people enjoyed are gone. Some went away for purely financial reasons...you can only pour so much money down a hole. Some went away for convenience reasons (I'm looking at you, the people who killed "Tabula Rasa" and "Star Wars Galaxies") where the guys in charge simply wanted 'em gone. But too many are gone.
Here's an idea, MMO Peoples In Charge...when your game is about to go tits-up, remember those customers who have invested so much time and emotion into your game, and try to find a way to keep it alive. Even if you have to give it to somebody else. Or sell it for $1.
Hell, I bet the SWG Emu people would donate internal organs for the source for a game you chose to simply turn off.
Neverwinter/Wildstar/Elder Scrolls Online/PlanetSide 2/Defiance/The Secret World/Firefall
Why these guys? Because they're still coming. These are all games (some are only MMO hybrids) on the horizon that are showing promise. Neverwinter wowed people at PAX (I believe it was). ESO did almost as well at E3 (despite a LOT of negativity a few weeks earlier when it was announced). PlanetSide 2 has been getting absolutely stellar hands-on press. Defiance will have the synergy with the TV show. Wildstar and Firefall look very interesting and polished but are still fairly early in their development cycle. The Secret World is the only one I've gotten to try, and even though I liked it (a cross between the "Call of Cthulhu" RPG and "The X-Files"? Sign me up!), and I can't see it being more than a niche success...thank Nyarlathotep it doesn't have goddamned elves and dwarves! Sorry Neverwinter and ESO, but I am SO sick of high fantasy I even roll my eyes at GW2 and that game is MMO Viagra for me right now.To be continued...
-Lens
1 comment:
I agree.
...I was going to leave it at that but I can't. While I do not have the well developed palate for games as a connoisseure of your experience does, I would agree with most of what you pointed out. I miss SWG. TOR hasn't hooked me like SWG did.
And this is your good list.
I noticed LOTRO and SWG are missing from the good..
I'm looking forward to the rest of the post.
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