One genre was conspicuously absent from Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft's E3 press conferences -- the humble massively multiplayer game. We at Joystiq are on the lookout for innovation in MMOs, and what better platform to push the genre to its limits than next-gen consoles? Yet few developers seem to be taking the bait.
While some console MMOs are under development, the PC is definitely the platform of choice, and nothing we saw at the keynotes has changed that. With the investment in connected online services for the next generation of consoles, it's a surprise that the MMO isn't getting any attention. Perhaps translating gameplay to console platforms is holding developers back, or perhaps it's just too early for the genre to come into its own. Either way, it will be interesting to watch the few console MMOs that are launching soon, as well as Final Fantasy XI, to get some hints of what the future holds.
