Mobile MMOs in Carmack's future?

by Jennie Lees { May 19th 2006 at 6:59PM }

After recent mobile efforts including Doom and Orcs and Elves, John Carmack may have a new trick up his sleeve. Speaking to CNN Money, Carmack outlines his fears for the industry -- the unexpected cost of episodic gaming, along with security problems, make up his main concerns.

With id's recent move to the mobile phone platform, Carmack's got plans. By trying out franchises on cell phones before risking a big-budget console or PC title, games become a safer bet; Carmack's also "really into the idea of a massively multiplayer cell phone title". While some MMOs have made forays into the mobile world, an exclusive massively multiplayer mobile game is a fairly novel idea -- it may even help the flagging mobile market.

[Via Gamesindustry.biz]

Tags: carmack, cellphone, id, mmo, mmorpg, mobile, mobile phone, MobilePhone, wireless

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

dakgoalie38 @ May 19th 2006 7:06PM

O rly?

bv @ May 19th 2006 7:07PM

Looks like he's on Jeopardy in that picture:

Trebek : "Carmack for the win?"
Carmack : "I think I've got it Alex. What is Steve Job's turtleneck?"
Trebek : "Correct! You win a months free supply of 2 dollar bargain bin eye glasses. Congratulations!"

dakgoalie38 @ May 19th 2006 7:07PM

Wooooooot!!!!11!!1! First post!

Korey @ May 19th 2006 7:46PM

does this mean like a psp MMO or a Celly MMO??? ill take both

John @ May 19th 2006 8:00PM

I think the whole idea of mobile games is garbage.

I will not find myself staring at a 2.5" screen for the hundreds of hours required to enjoy an MMO.

I find it a waste of time playing the stupid 2-D games that come pre-installed on a cellphone that I can simple get on any other device or the PC.

If you want games on the go, for the love of God, invest in a handheld. You ever heard of the PSP? Perhaps the DS? A GameBoy even? You do not need a mobile MMO!

Seriously, can you imagine someone actually investing time in playing an MMORPG on a cellphone? Id like to see what all the WoW enthusiasts think about the idea. I'm sure their eyes hurt already staring at a 19" LCD for 6 hours rather than a 2.5" screen on a phone...

I've never supported the mobile market, nor do I ever intend to. I find it even more riciculous when companies make phones that cost over a thousand dollars. For the love of God! Its a phone! Mr. Bell is likely rolling in his grave as we speak.

Computer, console and handheld games > mobile games

DarthMoridin @ May 19th 2006 8:19PM

John, have you even tried Doom RPG? It's the first mobile game that I've spent any serious time playing. I fully expect to play it all the way to the end. I played Orcs & Elves at E3 and will be buying that one for my phone as well.

Mobile gaming has a hazy future, but it's one that many are betting a lot on. You couldn't walk 2 steps at E3 this year without running into a bank of phones demoing various titles. That was a first. I think that many action titles simply don't work well on a phone, but anything that can be played well with one hand has a good chance.

I don't consider mobile gaming as a replacement to my computer or console games at home, but it certainly makes for a nice time killer when waiting at the subway or at the water store.

John @ May 19th 2006 8:30PM

But if you view the mobile game market as a nice time killer when waiting at the subway. It simply helps prove that you will not find people wanting to sit down and play an MMO on a cell.

I said in my earlier post that a good MMO is one that requires alot of time invested into it.

Do you really think someone waits at the subway that long?

Merus @ May 19th 2006 9:34PM

John, I believe you are thinking of an MMORPG. MMO != MMORPG. One of the big differences is that it doesn't need you to consume your life playing a stupid little mobile phone game, and that sort of game would fail in the mobile marketplace anyway. Ideally, one would be able to whip out the game at any time and play for five minutes or so, so you still get the immersion because the game's always running, but you wouldn't need to spend quite so much time. Besides, the whole 'invest a whole lot of time' model sucks, because it invariably means grind, and no-one likes grind.

I'm hoping Carmack is taking cues off people other than Blizzard, although honestly I thought Three Rings would be first to the mobile MMO market. I'm also really surprised no-one's thought to combine MMOs and ARGs yet, and that would be perfect for mobiles as well.

Jade @ May 20th 2006 1:35AM

Carmack is the most brilliant game designer alive, bar none, and made pc gaming what it is today. If anyone can pull off something like this, it's him.

Akaru @ May 20th 2006 3:29AM

There is already MMO's through mobile: http://www.hinterwars.com/
PC-Mobile crossover "3MOG" as they call it

michael black @ May 20th 2006 12:01PM

Hey Carmack, I thought you was only interested in powerful machines like PS3, Xbox360. Remember when you said on G4tv. That the Nintendo Wii was a step behind the other next-gen consoles. Cell phones graphics are way behind genius. Carmack you dumbazz.You passed up the Nintendo Wii, which will be selling out like crazy in fall. For damn cell phone games! Your not brite at all!

boots @ May 20th 2006 10:50PM

John:

Just wait till Microsoft trashes Sony (not like I want that to happen). They'll buy Sony and automatically enter the mobile phone and TV business and make every Xbox enabled device run PlayStation games. Eventually, they will force Windows and Xbox integration with TVs, making consoles useless, you'll only pay a rent and enrich Microsoft. Consoles will cease to exist (Nintendo will in some way be snubbed by Microsoft, I don't know how), and gaming will be available on any TV (but in the way of a Monopoly) AND cellphone. In the future you'll be able to play Xbox 720 games on mobile phones through "Microsoft LIVE services", and also on your TV... what... you think TVs will have more power than mobile phones? Think again. Why would microsoft invest on such a stupid idea? TVs are "already powerful enough to be updated, so let's just update the phones to get a bigger audience" - except the audience is very wide by making Celphone and TV games the same games, so microsoft invests less, earns more, and owns you. Cable TV or PPV on demand? Microsoft LIVE will provide. ;)

OK, enough about conspiracy theories. I also hate Mobile gaming, and I hope console gaming comes out of the TV. It's the next boundary to be broken: Holographic gaming and augmented reality.

boots @ May 21st 2006 8:09PM

"Carmack is the most brilliant game designer alive, bar none, and made pc gaming what it is today. If anyone can pull off something like this, it's him."

Shigeru Miyamoto, Hironobu Sakaguchi, Peter Molyneux, David Jaffe, and Will Wright are a few examples that debunk your theory. But I guess it's just about opinion. Then again, he is one of the most, but I don't consider him above the ones I mentioned.