Develop: Everything you know about MMOs is wrong - apparently
Thomas Bidaux of NCsoft Europe didn't pull any punches with his presentation at the UK's Develop conference. Instead, the MMO giant's director of product development outlined four major ways in which the MMO world will be turned on its head. Or, rather, the 'online' world -- rather than limit himself to MMOs, Thomas talked about online games as a whole.Firstly, a platform revolution -- including a push towards console gaming -- brings with it challenges as well as opportunities for online games. Digital distribution and a wider audience are key benefits, but developing a console MMO means dealing with the genre's baggage (keyboard and mouse controls, patches, inter-player communication to name but a few). Community is key to many online games, but achieving that while removing the requirement of PC ownership is another challenge.
Consoles aren't the only platform, however; browser-based games such as Runescape already attract huge numbers of players, and the cross-pollination of casual gaming and MMOs will surely have at least one browser-based bastard child. Handhelds with their wifi capabilities are in a key position to take advantage of persistency, and while the heterogeneous mobile platform is in its infancy according to Mr Bidaux, other audience members disagreed.
Secondly, a cultural revolution can redefine what we mean by 'online' and how we interact with online games. Online isn't just MMOs and a large, persistent world; it's also persistent user data, such as achievements and skill level. It's the ability to push updates to a client and help the game evolve post-launch. It's the ability to play alone with thousands, even millions of people; to find the perfect opponent from a huge pool of possibilities.
Thomas gave the example of a Tekken-style game which could revolve around its online component (rather than having multiplayer added in as an afterthought). Online rankings and tournaments allow players to test each others' boasts and shoot for the moon; persistent characters give the player the chance to evolve, learning new moves and customising heavily; constant content updates keep the game fresh and appealing.
Thirdly, an economic revolution may mean the $14.99 subscription model becomes defunct. Online games suit online delivery; digital distribution at its best. iTunes changed the way music is delivered, and models like micropayments, in-game advertising and the 'no monthly subscription but constant sequels' approach all help redefine the way online games work financially.
Older game distribution economics centres around the game's genre, art direction and the technical canvas; in today's online world, add "what do you pay for?" into the mix. Added value is the key phrase here -- Bob can pay twice as much as Anna, but he gets twice as many character slots. Extending this to ingame artifacts such as money and items is an extremely tricky field, but even without that there are features that scale with cost.
Finally, a lifestyle revolution -- identified by Mr. Bidaux as the advent of Web 2.0 -- means more opportunities for online games. The Internet is constantly evolving; collective intelligence (e.g. Wikipedia) and viral content (e.g. MySpace) provide opportunites for community and collaborative efforts. The dematerialisation of software, as embodied by Google's AJAX ventures, is an example of how persistency has power even outside the gaming world.
Overall, it's an exciting time for online games, but we have to wonder how many of these 'revolutions' will have the impact Thomas predicts. New technologies and platforms such as Live Anywhere may help enable some of these visions, but the risk of investment in novelty means that many points may be a long way off, and changes may be gradual. The most exciting possibilities seem to be in the cross-platform 'casual MMO' browser space, where digital distribution and micropayments can be toyed with by smaller studios such as Three Rings -- an interesting platform to watch. Also, seeing what NCsoft is predicting as the near and distant future is valuable in and of itself.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
tom gordon @ Jul 14th 2006 7:41AM
Yay, looks like the MMO companies are catching up with what we were doing at the turn of the century...
dazsly @ Jul 14th 2006 7:41AM
Oh yeh so arent ncsoft the guys who made their blockbuster mmo car game "Auto Assault"!!
Lets trust this guy to know what he's talking about then.
closetsquirrel @ Jul 14th 2006 8:39AM
Just because you know how a gun works doesn't mean you know how to fire it accurately. NCSoft did, and is doing, a great job with City of Heroes and everything in this article is a nod at what is to come. The MMO market can't stay limited to the PC any longer and all the points made are fantastic ways to impliment an expansion to the field.
Tom @ Jul 14th 2006 9:19AM
"Bob can pay twice as much as Anna, but he gets twice as many character slots."
Let's just hope this model doesn't degrade into Bob paying twice as much as Anna and having a twice as powerful character. I don't want my level in the game to depend on how much cash I pump into it.
I thought this article was going to be about how MMO gameplay has stagnated into a grind fest.
Jdoki @ Jul 14th 2006 9:36AM
@ #2... So quick to judge...
NCSoft didn't make Austo Assault, they published it.
And if you care to look around, www.mmogchart.com is a good place to start - you'll see that titles in the NCSoft stable account for about 25% of the market... So, Yeah, I figure he probably knows a little bit about the industry.
Grail3x @ Jul 14th 2006 9:42AM
I tend to agree with Mr. Bidaux’s concept that games need to evolve and innovate more.
We seem to be stagnating with rehashed, reworked and reused versions of games we’ve been playing for decades now (come to think of it movies are in the same situation). In my opinion games have become extremely refined like a finely polished gem, technically excellent productions, but I think there is a huge lack of “base” creativity they lack “vision” of the future of games. I really don’t think games creators are asking themselves “What will games be like in 20 years?” and then ask the question “How do we get there?”
I believe these are fundamental questions that need to be asked on an ongoing basis for the evolution of the games industry. Like any other industry or technical accomplishment in history if you do nothing to improve or innovate eventually you get passed by.
I do believe there are pockets of innovation the Nintendo “Wii” is a good evidence for that and companies that have this train of thought will definitely benefit from their persistence, but the vast majority of games that are being created adaptations and not true innovations.
It is my opinion that people have an inherent need to interact, communicate, and create. I think games need to start addressing these concepts differently. The way I see it, games need to create communities where people can build their own experiences and then share them. Games of the future can very well be the tools by which people will express their creativity, their “avatar” per say will have much more significance in their lives. Look at World of Warcraft where people customize their persona online, My Space and the other blog sites are other examples of people expressing their virtual selves X-box live shows you achievements. If you were to create a game environment where you could place your “persona” into various games and add to their profile not only the fact that you played a game but what you’ve been able to create within that game and take it with you to another game and then share it there, and then meld this with your personal life (a la MySpace)… That would be significant. People would want to be connected to their virtual “persona” continuously update it and add to an ever growing community database.
But that’s just my 2 cents. Take it for what it’s worth… a bunch of digits in virtual space.
zero @ Jul 14th 2006 10:15AM
It seems to me that companies need to realize that not everyone who owns a PC and plays games on it plays MMOs or anything online for that matter. Personally I think the push toward online games has caused single player experiences to suffer.
Matt @ Jul 14th 2006 10:29AM
I think we have that online concept on the Console with XBox Live. We already have matchmaking, and them the marketplace/auto updates to constantly expand games.
I just purchased the 2nd pack from Bizarre for PGR3. I have purchased both packs and have received about 25 cars (2 being "free"). Now, that is evolving a game. Oh, and new game types.
Staticneuron @ Jul 14th 2006 10:30AM
"I do believe there are pockets of innovation the Nintendo “Wii” is a good evidence for that and companies that have this train of thought will definitely benefit from their persistence, but the vast majority of games that are being created adaptations and not true innovations. "
By your reasoning over time nintendo will sufffer from the same fault once their "innovative" technology has been out for a few years.
Innovation is great but you cannot ignore a really good "adaptations". The truth of the matter is that most games on this market are affected by this issue but that doesn't mean that those games aren't fun or offer a unique experience. Halo 2, ninja gaiden, Kingdom hearts 2, god of war, and shadows of the collusus are games that have elements we have all seen before. What makes them engrossing and enjoyable is that the changed or tweaked those elements to make them feel new and refreshing.
Gaming doesn't need to be saved, it isn't in a dire situation yet. What we need more of are balanced games. Great gameplay, graphics, and story is really all that is needed. The added experience of having a new controller makes gaming more unique but the arrival of the Wii's controller doesn't represent a complete change in the habits of adapting elements of a game.
Jess @ Jul 14th 2006 10:49AM
"iTunes changed the way music is delivered, and models like micropayments, in-game advertising and the 'no monthly subscription but constant sequels' approach all help redefine the way online games work financially."
I don't want any of these in my MMO. Micropayments means the person with the most money IRL is inherently better than you, and I had enough of that with Magic the Gathering, and it also means that I will always feel obligated to "pump just a little bit more money" into my character which will greatly detract from my fun with the game. In-game advertising will never give the developer enough money to upkeep the game without being extremely intrusive, especially for genres like fantasy where there really can be no advertising. As for the "constant sequels" approach, if NCSoft's Guild Wars is any indication of how this would work I don't want it either. I'm not saying its a bad game, but to make financial ends meet they really need to cut back on server usage and bandwidth, and it shows. 2D movement instead of 3D, lots of rubberbanding, and a lot less they can do with the engine that requires communication between the server and client. I'd rather pay the reasonable $15/month for a top-notch experience than get a middling one for free.
Tarik @ Jul 14th 2006 11:21AM
"Firstly, a platform revolution -- including a push towards console gaming -- brings with it challenges as well as opportunities for online games. Digital distribution and a wider audience are key benefits, but developing a console MMO means dealing with the genre's baggage (keyboard and mouse controls, patches, inter-player communication to name but a few). Community is key to many online games, but achieving that while removing the requirement of PC ownership is another challenge."
I have serious reservations about a console MMO. Even WoW is having server issues, connectivity problems and interface add-ons being used by a number of players to enhance their experience.
If you strip all of those things away, plus a mouse, keyboard, and the standard gaming rig of a serious gamer, and replace it with...XBox Live? What will be left?
I am unsure how an MMO developed for console could possibly be as in depth as Guild Wars or Lineage or WoW. Besides the fact that @ Jess, I completely agree that if you create the "micro-payment" system, the content will take a hit. I'm still mad WoW is instituting paid transfers.
Let me be frank. I am still somewhat irked that I have to pay 15 bucks a month for a game I already paid for, but I do because of the community, the attentive customer service and the continually added content. If either XBox Live, the proposed online Sony service, of whatever Nintendo has up it's sleeve can mimic it, awesome, but, I can't see what they'd put out...cmon a Halo MMO? where they figure out how to create infinite Master Chiefs?
It seems like next gen should focus on making games worth purchasing for 60-80 bucks, rather than taking on more and more increasingly complex projects, and then...failing miserably.
However, it might be nice to play a game without a keyboard, cause typing "wtflolbbqnub" is very time-consuming ;)
Nmaster @ Jul 14th 2006 1:12PM
Any idea that says I should pay less for games is a good idea, period.
Curse you WoW, and thank you Guild Wars...
Magus @ Jul 14th 2006 1:26PM
If you take what he says in reference to curent online or multiplayer aspect of any game...
No matter how diferent the games are multiplayer sides of those games rarely reflect the unique things found in the game. Halo, QUake, UT, ... multiplayer all virtualy the same add or subtract a mode or 2 and change out the guns.
The way i interpeted it.. as an example. Take a fighter SoulCaliber 3 for example. Add the system of a MMO/build your own fighter apply in an xbox live enviorment with rankings. Then add a micropayment that charges similar to guildwars like 10$ an expansion every year or 1/2 year. (those expansions are abit more than just horse armor or a gun and a map)
It creates an enviorment where its constanly evolving in the form of play.
Kwipper @ Jul 15th 2006 1:59AM
If they can do it, I will gladly welcome the new changes to the Tiring Genre. Here is one way to improve the MMORPG Genre.
IN-GAME INTEGRATED VOICE CHAT: For christ sake, if everyone had integrated voice chat in these games, it would make the game so much easier to play, and more convenient. Also, they should set it up so that you can detect if someone has a Microphone installed or not on their computer. This way you can decide not to add people to your group who do not have Microphones, that is, if you want to do that.
ThornedVenom @ Jul 20th 2006 3:00AM
@ #14 Kwipper: Actually, there are MMOs in development including the voice chat. I'm not sure if FFXI has it on Xbox 360, but I know that from NCsoft's behalf, there's Tabula Rasa, which is played as a shooter (special powers included) in a persistant world... the interface is extremely simplified by the fact that there's voice chat. No bulky chat box.
Nevertheless, it's a risk for the developper as not only voice chatting would reduce the potential clientbase but it's also consumes quite some bandwidth. For added realism, my guess is that there's some kind of "3D sound" solution, where you'd be able to hear louder the people nearer to your location. I could imagine how noisy marketplaces would be...
Stuka @ Jul 22nd 2006 11:15PM
The march towards console gaming in preference to the PC should worry even the most partisan console gamer as well as those on the PC, why? Because it is the rapid advances in PC technology that drives the software developers to create bigger and better titles in order to make full use of the technology available. Consoles are standardised and thus easier to develop for but what happens to the games, they stagnate for 2 years or so at a time because console technology doesn't evolve until the next round of new machines gets announced.
PC games on the other hand are constantly evolving and getting better. Console manufacturers see the advances and plan the next gen machine. So what happens when the PC becomes primarily a business tool with 99% of the games market being console based?
PC technology advances more for business applications. No need for Nvidia or ATI to create that next kickass video card, AMD turn about face and try to compete with Intel for the business market, console technology remains static for the next 2 or 3 years as does game technology and everyone gets bored, no more WOW factor when a new title hits the shelves because the graphics, gameplay etc. are all same old same old.
There will always be genres that are better suited to one platform or another. MMO's are and will always be better suited to a PC environment, FPS & Platformers will always better suit the consoles, it's horses for courses and that's the way it should remain.
Skawn @ Jul 24th 2006 8:28AM
"FPS & Platformers will always better suit the consoles" Platformers maybe but mouse/keyboard is such a better control system for FPS.
Back on topic though...
I'd rather see hundreds of successful MMOs with a player base of a few hundred thousand than a handful of big MMOs where none really have the features you want.
Unfortunately, it's much more appealing to the producers to deliver a game with mass appeal to the 'casual gamer' as it makes them more money.
Philip Elthorpe @ Jul 26th 2006 5:20PM
The modern online game needs these elements to survive...
1) Support for Debit Card and/or Paypal Payments -
When the requirement for a game was a credit card, it was for two reasons, Age Verification and Standardized Payment Systems.
Nowadays, Paypal is just as standardized, and a few MMOs already use a option to give details for your Switch card instead of a Visa, AmEx or Mastercard number.
2) Either single-unit payment or pay-to-upgrade systems -
City Of Heroes And Villains requires that you pay for your 'citizenship', and that encompasses your entire play experience, even if you get a upgrade, since you've already paid for your account.
Guild Wars, while offering free 'citizenship', requires that you pay for extra episodes, a flat fee that is unavoidable.
Skawn, We already have a handful of big MMOs that offer pretty much the same as each other.
I want to see Tokimemo Online and TOEO get a global release... I wanted to see King Of Fighters Online...
If we got more than just hack-and-slash, and actually got persistent 'living' worlds, where you don't just battle there, you live there, I'll be happy...