Blizzard Dispenses Advice for Failing MMOs

worldofwarcraft
If you’re setting out to make a successful MMO, I imagine that there’s one undercurrent of thought running throughout the entire design phase: be like World of Warcraft. It seems like a sound plan, seeing as how that game pumps out more golden Ferraris than a Twilight movie release, but it may backfire on you sooner than you think.

According to Blizzard Lead Producer Shane Dabiri, more WoW clones are not what MMORPG fans want right now. While he says that Blizzard finds it flattering that so many companies want to emulate their success with World of Warcraft (imitation is the most sincere form of adulation, after all), trying to pull the same maneuvers may not lead to the big hit that most developers hope for.

He goes on to say that people who have invested a lot of time in Warcraft don’t want to do the same things in a different game. As a Warcraft player myself, I couldn’t agree more. Before I moved over to Blizzard’s digital demolisher I used to play Star Wars Galaxies, which, while it had its problems, was a fairly unique and engaging game. All that changed when the development team took a look at Warcraft and said “we need to do that!”

Soon after that all the hybrid classes were gone, the economy got thrown out the window and Jedi ran all over the place like a herd of ill-disciplined children. Star Wars Galaxies tried so hard to be World of Warcraft but fell so far short it was almost embarrassing. Game after game has bowed to the mighty MMO, but there are few titles on the horizon that may challenge the market by being different. The upcoming Star Wars MMO by BioWare is my current favorite to at least show some decent competition, but I can’t pretend that DC Online isn’t making a strong bid either.

What do you guys think? Has World of Warcraft ruined the MMO scene, or will future MMOs learn a lesson and try something new?

Source: CVG

Top Ten Most Needed MMO’s

bioshockI know that one day, an MMO will nab me and never let me go. I’m totally in love with the idea of them, but the gameplay has yet to really catch me on any particular one. And with everybody and their mom starting to turn IP’s into that now popular genre, it’s only a matter of time before one really inserts itself into my daily gaming.

That being said, MMORPG has put together a lost of the top 10 games that need to be MMO’s, and I have to say they have some really crazy but interesting ideas. While I don’t know if a Madden MMO would work, I can see it having that mass appeal that developers are looking for. The possibility of a Nintendo based world is nifty, as well. Also, the idea of zombie MMO where survivors try to find one another amidst a world overrun by the undead sounds cool as hell.

This list is definitely worth reading. What do you guys think of the ideas that are laid out? What is your favorite? Go!

Source- MMORPG