Via Joystiq |
2008 was supposed to be the year when World of Warcraft would meet its first real challengers in years in Age of Conan and Warhammer Online. Since coming out on top in late 2004/early 2005 against
EverQuest II and
Guild Wars, the MMORPG had lacked any major market, highly advertised competition.
Dungeon & Dragons Online and
Lord of the Rings Online made splashes upon their releases in 2006 and 2007, respectively, and continue to maintain market share. Many other MMOs, on the other hand, have utterly failed.
Tabula Rasa and the pseudo-MMOG Hellgate: London are the most recent.
Both of the big MMOs that made their debut in 2008 remain online and under development, although one's overall health is in question.
Age of Conan launched in May 2008 to "
generally favorable reviews" and solid sales. Initially, it looked like a success despite its bugginess and Beta feel. Months later, it became clear that users flocked from the title after the initial 30-day free trial period ended. The drop in fanfare may be disheartening, but Funcom keeps on truckin'.
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning has done far better since its release in September 2008. Although the title has not held on to Mythic CEO Mark Jacobs'
target subscription rate of 500,000, the developer, and more importantly Electronic Arts, continue to
support and advertise the title. This has allowed Mythic to further develop the PvP-heavy MMO, including the
free addition of features that were cut from launch. Both titles will surely remain online for sometime, coming out of 2008 as the few non-F2P, mass market MMOGs with a notable impact. Neither of them believed they would be "WoW killers," but that didn't stop the gaming public from making the obvious comparisons.
The Year of the Rat is behind us though. Titles have failed, floundered and flourished during that time, but it's time to look ahead. I am a firm believer that competition breeds creativity, and hope that a few of these upcoming titles while keep the WoW development team at the top of their game.
- Champions Online (Cryptic/Atari; June; Closed Beta) - The New York Comic Con enabled me to get some hands-on time with this super hero themed MMORPG. Champions Online comes from the same studio that created NCSoft's City of Heroes/Villains franchise. Now the company is brandishing its own license, the Champions board game license that they purchased from Hero Game. CO is also heading to Xbox 360.
- DC Universe Online (SOE; 2009; Pre-Alpha) - This is another MMORPG that I got to play around with at NYCC. If you are looking for a new experience in your super hero/super villain MMOG then this seems to be the place. DC Comics is hands-on with the title, rather than simply licensing the story and allowing Sony Online Entertainment to bootstrap in approved storylines. An obvious direct competitor to Champions, DCUO has been given the "when it's done" release mantra, so there is a good chance PC and PS3 gamers will not see it this year.
- Aion: The Tower of Eternity (NCSoft; Q4 2009; Beta) - Aion is the latest title to come from Korean MMOG giant NCSoft. The developer/publisher has not had much luck with their attempt at Western games - see Tabula Rasa or Auto Assault - so they have gone back to their old formula of localizing successful Korean titles. Aion is already available in Korean and features a fantasy dream setting where its inhabitants can fly.
- Jumpgate Evolution (NetDevil/Codemasters; Q2 2009) - As the title infers, Jumpgate Evolution is not an original property. Rather JE is a sequel to NetDevil's 2001 freshman MMO Jumpgate. The new title is essentially a space flight simulator complete with PvP, factions, and non-random combat. It also lacks a strict class system thanks to the ability to train as a pilot for multiple ships (cargo, mining, fighter, etc).
That's really it for the big players, but there are many smaller fish looking to take a bite out of the billion dollar market.
Free-2-Play MMOGs don't get nearly the same press as their subscription based counterparts, but that doesn't mean they inherently suck. There are a few of them coming out this year including one from Sony Online Entertainment.
This is a look at 2009's incoming titles, but it can't hurt to look a bit past that. We have already heard about some of the next decades big-name MMORPGs:
If I had to chose which of the subscription based MMOGs would make the biggest splash in 2009, I definitely would go with DC Universe Online. Although it and Champions are still a ways from launch, DCUO seems far more advanced graphically and technologically, yet it maintains the same level of playability of Champions in their respected forms.
The Year of the Ox may finally see a winning MMORPG that isn't fantasy based, which would be a breath of fresh air. To boot, 2010 should add some kindling to the age old debate of Trek versus Wars. Anyone else keeping a watchful eye on the market space or is WoW all that matters to you? WoW will remain my drug of choice for the foreseeable future.
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iTZKooPA on 
Nickel & Dimed
Considering that I talk about other games, even other MMOGs, on a regular basis, many of you probably realize that I play more than just World of Warcraft. Sure, I love WoW, but I can't possibly pass up things like Punch-Out!! or the new updates to Team Fortress 2. So yea, I play other games and even dabble in other MMORPGs. Lately, I have been experimenting with Champions Online beta and Runes of Magic. It's a pair of recent changes to RoM that have me in a rage against its genre, the free-to-play class.
Although Runes of Magic just broke the million mile marker, there's a good chance that its real-money transaction (RMT) system is foreign to many. Basically the game has two currencies, your standard gold that is awarded as a loot drops and quest rewards and Diamonds, currency that is purchased using real money, ~$5.00 = 100 Diamonds, and is spent on potions, other buffing item, enhancements, temporary and permanent mounts and various other consumables. Before we get into the discussion, let me point out that I know I don't need to buy diamonds. Although diamonds can't get me an epic weapon, they can enable me to seriously boost my characters abilities, keeping me competitive.
Thankfully, I haven't had to buy any diamonds yet. Players with extra time on their hands can exchange the farmable gold for diamonds if they prefer to keep their real world cash. Starting May 27, we will no longer be able to put items on the auction house against diamonds. The change effectively removes a system of diamond generation from the game. Currently farming offers us gold and the chance at rare items to trade for the shiny carbon chains. Starting Wednesday, the scales will be tipped in favor of purchasing over farming.
Although I don't welcome the change, I can deal with it. I assume it has been made for the exact reason that you are all thinking, the company needs more money. Frogster and Runewaker have offered us plenty of content for free so far, but perhaps the western market isn't buying as many diamonds as projected. The change to the auction house may just give Frogster the bump in sales it needs to keep the players rolling in additional content. Unfortunately the auction house change was followed with another RMT announcement, the Ruby Shop, that put me over the edge.
Essentially the Ruby Shop is the highest level Item Shop, the RMT shop, full of uniquely "special items." To purchase these special items all one has to do is spend diamonds. Yeap, that's right, when you spend your harder-to-earn crystals you'll be given a "Ruby bonus" for you purchase. Collect enough and you can buy some items from the swanky Ruby Shop. The optimists and people who spend diamonds freely are loving the idea, they see it as a reward. I'm not that optimistic though, I only see it as an elaborate way to get nickel and dimed.
It's not that I hate a company for trying to earn money, it's the design in which Frogster has chosen that irks me. Instead of broadening the market by offering cheaper items and coaxing a larger demographic to begin purchasing diamonds (I'd be a sucker for a collection of cute vanity pets), they have targeted the hardcore base, the minority who is already heavily supporting them, by dangling a whole shop in front of them as the next carrot. On the up side, the Ruby Shop is only a temporary addition - perhaps it'll only be added when they need to make the month's numbers - but the auction house change will remain in place for an "undetermined period of time.” And before you say, "If you don't like it then quit," the changes (and my enjoyment of Champions Online) has pushed me to that point. Since it is free, I doubt I will stay away forever though.
This is the kind of design decision that has me glad to pay Blizzard Entertainment, NCSoft, Cryptic Studios and BioWare a static fee rather than being hit left and right for $5. I'll deal with that kind of drain on my disposable income when I make a broad of little iTZKooPA's.
Has anyone else tried out Runes of Magic? How has the RMT model been treating you? I don't think I will ever be able to fully accept it.
Can't post images from the other games in action. :*(