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Why is every game now a Cookie-Cutter MMO and there are no AAA sandbox MMOs?

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Comments

  • PrayrPrayr Member UncommonPosts: 267

    Great... here we go again, taking this poor gamers complaint and vent to a few people bickering over whos opinion is better than the others.

     

    If the OP is still even reading this thread (which by now I doubt due to the fact it has been highjacked and mods here do little to keep OPs thought on track) . A few games that may not show up on your Google search that might be worth a shot.

     

    Xsyon

    A Tale in the Desert

    Will agree with anothers post about Ryzom

    There is a SWG EMU out there that is F2P

     

    Those might give you something you have been missing, atleast till the next big thing comes along. I would for sure try out Xsyon however, its a great open world true sandbox.

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  • jtcgsjtcgs Member Posts: 1,777

    WoW this, WoW that...

    Any company basing its game design on WoWs success deserves its quick trip to F2P. No company has EVER come close to WoW and thus thinking about WoW for your design is ignoring the fact that everyone else FAILED. This alone would push someone that has HALF a brain to think, maybe we need to do something else to have a better chance at success....because if you go up against the best half-assed, you will lose...and the industry has proved that every single time. So, dont even target the WoW crowd....target those that DONT play it or have stopped. THAT should be the target, and there are millions of them. More MMO players DONT play WoW that do play it.

    “I hope we shall crush...in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations, which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws of our country." ~Thomes Jefferson

  • nariusseldonnariusseldon Member EpicPosts: 27,775
    Originally posted by Tredo

    Great... here we go again, taking this poor gamers complaint and vent to a few people bickering over whos opinion is better than the others.

     

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    Do you expect otherwise? Ranting is a norm of this place. And at the end of the day, i highly doubt anything said here matter very much.

  • ZandilZandil Member UncommonPosts: 252
    God this poor horse is still getting flogged ?

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  • VengeSunsoarVengeSunsoar Member EpicPosts: 6,601
    Originally posted by MyBoot
    God this poor horse is still getting flogged ?

     It's just a puddle of liquified sticky goo at this point.  But I get the feeling many people like getting covered in sticky goo *whistles innocently and walks away*

    Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it is bad.
  • KenFisherKenFisher Member UncommonPosts: 5,035
    Originally posted by jtcgs

    WoW this, WoW that...

    Any company basing its game design on WoWs success deserves its quick trip to F2P. No company has EVER come close to WoW and thus thinking about WoW for your design is ignoring the fact that everyone else FAILED. This alone would push someone that has HALF a brain to think, maybe we need to do something else to have a better chance at success....because if you go up against the best half-assed, you will lose...and the industry has proved that every single time. So, dont even target the WoW crowd....target those that DONT play it or have stopped. THAT should be the target, and there are millions of them. More MMO players DONT play WoW that do play it.

     

    No disagreement.  Nobody has ever topped WoW at a WoW-like design.  Many have proven that it's foolish to try.

     

    However, I believe it realistic to say that NOT copying WoW is a double edged sword.  It might please those who don't want WoW.  But the WoW fans who do stumble in based on marketing hype or curiousity, the first thing out of their mouths... "But it's nothing like WoW, it's not as good as WoW", and so on.  By my estimation, around 4 million people started MMORPGs with WoW.  Those people define MMORPG by WoW itself.  They expect all MMORPGs to be just like WoW.  When one is not, they don't understand why.

     


    Ken Fisher - Semi retired old fart Network Administrator, now working in Network Security.  I don't Forum PVP.  If you feel I've attacked you, it was probably by accident.  When I don't understand, I ask.  Such is not intended as criticism.
  • PrayrPrayr Member UncommonPosts: 267

    We all agree that at the turn of the genre WoW stood up and said...  " I  am ruler, come play me", and we did, and still do. WoW took some things that we all liked, made it HUGE in epic scale, and the graphics were good. We can all agree it did what no other MMO has done to date. There in itself lies our problem. Game companies need to realise that coping the original will fail beyond comparison and bring them swiftly to the f2p concept. 

     

    A game company that has a "NEW" idea about the genre, not a copy, not a remake, not some same old game with updated graphics and still the same crappy design. We need a new game with new ideas, new concepts, new way of playing if it wants to do what WoW and lure the masses of masses away from all the others.

     

    The companies need to stop thinking inside the WoW money bag, wanna be rich off someone elses ideas and come up with a new one. There are a few out there... let's see how they fair. Much like the others have pointed out... this is going to be a while before we see anything "NEW" in the way of an MMO or even longer till a life changing, end all WoWers sandbox.

     

    Till  then, keep your fingers crossed.

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  • laokokolaokoko Member UncommonPosts: 2,004

    ya but all of you guys acting like those wow clones are a big failure.  When in fact most of them are making money.

    Just because a game cut staff, turn it into f2p, loss most of its sub dont' mean it is not making money.  Many of them recover thier cost and is actually making small profit.

  • TorgrimTorgrim Member CommonPosts: 2,088
    Originally posted by laokoko

    ya but all of you guys acting like those wow clones are a big failure.  When in fact most of them are making money.

    Just because a game cut staff, turn it into f2p, loss most of its sub dont' mean it is not making money.  Many of them recover thier cost and is actually making small profit.

     

    Plenty of restaurants serve crappy food but they have a bar to serve the regular winos, so does that restaurant qualify as a successful restaurant?

    If it's not broken, you are not innovating.

  • laokokolaokoko Member UncommonPosts: 2,004
    Originally posted by Torgrim
    Originally posted by laokoko

    ya but all of you guys acting like those wow clones are a big failure.  When in fact most of them are making money.

    Just because a game cut staff, turn it into f2p, loss most of its sub dont' mean it is not making money.  Many of them recover thier cost and is actually making small profit.

     

    Plenty of restaurants serve crappy food but they have a bar to serve the regular winos, so is that restaurant a succesful in serving food?

    They make money.  That is all it matters to them.

    We have so many "crappy(not in insulting way)" wow clone, because they actually make money.  Probably not alot of money, but money is money.

    Not only that, the major problem I believe is those developer and game studio arn't even gambling their "own" money.  Which to me is what's wrong with the American economy today.  Those people in power, take too much gamble because they are not risking their own money.

  • VengeSunsoarVengeSunsoar Member EpicPosts: 6,601
    Originally posted by Torgrim
    Originally posted by laokoko

    ya but all of you guys acting like those wow clones are a big failure.  When in fact most of them are making money.

    Just because a game cut staff, turn it into f2p, loss most of its sub dont' mean it is not making money.  Many of them recover thier cost and is actually making small profit.

     

    Plenty of restaurants serve crappy food but they have a bar to serve the regular winos, so does that restaurant qualify as a successful restaurant?

    If they are making a profit, it absolutely does qualify as a successfull restaurant.  Perhaps not a good one in many eyes but definately successfull.

    Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it is bad.
  • OzivoisOzivois Member UncommonPosts: 598
    Originally posted by Torgrim
    Originally posted by laokoko

    ya but all of you guys acting like those wow clones are a big failure.  When in fact most of them are making money.

    Just because a game cut staff, turn it into f2p, loss most of its sub dont' mean it is not making money.  Many of them recover thier cost and is actually making small profit.

     

    Plenty of restaurants serve crappy food but they have a bar to serve the regular winos, so does that restaurant qualify as a successful restaurant?

    Being a restaurant person, the quick answer is: "YES, as long as they are in the black."

  • LatronusLatronus Member Posts: 692
    Originally posted by VengeSunsoar
    Originally posted by MyBoot
    God this poor horse is still getting flogged ?

     It's just a puddle of liquified sticky goo at this point.  But I get the feeling many people like getting covered in sticky goo *whistles innocently and walks away*

    Nah, we beat the thing until we had glue so we glued what was left back together and have started beating it again.

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  • NitthNitth Member UncommonPosts: 3,904


    Originally posted by Four0Six
    OP:*Yells as loud as possible*WOW HAD 10 MILLION PLUS SUBS FOR HOW LONG? AT $15 A MONTH THAT IS $150 MILLION A MONTH.MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY. THAT IS THE EVER LOVING REASON THAT ALL WE HAVE NOW IS WOW-CLONES.IF YOU OR ANYBODY ELSE WANTS SOMETHING OTHER, GO TO SCHOOL LEARN TO WRITE CODE AND MAKE IT. OR WAIT FOR WOW TO DIE.*storms out, slamming the door behind*

    That wont fix anything either, There is a reason why mmorpgs take years to make with hundreds of people.

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    TSW - AoC - Aion - WOW - EVE - Fallen Earth - Co - Rift - || XNA C# Java Development

  • TorgrimTorgrim Member CommonPosts: 2,088
    Originally posted by VengeSunsoar
    Originally posted by Torgrim
    Originally posted by laokoko

    ya but all of you guys acting like those wow clones are a big failure.  When in fact most of them are making money.

    Just because a game cut staff, turn it into f2p, loss most of its sub dont' mean it is not making money.  Many of them recover thier cost and is actually making small profit.

     

    Plenty of restaurants serve crappy food but they have a bar to serve the regular winos, so does that restaurant qualify as a successful restaurant?

    If they are making a profit, it absolutely does qualify as a successfull restaurant.  Perhaps not a good one in many eyes but definately successfull.

     

    I sead stay a float, but if they make a proft ok then we can talk how much profit, can you expand your business or you have just enough money to pay a new waiter?

    You see were I'm getting at?

    If it's not broken, you are not innovating.

  • LatronusLatronus Member Posts: 692
    Originally posted by Nitth

     


    Originally posted by Four0Six
    OP:

     

    *Yells as loud as possible*

    WOW HAD 10 MILLION PLUS SUBS FOR HOW LONG? AT $15 A MONTH THAT IS $150 MILLION A MONTH.

    MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY. THAT IS THE EVER LOVING REASON THAT ALL WE HAVE NOW IS WOW-CLONES.

    IF YOU OR ANYBODY ELSE WANTS SOMETHING OTHER, GO TO SCHOOL LEARN TO WRITE CODE AND MAKE IT. OR WAIT FOR WOW TO DIE.

    *storms out, slamming the door behind*


     

    That wont fix anything either, There is a reason why mmorpgs take years to make with hundreds of people.

    You are right but there is a point that four missed.  With WoWs money (yes I know his numbers are way wrong because China doesn't have monthly subs they pay for play time so who knows how that affects the bottom line) all the companies want to make a game that brings in that kind of revenue.  If you look at history, what sandbox game comes close?  Eve?

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  • KenFisherKenFisher Member UncommonPosts: 5,035
    Originally posted by Nitth

     



     

    That wont fix anything either, There is a reason why mmorpgs take years to make with hundreds of people.

     

    Oh oh oh... I know this one.

     

    Because it's a freakin' boatload of work to produce even a mediocre one?

     


    Ken Fisher - Semi retired old fart Network Administrator, now working in Network Security.  I don't Forum PVP.  If you feel I've attacked you, it was probably by accident.  When I don't understand, I ask.  Such is not intended as criticism.
  • laokokolaokoko Member UncommonPosts: 2,004
    Originally posted by Torgrim
    Originally posted by VengeSunsoar
    Originally posted by Torgrim
    Originally posted by laokoko

    ya but all of you guys acting like those wow clones are a big failure.  When in fact most of them are making money.

    Just because a game cut staff, turn it into f2p, loss most of its sub dont' mean it is not making money.  Many of them recover thier cost and is actually making small profit.

     

    Plenty of restaurants serve crappy food but they have a bar to serve the regular winos, so does that restaurant qualify as a successful restaurant?

    If they are making a profit, it absolutely does qualify as a successfull restaurant.  Perhaps not a good one in many eyes but definately successfull.

     

    I sead stay a float, but if they make a proft ok then we can talk how much profit, can you expand your business or you have just enough money to pay a new waiter?

    You see were I'm getting at?

    you act like it is easy to make money.  Maybe for you it is, but many people are content they have a place to live and food to eat. 

  • TorgrimTorgrim Member CommonPosts: 2,088
    Originally posted by laokoko
    Originally posted by Torgrim
    Originally posted by VengeSunsoar
    Originally posted by Torgrim
    Originally posted by laokoko

    ya but all of you guys acting like those wow clones are a big failure.  When in fact most of them are making money.

    Just because a game cut staff, turn it into f2p, loss most of its sub dont' mean it is not making money.  Many of them recover thier cost and is actually making small profit.

     

    Plenty of restaurants serve crappy food but they have a bar to serve the regular winos, so does that restaurant qualify as a successful restaurant?

    If they are making a profit, it absolutely does qualify as a successfull restaurant.  Perhaps not a good one in many eyes but definately successfull.

     

    I sead stay a float, but if they make a proft ok then we can talk how much profit, can you expand your business or you have just enough money to pay a new waiter?

    You see were I'm getting at?

    you act like it is easy to make money.  Many people are content they have a place to live and food to eat. 

     

    No just that my anolgy failed :(

    If it's not broken, you are not innovating.

  • YamotaYamota Member UncommonPosts: 6,593
    Originally posted by VengeSunsoar
    Originally posted by Torgrim
    Originally posted by laokoko

    ya but all of you guys acting like those wow clones are a big failure.  When in fact most of them are making money.

    Just because a game cut staff, turn it into f2p, loss most of its sub dont' mean it is not making money.  Many of them recover thier cost and is actually making small profit.

     

    Plenty of restaurants serve crappy food but they have a bar to serve the regular winos, so does that restaurant qualify as a successful restaurant?

    If they are making a profit, it absolutely does qualify as a successfull restaurant.  Perhaps not a good one in many eyes but definately successfull.

    In their, and their investors eyes, yes. But me as a gamer dont give a shit if a game is making a lot of profit or not, I care only about playing a quality game.

    So for me WoW is a huge failure because it is a garbage MMO but due to its financial success has given birth to tons of similar garbage MMOs.

  • DarkHoop13DarkHoop13 Member Posts: 2
    You could go back to UO, I went back to EQ.
  • jtcgsjtcgs Member Posts: 1,777
    Originally posted by XAPGames

    No disagreement.  Nobody has ever topped WoW at a WoW-like design.  Many have proven that it's foolish to try.

    However, I believe it realistic to say that NOT copying WoW is a double edged sword.  It might please those who don't want WoW.  But the WoW fans who do stumble in based on marketing hype or curiousity, the first thing out of their mouths... "But it's nothing like WoW, it's not as good as WoW", and so on.  By my estimation, around 4 million people started MMORPGs with WoW.  Those people define MMORPG by WoW itself.  They expect all MMORPGs to be just like WoW.  When one is not, they don't understand why.

     

     Ahh, but guess what, MMOs are no longer thought of as a "western" thing, or an "american" thing. Globally, there are far more MMO players that DO NOT PLAY WoW than those that do.

    To go WoW clone is a quick trip to F2P and is well beyond a double edged sword because you first stab yourself in the foot for thinking it, then slitting your own throat for actually doing it and every single game that has come out in the last 3 years other than Rift has paid the price.

    Target an audience you know is looking for a game to call home that you can actually meet, anyone targetting WoW players is going to fail because no company has the money, resources, IP and TIME to make such a game...blizzard had all of it, there was a chance that a TES game could do it but the corporation that owns that IP placed it into the hands of someone not capable of targetting the IPs fanbase and instead is going to make TES:DaoC...what is left? What IP? A song of fire and ice? it doesnt have the game IP needed to draw in such a large playerbase.

    Just plain better off making a sandbox that can reach out to a larger audience than old timer sandbox players, something that isnt just "asian" or "western" and taking a bite out of the MMO playerbase isntead of shooting for the stars with a piss poor themepark that doesnt measure up.

    Either way, I cant think of a single western MMO maker that isnt stagnant and stuck in the past rehashing tired old MMO ideas...you can see it in the way they try to call instances something different...like campaigns...to try to sound like they have a new way of making games.

    “I hope we shall crush...in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations, which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws of our country." ~Thomes Jefferson

  • znaiikaznaiika Member Posts: 203

    All I cn say, is this:

    All open world ffa pvp with full loot, and in some case, perma death, are a ticket to hacking, weather you want it or not. That is why such games will always have fiew players playing.

    Sandbox or any other games that start with PVE and have the choice to choose PVP or not are going to be most profitable.

    Or have two servers, one for PVE and one for PVP.

    In any game you have to put in PVE "AI" to make world populated, for both PVE and PVP.

  • nariusseldonnariusseldon Member EpicPosts: 27,775
    Originally posted by Yamota
     

    In their, and their investors eyes, yes. But me as a gamer dont give a shit if a game is making a lot of profit or not, I care only about playing a quality game.

    So for me WoW is a huge failure because it is a garbage MMO but due to its financial success has given birth to tons of similar garbage MMOs.

    There is no objective measure. Everyone likes different things. To you, WOW is a failure. To me, it is a huge success since it kept me entertained for many years.

    If you want any kind of measure (as opposed to i like it and you don't), go to metacritics. WOW is highly rated (93% i believe) on it.

    Other than that, it boils down to your opinion, which is not more (or less) valid than anyone else.

     

  • QuirhidQuirhid Member UncommonPosts: 6,230
    Originally posted by nariusseldon
    Originally posted by Yamota
     

    In their, and their investors eyes, yes. But me as a gamer dont give a shit if a game is making a lot of profit or not, I care only about playing a quality game.

    So for me WoW is a huge failure because it is a garbage MMO but due to its financial success has given birth to tons of similar garbage MMOs.

    There is no objective measure. Everyone likes different things. To you, WOW is a failure. To me, it is a huge success since it kept me entertained for many years.

    If you want any kind of measure (as opposed to i like it and you don't), go to metacritics. WOW is highly rated (93% i believe) on it.

    Other than that, it boils down to your opinion, which is not more (or less) valid than anyone else.

    I know I've brought up this before, but popularity is an good indication of quality. A good game will always have players. A game with millions of players just can't be garbage - can't be.

    I don't care about WoW, I've only played it for like 10 minutes in beta, but I can still say it is obviously a great game - a massive hit. No other game comes even close. The streamlined design was revolutionary, low system requirements made it widely available, it has high production standards, and It serves its target audience beautifully.

    See, Yamota, you can give genuine credit to a game even if you don't like it personally. Show us some of that old-school maturity.

    I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been -Wayne Gretzky

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