Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

If given $100 million,you think you could produce a AAA mmo?

1235789

Comments

  • Squeak69Squeak69 Member UncommonPosts: 959

    yes and no, because quality of a MMO is not just on one person its on the entire dev team.

    on the other hand you give me 100 MIL and no one has any authority over me I have the first and last word on everything I get to pick my team, the style of MMO and I don't have ANYONE pressureing me on time or worrying about money making cash shops, ya ill get a damn good MMO put together for you,

    it wont be fast and it damn well isn't going to make everyone happy, cause that imossable, but no one could argue on its quality, and it would be made for gamers not to make mmoney.

     

    but even then iim sure a lot of people would call it crap, that's just how the MMO world is today if its not exactly what you want most people say its worthless, not many gamers left who can judge if a games god or not while not enjoying it.

    F2P may be the way of the future, but ya know they dont make them like they used toimage
    Proper Grammer & spelling are extra, corrections will be LOL at.

  • WalterWhiteWalterWhite Member UncommonPosts: 411
    I would make SWG 2.
  • WereLlamaWereLlama Member UncommonPosts: 246
    Originally posted by crasset15

    There's a 100 page notebook on my desk filled with any MMO related ideas that randomly pop into my head.

    My coding experience: I know how to change font size in html

    Strongest trait: making maps. Made a bunch of them in any game that allowed it, including cashgrabwinter. Have done extensive research into environment design. My maps are the most realistic and good looking, bla bla bla.

    No, I couldn't.

     

    100 page notebook! You already have the passion/vision needed.

    I bet if you learned the other missing skills or collaborated with others you definitely can.

     

    **

    Also this article reminds me of the central lesson in Small Business 101:

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/faisal-hoque/money-alone-doesnt-guaran_b_3174587.html

     

    **

    Screw the 100 mil.  Start it for free. Jump in and get dirty. 

     

  • ElRenmazuoElRenmazuo Member RarePosts: 5,361
    yes I would make a sci-fi in space opera mmorpg third person shooter where the camera angle is fixed like in Mass Effect.  And will also be able to use space ships and small fighters when your in space.  There will also be inhabitable planets to explore for materials and ancient alien ruins.  Guilds can build space stations and own territory both in space and on uncharted planets for mining and uncovering artifacts/tech and others can attack them.  When attacking them in space the attackers will have attack with ships first then dock with it to attack inside with squads.  When exploring planets without oxygen your space suit oxygen level will deplete slowly.  You can use vehicles too when exploring.  Some planets will have hostile creatures and you will need special vehicles to fight some of the bigger ones kind of like the thrasher maw in Mass Effect.  This is all from the top of my head as i wrote this.
  • OriousOrious Member UncommonPosts: 548

    There's a lot of Indie games that would be AAA if they had 100 million dollars. So I dare say it would be more than possible. The companies that do have that kind of cash to throw around end up having the people in charge of those cash care pretty little about the game in general and care more about how much money it will bring in.

    I have good ideas on all types of genres. Most of them are sandbox-themepark hybrid (sandpark), but there are ideas for a fantasy game and the book I'm writing is Sci-Fi and actually already has enough Lore to become an mmo. I already have a board game made for it as well. It's just not published. I also have some pretty sweet ideas for COMPLETELY changing how combat is done in an MMO (and console games as well, really).

    To start off this is what I would do...

    1) I would never disclose how much money I really got. Also...if I was allowed to invest some of it I would. Then when I needed the rest I would pull it out. Kind of like putting some into the stock market maybe like Tesla Motors or something and then after the 3/4 is gone I would sell that stock an maybe double what I put in. Maybe if I was allowed to... I could pay off my college loans with the like 0.1% of the money. ;) 

    2) Spend an entire year or two speaking with the top developers of the MMO industry and innovative gaming developers of all platforms and genres. I'm sure I could get some time with them by paying for their time.

    3) From them I would spend 6 months to a year understanding the parts that didn't work and did work during their development cycles.

    4) The last half of the 2nd or third year I would track down some of the best programmers and some of the best graphics artists to talk about core gameplay concepts. I need to figure out if what I want to accomplish is even doable since it hasn't been done before in an mmo as far as I know.

    5) I may hire them... I may not if they are too expensive, but for step 5 I need to make a "Proof-of-Concept" for my innovative gameplay content. I wouldn't need the best graphics designers for the PoC art, but programmers probably since that's where the new innovation comes in.

    6) After the proof of concept is complete and working (I'd say a year to do this might be obtainable), I would create a company name, and showcase this as a teaser for things to come. I may even start my own kickstarter campaign if visibility is good. The extra money flow from the kickstarter could be used to add in voice overs and actors etc. that are really all fluff stuff.

    7) Whether kickstarter fails or not I would then hire a Lead or Assistant Lead Developer. This person would know the industry and know many outlets to find some of the best value programmers and artists. While I am an aspiring author and feel I can make a decent lore on my own, I would hire more writers so that we could brainstorm with a wider array of imagination.

    8) Based on my original talks with the lead developers of the MMO industry (assuming they did not lead me astray), I would set up a timeline for when certain aspects of the game are completed. I would take on some of the spotlight with dev blogs and the like to keep the community that I may gain interested. Also because the main proofs of concepts are already tested, I would be less likely to stray from the original design... especially since I haven't gotten any investors.

    9) After about another year of development using the hired programmers and artists etc. (so year 5 or 6) I should have enough of the game ready to showcase a lot of the features in a polished form. The priority would be on working features. Animations, graphics, and the sparkly stuff can be tweaked later. This stage would have included Alpha testing...sort of a friends and family + kickstarter deal.

    10) After 80% of the game is nearly completed. I will check the hype of the game. If hype is good, I will be hiring environmental specialists that can make the game come a live more aesthetically. Here is also when I will start creating the first big amount of content that showcases voice acting and themepark events (sandbox events are part of the alpha development and should already be nearly polished...or at least working).

    11) Beta testing phase begins once the first few themepark scripted events are in game. I say scripted events, but they happen in real time. There is no cutscene experience. (there are also probably no instances really).

    12) If beta is going well I will start heavy marketing. This will bring more beta players to the game as well after I allow beta access for pre-ordering. MMORPG.com will be given beta keys as well.

    13) Launch date will be given. This will probably be the 7th or 8th year. 

    14) During the 8th year, 1 week before launch there will be a free stress test. I'm sure that based on the games otu there there are good enough servers (of which we will ahve backups) to stress many many players. The servers will probably break many times,  and until we fix these breaks we could be calling more stress tests. 

    15) Once we've deemed that we tested enough and any other problems would need to be fixed once we're live, we'll go ahead and shut the beta servers down and launch the game on a Thursday.

     

    image

  • WicoaWicoa Member UncommonPosts: 1,637
    No, for this request I would turn 100 million dollars down. I do not have the expert knowledge to warrant that type of investment.  If the person insisted I do it though I would put a team together and do my best.
  • WereLlamaWereLlama Member UncommonPosts: 246
    Originally posted by Wicoa
    No, for this request I would turn 100 million dollars down. I do not have the expert knowledge to warrant that type of investment.  If the person insisted I do it though I would put a team together and do my best.

    Good attitude. When/if you get our 100 mil, i suggest putting a proven game dev leader in charge of management and put your self under him as a co-designer + VC.  100mil can go quick, ask Curt Shilling.

  • KlandausKlandaus Member Posts: 2

    The Badlands

    A Sci-Fi MMORPG Sandbox

     

    • Full Open World PvP with the exception of player-created flagged PvP-zones that must be maintained and protected from siege.
    • Player-driven economy with item-based currencies, player-made auction houses with local markets.
    • Free-to-play model with option of sub, able to buy the popular items as researched to deter gold farmers.
    • Dungeon Crawling Element, exploring randomly generated underground monster hubs for randomly generated loot and currency items. Available from the start of the game.
    • Find random dungeons, clear them out and rebuild them into hideouts if you wish.
    • Intelligent AI that wanders the world, fleeing from large groups of people and hunting people down when they outnumber you.
    • Insignia-based loot PvP. Earn Insignias from defeating Red-flagged players, if you die in PvP without Insignias, a player may loot one stack or single item from you at random, depending on your outlaw status which factors in additional losses.
    • Player-made cities built atop above-world plots or with more freedom in instanced random Dungeons you find, clear out and then build upon.
    • Raiding tunnels, to randomly initiate raids on these underground empires.
    • Robust crafting system, allowing you to salvage anything you come across and create gear with random stats. The best gear will be from crafting high-end dungeon drops.
    • Skill-based system, less on stats and numbers, more on how your character functions in the environment. As you play you unlock more attacks/utility abilities to choose from and improve your equipment. Hundreds of attacks/utility abilities to mix and match and you may have six attacks plus four utility abilities.
    • Sigils to upgrade your attacks with modifiers which allow them to do new and interesting things such as summoning a creature or setting your enemy on fire.
    • Monthly PvP events and content patches to add additional above-ground city plots for players to own, as well as fight over.
    • 3 distinct races to choose from, including Humans and two alien races.
    • Player-made quests, with an AI-Controlled intel-based system allowing city owners to demand materials and offer rewards to those who bring them to the city. Also allows city owners to place bounties on individuals or creatures, including AI-controlled creatures threatening to destroy and take over a city.
    The Badlands is based on the first planet pseudo-colonized by Earth. However, there was only one ship and it was shot down on it's arrival, leaving the colonists stranded on the planet where the only other two sentient races are war-like and are in the middle of an intense civil war. Whatever technology left is spread thin, salvaged by the hardened and weary who defend themselves from the planet's chaotic wildlife.
     
    I could put this all together for $2M with up-to-date graphics as well as allowing older rigs to preform on it well. I have been a freelance designer, and I have experimented with all avenues of game development. What I posted above is a revised copy-paste for one of my ideas though unrefined into GDD-format. I believe that with today's resources the features mentioned above can be implemented, including the capabilities to handle 500 players in one area conducting PvP.
     

     

     

  • Slappy1Slappy1 Member Posts: 458
    Some great responses.A lot of creativity.

    Some day I'm going to put a sword through your eye and out the back of your skull!

    Arya Stark

  • WereLlamaWereLlama Member UncommonPosts: 246

    If had a $100 mil, I would expand on my existing project.

    Specifically, 

    1. Modify our project's scope to include more platforms and higher quality modelling/level building/lore/quests/events.

    2. Hire a business manager with experience with working with game development over multiple countries and mixed perm/contract employees.

    3. Hire an engineer focused on new mobile tech, optimization techniques, and with lots of initiative and curiosity to pro-actively let me know what will work for the next 5 years so we don't waste our time on building game tech we will have to immediately replace.  

    4. Partner with a merchandise focused company to build customer targeted physical products that can be integrated with the game play.  If you have/wear the merchandise you might receive social benefits in game.  Adults love physical things too.

    5. Overall, add to the idea of 'concentrated coolness' or whatever Blizzard does. You don't have to mimic their games to appreciate their vision.

    -WL

  • Master.RyuMaster.Ryu Member UncommonPosts: 52
    Given the high education in game design and ten years, I could. Main concern would be motivation to work on an MMO for so long, just to make it the best.
  • Squeak69Squeak69 Member UncommonPosts: 959

    you don't need a 100 MIL. what is needed is a dev team focused on making a great game, not on making a money maker, and no one over them telling them we need this and this changed to suit our needs. dose not mean it will be the greatest game ever but it will be a step back into thecorrect direction to making great games again.

    P.S. the 100 MILL would help though LOL.

    F2P may be the way of the future, but ya know they dont make them like they used toimage
    Proper Grammer & spelling are extra, corrections will be LOL at.

  • Slappy1Slappy1 Member Posts: 458
    Originally posted by Gorwe
    Just to clarify my post(reading 101 yay!):

    I said "I'd do TES-Like Warhammer game instead". Let's analyze this. TES-Like means that it's a game that is incorporating The Elder Scrolls mechanisms(Open world, freedom of choice, epic story with various layers to it and lot of Factions to join{multiple endings would be rad but not necessary}). Warhammer game means that it would be using Warhammer Fantasy IP. Instead means that it wouldn't be a MMO. It would be CRPG just like Skyrim or Oblivion. Maybe It'd have construction set as well(mods yay!).

    Now, I could cut the instead part and make it into Sandpark, but I wouldn't want to. I think that we have enough MMOs tyvm.

    Yea that was my fault,I was sleepy when I read your other post.When I read it again today I get what you were saying.My fault.

    Some day I'm going to put a sword through your eye and out the back of your skull!

    Arya Stark

  • WereLlamaWereLlama Member UncommonPosts: 246
    Originally posted by Master.Ryu
    Given the high education in game design and ten years, I could. Main concern would be motivation to work on an MMO for so long, just to make it the best.

    What do you want to do with your life? Whatever everyone else is doing? Party, work, or maybe, just maybe, build something new.

    I encourage you to take the one less traveled by.  Worldly comforts are overrated.

    -WL

     

  • SovrathSovrath Member LegendaryPosts: 31,937
    Originally posted by nerovipus32
    Nobody here could produce a better mmo than what is being produced unless you've had experience in the industry, i am not surprised that people on this site think they could though. know it all's much.

    I disagree. As I said, all you have to do is be the money man/woman and hire people who actually know what they are doing. Depending upon your own background you could be involved in the business side of things or the art or music or just be the bank account.

    This isn't hard.

     

    Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb." 

    Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w


    Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547

    Try the "Special Edition." 'Cause it's "Special." https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/64878/?tab=description

    Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo 
  • Squeak69Squeak69 Member UncommonPosts: 959
    Originally posted by WereLlama
    Originally posted by Master.Ryu
    Given the high education in game design and ten years, I could. Main concern would be motivation to work on an MMO for so long, just to make it the best.

    What do you want to do with your life? Whatever everyone else is doing? Party, work, or maybe, just maybe, build something new.

    I encourage you to take the one less traveled by.  Worldly comforts are overrated.

    -WL

     

    what about being a game dev is a worldy comfort LOL

    that job is not only underpaid and over worked but at the end of the project their is no gurrentee of a continued job

    F2P may be the way of the future, but ya know they dont make them like they used toimage
    Proper Grammer & spelling are extra, corrections will be LOL at.

  • WereLlamaWereLlama Member UncommonPosts: 246
    Originally posted by Squeak69
    Originally posted by WereLlama
    Originally posted by Master.Ryu
    Given the high education in game design and ten years, I could. Main concern would be motivation to work on an MMO for so long, just to make it the best.

    What do you want to do with your life? Whatever everyone else is doing? Party, work, or maybe, just maybe, build something new.

    I encourage you to take the one less traveled by.  Worldly comforts are overrated.

    -WL

     

    what about being a game dev is a worldy comfort LOL

    that job is not only underpaid and over worked but at the end of the project their is no gurrentee of a continued job

    Yes, quite a risk isn't it?   Whats not to like?

  • RusqueRusque Member RarePosts: 2,785
    Originally posted by nerovipus32
    Nobody here could produce a better mmo than what is being produced unless you've had experience in the industry, i am not surprised that people on this site think they could though. know it all's much.

    Nonsense.

    Unless someone has wildly impossible ideas, they can design something workable. If you're been gaming for let's say two decades, you will have a pretty good sense of what is possible, considering that you will have seen a great deal.

    It's like saying, "could you design a car?" Sure why not. You know what basically goes into a car, and unless your demands are "I want 2000 bhp in a car that weighs half a ton, surround sound bose system, dvd player, can deccelerate from 100-0 in 2 seconds and so on"

    Of course, your comment is directed at those who do have their head in the clouds, then yes those people can not design a MMO because their list of demands is astronomical.

     

  • TheocritusTheocritus Member LegendaryPosts: 9,739
    I dont know if I could, but I do know I wouldn't waste any money on voice acting or cutscenes.....I'd probably go with lesser graphics also to save and focus on content.
  • CoatedCoated Member UncommonPosts: 507

    The vision is the most important part, aside from the 'money'. Anyone saying differently should look at all the greatest people in history and you will find that all they had was the vision. They had very little experience.

    You can easily higher people who know what they are doing. This is another trait the person has to have besides a vision. They have to be able to see who is talented and who isn't. People who just higher 'friends' will never succeed. You need to be able to see the talent from the talentless.

    As to the question, I don't know. I know I couldn't do worse than the people producing now a days. The game producers today have very little vision. It's like the blind leading the blind. They have money, but no vision what so ever. I don't know anyone in the industry, so it would be hard to make connections. However, with $100 million, it wouldn't be hard to find someone who has the connections to begin the process.

  • SovrathSovrath Member LegendaryPosts: 31,937
    Originally posted by Squeak69
    Originally posted by WereLlama
    Originally posted by Master.Ryu
    Given the high education in game design and ten years, I could. Main concern would be motivation to work on an MMO for so long, just to make it the best.

    What do you want to do with your life? Whatever everyone else is doing? Party, work, or maybe, just maybe, build something new.

    I encourage you to take the one less traveled by.  Worldly comforts are overrated.

    -WL

     

    what about being a game dev is a worldy comfort LOL

    that job is not only underpaid and over worked but at the end of the project their is no gurrentee of a continued job

    no he's saying that "world comforts" are overrated and therefore one should just concentrate on a vocation, no matter the money, and "just do it".

    Having said that he is only partly right.

    It's true that we can live without mansions or boats or expensive cars but you do find, espeically as you get older, that paying your bills, saving a bit and "being comfortable" becomes more important.

    If you are starving and have bill collectors after you, you tend to become a bit disillusioned. Establishing a modest base of life is possible and one can then direct their efforts elsewhere for personal/artisitc/"whatever" fullfillment.

    Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb." 

    Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w


    Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547

    Try the "Special Edition." 'Cause it's "Special." https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/64878/?tab=description

    Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo 
  • WereLlamaWereLlama Member UncommonPosts: 246
    Originally posted by Sovrath
    Originally posted by Squeak69
    Originally posted by WereLlama
    Originally posted by Master.Ryu
    Given the high education in game design and ten years, I could. Main concern would be motivation to work on an MMO for so long, just to make it the best.

    What do you want to do with your life? Whatever everyone else is doing? Party, work, or maybe, just maybe, build something new.

    I encourage you to take the one less traveled by.  Worldly comforts are overrated.

    -WL

     

    what about being a game dev is a worldy comfort LOL

    that job is not only underpaid and over worked but at the end of the project their is no gurrentee of a continued job

    no he's saying that "world comforts" are overrated and therefore one should just concentrate on a vocation, no matter the money, and "just do it".

    Having said that he is only partly right.

    It's true that we can live without mansions or boats or expensive cars but you do find, espeically as you get older, that paying your bills, saving a bit and "being comfortable" becomes more important.

    If you are starving and have bill collectors after you, you tend to become a bit disillusioned. Establishing a modest base of life is possible and one can then direct their efforts elsewhere for personal/artisitc/"whatever" fullfillment.

    Yes, I stand corrected.  Please do plan for the future, just don't focus on the short term pleasures.  

    Ex.  I think its okay to take a less then perfect job, if it allows you to follow your heart.

  • ElRenmazuoElRenmazuo Member RarePosts: 5,361
    Originally posted by WereLlama
    Originally posted by Master.Ryu
    Given the high education in game design and ten years, I could. Main concern would be motivation to work on an MMO for so long, just to make it the best.

    What do you want to do with your life? Whatever everyone else is doing? Party, work, or maybe, just maybe, build something new.

    I encourage you to take the one less traveled by.  Worldly comforts are overrated.

    -WL

     

    arent the things people usually build are for comfort and fun?

  • TheDarkrayneTheDarkrayne Member EpicPosts: 5,297
    I reckon I'd have some great ideas and stuff for an MMO and reckon I could coordinate the whole thing and make all the tough decisions, yeh.. but as for knowing how to budget properly, no idea.
    I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.
  • cyandkcyandk Member UncommonPosts: 142

    I would make a mix of EQ PvE and the GW2 pvp.

    So most likely no, it would be too hardcore for most, the PvE side.

    Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe.

Sign In or Register to comment.