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What officially makes a game successful?

FrostveinFrostvein Member UncommonPosts: 157

What does a game need to be considered successful?

 

Are the fact that the servers are up and running mean its a success alone? Does it need to be a critical success? Financial?

 

I'm just trying to get a grip on what folks consider a successful game or not.

 

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Comments

  • DarwaDarwa Member UncommonPosts: 2,181

    If you have to ask, then you'll never know.

    Not trolling, but the replies you'll get will demonstrate my point ;)

    Oh, and for me, if a game makes more than it costs, then it's a success.

    PS: There is no 'officially' about it unless you're talking about a specific game - eg only SOE can claim EQ to be a success in any official capacity.

  • LoktofeitLoktofeit Member RarePosts: 14,247
    Originally posted by Frostvein

    What does a game need to be considered successful?

     

    Are the fact that the servers are up and running mean its a success alone? Does it need to be a critical success? Financial?

     

    I'm just trying to get a grip on what folks consider a successful game or not.

     

    Successful at what, Frostvein?

     

    To put it another way:   What makes you good, Frostvein?

    There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
    "Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre

  • NaowutNaowut Member UncommonPosts: 663
    It's successful if I like it.
  • Shadowguy64Shadowguy64 Member Posts: 848
    Originally posted by Naowut
    It's successful if I like it.

     

    You beat me to my answer!

  • DoogiehowserDoogiehowser Member Posts: 1,873

    If a MMO earns back all the investment it made and make profit on top of that then yes it is a success. Why would a company keep the servers on if it is not making profit on it? you think suits like to dump their own money without expecting a return?

     

    "The problem is that the hardcore folks always want the same thing: 'We want exactly what you gave us before, but it has to be completely different.'
    -Jesse Schell

    "Online gamers are the most ludicrously entitled beings since Caligula made his horse a senator, and at least the horse never said anything stupid."
    -Luke McKinney

    image

  • FrostveinFrostvein Member UncommonPosts: 157

    Well, to be obvious - WoW/EQ were successes, Tabula Rasa was not.

     

    Some others are grey areas.  Without playing Rift, I think it can be considered a success based on income, quality of development, reception, etc - but I don't know what others would think.

     

    Basically, I hear people (and I am also guilty of) calling games a success, or a failure and I'm trying to see if there is some sort of generally accepted guidelines that help with this.

     

     

     

  • MuntzMuntz Member UncommonPosts: 332

    Context of the usage of sucess and failure will give you your answer. 

    Money is an obvious one but there are many others. Example WoW is a failure as a sandbox. 

  • LoktofeitLoktofeit Member RarePosts: 14,247
    Originally posted by Frostvein

    Well, to be obvious - WoW/EQ were successes, Tabula Rasa was not.

    Some others are grey areas.  Without playing Rift, I think it can be considered a success based on income, quality of development, reception, etc - but I don't know what others would think.

    Basically, I hear people (and I am also guilty of) calling games a success, or a failure and I'm trying to see if there is some sort of generally accepted guidelines that help with this.

    Do you really not see you're only asking half a question?

    Without listing what your measure is, no one can answer your question.

    If you are asking what the official measure is, then the answer is there are dozens of them.

    "Basically, I hear people (and I am also guilty of) calling games a success, or a failure and I'm trying to see if there is some sort of generally accepted guidelines that help with this."

    Again, a success or failure at what? The problem isn't that you say something is a success or failure but that it is a vague and often useless statement without stating the measure you are using to reach that conclusion. 

     

     

    There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
    "Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre

  • NadiaNadia Member UncommonPosts: 11,798

    need to know on what basis success is being judged

     

    example

    I would call both City of Heroes and Dungeon Runners a success for being FUN games

  • someforumguysomeforumguy Member RarePosts: 4,088

    I think it is about perspective, so

    What officially makes a game successful? :

     

    For the developing company : It makes a good enough profit.

    For me : It is fun to play for me and my friends.

    For you : I don't care whether you see this game as successful or not.

     

  • mgilbrtsnmgilbrtsn Member EpicPosts: 3,430
    profit

    I self identify as a monkey.

  • ArclanArclan Member UncommonPosts: 1,550

    Welcome to MMORPG.com where questions are often answered with other questions.


    To be successful to the game company, a game must:

    1. earn the company a profit
    2. not result in numerous employees getting fired


    To be successful in the eyes of gamers, the game should:
    1. be considered a good game by a lot of people

    Luckily, i don't need you to like me to enjoy video games. -nariusseldon.
    In F2P I think it's more a case of the game's trying to play the player's. -laserit

  • GeezerGamerGeezerGamer Member EpicPosts: 8,855
    Originally posted by Frostvein

    What does a game need to be considered successful?

     

    Are the fact that the servers are up and running mean its a success alone? Does it need to be a critical success? Financial?

     

    I'm just trying to get a grip on what folks consider a successful game or not.

     

    When I always want to log back in again.

  • RhinotonesRhinotones Member UncommonPosts: 250

    You've received a number of decent responses to your question OP. From a gamers perspective we look at numerous features to overall make the game successful in our eyes.

    I ran a poll a while ago asking players to choose one feature that they found most important within a game to play it http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/post/5582162#5582162. If you look at the poll results, what players want in terms of a successful game depends on the individual and is fairly well spread. Overall players will look for many of these features listed as well as others I could'nt fit into the poll. In a nutshell though as someone said earlier, if they continue logging in to play the game it's a success for them.

    From a business point of view, being profitable or at least breaking even is considered successful to most.

    image
  • WizardryWizardry Member LegendaryPosts: 19,332

    First of all success and good are two vastly different areas,i hope most don't forget that.

    It is simply if the game developer considers it a profit making venture.If the developer says it is losing money or tries to change it's pay structure or has massive layoffs,then you know it was a fail.

    The problem is not every developer is on the same level.Some have such huge concurrent payrolls and overhead,they can't simply accept a 5% profit margin,while a small time studio might be able to call that a success.So as i said it depends if the developer considers it a financial success,nothing else matters.

    Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.

  • waynejr2waynejr2 Member EpicPosts: 7,769
    Originally posted by Frostvein

    What does a game need to be considered successful?

     

    Are the fact that the servers are up and running mean its a success alone? Does it need to be a critical success? Financial?

     

    I'm just trying to get a grip on what folks consider a successful game or not.

     

    Why do you need to know this?  What purpose do you have here?

    Doesn't success depend on the point of view? 

    http://www.youhaventlived.com/qblog/2010/QBlog190810A.html  

    Epic Music:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAigCvelkhQ&list=PLo9FRw1AkDuQLEz7Gvvaz3ideB2NpFtT1

    https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos?&sort=-downloads&page=1

    Kyleran:  "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience because it lacks a few features you prefer."

    John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."

    FreddyNoNose:  "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."

    LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you playing an MMORPG?"




  • waynejr2waynejr2 Member EpicPosts: 7,769
    Originally posted by Frostvein

    Well, to be obvious - WoW/EQ were successes, Tabula Rasa was not.

     

    Some others are grey areas.  Without playing Rift, I think it can be considered a success based on income, quality of development, reception, etc - but I don't know what others would think.

     

    Basically, I hear people (and I am also guilty of) calling games a success, or a failure and I'm trying to see if there is some sort of generally accepted guidelines that help with this.

     

     

     

    Tabula Rasa could be a success from a different viewpoint.  Such as it is a success because it got released.

    http://www.youhaventlived.com/qblog/2010/QBlog190810A.html  

    Epic Music:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAigCvelkhQ&list=PLo9FRw1AkDuQLEz7Gvvaz3ideB2NpFtT1

    https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos?&sort=-downloads&page=1

    Kyleran:  "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience because it lacks a few features you prefer."

    John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."

    FreddyNoNose:  "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."

    LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you playing an MMORPG?"




  • FoomerangFoomerang Member UncommonPosts: 5,628

    If the developers achieved what they set out to do is my best guess.

  • VengeSunsoarVengeSunsoar Member EpicPosts: 6,601
    Originally posted by Arclan

    Welcome to MMORPG.com where questions are often answered with other questions.


    To be successful to the game company, a game must:

    1. earn the company a profit
    2. not result in numerous employees getting fired


    To be successful in the eyes of gamers, the game should:
    1. be considered a good game by a lot of people

     Is this accurate thought?

    I'm not into software development on any means but several clients and friends are.

    It seems like that is a normal part of the software development process, plan it, hire a bunch of people to do it, release it, lay them off, they go to another company for the next project?

    Is that normal?

    And if so why would mmo's be different?

    Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it is bad.
  • DamonVileDamonVile Member UncommonPosts: 4,818
    Originally posted by VengeSunsoar
    Originally posted by Arclan

    Welcome to MMORPG.com where questions are often answered with other questions.


    To be successful to the game company, a game must:

    1. earn the company a profit
    2. not result in numerous employees getting fired


    To be successful in the eyes of gamers, the game should:
    1. be considered a good game by a lot of people

     Is this accurate thought?

    I'm not into software development on any means but several clients and friends are.

    It seems like that is a normal part of the software development process, plan it, hire a bunch of people to do it, release it, lay them off, they go to another company for the next project?

    Is that normal?

    And if so why would mmo's be different?

    I guess you could argue that an mmo is never finished so if it's a success it's making enough money to keep all those people working on content.

  • JemcrystalJemcrystal Member UncommonPosts: 1,983
    Originally posted by Shadowguy64
    Originally posted by Naowut
    It's successful if I like it.

     

    You beat me to my answer!

    This.



  • Vunak23Vunak23 Member UncommonPosts: 633
    For me its the retention. If a company is keeping its players around then they are successful as a business; if a game is keepings its players around it also means its fun, so a success in the gamers eyes. 

    "In the immediate future, we have this one, and then we’ve got another one that is actually going to be – so we’re going to have, what we want to do, is in January, what we’re targeting to do, this may or may not happen, so you can’t hold me to it. But what we’re targeting to do, is have a fun anniversary to the Ilum shenanigans that happened. An alien race might invade, and they might crash into Ilum and there might be some new activities that happen on the planet." ~Gabe Amatangelo

  • healboothealboot Member UncommonPosts: 103
    All it takes is my Opinion of it..nuff said lol
  • ArclanArclan Member UncommonPosts: 1,550


    Originally posted by VengeSunsoar
    ..
    It seems like that is a normal part of the software development process, plan it, hire a bunch of people to do it, release it, lay them off, they go to another company for the next project?Is that normal?


    No it is not. Layoffs are indicative of a game launch that does not meet expectations.


    When big layoffs occurred by game makers in the last few years, some people claimed it was normal. This is fallacy. If the arrangement was intentionally temporary, why wouldn't a company contract that person instead of adding them as a full time employee? The latter involves increased costs (health insurance, unemployment) and risk (getting sued).


    Luckily, i don't need you to like me to enjoy video games. -nariusseldon.
    In F2P I think it's more a case of the game's trying to play the player's. -laserit

  • MMOExposedMMOExposed Member RarePosts: 7,387
    Originally posted by Frostvein

    What does a game need to be considered successful?

     

    Are the fact that the servers are up and running mean its a success alone? Does it need to be a critical success? Financial?

     

    I'm just trying to get a grip on what folks consider a successful game or not.

     

    in my book if the game can retain a population of 1+Million players per month, its a success. note this isnt talking about Box sells. I mean players actually logging in per month to play.

    Philosophy of MMO Game Design

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