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[Column] Elder Scrolls Online: Bringing In The Non-MMO Gamer
BillMurphy
Former Managing EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 4,565
We here at MMORPG might be what you call an MMO studio's "target audience". We're the folks who keep games going for years after launch. But we're not the only gamers out there for big IP titles like Elder Scrolls Online. In today's column, we're exploring some of the reasons why Zenimax Online Studios' game might just pull in more than the usual MMO gamers.
One of the biggest hints towards ESO's broader targeted appeal is in how closely it's positioning itself to be the successor to Skyrim: the Elder Scrolls game that broke the series into the gamer mainstream culture with "arrow to the knee". Perhaps if Skyrim had never happened, there wouldn't be as much angst and speculation surrounding ESO's release. But the fact is, Skyrim catapulted this series into the mainstream gaming consciousness and there's no denying that a lot of Elder Scrolls fans will pick up the title based purely on the namesake alone.
Read more of Bill's Elder Scrolls Online: Bringing In The Non-MMO Gamer
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Comments
21 year MMO veteran
PvP Raid Leader
Lover of The Witcher & CD Projekt Red
If this game ends up having role-based grouping there could be hope for it to not suck. We'll see I guess. I missed a chance to see for myself wasting time playing FFXIV, which is a mediocre at best overall game.
I would also argue that "Bringing In The Non-MMO Gamer" isn't really all that great for MMORPGs - it's what companies have been doing for years with all of the post WoW "failures" and IMO, the quality of MMORPGs in terms of overall game experience and definitely the long term value in playing MMORPGs has diminished greatly. Along with that, the quality of MMORPG player has declined dramatically.
Good MMORPGs aren't casual games, nor easy games, and the trend to try to dumb them down and make them accessible has pretty much ripped the heart and soul out of the genre. It's like, you can't really alter chess - it is what it is - and some people just can't handle it - you can't really change it or it becomes more like checkers, which isn't really the same.
Premium MMORPGs do not feature built-in cheating via cash for gold pay 2 win. PLAY to win or don't play.
The one hope this MMO had was sticking to the DAoC design and carving out a big loyal niche of social and PvP players.
This is SWTOR all over again, except worse, because at least SWTOR had a core design (Make a singleplayer RPG with some online coop) this has jumped all over the place from DAoC successor to WoW clone to GW2 clone to half assed Skyrim clone, based on whatever the outcry was at the time.
Casual players don't stick to MMOs, chasing them has been the ruin of nearly every AAA MMO of the last 8 years. When will publishers learn?
I agree with this 100%.
Good MMORPGs are deep, complex and, well..hard. Something you devote time to.
I think its a good thing for any MMORPG to have elements that may be enticing to Non-MMO gamers to come and try the game, but when MMO Devs specifically target a player type outside the genre, it takes away alot of what makes a good MMORPG GOOD
Exactly
Bringer of Eternal Darkness and Despair, but also a Nutritious way to start your Morning.
Games Played: Too Many
"they're hoping a fair few of their existing Skyrim-based audience hopes into ESO as well" and "is ESO perfectly poised to target quite a few atypical MMO gamers?" c'mon, a few? Maybe I'm wrong but I think that's exactly they want, not a few, the whole bunch. I've said that years ago, ESO is not for the mmo folks, it's sole purpose to grab the millions of the ES fanbase and take their monthly fees above the box sales
(back then f2p wasn't that huge as today)
"One of the biggest hints towards ESO's broader targeted appeal is in how closely it's positioning itself to be the successor to Skyrim" you missed a "lately" but yep, I marked it too under the QuakeCon presentation video, it's noticeable how strongly they refocused in the last few months (at least with the PR talk) onto the ES part and muzzled the Cyrodiil part, seems they finally realised by the many negative voices from their target audience that they're heading towards a TOR 2.0
True, this developement delay isn't enough to make significant changes in that matter, as you wrote too Firor made it the core of the game, but I'm curious about the end result. ESO is the game where I'm on the fence since years with a constantly shifting position, right now I'm rather leaning toward buying, but it still can (and I guess will be) changed during the following months...
I'm an MMORPG gamer first, have never really cared for the Elder scroll series and Skyrim was no exception.
So I remain skeptical of the title's appeal to me, but I'll be keeping an eye on it, mostly because of its DAOC like RVR model more than anything related to the IP or PVE gameplay.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
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Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
They've been working to gut anything DAoC related over the years. Even the RvR is a joke now. Poor Matt, tried so hard but publishers got him.
Funny stuff, people here love to blame the Devs when it fact its the gamers today wanting everything and for free, Mobile game is were it is at today most of the TRUE MMORPG players have quit due to Real life... Many what I call new gamers have ruined the genre period... I left many games because of the community's not the game it self...
Even if someone made the best game like UO and asheron call, EQ, it would never make it today, because of how people act today, MMO's are dieing face that fact.....
Good. I'm not an ES fan but I don't want this game turned into Daoc clone either.
The only Elder Scrolls game I've played is Skyrim, but I was planning on getting the MMO anyways because I'm an old MMO vet and mostly play just MMO's. But now that I've played Skyrim (just picked up the Legendary Edition about a month ago) I'm looking foward to it even more now. But I must say, if TESO is a disappointment it may be my last MMO I ever try.
Dunno, might be a tad risky specifically targeting the ES crowd considering Bethesda has pretty much always delivered exactly what it's target audience wanted. All the hoops typical mmos jump through these days trying to get anyone to play their pos games; not sure targeting one of the few sub-groups of gamers still used to quality is smart.
EDIT I guess I would prob be less leary if Beth had an active hand in development but that's not the case. Name me one 3rd party IP mmo that's done well
STO rofl
SWTOR gah
WAR bye bye
LOTRO did great for a long time but not anymore
You don't want this game to be a revival of one of the best designed MMORPGs to date?
...Care to say why or is this just a drive by troll attempt?
WoW clones are dying, face that fact. True MMOs do quite well.
I have gone from a committed buyer of the game to absolutely UNCOMMITTED,
I don't buy for a second the first person and console decisions not delaying the game...dumbed down the ui and graphics and took dev time away for other game enhancements in the crafting and other areas.Add a cash shop on top of a monthly subscription made it even worse.
I like the focus on all options at end game allowing you to both progress your character and get top loot. This means both the MMO and ES crowd can get the same things by doing what they like to do best in the game. Solo, duo, small group, large group and PvP.
You will be able to use Master dungeon runs, AvA play, go through the Alliance war, or do the 50+ and 50++ content for the same rewards. Most MMO's today only give you one option for end game progression, two with PvP gear. So this way of thinking IMO will help bring in and possibly keep the non-MMO ES player.
How many people long for that "past, simpler, and better world," I wonder, without ever recognizing the truth that perhaps it was they who were simpler and better, and not the world about them?
R.A.Salvatore
This is not a game.
Very bad article.
First claiming Skyrim as the sole reason for the TESO hype or concern.
Second, claiming FFXI is the only game to successful charge $15 a month for a sub? What?
And finally, saying the manual blocking system makes TESO a shooter. LOL!
Bill Murphy, I'll assume you are tripping on acid or something, because this is absolutely pathetic.
On Consoles! Read man... READ.
I expect this to be an ES game, an ES MMO to be more precise, not a Daoc clone. My problem is that imo those former Daoc devs just cannot think outside of Daoc box. And yes, I don't want Daoc to be revived in ESO, let them make Daoc 2 or whatever. Honestly, accusing me of trolling only because I expect ESO to be an ES game is just trying to bait me.
I'll be there at launch (on PC) but will stay ONLY if the game is much much more like Skyrim then like WoW.
Let's party like it is 1863!
"So you have 10 mln people, with over 5 mln Xbox gamers, waiting and hoping for a new adventure in the Elder Scrolls world."
Yes ES VI.
So, did ESO have a successful launch? Yes, yes it did.By Ryan Getchell on April 02, 2014.
**On the radar: http://www.cyberpunk.net/ **