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The MMO "Industrial" Revolution
Bernoully
Member Posts: 174
Since the initial boom of MMOs, the number of new studios with profilic staff is growing. A quick review at the ones known to the community:
Red 5 Studios
"Founded in September 2005 by key members behind Blizzard Entertainment's World of WarCraft, including Team Lead Mark Kern, Art Director William Petras, and co-founder of Blizzard Korea Taewon Yun."
Colony Studios
"Colony Studios was founded as a Nevada corporation in late 2006 for the express purpose of developing a next-generation hit MMO title. Colony Studios was founded by game industry veterans for the express purpose of developing next-generation, massively multiplayer online (MMO) products. Our MMO creative team brings to Colony Studios more MMO development experience than any other company at inception, with team members having made significant contributions to half of the top ten hit MMO game titles: World of Warcraft, Eve Online, Lord of the Rings Online, Dark Age of Camelot, City of Heroes." CEOed by Michael Wallis, Eve Online senior producer.
Areae Inc.
"Founded in July of 2006. Areae, Inc. is a company dedicated to taking the tired old virtual world and making it into something fresh and new." Headed by Raph Koster as president, of Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies fame and John Donham of Everquest series.
Heatwave Interactive
"Founded on February 1st, 2007. Heatwave Interactive is an entertainment software company whose mission is to create original, character-based games that unite the power of online gaming with the excitement of traditional video games." Executive management includes Anthony Castoro, Director of MMO Games at Codesmaster, previously on Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies, and Donn Clendenon, founder of World Gaming Corporation (WGC), I-Sun Networks and V3 Networks.
---
As can be seen here, a lot of important people are breaking off from the dinosaur companies and goes into the world of danger and venture. What is this telling us about the MMO industry? Do these developers feel restricted after many years of MMO-making in the said companies?
Combine all these facts with the growing indie MMO community, there is a quiet revolution going on, with developers seriously thinking of ways to break the tedium of the same old MMO formula. There is a massive issue in the MMO industry and there are people out there going to solve it.
The games on the recent horizon may be rehashes of the formula with tweaks, but in 1-3 years' time, it's the time for some real, new stuff. Indie MMOs and casual MMO formulas will also garner more and more attention.
Thy future is bright. 
Comments
http://www.forceofarms.com/index.php
RIP Orc Choppa
When I worked at RR we had somebody from Verant, and used to claim it to investors and stuff that we had somebody from the original EverQuest team... he was an Artist.
- CaesarsGhost
Lead Gameplay and Gameworld Designer for a yet unnamed MMO Title.
"When people tell me designing a game is easy, I try to get them to design a board game. Most people don't last 5 minutes, the rest rarely last more then a day. The final few realize it's neither fun nor easy."
Yep, some real talent in those companies. There are more than those too, like Bill Roper's group. They have Hellgate London coming out and also have an unannounced MMO in development.
You also have to look at the other side too. MMO companies springing up that do not have much experience in the genre. You might see something really different from them.
We will just have to wait and see.
Most companies may not be able to please the masses, but they still have to make the money lenders happy.
These people didn't want to just get hired to be fired agian so they are makign their own companies so that when they make a game they see the profits for their work and so they can fire the people the later hire , just like the big co.s did to them ... its a good busisness you know.
This is said sarcasticly but its the sad truth .... unions for game makers rofl.
oh in-regard to sand's post under this one --- I am not saying that they will not make good games ... i berlieve red 5 will make soem GREAT games , it just the reason why they are making their own companies that i was addressing.
"Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one ..." - Thomas Paine
It's not a full guarantee that any of the veterans or even the indie community can whip out the next big MMO, but the environment is ripe for that. It will be years before most of them will announce any titles on MMORPG.com, no doubt.
Hmm, I sense some pessimism in the air. Surely we doubt after the past disappointments. Which is better, having somewhere else to look to, or wallow in MMO depression?
... the third option is make the game ourselves, of course. That's what the indie community and middleware companies are for!
These people didn't want to just get hired to be fired agian so they are makign their own companies so that when they make a game they see the profits for their work and so they can fire the people the later hire , just like the big co.s did to them ... its a good busisness you know.
This is said sarcasticly but its the sad truth .... unions for game makers rofl.
Can you confirm that situation for all the developers above? Are you also sure that other current MMO companies won't hire them just because a bigger dude "fired" someone?
Woah, the murky air of pessimism is strong. Come on, let's show some support for these guys and the indie community. You guys make it sound as if Gamasutra will never ever have any good news for the industry anymore.
EDIT: To your edit above, maybe I misread or just do not plainly understand the tone of your message. But yeah, the bigger companies do that. Can't blame them with their huge gambles with each titles.
These people didn't want to just get hired to be fired agian so they are makign their own companies so that when they make a game they see the profits for their work and so they can fire the people the later hire , just like the big co.s did to them ... its a good busisness you know.
This is said sarcasticly but its the sad truth .... unions for game makers rofl.
Can you confirm that situation for all the developers above? Are you also sure that other current MMO companies won't hire them just because a bigger dude "fired" someone?
Woah, the murky air of pessimism is strong. Come on, let's show some support for these guys and the indie community. You guys make it sound as if Gamasutra will never ever have any good news for the industry anymore.
EDIT: To your edit above, maybe I misread or just do not plainly understand the tone of your message. But yeah, the bigger companies do that. Can't blame them with their huge gambles with each titles.
Huge gambles rarely have anythign to do with firing peoples. Oh should i call it leaving or people going their own way, how about seeking other oprituntities. Oh and if you don't agree to maintain that position you lose your leaving pay.
This is how the the corp. world works.
But again i feel that these people are peopel with talent and good prespectives .. they are run by game makers themselves not money grubbing businessmen. I was simiply saying that one of the large reason why there are many producess comign out like this is because big co. keep firing their staff.
"Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one ..." - Thomas Paine
This post makes me wonder (and hope) about the future of games. Clearly the best MMOs of the future will not be the "industry giants", but rather the "indie" games made by small groups of "true believers."
Here's what I wonder (and hope): Maybe some of these future games will have actual standards for their gaming community. ie: chat trolls, gold farmers, scammers, etc.
Maybe playing the game might require an invitation by a respected player or something.
- Phos
Indy Studios will always create a superior product that will be copied by larger studios.
- CaesarsGhost
Lead Gameplay and Gameworld Designer for a yet unnamed MMO Title.
"When people tell me designing a game is easy, I try to get them to design a board game. Most people don't last 5 minutes, the rest rarely last more then a day. The final few realize it's neither fun nor easy."
Indy Studios will always create a superior product that will be copied by larger studios.
Indies might or might not make it, no one can say so. The claim that indies always make it successful is quite anti-establishment. Don't see it wrongly though; indies do have a better gambling chance because bigger companies never start MMO projects the small way indies do. Investors love to pump their millions into the titles, and all decisions become skewed to those who give the moola. Indies only need the starting cash, and game development ensues.
The four studios above may be ex-developers from the older companies, but IMO they show indie spirits in their hearts.
At the end of the day, it all depends on money. Can developers make good quality enough games to attract enough people to create a stable game, with enough subscribers/players on whatever budgets they have?
The fact of the matter is that these small studios are sick and tired of these big corporations ruling them, but the truth is, they'll end up selling out. Look at Sigil selling out to SOE. Look at Turbine breaking away from Micro$oft then eventually shutting down AC2....honestly, this isn't a good trend because when you split your people up, it's over. The money is thrown in ALL directions, and please, just admit that money is what makes the world turn....
And for crying out loud there is not going to be a cashcow like WoW, because post-WoW it's ALL BEEN DONE. Until we can literally immerse our BODIES into the computer, I don't see anything new coming along for about 3-5 more decades....
Atleast I'm of Christ's lineage, so I'll live to see the day...
I believe something new will be coming along shortly, people are tired of the hack and slash mmos such as everquest and wow. The way you play something can have a huge impact on its success. just look at the wii, its not pushing graphics but it has an innovative design on the way you play it, if developers can bring a revolution to the way you play mmos then surely we'll have seen the revolution to the next generation of mmos.
It's not a bad idea, but it could lead to some snobby, pointless drama.
-- xpaladin
[MMOz]
AC1/2, AO, DAoC, EQ1/2, SoR, SWG, UO, WAR, WoW
Wow, It's just some really good posts from you guys, that's all I gotta say, because. i totally agreed witht he OP in the fact that indies are doing these things and will be the next best thing since sliced bread. I mainly say that because, well I'm an indie, more or less. we have a fairly decent sized group of indies working on Force of Arms which is listed on this site. At last count we were at about 27 I think but even at that, its not so much the money thats driving it but the hearrt. There were orginally about 10 of us, which dwindled to 7 and then down to about 4....diehards if you will.
We came about because, these big "money" games just didn't do it for us and so we sought out to make our own. That was the day FOA was born, its grown considerably since then but still we have a ways to go. We have a lot of great ideas, things I know for a fact that big ones like SOE would never attempt, but all of our efforts have been a labor of love, so to speak. What other company or group would put in 2 yrs of blood sweat and tears and their own cash to support their dream? Not many of the big boys thats for sure. I believe in our game, and thats why it WILL succeed. We don't want wow numbers defintely, who the hell would in considering our target market? The thing about those others is that they are all corporates going "solely" for the dollar and nothing else. We are going for a game that we love, and we hope others do as well.
If you build it,.....they will come! I love that motto but not Kostner!
http://www.forceofarms.com/index.php
Yo there, Mordacai! Interesting to see Force of Arms team members posting all over these forums. There was Medyl over at Dev's Corner, and Hamilton-WDS over at the FOA section. The fact that you guys communicate so actively and optimistically, and is a part of the Multiverse network is also very inspiring.
I believe you guys are part of the aforementioned indie community that will gain more ground as time comes by. While the bigger companies will always have their market presence since they came first, that pie just never stays the same size.
Wishing you guys best of the luck on FOA. Keep at it!!