Why so little mmo's on consoles?

syltmacka

The title says it all.Looking for good mmos on PS4 ,but there is only one i play,dcuo .Then there is some shooter ones. Was wondering why devs dont dev for console so much?

Loke666

Robokapp said:

because there's no keyboard or mouse. How do you plan to click-to-move and type raid commands?

I think the problem is that the MMOs that are on consoles try to be something like PC MMOs and that is really the problem. A PC MMO will never be as good for a console as it is on PC.

A console MMO needs to be very different, I think either MMOFPS games or fantasy games with a combat system closer to Tekken and Soul calibur really is the way to go.

There is ESO and FF XIV but they still are a bit too much PC games (and in my opinion at least far superior on PC). If console MMOs really should take off they need specific custom made mechanics for the handcontroler instead of just being ports from PC.

At least that is what I think, I could be wrong of course but console MMOs are a mainly untapped potential so far.

ElRenmazuo

Robokapp said:

because there's no keyboard or mouse. How do you plan to click-to-move and type raid commands?

Same way as in Final Fantasy XIV

syltmacka

so nope because of lazy?

AAAMEOW

because they need to port to console?

and not every game studio is capable on doing that.  It probably cost more than they can recover.

Gaming.Rocks2

I believe that will change in the future. The Division console only original plan was the first evidence. EQN wanted to have a PS4 version as well. Also many of the recently released MMOs have considered consoles in their designs to make a port in the future. Though @DMKano is somehow right but one should also consider the amount of support developers would get from Sony/Microsoft when they decide to do a console port. 

SlyLoK

There was one that Microsoft had in development for the 360 I think it was.. Fantasy World Online or some such. It looks really good but they up and canceled it. Just like their MYTHIC ( pretty sure that was the name ) PC MMORPG which also looked really good.

Starplan

I rather play MMO via PC than PS

Wizardry

Square perfected it with FFXI it is has been great ofor PC users "me" and console players as many only liked using a controller and i am the exact opposite,i hate controllers.
The only downside of course is the game had to be limited to run on the PS2,so it would never be the best it could be.They did not want to alienate PS2 players so it did hold the game back a bit.

I would think they could pull it off now ,as witnessed by TESO but i still feel no matter how much hype is around newest consoles they still take a backseat to PC's.

On the topic of EQN,what i read was Smedley chose DB because they would offer him the chance to invest in multiplatform and not be tied to SONY playstation consoles,however now that he is gone,i doubt EQN gets more than a rushed PC release.

Gaming.Rocks2

Wizardry said:

On the topic of EQN,what i read was Smedley chose DB because they would offer him the chance to invest in multiplatform and not be tied to SONY playstation consoles,however now that he is gone,i doubt EQN gets more than a rushed PC release.

Originally it was going to be a PS4/PC release just like DCOU because of Sony. When owner ship was changed they thought they could do a multiplatform release. I think that will still happen, because financially it makes more sense for their owner. 

Phry

I think the reason why FFXIV;ARR works on PS4 is because you do have the option of using keyboard/mouse or gamepad, its one of the few games on PS4 that supports keyboard use natively, though using a keyboard and mouse in particular has been a bit controversial in some games on PS4, namely Destiny, where players using such things have effectively been called cheats because of the advantage this gives them, i have no doubt that the same thing will happen in The Division, given that the game is heavily PVP orientated, PS4 players who only use gamepads will be pretty much at the mercy of those who choose to have a 'tech advantage'.
But there is no denying that for MMO's or most Online games for that matter, that have a social aspect, as the Final Fantasy games do, that having a Keyboard does make the game more enjoyable, and if its not supported by the game natively, then players inevitably find a way to overcome it via other means, as was demonstrated in Destiny.
The days of Consoles being playable only with a gamepad are pretty much coming to an end, and its not a bad thing.

yaminsux

Have to agree that after three decades since its inception nothing beats mouse. Sad really, since the tech did not evolve anymore.

Kiyoris

Because it's harder for people to type in their VISA number and name, address, on a console without keyboard.

I'm not joking, that is the reason I believe.

Flyte27

It's not hard to make MMOs for console. 

A good example of a user interface for that type of thing is Divinity Original Sin.  The controller interface is actually easier to use in a lot of ways.

Obviously that is not a MMO, but it is an example of a game that would generally be PC only until recently.

Both consoles support keyboard and mouse, but often times Microsoft and Sony will release a chatpad of some type.

I am not a big fan of voice chat, but most people probably use that more than text chat and it's built into the consoles.

A game doesn't really need to be FPS style or even third person.  Overhead view works if the developer is creative see DOS and Diablo 3.

I think we don't see MMOs as much on consoles because there is less market there.  Most console players aren't interest in investing the time required.  I realize most MMOs don't take nearly as much time anymore, but it's still a lot more time than normal games.  The payment system might not be something a lot of parents want their impulsive kids using either.

scorpex-x

syltmacka said:

so nope because of lazy?

Because it means they have to create and test two seperate patches with each update, there is also a fee payable to sony or microsoft to update the game, there is a power difference which can cause pc players to have an advantage and specific control issues.

It's really not worth the hassle.

I think Elder Scrolls Online does it fairly well but they seperate console players from PC for some of the reasons above.

SlothnChunk

syltmacka said:

The title says it all.Looking for good mmos on PS4 ,but there is only one i play,dcuo .Then there is some shooter ones. Was wondering why devs dont dev for console so much?

Elder Scrolls Online is available for PS4 and I highly recommend it (I've actually subbed for 3 straight months too).

World of Tanks is in beta and should be out in a matter of weeks (I'm in beta...can't say much other than they are down to tweaking things).  It's incredibly fun on consoles....more fun than PC version.

And The Division comes out shortly.  Looks solid.

I would actually argue it's good that most PC MMOs aren't coming to PS4 since most PC MMOs are pretty bad or incomplete.  It's not exactly a strong genre at the moment; so PS4/console players are better off with fewer options of high quality.

SlothnChunk

scorpex-x said:

syltmacka said:

so nope because of lazy?

Because it means they have to create and test two seperate patches with each update, there is also a fee payable to sony or microsoft to update the game, there is a power difference which can cause pc players to have an advantage and specific control issues.

It's really not worth the hassle.

I think Elder Scrolls Online does it fairly well but they seperate console players from PC for some of the reasons above.

They haven't been charging that fee for updates for a good 3-4 years now.  That policy was updated end of last generation.

SoloAnything

Ffxiv ps4 you can play keyboard mouse same as PC.

OhhPaigey

Probably because they're overall better on PC.

SlothnChunk

DMKano said:

Gaming.Rocks said:

I believe that will change in the future. The Division console only original plan was the first evidence. EQN wanted to have a PS4 version as well. Also many of the recently released MMOs have considered consoles in their designs to make a port in the future. Though @DMKano is somehow right but one should also consider the amount of support developers would get from Sony/Microsoft when they decide to do a console port. 

The amount of support is zero - yes I have talked to ZoS folks I know who have worked on console ports for PS and Xbox.

What 'support' are you referring to? The console manufacturers allow developers to use all of their tools they offer any developer plus use of the PSN/Xbox Live infrastructure.

How else are they expected to 'support' an MMO?

Tasslehoff35

DMKano said:

It's a pain in the ass on consoles:

- every content patch has to pass certification process for each region for each console, complete suckage
- having to go through proxy/gateway servers to work with Xbox live - this introduces another layer that PC mmos don't have to deal with
- monetization constraints - have to split cash shop profits with Sony/Microsoft, also cash shops are not popular on consoles
- console licensing costs
- console dev kits are super expensive
- UI constraints 

It sucks all around for the devs, PC games have none of the above crap to deal with

A very successful game that is on both the xb and ps proves your comment false.  Granted Diablo 3 isn't an mmorpg but it's an online game the same as the PC version (minus seasons) getting the same updates and the same time and in my opinion the console is better then the PC version. 

For few months neverwinter was the most played free game on the xb1 the amount of people who were buying stuff shows your comment to be false.  Look at Destiny they added a cash shop if what you said was true they wouldn't have done that. 

The reasons has nothing to do with what you mentioned except UI.  I could go on and on with examples but I think you got the point. 

The other reasons are communications, controls and technical specifications.  

All that other gibberish is just PC wannna be master race garbage.  

zaberfangx

Consoles change there architecture to many times.

Antiquated

Are consoles good at frequently updated games?

filmoret

Because mmo's are niche and its a waste of money to even try it.  But you see they have a ton of MO's.

SlothnChunk

zaberfangx said:

Consoles change there architecture to many times.

Both the PS4 and Xbox One use the X86 instruction set same as PC.  So that change in architecture makes it easy to develop for PC and console (or bring an existing PC MMO to console).  It also helps future proof games since the next console generation will use the same instruction set (regardless of hardware specifications).

Tasslehoff35

Antiquated said:

Are consoles good at frequently updated games?

They are look at Destiny and FFXIV.  On the xb1 if you use the always on feature it will update for you.