EQ2 new race and expansion, upcoming Planetside 2 and EQ Next... SOE is not going anywhere and i will gladly pay for new titles. Hating a video game company is childish. if i don't like the game i move on, it is that simple really.
And i bet that majority of you who want SOE to go out of business would be the first to buy Planetside 2 and EQ next.
Heso o kamedomo oyobanu -- Don't cut off your nose to spite your face.
Why are they still around. Isn't it time Sony just shut them down.
Cancelled projects like The Agency, closed down SWG, Vanguard hasn't been updated in years, DC Universe which underperformed, Fan faire didn't even sell out, all their servers hacked, half of their staff fired, half of the community actually hates them.
Doesn't Sony care about their reputation, SoE is doing them so much more harm than good.
new EverQuest, new Planetside, quite a few decently popular PSN titles....
grab a comfortable chair, you might aswell die of old age before seeing SOE going down
SOE will dance on the grave of plenty other dev companies, this I can assure you...
All the hate toward SOE baffles me. Forget the NGE already move on it was one game and no one can even claim they know it was SOE who approved it. .....
Every time there is a thread on SOE we see this argument;
"It was just one game years ago..."
"Just get over it already. NGE saved the game..."
The problem with this argument is that it assumes that everyone who has 'issues' with SOE is fueled by SWG angst.
Well, no.
If you want another completely seperate example of (place what ever MMORPG making company here) at work have a look back in the (place what ever A-title MMORPG here) forum here.
They made a complete mess of that. Not talking a couple of little mistakes here. Talking a complete mess of the whole thing to the point where their client (Flying Lab Software) had to step in and actually do some of the jobs they were paying SOE to do for them!
Not to mention the lies they told to both their customers and client duing the whole fiasco (which they were caught out on - more than once).
And none of that has anything to do with SWG:NGE.
The thing is if you look at other MMORPG title's you will see the same sort complaints at almost any MMORPG by forum posters. SOE is no exception.
I honestly use to hate SoE.. I thought their customer service was balls when i quit EQ2
but after trying other mmo's i realized they might not have been "good"... but they certainly weren't the worst.
In general i think MMO's could use better customer service.. but SoE is by no means the worst.. not even close.
Now their "vision" for varying mmo's they control does seem to be short sighted (aka shitty) but hopefully the dollar signs stop blinding them eventually ;p
Why are they still around. Isn't it time Sony just shut them down.
Cancelled projects like The Agency, closed down SWG, Vanguard hasn't been updated in years, DC Universe which underperformed, Fan faire didn't even sell out, all their servers hacked, half of their staff fired, half of the community actually hates them.
Doesn't Sony care about their reputation, SoE is doing them so much more harm than good.
What has it got to do with you,seriously you don't like SOE so don't worry about them. You can go away and forget that SOE ever excisted, no one is forcing you to even talk about SOE.
To many freaking busy bodies who really have nothing better to do than complain about SOE when they really don't have to.
SOE will be here long after calmoceans is gone and they really don't care what some disgruntled SOE hater has to say.
SONY's reputation is as strong as it ever was. They still make the best console and some of the best electrical goods in the world.
So half the community hates them, show me the figures to prove that. Don't go into a rant about what they have done,show me in figures/surveys that half the community hates SOE.
You can't..
Find something else to do instead orf talking about a company you say you dislike...lol
I hate SOE. I think they're terrible in the way they treat their customers and approach development of their products.
At the same time, you can look at the positives:
EQ2 - 7 years after launch remains one of the best (if not THE best) themepark MMOs on the market and even more amzingly one of the best looking MMOs on the market.
Planetside - set a new standard in massive FPS combat and the sequel promised to be great.
Vanguard - saved the game from bankrupcy and actually put money into fixing and released the steaming pile of turd that Brad McQuack had put together. No, they've not updated it, but at least people who liked it got to actually play it.
SWG - NGE was fracking brutal. Probably the worst thing any MMO company has done to its customers. However, SOE did actually release SWG - which remains one of the most advanced MMOs ever created, with many mechanics that haven't even been attempted in other games. It may be dead soon, but this game too has set a new standard in many aspecs of the MMO genre.
Everquest - i hate the game. tried it, found it boring and completely uninteresting. However, i do believe that i was rather "Too late to the party on it" and something is to be said for "the original MMO" and the fact that it's still going all these years later. In large part, the fact that we actually HAVE an MMO industry is owed to this game.
There are also a bunch of other things to be said, about MxO and Pirates and Free Realms and Station Cash, etc. Many of htem negative. But the fact is that few companies have accomplished as much and delivered as much as SOE has. Fewer companies still have screwed up so much or treated their customers with such disrespect. Gotta take the bad with the good unfortunately
"Id rather work on something with great potential than on fulfilling a promise of mediocrity."
- Raph Koster
Tried: AO,EQ,EQ2,DAoC,SWG,AA,SB,HZ,CoX,PS,GA,TR,IV,GnH,EVE, PP,DnL,WAR,MxO,SWG,FE,VG,AoC,DDO,LoTRO,Rift,TOR,Aion,Tera,TSW,GW2,DCUO,CO,STO Favourites: AO,SWG,EVE,TR,LoTRO,TSW,EQ2, Firefall Currently Playing: ESO
Nice post.. i agree.. SoE isn't an ideal company.. by far
but its certainly not the worst
It sort of makes me sad to say that... but I hope a company comes along with a solid game vision and views customer support as the number one priority ... (like no other game.. ever)!
IF all the people who actually whine about what happened to Vanguard actually play/played Vanguard with some regularity i gurantee you it'd be updated and supported. Interestingly a similar thing can be said of early SWG. The game actually wasnt that successful (i think around 250k subs) its the reason they took such a huge risk (and failed) with the NGE. They didnt completely revamp their game because it was uber successful and they wanted to just mess about. They did it because the model/the original game just wasnt working out that well. Early SWG was often called 1,000 miles wide and only a few inches deep. It had its rabid fans (see Vanguard) but not enough that played and stuck with it to NOT take a huge risk like the NGE.
I am no SOE raving fan. I think releasing garbage like DCUO (hey Mr. Murphy!) should result in punishment by the marketplace. I believe that pursuing some of their early revenue models like selling minor modules in eq2 deserve derision.
But the rabid and knee jerk hate that folks generate for SOE on this and many other forums is in my opinion downright silly. Planetside was an innovative and successful game, EQ1 by every measure was a huge and profitable success and EQ2 certainly was and remains successful.
All of that said-SOE needs a new hit. EQNext and Planetside 2 are two super important titles for them-i am hopeful they work out as I have spent the better part of my MMO career blissfully lost inside of games that SOE built and nurtured.
As much as the direction of some of their mmo's were disappointing to me, I've gotten more enjoyment from SOE titles than any others. No matter which mmo I try, I always find myself returning to an SOE game. I've spent nine years in either EQ1, EQ2, SWG, or Vanguard.
I'm not always happy with them and many of their decisions, but their line of games more than anyone elses fit my play style. So personally I'm glad they are around or there would be no MMO's for me to enjoy. And I have tried them all.
IF all the people who actually whine about what happened to Vanguard actually play/played Vanguard with some regularity i gurantee you it'd be updated and supported. Interestingly a similar thing can be said of early SWG. The game actually wasnt that successful (i think around 250k subs) its the reason they took such a huge risk (and failed) with the NGE. They didnt completely revamp their game because it was uber successful and they wanted to just mess about. They did it because the model/the original game just wasnt working out that well. Early SWG was often called 1,000 miles wide and only a few inches deep. It had its rabid fans (see Vanguard) but not enough that played and stuck with it to NOT take a huge risk like the NGE.
I am no SOE raving fan. I think releasing garbage like DCUO (hey Mr. Murphy!) should result in punishment by the marketplace. I believe that pursuing some of their early revenue models like selling minor modules in eq2 deserve derision.
But the rabid and knee jerk hate that folks generate for SOE on this and many other forums is in my opinion downright silly. Planetside was an innovative and successful game, EQ1 by every measure was a huge and profitable success and EQ2 certainly was and remains successful.
All of that said-SOE needs a new hit. EQNext and Planetside 2 are two super important titles for them-i am hopeful they work out as I have spent the better part of my MMO career blissfully lost inside of games that SOE built and nurtured.
I came to this site because of the NGE... but unlike many if I find a game I enjoy playing I don't care if it has SOE stamped on it.
They could change it *gasp* really? Every MMO I've ever played and quit.. was because it was changed. The MMO I enjoyed the most Ultima Online was changed right down to I really didn't mind playing Rift.. but the changes they started implementing made no sense to me.. because they weren't dealing with the problems the game actually had. So for *me* its not just SOE... Its kinda like the field of dreams thing but a bit different "if you change it they might cancel..."
I think tho that it would be quite logical to say you don't want to pay for "bad" game or games you don't enjoy from any publisher.
EQ was the reason I got into MMO's so, PS is the most fun I've ever had in an MMO, also the best group of people I've ever played with, I was there on day one for SWG and even tried to play after NGE but just couldn't get back into it , but do I love or hate SOE?
Pretty much don't care they're a company like any other and they try to do what's best for their bottom line, sometimes thats good for me some times it isn't, in the end they're all just games, yup they give me enjoyment and they frustrate, but if they all went a way I'd find something else to fill the gap and get on with it. I think a few people on this site need to go outside and take a long walk to calm down and remember that an MMO is just a game.
I am fine with them being a business and needing to make money. I understand how the whole system works. However is there a reason why you need to crap on your customers in order to do this?
Well, it's been a long time since they've had a really successful game launch. Looks like DCUO is dying fast. P2 won't be enough to carry them.
The correct corporate response is to bleed them dry until the last one leaves, then rent out your excess server capacity to other companies.
Self-pity imprisons us in the walls of our own self-absorption. The whole world shrinks down to the size of our problem, and the more we dwell on it, the smaller we are and the larger the problem seems to grow.
EQ was the reason I got into MMO's so, PS is the most fun I've ever had in an MMO, also the best group of people I've ever played with, I was there on day one for SWG and even tried to play after NGE but just couldn't get back into it , but do I love or hate SOE?
Wait a sec, I Could be talking BS here but I thought eq was originally made by RedEye Interactive not sony. SOE funded/bought out Redeye/verant.
If you want another completely seperate example of (place what ever MMORPG making company here) at work have a look back in the (place what ever A-title MMORPG here) forum here.
They made a complete mess of that. Not talking a couple of little mistakes here. Talking a complete mess of the whole thing to the point where their client (Flying Lab Software) had to step in and actually do some of the jobs they were paying SOE to do for them!
Not to mention the lies they told to both their customers and client duing the whole fiasco (which they were caught out on - more than once).
And none of that has anything to do with SWG:NGE.
The thing is if you look at other MMORPG title's you will see the same sort complaints at almost any MMORPG by forum posters. SOE is no exception.
Please read what I wrote again.
The complaints here were directed at SOE as a publisher and distributer and were not only made by gamers - but also by the developer.
In fact, if you check back, FLS is still not sure that the Spanish Release ever actually happened. This is something FLS actually paid for! FLS eventually said they were "pretty sure" - but the fact that not one copy of the Spanish version has ever been seen tells me otherwise.
There have been other MMORPGs that have not released in certian parts of the world -sure.
But I can't think of too many that said they did (actually didn't) and have such bad internal controls that they weren't even sure?
Well it looks like SOE for some strange reason manage to get a brain and seeing the potential of how good Vanguard can really be if they put some manpower into it.
vanguard is nothing more than a LoTRO with EQ skin. Its never was going to go anywhere. I like it, but like LoTRO, its too restricted
EA Games- Sims Online failed because of the managerial side
Sorry to correct you, but Sims Online will be a facebook game, it has almost 1 million fans and it's on it's way and it looks great.
Please check your stuff before you say something. They simply moved the project to a social game instead than a retail game that wouldn't have done well!
Now they will make millions with it like zynga games.
EQ was the reason I got into MMO's so, PS is the most fun I've ever had in an MMO, also the best group of people I've ever played with, I was there on day one for SWG and even tried to play after NGE but just couldn't get back into it , but do I love or hate SOE?
Wait a sec, I Could be talking BS here but I thought eq was originally made by RedEye Interactive not sony. SOE funded/bought out Redeye/verant.
You're right, similar to what they did when they bought out Vanguard and Sigil Games. People complain about EA doing the same thing, ruining an IP upon acquisition but I think EA has done a pretty good job of retaining the components and founding staff of a good game series and/or company lately. I don't see the same from SOE. I like a ton of EA games now, even though they train-wrecked some of my favorite games upon acquistion years ago. I see something with an SOE label and already know I won't enjoy it. Ironically when I see something with the Sony or SCEA label, it's the exact opposite. I generally like anything SCEA comes up with. I wish Jack Tretton would take over for John Smedley.
EQ was the reason I got into MMO's so, PS is the most fun I've ever had in an MMO, also the best group of people I've ever played with, I was there on day one for SWG and even tried to play after NGE but just couldn't get back into it , but do I love or hate SOE?
Wait a sec, I Could be talking BS here but I thought eq was originally made by RedEye Interactive not sony. SOE funded/bought out Redeye/verant.
First came 989 Studios then Verant spun off from them and later SOE bought up Verant. Same people different name.
Well it looks like SOE for some strange reason manage to get a brain and seeing the potential of how good Vanguard can really be if they put some manpower into it.
vanguard is nothing more than a LoTRO with EQ skin. Its never was going to go anywhere. I like it, but like LoTRO, its too restricted
Please elaborate on how LOTRO is anything like Vanguard? You say the game is restrictive in which way exactly?
Nice post.. i agree.. SoE isn't an ideal company.. by far
but its certainly not the worst
It is, if you are curious about the reasons I can give you plenty
Idk man.. try dealing with a companies whose home country doesn't have English as a main language.... then see how much support you get..
I can tell you that customer service is the least of SoE problem
-NGE (biggest embarrassment in the game industry ever)
-EQ2 WoWisation
-Cash Shop + Subscription hybrid (SoE invention)
-DCU (Wrong product)
-The Agency (Money wasted)
-SoE generally taking the piss of their players costantly, saying something one day and doing the exact opposite the next
Those are the problems
SoE did 2 good things in its short life; EQ and SWG.
SoE died in 2004 when WoW launched.
I really hope that with EQ3 and Planetside 2 they can recover from the WoW binge.
If those 2 games cannot revive SoE, Sony will shut it.
Your post is quite amusing. First off SWG was never that good to begin with the only thing it had going for it at the time was the StarWars name. You disgruntled children who think the NGE was the death of that game are so far off base you wouldnt know a good MMO if it hit you in the face.
EQ2 launched a week or two before WoW so the EQ series has no likeness to WoW especially at that time period.
Since you obviously aren't that familiar with the history of MMO"s its easy to not know what company actually started micro transactions or for that matter advertisements in game. Anarchy online was actually the first game to introduce in game advertisement and micro transactions.
As far as DCUO goes I don't think the Superhero thing is that popular outside of the movies. Collecting comics was a thing of the 80's and prior. If you never followed the Comics you didn't really know to much about Superheros other then Superman and Batman. That's why the fantasy, medievel, sci-fi are the basis of MMO's today.
Comments
EQ2 new race and expansion, upcoming Planetside 2 and EQ Next... SOE is not going anywhere and i will gladly pay for new titles. Hating a video game company is childish. if i don't like the game i move on, it is that simple really.
And i bet that majority of you who want SOE to go out of business would be the first to buy Planetside 2 and EQ next.
Heso o kamedomo oyobanu -- Don't cut off your nose to spite your face.
new EverQuest, new Planetside, quite a few decently popular PSN titles....
grab a comfortable chair, you might aswell die of old age before seeing SOE going down
SOE will dance on the grave of plenty other dev companies, this I can assure you...
The thing is if you look at other MMORPG title's you will see the same sort complaints at almost any MMORPG by forum posters. SOE is no exception.
I honestly use to hate SoE.. I thought their customer service was balls when i quit EQ2
but after trying other mmo's i realized they might not have been "good"... but they certainly weren't the worst.
In general i think MMO's could use better customer service.. but SoE is by no means the worst.. not even close.
Now their "vision" for varying mmo's they control does seem to be short sighted (aka shitty) but hopefully the dollar signs stop blinding them eventually ;p
What has it got to do with you,seriously you don't like SOE so don't worry about them. You can go away and forget that SOE ever excisted, no one is forcing you to even talk about SOE.
To many freaking busy bodies who really have nothing better to do than complain about SOE when they really don't have to.
SOE will be here long after calmoceans is gone and they really don't care what some disgruntled SOE hater has to say.
SONY's reputation is as strong as it ever was. They still make the best console and some of the best electrical goods in the world.
So half the community hates them, show me the figures to prove that. Don't go into a rant about what they have done,show me in figures/surveys that half the community hates SOE.
You can't..
Find something else to do instead orf talking about a company you say you dislike...lol
I hate SOE. I think they're terrible in the way they treat their customers and approach development of their products.
At the same time, you can look at the positives:
EQ2 - 7 years after launch remains one of the best (if not THE best) themepark MMOs on the market and even more amzingly one of the best looking MMOs on the market.
Planetside - set a new standard in massive FPS combat and the sequel promised to be great.
Vanguard - saved the game from bankrupcy and actually put money into fixing and released the steaming pile of turd that Brad McQuack had put together. No, they've not updated it, but at least people who liked it got to actually play it.
SWG - NGE was fracking brutal. Probably the worst thing any MMO company has done to its customers. However, SOE did actually release SWG - which remains one of the most advanced MMOs ever created, with many mechanics that haven't even been attempted in other games. It may be dead soon, but this game too has set a new standard in many aspecs of the MMO genre.
Everquest - i hate the game. tried it, found it boring and completely uninteresting. However, i do believe that i was rather "Too late to the party on it" and something is to be said for "the original MMO" and the fact that it's still going all these years later. In large part, the fact that we actually HAVE an MMO industry is owed to this game.
There are also a bunch of other things to be said, about MxO and Pirates and Free Realms and Station Cash, etc. Many of htem negative. But the fact is that few companies have accomplished as much and delivered as much as SOE has. Fewer companies still have screwed up so much or treated their customers with such disrespect. Gotta take the bad with the good unfortunately
"Id rather work on something with great potential than on fulfilling a promise of mediocrity."
- Raph Koster
Tried: AO,EQ,EQ2,DAoC,SWG,AA,SB,HZ,CoX,PS,GA,TR,IV,GnH,EVE, PP,DnL,WAR,MxO,SWG,FE,VG,AoC,DDO,LoTRO,Rift,TOR,Aion,Tera,TSW,GW2,DCUO,CO,STO
Favourites: AO,SWG,EVE,TR,LoTRO,TSW,EQ2, Firefall
Currently Playing: ESO
Nice post.. i agree.. SoE isn't an ideal company.. by far
but its certainly not the worst
It sort of makes me sad to say that... but I hope a company comes along with a solid game vision and views customer support as the number one priority ... (like no other game.. ever)!
It is, if you are curious about the reasons I can give you plenty
Idk man.. try dealing with a companies whose home country doesn't have English as a main language.... then see how much support you get..
whether it be a russian / japanese / european company you will soon see the difference.
For me the biggest parts of a MMO are balance + community.... if the developers make a game for one region.. they should limit it to that region
If they are going for a massive world wide audience.. they should look for a world wide opinion.
:edit for spelling i suck ;p
IF all the people who actually whine about what happened to Vanguard actually play/played Vanguard with some regularity i gurantee you it'd be updated and supported. Interestingly a similar thing can be said of early SWG. The game actually wasnt that successful (i think around 250k subs) its the reason they took such a huge risk (and failed) with the NGE. They didnt completely revamp their game because it was uber successful and they wanted to just mess about. They did it because the model/the original game just wasnt working out that well. Early SWG was often called 1,000 miles wide and only a few inches deep. It had its rabid fans (see Vanguard) but not enough that played and stuck with it to NOT take a huge risk like the NGE.
I am no SOE raving fan. I think releasing garbage like DCUO (hey Mr. Murphy!) should result in punishment by the marketplace. I believe that pursuing some of their early revenue models like selling minor modules in eq2 deserve derision.
But the rabid and knee jerk hate that folks generate for SOE on this and many other forums is in my opinion downright silly. Planetside was an innovative and successful game, EQ1 by every measure was a huge and profitable success and EQ2 certainly was and remains successful.
All of that said-SOE needs a new hit. EQNext and Planetside 2 are two super important titles for them-i am hopeful they work out as I have spent the better part of my MMO career blissfully lost inside of games that SOE built and nurtured.
I can tell you that customer service is the least of SoE problem
-NGE (biggest embarrassment in the game industry ever)
-EQ2 WoWisation
-Cash Shop + Subscription hybrid (SoE invention)
-DCU (Wrong product)
-The Agency (Money wasted)
-SoE generally taking the piss of their players costantly, saying something one day and doing the exact opposite the next
Those are the problems
SoE did 2 good things in its short life; EQ and SWG.
SoE died in 2004 when WoW launched.
I really hope that with EQ3 and Planetside 2 they can recover from the WoW binge.
If those 2 games cannot revive SoE, Sony will shut it.
As much as the direction of some of their mmo's were disappointing to me, I've gotten more enjoyment from SOE titles than any others. No matter which mmo I try, I always find myself returning to an SOE game. I've spent nine years in either EQ1, EQ2, SWG, or Vanguard.
I'm not always happy with them and many of their decisions, but their line of games more than anyone elses fit my play style. So personally I'm glad they are around or there would be no MMO's for me to enjoy. And I have tried them all.
I came to this site because of the NGE... but unlike many if I find a game I enjoy playing I don't care if it has SOE stamped on it.
They could change it *gasp* really? Every MMO I've ever played and quit.. was because it was changed. The MMO I enjoyed the most Ultima Online was changed right down to I really didn't mind playing Rift.. but the changes they started implementing made no sense to me.. because they weren't dealing with the problems the game actually had. So for *me* its not just SOE... Its kinda like the field of dreams thing but a bit different "if you change it they might cancel..."
I think tho that it would be quite logical to say you don't want to pay for "bad" game or games you don't enjoy from any publisher.
they re focus on eq next freerealm!
EQ was the reason I got into MMO's so, PS is the most fun I've ever had in an MMO, also the best group of people I've ever played with, I was there on day one for SWG and even tried to play after NGE but just couldn't get back into it
, but do I love or hate SOE?
Pretty much don't care they're a company like any other and they try to do what's best for their bottom line, sometimes thats good for me some times it isn't, in the end they're all just games, yup they give me enjoyment and they frustrate, but if they all went a way I'd find something else to fill the gap and get on with it. I think a few people on this site need to go outside and take a long walk to calm down and remember that an MMO is just a game.
Well, it's been a long time since they've had a really successful game launch. Looks like DCUO is dying fast. P2 won't be enough to carry them.
The correct corporate response is to bleed them dry until the last one leaves, then rent out your excess server capacity to other companies.
Self-pity imprisons us in the walls of our own self-absorption. The whole world shrinks down to the size of our problem, and the more we dwell on it, the smaller we are and the larger the problem seems to grow.
Wait a sec, I Could be talking BS here but I thought eq was originally made by RedEye Interactive not sony. SOE funded/bought out Redeye/verant.
Please read what I wrote again.
The complaints here were directed at SOE as a publisher and distributer and were not only made by gamers - but also by the developer.
In fact, if you check back, FLS is still not sure that the Spanish Release ever actually happened. This is something FLS actually paid for! FLS eventually said they were "pretty sure" - but the fact that not one copy of the Spanish version has ever been seen tells me otherwise.
There have been other MMORPGs that have not released in certian parts of the world -sure.
But I can't think of too many that said they did (actually didn't) and have such bad internal controls that they weren't even sure?
Nothing says irony like spelling ideot wrong.
vanguard is nothing more than a LoTRO with EQ skin. Its never was going to go anywhere. I like it, but like LoTRO, its too restrictedPhilosophy of MMO Game Design
Sorry to correct you, but Sims Online will be a facebook game, it has almost 1 million fans and it's on it's way and it looks great.
Please check your stuff before you say something. They simply moved the project to a social game instead than a retail game that wouldn't have done well!
Now they will make millions with it like zynga games.
https://i.imgur.com/Dc8dU3M.png
You're right, similar to what they did when they bought out Vanguard and Sigil Games. People complain about EA doing the same thing, ruining an IP upon acquisition but I think EA has done a pretty good job of retaining the components and founding staff of a good game series and/or company lately. I don't see the same from SOE. I like a ton of EA games now, even though they train-wrecked some of my favorite games upon acquistion years ago. I see something with an SOE label and already know I won't enjoy it. Ironically when I see something with the Sony or SCEA label, it's the exact opposite. I generally like anything SCEA comes up with. I wish Jack Tretton would take over for John Smedley.
First came 989 Studios then Verant spun off from them and later SOE bought up Verant. Same people different name.
Please elaborate on how LOTRO is anything like Vanguard? You say the game is restrictive in which way exactly?
eq1 was fully dev by soe!they basicly brought 3d mmo into birthing!
Your post is quite amusing. First off SWG was never that good to begin with the only thing it had going for it at the time was the StarWars name. You disgruntled children who think the NGE was the death of that game are so far off base you wouldnt know a good MMO if it hit you in the face.
EQ2 launched a week or two before WoW so the EQ series has no likeness to WoW especially at that time period.
Since you obviously aren't that familiar with the history of MMO"s its easy to not know what company actually started micro transactions or for that matter advertisements in game. Anarchy online was actually the first game to introduce in game advertisement and micro transactions.
As far as DCUO goes I don't think the Superhero thing is that popular outside of the movies. Collecting comics was a thing of the 80's and prior. If you never followed the Comics you didn't really know to much about Superheros other then Superman and Batman. That's why the fantasy, medievel, sci-fi are the basis of MMO's today.