I just can't see mobile MMOs having much of an audience. In addition to the concerns already listed, I wonder who would have large blocks of time (not at home) to spend playing an MMO on a mobile device? Most MMOs require lots of time put into them. You don't just sit down and play an MMO for 10 minutes here or there, you play for 2+ hours at a time.

If you're at home, you would not play a mobile MMO because you would have your computer available. So you would really only be interested in mobile MMOs when traveling. And most people who travel for extensive periods of time (usually job related) have laptops. And many hotels and coffe shops now offer wireless. Even if wireless is not available, many DSL ISPs provide a free dial-up number for traveling.

I just don't know where a mobile MMO would get its playerbase. Not only are they going to face the same problems that normal MMOs face in gaining subscribers, but they also have a much smaller group of people to choose from in the first place, because let's face it, most of us don't have the money to spend on a Nokia N93.

Personally I would not be interested in a mobile MMO for many reasons. First, I wouldn't have much opportunity to play one when a normal MMO wasn't also available to me. And second, I don't think there'd be much of a community, when people would probably be playing for very short periods of time compared to normal MMOs. Community is one of the biggest factors in retaining players, IMO.

In stead of making MMO's for phones they sould make a telephone or Data network that can actualy give us wi-fi speed connections where ever we ar. F hotspots give us adsl speed where ever we ar with a notebook, phone + notebook at normal fixt prices.

Its the conection price that needs fixing not the games.  

(this would make a lot of ppl happy who work nights or who just ar on standby all the time :)

It would be very difficult to make an interesting and succesful online game on a mobile phone. Basicly because the limits you have on your mobile phone and it is very expensive to operate online games on it. Me, as MMO gamer love to communicate with people while slaughtering monsters, but how would you like to chat on your mobile while fighting or such? Just type like you do normally? That would be quite frustrating.

I don't think online games on mobile phones will be our furture.

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Originally posted by joellio

MMORPG is for computers, not mobile phones...

 

 

                                              

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Thanks to all who shared with their thoughts about the mobile mmorpg!

First of all i don't say that mmorpg future is mobile, i just think that another formats like smartphones are ready now for some good mmorpg. Most new smartphones have more higher resolutions than common mobiles. Smartphones also can run bigger applications like PC run in mid 90's ( and that's not simple mobile games like mobile java or brew games dominated now on mobiles, you can find for smartphones some ports of PC games like Doom, Quake, Ultima Underworld, Mist and more ). As for connection cost, I need to say that developers must do optimization for minimizing game traffic. Mobile mmorpg can use much less your mobile internet traffic as common you spend while surfing on your mobile.

As for game communication with other players in game, I agree that it's can be hard trying killing mobs and typing sms at the same time, but it's possible :)

Also you can chat before grinding or while your group resting.

And at last you can get email based smartphone with qwerty keyboard ;-)

BTW i see that people already play rpg on handhelds and why don't play good mobile mmorpg lying on the comfortable sofa instead siting at chair before PC.

Maybe.

I wouldn't play a mobile MMO on itself.  However, if it was possible to work on some aspect of a MMO I am currently playing while on the mobile, then yes, I would buy a mobile in order to play while in the bus or waiting somewhere, but there must be a main MMO...and the mobile must just be a significant way to progress without been close to been as efficient as playing the real MMO.

So, a back-up access to developp my main character in a way or another while I can't play on computer.

In order to be successfull, it would in fact needs to be 2 differents MMOs, where you can work slightly on the other from the other gaming setting.  A mobile MMO want folks playing it for itself, but also folks playing it for the main MMO.  Anyway, just my 0,02.  I don't think it would be a good idea alone, on it own.  But I might be wrong.  Also, would it cost per minute/hour to play?  That could become quite expensive...

In my opinion, absolutely not. I can't stand the whole text message thing as it is.

If you want to try out a free mobile MMO, so give "Fantasy Worlds: Rhynn" a try!

Webpage: www.rhynn.com

Download: www.getjar.com/products/1093/FantasyWorldsRhynn

Cheers Norbert

You left out Android phones....

Yes, I would play some casual MMO on the phone, specially during boring staff meetings :)

You also should list the iPhone 3Gs.

There's a fortune to be made in RMT once people start porting the browser-based MMOs to be useful/playable in a mobile window.

I voted no but IMO it may appeal to a mostly or largely to a more female audience but not exclusivly. I doubt a huge portion of the MMO community would prefere it. Some of the women I know like playing games on their phones but I raely/almost  never exp. guys playing on their phones.

i wonder which % of the world wide population has a mobile phone which is suitable to play anything else than a basic game. the only reason why i can play some basic ones is because they don't make models without them anymore, yes i'm always actually looking for the most basic models.

playing mmorpgs on mobile phones is about as anti-social as it gets imho because mobile phones were made to use while being mobile, therefore often in a social environment. you could just talk with the persons in real life instead of pretending they're not there and at home there's mostly a platform which is better suited to play games.

Originally posted by McNopper

 

Cheers Norbert

This thread died 3 years ago! Why are you posting here?