I find it interesting since they haven't even announced the title of their new MMO or even hinted what kind of MMO it will be. 

www.massively.com/2008/01/26/bioware-holding-focus-groups-for-new-mmo-aimed-at-casuals/

Like what those comments say below, focus group will give inaccurate data. With more and more players coming into the mmo gene, it will really be hard to balance between soloist, casual, pvp, and raiders... if Bio can do that, than they will really go very far....

Yeah, not sure what they are hoping to accomplish with this focus group either.  All I keep thinking about is that infamous SWG focus group

We've received word via an anonymous tipster that Bioware is gearing up efforts on their new MMO, and will soon be conducting extensive market research. Reportedly, they're looking for participants within certain internal channels that meet the following criteria:

• Aren't affiliated in any way with the fields of advertising, journalism (d'oh!), public relations, video game hardware or software developers, video or computer game retail.
• Can't have participated in more than 3 paid focus groups in the last 6 months
• Must own at least one video game console or handheld system, but no more than four.
• Must play games on the PC, but have no experience with MMOs
• Must own 2 or more video games
• Must have purchased 1-5 games in the last year
• Must play between 1-9 hours a week

------------------

If the above people are their target audience. Than we "core" MMO players are SCREWED

Let hope somebody is doing Ultima Online remake in 3D. It seems it was first, last and only MMO ever produced

You guys really read too much into things. No experience with MMO's also means no experience with WoW. It sounds like Bioware wants to take a fresh look at the genre, which in my opinion is what it needs. When I was dreaming about mmo, long before the genre was really possible, none of the current incarnations really match what I dreamed. Put someone fresh in a room and ask them what they would like to see in an online game, with no prior experience with mmo quests, looking for group, the leveling gap, terms like pvp and pve, you are going to get every response under the sun, and possibly some fresh ideas. I think it's a good place to start. This project is very far off so, you never know what could happen later on. You don't even know how bioware is really going to use this information.

Also, if they wait until after a lot of information is out to do a focus group, there will be a lot of preconceptions. So they are doing it before the game is revealed. Pretty standard practice really.

Originally posted by Lobotomist

We've received word via an anonymous tipster that Bioware is gearing up efforts on their new MMO, and will soon be conducting extensive market research. Reportedly, they're looking for participants within certain internal channels that meet the following criteria:

• Aren't affiliated in any way with the fields of advertising, journalism (d'oh!), public relations, video game hardware or software developers, video or computer game retail.
• Can't have participated in more than 3 paid focus groups in the last 6 months
• Must own at least one video game console or handheld system, but no more than four.
• Must play games on the PC, but have no experience with MMOs
• Must own 2 or more video games
• Must have purchased 1-5 games in the last year
• Must play between 1-9 hours a week

From those criteria, especially the hours played, it sounds like they ae looking for a bunch of parents to test it out

Hah, I bet people will lie just to get a chance to play it lol =/.

Originally posted by candygirl6

Hah, I bet people will lie just to get a chance to play it lol =/.

You know it.  BUT it is 'internal channels' testing ... so it's not like it'll be someone who'll spill the beans.

Don't read too much into it folks.  This piece of info can be taken in many ways but all in all, just doesn't prove anything except that they want to know what people that even WoW has not sucked in think about MMORPG's.  Well... at least theirs.  You can also predict that they're trying to make it very simple, if it's for casual gamers.  At least we know they're at a 'testing' phase.

Thanks for posting btw :)

I don't think MMOs are ever good for "casual" players. When you pay for something monthly you kind of have to use it a fair amount of time to find it worth the money. If someone only watched television less than 3-4 hours a week it probably wouldn't be worth the money - I don't have cable television for that reason!

I remember when people thought World of Warcraft would be for casual players - and now it's become the leading MMO with cases of addictionwith kids, teenagers, adults playing for endless hours.

We're so screwed when developers come up with the idea to charge people based on the amount of time ingame.

It's Bioware and EA and possible LA involved............

That means this is a mmorpg for CONSOLES and not the PC.

1-9 hours a week. This is quite a shift from the current mmorpgs? -only playing one hour in a week?, in a game time-advancement focused? Interesting stuff.

Originally posted by nomadian

1-9 hours a week. This is quite a shift from the current mmorpgs? -only playing one hour in a week?, in a game time-advancement focused? Interesting stuff.

Must not be a group-oriented MMORPG. Most of the games I've played take a good 30minutes to 1 hour just to find a good group.

Lol just cuz they are testing the casual gamer, doesnt mean it wont attract the hardcore. And they want people who play PC games too, sounds like they want a multi-consul/PC MMO.  And i think its a pretty smart move. They want to find out what will pull even the most casual MMO/Gamer in for a couple hour playing session, because if they can pull this elusive group in for play, then imagine what the game will do for the hardcore gamer, without leaving out that large population of casual player.  Keep going Bioware! havent failed me yet, they have seemed to have good judgement, and continuing.

Originally posted by BaronJuJu

 

Originally posted by Lobotomist

We've received word via an anonymous tipster that Bioware is gearing up efforts on their new MMO, and will soon be conducting extensive market research. Reportedly, they're looking for participants within certain internal channels that meet the following criteria:

• Aren't affiliated in any way with the fields of advertising, journalism (d'oh!), public relations, video game hardware or software developers, video or computer game retail.
• Can't have participated in more than 3 paid focus groups in the last 6 months
• Must own at least one video game console or handheld system, but no more than four.
• Must play games on the PC, but have no experience with MMOs
• Must own 2 or more video games
• Must have purchased 1-5 games in the last year
• Must play between 1-9 hours a week

 

From those criteria, especially the hours played, it sounds like they ae looking for a bunch of parents to test it out

LOL, hey hey hey, I'm a parent, 3 kids ages 15-23, and I no way resemble these criteria.  In fact, I'm thinking there's actually no one in the US that resembles this criteria.

Not sure why anyone who plays games on the PC between 1-9 hours a week would even own a console, unless its for their kids like I do. 

If any of this is true, (remember, this is a very sketchy rumor) then it does not bode well for the Bioware MMO.  Why? Because I don't believe its possible to create an MMO that can be all things to all people.  Attempts to target this to everyone from the super casual to the hardcore are bound to fail.

Yes, I know they are Bioware, but hey, I'm not nearly as impressed with them as other folks are, and I don't think they walk on water.

Originally posted by Kyleran

 

Originally posted by BaronJuJu

 

Originally posted by Lobotomist

We've received word via an anonymous tipster that Bioware is gearing up efforts on their new MMO, and will soon be conducting extensive market research. Reportedly, they're looking for participants within certain internal channels that meet the following criteria:

• Aren't affiliated in any way with the fields of advertising, journalism (d'oh!), public relations, video game hardware or software developers, video or computer game retail.
• Can't have participated in more than 3 paid focus groups in the last 6 months
• Must own at least one video game console or handheld system, but no more than four.
• Must play games on the PC, but have no experience with MMOs
• Must own 2 or more video games
• Must have purchased 1-5 games in the last year
• Must play between 1-9 hours a week

 

From those criteria, especially the hours played, it sounds like they ae looking for a bunch of parents to test it out

 

LOL, hey hey hey, I'm a parent, 3 kids ages 15-23, and I no way resemble these criteria.  In fact, I'm thinking there's actually no one in the US that resembles this criteria.

Not sure why anyone who plays games on the PC between 1-9 hours a week would even own a console, unless its for their kids like I do. 

If any of this is true, (remember, this is a very sketchy rumor) then it does not bode well for the Bioware MMO.  Why? Because I don't believe its possible to create an MMO that can be all things to all people.  Attempts to target this to everyone from the super casual to the hardcore are bound to fail.

Yes, I know they are Bioware, but hey, I'm not nearly as impressed with them as other folks are, and I don't think they walk on water.

 

 

 

Yes , you are right.

EA

Go read the BioWare forums if you want information on their MMO.. it's going to be linear story based game which focus on the player's story rather than an overal world story. It will not have player cities or a player driven economy and they won't commit to whether it will or will not have player housing or crafting.

BioWare are turning their single player RPGs into an MMO, that enough to know it's going to have more in common with WoW than SWG.

Originally posted by bobfish

Go read the BioWare forums if you want information on their MMO.. it's going to be linear story based game which focus on the player's story rather than an overal world story. It will not have player cities or a player driven economy and they won't commit to whether it will or will not have player housing or crafting.

Sounds like DDO.

Originally posted by Kyleran

 

 

LOL, hey hey hey, I'm a parent, 3 kids ages 15-23, and I no way resemble these criteria.  In fact, I'm thinking there's actually no one in the US that resembles this criteria.

Not sure why anyone who plays games on the PC between 1-9 hours a week would even own a console, unless its for their kids like I do. 

If any of this is true, (remember, this is a very sketchy rumor) then it does not bode well for the Bioware MMO.  Why? Because I don't believe its possible to create an MMO that can be all things to all people.  Attempts to target this to everyone from the super casual to the hardcore are bound to fail.

Yes, I know they are Bioware, but hey, I'm not nearly as impressed with them as other folks are, and I don't think they walk on water. 

Heh, I'm a parent as well and that was the first thing I thought of with those kinds of requirements. They seem to be looking for the REALLY casual player and first time MMORPGers (is that a word?).

I'm really starting to care less and less for whatever Biowares MMO is. They have been stringing the community along for almost two years with little to no information on what it could be. Its all fine and good to keep the suspense up, but almost 24 months is a bit much.

It's Harry Potter

Originally posted by Vincenz

It's Harry Potter

 

 

/shrug

 At least it would be something different