General Discussion

Originally posted by Vosen

LOTRO

Ditto - and don't forget about guild wars, that was after WoW.  

What I never get, from a player's perspective, is why everyone wants to unseat WoW?  What's the point of having a massive game with lots of annoying, obnoxious, immature kids playing?  Anyone who unseats WoW is going to suffer from the same lowest-common-denominator problems that WoW does, full of kids who couldn't spell if their lives depended on it and have no clue what actual roleplaying is.

I don't want WoW unseated, I want all the idiots sent there so that the rest of us can play in peace.

Cant disagree with any of the posts but just to be more specific about my meaning about 'successful'...a game that has launched and has become a main player in the market place.  I don't care if it has 9 million subscribers, more interested in a game that is growing and the player base is really enjoying.  The only ones I can think of are:

EVE

GW

WOW

Maybe 1-2 more...

it seems I am constantly getting excited about big releases and how they are going to change this gaming genre.  (Just look at the 'games in development' bottom left, a bunch of great titles or so it seems).  Then with each release its just another...mmaaahh...its ok... has 1-2 great features that will keep me amused for 2 months.
 

I don't even care if AoC doesn't do it for me.  However I do care that its successful because the MMO industry needs another long term contender so it shows potential investors that it can still work.  With the multi million dollar investments being thrown around on products like PotBS etc.  It could really damage the potential for 'big' titles being developed in the future.  If I had 50 million dollars and someone asked me about using  all of it on a new MMO title I would probably say no and I am a gaming enthusiast!

Diversity in the game is the key for me.  Lately all the 'big' titles being released have 1 outstanding feature, normally combat, and they neglected all the RPG elements such as crafting, housing, exploring and community therefore capturing an audience for a short period before withering up and dying.

Originally posted by Gammit100

Definitely LOTRO.  Hopefully Conan will launch well, but from what I've read, it'll be rough if you don't have a high-end machine.

When will developers learn to scale better? :(

WOW does it well...

Originally posted by Cephus404

What I never get, from a player's perspective, is why everyone wants to unseat WoW?

Thats why I would be glad if WoW would be "unseated". Not necessarily in numbers of players or profits or whatever. Just that nobody would talk about this crap !

I just dont want to hear what the "Sun" writes about every theme just because the "Sun" is the newspaper with the most readers. Its not the newspaper with the most readers because its a source of quality.

Originally posted by Adamantine

Originally posted by Gammit100

Definitely LOTRO.  Hopefully Conan will launch well, but from what I've read, it'll be rough if you don't have a high-end machine.

When will developers learn to scale better? :(

WOW does it well...

Are you serious ? WoW can be played on 6 years old computers ... scaling ?!? It has horribly low requirements !

 

So you like high requirements?

Lord of the RIngs and before that Dark Age of Camelot.

What's the definition of a successful launch? Without that definition we can't answer the question.

My definition is a launch that has stable servers, bug free, and is fun to play and subscription numbers rise. I consider a launch from the day the servers open to its first year.

No game has been bug free or had no server crashes but there a re a few that have signifigantly less than others. DaOC, GW, D&D online, LoTRO online all had smooth launches. LoTRO has to be a record for smooth launches in my experience so I give a big round of applause to Turbine for that. The game is a good game it just is lacking that special something to make it #1, I can't quite put my finger on it.

Most MMO's before WoW had shakey launches, Blizzard raised the standard by introducing a polished game. I think most peopel reconize that and it is what has made every Blizard game I can think of successful.

Now why can't a game toplle WoW is a whole other subject for another thread.

Originally posted by Zorndorf

 

Originally posted by jarish

Yeah I wouldn't believe much of what mmogchart puts up there. Those are guesses. And if you want to look at thier charts and NPD findings I think you will find if LOTRO is above FFXI then it is over 500k and not at 150k like the chart says.

 

MMOGCHART is very clear in their bimonthly stats: and :

0.9 % is about 230.000 subscribers (total being 25.000.000 +).

1.3 % was the highest LOTRO figure obtained in these charts. meaning about 330.000.

If you don't believe the numbers of mmogchart: look at the number of English EU servers of LOTRO: Exactly 5 ! (4 german servers and a french one). The same as launch BTW.

Last time I wanted to check on Wow, I believe it was in the order of 250 servers for Europe alone.

Now I am not saying LOTRO can compete with Wow in numbers but the game is now sold in our country at 7 Euro in one of the biggest chains and after a month still masses can be found in the waste baskets.

So LOTRO was certainly not a BIG succces.

If you don't feel comfortable with these stats: your source doesn't even include Lineage 1 or 2. And EVE on line does indeed have about 400 K subs.

 

I'm pretty sure the NPD stated they are starting to track electronic game purchases this year so that is probably added into their data.

Originally posted by chryses

With the mass hype focusing on the launch of AoC and whether it will be a success or failure I started thinking about the more recent 'big' releases. 

Pirates of the Burning Sea - Population is sinking faster than any ship in the game and there is no real mega patch that is going to change a whole lot anytime soon.  Not successful.

Tabula Rasa - Mass hype and population has come and gone.  Enough patches have helped it along and it has turned into a niche type game.  Not successful but has found a gaming space.

Fury - Not played but it was released with a small pop after much talk and I haven't seen any threads about it for ages. Successful...seems not

Vanguard Saga of Heroes - Major issues at launch and heavy rig needed to play.  Population left in droves and its hard to find another living soul.  Not successful.

 

What were the last big releases that are still successful?  WOW, EVE Online?  Its a worrying sign and if AoC does gain a healthy following and more importantly keeps it then it will be breaking the trend.  Stats say otherwise and I hope they are wrong for the sake of the MMO industry.

 

 

If combat  is  skillfull and not sit and watch.

And with good sound and graphics.

Freedom to wear what you want if you got the money to do so.

Player ran and player made game , all skill game  with hundred of thousands of skills.

That my friend will keep everyone in the game comeing back to have fun trying to be the best in what ever skill they take up. Selling , would be alot of fun to because you would have items that no one has.And you will sell fast because everyone will  come to diff ppl to get stuff they need.

Like if you make potions  you will go to someone that has  hi skill in picking herbs.

And same with everything else . See it will not be just killing mobs and lvling for nothing.

Todays  games you dont need crafting , you dont need skill in anything you do.

Dont need to kill no one because there is nothing to kill for. You dont lose nothing and you dont gain nothing so its boring after you play the first 2 weeks.

So there you have it .

Fun in fighting is fighting  for land, mines., lakes, any resoruce .

Then you got to hold this land , that means people will be needed all the time  to make stuff for the people defending the land.

have hundreds of thousand skills and items that will keep everyone try to make and do stuff all the time.