This is a very poor article.

- If you are going to include the casual titles like Club Penguin, maple Story they have to be number one and two on the list as they are far, far, far more successful than any serious adult MMO. They don't belong on the list though.

- Vanguard over Warhammer and Age of Conan...that is just laughable to me, even now it is still poor compared to those (admitedly flawed themselves) games

- Wizard 101? Really? From what I can tell next to no-one plays that game more than once, the may have had two million try it or whatever and its fun in a light way, but like CP and MS it is a kids game and didn't belong on this list.

- Aion and Fallen Earth? again...really? If you judge a game after the reception after two weeks Age of Conan or Warhammer would have topped the list

- If you include Fallen Earth how can you not include Champions Online? It has better production values, is just has fun, has more players playing it. While it is certainly 'more of the same', objectively it is as good a game as Fallen Earth.

- LOTRO is a decent game, but also one of the most formulaic and mundane launched since WoW, certainly not top of my list.

- I could accept an argument for Guild Wars being top of the list, not my personal taste, but that  understand, it is well made, well balanced and popular.

This just seems like a cheap attempt to be a little sensationalist and generate debate with a deliberatly flawed list.

Originally posted by Perfection66

Originally posted by Swoogie

First off, LotRO deserves that #1 spot

With that aside, I pretty much agree with tho whole list but I do think EQ2 should be up there. I know i launced about 2 weeks before WoW but it wasnt ready. SoE learned a lot and worked hard on their game to make it where it is today (kinda like Vanguard imo). I think EQ2 could have been a notible exception given it is right there with WoWs launch
 

 

LOTRO doesnt have 3.5 million subs in Asia like Aion does. Hell Aion even has surpassed the game in West since release, so why isnt Aion considered number 1? All the numbers suggest it should be.

Because

1) It was stated that this is heavily BIASED to the WESTERN market.

2) Its not all about numbers. I dont know much about Aions gameplay because reading/hearing about it isnt enough and I havent played it, but from what I've heard its not "amazing" and the numbers wont stay where they are. I think it will begin to drop.

Originally posted by drbaltazar

Originally posted by Swoogie

First off, LotRO deserves that #1 spot

With that aside, I pretty much agree with tho whole list but I do think EQ2 should be up there. I know i launced about 2 weeks before WoW but it wasnt ready. SoE learned a lot and worked hard on their game to make it where it is today (kinda like Vanguard imo). I think EQ2 could have been a notible exception given it is right there with WoWs launch
 

yep eq2 is popular it follow dofus in term of paying player right now,but it was released way before wow lol

Everquest 2 Launched on  November 8th, 2004 and WoW launched on November 23rd, 2004 . This is 16 days before WoW launched. As stated before, I think its close enough to make a notible exception, maybe not count it in the list but give it some kind of Honorable Mention.

The only thing I've noticed about your top 10 list post WoW is that none of them are actually anything to rave about.  With the exception of Guild Wars, they are all....bleh.

Originally posted by Perfection66

Originally posted by Swoogie

First off, LotRO deserves that #1 spot

With that aside, I pretty much agree with tho whole list but I do think EQ2 should be up there. I know i launced about 2 weeks before WoW but it wasnt ready. SoE learned a lot and worked hard on their game to make it where it is today (kinda like Vanguard imo). I think EQ2 could have been a notible exception given it is right there with WoWs launch
 

 

LOTRO doesnt have 3.5 million subs in Asia like Aion does. Hell Aion even has surpassed the game in West since release, so why isnt Aion considered number 1? All the numbers suggest it should be.

Aion doesnt have 3.5 million subs in Asia either... Nobody knows what that number is based on.

LotrO is actually launching in China and have had 3 million beta testers. Maybe we should use that number aswell?

Good list but I miss DDO up there. If horrible games like Vanguard and Potbs is up there I see no reason not to include DDO, RoM or WAR.

Originally posted by dstar.

The only thing I've noticed about your top 10 list post WoW is that none of them are actually anything to rave about.  With the exception of Guild Wars, they are all....bleh.

In your opinion of course.

Here's mine.

1. Guild Wars

2. Lotro

3. Darkfall

4. Runes of Magic

5. Vanguard

6. Atlantica

7. Fallen Earth (To new to list properly but better than WAR/AoC)

8. Aion (To new to list properly but better than WAR/AoC)

9. WAR

10.AoC

Honorable mentions : Mabinogi, DDO, TCoS, Requiem, Free Realms

Well, interesting list and good PR for LotRO.

It did do a good job putting the genre into perspective for me though. 

The "Why do I still bother paying attention to these kind of websites anymore" perspective.

This is the best you lot of game designers can do... really?  

Edit: I don't mean it as a knock on gaming websites.  I just mean that none of the games have really been what I would consider exceptional in any regard.

Developers are making what the masses want, unfortunately the masses only want it when it is in a WARCRAFT skin.

Time for developers to start looking at some niche markets and attempt to diversify the market, rather than continue to clone it.

Originally posted by metalhead980

Here's mine.

1. Guild Wars

2. Lotro

3. Darkfall

4. Runes of Magic

5. Vanguard

6. Atlantica

7. Fallen Earth (To new to list properly but better than WAR/AoC)

8. Aion (To new to list properly but better than WAR/AoC)

9. WAR

10.AoC

Honorable mentions : Mabinogi, DDO, TCoS, Requiem, Free Realms

 

Usually I rarely agree with metalhead but this is definitely an exception. The list he mentioned is far sounder than one listed int he article.

Personally I have litle like and sympathy for POTBS, AoC and WAR. However to name POTBS, a crappy imbalanced second hand title surviving on SOE's Station Pass as one of top 10 MMOs after WoW is mind boggling. To add insult to injury SOE's own Vanguard is listed as number ten. Both of this games above and beyond WAR and AoC, as messed up and these are they are still leaps and bounds above POTBS & VG. For crying out loud VG is only semi playable and just for a good measure I can play WAR and AoC on my computer but cannot play VG due to hitching, lag and FPS going from 10 to 60 in open field with nothing around and for no apparent reason.

With all due respect but the list looks like it is badly biased in favour of SOE. Honestly I cannot see the main article as anything but a marketing piece for few walking disasters mixed by whim with few decent titles.

It boggles my mind each time I see LOTRO on any list.  Why you ask, well they continually take a dump on their customer base. You should see the forums.  The latest move wich changing pricing plans to keep costmers retention. Really no fan sites set up for this.  The entire radiance grind and how they are totaly ignoring the casual player and becoming more wow like every day.

And yes were is EQ2, and why is it not on the list.

Fallen Earth was just released, and I am playing it, but honestly it is way too new yet to see if its going to live. I will say this it already has fan sites.

Other than that interesting list.

Interesting list, there is an evident stagnation in the mmo genre illustrated by all the candidates so few games offer 'ANYTHING' new over what has gone before, I simply can't believe we have already seen the ultimate mmo. Hopefully the story and world bias that games like APB, DCUO and Star Wars Old Republic claim to prioritse (assuming they deliver) will be the shot in the arm the industry needs to begin to evolve again.

Originally posted by erictlewis

And yes were is EQ2, and why is it not on the list.

Because it was pre WoW.

Penguin, Wizard XX and Maple Story is on the list but Champions Online is not?

Disgraceful! It is an innovative game based on Super Heroes and an open ended skill/powersystem that deserved to be on the list. The list seem to be terribly biased towards fantasy MMORPGs.

And LOTRO as number 1? I have read the books but apparently you have not if you put that lightweight-casual MMORPG as number 1.

LOTR is anything but casual and lightweight. He created a new frigging language for pitys sake.
 

Am I the ONLY one that noticed the following:

"It’s tough to list a game that just launched a couple weeks ago, but Icarus Studios became one of the first independent American studios to launch a new game in quite some time. Fallen Earth has the deck stacked against it. It’s not fantasy. It’s not class based. It’s not level based. But what it is, at least so far, is a good bit of fun."

Really? Are you sure? Did something change in the last 10 mins?

Originally posted by Dana

Originally posted by Ozmodan

Granted it is a subjective list and everyone will have differing opinions on what should be on that list.  BUT Club Penguin? I mean come on, no one in their right mind has ever heard of that game.  Unless that was thrown in as a joke, you have completely lost it.

 

$350 million dollars doesn't lie. When Disney puts that kind of money into a one-product company, it says something. 

The game was a huge success, even if almost no one over the age of 16 plays it.

I didn't say it was a rank of the Top 10 Traditional MMOs, or Hardcore MMOs, etc.

Yeah it says that Disney as company has more money than taste. It does not say that the game is a good MMORPG.

Heck even you admit that almost no one over age of 16 plays it. Seeing as the average age of an MMORPG player is in the upper twenties, that in itself should disqualify it as it targets an extreme nisch part of the MMORPG audience.

Personally I think Lord of the rings online should be up there.

I also object to a game being put up there when it has not been out for longer than 3 months (ie. Aion). I remember similar hype to Aion with several other games and all dropped in population.
 

What about Lineage 2? The game still has over 1 Million Subs World Wide. It basicaly invented the Korean Grinder.

Originally posted by Mannish

What about Lineage 2? The game still has over 1 Million Subs World Wide. It basicaly invented the Korean Grinder.

Lineage 2 is not even close to inventing the Korean grinder... Simple logic alone would say that Lineage 1 had a better chance of having that title.

Going to have to agree with some of the other posters..

Warhammer Online and Age of Conan should have been on this list as well.

Even though I am a fan of FE and Aion, these 2 should have not made the cut this early.

The list shows ... something.:

You have Blizzard's WOW and then you have a BIG Hole: something like:

1. Blizzard's WOW

... EVE (out of competition apparently). But still multiple relaunches AFTER WOW. (the last one 3 months ago as a box sale in shops).

2. The rest or ....the battle for ....  the peanuts. And please present day Aion players do know the western launching  400 K Aion numbers will dissapear as snow for the sun when the subscription period will set in. The initial players will leave faster than you can type the word "subscription" (as always).

Originally posted by Rallycart

Originally posted by Mannish

What about Lineage 2? The game still has over 1 Million Subs World Wide. It basicaly invented the Korean Grinder.

 

Lineage 2 is not even close to inventing the Korean grinder... Simple logic alone would say that Lineage 1 had a better chance of having that title.

It's amazing how people lack reading comprehension.  He's states in the beginning of the article:

I’m also suffering from some North American bias and only counting the games on this side of the pond

So world wide subs is irrellevant.  L2 is not significant in NA so it shouldn't be on the list.  Why Fallen Earth (and to a lesser extent Aion) is on the list when they haven't even been out beyond 30 days is confusing.  Vanguard on the list but not Warhammer is almost comical.

The problem with lists is it's always someone's opinion. 

I agree with the original article and everyone who posted. All of your opinions are valid and correct, as you see them.

I am very surprised to see that Final Fantasy XI Online was not mentioned.
It may not be the best mmorpg of all time, but it has been around a log time and set quite a few standards.

Whats you comment on this?

Originally posted by haratu

Personally I think Lord of the rings online should be up there.

I also object to a game being put up there when it has not been out for longer than 3 months (ie. Aion). I remember similar hype to Aion with several other games and all dropped in population.
 

Except ofcourse that the game has been released for quite a while in Asia and is a massive success.

Also note that Aion has the second highest rating on XFire for MMORPGs and have had that rating for a consecutive 22 days. All other hyped games (such as AoC, WAR) steadily lost numbers just after a couple of weeks.