General Discussion

Will there ever be another "SANDBOX" type game again?

That is, assuming DARKFALL is a fake piece of vaporware. Will we ever see cool next-gen "SANDBOX" game in our lifetime. I don't see anything in development that gives any hope. I don't understand why we don't see more games like these.

Depends on whether or not Devs Think EvE is a 'boring screen saver' and realize how many people want to play it, but will only bother with a 'game'.

OK, in an attempt to rescue this thread from going off topic right off the bat, (not a great idea to take shots at DF or EVE unless you enjoy defensive replies from fans of both games) I think Earthrise and some other games coming up have a decidedly sandbox type design.

I doubt we'll ever see a return though to the early games where there was really nothing much to do other than what the players designed or thought up.

Quests and story lines are here to say, and I think every game will incorporate them to some degree.  They don't have to be a linear in game progression, a la the WOW/LotRO model currently popular, but games will always have them from now I think.  (Heck, Darkfall probably will have them)

The only sandbox game I've played is EVE, (though early DAOC was somewhat similar, but still had classes/levels) and I've been enjoying the experience. I'm all for a fantasy game along the same lines and I'm hoping we do see at least a few titles in the next few years that follow the format.

Maybe if you actually bothered to look beyond the big names at what is out there you'd realise there will be another Sandbox MMO, it's called Earthrise.

Not everyone is making linear crap.

As much as i am aware there are a few sandbox type games in development, but the problem is like the OP hinted, that all of them are from indy developers and the outcome is quite vague.

And the main question is, will we ever see a successful sandbox type game, or developed from a major company? I personally guess not as long as we see another indy company be successful with it, like EvE was it, or even more. See, a lot of developers classified the sandbox type game as a failure with the not so good success of SWG, well even some said it was a ill success, and SWG had in the beginning around 300k subscriber(EvE didnt reach this amount up to now). And to be honest i doubt if we see anytime soon a sandbox game reach this numbers again, or even overtop it.(and i am a so called DF fanboy.. maybe a realistic one.. but anyway)

In conclusion i am not really optimistic about the future of mmos and sandbox like games alike, so in my mind we will see in the near future more games like wow pop up, before something better will appear, with maybe the little hope that indeed one indy company will have huge success and will then convince some major companies to try something similar. But this hope is more like the snowball in hell.

The problem with sandbox games is they don't really attract a "mainstream" audience anymore.  The rewards require much more "work" than should be needed in a game, and most people already have a real-life job to cover that aspect of their lives.

Take the open-beta of a game called Mabinogi...the game is very sandbox with the quests being just  a means to gain skills and small amounts of money. I thought it might be interesting since I've not seen a sandbox game in quite awhile, but good Lord it feels like I'm playing a Virtual Poverty Simulator rather than a game. Go chop wood before you can build a campfire that will allow you to heal yourself, get berries before you starve and your stamina is cut down to nothing, and if you want that neat sword at the blacksmiths (as opposed to hoping someone has made it far enough to actually make one and NOT rape you on the cost) you better have over 180k gold handy because he's a greedy little snot.

Most people don't play games to go through that, ergo most people will be turned off by sandbox games...and since games are there to make $$ (sorry to break that to you) most games will not go that route.

it's in the works.

www.fallenearth.com

@ OP

 Absolutely there will be!   The wait for a properly invested developed title is the real problem.

Nostradamus predicted a good sandbox game, where you can play as a person and not a spaceship,  will be released in the year 2012.

However, you will have to preorder it, and you won't get to max level, because that is of course the end of the world.

Originally posted by gillvane1

Nostradamus predicted a good sandbox game, where you can play as a person and not a spaceship,  will be released in the year 2012.

However, you will have to preorder it, and you won't get to max level, because that is of course the end of the world.

I thought it was the Mayans that predicted the end of the world was 2012? Either way I guess the gaming companies better get their butts in gear to get most games out by 2010 so they can least make some of their money back b4 we all *poof*

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