For so long we have seen fantasy after fantasy game and to tell the true its boring the crap out of me. I know we got some sci-fi, but that not enough of a change. Developer need to look more into sci-fi and other genre that more people might want to play.  Plus I think they should look into more media franchises, such as G.I. Joe and Transformer for two off the top of my head. Also some old media franchise games need new reboots, such as Star Wars and The Matrix. I'm not saying I don't like fantasy games. I would even like to see a Chronicles of Narnia MMO , but not made by Disney. They totally screwed up on Pirates of the Caribbean. Pirates as an MMO was such a good idea, but they made a PG-13 movie trilogy into a game for 10 year olds. With better graphics and a T rating. it might have been a lot better.  Well that just my 2 cents

Just for fun list some media franchises you'd like to see made into MMOs.  Or ones that you just can't wait for that are in development.

DC Universe Online

Star Trek Online

New Star Wars MMO (The EA/Bioware rep at E3 never really said it was Star Wars or not, so don't get your hopes up for SWG2 or KOTOR online)

G.I. Joe MMO

Transformers G1 or Movie MMO

New Matrix MMO

Narnia MMO

New Lord of the Rings MMO

Marvel Comics MMO

Thundercats MMO

James Bond 007 MMO (I know The Agnecy is coming, I'd just like to get missions from M and gadgets from Q.)

Disney's Gargoyles MMO

He-Man MMO

Ghostbusters MMO

Well I could go on, but I'll stop here and give everyone else a chance to list something.

Why aren't there more MMOs based on non humanoids?

Like a Sim Ant. You pick from an assortment of bugs you can play, and dungeons would be like garbage cans, and raids would be on houses.

I bet people probably wouldn't like it. Even the people who look down on role-playing because it would be to hard to relate to their avatar.

Fantasy is a lot more diverse than high fantasy.   High fantasy is what everyone is sick of, not fantasy.

Originally posted by paulscott

Fantasy is a lot more diverse than high fantasy.   High fantasy is what everyone is sick of, not fantasy.

This is true.  Fantasy is much more broad, including all sorts of wonderful types of settings.  Everything from Spore to Warcraft to The Matrix to Star Wars counts as fantasy.

This is specific here, but I must say that Warhammer Online is being released at a time when gamers are really, really sick of getting the same sort of High Fantasy setting.  Swords and Sorcery have been used up, left to die, died, been buried in a cheap funeral, dug up, beaten, reburied... and this was all before Age of Conan was released.  Now it's probably being paraded around on strings, only the bare bones remaining.  If it fails, then that may well be one of the major reasons.

Fantasy elements can still work, even certain high-fantasy elements, so long as all of the trappings aren't used in the typical style.  So we don't see the forces of always good humans/elves/dwarves/lawn gnomes taking on always evil orcs/dark elves/goblins/zombies in another war over another land populated with mystical magic, grand mythical beasts, and an evil tyrant in armor trying to rule it all.

As for something slightly different, you could instead use a fantasy/western setting.  Take bits and pieces of the classical high fantasy story, the mythical beasts and the various races, though not their alignments, and plop them into the harsh, unforgiving landscape of the wild west.  And players would be given tons of options as to what to do.  They can start in one of six towns (not split by race, but by preference) and grow their character however they see fit.  Want an Elven Preistess in a feathered headress?  Have at it!  Want a heroic gunslinging Zombie on rollerskates?  Go on ahead!  Want to dress your human swordsman in full plate armor and send him charging out into the desert for hours on end?  ...don't be shocked if you get a heatstroke, but if you're really that set on it then more power to you!

Really, any sort of unique twist on the concept would be welcomed at this stage.

The genre is not the problem, the design and execution are the problem.  High Fantasy is a timeless genre.  Might not be for everyone, but certainly is for lots of folks, maybe most folks.

I'm actually ok with the mmo industry today. We have CoH/CoV which is just a great game everyone can get into and we have Stargate coming out which is probably the best idea in the mmo industry because you will never run out of room for new content and you will have so much freedom. You also said that we don't know that bioware is making a starwars based mmorpg but we do, it's probably the worst kept secret in mmos loljk the way we know is because Lucas Arts got copy rights on Old Republic.

Give the industry some time to come out with games, right now all we have is Age of crap and War that are new. Once we get much more mmos out there gaming is going to be exciting again .(unless they screw it up like AoC)

I do think some games should just restart like SWG or the matrix which you said. If the industry does "change" however that would be how do we know if it would be any good? or after a few years we would be were we are today? Maybe the companies should just look at what people like and don't like and let them ponder on something that will blow us all away that we wouldn't of even thought of.

As long as generic, lowest common denominator games are bringing in the $$$ I don't think the industry will feel a need to change.

Hopefully the mainstream will reach saturation so companies will be forced to move into more interesting niche markets in order to expand / maintain their market share. 

Otherwise creativity will not get a look in.

Originally posted by Blodpls

As long as generic, lowest common denominator games are bringing in the $$$ I don't think the industry will feel a need to change.

Hopefully the mainstream will reach saturation so companies will be forced to move into more interesting niche markets in order to expand / maintain their market share. 

Otherwise creativity will not get a look in.

LOL it's true we will all still be playing the mmos and they will still be making the money we will just have to wait till a game does come out were its new and different and in a goodway not a screwed up way like nge in swg. Once that happens hopefully most people who see this game and feel like this is the game I have been waiting for and it's the change I was looking for will go to this game and all the other games will stop making their money and be forced to change, but thats pretty hard and I honestly dont think it will happen any time soon thats for sure.

Of the IPs you listed I think GI Joe could be the most interesting.

GI Joe vs Cobra PvP, many different types of soldiers to become, locales around the world to fight over and control, land sea and air battles, first / third person shooter combat, vehicles(of course), not based on the upcoming movie.

But, yeah, as already mentioned, it's not the type of MMO thats sinking the genre its the execution. Too many half finished games and broken promises.

nothing needs to change, we just need to wait for Fallen Earth, Earthrise, WELL Online, and Mortal online. The industry has already changed, we just need to wait till that change hits the shelves.

I've never liked traditional high fantasy.  Elves and dragons and whatnot are boring.  I like to see original creatures in original worlds.  Making more MMOs based off of established IPs is equally boring to me.  The MMO is a genre that allows you to truly craft a world.  I prefer to see original IPs to explore.  With an original IP you also don't have to worry about sticking to cannon.  You can start with gameplay, then come up with a world to set the gameplay within, and not be restricted by fanboys or IP owners.

Ghostbusters would be awesome.

Gi joe would be good too.

Transformers might even be fun.

For me though id make a Mad Max mmo....the fight for gas!

Its too bad most games made after movies are bad.

Originally posted by purewitz

For so long we have seen fantasy after fantasy game and to tell the true its boring the crap out of me. I know we got some sci-fi, but that not enough of a change. Developer need to look more into sci-fi and other genre that more people might want to play.  Plus I think they should look into more media franchises, such as G.I. Joe and Transformer for two off the top of my head. Also some old media franchise games need new reboots, such as Star Wars and The Matrix. I'm not saying I don't like fantasy games. I would even like to see a Chronicles of Narnia MMO , but not made by Disney. They totally screwed up on Pirates of the Caribbean. Pirates as an MMO was such a good idea, but they made a PG-13 movie trilogy into a game for 10 year olds. With better graphics and a T rating. it might have been a lot better.  Well that just my 2 cents

Just for fun list some media franchises you'd like to see made into MMOs.  Or ones that you just can't wait for that are in development.

DC Universe Online

Star Trek Online

New Star Wars MMO (The EA/Bioware rep at E3 never really said it was Star Wars or not, so don't get your hopes up for SWG2 or KOTOR online)

G.I. Joe MMO

Transformers G1 or Movie MMO

New Matrix MMO

Narnia MMO

New Lord of the Rings MMO

Marvel Comics MMO

Thundercats MMO

James Bond 007 MMO (I know The Agnecy is coming, I'd just like to get missions from M and gadgets from Q.)

Disney's Gargoyles MMO

He-Man MMO

Ghostbusters MMO

Well I could go on, but I'll stop here and give everyone else a chance to list something.

There is a big void of WW2 MMORPG's or any War MMORPG for that matter

I'd be up for a time travelling mmo. Like you start off in the future and theres a hub with a portal allowing you to go to other time periods... I think it sounds cool...

There is a big void of WW2 MMORPG's or any War MMORPG for that matter

That sounds kinda cool, any historical MMOs and not historical/fantasy like Silkroad. Why can't we have a historical game without magic. Only two I can think of are Pirates of the Burning Sea and Rome Victor. Never played Rome Vitor, but heard it sucks and I did play the beta for PotBS and its like the other SOE games. OK, but not great.  A Chinese historical MMO based on the waring states before the Chin Dynasty would be cool. Don't get me wrong here I like mythology and some high fantasy(The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia), but sometimes it might be nice to have an MMO that is based on real events and not mix them with magic. Like the upcoming MMOs CrimeCraft or APB, but set in the past. I know I sound anal now, so I'll stop now, lol.

Originally posted by benbook

I'd be up for a time travelling mmo. Like you start off in the future and theres a hub with a portal allowing you to go to other time periods... I think it sounds cool...

Time Traveling MMO sounds fun. They could base it off of Back to the Future, The Time Machine, or an original idea.

high fantasy can't get boring. its like the lotr movies. you watch 'em and then you watch 'em again. you may fall asleep but you will watch 'em again anyway.

Media franchises.......

such a bad, bad idea....

What we need now is.....a World of Darkness MMO. All factions and the same conflict as in the RPG. Make humans puny compared to the others. No bullshit balanzing. Then some big major citys, player based economy and skill based (as the game is).

Originally posted by MarL

Its too bad most games made after movies are bad.

My thoughts exactly.  Let's face it...most MMOs based on a movie title have not done all that well. I feel that MMOs that use a movie franchise normally count on the movies big success to help them along.  I have learnt from my own personal experience over the years...I pretty much won't touch a MMO that is based on a blockbuster title. Star wars being the only exeption...KotoR.