I keep seeing all these arguments about "what is best for the profit of the company", or "because that's what makes them the most money".  I don't care one whit about the game companies profits, surely they must realize this?  So why then should I be OK with poor game designs / decisions that are justified in the name of money for their pockets?

When are gaming companies going to realize that designing a MMO around nothing but making money is just going to result in another worthless product bereft of any art, passion for gaming, vision, and all of those things necessary in making a great game.  All of these failing MMOs need to fire their accountants and hire some passionate game designers IMO

EDIT: Just to clarify, I'm not saying that companies should not seek profits, I'm just saying that the extreme focus on profits might be suffocating the quality of gameplay in many cases.

delete.

Aye. Very true words heremypet.
 

Originally posted by heremypet

All of these failing MMOs need to fire their accountants and hire some passionate game designers IMO

How can you hire game designers with no money?

MMO's cost a shitload of money. The more freedom given to developers, the more risky it gets. They can't afford losing money.

Only a company with lots of money and much trust in their devs could go and change things right now imo. 

Originally posted by Aganazer

Originally posted by heremypet

All of these failing MMOs need to fire their accountants and hire some passionate game designers IMO

 

How can you hire game designers with no money?

Most game companies have a revenue source of some sort whether it be because they have already been successful or they seek investors who believe they will make money by investing.

I think the real problem isn't necessarily the accountants, but the idea that some of these companies believe they can put out a low quality product and make some quick money, rather then look at a longterm revenue source by creating a game that holds the interest of the gamer long term.

Also I think a big problem with this is the item malls alot of these games have using micropayments.  The player can play the game for free, but then realize that another person has an advantage because they spent money on buffs, bonuses or something else that gives them that advantage.  They thing that perhaps if they had the same advantages the game might hold  their interest more so they spend some money, get the stuff then realize the game really isn't anymore fun then before and they quit and move on to another game.  So the company is able to get people to nickel and dime the player when the player only played for a very very short time.

YAAAA!!!

Fire em' !!!

This dumb thread. If they don't make money then the game will close anyway. Now what you really want is game that makes money and a  company puts a lot of it back into the game to make it better or something to that fact.

Originally posted by heremypet

I keep seeing all these arguments about "what is best for the profit of the company", or "because that's what makes them the most money".  I don't care one whit about the game companies profits, surely they must realize this?  So why then should I be OK with poor game designs / decisions that are justified in the name of money for their pockets?

When are gaming companies going to realize that designing a MMO around nothing but making money is just going to result in another worthless product bereft of any art, passion for gaming, vision, and all of those things necessary in making a great game.  All of these failing MMOs need to fire their accountants and hire some passionate game designers IMO

How old are you and what do you do for  a living?

Originally posted by heremypet

I keep seeing all these arguments about "what is best for the profit of the company", or "because that's what makes them the most money".  I don't care one whit about the game companies profits, surely they must realize this?  So why then should I be OK with poor game designs / decisions that are justified in the name of money for their pockets?

When are gaming companies going to realize that designing a MMO around nothing but making money is just going to result in another worthless product bereft of any art, passion for gaming, vision, and all of those things necessary in making a great game.  All of these failing MMOs need to fire their accountants and hire some passionate game designers IMO

 Without cash companies cannot make mmo'a, make updates, patches, or expansions. People go into gaming to make money and maybe some for the passion, but never just for the passion. Bottom line. Unless the gamers have passion when making the game you will see terrible games.

(AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH Dances with Rabbid platoon...AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH)

Originally posted by heremypet

I keep seeing all these arguments about "what is best for the profit of the company", or "because that's what makes them the most money".  I don't care one whit about the game companies profits, surely they must realize this?  So why then should I be OK with poor game designs / decisions that are justified in the name of money for their pockets?

When are gaming companies going to realize that designing a MMO around nothing but making money is just going to result in another worthless product bereft of any art, passion for gaming, vision, and all of those things necessary in making a great game.  All of these failing MMOs need to fire their accountants and hire some passionate game designers IMO

About the same time as they see themselves and several competitors go bankrupt in the next few years when we have the big MMORPG crash of say, 2012. I was around for the video game crash of 1983 and I am seeing the exact same symptoms in the gaming industry that led to the trouble back then. Too many titles, too many platforms, not enough diversity between titles. And this time round it will be worse for MMORPG companies due to the fact that they have to invest far more development time and money on a title and depend on long term subscribers and not on a single sale to be financially successful.

Even passionate game designers don't work for free. They certainly aren't given loans for being passionate.  You have to prove that your idea will generate income to those that give you the money in the first place.   Go watch SharkTank for a glorified but relatively accurate display of what it takes to convince people to give you money for an idea.  

What you wish for is a very rich person to make a MMO or give you his money without any regards to profit or the game's potential.  In other words an insane person or a moron who inherited it off a dead uncle=)

us.blizzard.com/en-us/company/about/mission.html

You don't see "maximize profits" anywhere in Blizzard's mission statement do you?  No you don't.  And even though I'm going to get flamed to high hell for saying this, I believe they're in the business of making good games first, and money making products second, which is the exact opposite of nearly everyone else.

Originally posted by heremypet

us.blizzard.com/en-us/company/about/mission.html

You don't see "maximize profits" anywhere in Blizzard's mission statement do you?  No you don't.  And even though I'm going to get flamed to high hell for saying this, I believe they're in the business of making good games first, and money making products second, which is the exact opposite of nearly everyone else.

Wow, it's almost as if this is the first time you have ever read a mission statement. 

I am sorry but this is the most stupid thread i ever read on this website.

Originally posted by heremypet

us.blizzard.com/en-us/company/about/mission.html

You don't see "maximize profits" anywhere in Blizzard's mission statement do you?  No you don't.  And even though I'm going to get flamed to high hell for saying this, I believe they're in the business of making good games first, and money making products second, which is the exact opposite of nearly everyone else.

because people put hours and hours of work into pleasing people and not making money, don't be so foolish

Holy crap some people are just slow. Blizzard is in this posistion because of what they did in the past. They are as money hungrey as the next company. paid transfers all around. Xpacs that cost the same as a full game. They charge for a lot of lil things now. granted they could charge for more if they wanted.

Originally posted by Bruise187

Holy crap some people are just slow. Blizzard is in this posistion because of what they did in the past. They are as money hungrey as the next company. paid transfers all around. Xpacs that cost the same as a full game. They charge for a lot of lil things now. granted they could charge for more if they wanted.

Be that as it may, every Blizzard title I've played since Diablo 1 has played as though it was written with a passion for gaming in mind.  Lately, and even with single player games, the experience is more of something you'd get from a product produced on an automated assembly line.  I didn't come to this conclusion just by reading the mission statement either.  And I'm not trying to promote Blizzard here, all I'm saying is that companies focus too much on profits, and seem to forget why people play games, to have fun, not to make them rich.

This is yet another clear thread by someone without a secure grip on reality or the basic tenets of the capitalist system.  Whether you like it or not, *EVERY* company is in business to make a profit.  Some are just more transparent than others.  Blizzard makes a shitload of money and their shareholders are very, very happy.  The idea that they'd put out a game that nobdy wanted to pay for, just beause they want to make a game is absurd.  Nobody *EVER* does that.  It will never happen.  Games cost money to produce, they cost money to keep running, they have to pay for servers, bandwidth, GMs, programmers, etc.  Who do you think pays for all of that?  The Easter Bunny?

Geez, it's threads like this that make me weep for humanity.

Originally posted by Cephus404

This is yet another clear thread by someone without a secure grip on reality or the basic tenets of the capitalist system.  Whether you like it or not, *EVERY* company is in business to make a profit.  Some are just more transparent than others.  Blizzard makes a shitload of money and their shareholders are very, very happy.  The idea that they'd put out a game that nobdy wanted to pay for, just beause they want to make a game is absurd.  Nobody *EVER* does that.  It will never happen.  Games cost money to produce, they cost money to keep running, they have to pay for servers, bandwidth, GMs, programmers, etc.  Who do you think pays for all of that?  The Easter Bunny?

Geez, it's threads like this that make me weep for humanity.

I'm afraid I disagree.   I happen to know for a fact that not every person in a capitalist society values money above everything else, and not every company either.  They're out there, whether YOU like it or not.