The List: Ten MMOs and Their Place In History
MMORPG.com's Jon Wood returns this week with another list, this time taking a look at ten games that have, for better or worse, solidified a place in MMORPG history.
Column By Jon Wood on November 18, 2009
There are currently, as of the writing of this list, 397 active MMORPGs on our game list ranging in launch date from 1996 all the way to today. As with anything, there is a history to our genre, with certain games leaving their mark, for better or worse on the games that come after them.
In this week's list, I wanted to take a look at ten MMOs that have left their mark on the industry either through being the first to do something important, changing the way that the genre has evolved and the way that it is perceived.
#10 The Sims Online
When The Sims Online was first announced, it caused a great deal of excitement throughout the video game industry. The game that had become a phenomenon both inside gaming circles and in the world beyond, was going to be available to play online. No longer would players be restricted to interacting with their own creations and NPCs. Instead, they would be doing what the game itself simulates: interacting with other people. The IP alone, a popular video game franchise that was at the height of its popularity, should have meant success for the game.
The reality of the situation, however, was quite different. The end result of The Sims Online was that players found it underwhelming. It somehow failed to capture the elements of the original IP that made the game a best-seller and Will Wright a household name.
While the game actually managed to eek out a nearly six year existence, going through a branding change (briefly known as EA-Land), to finally be canned for good on August 1st, 2008, The Sims Online is widely viewed as one of the industry's big failures, made even more impactful on the genre as a whole by showing the MMO world that a strong IP alone is not enough to carry a game to success.
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#9 Toontown Online
From the folks at Disney Interactive, it's easy for the more hardcore among MMO gamers to scoff and simply stroll by a title like Toontown Online when walking down the Memory Lane of the genre's history. What can be more difficult to remember are the doors that were opened by this game that were eventually walked through by games like Wizard 101, Free Realms, Fusion Fall and others that followed behind it.
Toontown Online introduced us all to the idea of MMOs for kids. Replacing the often brutal combat of most MMOs with comic gags, restricting chat to make it kid friendly and kid safe and generally creating an atmosphere that allowed parents to feel comfortable letting their young children spend time in an online world.
By popularizing the idea of children's MMORPGs, Disney Interactive was able to expand the audience for MMOs and push away from the often ultra-violent, fantasy setting reputation that had built up since the first MMOs were introduced in 1996.<
#8 EVE Online
When EVE Online debuted back in 2003, it did so with somewhere around 50,000 subscribers. Today, the space-based sandbox MMORPG boasts over 300,000 total subscribers.
While there are some who would scoff at those numbers and point to games like World of Warcraft and its 11 million subscribers as a true measure of success, calling EVE Online's comparatively meager 300,000 a failure, the players and developers of the game would beg to differ.
Regardless of what the future might hold for this game and its franchise, it has solidified its place in the MMO history books by defying the trend in MMO subscribers, especially for an independent project. Generally speaking, the number of subscribers that any given MMORPG sports is at or near its peak soon after launch. From there, it's a question of retention, with the scale fluctuating slightly throughout the life of the game but generally trending in the downward direction.
With EVE Online, the opposite has been true. Each year, the game has grown in population (paid subscribers) from the year before so that six years after its launch, it is still a thriving MMO in a very difficult and competitive market.
#7 City of Heroes
For years, the MMORPGs were looked at as an extension of the fantasy-based RPG genre. In other words, any MMO worth its salt would include swords, elves, dragons and a host of other familiar conventions.
Eventually, the preconceptions surrounding MMOs slackened, and science fiction found its way in. it was a logical leap, with sci-fi and fantasy often lumped together in genre classification anyway. Then, along came Cryptic Studios and NCsoft back in April of 2004 with a new and some would say risky proposition in the form of City of Heroes, the genre's first superhero MMO.
The idea must have caught on because not only has City of Heroes grown to support a companion game, City of Villains, but at least two new titles in the form of Champions Online and the upcoming DC Universe Online have come up to help round out this genre to allow superheroes to take their place as staples in the MMO world right up there with ships and swords.
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#6 Darkfall
One of the most controversial MMOs ever launched, Darkfall did something that many thought impossible: It rose from the dead. Like the proverbial phoenix, the game rose from what many thought was long dead ashes.
The 2009 launch of Aventurine's game surprised many MMO followers, developers, players and journalists alike who, after eight years of announced development and an extensive media blackout lasting years, had dismissed the game as vaporware.
Whether you like the game, or hate the game, it is difficult to argue its place in the history of MMOs as what might possibly be its biggest surprise.
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Great write up! Perfect summary.
In the EVE section you may want to mention that while some may scoff at 300,000 subsribers, lets not forget that all of those people play together on one server!
This is really interesting read thanks again. Would maybe of added AO in there as it survived a horrible launch to become a "sucessful" game. But thats only in my heart!
I agree, My top 3 favorite games are on that list. Pre-cu SWG, Eve, and what I am playing atm Darkfall.
I unsubbed to darkfall and went back to EVE, because the magic was so OP, but now it looks like the devs see the problem and are about to fix it in the expansion(hopefully). I think with the expansion the game would be what it once was advertised to be in the first place, which has my mouth watering! Even if they dont finish it on this expansion I am sure the next one will seal the deal of awakening a masterpeice.
I think you missed a major Title in your history of MMOs. Wasn't it Asheron's Call that introduced Instancing? If my memory serves, it was the first MMO to use instanced dungeons which are the staple of many MMOs, and foundation of others.
Also, DDO was pretty innovative with its combat -- a hybrid of FPS and RPG. Is that historically important? Not sure.
What about FFXI ? It is probably one of the most successful mmos ever. Its far better than mmos 1-9 on your list! :D
Darkfall made it on the list because... people thought it was vaporware? That's it?
I agree with the list as a whole (though I would've included some in the list and not others, they all have reasons to be in a top 10 list), and that even Darkfall may have its place here, but not for the one lame reason given. What about it's unusual "limited account releases to take it easy on the servers" method of trying to give original players a good launch? What about all of the bugs and issues that future games should learn not to make? I'm sure that others who have followed the game closer could come up with a few more big hitters other than, "Wow, no one expected THAT ONE!"
I thought it was supposed to Anarchy Online that introduced instancing. At least that's what other articles here have said.
Given the number of games that have been darkfall and failed from mourning to dark and light DF i think DF has a place on this list. Not above eve though
Agree with poster above, where is FFXI?
First true console mmorpg to do very well and is still kicking. Also the first mmo to incorporate users of 3 different platforms all on one server as well as multiple countries and languages. Not only that, but the first game to have one character be ALL classes, not having to have an army of alts to play them. Also I think it incorporated the first true "story" into an mmorpg and has only been matched recently by the work LOTRO has done, which is another one I would add to this list.
Remove the Sims and Darkfall and replace them with these 2 games I just mentioned, since I never think about the Sims in the same context with mmo's and Darkfall is just another of 2009s MMOs that came and went without much bravado.
Came and went eh? LOL.
I agree with most of them, but DFO? Really? What about DAOC or GW?
I would have been tempted to fit DAOC in as well.
I can only think of one game that has done pvp as unique and successfully as DAOC. Yeah, there are plenty of good pvp focused games out there, but any true mmorpg gamer that enjoys pvp and ever participated in DAOC RvR in it's hay-day is going to say it defined meaningful pvp for them. I feel sorry for anyone who enjoys pvp that missed out on DAOC before Trials of Atlantis.
UO may be the single MMO with the most overall influence on every game that came after it in its genre.
I think you're confusing UO with EQ, since pretty much every MMORPG has been modelled after it. Dwarves, elves, and -- most importantly -- level based character development system. Unfortunately, sandbox games with skill based systems are in the extreme minority. Also, that screenshot you posted below the paragraph about EQ is actually UO's login screen.
DFO on the list and Asheron's Call which just celerbrated a 10th anniversary is not, that is a sad list.
Cerion,
No it was not Asheron's Call that introduced Instancing. All of there dungeons were part of the world that you could enter not seperate entities that only your party could enter. Anyone could go into any dungeon, and still can. Now with that said I think Asheron's Call 2 did have instancing so you may be getting them mixed up.
While I understand Blizzard is the by far the biggest MMO ever(and I doubt we ever see another game surpass the 10 million mark) in terms of subscribers I disagree that it should be listed as the number one MMO. No doubt current MMOs are influenced by WoW as all the devs are chasing the numbers. However, lets not forget the MMO that influenced WoW; EQ. Without the success of EQ, and many of EQ faults that WoW learned from, I seriously doubt we would have seen this genre flourish.
Not taking anything away from WoW. It does many things right. I have no grudge against it. In fact, I love how they listened to the complaints from EQ players, and did away with downtime and retarded death penalties. I also love how the game is accessible to everyone, unlike EQ where you have to be a hardcore raider to access later content.
This seemed more like a brainfart that spilled out onto your keyboard than any kind of real post.
I'm sure everyone would modify this list and it's contents to some degree. But I thought it was a good read, and I certainly enjoyed it.
toon town and the sims made it into the top 10 by ffxi didnt? wow biased writers swg pvp was my favourite esspecially on bria where it was FoE and LFD against the entire server lol i loved them days of base defense in bastion and silicon valley. God now im getting depressed soe killed the game lol
Strange to see Guild Wars absent from the list...the game that proved that P2P quality is available on a "F2P" basis.
Cerion,
No it was not Asheron's Call that introduced Instancing. All of there dungeons were part of the world that you could enter not seperate entities that only your party could enter. Anyone could go into any dungeon, and still can. Now with that said I think Asheron's Call 2 did have instancing so you may be getting them mixed up.
No, Cerion is right (and it's a shame AC was left off your list Jon; tsk tsk). It's a matter of the degree of instancing, but all of the dungeons in AC you had to go through a portal and loading screen to get to. They were in an instance not open to the main world. Whetehr or not that other people could go into them falls under the specification of flavors of how you do instancing. Looking from a high level or macro perspective those were indeed instances. Just instances that theoretically everyone could enter. Just the same as the instanced housing in LOTRO.
I would tend to agree with you concernign EQ. However, I belive the OP had WoW at the top soley for the numbers it has generated. Even though I love EQ and remember when it launched In its hay day it had a peak of what 500k then all of a sudden WoW shows up and you see numbers in the millions.
Althought FF had one storey it was not the first to do so. Eq for one actually has one interwoven main story if people study the quests and lore.
No, Cerion is right (and it's a shame AC was left off your list Jon; tsk tsk). It's a matter of the degree of instancing, but all of the dungeons in AC you had to go through a portal and loading screen to get to. They were in an instance not open to the main world. Whetehr or not that other people could go into them falls under the specification of flavors of how you do instancing. Looking from a high level or macro perspective those were indeed instances. Just instances that theoretically everyone could enter. Just the same as the instanced housing in LOTRO.
True but by that definition even Eve is an instanced game. Generally, people consider only locked instances to be instances when talking about MMO's.
Yeah Im surprised FFXI wasn't on there. It was the first console mmo if I remember, PS2, 360 and PC can all play on the same server, and I really don't remember any other game before it that used cut scenes for the quests. Hell really not many games after it used cut scenes for quests, which I wish more would, it brings more immersion to the game, well for me at least.
Also worth mentioning is that Asheron's Call was/is the standard bearer for story in an online world with a Live Team that isn't just there in name. Sizable monthly updates progreeing the storyline. The first I believe to actually allow players to affect the world by their actions and having it have a visual impact on the world (well, on the one server where the players fought for Bhael and won). The first to truly modify the landscape ("Alas poor Arwick, we knew it well").
There are a ton of positives that could'v been taken and used from this game that would've left us with more variety of gameplay in the MMO field.
A few of those games don't deserve a place in history. No guild Wars? No Final Fantasy XI? No Everquest?
This article really needs to be scrapped.
No, Cerion is right (and it's a shame AC was left off your list Jon; tsk tsk). It's a matter of the degree of instancing, but all of the dungeons in AC you had to go through a portal and loading screen to get to. They were in an instance not open to the main world. Whetehr or not that other people could go into them falls under the specification of flavors of how you do instancing. Looking from a high level or macro perspective those were indeed instances. Just instances that theoretically everyone could enter. Just the same as the instanced housing in LOTRO.
True but by that definition even Eve is an instanced game. Generally, people consider only locked instances to be instances when talking about MMO's.
I was speaking more technically than genrally. When content is separated from the overall world by a loading screen that in turn separates players from the rest of the playerbase in a gameworld that is otherwise seamless.
No, Cerion is right (and it's a shame AC was left off your list Jon; tsk tsk). It's a matter of the degree of instancing, but all of the dungeons in AC you had to go through a portal and loading screen to get to. They were in an instance not open to the main world. Whetehr or not that other people could go into them falls under the specification of flavors of how you do instancing. Looking from a high level or macro perspective those were indeed instances. Just instances that theoretically everyone could enter. Just the same as the instanced housing in LOTRO.
True but by that definition even Eve is an instanced game. Generally, people consider only locked instances to be instances when talking about MMO's.
I think they might be getting zoned and instanced mixed up. Zones are an area where everyone can go but you have to see a loading screen to get to the other zone, like FFXI.
Then there are 2 kinds of instancing, one is like a dungeon like WoW, only the people in your party can enter that instance. Then there is channels its multiple copies of a game world where anyone can join, via GW. Now instances don't always have to have loading screens because Fallen Earth does a great job of showing off that technology.
This article was Jon's opinion. If you can't handle other people having opinions you might want to get off the internet.
The reason wow is at the top of the list is because it is the most significant historicly, from the numbers its generated, to the amount of games that try to copy its model, changing the way gamers look at the genre. Think of how many MMO's can get funding from investors because the investors want to be in on "the next WoW" before you couldn't get funding, because there was no proof as to how much money these games could make.
I agree with a lot of the list, and I am happy to see at least one of the early days of MMO's...but I have to say I feel there are some which should not be excluded.
Meridian59 the FIRST 3D mmo I mean thats kinda a big deal. this is the first MMO as we know them today.
Terra: Battle for the Outlands - this is a game which sadly doesn't get much notice anymore. Released in 1996 (Before Ultima). Why does it deserve a spot? Make a list of what you would like to see in an MMO today, chances are Terra already did it - think EVE but on a planet, with tanks, and existed way beforehand...it was the pre-eve. The biggest reason though, is its fan base...it is a game which was pretty much thrown away by a company who suddenly decided to "go in a different direction", even though it was doing incredibly well for its time. The rights were eventually bought by players who fixed the game back to how it originally played (after another company had messed with it). And get this, you can still play it. What other MMO can you say has run from 1996 until today? Sure its had its falls, even almost went completely dead a few times, but the players refused to give up on it.
I also would have liked to see Guild Wars on the list. first non-subscription, non-microtransaction mmo. may not have WoW numbers, but it was still extremely successful and managed to keep a lot of its main player base for quite awhile. Also, it is a completely instanced mmo, and graphically-wise it was at the top when it came out.
To those saying final fantasy... not sure about that one, yes it has done well and has a large player base, but it is also only for a very niche audience...aka fans of the series. It didn't really affect the mmo industry as a whole. And I must note, Phantasy Star Online was released on the Dreamcast, Windows, the Gamecube, and Xbox, and then the later PSUniverse was on the ps2 making it the first multiconsole before FFXI (though you can argue it wasn't quite a full mmo).
anyways, thats my 2 cents
EDIT: Because someone mentioned it...Terra was also the FIRST to actually have a live team as characters in game, to allow players to actually affect the world and its lore with their actions - actually, when the game came out, it didn't really have any story, the story was added later based on the game world and its players' actions. Like how EVE works...two guilds have a massive battle, that was added to the history of the world. The lore that could be found on the site was actually written by a player.
AC didn't introduce instancing, quite the opposite... it was the earliest MMO I can think of with a seamless, zoneless world.
Yet the sims online changed the MMO world forever because it was a big IP that failed? Are you kidding me? Might want to put alittle more effort into your next article.
Whether one prefers to use the term instance or zone, either or definetly define the dungeons in AC. AC was not completely seamless or zoneless because of that. Now, yeah, 85-90% of the world was but you have to account for that percent that you could only access via going through a portal.
Those things aside, AC is a game that, as a muse, has not been used and is sorely missed by a bunch of folks as to the games that could have been made using it as a base to build upon.
Whether one prefers to use the term instance or zone, either or definetly define the dungeons in AC. AC was not completely seamless or zoneless because of that. Now, yeah, 85-90% of the world was but you have to account for that percent that you could only access via going through a portal.
Those things aside, AC is a game that, as a muse, has not been used and is sorely missed by a bunch of folks as to the games that could have been made using it as a base to build upon.
It is still 100% seamless in my view, yes it took a portal to get to most dungeons but those dungeons are located under the ocean landblocks, given the ability to no clip you could get to any dungeon without loading. As you might know Turbine even demonstrated their ability for seamless dungeons in their first expansion where you just ran straight down a tunnel to get to the dungeon (I could be off on the time frame, it's been awhile). Portals were only used to even out the population amongst all the landblocks. BUT the idea that it is still basically seamless is my opinion I guess.
Cant see how DAOC was not on the list.
WOW is 1/2 Eq and 1/2 DAOC , they brought us factions and battlegrounds etc.
Good List but DAOC should have at least gotten a quip.
A MMO Top 10 list with no LOTRO = FAIL!
LOTRO may not have been one of the first MMO's and has derived some benefit from MMO's that came before it, but having played UO and SWG(Beta's of EQ and AO), I cannot see why LOTRO was left out of this list. It has the strongest storyline of any MMO I have played, great graphics, new inovations in gameplay and what has the potential to be one on the longest story arcs and room for expansion of any MMO to date. I know many players that have left other MMO's or played LOTRO, left to play other MMO's i.e.- Conan and Warhammer, and came back to LOTRO becuase it was a more satisfying gaming experience.
Not even a footnote? FAIL
Good write-up, boy do I ever miss Pre-Cu and NGE SWG :(
Haha, I was actually thinking the same thing when I read that. It makes no difference :P
As long as one server is satisfyingly big.
Surprised there's no DAoC. DAoC gave a meaning to team PvP. DAoC spawned the concept of "realm pride". Oh well, I guess the game that proved it wasn't vaporware after 8 years is more important to the genre's history.
A good respectable list from Jon.
I would have selected different on a few, but I'm not the one writing.
I actually agree wiht this list. I was expecting to disagree with most of it.
I think this list is great , and agree .By the way for those that disagree with the sims and such , It does not say mmorpg in the title.Just MMO .I am one that agrees that wow should be number 1 and i do not play it anymore.Here is why.The basis of this article is that these are the games that most influnced the genre.If you can say that any game out there influenced the spark of the genre more than wow , you would be crazy.The reason are very good.They never say wow is the best game.They say wow opend the doors for games today , either through the change in more companies wanting to take a chance at developing a mmo or the fact that if it wasn't for wow , the genre itself would have never caught on mainstream as it did.Just a thought but it is obviously true.Once WoW hit shelves games of the genre started popping up every where.Something that probably wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for wow.And many of the games we play today may have not gotten a chance to even be developed.
Great list
PS i do also agree that there are a few that influenced the genre and didnt make list.But i bet he weighed his decision on his picks ad am sure he knows that he left some out that he had to based on his opinion.
Back in 1992, I got my first job in the game industry working on the Kingdom of Drakkar. It is still alive and kicking after 17 years.
http://www.kingdomofdrakkar.com/
I agree. Darkfall gets on the list as historic because it eventually proved it existed, while DAoC is left off. That's ridiculous.
Definitely some recency issues here. Seriously, 10 years from now, how many people will remember Darkfall as compared to DAoC?
Now I don't play runescape anymore (due to the current CEO), but facts are facts. Runescape is the biggest and most successful BROWSER game. And isn't RS also the first game that introduced a F2P AND a P2P version for a game? ("free trials" are completely different than RS' F2P version)
So...according to the start of this article, that's 2 things that Runescape has done to make it's mark in the MMO world. It should've made it to this list...even if it was ranked #10, it more than deserves to be on this list.
I'd take out Darkfall and put in DAOC as a very influential game in introducing RvR, faction based pvp with a real impact on the game world, and showing the world that pvp wasn't all the <insert pve'r insult here> it was made out to be and could actually be fun, even for Moms looking to game. Darkfall has done absolutely jack all for the genre.
I'd also take out DDO and replace it with Guild Wars as it actually showed everyone that a pseudo MMO can thrive and profit without charging people monthly from the get go instead of switching to f2p in a desperate attempt to keep the game a float and not shut down like Turbine did with DDO. Not only that but GW revolutionized the RPG genre by introducing a true tournament based PvP system, WoW soon answered them with the arenas.
Other than that good list.
Everquest was number 3 on the list
I would point out the articles are a stimulate for conversation and are the writers opinon. Clearly, it has stimulated debate as to what games should and should not be on the list just like other lists that have been posted in the past
Well the arugments can be made that WoW is just a copy of the EQ model. I would also venture to say that it was EQ's vast success that allowed the devs to pitch the idea of having a WoW mmo to blizzard board with success
well actually EQ had factions before DAOC. Do recall that Sk, necros, DE and latter iskar were killed on site by the oppossing faction guards as were the "good" guys by theirs and that was on the blue servers. When FV server came out you could not talk to a player of a different race even if there were "on your side" sort to speak unless you took the time to learn their races lanquage. Then you had the Zek servers which had sides based on race, or religon on two of them.
I think EQ and UO should have been one and two and WoW number three. Those three games each seem to be an era in the MMORPG genre. While UO was first, I think EQ has had the most overall influence. If EQ hadn't been the success it was, many of the games on that list (and many not on the list) likely would have most likely never existed.
I would have added DAoC as well. Not only did it have exciting and meaningful PvP, but it was also a very successful and polished game for it's era. While it was incomplete at launch, it was still one of the best launches of that time (and better than many to this day).
And add me to the list of those that misses the old SWG. I had a CH/BE and I have never seen a game with crafting anywhere near as interesting and exciting as bioengineering. From crawling up behind some creature that could kick your butt wearing nothing but some scent masking clothing to experimenting with recipes where no two creatures came out the same to testing out some of your creations yourself, it was by far the most rewarding crafting experience I have had to date. On top of that, it is the only game I have played where I had fun just hanging out in the bar listening to music and watching the dancers. I even had different outfits. I never did that in other games unless the outfits had some type of combat advantage. Just a unique game experience and I'm sad it's gone. Great, now I've managed to depress myself. ;)
My first reply...haven't read the rest.
I have to admit. You picked 10 mmo's, not a "top 10" mmo's. So, there has to be some forgiveness intended. UO, of course is a staple, no I never played the game, and I am glad I didn't, but it seems every 2009 account on MMO is a "pre-trammel" player, whatever that means.
Darkfall, has two servers...each "able to handle up to 10,000 players at once". Conclusion, there are less than 20k subs. If this rocks your boat, well done. In the definition of vaporware, DF nailed it for years. Then it released, and not only did people get a game that did not add up to the website feature list, they got a months long wait just to buy into beta. Darkfall does have a place in history although. By creating 8 years of hype, and being better than DnL, and making people wait for donuts, you might just be able to fund a 2nd server considering the economy in Greece.
Sims online...Released in 2002. Second Life was released in 2003. Which company exerted more control over the user, and which is still...Right...for better or worse, sl.
No Final Fantasy? I think it also released on a console? Major props for a mmo...
EvE...Not my game. Well done...
SWG. In historic respects, as this article comments on, I would like swg to be known for something other than the NGE, but no chance of that happening. I remember crafting, profession choice, (open) housing, the cantina, hospitals, interdependence. even politics...good times.
Toontown...guess they have a point...DnD...way to turn a failure (not a bad game), into a....
EQ, I go nothing. WoW...both deserve to be here...One lead to the other.
I also would have liked to see more positives and firsts about SWG than how it screwed it's own subscribers. While a mention of the NGE is the core of what made SWG important to the industry's history, including a description of what was good about the game before the CU/NGE would better explain why no one wants to follow in SWG's footsteps.
I am, however, glad that SWG and the CU/NGE debacle and the lessons learned from it were not swept under the carpet. If WoW best shows devs what works at #1, SWG showed them the quickest way to lose a large playerbase at #2.
Asherons Call - The first MMORPG, and arguably the only one, that succesfuklly implemented a skill based system with open FFA PvP environment on the Darktide server not mentioned? Ridicilous. Just shows that Jon is not the least interested in PvP. Darkfall?? ROFL, its a joke considering Asherons Call was released years earlier and was way better at the time.
WAR - A WoW clone but it had two features that made it stand out. The possibility to level, as fast, in PvP as in PvE (arguably faster) and Public Quests deserves a mention.
Yet another sign that this site puts little value in properly implemented PvP and is focused in brainless PvE raiding with PvP as an afterthought.
No. 10.000 max concurrent players translates to anywhere from 50-100.000 max subscribers. The general formula for an established MMORPG is that 10-20% of max subscribers equals max concurrent players.
So, if Darkfall servers supports 20.000 concurrent players, then it supports a max of around 150.000 subscribers. However that is the maximum capacity and the actual subscriber base is probably much lower.
A good indication of that is Eve wich has a peak concurrent players of around 25.000 (which suggests the max concurrent is atleast 30.000) and it has 300.000 subscribers.
However for your other points I agree. Darkfail is a huge dissapointment considering all the hype.
Nice article and I can imagine that it was tough to make a top 10. I dont agree with darkfall online to be in the top 10 though. Would rather replace it with Dark Ages of Camelot, Anarchy Online or Guild Wars.
Mostly rubbish, and poor research.
I dont think you spent enough time and effort to make your list.
Games that served history no purpose is mentioned, while games that made great mmo history isnt mentioned at all.
There are really alot of games that are better than some of the titles mentioned here.
Sims online, toontown shouldnt be mentioned at all.
City of Heroes is maybe at 10, didnt make enough history to make such high place as 7.
Darkfall released this year and mention"what might possibly be its biggest surprise." - This is history, not future history we are discussing, right?
Star wars galaxies should be before UO and EQ imho.
Games that deserve to be mentioned are
AO, Daoc, second life, lineage, final fantasy
You should read this article and edit your article after: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_massively_multiplayer_online_games
Please do a better job next time!
Overall nice list.
Given the overall direction of mmo's atm I think I would have included ff because when all mmo's are multi platform it will be seen as the first.
As the first 3dmmo I would consider meridian but then thats more natural progression than inovation and real impact, if they hadn't done someone else would have. I would love to have PS on my list but that would probably be more fitting to WWIIOL as the only 2 real mmofps's and that it seems we are about to have many more in the near future, also that they push the tech boundaries in different ways to other mmo's.
I don't think I would have included The Sims as tbh I didn't even know there was a Sims online. The reason geiven, that it showed a good ip is not enough for a hit mmo, simply hasn't been learnt and therefor had no influence at all, they still all think a good licence is a right to print money.
I also wouldn't have had toontown, as again it had no influence at all, searching for a different demographic isn't making a place in history it's common sence and revenue searching, it hasn't had an impact imo. Also probably wouldn't have had CoH for the same reason, but a bit more understandable given that many more hero games are now coming through.
Good list overall.
I think the surprise being refered to was the game being realsed at all, that is history.
I understand your points and I too probably would have included AO. The article is about impact on history though, not having a unique feature first, how many games since WAR have PvP leveling or public quests, which now I think about it I'm not sure were new in WAR, their implementation may have been different but those features were in previous games.
As for the PvP vs PvE comment I'm not sure I follow as you are critising him having DF on the list in the very same sentance?
Why is lord of the ring so underestimated ?
Grady
Not underestimated, but I dont see that it has had any impact on history of mmorpg's.
It had quite a bit of subscribers, still have some.
Game was decent I think (never played), but it has not changed history in any way as I know or see it.
If you removed Lotr online from history, history would in general still play out as it has now.
While, if you didnt have UO (Possibly Meridian59 as well, forgot to mention that earlier) we would never see EQ, and without EQ we probably would never have seen WoW.
These games shaped the history significantly, and each of these games made the next game possible.
Darkfall has a place in history as being the biggest POS to launch since Dark and Light..
Whoever plays it and actually enjoys it (if that's even possible) better enjoy it while it lasts because it's a total Ghost town already for a MMO in terms of population.. it will be dead and cancelled by this time next year..
So how many big developers are lining your pockets, Mr. Wood? I would beg to differ on many of your suggestions, who really did nothing incredible but just continued to clone ideas from other sources.
DDO's item shop is anything but innovative. Asian markets have shown this to be an acceptable model for YEARS now. If anything it should be credited as the only game to actually bring d20 rules to the table, not for it's marketing strategy. If you wanted to find the father of F2P, you should have looked to Tibia, a little isometric 2D gem from some company in Germany I think, Cipsoft. I remember playing that one when there were a whopping 89 people online on one server, now they've grown to EVE proportions all through offering free content. The best part? THEY'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR ABOUT 13 YEARS NOW.
However if you insist on placing games by monetary success, why not look at the players and their success? Second Life (a game I hate, but yes, innovative) proved that people could make serious amounts of money in these virtual worlds, effectively blurring the line between real and online "lives". Pretty crazy, and the sim game you choose to mention is SimsOnline?
EVE deserves a MUCH higher place on the list due to it's sandbox style system and offline training. I don't care for the game myself, but its longevity and growth over time speak for themselves. It's a phenomenon, you either get it or you don't. But if you do, it's apparently one of the most rewarding gaming experiences out there. At least my buddy swears by it.
Just a few observations.
I have never seen a bigger failure in a top 10 list...
Anarchy Online INTRODUCED instancing, now a staple of the genre, how the fuck is Darkfall even worth a mention? A shitty game that ACTUALLY came out?
Really? Thats all it took to get on the list? REALLY???
I'm no EQ fan, but EQ should really be #1 for starting the whole show (yeah I know it wasn't the first, but it really made the MMO a viable market) and considering WoW is EQ on training wheels... yeah, WoW gets #2 for expanding the market, but there is not a damn innovation in the game. Though it could be said that ANY game (AO brought instancing, and then came respecing, etc etc) that came out after EQ and had a new feature EQ patched it in with an Xpac,,, borglike in its efficiency.
SWG, its worth a footnote because of the epic fail, but another game that brought nothing to the genre.
How could you not mention Shadowbane? A persistent world, the FIRST real PvP MMO, and NO MMO SINCE has ever even touched what it was like to build a city in SB... for shame!
This is definitely of the "new school" of MMO's, with little depth, less insight, and no historical perspective.
LoL at the Darkfall haters.
Look - besides actually launching Darkfall did something that was never done before - it was not carebear and it was sandbox- and its sticking to its guns getting better all the damn time.
UO - careberised to the lowerst common denominator (did it progress over time like EVE and DF is - absolutely not)
Asheron's Call - my favorite game of all time, but besides Darktide carebear. Turbine never gave a damn about PVP and DT, only white servers. (did it progress over time like EVE and DF is - absolutely not)
LOTRO - ok so what exactly did it all do. We had the same types of quests years ago, without the shiny graphics. What exactly have they done or will they do that will be setting apart - jack crap - (did it progress over time like EVE and DF is - absolutely not)
I can go on and on, and even though I would put AC on that list because of well deserved merits, DF has its spot in history, perhaps not nr6 but it has to be on there.
This is an undeniable and irrefutable fact!
I guess that you never played lotor so dont talk your crap here.
you can always "go on and on" cuz its easy with craps to be told.
I guess that you never played lotor so dont talk your crap here.
you can always "go on and on" cuz its easy with craps to be told.
I have played their trial, so I know first hand what Im talking about. Perhaps I didnt max level but I read up on it on various articles around here. Besides I believe LOTRO is the best PVE game besides Vanguard so not that im knocking it.
Fact is tho LOTRO cannot have a higher place in history than Darkfall, absolutely not. Its the same ol same ol and we all should know it
lol darkfall will always have place in history.
like most controversial darkfail game ever.
You are just a hater dude - im done arguing with you
I am glad someone mentioned MERIDIAN59 and Terra.
First MMOs at least 3D ones were from the Sci-fi genre. There were almost many other projects begining at those early years, which unfortunatelly I have entirely forgoten their names, than never made it past the initial developer stages. Too bad the investors never believed in them. Most of them Sci-fi too. MMO world would be entirely different today if some people believed in their vision.
Greece is in the euro zone like the whole EU is and the EU has the euro currency which is, was, and will be much much better than the dollar, so no fears there.
Love it or HATE it, SWG is Number 2 , Its been Number 2 for quite some time due to its double doody dummy Down of the CU and the NGE. SOE achieves the number 2 position for making some of the biggest mistakes in MMO gaming history outranking its Flagship 3rd ranked Everquest.
You have to respect the rating as far as MMORPG.com goes. Due to the upheaval that SOE
brought upon itself with the previously mention changes brought 100s of thousands new posters and lurkers to this site in an effort to make some sense in the now infamous, fubarstic mismanagement of the well known space franchise.
the nge has been more influential than just alerting developers than a complete overhaul to an existing mmo is a bad decision.
the nge has also contributed to the perception that sandbox games are inferior to or cant compete with the wow model and as such we have seen a long period of themepark, wow-clone games. ironically pre-cu could have been the leader of sandbox games given its star wars title if they had just fixed the bugs in the game. today that role and the hope of seeing more sandbox games lies with EVE online, developed by a much smaller studio.
still, its only fair that WoW occupies the first spot.
not sure i agree with darkfall though. i dont see how a game which surprised people by launching is enough to be of any impact to the mmo world.
Actually EVE has a weekly peak concurrency of 45.000 with a record concurrency of 53,850.
http://eve-offline.net/?server=tranquility
Nice list but Lineage 2 and DAoC should be there.
I hate L2, but no other game produced as much impact in Asia and army of clones as Lineage
Mr. Wood,
This article is riddled with bad grammar and typos. I know you are the editor, and it can be difficult to edit your own work. And I also realize most gamers just mash their hands down on the keyboard and hope something approximating a sentence comes out, but it is your job to write something that doesn't require the reader to descramble the meaning of a sentence. I don't want to be unnecessarily negative, so, I will also add that it was an other wise enjoyable article.
You can all bash the fact that Darkfall is on this list, but just think of all the controversy that it has created.
Hell, I've never seen such rampant, vile trolls or hardcore fanboys created because of any game ever. Just look at all of the threads even on this website talking about, "How the heck is Darkfall #1 in unique hit when AION JUST RELEASED?" and things like that, MONTHS after its release.
Go back to the vaporware era where there was the crowd that screamed, "MWAHAHA DARK AND LIGHT", "Vaporwarzzzzzz!" , "Tasos is a liar", etc. etc. and then the fanboys that yelled back, "NO! IT'S COMING OUT!", "Tasos is GOD!", etc.
Point is, this game generated so much internet drama and controversy that it certainly deserves a spot on this list. Go even further and talk about the mechanics of the game and its attempt to bring back the sandbox fantasy genre and it gains more support.
I find it interesting that neither of the Lineage, or Lineage 2 was not on here. I don't believe that WoW every had an entire tv station deticated to the game (Lineage 1). I also believe Lineage 1 is still one of the most long running, profitable games out there. With the advent of Lineage 2, it drove NcSoft into the forfront of MMOs.
No, if Star Wars is remembered because of it's epic failure, I think one of the oldest and largest money makers in history should be on here too...
Darkfall is garbage. That's why all the garbage no talent pvpers play it.
I already commented on how I felt AC should be on that list (good to see there were more who agreed) but overall a historic list of MMOs should, in essence, be boring. This is because there are standard choices that should be on every list.
UO - Caused the genre to explode, has lasted over a decade
EQ - Made the class system main stream, has lasted over a decade
AC- 3D with a seamless main world, level +skill tree combination, monthly updates and a changing world, has lasted over a decade
WoW - most successful ever
DAoC - Realm vs Realm
SWG - Used a mainstream IP and turned it into an online world, showed the world what NOT to do once a game is launched
That right there is 6 standards for historic lists, so when doing a top ten list there isn't much room for surprise. Except of course when you don't use them and then all the posts are of confusion.
Planetside should have been on the list. It was the first FPS MMO cross and a great game in its own right. Far deserving of praise for the top 10 list.
Darkfall is the first mmorpg that caters to both RPG AND FPS gameplayers, atm it is more FPS, but in future development the RPG crowd will be getting love, not to mention the small team they used to make it, and one of the biggest worlds, no instances, huge battles, with boats/sieges.
Darkfall will always be the #1 fpser mmorpg pvp game.
No one can top darkfall because most companies are afraid the carebears will crucify them for it. That is why
Wrong on just about all accounts.
Well adding my two cents lol that list is so wrong most of those games not even put a dent in mmo history..
in no particular order...
Old games
DAOC (never played but heard of it)
UO (too much money back then lol)
EQ (had to settle for it)
Ragnarok
New Modern
VG (innovation seamless world)
SWG
PlanetSide
Tabula Raza
AION
GW
Most of this games brought something new and innovative to game play and change the style of play.. WoW did not bring any of this changes to the game mechanics of old.. WoW just made easier for causal and seasonal players be able to catch up where they left off without loss of the time they were out of the game overrall.. As WoW counterpart games like UO/EQ were not as forgiven for the people that left the game and came back.
WoW can be taken as a financial gain for Blizzard but I dont think it has the same effect as Diablo and Starcraft as games that really brought change to the game world. WoW's 2d characters in a3d/2d cant compare to EQ complete 3d world or the new AION.
The game listed here from the OP most of then dont even come close to putting a dent in MMO or Game World history..
Wrong on just about all accounts.
I love how u mention I am wrong yet give no examples or reasons why, its like when you bash darkfall on the darkfall forums and yet you have not played the game.
[ Mod Edit ]
We can start with Darkfall is not the first at anything, and work on from there.
But I don't really care.
Coming from someone who has never played darkfall and is a known troll of it, your words lack knowledge on the subject.
Aren't you the same guy who called planetside a mmorpg lol.
What? No Asheron's Call?
First off leaving off the original Asherson's call and Dark Age of Camelot shows your complete lack of knowledge of the genre. Both of those games established significant innovations that have been used widely through the industry.
Putting Darkfall and Sims on the list is just silly, they neither added anything new or had any significant effect on the genre. About the only thing Darkfall has been able to do is collect the worst collection of misfits to ever plague a MMO, they introduced nothing innovative at all with that game except the laughing stock that is Tasos.
I strongly disagree with WoW being on the first place. It is neither innovative, or first with anything, just well-made. The success of the game was based on the money invested in it which resulted in good quality and service, and also that it was release at right time, when EQ and Asherons call started to get old. Only thing it gave to the MMO industry is that it proven that casuals = money.
I also wonder, how come that Asherons call is not even on the list, which gave base to many nowday's mmos? One who wrote up this summary and specially order should be ashamed.
I'm disappointed that Dark Age of Camelot didn't make it as it changed the way MMO's do PvP, and in fact to this day, no other MMO has equaled it, not even it's big brother Warhammer.
I can see why AC is not on the list. Its story driven regular update model never really took off in other games. The skill based characters were being replaced by the holy trinity (tank,dps,heals). Every game has its new toys that would make it unique but I think AC's impact on the genre was minimal.
DAOC did the same. The RVR format has its following but has not proven to be overwhelming (dollars wise, vocally thet are huge). A decent game with moderate success that has not really changed the genre other than proving that PVP only has a moderate following when compared to casual PVE.
FFXI is a surprise. They did combine different platforms. This was new but since it hasn't caught on has it really changed the genre? If we see more success form multiplatform MMO's then maybe FFXI will earn its spot.
SIMS Online. Sigh, I guess you could argue that a bad idea with a good IP impacted investors decisions. You might just argue that EA can't make an MMO regardless of how good the IP is. Without being in the industry to know what MMO's were cancelled as a result of this failure its hard to agree with the writer. If you want to talk big failures I am sure there are others you could put in there (Shadowbane, AC2, etc)
WOW though does deserve top spot. Bringing MMOs to the forefront of gaming revenues and worldwide recognition. Investors, developers, and players can't discuss MMO's without some mention of WOW. Thats is what impact is all about.
I liked the article it provokes a lot of thought :)
You are responding as if i am in dispute of it being on this list. I am not. I just dispute any of the uniqueness you imply in your post.
I leave the weight of my words on the reader to decide. Most of your posting is crazy and nonsensical. Known troll is funny. I suppose I am a troll, compared to your sensationalism and exaggeration.
The wailing and whining of those who felt their games didn't get proper recognition is hilarious. Sorry, guys, but they're just other games. They did well for a time, they might have tossed out a few new concepts, but they ran their course and they're bascially done.
Some of the games on Jon's list (Sims Online and Toontown, for example) are there because they were much anticipated, based on ideas that were established in non MMOs, and they failed to take off as MMOs.
If WoW had flopped, it would STILL be on the list, becasue it was an established gaming franchise outside of MMOs that had a solid fanbase (like the Sims, like the entire Toontown concept) that could not recapture the magic of the original franchise. Reality is it took the IP to new heights, and really aside from the IP itself. The IP was a springboard to bigger and better things, really. It massively expanded the market for MMOs.
Darkfall is there because it was dismissed as vaporware for years...always not quite ready to launch. Then it actually did!
EVE is there because it's the little franchise that could...something that started out small and is still relatively small yet prospers and thrives, despite being overshadowed by the raw numbers of other games, and it's a sandbox...the supposedly impossible to market subgenre of MMOs.
The impact of these games isn't just within the genre...it's outside of them, too. That's what makes them noteworthy in this context.
well actually EQ had factions before DAOC. Do recall that Sk, necros, DE and latter iskar were killed on site by the oppossing faction guards as were the "good" guys by theirs and that was on the blue servers. When FV server came out you could not talk to a player of a different race even if there were "on your side" sort to speak unless you took the time to learn their races lanquage. Then you had the Zek servers which had sides based on race, or religon on two of them.
I agree to a point but EQ was nothing like DAOC in that respect. For example if I was playing a Troll in DAOC there was no possible way I could play along side my friend who chose to play an Elf. In EQ I had many friends who played Evil races and it never kept us apart, we could play together as much as we wanted. DAOC you could not do this and the only time you even saw another faction you were to engage them and their name wouldnt even show up, just a title in large red numbers.
I do agree that EQ attempted to copy this later on with the Sullen Zek server which was team based but you were still not sperated like in DAOC which made Community and teamwork very important.
I agree to a point but EQ was nothing like DAOC in that respect. For example if I was playing a Troll in DAOC there was no possible way I could play along side my friend who chose to play an Elf. In EQ I had many friends who played Evil races and it never kept us apart, we could play together as much as we wanted. DAOC you could not do this and the only time you even saw another faction you were to engage them and their name wouldnt even show up, just a title in large red numbers.
I do agree that EQ attempted to copy this later on with the Sullen Zek server which was team based but you were still not sperated like in DAOC which made Community and teamwork very important.
lol well my poor little ranger who had arrows in her back from those nasty newts and evils might disagree about being seperated requiring more teamwork. However, I do see your point.
I just question if it is too early to call DDO:EU a success...so far it has not stayed up [in f2p form] as long as Auto Assault, much less AC2. If it is still going strong in a year or two, then it will have earned the title "success".
I miss Dark and Light in the list - i thought that this was the most epic fail in MMO history :P
AC!!! They forgot Asheron's Call!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would have removed Sims, Darkfall, DDO. Would have added GW, AC, and DAOC. Also would have moved SWG down to 4 and eq/ultima up a spot.
DAOC should have been on this list. Way more influential than many of the titles on the list
AC should definitely be on the list...
But none of you CHILDREN know crap about Shadowbane apparently, so you are all carebears...
Asheron's Call was better than any game on that list and was actually quite innovative for its time. It was the first MMO that was truly massive and did not have zones. Had a very unique magic system and did not use typical fantasy creatures. And was very fast paced for a MMO...
It was 10x better than EQ ever was but launched after EQ so always lived in it's shadow.
Idiotic editors.
Regarding Darkfall.. I can't really understand how anyone would consider a fairly new MMO that already has next to no subscribers as being anything other than junk which is exactly what it is. There is nothing good about it. It's contentless, featureless, and poorly produced in almost every way possible which is I suppose is the reason why it has next to no subscribers??
SWG deserves no.2 because it is a major point in the history of MMO's. Possibly the biggest cock up in MMO history so it needs to be right up there tbh. GW Should of been on there though because it brought about a new level of no subscription MMO's.
*face palm*
Single most influential? jesus christ. WoW is one of the most generic games ever. They have a great marketing team with a lot of money that mmo companies never have. Thats it. They should be on the list for being a popular WESTERN title. They didnt do anything new or amazing.
Everquest was one of the last games where to progress resonably fast you had to interact with other players.
Now even there you can hire npcs to group with you for x amount of gold.
They also have one of if not the biggest fan base in gaming that goes back before WoW, with games such as the Warcraft, Diablo, and Starcraft.
Great article. The replies i see are simply rediculous. This isn't a top 10 mmos of all time. It's simply the top 10 mmo, "in his opinion", that have had noticeable influence on the genre. Rather it was positive or negative, or, if anyone could learn from the actions that game took in order to come into fruition. I could see if his thesis statement was lacking but it wasn't.
Love this article Jon, great job. I would say that City of Heroes deserves a slightly higher position on the chart in my opinion.. introducing a new genre AND having added incredible player created content has been something awesome to behold. After 5 years + of City of Heroes.. I would certainly put it a bit higher on your list! Great observation nonetheless.. keep up the great work!
I wonder if this list will change come say 2011? Will we be seeing Star Trek Online, Star Wars the Old Republic, Wizards101 or Aion on that list? I can only imagine...
:-)
Agree with most but Guild Wars and DAOC should have definitely been on the list. For all the Darkfall detractors - Darkfall is *still* the most discussed MMO on this forum for the past year, and continues to be the most active forum on the whole of mmorpg.com.
Forumfall is not a qualifier for any list other than laughability
http://how-to-spell-ridiculous.com/
Just sayin, Broseph...who's ridiculous now?
Totally agree, it seems to be an opinion top 10 not historic
http://how-to-spell-ridiculous.com/
Just sayin, Broseph...who's ridiculous now?
Ughh it was 4 in the morning when i typed that. The time on my post doesn't match my time on my computer. I never bothered to set it. Spelling errors dont apply after 2am. To answer your question, you are ridiculous. I spelled it right this time did you notice? Now go shoot yourself.
FFXI deserves to be on this list and AC.... Darkfall realy?
i agree. i think it is only on there because the time it took to come out and everything else.
Yes, Darkfall.
FFxi is not really worthy of more than a footnote, but Dorkfail isn't much more than a footnote either...
I must quote this for truth. Shadowbane (and its dedicated players) suffered hard to become what it was, and Darkfall will be lucky to endure the same or worse degringolade that it almost surely has coming-- or does it? -- much less to make, as Shadowbane did, an eventual comeback of sorts from that before dying out years later.
When I recall games I've played, it's content that was largely player-created from both SWG and Shadowbane that grips my memory in the same place as a favourite book (the kind I'd reread every few years) might. They must have been doing something right for a while, regardless of anything done wrong (and we all know there was plenty of that in each case).
I also remember the PvP as fun, whereas I don't remember WoW PvP at all, though I'm told I did some. (A great straight line if anyone wants to speculate on how someone could forget combat they were at the keyboard for. You're welcome.)
Judging by the lower standard it makes sense to use in rating "List articles", this was not bad but owes much to its capability of being argued with for the interest shown in these commentaries, I would guess. For a much better article on the same subject, it would serve as a first draft.
Yes, Darkfall.
Well, I gusse this isent "Top 10 MMOs" Soo I gusse it should go down in history as the most bug ridden P2P out there!
Argh, Runescape and LOTRO are missing. Without Runescape none of these MMORPG's would exist. LOTRO has done something very remarkable, it passed WoW In popularity, which should make it number 1 in the list.
No Lotro dident? WoW still has triple the subs and Lotro Online or WoW ... More people know about WoW
No Lotro dident? WoW still has triple the subs and Lotro Online or WoW ... More people know about WoW
Much much more people know more about LOTR than WoW, which makes it also remarkable, because it has succeeded in both pleasing the fans of LOTR and the fans of MMORPG's. And the subs don't tell the whole story, it's the popularity. You can't say WoW is the most popular MMORPG because people just don't talk about it nowadays. But when LOTRO came out everyone forgot WoW and played LOTRO.
holy s... i'll just reply and say that the comments you engendered imply that this was a good post.
K
Much much more people know more about LOTR than WoW, which makes it also remarkable, because it has succeeded in both pleasing the fans of LOTR and the fans of MMORPG's. And the subs don't tell the whole story, it's the popularity. You can't say WoW is the most popular MMORPG because people just don't talk about it nowadays. But when LOTRO came out everyone forgot WoW and played LOTRO.
Teehee thats funny!
I'm trying to translate this article in russian, and there is one moment where i'm really stuck.
the elements of the original IP that made the game
The IP alone, a popular video game franchise that was at the height of its popularity
What is IP? Intellectual Property? Then i don't understand how it can be strong: "that a strong IP alone is not enough". If someone could explain it to me, i'd really appreciate it.
Yes IP = Intellectual Property. Star Wars is considered a strong IP because it has generated a great deal of popularity, money and lore. It is much more successful and broader known than, in example, Wing Commander.
Strongly agree, if any game should be discussed on the aspect of PvP, DAoC is the one. DF is a total loser when compared to DAoC.
This seemed more like a brainfart that spilled out onto your keyboard than any kind of real post.
I'm sure everyone would modify this list and it's contents to some degree. But I thought it was a good read, and I certainly enjoyed it.
NO. I think Streea has a point.
The reason used by the OP to include DF does not seem to make much sense to me. A game that after 8 years of misleading ad on their web, delivers a totally subpar product, should not really be placed on a list, where games like DAoC, GW and the likes are excluded. In terms of contribution, DF pales.
Ultimately, the choice of inclusion in this list belongs to the OP. On the other hand, the final judgment of a game is in the hands of buyers.
First off, this wasn't a top 10 list, just a list of MMO's and their place in history.
As such, some worthy titles were left off such as FFXI or LotRO, and some included that of course people disagree with.
Love it or hate it, DF is a rare game in that it probably had the longest development time of any released game, should have never actually released due to the small size of its Indy team, and still operates (even if not very well in some people's eyes) which makes it notable compared to other titles.
From an MMORPG.com perspective (of which John is an employee) few games generated more traffic that DF hence perhaps its inclusion in the list.
DAOC, sure, a great game that could have been on the list, and Shadowbane and so many others.
Enjoy the article for what it is, and not what it should be.
dont waste your breath. I've already tried to point out that this wasnt a top 10 list. But post after post people come in by the mindless droves and OMG you left out "insert non impactual mmo"
Would still say Anarchy online deserves to be here, the game still feels fresh when you consider how much freedom you have in improving you characters, no game quite like it today even after 8 years, one of the 2 games i still play the second being AoC :)
I will agree with this list better of contributions better.
All the rest were there to fill in the numbers.
And just a small note, UO's peak was about 300k Subs...which is not far from those of EQ's which came several years later.
UO is indeed the one that caused the genre to explore, and while it Graphics are 2D, it was the pioneer of many systems that people tend to attribute to other games (Seamless world, proto-instancing etc), it is truly the Grand father of MMO's paving the way to today in many respects.
I somehow think that the Author if he did play UO, must have been like 15-17 years old at the time. UO is perceived differently as game depending how old was one when they played it (and while this applies to most games it is less apparent in Themepark games).
A nice read. Some fond memories. ^^
I haven't been around these parts in a while,
Stopped in to check a couple things and this list, if thats what you want to call it, is just not even credible in anyway,
without ASHERONS CALL.
It makes me sick, while also reminding me why I no longer play mmorpgs. I started with AC and have played/tryed 12 mmorpgs since then and although this list is suppost to be comprised on innovation,
NONE of these games can/could/will ever even be able to hold ASHERONS CALL'S Jock.
I came outta retirement, just to state just how ludacris it is to act like AC doesn't even exist, if there was any real way to track a games actual followers, not just subscriptions, but true die hard followers, AC would end up embarassing the others.
How Turbine has not capitalized on a third, or even a modern remake of the first AC blows my mind.
And even futher than that, how OTHER developers have not frequented the masses of forums out there and caught on to what the players really want based on the one single game just makes me wanna throw in the towel.
Who knows maybe AC1 spoiled me beyond repair or
maybe I just have finally outgrown all this.
Thats all from me.
Back to retirement.
Best Regards: The Game.
P.S. As another post stated, this is clearly a "New School" article.
And not knowing the author of this list, all I can think of to justify this disjustice is he isn't even 35 years old.
So much for us old timers, I guess.
yea FFXI def should have been on this list.....it is still a special game
Darkfall isn't a rare game at all. Over the past few years we had lots of small indie developers release mediocre games which came and went. that Darkfall is still running isn't saying much considering it has only been out for a few months.
The reason it was added to the list is simply because Darkfall gets a lot of traffic, not because it is in any way noteworthy.