by WigglsbyWhat’s up guys – Stix here. Today I want to take a few minutes of your time to talk about the MMORPG market in.. slightly more detail.
Last month I uploaded a video titled “Are MMORPGs Worth Playing Anymore? The State Of MMOs And MMORPGs In 2018” that has gone on to gain quite a bit more traction than I had originally intended, breaking almost 100k views so far.
So in light of this, I wanted to talk some more about MMORPGs, the state the market is in, and what I think can be done about it.
As you’re all aware – the MMORPG market in 2017, and further, going into 2018, is a hot mess.
We have a handful of games that’re by some miracle maintaining their playerbase, while the remainder of what is left of the MMORPG playerbase in other, good MMORPGs.. dries up.
Or, at the very least, transition on over to the new craze: MOBAs and Mobile MMORPGs.
Now don’t get me wrong – I play Overwatch, Team Fortress 2, and on occasion.. I, yes, don’t judge me.. even indulge my inner raging child and play a League of Legends match.. or ten.
Until I’m stuck in such a downward spiral of rage and hate at every choice I’ve made through my life that I just want to end it all.. everything.. and.. and just.. close out of the game.
So I understand the appeal of MOBAs, I really do. Both my wife and I play MOBAs all the time as we enjoy them alongside MMORPGs – but that doesn’t mean we gave up MMORPGs.
Mobile MMORPGs however are a different subject all together, though.
Like the State of MMORPGs video; two weeks ago I went ahead and did a video on the Mobile MMORPG market titled “Are Mobile MMORPGs The Future Of The MMORPG Genre?”
In it I went over my thoughts on Mobile MMORPGs and why I thought they were quite possibly the future of the genre as a whole.
Now allow me to first reiterate that I do not have a hatred for Mobile MMORPGs – instead, I find them to simply be inferior to what we have currently.
There isn’t a Mobile MMORPG out currently that is better than the best PC MMORPG – whether you think that’s WoW, Guild Wars 2, Final Fantasy XIV, Black Desert, ESO..
The fact is that there is no way for mobile devices to – at this exact point in time – compete with PC MMORPGs.
Yet, somehow.. The Mobile MMORPG market is continuing to grow larger and larger. More and more companies are jumping on the bandwagon and pushing the new flavor of the month.
And just like the sheep we all are.. with the noticeable chance in direction, the MMORPG playerbase is shifting to follow suit.
Even though the games we’re being presented with are inferior.
They’re smaller scale. They’re not as attractive. They’re not as fluid. They’re not as engaging.
Hell, most of them are auto-attack, auto-path, cash grabs, yet people still play them.
I get that Mobile MMORPGs are more convenient: You can play them anywhere there’s a wifi connection; a cafe for example, at school, while taking a shit.. yes, I admit I have taken my phone in with me to play a game while pooping.
Argh. Hold on a second. Ngh.
There we go. Now, you can’t honestly say you haven’t. Don’t lie to me, you can be honest. I mean.. I’m being honest with you. Let’s keep this relationship open and honest, yeah?
Whoa. Actually, this got weird and personal real fast – didn’t it? Um.. Yeah. Sorry. Ahem.
PC MMORPGs are still around though. When you look at the most populated MMORPGs – and yes, I did do a top 10 for this – shameless plug by the way – you’ll notice that they’re actually still giants.
As in, so populated with players that they make every other MMORPG look barren – void of any players whatsoever.
The lack of players in other MMORPGs could also be attributable to, in part, the fact that these select few games are just that much better than the rest of the competition.
Now, when looking over the comments on our State of MMORPGs video, I noticed a comment by “The Fondling Avacado” – which, by the way, is an amazing username. Kudos on that.
In the comment you state that the reason behind all the new MMORPGs failing is that every company wants to do something new and innovative.
I agree with that to a degree – I do. At least with regards to Western MMORPG developers.
Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen, Crowfall, Chronicles of Elyria, Camelot Unchained, Star Citizen, Ashes of Creation.. they’re all trying to do something “new and exciting”, where Eastern developers are all doing the opposite:
Revelation Online, Bless Online, Ascent: Infinite Realm, Moonlight Blade, are all carbon copies of each other, and just like every other Eastern MMORPG rolled out over the last few years.
I also agree that most MMORPGs these days really miss the mark with what people used to love about MMORPGs, and what people are likely missing from current-generation MMORPGs.
That is why Final Fantasy XIV is still doing so well, after all. It builds off of what made WoW such a worldwide sensation and crafts a unique, yet reminiscent experience that people fell in love with.
Guild Wars 2 offered people a large, level-scaled world with huge, continent-sized world vs world environments to PvP in.
The Elder Scrolls Online did more or less the same as Guild Wars 2, while holding the Elder Scrolls name to push their MMO.
Black Desert made a home for people who loved and enjoyed grinding.
And World of Warcraft.. well, it’s World of Warcraft.
They almost ruined the game with Warlords of Draenor but somehow saved it with Legion, and now has more hype with Battle for Azeroth and Classic servers than pretty much any other MMORPG at any other point in time.
Who knows – in all due honesty, World of Warcraft may be the MMORPG that brings gamers back to PC MMORPGs.
Save World of Warcraft, save the world.
Sorry, old Heroes reference.. not sure how many of you have seen Heroes. Was an older TV series.
Now I feel old.
Thanks.
