Moonchilde wrote: »Who has 200 million to spend on a game who's player base isn't reliable - its such a fickle market that players threaten to unsub at the drop of a hat. Your demands and behavior are part of this risk assessment. Unless the market culture changes, the level of risk on investing in that market will not change.
The reality is those types of games will never be made because when you limit your audience like that, you limit sales. You'll never get company executives to sign off on an idea that makes them less money and not more.
Foundational Principle #1 – Be willing to take risks, even if fortune doesn’t always favor the bold
Being safe is for tourists and for most casual games. This is the wrong game, wrong genre, wrong developer and wrong time to be safe. We will take chances with lots of aspects of this game. We are not afraid to take a stance on what we believe will make a great game even if it means angering (and losing) some potential customers. To quote one of my favorite movies, “This is a revolution dammit! We are going to have to offend somebody.”
To say this game’s design will be fraught with risks is an understatement. I know it would be very easy just to go out and use buzzwords like “sandbox” lots and lots in describing this game to attract players and investors. I could also go out and talk about how this game “Will revolutionize PvE!” and attract another group of players and investors (that whole mass market thing) but yet I choose to make an RvR-focused game that even if successful has no chance of threatening Dark Age of Camelot’s peak subs (250k), let alone something much larger like EQ1. What I want to do is take chances with this game that most, if not all, publishers wouldn’t want to take with it and that’s exactly what we are going to do.
harnessedyeti9 wrote: »Moonchilde wrote: »Who has 200 million to spend on a game who's player base isn't reliable - its such a fickle market that players threaten to unsub at the drop of a hat. Your demands and behavior are part of this risk assessment. Unless the market culture changes, the level of risk on investing in that market will not change.
Zenimax Online Studios.
Thank you Lexon, for bringing light to the subject of what everyone wants in a MMO and how easy it is to accomplish such. Please let us know when you've launched your own and we'll revisit this topic.
Moonchilde wrote: »Try SecondLife. More content than you can experience in 6 months, definitely.
Seriously, do you know how long it takes to generate content for a 3d world? To make enough original content to satisfy your appetite, the venture capital required to get that all designed and built and tested to your satisfaction would just not be available.
Who has 200 million to spend on a game who's player base isn't reliable - its such a fickle market that players threaten to unsub at the drop of a hat. Your demands and behavior are part of this risk assessment. Unless the market culture changes, the level of risk on investing in that market will not change.
LexonLightbringer wrote: »Moonchilde wrote: »Try SecondLife. More content than you can experience in 6 months, definitely.
Seriously, do you know how long it takes to generate content for a 3d world? To make enough original content to satisfy your appetite, the venture capital required to get that all designed and built and tested to your satisfaction would just not be available.
Who has 200 million to spend on a game who's player base isn't reliable - its such a fickle market that players threaten to unsub at the drop of a hat. Your demands and behavior are part of this risk assessment. Unless the market culture changes, the level of risk on investing in that market will not change.
My friend, WOW has made Billions of dollars. The profit is there, just not the investment. Trust me they can spend unlimited money, but they won't because they know they can still make money on the "Carrot on a Stick" Tactic.
This game has been in development for four years or more, imagine if they had triple the people and double the budget. Imagine the content they could have created. What your suggesting is that we the MMO community are not worth that investment, I disagree whole heartedly. If WOW can make billion using Carrot on a stick tactics, just imagine what I company could earn if they created a game people wanted to play constantly! It takes time and money. One thing these companies are a little short on. They are the ones that have an entitled complex, not the consumer.
The reality is those types of games will never be made because when you limit your audience like that, you limit sales. You'll never get company executives to sign off on an idea that makes them less money and not more.
Are you sure about that?Foundational Principle #1 – Be willing to take risks, even if fortune doesn’t always favor the bold
Being safe is for tourists and for most casual games. This is the wrong game, wrong genre, wrong developer and wrong time to be safe. We will take chances with lots of aspects of this game. We are not afraid to take a stance on what we believe will make a great game even if it means angering (and losing) some potential customers. To quote one of my favorite movies, “This is a revolution dammit! We are going to have to offend somebody.”
To say this game’s design will be fraught with risks is an understatement. I know it would be very easy just to go out and use buzzwords like “sandbox” lots and lots in describing this game to attract players and investors. I could also go out and talk about how this game “Will revolutionize PvE!” and attract another group of players and investors (that whole mass market thing) but yet I choose to make an RvR-focused game that even if successful has no chance of threatening Dark Age of Camelot’s peak subs (250k), let alone something much larger like EQ1. What I want to do is take chances with this game that most, if not all, publishers wouldn’t want to take with it and that’s exactly what we are going to do.
From Camelot Unchained.
LexonLightbringer wrote: »Moonchilde wrote: »Try SecondLife. More content than you can experience in 6 months, definitely.
Seriously, do you know how long it takes to generate content for a 3d world? To make enough original content to satisfy your appetite, the venture capital required to get that all designed and built and tested to your satisfaction would just not be available.
Who has 200 million to spend on a game who's player base isn't reliable - its such a fickle market that players threaten to unsub at the drop of a hat. Your demands and behavior are part of this risk assessment. Unless the market culture changes, the level of risk on investing in that market will not change.
My friend, WOW has made Billions of dollars. The profit is there, just not the investment. Trust me they can spend unlimited money, but they won't because they know they can still make money on the "Carrot on a Stick" Tactic.
This game has been in development for four years or more, imagine if they had triple the people and double the budget. Imagine the content they could have created. What your suggesting is that we the MMO community are not worth that investment, I disagree whole heartedly. If WOW can make billion using Carrot on a stick tactics, just imagine what I company could earn if they created a game people wanted to play constantly! It takes time and money. One thing these companies are a little short on. They are the ones that have an entitled complex, not the consumer.
The thing about "triple the people and double the budget" is that it's still more than possible to mis-manage your way into a piece of crap game. Throwing more resources at a problem doesn't guarantee quality.
curlyqloub14_ESO wrote: »Lol, again with the housing thing. Here's the OP's first thread on this topic http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/discussion/100361/justice-system-and-housing-update#latest, where he was obviously hoping for a rally of support in regards to player housing, and instead the majority came back and basically said "meh, it's useless".
Now dear Lexon is taking another swing at it. Guess since he didn't get the response he wanted in the other thread, he thought he'd try again - maybe the later night crowd is different? Doesn't look that way, sorry man.Thank you Lexon, for bringing light to the subject of what everyone wants in a MMO and how easy it is to accomplish such. Please let us know when you've launched your own and we'll revisit this topic.
^^
Moonchilde wrote: »Try SecondLife. More content than you can experience in 6 months, definitely.
Seriously, do you know how long it takes to generate content for a 3d world? To make enough original content to satisfy your appetite, the venture capital required to get that all designed and built and tested to your satisfaction would just not be available.
Who has 200 million to spend on a game who's player base isn't reliable - its such a fickle market that players threaten to unsub at the drop of a hat. Your demands and behavior are part of this risk assessment. Unless the market culture changes, the level of risk on investing in that market will not change.
OP: First, I appreciate a well written post. Your post is well written and (at least for your position) well thought out.
You have my appreciation, at least, for that.
That said, I think your point / position is entirely unreasonable...incredibly so. You want a company, with less than 3 months of player sub time, to dedicate the money for tens of hours of content a month for all four of the Online Game Genera player types?
Do you HONESTLY believe that there is enough money filtering into Zenemax's budget to develop even a SMALL PORTION of what you're talking about? Or are you seriously asking for content updates yearly instead of every couple months?
Are you REALLY suggesting that for this game to be viable 4 completely different sets of content need to be released for this game every time they patch content?
I don't run a multi-million dollar corporation (or even a multi-hundred thousand dollar game studio) but even *I* can see your request is utterly unreasonable in even the BEST of situations. NO MMO on the market at ANY point in it's life cycle has EVER released content in a PATCH like you're talking about.
You want THAT kind of content update? Be prepared to pay $50 every time Zenemax wants to release an update.
OP: First, I appreciate a well written post. Your post is well written and (at least for your position) well thought out.
You have my appreciation, at least, for that.
That said, I think your point / position is entirely unreasonable...incredibly so. You want a company, with less than 3 months of player sub time, to dedicate the money for tens of hours of content a month for all four of the Online Game Genera player types?
Do you HONESTLY believe that there is enough money filtering into Zenemax's budget to develop even a SMALL PORTION of what you're talking about? Or are you seriously asking for content updates yearly instead of every couple months?
Are you REALLY suggesting that for this game to be viable 4 completely different sets of content need to be released for this game every time they patch content?
I don't run a multi-million dollar corporation (or even a multi-hundred thousand dollar game studio) but even *I* can see your request is utterly unreasonable in even the BEST of situations. NO MMO on the market at ANY point in it's life cycle has EVER released content in a PATCH like you're talking about. How the hell do you even GET 10s of hours of content for RP players anyway? What does that content even look like?
You want THAT kind of content update? Be prepared to pay $50 every time Zenemax wants to release an update.
azerothheroes_ESO wrote: »Are you serious? OKAY OP let me break it down for ya...
1) Sales...c'mon fool
2) Money...see "1"
3) C'mon fool
4) okay seriously though...say that happened...you'd be on here complaining about not having a pc that could run it...if not you'd be on here complaining that you found a glitch...truth is.....see number 5...
5) growth...(DERP)...it's a human condition...which is better "everything "NOW"...or hey i was a part of that and built a legacy upon it...yeah things had a rough star (life much?) but now things are nice and polished and DANG I know things so well i can kill stuffz...truth be told...if you just have everthing right then (btw if they actually did what you suggest you would be looking at a 30 dollar a month sub fee b/c NOBODY else has done it) you (as a human that needs growth to keep entertained) would be bored within 8 months to a year if not sooner...fact is ..as much as we hate...we love it...change is good...all that...truth is if they delivered a "perfect mmo" then you would be playing a "crappy" mmo the next month...so that you could complain...I for one support zenimax online studios...not because they deliver..but because they can deliver a genre that I LOVE...and that I can see the potential for growth in it...
Drunken rant is now over...
LexonLightbringer wrote: »OP: First, I appreciate a well written post. Your post is well written and (at least for your position) well thought out.
You have my appreciation, at least, for that.
That said, I think your point / position is entirely unreasonable...incredibly so. You want a company, with less than 3 months of player sub time, to dedicate the money for tens of hours of content a month for all four of the Online Game Genera player types?
Do you HONESTLY believe that there is enough money filtering into Zenemax's budget to develop even a SMALL PORTION of what you're talking about? Or are you seriously asking for content updates yearly instead of every couple months?
Are you REALLY suggesting that for this game to be viable 4 completely different sets of content need to be released for this game every time they patch content?
I don't run a multi-million dollar corporation (or even a multi-hundred thousand dollar game studio) but even *I* can see your request is utterly unreasonable in even the BEST of situations. NO MMO on the market at ANY point in it's life cycle has EVER released content in a PATCH like you're talking about. How the hell do you even GET 10s of hours of content for RP players anyway? What does that content even look like?
You want THAT kind of content update? Be prepared to pay $50 every time Zenemax wants to release an update.
Yes I am saying that, here's why, four genre groups make up this MMO. They promise everyone will be happy and that they are deserving of a subscription fee, prove it! Prove it by caring about the others, not isolating them. Prove it by doing the right thing for a customer base who pays to play.
I am sick of hearing that player's who get what they want won't reward developers. Gamer's are some of the most addictive, loyal, unselfish people I know. All they want is a game that caters to there imagination, the money or profit will follow!
LexonLightbringer wrote: »Maybe the MMO Genre should be discontinued. Replacing it with a genre called Co-Specific. Every post I have seen the last four years has someone saying that all MMO's take time to develop.
I recently created a Discussion detailing an interview conducted by IGN. In this interview Creative Director Paul Sage mentions Housing and the Justice System, the expected timelines for them to be incorporated into the game, and some other information about the Thief's Guild.
I received various amounts of opinions in regards to that interview. But one such opinion was found throughout, that MMO's take time and that we shouldn't expect all content to be delivered at launch. That if we got such content at launch we would consume it within 2 months and be bored.
Trust me I understand that logic, not because I agree with it, because that has become the norm in MMO genre Business.
What I don't understand is if we are able to consume all the content that an MMO has created at launch, good or bad, how do companies ever expect to retain players with any consistency. I am hopeful someday a company will develop and MMO that has so much content at launch that even if you tried to consume it all it would take 6 months or more. This imaginary company would benefit from this because it would provide them time too develop new content within that six months.
Obviously the original content would have to cater to every core (RP, PVP, PVE, ETC...).
But that reality is not upon us. What we have today is products that at launch can be consumed within a month or two. Sure we get updates to this content every month or two if you play a subscription game, but does that new content cater to everyone? Should it?
When I hear opinions that player housing should not even be included into this game, or opinions that its okay if it takes a year or two; I get frustrated. You have to understand that an MMO, a successful one, has to satisfy all of its customers with every Major Update. If an MMO chooses not too they leave some customers behind.
For example, Craglorn is for the PVE Grouping crowd that has consumed all of the PVE content. But what about the RP crowd, the pvp crowd, the pve solo crowd? Where's there content? Is it six months down the road? is it a year. Surely they have consumed all of the content that was designed for them, just like the PVE Grouping has.
A company can choose to do whatever it wants, But those choices have consequences. Some of those consequences are people leaving the game because they don't have anything to eat, they are starving.
This is why I think Co-Specific would work. Its not an MMO built around keeping people in the game even though that content doesn't exist for them. Its a game where its catered to a specific group of individuals. So for example a game that's created for just PVP. Maybe a game created just for RP. This genre would not have a little bit of everything, it would be very specific to the crowd.
I know I sound loopy, and in reality I don't want that kind of game. I mention it though to show how lopsided and MMO can be at delivering content for everyone that makes up an MMO.
If a company decides to make an MMO, then it should also decide that every Major Update should include something for every crowd. To suggest every crowd is happy in ESO after this Update is selfish and arrogant. Some people are starving right now, they will be starving tomorrow, and if ESO has anything to say about it some of them will have to starve for at least a year.
If you can't provide regular updates for everyone, don't expect a certain population to stick around. The people that leave this game because housing is a year out in development are justified, not entitled little whiner's!