BBC News Article about ESO

Holmarion19 · June 18

There is a nice article about the 10-year Anniversary of ESO featuring comments from Matt, Rich and Jess today.

Not sure if we are allowed to post links here, but you need to add a b to the front of this to make it bbc if you are interested

bc.co.uk/news/articles/c511z0n9gr5o

Gratz Everyone for the 10-Years!

RaddlemanNumber7 · June 18

Nice to see them acknowledge that we spend so much time in the game making our own entertainment

ZOS_Kevin · June 18

Thanks for sharing the article! If anyone is interested in reading the article, it focuses on the 10yrs of ESO and has some notes from Matt, Rich, and Jess. The article can be viewed here.

Nathrai · June 18

"Relatively quiet success"?

When you ask people to list the three best MMORPGs, ESO almost always makes the list. That's not exactly "quiet" in my books ...

Jaimeh · June 18

Nathrai wrote: »

"Relatively quiet success"?

When you ask people to list the three best MMORPGs, ESO almost always makes the list. That's not exactly "quiet" in my books ...

Yeah, I also thought the article was downplaying how massively successful the game is on the MMO landscape, and it mostly focused on the RP aspect of it, which while very true, didn't make room for mentioning all the wonderful challenging combat encounters the game has. I don't know how well-versed the journalist was on the game, and to be fair it's difficult to summarize all that ESO offers while simultaneously talking about its 10-year evolution in just one short article, but it felt a bit shallow. Or maybe it just looks that way to us long time players just because we know the game so well by now so nothing written makes it justice

Sylosi · June 18

Nathrai wrote: »

When you ask people to list the three best MMORPGs, ESO almost always makes the list.

You seem to have confused ESO with WoW.

Tandor · June 18

Sylosi wrote: »

Nathrai wrote: »

When you ask people to list the three best MMORPGs, ESO almost always makes the list.

You seem to have confused ESO with WoW.

I think it's more a case of you confusing "best" with "most successful". There was a time when WoW would have been in the "three best MMORPGs", but not now.

Casul · June 18

When I hear about top MMO the list always includes

WOW
FF14
ESO

In various orders.

Go to console and it’s

FF14
ESO
BDO

Also in various orders.

Photosniper89 · June 18

ESO without a question has the best PvP of any MMORPG that is out there.

Now imagine got great it would be if/when the performance issues get fixed and they begin to add content.

Sepultura_13 · June 18

Interesting article.

Sylosi · June 18

Tandor wrote: »

Sylosi wrote: »

Nathrai wrote: »

When you ask people to list the three best MMORPGs, ESO almost always makes the list.

You seem to have confused ESO with WoW.

I think it's more a case of you confusing "best" with "most successful". There was a time when WoW would have been in the "three best MMORPGs", but not now.

I'm not confusing anything, because I understand there is no such thing as "best" MMORPG it is too subjective. So a list of the three "best" MMORPGs will largely resemble the most successful MMORPGs and WoW is the most successful by a long, long way and is the only one likely to "almost always makes the list".

Sylosi · June 18

Photosniper89 wrote: »

ESO without a question has the best PvP of any MMORPG that is out there.

You see this is an example of how subjective "best" is, other than it having a good selection of PvP modes, I'd put ESO has having some pretty bad PvP.

BGs are the worst small team instanced PvP I've ever played, in large part because they are three teams, so risk vs reward is completely broken. Then add there is no proper MMR, no leagues / seasons, etc. And as for proc sets, complete immunity to soft CC, how tanky builds get at various times, etc, terrible PvP.

Then you have IC that virtually no one plays, I give it credit for an original / unusual PvP game mode, but that is it.

And finally Cyrodiil which last time I played had less players in all three campaigns combined (EU PC) than the other game with that sort of PvP had in a single "campaign", that is not a coincidence, it's not very good as far as RvR / large scale PvP goes.

JustLovely · June 18

Photosniper89 wrote: »

ESO without a question has the best PvP of any MMORPG that is out there.

Now imagine got great it would be if/when the performance issues get fixed and they begin to add content.

That's why I'll never understand why ZOS treats Cyrodiil PvP so poorly and gives it, apparently, zero priority when it comes to performance and bug fixes. The pop cap should be around 300/faction, but ZOS has shaved it down to 60-80/faction. It makes no sense from any standpoint other than ZOS doesn't want to pay for the server support required for Cyrodiil PvP.

Nathrai · June 18

Sylosi wrote: »

I'm not confusing anything, because I understand there is no such thing as "best" MMORPG it is too subjective. So a list of the three "best" MMORPGs will largely resemble the most successful MMORPGs and WoW is the most successful by a long, long way and is the only one likely to "almost always makes the list".

Note how this was a list of the 3 top MMORPGs, not THE top one?

Casul has it about right on PC. WoW and ESO are always always in there. FF14 sometimes doesn't make the list (not sure why, maybe the art style, maybe because of the version 1 controversy), but mostly it's those three on there.

Sylosi · June 18

Nathrai wrote: »

Sylosi wrote: »

I'm not confusing anything, because I understand there is no such thing as "best" MMORPG it is too subjective. So a list of the three "best" MMORPGs will largely resemble the most successful MMORPGs and WoW is the most successful by a long, long way and is the only one likely to "almost always makes the list".

Note how this was a list of the 3 top MMORPGs, not THE top one?.

I know it is the top 3, what I don't know is why you think that has any bearing on what I wrote.

Nathrai wrote: »

Casul has it about right on PC. WoW and ESO are always always in there.

Reality tells a different story.

[Snip]

[Edited for Bait]

tsaescishoeshiner · June 18

So good to see Betu and Mizzik on the cover! Betu best dog in the world, 10/10 needs a Mizzik hat. (Sidenote, can Mizzik get an animal companion if he returns again lol? I feel like he needs a badger assistant or something.)

You can definitely tell that ESO has partly catered to solo RPG players from the start, and I think it's part of what makes the community overall so nice, as players with different interests mingle.

The concept of MMO vs virtual world has come up before, and I'm not sure what the difference is exactly. ESO definitely has account-based and character-based progression, but is definitely less linear and grindy than other games. I'd be curious to hear about the features and design decisions that went into creating a virtual world space.

Syldras · June 18

I think the most insightful statement from the article is this:

darvaria · June 18

Very nice article and quite a bench mark to reach 10 years. I've had a sub most of that 10 years even when I'm not even logging on.

Not sure why ESO isn't that well known. In my circle of rl associates, most of them know World of /Warcraft but have mostly a negative perception of WOW. ESO seems to be lacking the scandals (tg).

I've watch ppl leave ESO and go to versions of WOW, Rift, Arche Age, New World, BDO, etc. But most return to ESO. I've bounced quite a few time over the years but come back. One thing for 100% sure is that ESO has the nicest community. WOW is so toxic I can only play it so much.

Only reason I break from ESO is to get 2 sided PVP.

Cheers to a good 10 years (I'm still hoping for Dream Rainbow mount for all those that have the 10 year badge .... just something for us

RaikaNA · June 18

That article.... is.... interesting.... for sure.

CrashTest · June 19

The article and dev comments are pretty accurate imo.

Sepultura_13 · June 19

RaikaNA wrote: »

That article.... is.... interesting.... for sure.

That's why I said "interesting article" and left it at that. If I tried to state something honest from my perspective and experience, I'd get shut down, silenced, and probably banned.

ArchangelIsraphel · June 19

Good article, definitely agree with the part where ESO can become a radically different game depending on who you are and how you play. It's part of why I love the game myself, and what keeps me here. I'm pretty eclectic in my gaming tastes, and ESO meets a lot of my desires, all in one place. Depending on my mood, how I play will be very different from day to day.

I consider it my "home game" for that reason. It's also the MMORPG I've stuck with the longest, because it offers an unparalleled experience when it comes to character building and roleplay. The housing system in tandem with the motif system enhance my desire to participate in PVE and PVP, because those activities become a part of the roleplay. Without the ability to build my own narrative through other more peaceful activities in the game, I wouldn't have half as much interest in the combat side.

I'm not sure why the article states that ESO isn't very well known, though. That...really isn't true. I get the impression that the person who wrote the article doesn't move within the gaming sphere where ESO would be a big name, or isn't actually that familiar with the gaming world.

They list "Fortnite, Call of Duty, League of Legends, Roblox, and Helldivers II" among the handful of "successful online multiplayer games" people might name, and while that may be true, they are of a completely different genre than ESO, and generally speaking, attract a very different kind of audience.

ESO is best compared to Final Fantasy XIV, World of Warcraft, Guild Wars 2, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and even Runescape (which still retains it's popularity) MMORPG players know about ESO. I don't really think ESO is as "quiet" of a success as they think...especially given that it's always on "top 10" lists.

Ilumia · June 19

Not a particularly interesting article.
There a few pieces of actual information. Otherwise it's mostly a commercial for the game, with no space or journalistic insight for any criticism.

fizl101 · June 19

ArchangelIsraphel wrote: »

I'm not sure why the article states that ESO isn't very well known, though. That...really isn't true. I get the impression that the person who wrote the article doesn't move within the gaming sphere where ESO would be a big name, or isn't actually that familiar with the gaming world.

They list "Fortnite, Call of Duty, League of Legends, Roblox, and Helldivers II" among the handful of "successful online multiplayer games" people might name, and while that may be true, they are of a completely different genre than ESO, and generally speaking, attract a very different kind of audience.

ESO is best compared to Final Fantasy XIV, World of Warcraft, Guild Wars 2, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and even Runescape (which still retains it's popularity) MMORPG players know about ESO. I don't really think ESO is as "quiet" of a success as they think...especially given that it's always on "top 10" lists.

For context of the article, BBC news has a section called Newsbeat (where this article is). Its aimed at older children/teenagers mainly. From their context it isnt really a name in the gaming world like fortnite, helldivers etc.

I read BBC news in the morning with my wake up coffee, it was nice to see a picture and immediately recognise an article to do with ESO

Nathrai · June 19

fizl101 wrote: »

For context of the article, BBC news has a section called Newsbeat (where this article is). Its aimed at older children/teenagers mainly. From their context it isnt really a name in the gaming world like fortnite, helldivers etc.

Ah, makes sense in that context. I'ld guess the average ESO player is well beyond thate stage in life.

(Though there's few online games I'ld rather have my offspring participate in, despite the PEGI rating. Far less toxic community, no problematic content and even a few nice teaching moments.)

colossalvoids · June 19

Casul wrote: »

When I hear about top MMO the list always includes

WOW
FF14
ESO

In various orders.

Go to console and it’s

FF14
ESO
BDO

Also in various orders.

Honestly, almost never heard anyone mentioning ESO outside of monetary success, which is an obvious one, or when considering MMOs for casual single player gamers that wanted to branch out.

Despite copies sold and how much the game brings to the devs via (micro?) transactions I see it as a more niche experience still for the player.

Elsonso · June 19

ArchangelIsraphel wrote: »

I consider it my "home game" for that reason. It's also the MMORPG I've stuck with the longest, because it offers an unparalleled experience when it comes to character building and roleplay. The housing system in tandem with the motif system enhance my desire to participate in PVE and PVP, because those activities become a part of the roleplay. Without the ability to build my own narrative through other more peaceful activities in the game, I wouldn't have half as much interest in the combat side.

I happy to see that quote from Firor about exploring a virtual Elder Scrolls world. That is what has kept me around for 10 years. It is a little bit in contrast with something Rich said about surfacing all of the things that ESO offers. I have been seeing that, where ZOS seems to be taking measures to get people to do a wider variety of activities in the game. Daily rewards that have 'something for everyone' will naturally drive people to do those things, but there is a thread here about needing to do a trial to get zone achievements. Trials are probably one of the most under utilized parts of the game, but it is sad to see them doing this.

ArchangelIsraphel wrote: »

I'm not sure why the article states that ESO isn't very well known, though. That...really isn't true. I get the impression that the person who wrote the article doesn't move within the gaming sphere where ESO would be a big name, or isn't actually that familiar with the gaming world.

They list "Fortnite, Call of Duty, League of Legends, Roblox, and Helldivers II" among the handful of "successful online multiplayer games" people might name, and while that may be true, they are of a completely different genre than ESO, and generally speaking, attract a very different kind of audience.

Players of those games might know "Elder Scrolls", thanks to the general popularity of Skyrim, and be aware that there is an MMO for it. That could be the extent of their knowledge, as they have never tried ESO and many would never try it. I expect that there are a lot more of that type of player than the 24 million that have actually tried this game.

An even larger portion of gamers are probably the ones that don't even play Fortnite and the others. They are too busy playing mobile games and have never looked past that.

Personally, I find it commendable that ZOS racked up 2 billion and got 24 million to try ESO. It proves that Altman had it right.

SeaGtGruff · June 19

Jaimeh wrote: »

Nathrai wrote: »

"Relatively quiet success"?

When you ask people to list the three best MMORPGs, ESO almost always makes the list. That's not exactly "quiet" in my books ...

Yeah, I also thought the article was downplaying how massively successful the game is on the MMO landscape, and it mostly focused on the RP aspect of it, which while very true, didn't make room for mentioning all the wonderful challenging combat encounters the game has. I don't know how well-versed the journalist was on the game, and to be fair it's difficult to summarize all that ESO offers while simultaneously talking about its 10-year evolution in just one short article, but it felt a bit shallow. Or maybe it just looks that way to us long time players just because we know the game so well by now so nothing written makes it justice

I think maybe the journalist was writing for readers who aren't necessarily hardcore MMO gamers, but are more casual. That is to say, I think there are a lot more people in the population who are casual gamers rather than hardcore gamers, and many of them are probably put off by MMOs because MMOs often have a reputation of being for hardcore gamers who are highly competitive and focused on winning, earning achievements, etc. Perhaps the journalist wanted to let their readers know that they need not be afraid to give ESO a try, because the game has a great diversity of activities and the existing community is welcoming toward newcomers.

Gray_howling_parrot · June 19

Nathrai wrote: »

"Relatively quiet success"?

When you ask people to list the three best MMORPGs, ESO almost always makes the list. That's not exactly "quiet" in my books ...

Well, truthfully I think quiet doesn’t necessarily have to do with how many people are playing it, but from a social media perspective, streaming perspective, etc, ESO has pretty low numbers and it’s largely due to the population it attracts.

People often reply with “I’m busy playing the game not watching it” or “I have no interest in youtube or twitch” where if you compare it to the biggest MMO currently, WoW, their twitch directory and youtube content viewer rate is DRASTICALLY larger. People consume a LOT more WoW content than ESO 🤷🏻‍♂️

That would be my guess because I agree, top 3 MMO is definitely not a “quiet success” if we’re simply talking numbers lol

Gray_howling_parrot · June 19

Tandor wrote: »

Sylosi wrote: »

Nathrai wrote: »

When you ask people to list the three best MMORPGs, ESO almost always makes the list.

You seem to have confused ESO with WoW.

I think it's more a case of you confusing "best" with "most successful". There was a time when WoW would have been in the "three best MMORPGs", but not now.

Eh, that’s a subjective statement. It’s objectively the largest and has the most content consumed out of any MMO, the only competitor of which is FF14 currently with ESO trailing behind the 2. But I’d consider it to be top 5 most popular rather than top 3! But I don’t have the numbers and cannot confirm that obviously. I’d throw OSRS and lost ark potentially in that top 5 as well 🤷🏻‍♂️

GuuMoonRyoung · June 19

Nathrai wrote: »

"Relatively quiet success"?

When you ask people to list the three best MMORPGs, ESO almost always makes the list. That's not exactly "quiet" in my books ...

Hate to be the downer, but in the last 6 years, I have never seen any list where people frequently say that ESO is one of the top 3 mmorpgs in the market. WoW and FF14 always makes the list, and the 3rd is always dependent on players' very personal preferences, and even then I saw BDO mentioned more times than ESO. I have seen GW2 mentioned more times than ESO, hell I have even seen Lost Ark mentioned more than ESO.

I am not saying ESO does not deserve to be top 3, I am saying people don't give it enough credit.