Why MMOs are more popular on PC than Console...

Ace_of_Destiny · July 2015

This is just my opinion, but here goes...

The main reason I think MMOs (ESO) are far more popular on PCs than on Consoles?

Add-Ons, and Mods.

Yeah, pretty simple right?
There you have it...downright obvious.
Because Add-Ons, and Mods, add...wait for it...OPTIONS to the players.

So, how does a company make an MMO just as popular on their console version as on their PC version?
Or, in fact, make their PC Version even more popular?
This may sound simple...just add those SAME OPTIONS that the most popular Add-Ons/Mods add to the PC version to BOTH Platforms.
This makes it easier for their Players to enjoy the game the way they want to...and makes them play it more, and spend more money.

Now, why wouldn't a company that wants to have a popular game on both platforms, and more importantly MAKE MONEY, not just add those OPTIONS?
I honestly do not know, and do not care to speculate.

If a car company offered my a base car for $20,000, and then said "Or, you can have this Optional Upgrade that has better gas mileage, and more horsepower for the same price."...I think I would take the one with The Options.

Sorry for the rant...it has just been building up in me since, well, forever.

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LegionIsAll · July 2015

Console just recently started getting mmos . This is the only good one so far. That's the main reason

Pallmor · July 2015

MMO's are more popular on PC's because a certain conventional mentality has developed that they can only be done on PC's. It's the old "But you HAVE TO PLAY THIS WITH A MOUSE AND KEYBOARD" mentality that stops developers from trying to innovate more on consoles. It's the same thing that everyone used to say about FPS's before Halo came along. And they still say it about MMO's and RTS games.

It just takes a visionary with the right formula to make a great MMO on consoles. And the second that great MMO comes along and is a runaway success, you just watch all the imitators try to jump on the same boat.

I remember mainstream developers laughing about MMO's in general. "Those will never make real money, they're just a niche market" seemed to be the consensus. Then WoW came along.

Ace_of_Destiny · July 2015

LegionIsAll wrote: »

Console just recently started getting mmos . This is the only good one so far. That's the main reason

Please google "Console MMO History".
They have been around longer than most console players realize.

Here is just the top one that popped up for me...goes back to the Dreamcast...
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2007/04/console-mmos-a-brief-history-of-one-mans-couch-laden-adventures/

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SedoUmbra · July 2015

Good idea, let them play WoW only call it ESO. That'll bring the money in.

Zershar_Vemod · July 2015

- Because PCs have existed far longer
- MMOs are primarily made for PC
- PC has technological advantages over consoles

Etc.

[Deleted User] · July 2015

The user and all related content has been deleted.

LegionIsAll · July 2015

Ace-2112 wrote: »

LegionIsAll wrote: »

Console just recently started getting mmos . This is the only good one so far. That's the main reason

Please google "Console MMO History".
They have been around longer than most console players realize.

Here is just the top one that popped up for me...goes back to the Dreamcast...
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2007/04/console-mmos-a-brief-history-of-one-mans-couch-laden-adventures/

.

Well point still stands on the only good one. Other ones have made it to console but either were horrible games all together or horrible ports with bad controls

Sallington · July 2015

Pallmor wrote: »

MMO's are more popular on PC's because a certain conventional mentality has developed that they can only be done on PC's. It's the old "But you HAVE TO PLAY THIS WITH A MOUSE AND KEYBOARD" mentality that stops developers from trying to innovate more on consoles. It's the same thing that everyone used to say about FPS's before Halo came along. And they still say it about MMO's and RTS games.

It just takes a visionary with the right formula to make a great MMO on consoles. And the second that great MMO comes along and is a runaway success, you just watch all the imitators try to jump on the same boat.

I remember mainstream developers laughing about MMO's in general. "Those will never make real money, they're just a niche market" seemed to be the consensus. Then WoW came along.

They still need to make everything simpler in order to make it console friendly. The Elder Scrolls series is a great example. Just look how watered down and simplified Skyrim was. MMOs, being a pretty complex genre, are normally much easier to implement with a PC, or at the very least need a keyboard and mouse.

I feel like more complex games in general are better received by the PC community.

BackFreckle · July 2015

They aren't "more popular on pc" companies don't make mmos for console as much as pc. The thing pc mmo devs don't realize is that on console we have two maybe three mmos to choose from so when one does come out we console players flock to them in hordes to play it. Before a couple years ago it was an untapped market. FF and DCUO took advantage of it and ruled the mmo console market until never winter came out on xbox and obviously ESO in June.

You talk about add ons letting you enjoy the game that you want to but have you stopped to think that maybe us eso console players aren't frustrated that we don't get basic functions in the game? Clearly this is more of a discussion about how ZOS runs things and less about popularity among platforms. (Not to mention dozens of ppl on forums and reddit threatening to quit if ZOS adds basic functions to the game)

I agree with the op about adding some of those addon features to console, even as options that can be toggled off. Which I'm all for too.(I heard there was talk about integrating a version of the FTC addon to console but who knows what ZOS has planned)

I'm just tired of companies treating console mmos players as babies. Thinking we can't handle certain features or that based on our other games we would use certain features over others (I'm looking at you text chat)

Nestor · July 2015

Pallmor wrote: »

MMO's are more popular on PC's because a certain conventional mentality has developed that they can only be done on PC's. It's the old "But you HAVE TO PLAY THIS WITH A MOUSE AND KEYBOARD" mentality that stops developers from trying to innovate more on consoles. .

Hands down, a Keyboard and Mouse gives more controls to the player than a controller does. To that end, a K/M is a better set up to develop a control scheme with. I tried this game on my parents PS4 and while I could wrap my head around the control scheme I could see how it would be a limiting factor in the control development of a game. And, certainly not what I want to play the game with.

As for Addons, the game does not need addons, it just makes things easier. I played this game for the first 6 months (and all through beta) with no addons. I only had the Skyshard one for a long time as for some reason I can walk right by them and not notice them. Now I run about 10 addons, but none of them are required to make the game fun.

J2JMC · July 2015

They just need to bring more action mmos to console. I'm looking at you black desert online and tera.

I don't think the standard press tab and the 1 button repeatedly works to well on the console. Those games tend to allow you to use a lot more abilities at once. Can only do so much with a controller.

ElricFrancis · July 2015

Ace-2112 wrote: »

This is just my opinion, but here goes...

The main reason I think MMOs (ESO) are far more popular on PCs than on Consoles?

Add-Ons, and Mods.

Yeah, pretty simple right?
There you have it...downright obvious.
Because Add-Ons, and Mods, add...wait for it...OPTIONS to the players.

So, how does a company make an MMO just as popular on their console version as on their PC version?
Or, in fact, make their PC Version even more popular?
This may sound simple...just add those SAME OPTIONS that the most popular Add-Ons/Mods add to the PC version to BOTH Platforms.
This makes it easier for their Players to enjoy the game the way they want to...and makes them play it more, and spend more money.

Now, why wouldn't a company that wants to have a popular game on both platforms, and more importantly MAKE MONEY, not just add those OPTIONS?
I honestly do not know, and do not care to speculate.

If a car company offered my a base car for $20,000, and then said "Or, you can have this Optional Upgrade that has better gas mileage, and more horsepower for the same price."...I think I would take the one with The Options.

Sorry for the rant...it has just been building up in me since, well, forever.

.

Mods.. mods.. mods... the ability to hack and cheat on the game is not a motivator... nor is the ability to outright steal with ease.. no siree those are not reason PC is more popular for MMos...

LegionIsAll · July 2015

Text would work a fine . Especially with keyboard and Xbox smart glass .

Diggergig · July 2015

Been around since Ultima and waited for the X1 version before playing this. EQ II was my last PC MMO (won't count Defiance, might as well have been playing the console version)...lots of reasons, not least of which is a distinct lack of bots.