It’s a tough time for MMO fans right now because they’re always waiting for their games. But is that actually true? Or can you just never please them?
MMORPGs take a long time to develop – significantly longer than most single-player games. This regularly tests the patience of MMO fans, who seem to spend more time waiting than actually playing. At least that is the assumption
What is the assumption? In the MMORPG subreddit, Delling_Rembran made a post and encouraged discussion. His assumption: Games are always in development and hardly appear anymore.
I’m looking for MMOs that appeal to me. I’ve played pretty much every AAA MMO and some that weren’t quite perfect. Then I thought to myself: I remember so many new MMOs being announced years ago – some over 10 years ago – and they are STILL in development. Is that what the genre has become?
Where is Star Citizen, Ashes of Creation, Chronicles of Elyria, Camelot: Unchained and Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen? What’s taking so long? Every year it’s the same – more games are announced that never get released.
Then I realized how many games I’ve backed over the last few years – that’s LOTS. I’ve spent so much money on games that have yet to come out.
I feel like my thirst for a good MMO experience is being exploited here through never-ending crowd-funding campaigns. This is a sad state of affairs for the genre.
This is the criticism of crowdfunding: Crowdfunding in particular is viewed critically by some. As TheElusiveFox writes:
Let’s face it, crowdfunding was never a really good idea…it was riddled with scams from the start and the cost/reward risk of investing is already quite high, but when you talk about crowdfunding, the best you can get is a game with some bonus content – this is a scammers wet dream.
There are often stories that crowdfunding just never ends and the games hang in development for all eternity and then after many years are quietly and secretly just scrapped.
What are other voices saying? However, there are also some who contradict the thread and list everything that has been published in the last 10 years:
At least the following MMOs have appeared in the last 10 years: WildStar, Blessed (multiple), Black Desert Online, New World, Lost Ark, Albion, MapleStory 2, Aura Kingdom, Elder Scrolls Online.
Warframe and ArcheAge just missed the mark because they released early in 2013. Also, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn also took place less than 10 years ago.
Although WoW and Guild Wars 2 are older than 10 years, they had several expansions. Runescape is throwing out new content all the time.
I realize some of the ones mentioned have since closed, but my point is that there have been several major releases over the last 10 years. Together they have thousands upon thousands of hours of content to offer. If you don’t think any of these “speak to you” – then why do you think any of the ones you listed would?
MMO fans are often a difficult bunch anyway. On MeinMMO, too, we find time and again that MMO fans are difficult to make happy. They often look for something familiar that will remind them of their first big MMORPG – but at the same time it has to be new and fresh enough to bring back the excitement of the “first time”. Contradictory claims that can hardly ever be reconciled.
How about you? Have you been waiting for “that one” MMO for many years? Or are you satisfied with the last releases?
A new MMORPG only started on May 1st – and is already planning a restart.