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IGDA Persistent Worlds White Paper Released
Elonka writes "The Online Games SIG of the IGDA has released the latest in a series of White Papers on the online computer gaming industry. The 2004 Persistent Worlds White Paper (80-page, 457K pdf) had several contributors from across the industry, and gives general "developer to developer" advice, covering everything from a quick overview of major products, to design considerations on multiplayer gameplay and dealing with online communities, to technical considerations, to some stats about the international marketplace, including the rapidly-growing Asian market. Editors included Daniel James of Three Rings Design, makers of Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates, and Gordon Walton, VP and Executive Producer at Sony Online and presenter of the Ten Reasons You Don't Want to Make a Massively Multiplayer Game talk at the 2003 Game Developers Conference."
I haven't read any of the links but I feel this is a good place to provide my personal feedback on MMOGs. I am just a player.
MMOGs are addictive. The psychological gratifications that normally stem from social interactions in meatspace can be obtained through these online games. Similar gratifications can also be acheived in these games. Consider the team who works on a space probe, launches it and is able to explore a new world. Teams in these games band together to overcome challenges and are rewarded mostly only by the accomplishment. This was my favorite part of Everquest and, in my personal opinion, the redeeming factor of these games. Many who ascend to this level of gameplay eventually become distraught, though. It is my observation that these people don't hate the game. Rather, they are no longer challenged and are no longer exposed to this very satisfying "team accomplishment gratification." They all eventually try other games, find themselves unimpressed by the already-been-done game mechanics and discontinue play of the new game. Many game developers realize that there will always be a 'casual' gamer to cater to in order to secure profit. However, if they only cater to these casual masses their game will just be another lump in the pile. If you please these "hardcore" players who want to be challenged you will be rewarded with their loyalty. Your success as a game designer/developer is only limited by your imagination in game mechanics.
"In online," Walton claims, "Customer service is the business... If we were an army, customer service would be the infantry."
"Is there any upside here? NO," Walton grunts. It's simply a necessary (and frustrating) expense.
Supporting the "customer" should NEVER be a frustrating expense. Supporting your customer, Mr Walton, should be your main concern in EVERY business.
When are companies going to learn that across the whole market, CUSTOMERS COME FIRST and are not there to be bled dry and fobbed off?
feh.
"So there he is, risen from the dead. Like that fella, E. T." - Father Ted Crilly
There's some real truth there. But many of those reasons are addressed by the open source model. It's just a pity that there aren't more OSMMOGs out there. Tried out PlaneShift the other day, but while it's really neat in a lot of ways, it's got a ways to go in development.
The CB App. What's your 20?
What? You do know the MM in MMORPG is Massivly Multiplayer right? You don't want to be disturbed by others? Why are you even playing an MMO in the first place? You should be playing single player games period. Games like this are not for you and your comments on this subject are moot at the least.
These games are created for people who WANT to play with 10,000 others on a server. They want to be in a guild and want to group while doing things within the game. While some soloability is usually put into the game, its not its main focus. The "end games" are usually coded for a massive ammout of people to do and impossible for even a small group to get to.