Many of you on this forum seem concerned with the strategic longevity of this MMORG. Considering this game may very well have only 3 players online at any one time a year from now is a valid concern to anybody who wants to invest in it. From experience, I'd say that this may be a likely fate due to the fact that the game falls too deeply into some Uncanny Valleys here. Someone mentioned the photorealism of the ingame graphics being akin to the unsettling Final Fantasy flick. I have to agree. WoW succeeds in that the design team actually DESIGNED the feel and look of the world rather than assuming that the lowest common denominator wants a workman-effort at photorealism. Its cartoonish veneer is half the addiction. Remember, you're going to be playing this for hours...gotta like what you're looking at. Turbine needs to lay off this design assumption because that is exactly why I couldn't stand DDO. Considering many of you on this forum boast Macs, I can infer there are lots of designers/artists here who would agree (kudos to you!).
Another line the game straddles is the backstory and gamelore. I don't mind it. I've read the books many times since high school and I appreciate the shots it takes at fidelity to Tolkien's lore as opposed to Jackson's potboilers. However, the Great Unwashed won't dig the fact that elves can't nuke rabbits (OOPS!). Oh well, Arda didn't have a Manhattan Project. Point is, I think the game's lasting power will fail due to the fact that John or Jenny Q. Xbox expects the Jackson vision over Tolkien's, hence, it will alienate the Bazooka Joes who are the majority of players. They will be frustrated with the venue of a grinder with a more intellectual approach only to ask "what's it going to be, eh?".
Will the expansion developers ever make it to Mordor? I don't think so.
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Many of you on this forum seem concerned with the strategic longevity of this MMORG. Considering this game may very well have only 3 players online at any one time a year from now is a valid concern to anybody who wants to invest in it. From experience, I'd say that this may be a likely fate due to the fact that the game falls too deeply into some Uncanny Valleys here. Someone mentioned the photorealism of the ingame graphics being akin to the unsettling Final Fantasy flick. I have to agree. WoW succeeds in that the design team actually DESIGNED the feel and look of the world rather than assuming that the lowest common denominator wants a workman-effort at photorealism. Its cartoonish veneer is half the addiction. Remember, you're going to be playing this for hours...gotta like what you're looking at. Turbine needs to lay off this design assumption because that is exactly why I couldn't stand DDO. Considering many of you on this forum boast Macs, I can infer there are lots of designers/artists here who would agree (kudos to you!). Another line the game straddles is the backstory and gamelore. I don't mind it. I've read the books many times since high school and I appreciate the shots it takes at fidelity to Tolkien's lore as opposed to Jackson's potboilers. However, the Great Unwashed won't dig the fact that elves can't nuke rabbits (OOPS!). Oh well, Arda didn't have a Manhattan Project. Point is, I think the game's lasting power will fail due to the fact that John or Jenny Q. Xbox expects the Jackson vision over Tolkien's, hence, it will alienate the Bazooka Joes who are the majority of players. They will be frustrated with the venue of a grinder with a more intellectual approach only to ask "what's it going to be, eh?". Will the expansion developers ever make it to Mordor? I don't think so.