The next big MMO Franchise?

[epec]

Alright, so the title might seem similar to a lot of other titles tossed around but I'd like to discuss MMO games on a bit of a scientific level. We see big franchise games pop-up now and again, based on different genres and elements. Obviously the next big mmo is going to be scifi and based around Star Wars, but what will we see beyond that?

This isn't a "wow killer thread" or a thread designed to fanboy over a certain mmo, it's more a look at mmo experiences, history and what the future holds. The idea came to me when I was watching Lord of the Rings. Obviously there's a Lord of the Rings online, but it wasn't really a success. The same goes for Warhammer. It's an awesome universe, just not very successful. It makes me wonder why these MMO's were such failures when they were based on such epic storylines and lore. If you have any experiences with MMO's outside of Warcraft, please share them and let me know what you think made that game better or worse. I'm really curious. This is mostly speculation, so don't take it too seriously or get up in arms. Share your experiences and let me know what you think.

So with that said, what do you think will be the next big mmo after SWTOR?
What are some problems you've noticed that MMO's run into? Is it lack of balance? Boring classes? What makes an mmo a success or a failure?
If the next big MMO Franchise is Titan, what could it be about?
What elements could make the next MMO better than previous MMOs?

[Ghettomusic]

kung fu pa-- oh wait!!

Yeah, lets not continue trolling/flamebaiting. Infracted. -Edge

[Isilarya]

Im looking forward to Tera honestly to see if it delivers what im hoping it will. They are promising a hack and slash style mmo, no tab targeting no dodge stat relying completely on the players individual skill. Casters from what I can tell have a crosshair which means they wont be able to 500 yard nuke because the spells arent heat seeking. The political system which gives you some pretty generous controls over the zone looks like it can make a bit of an interesting concept for individual players to try and work towards.

Im not saying blindly that it will be the best thing ever but I believe taking out the targeting aspect for a bit more slashy arcade style fighting in an mmo is promising.

[Hitmachine]

Im looking forward to Tera honestly to see if it delivers what im hoping it will. They are promising a hack and slash style mmo, no tab targeting no dodge stat relying completely on the players individual skill. Casters from what I can tell have a crosshair which means they wont be able to 500 yard nuke because the spells arent heat seeking. The political system which gives you some pretty generous controls over the zone looks like it can make a bit of an interesting concept for individual players to try and work towards.

Im not saying blindly that it will be the best thing ever but I believe taking out the targeting aspect for a bit more slashy arcade style fighting in an mmo is promising.

apparently its not being launched with the political system. and yes its alot of fun been playing it for 2 years now.

[Loaf Lord]

I feel like GW2 has a good chance at becoming something huge. Contrary to popular believe I think the b2p business model attracts more people than it does scare people, and I think the amount of things they are doing will break the mold of MMOs for the better. Tera is looking impressive too but other than the real action combat I don't see anything else that's new or innovative, but I don't know a huge amount about the game so if anyone is willing to enlighten me please do so. I also don't believe lore and story is as big of a factor for MMO success as people think, but it sure doesn't hurt. I bet if you went around a city in WoW and asked people who Neltharion is, most people would have no clue that he's Deathwing.

Everything above is an opinion and should be treated as such. *equips flame retardant cloak.*

[Zeta333]

Warhammer 40k. One of the few Scifi Universes with far more backstory and content than Starwars or even say LOTR. I would love to play a well designed and deep 40k MMO.

[Hitmachine]

Gw2 as far as western mmo's look promising. rest is coming out of korea..

[Deleted]

apparently its not being launched with the political system. and yes its alot of fun been playing it for 2 years now.

The Political System will be there at US/EU launch. And honestly, castle sieges werent there when Lineage II launched and it was the most epic thing an MMO could have.

[Deleted]

I don't think the universe matters much. These games you mentioned weren't very successful (although LotR kinda is, they have over 2 mil players last I heard) not because of the universe but because of gameplay issues. LotR is just boring. It's a PvE game, long tedious and pointless quests that just force you to run around a lot and it's too much like WoW (the "why play a crappier version of WoW when you can play WoW" argument).

So I'm guess the next game that doesn't try to copy WoW and does something original and new would be big.. but the space theme seems to be less popular than fantasy so I'm guessing any fantasy or steampunk setting.

[Orby]

nothing is going to compete agaisnt WoW in numbers of subs thats for sure, but that doesnt mean that all the games are going to be worst. The MMO market is huge right now, people have more choise than they did when WoW came out.

Altohugh I will not be buying it I feel SWTOR will probably be the next biggest MMO, only becuase Star Wars already has a huge fan base and like Warcraft already had some backstory. We'll see what happens though

[Questar]

try watching guild wars 2 developer panels and interviews. these are people that play and make the next big mmo.

[Enhshamanlol]

nothing is going to compete agaisnt WoW in numbers of subs thats for sure, but that doesnt mean that all the games are going to be worst. The MMO market is huge right now, people have more choise than they did when WoW came out.

Altohugh I will not be buying it I feel SWTOR will probably be the next biggest MMO, only becuase Star Wars already has a huge fan base and like Warcraft already had some backstory. We'll see what happens though

From what people are saying endgame is pretty bad and easy. I think Tera will take over wow tho tbh. It looks like wow 2.0

[Deleted]

try watching guild wars 2 developer panels and interviews. these are people that play and make the next big mmo.

Not even close.. people dont see the big flaw of buy to play MMOs yet. But once the hype is faded, you'll find yourselves in a game without any character progression and subpar graphics.

[Deleted]

Not even close.. people dont see the big flaw of buy to play MMOs yet. But once the hype is faded, you'll find yourselves in a game without any character progression and subpar graphics.

You mean no gear progression. Character progression is the same as all other MMOs. As for the graphics, they're not bad for an MMO and the art direction is, imo, one of the best in the genre. Graphics ≠ aesthetics.

I also see GW2's greatest strength being its PvP, where gear progression is actually a bad thing. Instead of seeing it as a traditional MMO like WoW, look at it as if it were TF2 as an MMO. No monthly fees means you can play it like any other B2P game, meaning that there is no monetary commitment you are bound to like in P2P MMOs.

[Deleted]

You mean no gear progression. Character progression is the same as all other MMOs. As for the graphics, they're not bad for an MMO and the art direction is, imo, one of the best in the genre. Graphics ≠ aesthetics.

I also see GW2's greatest strength being its PvP, where gear progression is actually a bad thing. Instead of seeing it as a traditional MMO like WoW, look at it as if it were TF2 as an MMO. No monthly fees means you can play it like any other B2P game, meaning that there is no monetary commitment you are bound to like in P2P MMOs.

Still, pure PvP MMOs tend to be unpopular. Look what happened to WAR for instance. And even so, I disagree about gear progression being a bad thing.. or well, progression. Basically MMORPGs are RPG games with many players and progressions is what defines the RPG genre. Take that out and you get a FPS or adventure game. Also not a bad thing maybe, just different audience.

As for no progression of any kind character power wise, it's definitely a bad move. It's what keeps players playing. If you can log on, immediately make the best build or even try whatever you want and aren't getting anything better or any rewards, it just gets boring fast. Maybe not to all, but the majority and those who don't enjoy the RPG style tend to not play MMOs anyway and mostly stick to Counter Strike and Battlefield type of games.

[Xenogeist]

I also think Buy to Play could be the future pay structure of most MMO games. There are a lot of MMO's out there that I would buy and play casually if I didn't have to deal with a monthly fee or cash shop. Monthly fees force many to pick one MMO and stick with it or it drives them to free to play MMO's that are poor quality and have cash shops that only a small population uses to gain in game advantages.

I think there are a lot of casual gamers that would enter the MMO genre if they didn't have to deal with monthly fees and cash shops.

[Nest]

I guess WoW will stay as the champion of MMO's atleast until MoP comes out.
GW2 will be big if the PvP is actually fun to play, and overall it is something different compared to all the copypasted WoW clones (Aion, Rift, SWToR) that tend to bring nothing new to the genre.

[Tyrilion]

Titan

/10char

[Wynnyelle]

Not even close.. people dont see the big flaw of buy to play MMOs yet. But once the hype is faded, you'll find yourselves in a game without any character progression and subpar graphics.

That's not just a B2P-exclusive problem, bud.

OT: Definitely Guild Wars 2. I've heard nothing but good things coming from the people who have played it and I'm really looking forward to it. The change of gameplay style is what has me interested the most. I've always preferred more action-oriented combat, so it should be a nice change from boring WoW-style combat. I think that Tera also has good potential since it uses action-based combat, although I am hearing mixed reviews about the Asian release. Either way, they both look better than WoW, and that's what counts for me. It's nice to see other companies stray from the WoW model.

[Super Kami Dende]

Grand theft auto MMO.

You can either play as the Police, as a Gangbanger, or as a Mafioso. Each Factions has different Missions and Parts of the City they always control, plus zones that are contested.

Guilds for Police are called Precincts, Guilds for Gangbangers called Ghettos, Guilds for Mafiosos called Families.

Rockstar do this Kthanks.