Building a better MMO... by learning from EVE

Very cool article at Gamasutra regarding building better MMOs.

The Icelandic Model of MMO Development by Alexander Gianturco

"Sandbox-Based Endgame. The endgame is the difference between a game which crashes and burns shortly after launch, and a game which attracts a loyal following. Since linear content isn't an option for a studio without a mega-budget, you'll need to base your title's endgame around a sandbox."

As I've said before, linearity's one of WoW's greatest flaws. After experiencing hundreds of quests, reaching 80, and completing most dungeons, what else is there? Farming for loot so your character can farm for more loot, and look just like every other character? Engaging in PvP that often emphasizes loot quality over player skill? Not cool. I want more, and I don't want to wait for months for Blizzard to release new content with an eventual end.

"...players want to see that there is hope for a better game in the future. Communication is key here; not only must you develop new features, but engage with your core subscribers to demonstrate that their money is going towards improvements in the game, rather than corporate profits."

True for almost any series, MMO or not.

"Features Over Linear Content. "Content" in the traditional MMO sense means a linear activity for players which expires once the content is completed -- the most obvious examples being raids, dungeons, and quests. There's some replay value, but it diminishes rapidly, and players demand more content.

While some traditional content is inevitable in almost every game, in a sandbox it is important to focus new development on features of the game which expand the range of player agency within the sandbox, in the form of tools or new types of gameplay for players to engage in."

Yep.

A Need for MMO Social Networking Interoperability

I'm very, very fucking tired of creating a new list of friends from scratch every time I play a new MMO. It's time consuming and (it should be) unnecessary.

Standing once again on a soapbox provided by MMOHUB, I expanded on the subject.

Here's an excerpt:

"We, as in every consumer and company in this mixed-up industry, need MMO social networking interoperability. Playing in an MMO or inhabiting a virtual world can sometimes feel like an isolated and very private experience without the company of friends. By creating a universal platform or unifying friends lists into easily transferable data, each end user will find greater value in the social online experience, potentially leading to an increased number of hours logged each session. Word of mouth could also spread faster, but that's both good and bad for developers and publishers."

Full article can be found here.