Yeh Dil Maange MMO
Some guy asked me about what I thought about the MMO glut that Sony online has brought in the market. this is part of what he said:
I was reading that everquest has over 420,000 subscribers. That means they are pulling in about 5 million dollars a month from just the montly fees for that one game. Sony is going to have everquest, everquest 2, planetside and galaxies soon. They have mentioned a special price you can play all of their mmo games unlimited for 20 bucks a month. Imagine that, they will probably be pulling in over 10 million dollars of gamer’s hard earned cash a month just on montly fees alone.
He went on to compare the monthly price of 12$(US) for each game to rape. He also said :
Not to mention this is hurting all the small non-mmo devs that really deserve success. Think about it. If you are a subscriber to multiple mmo games, you are going to be very tied up with those games. You would be paying your montly fees and want to get all of your gaming’s worth out of them. You could go from a non-mmo gamer that buys several titles per season to a mmo gamer that might buy a very few titles a year. Think about how much that will hurt all the small non-mmo devs.
Lets see, what light can I shed here?
I dont play MMO’s. But that is a choice thing. I dont play them because I am more a fan of Single Player experiences, and personal LAN games, rather than internet play. I have never played or understood the mechanics of playing a fantasy MMORPG, so I cant really say if the experience is worth 12USD(565 INR). But Planetside? For 12 USD? After all is said and done, its a shooter. While I can play MoH:AA, or UT2003 online after just paying for the game, now they expect me to buy the game and then pay to play it. I understand that most MMORPGs have a character they have grown attached to, since they have devoted a lot of time on it, and done a lot of roleplaying with it. Hell, I am proud of my Morrowind character too. But however much you may upgrade him, in a shooter your character is just a guy shooting at other people. Maybe I am wrong. Maybe Planetside will be played by people who are totally involved in it. But I still cant see myself paying for such an experience.
As far as the debate on whether or not the sudden spate of MMO’s is good for the gaming community goes, I think its a mixed thing. While the MMO’s have given birth to a lot of close knit communities and involve a lot of dedicated play towards a game, on the other hand, there are examples of people only playing MMOs and shunning their other gaming interests.
I have always thought the the next cool thing in game distribution would be episodic. Games would be available for retail at cheap prices, and with a lot less gameplay in the beginning out of the box game. But if you happen to like the game enough, you can spend more, and download/stream more levels, scenarios, and move your game forward. I am not talking demos here. I am talking about a longer gameplay duration than that, but a lot less than what games have to ship with in order to justify a 60 USD price tag. This would eventually lead to shorter initial development periods, and would really determine whether the game is worth investing in. This will be financially sound for the gamers as well as developers. There are actually some discussions on this model in the industry, so its not a whim, but a distinct possibility.
So how does all this relate to the topic at hand? Well, for one, this model could well bring those “everquesters” back into mainstream gaming, since the time/money they invest in the game is directly proportional to their interest in it. Also, this is the recurring expenditure model that I am willing to accept. I refuse to keep on paying to play in the same world and killing the same monsters over and over. As I understand, currently, all new worlds are released as expansion packs, only accessible to people who buy it. I am not oppposed to game companies making money. I am opposed to paying good money for something that does not add to its value over time. The model I described above, if implemented right, could well be a revolution in terms of game distribution as well as game pricing.
*switches the lamp off*