Tired of being you?
Well there isn’t to long to wait until you can be someone else.
If you fancy being an elite secret agent, paramilitary general, adventurer, ninja, warrior or even Batman’s sidekick then the wait will soon be over because Massive Multiplayer Online (MMO) games are coming to a PS3 near you.
If you want to know more about MMO’s and their history check out Wikipedia as TSA isn’t the place for a history lesson, but you don’t need to know all about MMO’s to have heard of World Of Warcraft (WoW) or Everquest, often nicknamed Evercrack because apparently it’s that addictive.
Consoles haven’t had a long relationship with MMOs like PC’s have and they represent new ground for the developers with a new set of challenges, and a whole new consumer base to reach.
Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) producers of Everquest, are perhaps predictably the first company to make the crossover and they have gone so far as to announce that all their future games will be available on the PS3 as well as the PC, the first three of these are The Agency, Free Realms & DC Universe Online.
Other developers are also getting in on the act with the creators of LOTOR Online seemingly prepared to move in the world of consoles through news spreading over a recently placed job ad and I’m sure many more will follow.
What will MMOs add to console gaming? Will they work on consoles? Do console gamers even want them?
There are obvious technical challenges to the UI, as PC owners have access to a keyboard/mouse and these input methods are now programmed into developers and users minds as being perfect for this genre of game. Most recently Civilisation Revolution showed it was possible for consoles not to be hindered by a lack of keyboard/mouse, so the joypad should be able to cope fine, so playability shouldn’t be a concern.
My biggest concern for the success of console based MMOs is that PCs/Laptops don’t normally take pride of place in the living room (Sony’s positioning of the PS3 as a media hub ensures it is nearly always sited in the living room on the best TV in the house)
It would be quite easy to sit on a computer and to squirrel away for hours doing tasks and earning points to increase your abilities or ranking, doing this in between episodes of Hannah Montana, Eastenders & X Factor on the family TV is going to be an impossibility
This means games designers may need to make their quests and tasks a bit more bite-size…
I for one can’t wait to be a secret agent in The Agency, Lex Luthor or The Jokers sidekick in DCUO, etc. I just hope the developers keep in mind the consoles place in the modern home and learn the lessons put in to place by Civ Rev on how to make a PC game for consoles.
October 13th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
Interesting. I hadn’t thought about how MMOs will work in an everyday situation and location such as the livingroom. I share a house with 4 other people and my time on the PS3 is precious and very irregular. For me, I can’t see that regular meeting up with clans/groups/bands of merry men is going to be an easy task. Unless I get a new TV. Which is a bit doubtful at the mo.
I have a list as long as my arm of games to buy. They all seem to have quite a bit of longevity and I don’t think Sony will be letting up with the big titles in the forseeable future. So unless my girlfriend dumps me, I may have to give these a miss.
October 13th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
I agree with you cc. The Playstation in my house is positioned in the living room beneath my flat screened 1080p t.v. Betwwen the hours of 8am and 9pm I’m lucky if I get a full hour of game play. Games like MMO’s which the player gets sucked into another world and spend 3-4 hours playing just ain’t happening in my house!. The missus will go beserk if she misses Corro!
colossalblue Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Make her watch it in the bedroom, offset the bad feeling like this:
Suggest she watches the soaps, X-Factor, other girly shit in the bedroom.
Suggest that you’ll make her a brew to take in with her (Warhawk rounds permitting)
Suggest that as the PS3 only really works to it’s optimum settings in the living room it should get priority.
Rent whatever horrible chick flick is most recently poluting the Blu Ray shelves at the weekend.
Endure the chick flick rubbish safe in the knowledge that you get prime-time PS3 goodness through the week.
Problem? Sorted.
Of course, we all know that when you say: “The missus will go beserk if she misses Corro!” you actually mean: “I will go beserk if I miss Corro!”
GamerRiley Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Yeah tried these before but it’s usually me that gets sent up stairs to the small t.v.
Oh and I can’t stand Corro/Deadenders any of that shite. Now Gok Wan….;)
October 13th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
I couldnt care less for MMOs, Fallout 3 however is looking great
October 14th, 2008 at 3:31 am
ack! Don’t even mention Hannah Montana! (mumbles something) “cough”
October 18th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
Hannah Montana, srsly >.<