Aug
31

Baffled? Really?

9 Comments

According to this article, Mr. Emmert is “baffled” by the lack of console MMOs:

“Microsoft’s a big company, and they have to work out all the various issues related to MMOs,” said Emmert.“It just takes time for the big beast known as Microsoft to get moving. I really have no explanation other than that, because it’s as baffling to developers as it is to everyone else.”

Cryptic has a 360 version of Champions Online which is “ready to go,” according to the developer, but the chances of the console game releasing anywhere near its imminent PC counterpart sound distant.

“This year? I don’t know,” Emmert said of the 360 release.

“Right now we’re just talking with Microsoft. Right now the ball is firmly in their court. We’re ready to go, but until we get the go ahead from Microsoft, right now we’re sort of waiting.”

It’s not really baffling at all. The 360 never was, and never will be, able to support an MMO….period. Not only is the console not designed for MMOs, Microsoft’s console processes are not designed for MMOs…and I think this is the biggest stumbling block for all parties. If Mr. Emmert thinks Microsoft is slow now, just wait until he needs to count on them to deliver patches, or live events or the other things that MMO gamers expect of their experiences these days. By the time it really matters, the 360 will be a sunset console and we all won’t care anyway.

I compare it to when MMOs add PvP as an afterthought…i.e. we can all tell right away that it was not what designers had in mind. Well…extend that to an entire console platform except that the MMO support is an afterthought. Oy….

Jack…forget the 360 and wait for the next train.

D out.

Posted in Editorial
9 Comments Posted by Darren

9 Responses to "Baffled? Really?"

  • Sente says:
    August 31, 2009 at 8:28 am

    I do not own or plan to get a 360, so I wonder what is it in the 360′s design that is flawed when it comes to MMOs?

    Microsoft’s processes for handling XBox content is very likley a big issue here, but that is something they would have to address in general, not just for MMO games. Will they do that? Possibly not, until the competition will start to beat them up in that area.

  • Tiran Kenja says:
    August 31, 2009 at 9:21 am

    Err….. Ever heard of FFXI? It is out on Windows, PS2 AND Xbox 360. It can be done.

    But then FFXI was made to run on PS2. So much so that you want to play with a gamepad on PC as well.

  • Jim says:
    August 31, 2009 at 10:07 am

    Champions online plays much better on a game pad also. The game is really a console game. I believe that it can and will be done. There are to many gamers on the consoles. I think a console game will be the one that overthrows WoW. It may not happen on the Xbox but I believe it will happen soon.

  • Tesh says:
    August 31, 2009 at 10:53 am

    To my mind, the subscription business model is the biggest hurdle for console MMOs, not the technology. (And yes, the MS business practices of patching and approval are another hurdle, but it’s not the technology.) Console gamers are content to buy games and play them, not continue to pay for the opportunity of playing. There have been some console MMOs, certainly, but the market is different enough that they won’t see the same success as PC builds. (Of course, the Guild Wars model could work on consoles.)

  • Chris (Game by Night) says:
    August 31, 2009 at 3:44 pm

    I think it can be done and probably will be at some point. A 360 is basically a computer minus some functionality. A friend of mine (don’t ask me why) actually modded his an installed Windows XP on his. I read a blog post a while back that said one of the most probable reasons for the lack of an MMO at this point, other than FFXI, is that MS would probably want to charge for patches. That wouldn’t surprise me in the least, given that they charge for most other DLC. If developers are trying to make games for it, I don’t think it’s a system/network limitation, I think it’s probably a business issue.

  • Rob says:
    August 31, 2009 at 4:15 pm

    The fact of the matter is that an MMO CAN be done on the 360 and PS3 hardware. FFXI is an example. FFXI eschews all ties to xbox live to do its online thing. The ONLY 360 related thing in FFXI are the achievements, at least one of which is broken anyway. However, this at least shows that it IS possible. So I think I agree with Mr. Emmert in that it is baffling that no one has taken advantage of reaching a wider audience for an MMO by releasing it on consoles. My guess is that big budget MMOs are a risky enough proposition as it is, without trying to forge new territory with one in the console world.

  • Luk says:
    August 31, 2009 at 4:36 pm

    I think many things can be done on current consoles such as Xbox 360 and PS3, given enough development and getting the UI right.
    The biggest barrier for console MMO will be customer retention because MMOs need to build its player base to keep the profits going. Console gamers buy and re-sell games constantly, because they are always looking for the next best game on the market even before they finish their existing ones. Also reselling games is a smart move because there is no reason to keep a console games in a library, you never know how long the console will last or next generation comes out without any compatiblity.

    An MMO game tied to a particular console will have a very limited lifespan and very low possibility of resale which is not something that would appeal to such player demographic.

  • Yeebo says:
    August 31, 2009 at 9:03 pm

    FFXI, EQOA, PSU. The inability of consoles to support MMOs is a myth. The problem is that with the exception of FFXI curent console MMOs slightly suck. Even FFXI has forced grouping and focuses grinding mobs as the major game mechanic to advance. That is pretty much the exact opposite of a good design for a console MMO imo. It’s amazing to me that it has held a steady 500K subs all this time.

    Some day someone will release a casual friendly MMO onto a console, one that has fast paced gameplay and a lot of soloable quests. They will make a crap ton of money.

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