I really don't want to appear like a pessimist, but it is really hard to blog about MMOs when there are no good MMOs around. When the companies that used to produce good MMOs start to behave like spoiled and greedy kids.
I'd almost wish it was just me. But looking at the recent update of MMOdata.net, we can see, that I wasn't all that wrong when I blogged a genre in decline some time ago.
Fortunately, every crisis is also a chance. In some way I am happy that WoW is losing subscribers. It allows other companies to step in. Maybe it will make Blizzard announce Titan at this year's Blizzcon? Mmh.. I have a bad feeling about this Titan ..
It's not that I don't have a lot of topics to blog about. It's just that it is really hard to blog about MMOs when you just can't motivate yourself to actually play one. I mean, I want to believe. I'm willing to pay hundreds of euros a month for quality games (without micro-transactions!). There are worse customers than me, really. But if the industry continues to focus on immediate profit instead of quality games with a vision, there's no way I'm going to waste my money on them.
That graph shows a genre that has plateaued, not one that is in decline.
ReplyDeleteTrue, neowolf2. But
ReplyDelete1) since the games industry is growing like mad right now, and
2) new generations enter the market all the time and add to older generations that still like to play games,
this is not really comforting.
Hehe that one commenter telling you that you're a pessimist really stuck with you, did it not..
ReplyDeleteSo, dear Nils: IMO you are not a pessimist. an analyst for sure, a pragmatic, a critical mind. but if you were a pessimist you wouldn't be blogging about your hopes for the future and how to improve things from your PoV.
(offtopic I know - but I think you should know.)
Thanks Syl ;)
ReplyDelete1) since the games industry is growing like mad right now, and
ReplyDeleteIs it?
http://blog.games.yahoo.com/blog/766-may-video-game-sales-worst-in-five-years
If you have data showing digital downloads and iPad/phone games are more than making up for this, I'd like a link.
Mmh. You are actually not wrong, Neowolf2. Which is almost as much as being right ;)
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, in 2010 there was still 20% growth in PC games revenue.
Man check out this:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.realmofthemadgod.com/
there will be tons of great MMOs. Between indies and asian titles something good will come out. And on the west there several promising MMOFPS in the pipeline
I really hope you're right, Max. It should be like you say. It's just that after one decade of always the same, you sometimes have weak moments ;)
ReplyDelete"it is really hard to blog about MMOs when there are no good MMOs around", quoth Nils.
ReplyDeleteHmm, three posts on Sunday, three posts on Monday, two posts on Tuesday morning; I'd say your managing just fine!
Hehe, thanks Dàchéng.
ReplyDeleteBut these are general topics I blog about. I try to keep them tied to MMORPGs, but it's not at all easy. Also, you can assume that the more I blog the less I play and vice versa.