I don’t know why we seek to do it, but we always seem to want to change – or in most cases, have others change because we aren’t in a position to do so – something that is good and fun.
I know a lot of people are seeking innovation and want something new, but maybe they’re looking in the wrong place?
What am I talking about?
I’m talking about this post from Wolfshead.
On one hand I can empathize with what he’s saying because I’ve often posted much the same (as have several others). They want something new. They want a new MMO that will get us back into what ever memory of MMOs we previously had… but it’s got to be new!
Sometimes you need to break out of a given genre or try something different within that genre rather than try to change the genre entirely.
I found myself getting a little bored of the whole fantasy type of genre in the books I was reading. Did I complain to Terry Goodkind or George R.R. Martin or David Eddings or Raymond E. Feist or Glen Cook and demand they make a new fantasy genre? Come on! Innovate! Come up with something new!
No, I switched authors and delved a little more into the sci-fi genre.
Well okay, I took a look at what Glen Cook was writing in the sci-fi genre, but only after I took a stab at a detective novel (which I’m still having a hard time getting into). Admittedly, I enjoyed the sci-fi novel.
I also took a look at the non-traditional medieval type fantasy setting and picked up The Way of the Shadows by Brent Weeks. I have to admit, I loved it. All 600+ pages of it.
Well, there were a few parts that were … dark, but overall it was a great story with somewhat of an Oriental cast to it. It was really something else. I’m looking forward to some free time so I can get into the second book of the series.
Oh, coming back to my point…
Step back and consider the innovation and growth of other game genres? FPS are pretty much what they were only better stories and more graphic. RTSes are much the same too.
MMOs aren’t broken, maybe you’re just bored with them and should be looking at another genre?
EDIT: One hundred billion imaginery and valueless points to anyone that finds where my other hand went.
Blaming Blizzard for lack of innovation is just dumb, and no one wants to go back to the old days and Wolf just needs to get over it.
BTW, your hand is between two pillows!
For some reason your comment was nabbed as spam. Weird!
I don’t think he’s looking for the old days, but I think he’s got a point. Blizzard’s innovations weren’t really all the new (though he missed ‘phasing’ which is pretty damn sweet, imo) but he seems to have lost track of the what MMOs are.
It’s a genre.
It has certain characteristics.
It has a given gameplay style.
It is defined by these characteristics.
Deviating from this breaks out of the genre of MMO.
In short, his first line summarizes his problem. He’s bored of a genre and hoping someone can do something so new to the genre that it isn’t really part of the genre.
He should delve into another genre entirely. Take a break.
Everything else is just pent up resentment being fired at the big guy on top of the genre.
Though I admit he has valid points about WoW’s community and the type of player or thoughts the game seems to provoke some how. Distilled addiction indeed!