From Virtual World to MMO: Gaia Online
"A lot of MMOs have the same experience where[ever] you go or no matter what you've done for how many people are in the area. It's a big treadmill of killing monsters and getting loot. We still have that, but we also have aboveground game like golf that people can play even if there's a battle raging around them." Dave Georgeson, Senior Producer for Gaia Online.
As Gaia Online prepares for its closed beta, we're getting a bit more of a glimpse into what this MMO version of the current virtual world is all about. In a recent interview with Dave Georgeson, he explains why they're making that transition from a virtual world to an MMO and why it will be beneficial for existing players, as well as new players.
Building an MMO from an existing fan-base is a helpful first step, just look at WoW and LotRO, but is it enough to make it last in this still-not-officially-named MMO? With over five million current Gaia Online players, you'd think an instant audience is a good thing, but the problem becomes more an issue of keeping those current users satisified with their new MMO shell, and simultaneously drawing in new players.
