Are developers afraid of the MMO label?
MMOs are dead! Long live MMOs!
In a recent editorial at Eurogamer, several top MMO developers chime in on the fate of our beloved genre. "I don't see the traditional MMO having much of a chance in the future, but games that bring tons of people together -- they're definitely going to exist," says Ragnar Tornquist who recently left Funcom to concentrate on a continuation of his The Longest Journey game series that was successfully Kickstarterted in March.
Even the rare successful MMO companies are voicing a bit of concern. "Definitely the landscape of the industry is changing," says ArenaNet's MIke Zadorojny. But the editorial goes on to point out that it's not so much the genre that's changing, it's the label. Games are still massively, online, and multiplayer, but not in the traditional sense. Five years ago, everyone and their grandmother were making an MMO version of top IPs, but now, developers are actually distancing themselves from the three-letter buzzword. Ubisoft's The Division, Bungie's Destiny, and even the highly anticipated Elder Scrolls Online have all stated that their games are not traditional MMOs.
So where are we headed, and how do you feel about the changes? Check out the full article for more and let us know what you think in the comments.
