Why aren't there more console MMOs?
Joe Ludwig is probably best known for his role as producer on the historical MMO Pirates of the Burning Sea. Today the Gamasutra site is running an opinion article written by Mr. Ludwig, looking into the surprising dearth of console MMOs on the market. He's essentially responding to a post by Dan Rubenfield, a confrontational post that puts MMO developers "on notice". While undoubtedly there are several opinions in the post to take issue with, the Gamasutra article tackles this statement directly: "If you continue to refuse to acknowledge consoles as the de-facto standard for AAA gaming, you will go out of business. Quit making PC games. It's a waste of time and money."
Ludwig asserts that he'd love to make console games, but there are numerous barriers between his interest and reality. We've even talked about a number of these problems on the site, but they're well worth exploring again. Problems like the lack of a keyboard, the rarity of a double-console household, and the hoop-jumping required to get content certified all warrant a look. Of these issues, Ludwig sees the console holder's demand for a share as the most daunting obstacle. In the near-future, console MMOs are probably doomed. What the future might hold is another story entirely.
