richard-aihoshi
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Free For All: Ten misconceptions, two opinions -- part two
Recently I had an idea to send my MMORPG.com counterpart, Richard Aihoshi, an email requesting his input into my column. He has been very helpful and informative, and I am glad to say that he has taught me a few things. We ran through some ideas and decided to discuss 10 common (and undying) misconceptions about free-to-play games. He posted the first half of the discussion in his weekly column which can be read here. He has also written for Beckett Massive Online Gamer magazine and is the former editor of RPG Vault. After the jump you will find the rest of the discussion points. I would like to highlight that, while the following points are commonly brought up to both Richard and me, more and more players seem to be accepting free-to-play as what it is: an option, and nothing more. These points are not an attack on subscription-based games or their developers, but are simply an attempt to butt two heads together in the hopes of clearing out the fog a bit. After all, we both receive many comments and emails regarding these misconceptions, so this list was shockingly easy to make.
Why do publishers import so many older MMOs?
Richard Aihoshi posed this question over at MMORPG.com in his most-recent article entitled "Richard Aihoshi's Free Zone: Why Publishers Import Older MMOs". The curiosity stems from the fact that we're beginning to see many more MMOs that are simply imported and localized for a western audience, rather than publishers taking that risk to create an entirely new IP. Of course there are exceptions, but for the most part, we can't help but wonder if it is in fact easier, and if easier is better.In Richard's article, he interviews Gamepot's Thomas Lee about their recent launch of the western version of The Legend of Mir 2. Thomas has some interesting insight into the typical business model of these imports that caught our attention, "I don't think people will play something just because it's free. It has to be fun; otherwise it's eventually going to fall on its face." Thomas goes on to discuss that common point that clearly defines the MMO mania happening with eastern MMOs and how they're perceived in the western world, "Sure, four million registered players would be nice. However, I'll take a few hundred thousand loyal, happy players any day."Check out the complete article for more from Thomas Lee and Richard Aihoshi on the wave of older eastern imports to hit western shores.
Mini-fascist kiddie MMOS are a-ok!
Unlike most seasoned adult gamers, whose first introductions to online play were usually in the cut-throat world of the first-person shooter or real-time strategy genres, kids today are largely insulated from the bullying behavior that once typified the online experience. Creating a safe, collaborative environment that still manages to challenge gamers is one of the chief design goals of MMOs aimed at children, as Richard Aihoshi explores in a recent article for The Escapist.Gathering opinions from developers working on titles like LEGO Universe, FusionFall, and Magi-Nation, Aihoshi explores how these titles seek to eliminate anti-social behavior like ganking and trash-talking through calculated design decisions. While Aihoshi establishes something of a consensus among the developers, he doesn't reflect on the potential ills of setting up these "mini-fascist utopias," as they are referred to by LEGO Universe's Ryan Seabury. One wonders whether this digital extension of helicopter parenting is actually desirable at all. Instead of teaching kids that fighting and cursing is wrong, we take away their freedom to do those things altogether. Lesson learned? This blogger doubts it.
