Age of Conan at Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMOG Gamers to the Next Level!

Trends--they can dictate what clothes we wear, what music we listen to, what TV shows and movies we watch, and whether we're using MySpace (so yesterday) or Facebook. When it comes to trends, no one seems to be immune, and the MMO gaming industry is no exception. As yesterday's innovations become today's standards, we asked our developer friends to talk to us about what trends they're spotting in MMOGs in 2010, and how their own games fit into the big picture.

Here's the question we posed:

What trends are you noticing within the MMOG industry as this year unfolds? How does your game follow those trends? How does it rebel against them?

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Brian Knox, Senior Producer
TERA

We don't know what they are, but we dig their pimpin' hats. (Those are hats, aren't they?)

The MMOG  industry is constantly finding new ways to set itself apart from the crowd. Action has been a big theme lately, and in my view, no one has really nailed it. With TERA we believe we have the real deal.  We don't rely on a partial targeting system or lock on modes; where you aim your bow or swing your sword will determine whether you hit (tab key = unassigned ;) ). Development teams can also get lost in feature creep, and trying to be “bigger and badder” in all areas without innovating in any of them.

By contrast, TERA is built around the single concept of keeping the player's attention focused on the center of the screen. By understanding the core of the game--especially what makes it unique and new--then building around it, you can achieve a high quality product that feels very satisfying. Diversifying your development team into too many “ground-breaking features” can sound fantastic on paper, but what it really means is that you’re spreading your resources too thin, and that it’ll take an enormous amount of time to finish the product.  Time equals money, and eventually you’re driven to the point of launching your product regardless of the quality level. The ability to maximize developer bandwidth for quality and innovation is something at which the Bluehole Studio team has really excelled.

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EJ Moreland, Lead Designer
APB

Me and what army? THIS army.

The major trend that seems to be accelerating throughout the market is the conversion of older subscription-based titles to free-to-play. I believe this is an extremely positive sign that developers and publishers are beginning to experiment more with diverse or non-traditional payment models for this type of ongoing and persistent entertainment.

APB started with a fairly diverse payment model including traditional elements as well as new elements such as players being able to earn their time through our player Marketplace. We believe that adding diversity and choice to how users can pay for their online entertainment is extremely important, especially if they have options to subsidize their costs through in-game mechanics.

In terms of how we’re standing apart, we are not currently planning any shifts to a free-to-play/micropayment model. We’ve been very happy with how our current payment model is performing.