Op/Ed: MMOG Expansion Do's and Don'ts

Backing Into the Future - Handling Updates and Expansions

In the community's eyes, an MMOG's content fixes, updates, and retail expansions can make or break a game . Ethec examines the traditional timetables and methods for extending MMOGs after release, then offers a little anaysis and insight into what works and what doesn't.

"By the time an expansion is needed, experienced players should be truly ready for a replay option and the game should be ready for a jolt of new players. Major expansions should be about growing the game; such an expansion should include something that causes outsiders to say "Wow, cool!". Hype is a two-edged sword; an over-publicized update focusing solely on game minutae hurts an MMOG's marketability more than it helps."

Read more of what Ethec has to say with just a click! Do you agree with his position? Think he's lost it? Let us know in the Ten Ton Hammer Forums.