I don't love fun games.

I like them, but I don't love them - at least not games that are all fun all the time for everyone. You might be asking why that is, and if so I'd be inclined to explain. It's a complex desire that has me trapped. When I get into a game it's like a miniature relationship, and whether it amounts to love in the end or not - well, that is all up to how things make out.

When you pick up a game and play, you're courting it. Every "Let's Play" session is like a first date with a completely different person. Because games have personality, they have style, they have character and quality. Unfortunately all games are not created equal - for various reasons that I won't even begin to dissect right now.

The bottom line is, some people play games to just have a good time - and some people play games to fall in love. I'm part of the latter group. While I certainly pick up some games and just enjoy them on a superficial level, that isn't something I do with MMORPGs. This genre just isn't meant to be superficial. When you're talking about the concept of a long-term investment in a persistent world - you're talking about commitment. There's definitely some settling down that happens there - and I'm not going to make that kind of commitment with just any game.

I want a game that's not just going to be fun all the time, but a game that's going to be as real as it can be. I'm not talking about complete real-world emulation or a true virtual reality - I'm just talking about a game that really opens up to me. When I look at an MMORPG I want to see something that is authentic. I want a game that is true to itself and isn't going to bullshit me or attempt to constantly flatter me and fan the flames of egocentric pleasure while it's simultaneously doing the same thing for millions of players elsewhere.

I want a game that's going to upset me sometimes.

I want a game that isn't going to always be sunshine, rainbows and lucky charms. I want a game that's not always fair, that's not predictable, and definitely doesn't try to cater to my every thought and desire. I want a game that's going to tell me "No." Why?

Because it makes "Yes" sound so much sweeter.

Delayed gratification is one of the most under-utilized rewards in modern MMORPGs today. At best, today's MMORPGs try to accomplish this by shoving you behind a giant content grind where you've either climbing a never-ending ladder or chasing carrots on a stick. Those are not delayed gratification. They are artificial barriers to keep you playing at prescribed pace the developers have laid out for you.

I don't find that enjoyable at all.

In fact, it's rather annoying and I can't wait to see level-based content-gating choke on failed free-to-play transformations and just die already.

There are so many other ways that developers can build up a rewarding experience for a player without using hollow and completely disengaging time-sinks.

But that's really the crux of it all, isn't it?

Developers rely on those time-sinks to turn a profit, and it doesn't matter if they're "Free"-to-Play or Subscription-based. As I discussed here in my column last week - developers have backed themselves into a corner. There's no hope left unless they come out swinging fast and hard with some significant overhauls to the MMORPG experience and monetization model we know and loathe.

I want developers to punch me in the face with their gameplay.

I want it to surprise me. I want a challenge that can finally reengage me into everything I used to love about MMORPGs with: World-Immersion, Social-Interaction, and an exciting and unpredictable new world. That's what early MMORPGs really had going for them. That's what made this genre unique, once upon a time. It made falling in love with games like Ultima Online and EverQuest possible for me.

Today? I just can't get that. MMORPG titles aren't bold enough. They don't make me want to come back and play - at all. Developers and Investors in today's massive gaming market just aren't daring enough to dive into deeper water by using new technology to explore what originally made this genre so compelling.

Game designers (and their financial backers) are too busy playing it safe to make a game that really matters to us. They're too worried about breaking their own hearts (or the hearts of some of us players). They don't want to get into a serious relationship with gamers. Which is exactly why so many MMORPGs today feel like totally superficial experiences.

I can't fall in love with that inauthentic bullshit.

It's just not possible.

To be truly successful again, a modern MMORPG is going to have to take some risks. It's going to have to put itself out there a little bit. It's got to be willing to get hurt, be criticized, and be vulnerable. I've heard a lot of people criticize games for targeting a "niche" audience - but honestly... that's exactly what this genre needs right now.

It needs games that aren't trying to "play the field" and catch every fish in the sea.

Just you wait and see. Games like Shroud of the Avatar, Revival, and Saga of Lucimia are going to exceed expectations. They're targeting their own individual audiences and staying true to themselves, despite mainstream vitriol. It's awesome, and I can't wait to see the developers on these projects press forward into new frontiers of multiplayer-online gameplay.

They're not afraid to just be themselves and let everyone else figure it out and deal with it. That kind of confidence is extremely alluring, and they'll grow even more attractive as they mature and people start catching on to what they're all about. I can't wait to see how they innovate with new systems and bold design choices.

These games are playing hard to get and I'm starting to like them already.

[For a quick and detailed explanation to further wrap your head around what I mean, here's a video from the excellent guys over at Extra Credits where they talk about a highly relative topic.]