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Red 5 Studios - Can Blizzard Expats Bring MMOG's to Consoles and Slay the WOW Dragon?

Waterborn

Shared on Mon, 01/19/2009 - 14:09

MMOG's (Massive Multi-player Online Games) have dominated the PC gaming environment in recent years. Led by the mammoth popularity of World of Warcraft (WOW), which boasts a mind-boggling 7 million plus unique players since its debut in 2004, gaming franchises such as Everquest, Star Wars Galaxies, Guild Wars and LOTR Online have led the computer gaming industry, both in terms of sales and gamer loyalty. However, MMOG's have not faired as well in the realm of gaming consoles like the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3. Upcoming titles such as the much anticipated Huxley promise to blaze trails into new territory by combining the leveling mechanics of traditional RPG's (Role Playing Games) with the vastly popular world of the First Person Shooter (FPS), creating persistent environments where gamers can develop characters, join clans and build long-term relationships, both in-game and outside via online websites, message boards and communities such as 2old2play. However, no console franchise has come close to the success exhibited by WOW via the home PC market.

The big question is this - Why not? What are console game developers missing? With resources such as Xbox Live and the Playstation Network to drive gamer connectivity and involvement, why have we not seen MMOG's capture gamer imagination and more importantly, the community longevity enjoyed in the PC gaming market by WOW? One thought is that the majority of console gamers are less "hard-core" than PC gamers, less likely to spend massive (there is that word again) amounts of time "grinding" through the hours of campaigning that are often associated with leveling up characters via MMOG (and more so MMORPG) titles. However, anyone who spends more than one minute here at 2old2play (or any other online community web site dedicated predominantly to console gaming) will know that there are plenty of "hardcore" enthusiasts who have chosen console systems as their primary conduit for video gaming goodness. (No offense intended to our PC brethren here at 2old2play, you know we love you too - we just want to enjoy the same MMOG goodness that you currently do).

What about the "fanboy" mentality often attributed to console gamers? Could this be a contributing factor? In the early days of the "next gen" war (way back in 2005), the key to winning over fan loyalty frequently depended on exclusivity with regard to major game titles. Were you a Halo fan? Well then welcome to the Xbox 360. Final Fantasy and Metal Gear Solid your thing? The Playstation 3 was the only system for you. This environment was very different from the world of PC gaming, where, provided you could afford the hardware and computing muscle needed to play the latest releases, it really didn't matter if you owned a HP, Dell or Alien Ware machine. If you had a computer, you could play the game. But as developers have begun to realize that multi-platform releases make better business sense, console-specific exclusive titles are far less frequent. When I realized that I could play most new game releases on a console (full disclosure - I currently own a Xbox 360) and not have to worry about "keeping up with the Gateses" with regard to constant hardware updates, I left my PC gaming days behind me and really haven't looked back (with the exception of Diablo III - PLEASE Blizzard, bring this title to consoles!). Modern video game consoles pack more than enough power and software flexibility to bring great MMOG's to their owners. Whether that machine was developed and manufactured by Sony or Microsoft is an issue for few gamers these days. We just want great games and will follow the console (or more often these days consoles) that can provide them to us.

So then, what is the missing link that will allow some developer to connect with console gamers on a level comparable to that enjoyed by games such as WOW on the PC? The key to answering this question is to understand what sets MMOG's apart from the FPS, tactical shooters, sports and platformer games that currently dominate the console market.

What makes MMOG's unique can be summed up in one concept - Persistent Worlds. Logic would dictate that Persistent Worlds should lead to Persistent Communities, but this is not always so in the gaming universe. This ability to foster an ever growing, ever vibrant online community outside of the confines of the game itself is what keeps the WOW environment teaming and consistently growing with dedicated players. By creating a world with its own history (outlined in the 1994 release Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994) and then facilitating player investment by giving them the tools they need to take the reigns and write their own stories, the folks at Blizzard tapped into something other developers have found elusive to date - A Persistent and dedicated Community. Through Player Vs. Environment (PvE) - and to a lesser (and often hotly debated) extent in most MMOG's, Player vs Player (PvP) - interactions, gamers build friendships, take on quests and create lasting memories born of the adventures that they have shared. As we all know, good stories are best enjoyed in the retelling, among friends or clan mates, usually not in-game, but later via message boards, blogs and online chat sessions. What good is slaying a dragon in the forest if no one hears the tale?

In essence, a given game franchise is only as good as the community to which it gives life. So the question remains - Is there a game developer out there with the chops to create a MMOG environment that will not only take advantage of the physical and programming resources available inside modern "next-gen" consoles, but one that will succeed where others have failed? Is there a game development studio that can succeed in creating and sustaining a persistent community of dedicated gamers capable of supporting a console MMOG? I think there is - Red 5 Studios.

Why, you ask, do I think that Red 5 Studios can succeed where others have failed thus far? Well, to get my answer to that question you will have to wait for the second installment of this two-part article.

In the meantime, do some homework on Red 5 Studios. See if you can figure out why I think this developer has what it takes to slay the WOW dragon and bring a successful MMOG to a console near you. You can start at their web site - http://www.red5studios.com/en . Let me know what you think and stay tuned for Part II - Coming your way this Friday.

 

Comments

Spooky's picture
Submitted by Spooky on Mon, 01/19/2009 - 14:22
God I hope not...I broke my WOW addiction a couple years ago and now have a hard time watching my son play it with out wanting to dive back in. If it comes out on the 360 its game over for me
TANK's picture
Submitted by TANK on Mon, 01/19/2009 - 15:42
There are a few significant hurdles MMO studios need to get past to bring them to consoles #1) Additional monthly fees. We already spend $50/yr to acces Live, asking for a $15/month fee typical of todays MMOs seems unreasonable in my opinion. Yes there's lots of back end shit to maintain but still, i'm already paying to game online, i don't expect to have to pay both an annual and a monthly fee to play. #2) Long development cycles, in order for them to make their money, the game would need to come out within the first two years of a consoles lifecycle. So they would need to be developing for the Xbox720 now based on xbox360 technology. #3) Due to point #2, MMOs are most likely doomed to look like 'last gen' quality. But WoW isn't awesome visually either so maybe visuals don't matter to MMO people, it just has to look good enough Anyway there are lots of hurdles and add to that, Microsoft doesn't currently have a billing method for MMOs to get their monthly fees. About the only thing that could be done now is make you buy a monthly access code or soemthing by selling you DLC you purchase with microsoft points which would be kinda messy. Anyway case in point, look at Huxley. It's been in development since before the 360 launched and it's still not out. At this point, they'd be better off releasing it on the xbox720 instead because they aren't going to make their money back if you consider that the 360 has 2 years left in it's lifecycle and the new xbox will come out Nov 2010.
Waterborn's picture
Submitted by Waterborn on Mon, 01/19/2009 - 17:26
Tank, you bring up some very good points. I agree that the current fee schedules associated with most PC MMOG’s would pose a significant hurdle for current members of Xbox Live. However, take into account that 1) Currently there is no fee for use of the Playstation Network (PSN) and 2) PC gamers have exhibited a willingness to fork over subscription fees given strong content and community support. The reality is that compared to the $10 cost of a two-hour movie, paying $10 - $15 a month for access to dozens of hours of quality gaming in a persistent and ever-evolving game environment is quite a bargain. Don’t get me wrong, one of the main reasons that I currently don’t have a WOW account (beside the dismal technological state of my current computer), is that I haven’t been convinced that the product (WOW) is of greater (or equal) value compared to what is currently available through XBL. Show me something new and inventive and I might be more inclined to pay for it. It is all about product quality and perceived worth of that product. I see the long development cycles typically exhibited by most gaming designers as a more formidable challenge to the success of console MMOG’s. More formidable, but once again, not insurmountable. We have yet to see a game developer provide quality downloadable content on a reliably consistent schedule. However, if you look at the current success of Little Big Planet on the Playstation 3, you can see that, once again, the model for a successful system is already in place. Between developer updates and quality user-generated content, LBP proves that it is possible to create a gaming environment that spawns and then supports the persistent community needed to sustain a long-living MMOG title. The lynchpin to success is to create, build and then maintain momentum. Do this and the community will sustain itself. The old adage “build it and they will come” may be more precisely stated “build, expand and improve on it and they will stay”. The challenge for a game developer lies in knowing what will inspire gamers to stick with a given title for the long haul, perhaps across multiple generations of consoles. Look at the Halo franchise. Bungie created a quality product (a dual-weapon wielding FPS with an epic story that spanned three distinct games), then supported it by creating and maintaining an unparalleled multi-player experience via top-notch matchmaking and ranking systems that stood the test of time. Throw in regular map updates and bug patches and you have the top-selling entertainment property to date. Halo started on the PC, was perfected on the original Xbox and evolved into greatness on the 360. Regardless whether you think Halo 3 is the greatest game title of all time, or if you feel it has become a redundant shadow, you would be hard-pressed to argue that Bungie didn’t put all the right pieces in all the right places at all the right times. Now imagine if a game developer utilized a similar philosophy in support of a MMOG for the console. Granted, the game would have to be something new, something we haven’t seen before. The developer would have to commit to supporting the community for the long haul and gamers would have to be sufficiently inspired to want to remain in that persistent universe created by the game and evolve their player characters beyond the scope of anything currently available on the market. I think that Red 5 Studios may have what it takes to create and support such a persistent game universe
h8z_u_all's picture
Submitted by h8z_u_all on Mon, 01/19/2009 - 17:36
Halo started on the Mac... sorry had to chime in :)
Waterborn's picture
Submitted by Waterborn on Mon, 01/19/2009 - 18:23
Hehe thanks for the correction luney.
Waterborn's picture
Submitted by Waterborn on Mon, 01/19/2009 - 21:41
Tank, check out this recent Gamasutra interview with Mark Kern and Michael Weingartner of Red 5. In it, they address both of the key issues that you raise. That is what does the economic model for a successful MMOG look like in the coming years and how do development schedules affect success. The answer (and I really like this viewpoint) lies in using dynamic approaches to answer both questions. I am stealing some of my own thunder here with regard to Part II of this blog, but the whole company philosophy at Red 5 Studios takes what I consider an "Eastern" philosophy to the whole concept of game design. Think "Zen and the Art of Game Development". That is all I will say for now. I need to leave something for Friday. :)
Avalant's picture
Submitted by Avalant on Tue, 01/20/2009 - 08:10
Heh, yep, Bungie made the Marathon games for the Mac back in the day then Microsoft snatched them up. This rubbed a lot of Mac users the wrong way, but considering the money Microsoft pumped into them the product that resulted is probably superior (although on a different platform). As for MMOs on consoles, anything successful is going to be something we haven't seen before. Taking WoW, LOTRO, WAR, or any of those and slapping them on a console isn't going to work. They're all modeled around playing to the PC platform's strengths (and have very active communities for UI mods and whatnot). I think if you took a game like Mass Effect and put that gameplay framework into a persistent world, that's the kind of game that would have success on a console. Hellgate London would have been a great console game because the gameplay lended itself to be adapted to a controller, there was no monthly fee (except for extra premium stuff), and while having an MMO feel in the gathering areas, most of the content was instanced. As a side note, WoW has 11.5m subscribers :o
velvet396's picture
Submitted by velvet396 on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 09:29
I didn't really know that much about Red 5, thanks for the info. Good read. As for MMO's on 360, I was expecting them from day one, and I think the medium would support it well. The Live structure is in place (for consumers, anyway) and as much as I think it'd flourish without a monthly fee (already paying for Live Gold subs...) a monthly/bi-monthly fee via MS points would be easily implemented. Here's my novel idea on the matter - allow the MMO players to earn MS points by recruiting new players in the MMO. It could be structured in similar ways to other referral programs. It's a way to integrate a loyalty/reward program into gaming, a method of community-style marketing that's very hot right now, and for good reason. You reward your best customers and foster the building of a community simultaneously. If you'd like to brainstorm on this monstrously awesome idea, LMK. -Cheers
Waterborn's picture
Submitted by Waterborn on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 23:06
Thanks for the input Velvet. I like your member credit idea - create a referral program of sorts. I had thought about a similar idea that rewards players with free playing credits for completing certain major quests or story lines. Once again, reward your best customers with more access to the product creating a win-win situation for both sides.

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