The question above does not refer to upcoming movies (of which I’m anticipating Iron Man to be very good) but about the crop of MMO’s coming out this year. Each has a huge back-story to work from. Each has a fanbase that is excited by the prospects of the particular theme of the massive multiplayer online industry. But which is best? Can any of them dethrone World of Warcraft (WoW)?
The answer to both of these questions depends on the player and the expectations they have. Let’s take a look at what they are each proposing to provide.
In Age of Conan, we get a slice of the classic barbarian tales that have endured in comic books/magazines and much later in movies for decades. This one character, and the world he inhabits has inspired movies such as Krull (bad but strongly influenced anyway), 2 Schwarzenegger movies, The Beastmaster and countless copycats in comics (especially Cerebus the Aardvark). The MMO plans to live up to that rich history providing an adult themed game. This one isn’t for the kids.
Finally there is an MMO that has a bit more than the watered down, ultra-kid friendly formats that are the industry today. There is nothing wrong generic MMO’s, and I enjoyed WoW as much as anyone (I had a lvl 54 Dwarven thief among several others), but sometimes you just want more action. You want to really be involved with the fight. And you want to crush the opponent. Lopping of the head of your enemy definitely fits the crushing experience.
The one thing that could be a bit unnerving for some players is the ‘twitch’ factor that is involved in the combat. The reward is that you get to target specific areas of your opponents’ body. The downside is that casual gamers will find this a bit more involved than just clicking a button and watching the results. Then again, that just makes winning a fight all the more enriching when that hit to the leg cuts it off and you win.
Looking at the other side of the coin we have Pirates of the Burning Sea (the first of these 3 MMO’s to be released). Again we go back to the family-friendly, casual gamer friendly format that is so common today. But we are talking about the chance to live out fantasies of being Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow, or Captain Blood for the Errol Flynn fans. Of course since this is family-friendly, I expect many to cry “Why is the rum always gone?”
Beyond the liquor of favor among these sea-faring ruffians, there may not be a lot of depth. Of course there will be a need for shipbuilders and other support characters. But the real action will be getting out to sea, representing either a parent nation or independently, and blasting the deck out of poopdecks of other ships on the waves. Pillaging ports of call is also an option with the naval equivalent of sieges giving you the option to take over the area and claiming it for your own faction.
It’s not the pounding action of Conan, or perhaps even WoW, but it definitely is better than Disney’s miserable foray into the same genre. And you can be sure that it will be ‘twitchless’ fighting. The real question here is, once players have their sea legs will they want to keep going? Personally I just don’t see how this can work.
The last big MMO of the year is Warhammer. Not the 40,000 series, but its fantasy counterpart. Chaos, including corrupt humans, Orcs and undead, fight the forces of good and humanity. A common theme in most RPG and MMO games. But this theme is backed by a hugely popular miniatures gaming system, and looks to take the MMO industry to a new place by having PvP on a huge scale and not just as a raid. It’s a direct and constant struggle of good vs. evil that isn’t secluded or regional but pervasive and right next door.
I think that this fundamental battle, on a constant basis, give a fresh perspective to the genre. Plus there are many fans that are dedicated to growing their faction’s position. If you have never seen the miniatures game I suggest you check it out. People, who spend hundreds of dollars building up armies, and tens if not hundreds of hours painting miniscule details on each figurine, are invested. I’d expect no less dedication in the MMO, and that makes it lively. It’s that fanbase that can give new players a boost and a reason to come back and join the cause.
So which video game will be the big winner? WoW will continue to be the big dog of the yard, but I think Age of Conan will be the runner up. It’s been too long since adult gamers, a growing population, have had anything that satisfies their tastes. Something a bit more sophisticated and darker. A more rewarding experience for the experienced gamer.
But the casual gamers will flock to Warhammer. Name recognition will capture newbie’s, and fans have been waiting for this kind of experience.
WoW may still be the king, but several others are coming up the hill fast. Change is not only a Presidential race campaign speech; it’s a reality of the evolving and growing MMO video gaming genre.
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