MMOs stifle creativity yet turn profit, I think that sucks.

[TPiddy]

Here's a thought I just had: What if games really are creative and we're just jaded to the point that it takes something so new/well implemented to blow our minds before we'll notice that anything has changed.

Does it really take something dramatic to get our attention? I remember when Halo came out and people suddenly said, "Oh hey, regenerating shields! That's a fucking great idea! It's so obvious!" Now, regenerating health has become old hat. I don't even really like Halo that much, but I'll say that regen health is a good addition to gaming. I doubt that Bungie was the first to do it though.

Side note: Can games be too creative? Indie games are amazingly creative, blending bizarre elements that normal people wouldn't even think of combining to make platform/puzzle/shooters that are a lot of fun. But sometimes, it's like indie developers are just too creative. Their new ways of thinking about gaming detract from games that would otherwise be entirely awesome. As a gamer who doesn't actively play the most innovative games he finds, am I assisting the industry in stifling creativity? When I go pick up Assassin's Creed 2, Borderlands, or Darksiders, am I encouraging creativity and envelope pushing among developers? Or am I asking for games with nothing but rehashed ideas?

I think there is a sense of being jaded. We all have certain expectations of what a game should be, but there's something to be said about a 'safe' game. I went and rented ODST because I KNEW what I was getting, and knew that I like wouldn't be disappointed by it, and I was not.

On the other side of the coin, I had heard good things about World of Goo, picked it up, and loved it too, though it got a bit too hard towards the end.

Some games can claim to be creative but there will always be some jaded old-timer saying... that's not creative, that's just this with a different coat of paint on it. Really... what HASN'T been done in a video game yet?

 

[Jandau]

So, who here can change my mind?

You're missing the point. MMOs aren't so much about creative and engaging stories or such, they are about people and interaction between said people. WoW is not an amazing game because of it's graphics or gameplay. It's an amazing game due to all the people playing it.

Secondly, it's not the MMOs that stifle creativity, it's the users. Creative and inventive ideas don't market well. Nobody wants them. And if nobody buys your new and creative MMO, you go bankrupt. An example (of sorts) would be Tabula Rasa that DID try something slightly new and look where it got them...

Thirdly, The Old Republic. Look it up.

 

[zaro27]

So, who here can change my mind?

You're missing the point. MMOs aren't so much about creative and engaging stories or such, they are about people and interaction between said people. WoW is not an amazing game because of it's graphics or gameplay. It's an amazing game due to all the people playing it.

Secondly, it's not the MMOs that stifle creativity, it's the users. Creative and inventive ideas don't market well. Nobody wants them. And if nobody buys your new and creative MMO, you go bankrupt. An example (of sorts) would be Tabula Rasa that DID try something slightly new and look where it got them...

Thirdly, The Old Republic. Look it up.

Mind if I answer your points in reverse order?

Firstly, The Old Republic looks amazing and mind blowing. I've never really liked MMO's but I'm looking forward to TOR like nobodies business.

Secondly, don't you think that there's some middle ground? A developer could make a WoW-type game, but add some twist that fundamentally changes the entire experience, potentially. Oh wait, that's Aion. At least, that's what Aion sounds like.

Lastly, that's a Catch-22 isn't it? MMO's are full of players playing to play with other players, by your definition. That makes them glorified chatrooms, doesn't it?

 

[Jandau]

So, who here can change my mind?

You're missing the point. MMOs aren't so much about creative and engaging stories or such, they are about people and interaction between said people. WoW is not an amazing game because of it's graphics or gameplay. It's an amazing game due to all the people playing it.

Secondly, it's not the MMOs that stifle creativity, it's the users. Creative and inventive ideas don't market well. Nobody wants them. And if nobody buys your new and creative MMO, you go bankrupt. An example (of sorts) would be Tabula Rasa that DID try something slightly new and look where it got them...

Thirdly, The Old Republic. Look it up.

Mind if I answer your points in reverse order?

Firstly, The Old Republic looks amazing and mind blowing. I've never really liked MMO's but I'm looking forward to TOR like nobodies business.

Secondly, don't you think that there's some middle ground? A developer could make a WoW-type game, but add some twist that fundamentally changes the entire experience, potentially. Oh wait, that's Aion. At least, that's what Aion sounds like.

Lastly, that's a Catch-22 isn't it? MMO's are full of players playing to play with other players, by your definition. That makes them glorified chatrooms, doesn't it?

Glad you like TOR, many of us do.

The middle ground you describe IS how MMOs evolve. Even the much-maligned WOW has its share of baby steps. New games that come out always offer a few twists, try out a few new concepts. Take Warhammer Online. The game in its basic control scheme, interface and such is a WOW clone (which is in turn an EQ clone), but tries some new game paradigms (namely, the concept of RvR from DAoC). The main problem is that if you make too many innovations, you're likely to scare off too many users and your MMO will flop. MMOs do evolve, only slowly.

And yes, MMOs are at heart glorified chatrooms that let you kill orcs and dragons while talking to people from around the world. That's the whole point of them...

As for the slowness of MMO evolution, compare the latest Call of Duty game to the old Wolfenstein 3D. Take away the shiny graphics. It's very much the same game, it hasn't evolved much. Sure, you can aim up and down now, but it's the same at the core. "Regular" games don't evolve much faster than MMOs when you look at it...