Evan Sims

When did we forget the fun of a challenge?

It never fails. Every passing week that goes by brings news of another MMO dumbing itself down to broaden its audience. To widen it’s market appeal. To try and survive against both the savior and the bane of the MMO industry, World of Warcraft. Today I saw word of EverQuest 2 following suit, and it honestly bummed me out.

I understand publishers wanting to step up their game and be competitive. I understand their longing to be the next Warcraft. I get the need to tempt new players to visit long released games. Really though, is making your games easier the answer to this, even when it goes against your fundamental design?

One of the cornerstones of EverQuest, and many traditional online games, is the challenge. It’s about the big raids and epic struggles. Granted EQ2 adopted a much easier level of entry for players than it’s predecessor, but I would never consider the game itself easy. The big draw of EQ has been the challenges, so is SOE looking to change that?

I’ve got news to the publishers out there: making your games easier isn’t going to tempt players to buy your game. In the case of EQ2, you may actually hurt your player base. People looking for a more casual online experience are going to go with WoW, plain and simple. Why wouldn’t they, when their friends, family and half the workplace are rolling Horde? You tweaking the mob XP isn’t going to solve that. So how do you fix it?

Build a better game. It isn’t rocket science. Be innovative, be creative. We’ve got creative game designers coming out the ying yang with brilliant ideas. Know your player base, communicate with them, bounce ideas back and forth, and implement features people want, or features people don’t even know they wanted. Building a loyal player base is critical, especially for aging games like EQ2, and a happy player base inherently breeds a larger one. Friends tell friends, the blogosphere sings its praise, and you get richer for it.

You can’t expect to beat Blizzard at it’s own game. Don’t bother trying. Instead, try something different, something better. EVE Online, while radically different from any other MMO on the market, is a prime example of this. Are they competing with WoW? No. They aren’t even trying. They’re doing their own thing and they seem very happy with their numbers. How about Warhammer Online? It’s getting hyped as a WoW killer, but you’ll notice that they aren’t really marketing themselves as that; it’s the player base and the blogs pushing that idea. Because they really believe it is. I don’t, mind you (I think they excel at a wholly different type of game experience), but it’s proof that a happy player base is the best marketing department you can have.

My Top 10 PC Games of All Time

I know, I know; I’ll well known for my hatred of top 10 lists on blogs, but I was personally asked to do this one so I couldn’t refuse. My pal Ryan recently his list in response to a PC Gamer special. I can’t miss a web meme, so here we go.

1. Ultima Online — This should be a no brainer for anyone that knows me personally. The first true MMO I played, and it really changed my life. I met so many great friends, and it really focused me on what I wanted to do with my career.

2. Monkey Island — The classic, and the first game I ever bought myself. Grog Grog Grog!

3. Loom — Intrinsically linked with Monkey Island, I bought and played Loom at the same time as MI. It’s lesser known I think, but it used the same version of the SCUMM engine that MI did. So original, so much fun. I wish they’d do a reboot/sequel with a modern engine.

4. Myst — Another no brainer for me. I’m a huge fan of Cyan’s Myst series, but the original is still my favorite. I don’t even want to know how many hours I spent on it, let alone the sequels.

5. WorldsAway — The first online “game” I played, WorldsAway was 2D virtual world where hundreds (if not thousands) of CompuServe customers gathered using customizable avatars, talked, traded items with oen another and played games together. So far ahead of it’s time. It’s a pity what’s become of it.

6. EverQuest 2 — A relatively recent addition, I wasn’t so hot on EQ2 when it first launched. It took several years and some urging by the guys to get me to try it, but I ended up really loving it. One of the few MMOs that held my attention long enough for me to reach end game.

7. Final Fantasy XI — I played FFXI solid for a few years, and it was definitely one of the best MMO experiences I’ve had- mainly thanks to the great group of people our guild managed to put together. It’s a pity things broke down as they did, but it was a blast while it lasted. I still revisit FFXI every once and awhile, and it’s still loads of fun, but it’ll never be the same.

8. Battlefield 2142 — I’m not a huge FPS fan, and I really kind of hated Battlefield 2 (though I did love 1942.) Battlefield 2142 is a masterpiece, quite honestly; it’s one of those games just never gets old to me. Playing with close friends makes it all the better, as strategy and team work pay off in the field.

9. Uru: Ages Beyond Myst — Admittedly I think the idea of building an MMO around the Myst world was misguided, but I’ve loved every second of Uru. I managed to score an alpha account in the early days, and played on through beta and it’s retail incarnations (Ubisoft, GameTap, and in between on Cyan’s own servers.) A massively multiplayer 3D puzzle game is a difficult concept to pull off, but Cyan did a masterful job of it, and I don’t think there’s an online title out there that has a stronger community.

10. Team Fortress 2 — Like 2142, it’s one of those games that doesn’t get old. We end up playing a couple times a week, but I try to sneak an hour in everyday. Pyro, engineer and medic are my favorite classes, though I’m admittedly a pretty awful healer. :)

So, there you haven’t. Not so different from Ryan’s list I guess. No surprise there. So, what are you favorite games of all time?