City of Heroes Q&A
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Category: News ArchiveHits: 1085
Q: With so many MMORPGs on the market, how will City of Heroes maintain its subscriber base?
A: First, we've got to respond to the needs of our customers. We're not just selling a game, we're selling a service. People pay a monthly fee to see things added to the game on a regular basis. We've got to make sure that we're adding the things that players like. Plus we need to adjust whatever isn't working so well in the game.
Secondly, we need to stay true to the super hero genre. It's easy to point to mechanics or systems in other games and say (we need that.) But if we shoehorn in something that just plain doesn't make any sense, then we're ruining the immersion factor. And that's part of the appeal of any RPG (MM or otherwise).
Lastly, we need to keep our eyes on the most important thing in any game: fun. If something isn't fun, we shouldn't do it. If someone can't have fun with something in a short time, then it probably isn't nearly as fun as we imagined. Sometimes I think designers become obsessed with the process of design and create very intricate systems but forget that in the end, it's all about a player sitting in front of a computer and enjoying himself.
