RPG Vault Focus: Major MMO Studio Startups #1
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The foremost reason to make an MMOG at this point in time is that it takes so long to make this type of game. This means by the time a new one is ready to launch, WoW will almost certainly be declining in terms of subscribers and mind share, and its players will be looking for new possibilities. That's not to say that it won't still be a major player in a few years. It will still be the number 1 game in this space for years to come... but as time goes on, there is sure to be more and more opportunity to present a newer, fresher gaming experience to the online audience.
It is also important to remember that Blizzard hasn't cornered the market on good ideas. There are tons of things that haven't been done yet in MMOGs. Warhammer Online has shown us that the online role-playing game still has plenty of room for innovation left in it; for example, its Tome of Knowledge essentially takes a xBox Live's achievement system and makes it appropriate to the genre - and puts an IP-specific, darkly humorous spin on it in the process. It is almost genius in its simplicity, a great idea that moves the whole category forward.
MMOG developers need to realize that the releases already on the market offer a fantastic set of lessons to be learned... and I'm talking about all of them, not just WoW. Every game has designed in at least a couple of novel ideas, and even if they are not successfully implemented, you can learn what to do - and sometimes what NOT to do - from them.
Could The Elder Scrolls Online really compete with World of Warcraft? And let's not forget that Blizzard is most likely already developing their own follow-up to WoW.
