Consoles and MMOs

[Inane_Dork]

http://www.gamespy.com/articles/700/700336p1.html

I found this article interesting. It certainly hits on some reasons I haven't gotten into MMO games yet. The previous article, which is on the same topic, was also pretty good.

The most interesting thing, to me, was late in the article when he talked about the way that MMO games reflect the character of the PC gamer and how he sees a big shift in the MMO genre coming from consoles. So, anyone have any ideas? The only thing that comes to me is that someone needs to make a game where the majority of characters are not powerful or special. I don't know if that comes down to tons of AI characters or what, but worlds where everyone is elite (besides being ironic) don't make much sense.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

The only thing that comes to me is that someone needs to make a game where the majority of characters are not powerful or special. I don't know if that comes down to tons of AI characters or what, but worlds where everyone is elite (besides being ironic) don't make much sense.

Except that no-one would play them. Who wants to work 9 'til 5, come home, fire up the computer and play as a fisherman working a virtual 9 'til 5 shift?

 

[Inane_Dork]

I must've misworded something, because you quoted one answer to your question. If the servers controlled hundreds of thousands or millions of characters, the quota for normal characters might be filled.

Or, alternatively, it would be more like it is in real life. You get on, talk with the people around you, play some little stuff like solitaire and then go watch a movie with a friend. You have unique talents, but they're not supernatural nor exceedingly rare. It would be more social and entertaining than what we currently have.

I'm just spit balling, of course.

 

[rabidrabbit]

The fact is, no one really wants to play as a "npc" or unimportant character.

Maybe theres a potential for a brand new profession.
Game companies would hire people to play as these npc characters.
If you were working as such 8 hours a day, you'd play an hour or two as an unimportant npc, then put your character to "sleep" for the duration of the game night and start playing on another server where the game is on daytime and continue there until you put that character to sleep and move to another server...
To qualify for such a job, you'd need skills to be able to "act" in your assigned character and gameworld, you also might have a list of assignable quests you'd give to paying customers.
I think this is a great idea, if I had the money I'd start such company immediately!