Next Gen MMO's...The Future Awaits!!!

Welcome to the Dungeon!

First of all, let me take a moment to say...Thank You. Deathstryker was the original creator of this site, along with Methos, and poured alot of blood, sweat and tears into it. He gave many of us a fantastic opportunity to become the premiere DCUO fansite on the web...something that we've excelled in. This editorial then, will carry on in the spirt of Deathstryker's thoughtful old blog...And in honor, has been dubbed simply the Dungeon.

Next Gen. What does it mean? How does it apply to MMO's? What new MMO's could be considered Next Gen?

All good questions...with some better answers. Next Gen (derived from Next Generation) was essentially a buzzword coined by the Gaming Media in the days preceding the "Next Generation" of consoles that emerged in the early 2000's, namely the Sony Playstation 2, Microsoft Xbox and Nintendo Gamecube. Some consider the Sega Dreamcast the precursor to the Next Gen systems, and although it was extremely advanced and Avant Garde, Sega's oversaturation of the market by introducing new hardware iterations without allowing enough time for the success of their previous Game Consoles essentially forced them out of the hardware business for good. No, these new, 'True' Next Gen systems were highly successful, with graphics and sound that far outweighed the previous systems, introducing online gameplay for the masses, advanced processing power, and experiences that simply were not possible in the previous console generations. Since that point, each new console hardware 'generation' has labeled the forthcoming one, Next Gen.

One must ask then...if the majority of Massively Multiplayer Online Games (henceforth referred to as MMO's or MMORPG's; Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games) are based on the Personal Computer (PC) platform...how could one define a Next Gen MMO? Computer Hardware is a constantly evolving process...If you purchase a state of the art PC today, a month later a new breaktrough in technology will render your new computer old technology...not obsolete, as the joke tends to go, but not at the technological pinnacle. How does one define next generation MMO's then? By their content and innovations.

MMO's essentially got their start as graphical MUD's, the archaic (yet essential!) online text based games that preceded them. The first generation of MMO's really began with Ultima Online...and in fact it's designer coined the term MMORPG. It wasn't the first, but it was the first successful one; I'd consider this the first real generation of MMO's...the pioneers.  A couple of years later, Everquest became what closely resembles the type of MMO's we play today. Following this were successes such as Dark Age of Camelot, Final Fantasy 11, City of Heroes and the 800 lb. Gorilla...World of Warcraft. Yet if you look closely at the structure of these games, they all follow a very similar gameplay model. But if you realistically compare all of the current generation of MMO's...up to the most recent release of [s]City of Heroes 2[/s] Champions Online, none really break from the basic mold that was created in Everquest over a decade ago. Have their been some innovations? Certainly...Elements such as Microtransactions, Free to play models, Larger open world 'Zones', More intricate instanced dungeons, Arenas, Integrated Voice Chat...These are all notable additions; yet none could really be defined as truly revolutionary innovation. Perhaps the most 'Next Gen' feature to be introduced into recent MMO's, [b]Phasing[/b].

Phasing was first introduced in the expansion pack to World of Warcraft, The Lich King. The technique essentially allows players to play and exist in the same zone, yet the appearance, interaction and state of the 'World' is vastly different based upon where, or more succinctly, When that player is in the story. Effectively, this methos is furthered by questing in this particular game, progressing the story and each 'Phase' the player experience with each quest that is finished and turned in.

This is arguably the greatest innovation and gift that current generation MMO's can pass onto the new generation.

So content...and more appropriately, innovation is the mark of the Next Gen MMO. And I believe this new generation of MMO's is quickly approaching us. The MMO landscape of the future is vast and nearly incalcuable. There are literally hundreds of new MMO's in development at the moment...everything from Free to Play, Kid's Oriented, Region Specific, Clones & Copies, Cell phone based...You name it, they are probably making an MMO of it. At the time of this writing, i'm aware of MMO's upcoming that are based off of the Twilight Books, Ben 10 and Harry Potter. There are MMO's out now based on Hello Kitty and Cartoon Network. Branding has become a major pool for MMO's, but that's a discussion for another time.

So what MMO's will bring the innovation and originality to usher in a new age of MMO's?
I'll name 3. These are by no means the Only Next Gen MMO's on the Horizon. But I feel that they all exemplify the necessary qualities to define them as Next Gen MMO's:

1st...[url=http://www.globalagendagame.com/]Global Agenda[/url]. If you've never seen anything about this MMO shooter from newcomer Hi-Rez studios...you're missing out. Global Agenda is a fast paced action MMO set in a spy-fi universe. It features separate classes that can evolve in a talent tree with improved gear and weapons just like a traditional MMO. PvP is a focus, but so is the storyline and advancing your guild. It feels fresh, new and entirely Next Gen.

2nd...[url=http://www.swtor.com/]Star Wars: The Old Republic[/url] or ToR as the fans have dubbed it. Want to know a recipe for success? Take the most succesful console developer of the last decade coupled with the most beloved geek franchise of all time and combine it in an MMO that focuses on...Story??? That's what Bioware aims to do by taking all the tried and true MMO trappings, refining them in their own unique style, and implememnting the most lacking aspect to current gen MMO's...story. In addtion the advent of full voice overs for all characters truly boggles the mind...especially since they recently announce releases in German and French. This game screams Next Gen.

3rd...This brings us to our reason for this site: DC Universe Online. But do I really need to explain the innovations that make it Next Gen for you? Well since you asked...first this game takes Action in and MMO to a new level. Actual real time interaction with the environment that can affect the outcome of a battle? How about the first Superhero MMO based on an existing successful Comicbook franchise? (Which is odd I might add, since Superheroes originate from comics) How about the involvement of the most respected talent of the Comic Industry in Jim Lee, Marv Wolfman and Geoff Johns? Or fighting side by side or against the pop culture Icons that live and make up the game's population? Will it have the trappings of a current MMO? Sure...character creation, instancing, voice chat, pvp, etc.

But the element that most qualifies DCUO as a Next Gen MMO is it's desgn team. We have SOE, the studio that created the blueprint of modern day MMO's in EQ behind DCUO. And although the Austin studios itself didn't develop EQ, the combined talent of all of the MMO veterans from many different games insures that we're in good hands...that will help guide us into the Next Generation.

~Vicious