Console MMOs? Please no...
The massive success of Blizzard's massively multiplayer online game Warcraft has caused a stampede of similar efforts. Blizzard is on track to generate $500 m in revenue this year from this PC game. Better yet, much of that revenue is recurring... There is some confusion though. Many in the industry think that PC games, like Warcraft, don't represent a mass market. As a result, they are focused on efforts to create MMOs for console gamers.
They are wrong. The richness of the Warcraft MMO is tied to the PC's capabilities. The richness of the interface requires a resolution level beyond a TVs capability. The complexity of the interactions in the game (e-mail, auctions, etc.) require a keyboard. Further, a huge percentage of PCs are already connected to a DSL or better connection while most gaming consoles are not.
Microsoft would be better off if it focused on building MMOs for PCs rather than consoles. It doesn't sound like they will, despite Blizzard's ability to attract 2 million players with a PC game.
Yes, but form what I understand of MS's itv moves that their console xbox is being positoned for itv combination in cwhcich thgose defects are in fact fixed with those added features..
However, even then the infrastructure open-=ness required to allow develoeprs to flock to it as a dev platfrom is just not there amoung both cable and satellite providers at the moment..
Posted by: Fred Grott | July 15, 2005 at 06:45 PM
The consoles will close some of those gaps.
The next gen will support resolutions up to 1080p, so given that you've got a HD set, you're good to go there. Wireless is increasingly pervasive in homes these days, so connectivity is a diminishing problem.
I agree on the lack of keyboard, but VOIP has been a MMO staple for some time now, eliminating the typing chat, and the console controllers permit surprisingly complex commands due to their ability to combine elements better than a keyboard.
I wouldn't bet against Blizzard to make it work well - what they've done in WOW is just stunning.
Posted by: Robert Cassidy | July 16, 2005 at 04:03 AM