go-after
04-24-2007, 07:36 PM
Recently visited the office of Turbine Entertainment, the developer of the upcoming
The Lord of the Rings Online gold (http://www.lotrogold.com): Shadows of Angmar, to find out
what goes into developing a massively-multiplayer (MMO) Game at a time when
World of Warcraft gold (http://www.igolg.com)(WoW gold (http://www.igolg.com)) dominates the market.
Turbine has been developing MMOs since the genre first started gaining traction, with Asheron's Call as
their first breakthrough Game. Back then, when EverQuest was top dog, people said that the MMO user base
couldn't get any bigger, and that the future meant sharing players from all those who had already bought
into the MMO phenomenon. Then again, there were fewer choices. Players looking to explore the new world
only had Ultima Online, EverQuest and Asheron's Call.
When WoW gold (http://www.igolg.com) hit, the landscape quickly changed. Like EverQuest,
WoW gold (http://www.igolg.com) increased the number of people willing to pay a
subscription fee to play alongside hundreds of other players in a persistent online world. More customers
benefit everyone. Yet, despite the large number of current MMO Games, the category has gone from one with
only a handful of choices to one with a default selection (WoW gold), as a Turbine designer explains. While
the potential for success remains high, developing in that kind of environment can prove to be an even
greater challenge.
The Lord of the Rings Online gold (http://www.lotrogold.com): Shadows of Angmar shows
incredible promise in being a strong competitor to World of Warcraft.
Turbine has seen its share of ups and downs. Its first Game, Asheron's Call, still remains active with a
thriving community. The same cannot be said for its sequel, Asheron's Call 2, which shut down due to low
revenues. It couldn't attract enough new players despite an aggressive marketing campaign. This was largely
seen by both media and analysts as a sign of the times, since Asheron's Call 2 was switched off at roughly
the same time WoW was gaining high momentum. Like a Wal-Mart of MMOs, WoW was getting so big that smaller
Game were getting crushed. Turbine's subsequent Game, Dungeons & Dragons Online was met with only moderate
success mainly because they underestimated the number of people who preferred solo play, but the company
believes that it was unfairly compared to WoW. The pen and paper version of D&D is centered on complex
rules and die rolls, which Turbine then translated into a Game. The solo play issue was fixed, but DDO
still suffered from being judged as sub par by people who went in expecting another version of WoW.
However, Turbine promises that things will be different with The Lord of
the Rings Online (http://www.lotrogold.com). In the words of the designers, for DDO, it had to design a Game around a set
of rules. With LOTR Online, they can design a Game around a story and apply its own rules to fit into it.
Now that lotro Online has entered the open beta phase, where almost anyone can obtain a key, it seems
clear that Turbine strives for something much more than translating the books into a Game. The company
seeks to tap into the power of the player community through upcoming tools like in-game blogging and a
user-updated Wikipedia dedicated to the Game and Tolkien lore. When it comes right down to it, it's not
enough to have a polished Game
loaded with features. None of it means anything if not enough players join. At this point, after almost
three years of WoW dominance, it might be time for a different experience.
Already, Turbine has made some big moves to help differentiate LOTR Online from its competition. Early
adopters willing to pay a subscription fee can bring their beta characters into the Game
when it officially releases. Furthermore, "Founding Members" have the chance to choose between a reduced
rate of $9.99 a month or a lifetime membership fee of $199.99. The discount offer ends when the beta period
does, and subscriptions would be $14.99. A one-time fee means that players can take a break from LOTR
Online and come back at any time, no pressure.
By trying to recreate a MMO based on one of literature's most beloved series plus the popularity of
The Lord of the Rings Online (http://www.lotrogold.com) movies, the expectations for Turbine
to deliver are high. So far, <a href=”www.lotrgold.us”>LOTR Online</a> looks like a well-designed > Game,
even in its beta phase. After almost three years of WoW dominance, it might be time for a different MMO
experience.
http://www.lotrogold.us/images/banner.gif (http://www.lotrogold.us)
The Lord of the Rings Online gold (http://www.lotrogold.com): Shadows of Angmar, to find out
what goes into developing a massively-multiplayer (MMO) Game at a time when
World of Warcraft gold (http://www.igolg.com)(WoW gold (http://www.igolg.com)) dominates the market.
Turbine has been developing MMOs since the genre first started gaining traction, with Asheron's Call as
their first breakthrough Game. Back then, when EverQuest was top dog, people said that the MMO user base
couldn't get any bigger, and that the future meant sharing players from all those who had already bought
into the MMO phenomenon. Then again, there were fewer choices. Players looking to explore the new world
only had Ultima Online, EverQuest and Asheron's Call.
When WoW gold (http://www.igolg.com) hit, the landscape quickly changed. Like EverQuest,
WoW gold (http://www.igolg.com) increased the number of people willing to pay a
subscription fee to play alongside hundreds of other players in a persistent online world. More customers
benefit everyone. Yet, despite the large number of current MMO Games, the category has gone from one with
only a handful of choices to one with a default selection (WoW gold), as a Turbine designer explains. While
the potential for success remains high, developing in that kind of environment can prove to be an even
greater challenge.
The Lord of the Rings Online gold (http://www.lotrogold.com): Shadows of Angmar shows
incredible promise in being a strong competitor to World of Warcraft.
Turbine has seen its share of ups and downs. Its first Game, Asheron's Call, still remains active with a
thriving community. The same cannot be said for its sequel, Asheron's Call 2, which shut down due to low
revenues. It couldn't attract enough new players despite an aggressive marketing campaign. This was largely
seen by both media and analysts as a sign of the times, since Asheron's Call 2 was switched off at roughly
the same time WoW was gaining high momentum. Like a Wal-Mart of MMOs, WoW was getting so big that smaller
Game were getting crushed. Turbine's subsequent Game, Dungeons & Dragons Online was met with only moderate
success mainly because they underestimated the number of people who preferred solo play, but the company
believes that it was unfairly compared to WoW. The pen and paper version of D&D is centered on complex
rules and die rolls, which Turbine then translated into a Game. The solo play issue was fixed, but DDO
still suffered from being judged as sub par by people who went in expecting another version of WoW.
However, Turbine promises that things will be different with The Lord of
the Rings Online (http://www.lotrogold.com). In the words of the designers, for DDO, it had to design a Game around a set
of rules. With LOTR Online, they can design a Game around a story and apply its own rules to fit into it.
Now that lotro Online has entered the open beta phase, where almost anyone can obtain a key, it seems
clear that Turbine strives for something much more than translating the books into a Game. The company
seeks to tap into the power of the player community through upcoming tools like in-game blogging and a
user-updated Wikipedia dedicated to the Game and Tolkien lore. When it comes right down to it, it's not
enough to have a polished Game
loaded with features. None of it means anything if not enough players join. At this point, after almost
three years of WoW dominance, it might be time for a different experience.
Already, Turbine has made some big moves to help differentiate LOTR Online from its competition. Early
adopters willing to pay a subscription fee can bring their beta characters into the Game
when it officially releases. Furthermore, "Founding Members" have the chance to choose between a reduced
rate of $9.99 a month or a lifetime membership fee of $199.99. The discount offer ends when the beta period
does, and subscriptions would be $14.99. A one-time fee means that players can take a break from LOTR
Online and come back at any time, no pressure.
By trying to recreate a MMO based on one of literature's most beloved series plus the popularity of
The Lord of the Rings Online (http://www.lotrogold.com) movies, the expectations for Turbine
to deliver are high. So far, <a href=”www.lotrgold.us”>LOTR Online</a> looks like a well-designed > Game,
even in its beta phase. After almost three years of WoW dominance, it might be time for a different MMO
experience.
http://www.lotrogold.us/images/banner.gif (http://www.lotrogold.us)