Feargus Urquhart on the Impact of MMORPGs

[GameBanshee News]

CVG is offering some commentary from Obsidian Entertainment CEO Feargus Urquhart about why he feels that MMORPGs are negatively impacting non-MMO RPGs.

He believes it's key that developers of non-MMO RPGs look closely at what the genre offers over MMORPGs to ensure the RPG genre doesn't lose out to the increasingly popular massively multiplayer online world.

"I think those of us that make non-MMO RPGs need to look at what a single-player/small multiplayer RPG can do that MMOs can't and spend our time and effort on those things", Urquhart said.

I can't say I disagree with much of what he says.

[DesR85]

Kind of agree with what Mr. Urquhart said in that article, especially the part where most RPGs seem to follow the trend of powerful characters roaming around killing anything that moves with impunity. But I think it's odd that MMORPGs are a threat to RPGs since they are totally different from each other.

[Denethorn]

Originally Posted by DesR85

But I think it's odd that MMORPGs are a threat to RPGs since they are totally different from each other.

It's odd except for the difference that one genre makes money and the other doesn't nowadays. Which is unfortunately root of these problems.

[DesR85]

Originally Posted by Denethorn

It's odd except for the difference that one genre makes money and the other doesn't nowadays. Which is unfortunately root of these problems.

Noticed that as well and I kind of agree. I don't hear of many RPGs that make a lot of money after release (aside from Oblivion and a few others).

P.S. Hello and welcome back, Denethorn. Been a while since I last saw you.

[Xandax]

My own personal movement towards MMO games compared to "offline" RPGs is because I feel RPGs in general is in serious decline with dumped down game play, such as Oblivion.
If a off-line game is dumped down to such a degree they appear very similar to what MMO offer in term of game play, however without the thrill and fun of socializing with real life people cooperating and competing, they'll loose huge markets.
In such a comparison, real life interaction and thus MMOs wins every time for many players.

That is why RPGs such as Baldur's Gate and Fallout worked so well and managed to redefine the genre, because they could compete on content and game play, whereas game such a Oblivion can not (for me at least)because it is to weak and bland and without choice/consequence.
But that is also why I still see justification in "linear" game-play RPGs, because they can all things equal provide you with a better story for your character. And story is what matters in single player RPGs.
Not MMO like game play, because a off-line game can't ever compete with a MMO if game play is similar.

So I agree that Offline RPG developers need to see what MMORPG developers can't do, and implement that.
They need to focus on making a quality story, choice/consequential game play and deep/complex character development especially regarding personality and "moral" choices. Make the game world react to the player and his choices, and if you do quests for one faction, make the other faction dislike you and try to stop you etc. Make the character develop, so when he takes his choices they matter. Make the game play intriguing, fun and yes - difficult again.
(And difficult is not just 10 monsters instead of 5).