By this time in, oh I’ll go for a long shot, 2011 we should be seeing the outcome of the battle of the titans: Four major contenders looking to bring their best and brightest to the field and answer one question: Who will dominate the MMOFPS market? Granted, two of the contenders are not actually fully declared.
According to insider reports, Blizzard’s unnamed upcoming MMO will be split into two parts, a social aspect and a first person shooter. Virtually nothing is known about the MMO so far. Likewise, Infinity Ward is rumored to be working on a Call of Duty MMO, with Modern Warfare 3 being moved to another company. Of course, there is Sony Online Entertainment, with the recent announcement of Planetside 2, and the most confirmed of the group: DUST 514.
More after the break…
Now, were this a race, I would have to wager a guess that Infinity Ward would be the first to trip over the hurdles. Starting with Modern Warfare and moving forward, Activision has loaded the Call of Duty multiplayer experience up to a near-MMO as far as features go. Players level up, gain ranks, earn badges, customize their weapons with unlocks, complete challenges, and more. If Infinity Ward goes the route of WW2 Online, with huge persistent worlds and giant armies, but with better technology, you could be looking at a true champion in the war MMOFPS genre. If it goes the route of Crimecraft, with all battles taking place in instances, then Infinity Ward should consider not requiring a paid subscription.
Say what you want about Blizzard, but I think I can assume right now that it will be the most polished of the next generation MMOFPS titles. I can still hope that Blizzard is secretly working on an answer to games like Mortal Online and Darkfall, a Blizzard-based hardcore sandbox MMO. I noted Blizzard next because they may have a hard time transitioning from a game like World of Warcraft to a first person shooter, where there is no auto-targeting and features like hitboxes must be implemented. Don’t expect Blizzard’s next MMO to be released until they are absolutely sure it is polished as good as they can make it (at the time). Also expect World of Warcraft players to complain when they aren’t invited to the beta.
Next up on the list, and one of the two that are actually confirmed, CCP! Now, CCP has already broken one fundamental rule with MMOs: That the titles start of strong and diminish over time, in terms of population. Eve Online, alongside World of Warcraft, Fallen Earth, and other titles have managed to increase at an exponential rate since launch, with Eve Online starting small and growing fast, noting over three hundred thousand subscribers. So when DUST514 launches, you can expect a higher profile launch than Eve Online, now that CCP is a known name. As for the game itself, I have no doubts that Eve will bring the balance players have loved in Eve Online: Safety for those who want it, and danger for those who want that. The major factor that CCP will deal with is how the console community will react to an MMOFPS, especially considering DUST will not have a subscription.
The last I would like to talk about is Sony Online Entertainment, and Planetside 2. Sony is one of only a couple of companies that has actually produced a truly massive MMORPG, with the original Planetside. Sony has years of experience running an MMOFPS, and when my designated future event finally comes, I think Sony is going to be up there at the top, alongside CCP, if not at the #1 spot. Will Planetside 2 be the original with bloom, physics, and better graphics? Possibly, but Sony knows where they went wrong with Planetside, and the sequel is the perfect place to put all of that knowledge to test (Aside from the game those mistakes were made in).
Before anyone comments it, I know there are several MMOFPS titles I didn’t mention, which may seem inconsiderate at best and insulting at worst to those who have stuck by the titles. I left those titles out because, out of the MMOFPS titles slated to be released before the end of the world, I saw these four being the highest profile. Sony has the experience, CCP has the reputation, and both Infinity Ward and Blizzard have the name associated with the title, despite both diving into the MMOFPS sector for the first time. And Global Agenda is not an MMO.
The next two or three years will bring us Planetside 2, Blizzard’s MMO, possibly a Call of Duty MMO, DUST 514, Massive Action Game, Huxley, All Points Bulletin, and more. 2010 and 2011 will be a year of renewal for a genre that is dominated by two companies (Planetside and WWII Online) that, combined, still make up a tiny fraction of the market. Both current titles are six and nine years old respectively, so will a breath of new life bring the attention this genre has needed?
MMO Fallout 