Tag: 2020

With 2019 just about dead and behind us, it’s about time we start looking toward the far future of 2020. That in mind, I’d like to make some of my trademark predictions for the coming new year.

• Daybreak Game Company DayBREAKS: I’ll file this one under ‘assuming it doesn’t happen next month.’ In case you weren’t paying attention for the past two years, Daybreak Game Company is a mess and I predict that 2020 will be the point where all of that comes to a head. More layoffs, lower quality workmanship with their live titles, and H1Z1 on PS4 will still be a simmering dumpster fire of garbage. This year we speculated that Daybreak is planning on facturing itself into several separate companies. If that is the plan, I believe that 2020 is the year that it happens. Assuming there’s anything left to break apart.
• Alganon/Line Of Defense Will Still Be Vaporware: I don’t know how it’s possible for an MMO that was already released to become vaporware but Derek Smart managed to pull it off. Alganon has been offline for migration to a new server since November of 2017 and it doesn’t seem like it’s coming back any time soon. Smart is allegedly working with partners for an international release (Alganon technically only launched in North America), but if this relaunch doesn’t get MMO Fallout into legal trouble with David Allen…again, will it even be worth it? Oh and Line of Defense is still a pipe dream.
• Neither Will Earthrise: The folks at SilentFuture want me to know that the Earthrise reboot is definitely happening and the game hasn’t been cancelled at all, but I’m going to to on a limb here and say that a 2020 reboot of a nine year dead MMO that nobody wanted the first time around, for whom the new developer hasn’t actually done anything with in years? If that happens and it’s good, I will eat an entire Little Caesars pizza. For charity.
• And Neither Will Everquest 3: I don’t think this revelation will surprise anyone, but Everquest 3 isn’t going to be a thing, Daybreak missed that boat when they abandoned Everquest Next and Landmark and arguably pulled a con on their customers in the process.
• The Rise Of Specialty Servers: Now that World of Warcraft has shown how popular classic servers can be, I expect that more developers will be working on specialty servers going into 2020. 2019 was rife with them, we had DDO release a permadeath server, as did Age of Conan, RuneScape has its twisted leagues, and there have been all sorts of progression servers. I expect 2020 will only increase in developers willing to take risks by which I mean copy what should be a safe and proven idea.
• MMOs Releasing On Stadia: If they are smart they will. Right now Stadia requires a $10 monthly fee just to access the service. As of some point in 2020, that will change and the standard service at 1080p will be free. For MMOs that already have console versions, if the developers are smart they’ve already been working on porting those games to Stadia. Think of it this way; you’re effectively porting your game to mobile (phones/tablets) without actually having to put the legwork into trimming down the game to function on a mobile device.
• More SpatialOS MMOs Will Shut Down: I know this one is about as obvious as predicting the sun will rise tomorrow, but I expect we will see more games running on SpatialOS to shut down due to the engine’s extortionate costs. All of these games will be before they even release, or shortly after.
• More Mobile Ports: Mobile ports of MMOs are apparently doing very well, just ask NCSoft how Lineage II: Revolution and Lineage mobile have been operating. It stands to reason that more developers are going to tap into the mobile market and make cut down versions of their PC/console games.
• Anthem’s Reboot Will Be Too Little, Too Late: File this one under ‘assuming it happens at all.’ At this juncture, I can’t see Anthem recovering from its first year to any standard that EA might find acceptable. Stores can’t give the game away and it has already hit single digit prices on the used market. For those who already own the game, at least they won’t be completely abandoned like EA has done with certain past MMOs.
• More Lootbox Alternatives: Given the threat of looming government regulations has been slowly turning into actual government regulations, I anticipate 2020 will introduce more lootbox alternatives. 2019 saw the rise of the battle pass and it looks like that’s the direction many developers are going in since you can make extra money selling levels for casual players who really want all of the cosmetics included.

That’s it for MMO Fallout’s 2020 predictions for now. If I come up with another list, I’ll be sure to publish it.