I read an interesting conversation about World of Warcraft “clones” (because I can’t say no to a topic I know will leave me steaming), someone brought up cars, and why no one refers to today’s cars as “Model T clones,” or “Ford clones” because Ford made the first commercially viable automobile. This got me thinking, and I found that cars do get compared just as much as MMOs do. Not all the way back to the Model T, but to one another, as “clones.”
Automobiles are, for the most part, structurally similar. They contain your basic engine, headlights, dashboard, steering wheel, four wheels, etc. Compared to an MMO, these would be the systems that make the game not unique, but are rather required simply to maintain functionality. Where vehicles start to branch out starts to come into effect when looking at the casing (graphics), handling (controls), speed (performance), reliability (long term viability), and other perks and pieces. For example, my Kia Rio looks a bit like my friend’s Honda, but while my car carries Sirius Satellite Radio, his car has fancy things like anti-lock breaks and electric windows.
What you end up with are automobile companies that are famous for one thing or another, each with a line of vehicles that are easily distinguished from one another from a visual and statistical perspective. For example, most minivans look alike, but when you look at them closely, you start to see the distinguishing features.
So perhaps the car analogy does fit well, but the same applies to any line of products, and I imagine I would see similar conversations going on cars if I frequented those forums the same way I do for MMOs.
MMO Fallout 