Comments on: Barnett On: “My Five Favourite MMOs”

By: Bobsy

Bobsy — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:56:51 +0000

I would LOVE a WW2 game set in the 1800s. Seriously! A flashback-and-forthy type adventure which explores the deeper origins of the conflict would be awesome-cool.

By: Kieron Gillen

Kieron Gillen — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:35:45 +0000

Kris: West Midlands actually.

By: MacQ

MacQ — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:23:42 +0000

Basically the guy is saying he doesn’t have a clue what MMO’s are and he doesn’t see further than the tip of his nose. Well, except maybe to WOW. According to the statements he doesn’t even know what DAOC is.

By: Erlam

Erlam — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:00:07 +0000

“These games are neither massive, nor online, and most of em are not even multiplayer!

I agree, they are great games. But why not just call it: ‘My five favourite games’?”

Am I the only one who noticed the quote like, two sentences in, explaining this?

“Barnett: I was recently asked what my favourite MMOs were. Which is a preposterous thing – it’s like after [first] watching Toy Story and saying “So – what’s your favourite computer generated long movie? Eh – what is it, eh?”. That’d be… Toy Story. Because that’s all there is. “What about all these obscure Hungarian things which didn’t make any money? Can’t you show off how clever you are?” No I can’t, really.”

See, look there. He’s saying he can’t pick five, straight up ‘favourite’ MMO’s, because there are so few to pick from.

By: Eamo

Eamo — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:14:59 +0000

The article should be entitled “Paul carefully avoids mentioning any rival MMOs whatsoever”. Not like he is going to give a list of 5 real MMOs for people to go play with their own release just around the corner …

By: Grill

Grill — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 08:37:25 +0000

You had basic points? Everything seemed to be advanced, master or expert points from this angle…

By: Paul Barnett

Paul Barnett — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 19:52:53 +0000

@Myros

Er, that was one of my basic points.

By: Gorgeras

Gorgeras — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:00:35 +0000

Midlanders are like Highlanders, only you have to cut off their ass instead of their head. That’s why they’re so skinny down there; no ass to chop.

By: Myros

Myros — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 13:52:34 +0000

Really the only reason older games like civ1 and elite are considered classics are that they were the 1st. They broke new ground and defined standards for what came after. All of the elements from these games can be seen over and over again, it’s just that we have already experienced them.

It’s the exact same thing for someone who started gaming just a few years ago (like my daughter,) that generation of gamers have a whole different but similar perspective on the 1st games they played … it was new to them and sticks with them as the ’standard’ they compare newer games too.

The truth is “you can never go back”. It’s like your first hit of hard drugs, you will forever be chasing that special high and you will never get it back. But if you keep an open mind the great thing is that there are still creative people out there who at least make the effort to try new concepts and paths in game design.

So the moral of this post is … quit taking the same hard drugs, go try some new ones :)

By: Acosta

Acosta — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 12:37:18 +0000

I say Knights of the old Republic because I’m cool like that.

Very good points overall. The way he describes GTA and the american factor of it is really nice. And I’m completely agree that making a MMO Top 5 is worthless given almost all of them are a dress with different cuts . I think is very cunning when he tries to identify the elements of non-MMO games that should exist in MMO.

I’m especially interested at the Elite point as it is something I always suspected. Elite was not great for its mechanics or its pace, it was great because it really offered the illusion of freedom and offered enough toys to make you believe that. This is something that few MMOs have tried since Ultima Online in a convincing way (you could argue if UO really did it in a convincing way).

I find GTA really limited when compared with Elite, its mechanics are much more tight and it’s more satisfactory to play and control, but lacks the illusion of being able to be what you want to be in that virtual world. There is one thing I am not really agree with Paul here: I’m agree with Braben when he things Frontier failed for the bugs, Frontier was on the right track to improve the Elite formula in a much more satisfying way, and I like to think that more procedural approaches could expand on the feelings and satisfactions you had on Elite.

By: Kris

Kris — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 12:03:40 +0000

I dont agree that method of content generation prevents parralells between Elite and GTA. I took from his point that both games presented you with enough freedom of interaction to accommodate a freedom to imagine what your character / motivations were. Whilst much of GTA 3 is a revenge piece, you left enough gaps in the character’s history and enough chances to do good to counter the idea that your character is just another evil crook.
I’m for Co-tour, and I’m from the midlands, assume Gillen is from the East Midlands i.e. wannabbe Midlands but not really ;)

By: Grill

Grill — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:55:44 +0000

He’s just a big troll, isn’t he? Every single thing he says seems designed to make the internet argue with him. I’d love to argue with him.

Also, I’m with Kieron – Cott-Ore.