Gaming Nirvana

As most of you know I have been playing WoW, a certain beta, and even firing up F11 from time to time in the last few months-- even during the launch of FF14. I have beaten a few Xbox 360 games as well. I know there were a few nights when I baffled everyone on vent that I was doing WoW Holiday quests, while everyone quested in the new game FF14.

I tend to take longer to finish things than my friends and a while ago I got tired of setting on a course to finish X, Y, and Z in a game and others moving on before I even finish X. I confess -- I'm a completionist and perfectionist. I have long known these things about myself, but until recently I didn't know how much they affected my gaming happiness.

Reflecting on my personal situation with the economy, I realize what it must have taken to publicly announce such leadership changes, apologize to the public and offer to indefinitely extend the free time in FF14. We all mess up. And they acknowledge they did. All we can do now is provide feedback (if you chose), and if not, just go play something else for the time being. I don't see any of the other countless MMOs that have released in less than optimal conditions publicly firing people, offering apologies and letting users have free trials indefinitely.

This isn't the same as a F2P model because with those, the devs are still recouping costs through sub packages and cash shops. Sony has no way of recouping costs for their mistakes at the moment. Other than initial box sales, which all MMOs get, they haven't made anything on the project.

The places I work in make mistakes all the time for various reasons, and I'm sure is the same for your place(s) of business. The difference is -- the majority of us do not work on titanic sized projects of $150mil or more with one chance at launch. I have seen a of a simple $2mil gaming project with at least 3-4 launches die ---I can't imagine having to deal with the realities of MMO development today as a team lead. And clearly based on the market -- only one or two can say they nailed it.

Blizzard is the only company so far to not have a public black mark on their record.

Sure things like LOTRO opened a new way to come back from failure, but at the end of the day, it's still not what was desired by the original intent of the project.

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Maybe going from one game to another is what keeps things interesting for you, maybe it's firing up Tower Defense from time to time... what ever it is do it. And don't let "Well I have to play with my husband/wife/gf/best friend/pet dog", whatever stray you from it completely. I know it is easier said than done having had to make joint "what are we going to play next" discussions in the past, but I find it is far more of a burden and puts a lot of angst on game X's failures than need be -- "Damnit if they had only released a perfect MMO -- we wouldn't be fighting". Oh yes you would, it would just be about something else. :)

Find a happy medium of meeting up on a few nights a week with friends (much like a weekly poker game) and doing stuff YOU want to do.

I have been practicing this for over two years now and it's made me a much happier gamer.

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Why do I bring this all up?

Well I hate to break it to you guys that whatever new game you are waiting on, is also gonna suck. Unless its Cataclysm. What do I mean by that? Sure you can play whatever game you want as long as the server doors are open -- but if the game isnt making money and is considered a financial failure (as most MMOs are for all intents and purposes), the level of new content you will see with a new MMO will be greatly diminished, and without that the MMO will never be a thriving world.

What's that you say? There is a new beta that is making you happy? Well it will be a wait and see game to how it is received critically, and more importantly -- will players stay? Quite a few of the usual trolls are already complaining off and on beta boards for the game about how this one is gonna fail as well..

We are simply in a "bad" time for MMO development as gamers. The industry isn't sure how to churn out McMMOs - consistent tasting , albeit bland hambuger patties. And since each of these beauties is worth more than their weight in gold pressed latinum, we are watching some expensive experimentation. Once we get our consistent yummy addictive hamburger, then we'll start to see the incremental improvements we have all been waiting on, the real meat of the types of innovation that makes us love games.

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I"m going to continue to piddle in FF14 as Bean suggested. I want the game to be all I see in FF11 and more. I listen to the FF11 podcast and find myself realizing that a graphical upgrade (FF14) isn't enough to not play FF11, so I have patched and installed that. The content they are releasing in FF11 is amazing.

I have found a new way of gaming and that's just to play what I want, when I want, and try to spend some time with friends. It's less stressful for me and I'm far happier. Feeling like I don't have to quit game A over game B next week.

I hope you all find ways of making your own gaming nirvana as well.