Saturday, May 20, 2006
The Idea that Changed MMORPGs Forever
(an article that I wrote originally on 01/12/04)
"What is that?" cried Pippin suddenly, clutching at Gandalf's cloak. "Look! Fire, red fire! Are there dragons in this land? Look, there is another!"
For answer Gandalf cried aloud to his horse. "On, Shadowfax! We must hasten. Time is short. See! The beacons of Gondor are alight, calling for aid. War is kindled. See, there is the fire on Amon Din, and flame on Eilenach; and there they go speeding west: Nardol, Erelas, Min-Rimmon, Calenhad, and the Halifirien on the borders of Rohan."
-J.R.R. Tolkien
There is a single idea that encompasses every online game today. It reaches out to those in newly in development and those long dead. To those whose subscription base reaches to the high scale of half a million and those who maintain a smaller but fiercely loyal group.
So what is this idea? Well, quite simply: it's you. If you have a certain MMORPG that you like to follow, then you are using the idea. If you have ever posted on a MMORPG message board, then you've been exposed to the power of the idea. Even as you sit in your chair and read this article, it is proof to me that the idea is and will continue to be an everlasting force. The idea is that you, as a MMORPG fan, have the power to affect change in MMORPGs and the MMORPG industry as a whole.
Through our individual efforts, the industry continues to grow and mature. People continue to run fan sites and drum up support for their favorite game. Helpful souls continue to answer commonly asked questions on message boards and help players new to the game. People continue to brainstorm new innovative ideas to help MMORPGs become better.
And what of those ideas? I have seen ideas posted on message boards that were imprinted in the minds of those who read it. It flowed from mouth to ear, from friend to friend, colleague to colleague. Faster than anyone predicts, ideas can spread. Until they appear elsewhere, sometimes totally changed, sometimes the same. The power of ideas lies in the fact that, on their own, they can run faster and longer than a single person could take them and travel farther beyond any single person's reach of influence.
So there you have it. Now you know the secret. Only one question remains. How will you use your power?
I can hear the excuses already. "I don't use message boards, and I'm not part of a MMORPG community," some of you are thinking. Reach out to your immediate community. Let your friends know that you play online games and what you like about them. Tell them stories about the entertaining encounters you’ve have in-game. Tell them about how many hundreds of thousands of players around the world play online games. Volunteer to let them watch you play. If they buy the game, then take the time to show them the ropes. This might not seem like much, but in doing this (or if you already do this), you become a great help to the MMORPG industry. One of the most important things the industry needs right now isn’t necessarily revolutionary ideas or outside of the box thinking. One of the fundamental goals of the industry is to gain more players. The more players the current games can recruit, the more the industry grows. And the more money the industry can make, the more likely large publishers/development studios will give a chance to niche games and revolutionary ideas.
MMORPGs currently share many of the same image public image problems as D&D tabletop games. Lots of people even try to hide the fact that they play these types of games from friends and family members. Be pro-active with your enthusiasm and do your best to get your immediate community interested, knowledgeable, and, best-case, playing MMORPGs. The more we will the industry into the mainstream, the better our chances of realizing those MMORPGs of our dreams.
"But I'm not a creative idea guy," you might be saying. Who cares!! Everyone is creative in their own way, but even if you aren't at this moment in time, you can still affect change. Have you ever been reading a MMORPG discussion board when someone posts a well-thought-out one page post about his ideas to improve things? Why don't you reply to their post to say that you liked the idea and to thank them for taking the time to write it. Did that take an ounce of creativity? Nope. But I guarantee you that you will probably make that poster's day. People will climb over themselves to post criticism, critique, or to add their two cents. Hardly anyone ever posts only to say that they enjoyed reading a post and to thank the author. Your post of praise may encourage them to post more ideas, maybe some they had hidden away because they were afraid of what the community would think. With a simple act of giving praise, you have encouraged that poster to do more, and as such, you have brought change to the MMORPG industry.
Or maybe you're saying, "I have lots of ideas, but no one likes them." Again, my response is: Who cares!! You like your ideas, and you think they will make MMORPGs better. Who cares what everyone else thinks. Maybe to you, playing a MMORPG with no-rules open player vs. player and permadeath is your idea of fun. Then ride that idea with pride, regardless of what the naysayers think. There will always be people out there who will throw negativity at every idea that crosses their sight. But there are also those out there who will agree with you. And you can affect true change by attempting to reach those people. Nothing is more sad than those brilliant ideas people have in their heads or hard drives, but are too afraid to reveal to the world because they fear rejection and negative criticism.
You'll be surprised how often I hear: "I have a great idea for the MMORPG I’m designing, but I can't tell you because I’m afraid people will steal it." I can let you know right now, ideas are a dime a dozen. "What," you exclaim? You want to know why I'm putting this huge emphasis on ideas only to then say that they are relatively useless? There is a key difference here that needs to be addressed. Ideas have true value only, and specifically only, when they have motion. When they are moving from one mind to the next, as a mind turns the idea over a few times then changes or retells it to someone else. You see, an idea derives it power not from its uniqueness or genuine brilliance. It generates its power through people. Generating interest, discussion, and most important of all excitement. An amazing idea buried deep within someone's hobby-built 200-page design document, does absolutely nothing for the MMORPG industry when it is lost and forgotten in the back of the author's storage closet.
Now maybe you really do fall in the category of amateur designer who, own his own, is busy creating the next great revolutionary MMORPG. I for one implore you to release your impressive ideas, from your private grasp, in order to generate excitement and growth in the MMORPG industry. I know you want to hold on to your ideas in hope that your personal MMORPG will someday be made and you'll make millions of dollars. That may happen, but it might not (visit Tom Sloper's site for an educated discussion of why it probably will not happen). And what if it doesn't?Your great idea goes nowhere and does nothing for anyone.
Now you know the secret, and hopefully you've run out of excuses. So if you take nothing else from this blog, always remember that you (yes YOU) on an individual level have the power to shape, change, and help the MMORPG industry become better. How and when you use that power is up to you.
