Are Online RPGs dying?

This depends entirely on what you define as an Online RPG. In my mind, MMORPGs are online, and they're RPGs, so they're online RPGs.

If you mean something with less players, then you should remember games like Magicka or Diablo 3 (like anyone could ever forget that game).
If you mean just an online singleplayer RPG, there seems to be a new one every week on Kongregate.

The problem I think you're making here is trying to put all games in very singular, unique genres, when the genres all that unique at all, and often overlap each other by their definition. Like I said, I think that MMORPGs are Online RPGs as well, as are Browser-based RPGs, and anything else that is online and an RPG. Online RPG, in my head at least, seems to be a very broad genre that can apply to many other games and genres.

 

the games are not dead, but the term has been replaced by mmo and mmorpgs.

 

Can you name a big "Online RPG" coming out soon?

 

There are more online RPGs than I can count! For example, Fortune Online is a recent RPG made in flash.

 

Flash games that call themselves browser games make me angry. Just because I can make it work in my browser doesn't mean that the browser itself is actually running the game at all...it's just a window into the program that is running it.

 

I feel the ones with massive bots (like RuneScape) are sadly dieing....until they get over this then they will not be revived imo.

 

RS is dying? Although I don't play anymore, I thought it would be popular forever! I still have friends who are addicted.

 

Not completely true. Games could start with little popularity.

And then there's games like Nethack, which has plenty of players (27 playing right now on the online server, with unknown numbers playing offline), with the latest version being released in 1989.

 

The game I am playing is the only game I play and I do plan on playing long term or at least until I got certain objectives. But the objective is to continually keep on gaining.

So not all mmos are dying, but it depends on who is playing it. Some mmos might be dying, but not all are.

I just do not play other mmos.

 

Facebook RPGs are certainly not dying.

 

Facebook RPG are just time wasting (my opinion) that don't deserve to be cold RPG (even if technically they are).

About free MMORPG - devellopers have to wake up to find new ideas because the only good point they have on offline RPG is the social aspect (see for example the last Elder Scroll and name me an online RPG free or not that can rivalise).

On every good online RPG I see there is efforts for the scenarii, the graphisms, the sophistication for the customisation of one's character (many classes, many races, many skills, many way to improve one's equipement...) but on the other hand it often looks like as if lots of skills are clones one another with only small differences, different classes/races leads approximately to the same way of playing when your teammates are offline (some classes lose all their interest when you don't have partner online), equipement improvement seems to be all on the same basis...

And worse problem about free online MMORPG is that the quests are allways the same as I told (kill tons of this monster then come back, go to see the elder priest of the cursed forest to ask him what the Ogre want for breakfast, then he'll ask you to kill 150 mutant mosquitos before answering you, or go collect 30 mushrooms for the druid of Moondoor to make the holy potion he need to go to party saturday night - he has a date with the witch of Elkabiir. On the other hand the witch of Elkabiir want you to kill 150 butterflie to make a new dress... Ok I think I'll stop with the magic potion the druid made to thank me )
Then the fight never need strategy. Just hit more and more (with your best skill if you have enough MP) while you have enough HP/MP and potion to restore them, then go back to buy more, then grind to make money to buy potions... Even in massive fight against a boss the strategy is hit more and more, have a priest to heal and boost the team's abilities, maybe an assassin to force the monster focus on him in some game, but before everything else you have to hit and hit.
And last : on offline RPG you don't have to grind until you're on an high level enough to access interesting features. On MMORPG PvP is often the one with the best equipement and highest level who win. That mean make the most critical hits without strategy one more time.

Summary : if the online RPG don't try to include true strategy in their games they'll be killed by the offline ones (especially when they'll be converted into online one, which is a high possibility)

 

Excellent explanation!

The only big Online RPG was Diablo 3.

 

I agree with a lot of the opinions here. The world is ever changing and the old terminology has been replaced but the idea has not changed.
Online RPG's used to be simpler yeah and smaller definitely. The fact that they have become more complicated, and populated hasn't changed their core values a bit.

 

dont forget that steam makes some rpgs "online" without being multiplayer. technically there are many online rpgs.