From the very beginning of the creation of MMO games, this genre had a robust social component. The first experiments on player socialization were carried out in Meridian 59, which was released 28 years ago in 1996.
After receiving positive feedback from players, game developers began to use in-game chats for additional audience engagement. It became a new trend and a must-have option for all upcoming games within the genre.
This is clearly seen in Neverwinter Nights, Dungeons & Dragons, or Ultima Online. As for the last one, despite the 27 years it has been in the industry, it is still active. For example, Oceania Shard unites about 1,434 Ultima Online fans from New Zealand and Australia.
But then, the game concept and mechanics gradually changed, shifting the focus to a solo play. Scroll down to find out what caused these changes and whether future MMOs will go back to their roots.
Features That Changed MMOs Industry
At the beginning of MMO games, players did not have a wide choice of solutions for high-quality and interesting online communication. In contrast to modern realities, where social tools are widely used in the gaming industry, in the 90s, IRC chats were almost the only option for finding like-minded people regardless of where they lived.
For example, nowadays, players can use fast and simple methods of communication inbuilt literally anywhere: from sites with instant payout casinos and thematic forums to Telegram communities and Discord channels. But in the 90s, MMO game enthusiasts communicated via chats to gather teams, solve quests, compete for higher status and more.
It was an engaging experience that game developers used as the basis for the MMO game concept. However, time passed, and technological progress brought more advanced solutions for communication (MSN, MySpace, Facebook). They offered more opportunities compared to IRC chats. This led to a fading in-game chat popularity and a greater emphasis on solo play.
The Impact of Social Media Networks
In 2004, two global events happened:
- Facebook launch
- Launch of World of Warcraft
This became the starting point for the gradual abandonment of social-focused content. These two events gave a boost to both the development of MMOs and social networks.
The developers understood that in the near future, there will be a pool of players who will still love to play MMOs but without much social-focused content. The idea that the MMO genre cannot exist without communication between players has ceased to be an axiom.
Now, playing as a character in a fictional world and completing quests yourself became the norm. What‘s more, MMO game creators observed the growth of the offline game market. Ignoring this need would mean a decrease in the audience and financial losses. This led to a design shift and the emergence of solo-friendly games where the focus was shifted to gameplay.
The Catering of Systems to Solo Players
The changes mentioned earlier forced developers to create systems in which solo players could perform the same tasks as social players but without interaction with other players. Group finder is probably one of the best examples of such solutions.
Previously, in order to complete a difficult mission, a player had to find a team or join a guild. Now, the designers needed to create a game accessible to a wider audience but without compromising the idea of an MMO genre. And the solution was found! Now, thanks to the group finder, players can replace a team member and find a new one literally in a couple of seconds.
Is this all the developers did? Definitely not, because they moved forward and implemented a zero reliance on other players to progress. It was a real revolution in MMO. Now, if you have an hour to play, you do not need to spend it on social progression.
An automatic system will now do it for you. Further, designers made it possible to compete between social and solo players, which brought the MMO’s popularity to a brand-new level.
Switch of Social Platforms to Third-Party Platforms
The reduction of in-game communication was not equal to the reduction of communication within the genre. In the days when the MMO genre appeared, people were limited to thematic forums and message boards to communicate.
Then, this genre became a revolution for interaction between players. Now, third-party platforms have picked up this revolution, and the online communication market has shifted once again thanks to the following solutions:
- social media video-sharing sites
- third-party chat programs
MMO game developers also did not stand still. They began to add various features such as clan chats, guild chats, private messengers, cross-server grouping, voice chats, etc. However, it still could not be replaced, for example, by thematic YouTube channels or Discord servers for clans.
Has the Social Component of MMOs Been Changed Forever?
The development of platforms designed specifically for communication is gaining momentum. Thus, in the future, the social element as part of MMO gameplay is unlikely to become popular again. But what can be said with 100% confidence is that games definitely won‘t be adversely affected by these changes.
Modern third-party platforms provide a bunch of options for players. For instance, they not only exchange text messages but also send voice messages, organize video meetings and more. All in all, it only strengthens the communication between MMO game fans from Australia, Canada, the United States and others within the genre.
