Brad McQuaid on the Decline of Community in MMo's.

[Viv]

"Taking a proactive approach to bringing people together, helping them make friends, and involving them with the community is paramount -- in 2016 you cannot simply let people do that by themselves -- for too long games have made this unnecessary and, in a sense, we need to help de-program them and re-reveal the magic and fun that comes from teamwork and shared experiences."

Say what you will about the man and his career, but he still sees it right overall. Blizzard lost their way on this. I'm happy there are still several developers out there that see it how it is for the old school MMO players. Here's hoping we get our servers back one way or another very soon!

[melak]

"Taking a proactive approach to bringing people together, helping them make friends, and involving them with the community is paramount -- in 2016 you cannot simply let people do that by themselves -- for too long games have made this unnecessary and, in a sense, we need to help de-program them and re-reveal the magic and fun that comes from teamwork and shared experiences."

Say what you will about the man and his career, but he still sees it right overall. Blizzard lost their way on this. I'm happy there are still several developers out there that see it how it is for the old school MMO players. Here's hoping we get our servers back one way or another very soon!

As long as the owners find it more profitable to make dumbed down solo games, i think we wont see much of a difference sadly :/

[Norjak]

As long as the owners find it more profitable to make dumbed down solo games, i think we wont see much of a difference sadly :/

How do you know that - are there any numbers to back this up, or is it just an assumption that companies make more profits off of dumbed-down solo games?

[Raven]

As long as the owners find it more profitable to make dumbed down solo games, i think we wont see much of a difference sadly :/

How do you know that - are there any numbers to back this up, or is it just an assumption that companies make more profits off of dumbed-down solo games?

If it wasn't more profitable they wouldn't be doing it.

[melak]

As long as the owners find it more profitable to make dumbed down solo games, i think we wont see much of a difference sadly :/

How do you know that - are there any numbers to back this up, or is it just an assumption that companies make more profits off of dumbed-down solo games?

Look at the elder scrolls series for another example, how they simplified that game to increase customers (console friendly with lack of depth), compare Skyrim to Morrowind (just one example). This goes across the board basically, sad development imo.

[Lokrosh]

As long as the owners find it more profitable to make dumbed down solo games, i think we wont see much of a difference sadly :/

How do you know that - are there any numbers to back this up, or is it just an assumption that companies make more profits off of dumbed-down solo games?

Look at the elder scrolls series for another example, how they simplified that game to increase customers (console friendly with lack of depth), compare Skyrim to Morrowind (just one example). This goes across the board basically, sad development imo.

Videogames used to be a niche. Games made by gamers for gamers. It's been bigger than movies and music combined for years now though, so it can't be niche anymore, it has to be mainstream or it won't sell enough. Videogames have become just another completely commercialized business like any other.

[phyriel]

Indeed but still it doesn't mean that as a gamer you should chew on every shit served your way just because gaming became a bigger business in general. Its like with music... some will listen to radio hits and consider them best music ever created and some will dig more, find jazz and never turn the radio back again. Ofc me as a musician I listen to everything if time allows and make my mind, I tend to find good in most things (although sometimes its impossible). When it comes to gaming I can value many approaches ranging from casual centric -> hardcore centric but when it comes to wow I can't suffer the direction that game took... its like I had a perfect jazz band that I loved and after 10 years they devolved into bad sounding, lipsyncing, bad disco band.

[Vaulken]

Videogames used to be a niche. Games made by gamers for gamers. It's been bigger than movies and music combined for years now though, so it can't be niche anymore, it has to be mainstream or it won't sell enough. Videogames have become just another completely commercialized business like any other.

Dark Souls

[nervous]

"Taking a proactive approach to bringing people together, helping them make friends, and involving them with the community is paramount -- in 2016 you cannot simply let people do that by themselves -- for too long games have made this unnecessary and, in a sense, we need to help de-program them and re-reveal the magic and fun that comes from teamwork and shared experiences."

Say what you will about the man and his career, but he still sees it right overall. Blizzard lost their way on this. I'm happy there are still several developers out there that see it how it is for the old school MMO players. Here's hoping we get our servers back one way or another very soon!

He's missing the point of what's happened in real life that changed people that play video games.