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MMORPGS: ADJUSTING TO AN IMPATIENT PLAYER BASE

There’s a new phenomenon taking place right now in the gaming world. The next generation of gamers is a totally different breed. It seems that patience is a scarce resource in this crowd and that everything, including results, needs to occur instantly.

Massively Multiplayer Online games have followed the classic RPG since their inception. There’s a specific structure that’s necessary for these titles to fit into the genre. It seems that this format is set to change, though. Let’s look into the how and why of this phenomenon.

Intended Gameplay

The concept of an MMORPG is somewhat simple, and much of the original idea remains true today. Essentially, you create a character, choose their class, and enter a massive world where you explore, fight, make friends, and partake in various adventures.

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The core of the gameplay revolves around character evolution. The more a person invests time in their hero, the stronger they become. This is via mechanics revolving gear acquisition, quest completion, and level climbing through various activities that provide experience points.

Unlike other genres, this one rewards players for the amount of time they play. Playing lotteries like cash for life offers a quick gameplay experience. Time-limited multiplayer games like Call of Duty: Warzone and Valorant are focused on that esports-style action and speed. MMORPG is far more long-term. Thus, some characters will have an advantage due to the investment that a person has put into theirs. Some users get to flaunt high level gear while riding an epic mount, while others that just started get to watch and dream of the day they acquire those items.

Instant Gratification

There are two major impacts on the MMORPG world that come from the philosophy of instant gratification. Before looking into those, though, it’s important to understand that this concept goes directly against the idea of character evolution over time. Time investment sets players apart in this genre.

The first major impact is a shift in player desire. Rather than a focus on long-term character development, new users want a “wow” moment right away. Thus, they flock to titles that offer as much. 

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The second major impact is the game developer reaction as a whole. Rather than stay consistent to the original MMORPG concept, they caved to requested changes to maintain profits.

Thus, microtransactions like the loot box were born. These offer players a chance to deposit real money for virtual rewards. Long-time fans of the genre complain to no end regarding this change, and nobody can blame them.

Impossible to Satisfy

Just as coffee and lemon don’t go well together, paid shortcuts for progression and MMORPGs are incompatible. Now developers have a conundrum. The player base is divided into two sections: people who support or oppose microtransactions.

The End of an Era

At this point, the divide between customers is too great. There’s a noticeable fatigue regarding microtransactions that doesn’t look to leave anytime soon. For the foreseeable future, the genre will continue with tools for instant gratification, ruining the experience for many players.

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