What can SE learn from Bioware's failing Star Wars MMO?

[Denmo]

Although I agree with this, my only statement would be: Surely there is enough room in the world for 99 instant gratification MMORPGs and 1 (FFXIV) that is not.

Unfortunately, if SE wants to attract any new players, they're going to have to gear 2.0 to have at least SOME instant gratification.

[Gramul]

Unfortunately, if SE wants to attract any new players, they're going to have to gear 2.0 to have at least SOME instant gratification.

Card games.

[Hirmu]

Unfortunately, if SE wants to attract any new players, they're going to have to gear 2.0 to have at least SOME instant gratification.

There's a difference between catering to "instant gratification" -group and creating content in the game that can be done when you feel like it. In these kinds of threads the thought always comes up that there's this "casual group" that needs to be addressed or the game will fail and it'll have no players and will wither away and die.

Of course the big money is there in the casual land, but it's also a place packed with competitors and a huge chance of hurting your company's reputation, not to mention the fact that your game will most likely die in 1-2 years. But not everyone has to go there, since there's also an ever growing mass of players who are sick of the spoonfeed-consept and want something different.

Every business needs to differentiate it's product somehow and target a spesific group of customers. They don't need to aim for the maximal profit no matter what and I can very well see a place for FFXIV somewhere in the middle ground. It will never be as big as the casual MMOs and it doesn't have to be, just as long as it's not too hardcore.

There's also the slippery slope of giving in to the whine. You can just look around this forum and see that someone always thinks the game is too unforgiving, the RNG is too dominant, they're upset that getting relic is too frustrating and whatnot. Of course some people have good points, I'm not saying that, but if you were to actually try to please everyone, you'd have another SW:TOR -case on your hands.

I've rambled a bit, but my point is that many people will be pissed about the game no matter what, but the most important thing here is to make the game for someone, not everyone, and then stick to that vision. There's plenty of players out there for pretty much every type of game.

[Ingolf]

Unfortunately, if SE wants to attract any new players, they're going to have to gear 2.0 to have at least SOME instant gratification.

I don't see the issue with some instant gratification. As long as there's content for the hardcore players too.