The Battle of the Gamers: Part Two

posted by: Cody Hargreaves, Daniel Ball Sun 26th Sep 2010

The Battle of the Gamers: Part Two
Is it hot in here, or is it just me?

By Cody Hargreaves and Daniel Ball

Cody: And we’re back. A while ago, Dan and I began what appeared to be a friendly discussion about the pros and cons of MMOs and Console Games, but before long we found ourselves locked in a gruelling battle of wits and words. Names were called; blows were deflected; we loved every second of it and we’re back for more -- we know it’s been a while, but life’s a busy beast, and we’re not all powerfully. Yet.  During our last little chat, we took a brief look at an element of the MMO that often falls under scrutiny: the story. Today, we’ve got something a little tastier.

Those of you with eyes will probably have noticed that Starcraft 2 was released last month, and it’s given me something to throw at Dan that he’s not going to see coming: competition. Sure, games like Modern Warfare 2 and Halo 3 have a strong footing in the realm of competition; I mean, they have, like, 16 player games and everything! Pfft. Welcome to the new-age people; WoW was throwing 40 versus 40 at us over 4 years ago and it’s only going up, not to mention the 12 million subscribers. Now that’s epic competition.

However, Starcraft 2 has thrown us into something of a tight spot. As I write this, there are millions of people battling it out in hundreds of thousands of games. That’s epic, too. Definition tells us it’s not an MMO. Yet, it’s not a console gamer, either. What is it? And more importantly: whose side is it on? Dan?

Dan: I’ve always wondered where exactly these kinds of games fit in genre-wise, and, to be completely honest, I don’t think I have an answer. What I can agree on; however, is that yes, they’re completely epic, and they’re fun as all hell. Starcraft 2 has got its big Xel’naga hands around my tiny little throat lately, because, in short: it’s amazing!

That said, I don’t think Starcraft 2 falls under the MMO genre at all. Sure, it has leader boards, achievements, unlockable rewards through experience and progression, but it’s by no means an MMO as we traditionally know them. Perhaps it needs its own genre? (Either way, Cody loses this argument, so we’re all fairly happy with the outcome.)

I see Starcraft 2 as having some of the best elements from both the MMO world and the console gaming world. On the one hand, we have amazingly big competition (PvP, if you like) and on the other hand we have the elements from the console gaming side of things: beautifully rendered cutscenes, a campaign mode, a story (!), challenge missions,  replays , AI opponents, and of course straight-up, real-time action-packed matches.

Now, take the ‘MMO elements’ out of the game, or the console gaming elements, and you’re left with a pretty average game, I would imagine. Thoughts, Zerg scum?

Cody: Zerg… scum? I ought to have your Protoss behind drawn and quartered for such a remark! Since when did lesser life forms start calling the clearly superior species’ names? This universe is going down hill fast. Anywho, where were we? Right -- Starcraft is not an MMO. Alright, I can agree on that. At least, in the traditional sense of the word. It’s not WoW, or Aion, or Atlantica Online, but as you mentioned; it does share a good deal of the features. Then again, it has achievements and a single-player mode, so it’s a lot like a console game, too.

I know: let’s call it a Hybrid. That seems to fit (and those of you that have finished the Starcraft Campaign might enjoy the reference), and it allows us to move on comfortably. Of course, it’s a bit of a cheese build, as it’s a fence-sitting name if I ever saw one, and it doesn’t leave much room for argument. I guess we’ll just have to leave Starcraft 2 where it is for now; it doesn’t matter if you like Console Games or MMOs, Starcraft 2 has something you’ll enjoy. How’s that for a free plug?!

I guess it makes sense to make a game that has it all though, doesn’t it? I mean, sure; there’s no persistent world, and you can’t improve your character, so it’s not going to appeal to all audiences, but it’s definitely checking a lot of boxes. Hmm… well, what’s next, Dan?

Dan: I think it all comes down to providing us (the players) with a quality experience and, of course, willingness to provide support down the line if need be. This is usually a make-or-break thing for MMOs, in the sense that; if the company fails to provide good support (and there are a lot that are guilty of this) the in game experience and fun factor is seriously reduced.

As well as good support, a nice level of ‘polish’ adds so much to a game (‘It’s the little things...’)
Whether you’re playing an MMO or not, that little polish or, to put it another way: that attention to detail, makes the game feel as though it was made to be enjoyed and not for the sole purpose of filling the developers’ wallets. This logic is probably why I so willingly parted with the money I did for Starcraft 2, probably providing the employees of Blizzard a nice, new gold-plated toilet.

It all comes down to enjoyment. Play what you enjoy (dur, right?). Over-categorisation can and will lead to arguments and flames wars, not to mention some straight-up confusion.

‘Til next time, En Taro Tassadar, gamers!

For More info please click: MMO GAMES