[MUD-Dev] Requirements for MM (was Complexities of MMOG Servers)

[Dubious Advocate]

From: "Koster, Raph" <rkoster at soe.sony.com>
> From: Dubious Advocate

> How is a business model a defining characteristic for a genre?

When it redefines the genre.

> I mean, we proposed this for UO, and it didn't happen in any
> official sense--but thanks to the emulator community, happened
> anyway. So does it qualify?

Sure.  An unrealized market opportunity five years ago has no
bearing on business realities looking forward.

  Tangent: In terms of what was proposed for UO, the UO franchise
  itself was closed down.  Amazing that a brand name which had
  already overcome market barriers and earned customer loyalty would
  be shutdown for no reason other than a dispute with the former
  owner.  But it happened.

>> Serially Massive MOG.  NWN is to this coming business model as
>> Gemstone3 was to today's graphical MUDs.

> I don't really see the analogy here either. GS3 is to MMOGs as NWN
> is to commercial sales of mud servers?

Yup.  GS3 was the first wildly successful commercial MMORPG with
customers often paying four digits per month for the privilege to
consume.  This despite the fact the free alternatives existed for
several years, even abounded.

Still it took another half decade before a follow-on product whose
prime innovation was graphics to appear.  And then another three
years before there was truly a variety of competitors.

NWN is the sole commercial Emulation MORPG with customers often
paying out four figures per month for the privilege to self-host.
This despite the fact that free PSW emus existed for several years,
and with the advent of RunUO now compete with the commercial
participant.

Still it remains to be seen how long the field will remain Bioware's
own, but perhaps the next follow-on product will be one whose prime
innovation is adherence to open standards and with a flexible
framework to mix & match graphical and scripted components.

-----
Dave Scheffer
"Questions are a burden to others, answers a prison for oneself"
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