PS3 Set To Be The New Home For MMO Gamers

Ten Million Gamers. That's how many potential new customers await the console that can create the best MMO experience. And in these early days, Sony are set to take the lions share.

[TheColbertinator]

I wish Sony would hold their input until after a release date is confirmed.They have not said when The Agency is arriving so this attitude must wait until then.

[NegativeCreepWA]

The person that wrote this needs to do some research before writing an article.

"Looking at the future titles planned, the 360 has only one the one reliably slated, wheras their is a slew for the PS3." This statement is far from correct.

Age of Conan
APB
Huxley
Champions Online
The Kingdom Under Fire MMORTS
Are all MMOs coming out for the 360. With couple a more I cant remember.

And the next Final Fantasy mmo is a multi-platform game. Square confirmed this a few months back.

[Coltrain]

Those extra titles are indeed coming out, the article reflects that now. It's good to see the approval stage doing its job, thanks for the feedback. I'd have to say though that these titles are not creating a lot of hype (they didn't make themselves obvious lets say) and don't add too much weight to the 360's credentials as the future home for MMO players, which is the crux of the article.

If the 360 had hung on to the Marvel Universe it might have been another story, many people would agree that it's a much stronger franchise than the DC Universe... Apart from Batman that is... (I can feel the comic book fanboys flames already)

[morganfell]

It doesn't matter what is coming to a console when people are not buying it. Amazon Bestseller Update

PS3 80GB Rank 7
Wii Rank 9
360 20GB Rank 91

[TheColbertinator]

edit:Nevermind

[Montrealien]

Coltrain, I don't get it. Are you saying that console MMo's will be the new home for MMo players, in general? Even PC ones? I highly doubt that. I mean, you potential customer base is smaller then World of warcraft's paying subscriber base alone. If you mean consoles only, then it makes more sense, but you articles titles is misleading if that's the point you are trying to make.

and Morgan, get back to playing games, this place is clearly making you lose it, Amazon best seller updates? lol

[Coltrain]

It's more about who can come up with the premium MMO experience. Now if one of the consoles can do that, create a game that the current WoW players want to switch to, then that console will find themselves with millions of new customers. I think that Sony and Microsoft know that too, that's why there are so many titles coming through.
Now i'm not saying that any of the current batch can do it, but the fact is that all developers are beginning to accept that consoles are becoming the norm rather than the exception, especially with the explosion of the casual gamer market brought about by Nintendo.
Imagine if Sony created the next 'must play' MMO that was accepted by the WoW and casual crowd... Folks, we would have a winner. And I believe that Sony have a better plan to attempt this.

[sumfood4u]

Isn't that the Most known SOE MMO game? If so why the Hold up, an bring more MMO FPS instead of MMORPG! Well SOE what ever floats your boat an sinks your ship, keep doing you SOE keep doing you.

[robbo918]

@sumfood4u: Who knows what they are still coming out with at Sony? I know on the podcast that was linked here the other day when asked "Is another Everquest in the works?" Smedly said "Yes" but wouldn't say anything further. It could very easily be a PS3 version since EQ2 is still alive and kicking with another expansion coming in November and PS3 is a prime place for an EQ MMO.

[Megatron08]

Well Everquest is still a live and well. Its a bit of a surprise that sony hasnt announce anything with it on the ps3. I think that it is still the best mmorpg to date.

The writer of the article is either very bias or extremely uninfo'ed about the gaming world. The articles has a lot of mistakes. They bring up the price of XBL gold membership when this is not needed to play mmo. They list 5 mmo for the ps3 and 2 are only rumors while listing 4 for the 360 that are confirmed. They leave out upcoming titles and dont even talk about mmo thats are already on the 360. They state sony is leading the way while offering zero proof and the ps3 still being dead last in over all sales.

[insane_cobra]

Here, let me help:

The Secret World
Mabinogi
Xenjo Online (Asia only for now)
Dragon Ball Online (confirmed only through a job listing so technically it's only a rumor)

Along the ones that are already out:

Final Fantasy XI
Phantasy Star Universe
Test Drive Unlimited

I really don't understand where people get the idea that PS3 is set to become the choice console of MMO players and this article certainly doesn't help me see the reasoning behind that. It's full of baseless presumptions and not much concrete evidence, and in fact, the number of released and announced MMOs seems to be pointing to a different conclusion.

[Coltrain]

Apart from The Secret World, this is an incredibly weak and unconfirmed list. Tell me, with a straight face, that Mabinogi is going to be a force on the console MMO scene across the world?
Thanks for contributing though.

[Blackcanary]

I'm not hateing on the 360 but you are talking about Final Fantasy Xl Online on the 360 that game came out PlayStation 2 on May 16 2002. and then it came out on the PC in November 2002.
It was then released in April 2006 on the 360. And Bringing it on to the 360 wasn't one of the best moves Microsoft did.
Because you have a bigger fan bass that play it on the PC and the PS2 even on the PS3 because of BC on the PS3 which lets you play PS2 games and the firmware that SquareEnix, or was it Sony can't remember, did to alow you to beable to play it on the PS3 online.

Online MMORPGS have not done well on the 360.

I play Final Fantasy 11 on my PC all the time and i hardley run into people playing it on the 360.

Fact is that on the 360 you paying every year to use XBOX live right but then if ur gonna be playing a MMORPG on top of that you paying every month.

Main reason why MMORPGS work so well on the PC is because

1. You pay monthly to use your Broad Band to go online and that is with who ever your phone company is.

2. You buy the game.

3. You pay monthly to play your MMORPG.

and thats it thats all you have to pay for thats why its done so well.
Not everyone has the cash to be able to folk out money out of there ass just to pay online.

No i live in the UK and everthing is becomeing more expences tax has gone i'm paying more for food paying more for my travel am paying more for gas lighting and everything esle to add on top of that things in the UK cost on than they do in USA.

Now i think no I believe the main reason why MMO will do better on the PS3 is because you would be paying the same amount as a PC gamer would be paying to play MMO for one:

PSN = Free don't have to pay to go online on the PS3.

1. You pay monthly to use your Broad Band to go online and that is with who ever your phone company is.

2. You buy the game.

3. You pay monthly to play your MMORPG.

thats it thats all ur paying for and with stuff like Free Realms which looks really cool damn your proberly gonna be paying less cash to play that game online.

Now take the XBOX 360

XBOXLIVE = USA $7 : 1 month UK:
$15: 3 months £35-£40(can't remember which one)
$50: 1 year : 1 year

1. You pay monthly to use your Broad Band to go online and that is with who ever your phone company is.

2. You buy the game.

3. You pay monthly to play your MMORPG.

Now if you add that with everything else you have to pay for if you not liveing with ur parents and you have kids and you have a good job that pay you will not everyone can afford to dishing out that amount of cash to play online.

And i think if your a student when it comes to MMORPGS you would stick with playing on the PC or the PS3.

Thats why i believe the PS3 will get alot more Online games comeing its way than the 360 will.

[insane_cobra]

@Coltrain

Yes, together with games Scar 360WA already listed, that's a quite strong line-up, certainly stronger than the meager PS3 offering. And all of those games are confirmed, except for Dragon Ball Online. You have the face to call me out, but you're the one who purposefully omitted a number of confirmed Xbox 360 games in your article, while touting several rumored PS3 releases? Please.

Speaking of which, what was the last successful SOE MMORPG? Yes, that's right, the first Everquest, all others are pretty much considered failures in one way or the other. In that light, Champions Online, a spiritual successor to a reasonably successful superhero MMORPG certainly stands a better chance of being a hit than DC Universe Online. Licenses don't necessarily mean much, as proven by Star Wars Galaxies and The Matrix Online which failed to attract the mainstream audience, contrary to everyone's expectations.

@Blackcanary

So you're suggesting that already having a number of more (TDU) or less (FFXI, PSU) successful MMOs is worse than having none at all? That doesn't make any sense.

As for pricing, it's decided on per-game basis. TDU, for instance, requires no additional monthly fees. There were also talks of special subscription packages that would give you access to several MMOs of your choice for a discounted fee. PS3 is certainly in advantage here because PSN is completely free (although you don't get the same features, but let's not get into that argument now), however, that still hasn't discouraged millions and millions of people from subscribing to Live Gold.

[Montrealien]

No offence Coltrain, but I just don't think you understand the MMO market very well, however I do admire you optimism. I guess we will see eachother in a few years when WoW alone still dwarfs the console MMo market.

[Coltrain]

Well said, and you may be right, I may not understand the MMO market very well. I'm really just looking at it from the perspective of IF a console could create a title that would entice PC MMO players. And you may be right, this just may never happen. It's actually refreshing to have someone submitting sensible comments to respond to.

Oh, and just for the sake of clarity for everyone else, I am actually an Xbox preferred player. I just think Sony are on the right track.

[nice_cuppa]

enough predictions !
Wait for the games then deside !
Sheeple !

[Bathyj]

Yes, lets not ever talk about a game until its in the shops. BAAAAAA !

[Ozzyb]

IKNORITE??? Just shut this site down please.. We should only talk about games when they are out! duh! Wait, what? What's a preview?

[skulldrey]

When world of warcraft hits consoles makes that dev rich. Itll never happen though =p

[cool8]

who knows M$$ might be making a deal as we speak.

[dktxx2]

Wow's not coming to Ps3 or 360. Deal with it.

[creeping judas]

WOW ever make it on either console?? I mean the graphics on WOW are mediocre and could have been handled by both last gen consoles??

I am only curious as to why it cant/wont come on a console??

[bunbun777]

So Activision and Blizzard get together- and you don't think they havnt even figured out the main way they are going to influence the console market? Arguing over the merits of WoW in particular coming to the consoles may be pointless since we have no proof- but really- when asked why it wasn't coming to consoles the best excuse the Blizzard dudes could come up with was the controller not being enough for the interface, as if someone who has decided to play WoW on the 360-ps3 would be too stupid to not also buy a keyboard and mouse.....

The biggest block I see is the amount of data for updates, patches, there's probably issues with using MS and Sony's online servors and their own....but seriously there is no good reason not to have it and eventually....mark my words....if it isn't WoW that Acti-Bliz gives us on consoles it will be another AAA MMORPG.

[BlackTar187]

http://www.videogamer.com/n...

"Blizzard has told VideoGamer.com that mega MMO World of Warcraft won't come to the Xbox 360 or PS3 not because it has something against consoles, but because of a "square peg round hole thing"."

lizzard executive vice president of product development and co-founder Frank Pearce told us in an interview published last week that the chances of upcoming RTS StarCraft 2 coming to console are "very close to zero".

Brack said: "World of Warcraft is designed as a PC game. It's designed to have a keyboard and a mouse. So the controls and the control scheme that you have are very PC centric. If you think about mapping those controls and all those different type of buttons that you have to a console without a keyboard for chatting, it's a very challenging proposition."

In the same interview lead game designer Tom Chilton insisted that the developer had nothing against games consoles.

"It's really not that we have anything against consoles," Chilton said. "I mean we love console games also. And I'm sure there will be a successful MMO sometime on a console. So it has nothing to do with that. It's just more like a square peg round hole thing for our game. It just wasn't designed with that in mind."

ME::

I think because of updates and patches/fixes and the complete need for a 52 key keyboard for your 10000 spells and items just not possible any other way for WoW in particular now other games are possible.

[iceice123]

So WoW players are all going to go PS3? I think not, WoW players are the only ones that matter, that's pretty much every MMO player.

[Stryfeno2]

Bubbles...you hit the nail on the head.

[Blackcanary]

Not really EQ1 and 2 and Final Fantasy 11 online to me is bettar than WOW. O and Guildwars is good to.

[theKiller]

agency, and new MMO sony talked about a while ago, MAG etc, the list will only grow bigger while 360 owners r stuck with 5v5 in gears of war 2,

right now ps3 is not a MMO home but i by the end of the year and in 2009 things will change!

and best multiplayer is all in ps3, resistance 2, socom, MAG, littlebigplanet, the list is only grow while its decreasing for 360!

about WOW, who needs them?? they will come eventually yo ps3 sooner or later, but the world have much more player than WOW!!

sorry but ps3 is the present and the future!!

u bots failed again, and keep singing for each other if thats what u like hearing!

[Stryfeno2]

I wonder if WoW would be considered.

[cemelc]

The platform is going to have 2 mmos that will put many ppl playing endless hours in the ps3.

I can tell from my point of view that the DC mmorpg is going to be huge(you know how many fans are going to be playing this game?)

Perhaps if this goes well see blizzard extending and aplication for the ps3(the ps3 can take on wow specification any day of the week), and since the ps3 support any usb mouse/keyboard there will not be many complains about controls

[TheColbertinator]

I remember NCsoft(Guild Wars) had two MMOs planned for the PS3.I wonder if they will display them at TGS

[SlipperyMooseCakes]

The person that wrote this article is really biased. They put rumored MMO's in the list for a line up of MMO's. Does not really work that way. They have about the same and I some how doubt the new KOTOR game is coming to the PS3.

@morganfell

Of course the 20gig 360 is going to be far down on the list. It isn't in production anymore, replaced with a 60 gig model, Microsoft confirmed a price cut today so now the 60 gig model is cheaper than the 20 gig model ever was.

The 360 sales will go up and the 360 already has a bigger user base.

[tetsuhana]

Xbox 360 Console Includes 60GB Hard Drive
Amazon.com Sales Rank: #105

[pwnsause]

hold on with those sales rankings, you know that s**t can change anytime. wait till the price drop and see if the xbox's sales ranking overtakes the PS3's sales ranking. if it doesnt, then there is no hope for the xbox.

[Harry190]

Wow, either you are not on N4G a lot or you missed the news. The next KOTOR(Not 3 , but some sort of spin off) is going to be an mmo on all platforms. In a previous issue of EGM it was also revealed, a little before the EA acquisition that they would be going multiplat with Lucas' IP.

[thehitman]

Maybe article went about this in the wrong way BUT it is true that the ps3 will have a shyt load of MMOs in the future due to the exclusive deal with NC Soft which is the leading dev behind MMOs. NC said they were looking into at least 3 ports and 1-2 new projects that they want to put on the ps3. Then Sony has their own 2 MMOs they releasing Agency and DC Universe.

[KobeT24]

Ahhhhh MAG where out thou.

and who said Huxley? Im still patiently waiting for some in game footage damn it!

[NegativeCreepWA]

MAG isn't really an mmo, though I would take it over any mmo coming out.

As for Huxley footage. If you look around you should find some videos of it. It looks an Unreal Tournament mmo. As soon as I realized that I lost all interest in it.

[NipGrip]

MAG is def. considered MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online), it's just not an RPG. I'm only talking in terms of what we expect from FPS online experiences today, not Massive in the sense of 1,000 people per server. Not there yet. Wait till 2011 maybe for the PS3 to get there. ;)

[enjoi187]

Honestly... i think the pc will keep that game type under its belt....come on two graphic cards in your pc the size of your ps3 or 360... much rather have a PC....im sure many people do

[NipGrip]

Anything else is just a Fable.

[NanoGeekTech]

Reason# 498 to own a PS3: Its black and shiny

[SlipperyMooseCakes]

The thing is to be honest the Amazon rankings really don't mean jack. I was speaking of KOTOR3 not the MMO which is what the article mentioned (my mistake there).

To sum it up I just felt like this article was meant to look the PS3 great when it is just kind of at an average state right now and in the near future when it comes to MMOs. Both consoles are about the same in that department IMO.

The 360 sales will go up dramatically starting next week and it already has a bigger user base. It has been slouching in sales as of lately but that's why they did the price cut.

[tetsuhana]

"Lately" means in recent weeks, or a couple of months at most. Almost 7 months of getting outsold by a more expensive console that only has had 1 big game is a shift in momentum, and is indicative of a bigger issue.

[ApocalypseShadow]

Age of Conan
APB
Huxley
Champions Online
The Kingdom Under Fire MMORTS
Are all MMOs coming out for the 360. With couple a more I cant remember.

1)age of conan lost most of it's players in the first month on PC
2)gta showed that running and gunning isn't enough.apb will not be enough.
3)huxley.....yeah,whatever.i' ve seen how that one looked.and the rest have to prove themselves.

but microsoft has shown that they truely don't care about online mmos.they killed true fantasy online on xbox when everyone was waiting for it.and they let the marvel game go bust.

microsoft should have been all over the marvel game like white on rice.that was a terrible move.it will be funny if sony announces marvel online alongside the dc online game.that would pretty much kill any chance of catching up to sony.

and as for amount of players,sony has wrapped that up too with warhawk,socom,killzone2,resist ance2 and the upcoming MAG.and these are just the ones we know.i'd bet they have more announcements coming to take over online.

i just don't see an mmo coming out on 360 to match unless they get WOW and make it simple to play for console gaming.but even then,it would have to link up with PC gamers and come packed in with the new $199 360.

but wait....the $199 360 doesn't come with a hard drive...

well that's a bust.

apocalypse.....

[Allowen]

Oh boy,talking about MMoRPGs.....I would love to see a new Everquest game appearing on the PS3.Does not need to put uber graphics but make someting close to EQ2 and it will sell 6 millions easily.

No offense to the fans of WoW and etc but Everquest 1 is the best of the best MMoRpgs ever made.An EQ3 well optimized to work on the PS3 will ..omg..R&R !

[Snukadaman_]

With controls...the limited ram for both consoles...I think microsoft seen this coming and decided to drop that planned marvel mmo which lets face it..would of been very crippled on the xbox 360. for proof look at the upcoming dc mmo coming for microsofts justification of dropping the idea.

[Baba1906]

warhammer would be cool on my ps3. i would enjoy that very much.

[Rob Hornecker]

Ajj the games listed for either system seem to be mostly RPG style games. What happened to military style games like MAG? The E3 preview for it was the main reason I went out and bought a PS3. Let's hope that this type of game will not be left out of the MMO future.

[Firstkn1ghT]

Does anybody here actually interested in the Agency? That game looks like Perfect Dark Zero on crack.

[NanoGeekTech]

Gamasutra has a great series about the future of MMOs on console: http://www.gamasutra.com/ph...

Sony is set up for MMO >>>>>>>&g t;>>>>>>>& gt;>>>>>>Micr osoft is not: "On a fundamental corporate level, I think that the company just doesn’t understand the whole MMO ‘thing’. The Xbox Live service is a known quantity at this point, and it's probably one of the defining elements of this generation of consoles. That said, having the patience to see something like an MMO through to completion is a very different task"

Any MMOs that comes from Microsoft will be on the 360Next.......The guy makes a great point....If 360 does get any MMOs and there is a monthly charge...that may get a little expensive...LIVE membership plus MMO membership....

Sony does MMOs...........already and has a division that is solely responsible for MMOs....so they have the experience and know how...

MMOs will be another way the Sony PS3 will differentiate itself from the 360...

---I noticed many people name some games coming from Microsoft 360 that are MMOs......These games has not been recently confirm...and we have not heard any public or secret announcement....Nothing at E3..nothing at GDC...nothing at PAX.............So for the many that are naming MMO games for the 360 please read the above article...

---Whereas we know Sony is working on MMOs they have mention it several times this year...and they have confirm that they are indeed in the process of making MMOs mainstream for the console masses..............

--Hard Drive are standard on PS3.....and when Sony begin to use folding@home networking techniques to help make online game play faster and smoother then it is already......Sony is set up perfectly to OWN the MMO market on next gen console.....

[Montrealien]

I'll stick with my PC for my main MMo fix, you kids have fun though ;D

[NanoGeekTech]

..............My 4 year old plays more games on the PC...that is her console of choice..www.Barbie.com, HelloKitty, Dora the Explorer...you get the point..

I rather play my games on my Consoles...PS3 or 360...

PC gaming extremely overrated...........why spend 4-5k for a PC that can handle all games available...and you can spend $399.00 and the whole family can have a far better experience.... VISTA SUCKS A$$ thru straws.....just bought a new computer...should got an Apple.

[Montrealien]

If you think you need to spend 4-5k to game on a PC, you are clearly uneducated on how PC`s work. I game plenty and enjoy gaming on both consoles and PC, I don`t feel the need to say one is overated or not, why do you? I was talking about MMos and 20million + people playing a variety of MMos on PC would agree with my point of view. I do think there is a market for MMo`s on consoles, I just don`t think it will ever take over the PC mmo market, which is what the author of the article is implying.

Oh, and just to let you know, Vista problems are usually 12inches from the screen 99% of the time.