Would a Makeover Be Enough To Get You Back?
Posted by Stropp on September 4, 2011Let’s face it. Gamers can be a fickle bunch, always chasing after the next bit of shiny.
We move on to new games, and after playing them, continue on to the next game. When, for whatever reason, we eventually return to our roots, we often look at the graphics and put the game back on the shelf. This seems to be especially the case with MMORPGs.
While games like Asheron’s Call and Anarchy Online still have loyal followings, they’re no where near as big as they used to be. Since these are games with great gameplay, the older graphics quality must play a part.
So when a game like Anarchy Online starts talking about doing a graphics engine upgrade, and starts porting to the same game engine that they used for AoC and are using for the upcoming The Secret World, is that enough to make you sit up and take notice?
Considering that AO is a partially free to play game. Would a graphics makeover be enough to lure you back to the game and start playing again?
Would updated graphics prompt you totry it for the first time?
Graphic overhauls always seem to be something of a mistake. It is like most code re-writes, you end up with resources not working on expanding the product.
An overhaul will get some vets to come back to just see it, I’ve done that in EQ with their graphic updates, but how many people stopped playing the game because of the graphics?
@Wilhelm – I’m thinking not many stopped because of the graphics, but now years later, returning to the game because of the graphics might be more of a factor. An overhaul might even bring new players in.
On the resources question: It looks like this is been done by a small part of the team or an individual, so it might not impact that much on expansion of the product. But in anycase, if it brings in players that then subscribe or buy the expansions, then the trade-off might be worth it. Unfortunately, the reasoning behind those business decisions are closed to us.
Personally I’d prefer a UI upgrade. I played AO for a few days a couple of months ago, at a friend’s behest, but I’m too anal about my UIs. AO’s was possibly worse than SWG’s, which is saying a great deal.
The graphics were weird and old, but no more so than those of Asheron’s Call… And I probably wouldn’t go back to AC even with a gfx overhaul, though it pains me to say it. I loved that game — but that ship has sailed, I fear.
Pretty graphics don’t make a game, as the WAEx pointed out.
@Ysharros — I went back and played it a few months back too, and I concur. A UI upgrade would make a lot of sense. The funny thing was that even after playing AO for over a year back in 2002/03, after coming back the UI was extremely hard to get used to.
I figure that if a developer is going to do something as major as a graphics overhaul, then revamping the UI wouldn’t be bad idea either.
Although I have to say, while graphics don’t ‘make’ the game, nice graphics can make the game feel special. LotRO is a good example. More than once when running through an area I found myself just stopping to take in the scenery. That sort of thing does make a game better.
Add A Comment
Subscribe to the RSS Feed For These Comments