Comments on: The Power of IP http://www.killtenrats.com/2007/02/23/the-power-of-ip/ a group of adventurers on an epic quest Mon, 13 Oct 2008 02:26:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Julian http://www.killtenrats.com/2007/02/23/the-power-of-ip/#comment-16480 Julian Tue, 27 Feb 2007 06:00:45 +0000 http://www.killtenrats.com/?p=950#comment-16480 Something else I thought of while I was in the shower today... no kidding: We can't discount the "Oh, honey, look!" factor that LOTRO will most definitely have attached. Young couple or modern pairing equivalent, 21-35, enough disposable income walks into your friendly neighbourhood Best Buy, CompUSA, Whathaveyou in late April, early May, and one of them sees a nice big box. "Oh, honey, look! It's Lord of the Rings!" I'm thinking LOTRO will do a good job at pulling many of those that have no idea about new games, betas, tasty preorders or things like that. And now I'm thinking the fact that LOTRO is basically emuWoW was a deliberate design decision to retain these people after install. Something else I thought of while I was in the shower today… no kidding: We can’t discount the “Oh, honey, look!” factor that LOTRO will most definitely have attached.

Young couple or modern pairing equivalent, 21-35, enough disposable income walks into your friendly neighbourhood Best Buy, CompUSA, Whathaveyou in late April, early May, and one of them sees a nice big box.

“Oh, honey, look! It’s Lord of the Rings!”

I’m thinking LOTRO will do a good job at pulling many of those that have no idea about new games, betas, tasty preorders or things like that. And now I’m thinking the fact that LOTRO is basically emuWoW was a deliberate design decision to retain these people after install.

]]> By: Collin http://www.killtenrats.com/2007/02/23/the-power-of-ip/#comment-16476 Collin Tue, 27 Feb 2007 04:58:50 +0000 http://www.killtenrats.com/?p=950#comment-16476 Getting both perspectives of Brent as well as you is interesting. I mean, we can analyze it all we want, but it just breaks down to play style. Some MMO players are crafters, explorers, raiders, alt-a-holics, levelers, economists, pvp'ers, and so on. It's interesting how certain games have lent themselves to catering to different parts of these interest groups. All in all, there isn't just one way to address it. LOTRO will do fine pulling in players who are there for IP reasons, and leaning on the WoW style probably isn't such a bad thing. It's a reliable game that is sure to provide for your basic WoW related gameplay needs. The devs of LOTRO can focus on letting WoW set that precedent and expand in their own directions. I think it all works fine. Getting both perspectives of Brent as well as you is interesting. I mean, we can analyze it all we want, but it just breaks down to play style.

Some MMO players are crafters, explorers, raiders, alt-a-holics, levelers, economists, pvp’ers, and so on. It’s interesting how certain games have lent themselves to catering to different parts of these interest groups. All in all, there isn’t just one way to address it.

LOTRO will do fine pulling in players who are there for IP reasons, and leaning on the WoW style probably isn’t such a bad thing. It’s a reliable game that is sure to provide for your basic WoW related gameplay needs. The devs of LOTRO can focus on letting WoW set that precedent and expand in their own directions. I think it all works fine.

]]> By: Indy http://www.killtenrats.com/2007/02/23/the-power-of-ip/#comment-16466 Indy Sat, 24 Feb 2007 16:17:33 +0000 http://www.killtenrats.com/?p=950#comment-16466 I agree with you on your point about Blizzard making WoW a good game that stands alone. In fact, I had never played any previous Warcraft game, knew nothing about the IP when I started playing. I got the game and have kept playing it because of the gameplay. Oh, learning the lore is also kinda fun. That's the cherry on top of the gameplay. I agree with you on your point about Blizzard making WoW a good game that stands alone. In fact, I had never played any previous Warcraft game, knew nothing about the IP when I started playing. I got the game and have kept playing it because of the gameplay.

Oh, learning the lore is also kinda fun. That’s the cherry on top of the gameplay.

]]> By: Inhibit http://www.killtenrats.com/2007/02/23/the-power-of-ip/#comment-16465 Inhibit Sat, 24 Feb 2007 05:12:55 +0000 http://www.killtenrats.com/?p=950#comment-16465 Games that rely on an IP to draw folks tend to make me nervous. I willfully avoided both SWG as well as the Matrix Online games for that very reason. Gamsof that type tend to focus more on "where's the faimialr stuff" than true mechanics. I guess that is why I was such a fan of AC1. Turbine really hit a home run with that game. It was not dependant upon the typical toolbox of enimies and heroes found in most fantasy games (elves, orcs, etc). They stepped outside the box on that game, and it drew more focus to the actual game within the game. When a company releases a title that is based on some popular IP franchise, there is almost always an inherent weakness in it. I put forth examples of the old console games (Raiders of the Lost Ark, ET, and others on the Atari systems) that were complete drek. Not b/c of the platforms they were released on... they were about as good as it got at the time... but b/c the games were trite, shallow, and ultimately unfun. WoW came to terms with that. Blizzard realized that to make a game, they could base the genre on their previous games. However, they had to make a game that was able to stand on it's own merit, and then overlay the genre. I mean, do you think that WoW would be any more than slightly less popular had there never been any Warcraft games before it? If you think so, then why has there not been a Starcraft Online done? Or god forbid a Diablo Online? Franchise does not make a game... ever. However, it has killed quite a few due to marketting weenies that dont understand the market to which they are trying to peddle to. My $0.02 Games that rely on an IP to draw folks tend to make me nervous. I willfully avoided both SWG as well as the Matrix Online games for that very reason. Gamsof that type tend to focus more on “where’s the faimialr stuff” than true mechanics.

I guess that is why I was such a fan of AC1. Turbine really hit a home run with that game. It was not dependant upon the typical toolbox of enimies and heroes found in most fantasy games (elves, orcs, etc). They stepped outside the box on that game, and it drew more focus to the actual game within the game.

When a company releases a title that is based on some popular IP franchise, there is almost always an inherent weakness in it. I put forth examples of the old console games (Raiders of the Lost Ark, ET, and others on the Atari systems) that were complete drek. Not b/c of the platforms they were released on… they were about as good as it got at the time… but b/c the games were trite, shallow, and ultimately unfun.

WoW came to terms with that. Blizzard realized that to make a game, they could base the genre on their previous games. However, they had to make a game that was able to stand on it’s own merit, and then overlay the genre. I mean, do you think that WoW would be any more than slightly less popular had there never been any Warcraft games before it?

If you think so, then why has there not been a Starcraft Online done? Or god forbid a Diablo Online?

Franchise does not make a game… ever. However, it has killed quite a few due to marketting weenies that dont understand the market to which they are trying to peddle to.

My $0.02

]]> By: Heartless_ http://www.killtenrats.com/2007/02/23/the-power-of-ip/#comment-16463 Heartless_ Fri, 23 Feb 2007 22:08:20 +0000 http://www.killtenrats.com/?p=950#comment-16463 Interesting. My early impressions so far have been that the game isn't that lacking in game play... it really lacks that Lord of the Rings oomph. Mainly because it is such a departure from how Middle Earth actually works. They took far too much liberty with everything and it really ruins the feel. I don't think the underlying game is "great", but it's not bad. It feels like Dungeons and Dragons Online all over. An OK underbelly for a game with a hideous mutation of the IP for it's backbone. Not to mention LotRO is slow, awkward, and for the most part it resonates a "blah" feeling. From crafting to adventuring; there just isn't anything that screams "play me". It is an average offering at best and any success from the name sake will be quickly dissipate within a year. I still don't see it breaking 200,000 subs. Interesting. My early impressions so far have been that the game isn’t that lacking in game play… it really lacks that Lord of the Rings oomph. Mainly because it is such a departure from how Middle Earth actually works. They took far too much liberty with everything and it really ruins the feel.

I don’t think the underlying game is “great”, but it’s not bad. It feels like Dungeons and Dragons Online all over. An OK underbelly for a game with a hideous mutation of the IP for it’s backbone.

Not to mention LotRO is slow, awkward, and for the most part it resonates a “blah” feeling. From crafting to adventuring; there just isn’t anything that screams “play me”. It is an average offering at best and any success from the name sake will be quickly dissipate within a year. I still don’t see it breaking 200,000 subs.

]]> By: Indy http://www.killtenrats.com/2007/02/23/the-power-of-ip/#comment-16460 Indy Fri, 23 Feb 2007 20:10:47 +0000 http://www.killtenrats.com/?p=950#comment-16460 The IP could carry them through quite a bit, IF they're true to it. My point was that SOE was not true to the SW IP; so much so that though a die-hard SW fan (I saw the original movie over 30 times in the theater.... not counting video or the special edition release) I completely wrote it off once I saw how it played even though I'd been highly anticipating it before release. The IP could carry them through quite a bit, IF they’re true to it. My point was that SOE was not true to the SW IP; so much so that though a die-hard SW fan (I saw the original movie over 30 times in the theater…. not counting video or the special edition release) I completely wrote it off once I saw how it played even though I’d been highly anticipating it before release.

]]> By: Julian http://www.killtenrats.com/2007/02/23/the-power-of-ip/#comment-16458 Julian Fri, 23 Feb 2007 19:01:04 +0000 http://www.killtenrats.com/?p=950#comment-16458 Really. I mean... Elves? Dwarves? Blizzard should sue them. ;) Really. I mean… Elves? Dwarves? Blizzard should sue them. ;)

]]> By: Zubon http://www.killtenrats.com/2007/02/23/the-power-of-ip/#comment-16456 Zubon Fri, 23 Feb 2007 18:53:24 +0000 http://www.killtenrats.com/?p=950#comment-16456 This game <em>so</em> rips off Tolkien. This game so rips off Tolkien.

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