SmokeJumper Takes a Swing at Competing MMOs
If you’ve been following the EQ2 Dev Tracker, you know that EQ2 Senior Producer SmokeJumper has been tearing things up the past few days with much dodging, parrying, and responses to player concerns.
In response to the argument that “EQ2 is dead”, EQ2 Senior Producer SmokeJumper had some words for competing MMOs out there. While he didn’t mention Rift: Planes of Telara by name — which just opened with what some people are calling the smoothest, most successful Beta Test of any MMO in history, and which will be launching head-to-head with Destiny of Velious next spring — well, check out the quote after the jump…
Lol. Yup. [EverQuest 2] was dead when Conan came out. It was dead when Warhammer came out. It’s been dead over and over again.
Yet the rumors of our demise seem to be somewhat exaggerated.
In other words, I doubt that will happen. Someday, someone might actually make a brand new kind of MMO that astounds and amazes gamers, revolutionizing the genre, but as long as people just keep reinventing the same old thing (that SOE built originally), EQII will stand with the best of the genre. We’ve been doing it longer and better than most and no one can match our depth of content and features with a new game that’s only been in development for a year or two. It’s just not possible.
That’s not bragging. That’s fact. We’ll welcome you back after you try the new fad and get tired of it. And meanwhile, we’ll be busy making this game better and better while you’re away.
Players responded with the statement that Conan and Warhammer were weak examples and launched with too many bugs and design flaws to be worthy competitors. SmokeJumper volleyed with:
Heh. I thought I might get trout slapped a bit for that bragging. Okay…here’s my point: Someone might make a great new kind of MMO someday, but anyone that thinks they can make a new MMO with the existing formula and expect to beat games that have been living and growing their content for 7+ years is…well…foolhardy. If you want to glom onto existing players, then make something new! Or at least try the existing model with a huge franchise backing it! One or the other.
We’re going to make EQII better over the coming year. In fact, I can’t wait to execute on some of the things we’ve talked about internally. But it’s already a good game (despite its foibles) and many, many players love it and have played it over the years. I’m personally proud to be associated with something that has so much legacy and respect. We do what we do quite well, and if you want to play a game like EQII…then you probably should play EQII. My opinion, of course. There’s not really much reason to look elsewhere.
Tags: smokejumper
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Comments (8)
Quesera
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SmokeJumper is a bit too..big headed in his comments sometimes. I’m not sure I care for him. I love EQ2, but I’m so bored I could cry and if I were smart I’d probably find something else to do for awhile lol
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Feldon
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Like Rift beta? 🙂
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Quesera
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lol I’m not into MMOs other than this one. So maybe go..do the laundry 🙂
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Lejoni
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I play many MMOs. But even though I like to play another MMO every now and then EQ2 is still my favorite. And Did I have to make a choise of one EQ2 it would be. EQ2 sertanly can lern some from other MMOs. But in general I have to agree with SJ.
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Lejoni
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Well have to correct SJ on one point. SOE did not start EQ and the 3D MMO genre. Verant did. and SOE made a smart decition when thay bought Verant.
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Maytera
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I’m constantly amazed at Smokejumper’s comments. His name is more aptly “Smokeblower” as hes constantly blowing smoke up everyones ass. He touts these amazing new concepts which become nonevents. Theres a difference between having a great product people want to use and a product use because the alternatives are worse.
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Eschia
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As much as i hate having to agree with smoke on ANYTHING, he is right in his sarcastic statement; “EverQuest 2 was dead when Conan came out. It was dead when Warhammer came out. It’s been dead over and over again”.
People always like to speculate doom’s wake. Rather it be the end of a game, or the end of time. Yet when the day specified approaches, the only ones to die are the crazy cults who off themselves over it.
The only thing that will really bring doom to EQ2 is if they keep pumping useless pointless stupid crap into it that we don’t want.
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Murfalad
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I think he’s bang on there, the forums would be a better place if we could get away from the sterile “EQ2 is dead because XYZ is about to release”.
AoC I haven’t played yet although I know it had problems at launch, but WAR I have played, it was great, but it was PVP only. The fact is a ton of people left WoW to play AoC (800k), ditto for WAR. Both games got those players without actually being any better then EQ2 or WoW, the fact is hype>our current game, and it always will sucker in a barrel load of new players.
As for a successful beta, WAR’s was fantastic, some ex-EQ2 players I know of were singing its praises then because it really was great. Unfortunately though that was it, there wasn’t anything else to do in that game so it gets stale quickly, we’ll know if its the next big thing 3-6 months after launch, not based on a few hours play.
And that’s where I am with Rift and KOTOR. They haven’t done anything yet, but people are singing their praises as if they are the second coming, the fact Scott is working on Rift makes it a bit more special, but other then that it seems too PVP focussed to me and has no non-human races.
In fact no one has put forward exactly why I should be excited about the game, in the end I agree with SmokeJumper here, they are essentially producing exactly the same game as EQ1, and exactly the same as the one we are playing here already in EQ2, but with no Frogloks.
Case closed.
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