I read a post talking about why it takes so long to complete games. In the post, the lovely Dina reflects on how gaming parents are not an exception when it comes to leaving video game titles unfinished, and hypothesises that shorter campaigns and social elements could be why MMO’s are popular.
As someone who just recently cancelled a subscription to the much loved, Final Fantasty XIV, mostly due to time constraints, I can’t help but feel that there are more suitable games out there for time poor adults who want to get their gaming fix.
Cursed Casual
As anyone who keeps up with the MMO scene will know, Final Fantasy XIV launched its first expansion, Heavensward, a few weeks ago now. It is receiving a lot of positive attention in the blogsphere, and I can understand why. It looks amazing!
But here is the thing. If you are someone like me, who has small children and are studying, you’re probably never going to actually see any of that content unless you have been playing Final Fantasy XIV steadily since its release a few years ago.
The game has gating in place — meaning that reaching level cap and dropping the cash on the expansion is not enough to grant you entry into the new content. Nope, if you want to experience the new stuff, you need to have completed all of the main story line, including chapters that were added in patches, in order to progress.
In theory it’s a great idea. The players know why it is they’re in this great new zone, and all the content that the developers have worked so hard to create is still being consumed by the player base, instead of being left to die a slow, irrelevant death in zones no-one visits any more.
But in reality, it just hits super casual players like me right in the guts.
Insult to Injury
It’s not Final Fantasy‘s fault that I am studying and don’t have the time free to dedicate to clearing story that I am not really invested in. In fact, there are plenty of other players out there who are in similar situations to me and they managed to catch up just fine.
The problem is that, rational or not, I somehow feel like I am being ripped off because I haven’t caught up yet.
Sure, the developers haven’t forced me to pay for the new expansion in order to continue trudging through their dreary story mode, but I feel like I am paying a monthly fee in order to play what has been reduced to a single player RPG with guild chat.
Now, I’m not saying I deserve a discount for being a ‘bad’ player who is forced to prioritise life over progress or anything, and it would be downright wrong not to acknowledge that other players have not only put in the hard yards to reach the check, but have also paid for access to the expansion content. But, what I am saying, though, is that it’s very hard to justify the cost when I don’t have the time needed to get the most bang for my buck.
It may sound stupid, and it certainly isn’t logical, but knowing that I am so far behind everyone else with no hope of ever catching up has pretty much killed the game for me. The tiny shred of MMO elitist left in me just can’t deal with being at the back of the pack.
Not All MMO’s
Interstingly, Dina follows on her hypothesis on why the MMO genre is popular with this:
…I don’t play them because the commitment is just too high for me with a toddler at home and a husband who works crazy hours. – Source
I think this statement is a great example that shows why, even though MMO’s absolutely can be played on a casual basis, they are not ideal for time strapped gamers who still dream of being competitive. You end up getting so bogged down in all the MMO fluff that you never actually reach the good stuff, and it’s for that reason that I feel that MMO’s are lagging behind in popularity when compared to the current free-to-play behemoths.
Last year there were 27 million people who played at least one game League of Legends game per day. Hearthstone has just reached 30 million players. Those numbers put even World of Warcraft to shame.
Both of those games are not MMO’s, but they do offer much of what makes an MMO appealing without the downsides that come with it. Matches are quick, competitive and require a good degree of skill at higher ranks.
Both also have active communities and a vibrant social aspect, plus there are cash shop short cuts available in both games for the time strapped adult with any form of entertainment budget — or the more frugal folks can play without ever spending a cent.
That definitely sounds more appealing than paying $60 plus a subscription for content I will never see.
Did you make it to the FFXIV benchmark in time for expansion launch? Share your experience in the comments below.
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