- One would think that, due to the poor performance of new MMOs over the last five years, MMO launches would be in decline. Not so, says PC Gamer. Their list of the Best PC Games of 2013 includes twenty-three (TWENTY THREE!!!!) games that either are MMOs or are only tangentially related. Some sounds interesting, some sound terrible, and some I could not care less about.
- The Elder Scrolls: Online - The biggest game on the list is obviously TESO. It looks an awful lot like a bog-standard reaction to The One True Game. All signs point toward it crashing and burning just like SWTOR, but we'll have to wait and see. It'll probably be really good for 30 days.
- Shadowrun Online - I know that, as a card-carrying nerd, I'm supposed to like Shadowrun. But the cyber-fantasy setting never did anything for me. I hope it's all everyone wants out of a game, but I'm not sure it is for me.
UPDATE: Blue Kae reminds us that Shadowrun was just Kickstarted in 2012 and so is nowhere near release. So cross another one off the 2013 list. - Neverwinter - Finally, the MMO-like RPG becomes and MMORPG-like game. I'm reserving judgment, but Cryptic has a decent track record for their previous releases. Note that I said decent.
- Firefall - The first time I wrote this, I was actually writing about WildStar, because damn these names are dumb. When I looked up what Firefall really is, it seems to fit the name. I hope you like shooting dudes a lot!
- Everquest Next - Here is a big question mark. I like what SOE is saying about it. Hopefully they really are rethinking the MMO in a serious way.
UPDATE: The Ancient Gaming Noob reminds us that EQ Next is nowhere near release. So this is a topic for a different year. - Marvel Heroes - No one really believes that this will be any good, right?It's probably not even an MMO. I'm sure it will linger in free-to-play hell for some time.
- Survarium - STALKER the MMO? Okay. Releasing this year? Not in a playable state if it does.
- Age Of Wulin/Wushu - A Chinese MMO coming to the west. I can't see how that could ever go wrong. (Um, can someone remind me the correct HTML code to sarcasm tag something?)
- Project V13 - LOL
- WildStar - This is the one game that I'm most curious about. WildStar seems to want to be all things to all people. About this I am skeptical. But it looks like a lot of fun and I'm really interested to see if they pull it off.
- Wizardry Online - Tipa and Wilhelm have already said everything that needs to be said. Next...
- World Of Darkness - Is anyone else curious if CCP can pull it off again? If the players can take control of the game the same way they have with EVE Online, it will be a thing to behold. I'm not convinced it released in 2013, though.
- Otherland - Won't release ever. Don't even worry about it.
- Infinity - Won't launch in 2013. Not worth thinking about.
- City Of Steam - I know people are very positive about this game. But if it does Darkfall numbers, I'll be impressed.
- World Of Warplanes - NOT AN MMO!
- Heroes And Generals - Oh, for eff's sake.
- The Castle Doctrine - Look, Jason Rohrer is a singular game developer. But, come on. This is barely an MMO. Good luck to him, though.
- Transformers Universe - HA HA HA HA HA!
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!
UPDATE: For Vagabond, HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! HA! - Defiance - Closed in six months. At it will outlast the show at that.
- The Missing Ink - I didn't play this back when it was called Metaplace. Why would I play it now?
- Cartoon Universe - Closed in six months because even kids aren't that dumb.
- World Of Warships - See World Of Warplanes.
- And that's it. What MMOs are you looking forward to this year?
© 2013 Marty Runyon. All rights reserved.
I think nerd cred only requires that you have a defensible opinion about Shadowrun.
ReplyDeleteIt would be nice if PC Gamer could limit themselves to games that might actually ship in 2013. EverQuest Next, for example, is clearly not on track for that according to Smed.
Even there I fail. It just seems eh, to me.
DeleteRe: PC Gamer, yeah, whoever wrote that list was just filling space. Jeez.
I'm pretty much with you on all points except for Transformers Universe.
ReplyDeleteJust for clarity: 17 HAs are not enough to describe it. I think you will agree if you think about it.
17? I suspect you are right. I will amend the post.
Delete23? Holy cow. Without looking at the list I honestly can't think of a game that I want to get this year, other than the new NHL game for PS3, cause that's what I do.
ReplyDeleteI bought so many games this Christmas, between that and a renewed desire to replay games I have little need to buy anything this year. Chances are it will happen, cause I just thought of Dead Space 3, but other than that I can't think of a game I need to buy.
I understand that. This list feels so underwhelming. Bah. I'm an old curmudgeon now.
DeleteWilhelm beat me to it, but there's definitely some games on there that won't release in 2013. The Shadowrun Online kickstarted game only just posted some stuff about the engine they're using, so I don't think we'll see more than a beta from them this year.
ReplyDeleteAnother one to strike off the list. Good job, PC Gamer.
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