Whenever I talk about Ultima Online to someone who wasn’t there when it was a big thing, I admit to feeling as if I have to justify its existence because of its graphics, which were shallow in 1997, never mind 2015. The game is still amazing, feature for feature, but it’s been eclipsed by the advance of technology.
That’s the topic an anonymous Massively Kickstarter donor wished to bring up for today’s Daily Grind. “Will MMOs keep pace with advancing technology,” he asks, “or wither?”
Personally, I think MMORPGs as a genre have kept up nicely. Look at the gorgeous eyecandy of Black Desert, the rush to adopt VR and voxel tech, the fanning out to mobile and console. “Bleeding edge” we are not, though, and MMOs, especially the indies, are showing a pronounced willingness to embrace the retro trend and fall back on older tech and design (isometric MMORPGs, anyone?) to make the games happen. But hey, at least UO will once again be in good company.
How do you see MMORPGs and tech lining up over the next few years? Are we keeping pace with tech, or are we falling behind?
Every morning, the Massively Overpowered writers team up with mascot Mo to ask MMORPG players pointed questions about the massively multiplayer online roleplaying genre. Grab a mug of your preferred beverage and take a stab at answering the question posed in today’s Daily Grind!
