Last month in an Overthinking topic, Massively OP’s Andrew Ross issued what I thought was a provocative opinion:
“I’d argue Heroes of the Storm, Hearthstone, and Overwatch did more to cultivate social play in their respective genres over the past year than WoW has or will do for the next year.”
He’s looking at the big picture of “social,” which is to say putting players together on the regular in any kind of content, including PvP. And it’s hard to argue that all-multiplayer, all-the-time games are less social than MMORPGs that offer copious solo PvE opportunities. You might, however, say that the social experiences available in MMORPGs are richer.
… or you might think back to last night’s rushed PUG when someone shouting “GO GO GO” was the closest thing to social interaction you had in WoW and wonder whether that’s really as superior to dudes saying “GG” in Overwatch as we MMORPG players would like to think.
With that in mind, let me pose today’s multi-part Daily Grind question to you: Do you agree with Andrew that MOBAs and shooters have as much potential or more for social play as modern MMORPGs? Which ones do it best? Now flip it around — how do the best of both genres compare?
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!
