Running an MMORPG isn’t like Field of Dreams. You can’t just create a game and expect that everyone will show up because a magic cornfield said so. Your studio — from the creatives to the marketers — is going to have to work hard to get fresh and returning players to want to join in the fun.
So how do you do that when your MMO has been out for a while and is no longer a new kid on the block? Fortunately, there are many tactics that a studio can take to whip up hype and FOMO even for a game that’s legally old enough to drive or vote. Here are 10 ways off the top of my head.
Release an expansion
Let’s get the very obvious one out of the way first of all. There’s a reason that studios that abandon the expansion format end up coming back to this format with egg on their faces a year or so later: Expansions work. They make gobs of money and are a buzzworthy event in and of themselves. An expansion is a new era, and players want to be on the ground floor of that, especially if they had wandered away in the meantime.
Launch a fresh start server
“New” and “fresh” are key terms that a studio wants to chase, especially if its product is over a decade old. The easiest way to do this is to jam another server into a bay, slap some cables into the back, and turn on the switch. At least I assume it’s that easy, so don’t disabuse me of my ignorance. In any case, a fresh start server gives everyone a chance to begin together — and if it’s a progression server, to stay together for the full journey. Some games that rhyme with “smetherquest” pull the trigger on these so often that it seems like a new shard is coming out every week.
Kick of a limited-time event
OK, you don’t have the resources to cobble together an expansion right now, and my server instructions ended with a nasty in-office fire. What could you do on the cheap? Well, there is always the possibility of an event, and the bigger, the more splashy, and the more rewarding, the better. Just know that while this is low-cost, it’s also lower-impact and will fade from players’ minds within weeks, if not days.
Remix or repurpose an expansion
Older expansions tend to get abandoned over time and squat in the game’s code whilst thinking of glory days past. But those glory days could be once more if the studio thinks of a clever way to repurpose all of that content — perhaps with a new format or a special event. Suddenly, nostalgia is working for the studio, and players are reliving some of their favorite memories. It’s win-win!
You could always… relaunch?
Things not going as swimmingly — and profitably — as you were hoping, but you wring your hands and lament how you can never get a second chance at a first impression? Pshaw, it’s totally possible! All you have to do is cast aside your integrity, shut down or abandon the old version of the game, and “relaunch” it under some pretense. Now you’re riding high on success and chasing Bless’ record of the most relaunched MMO ever!
Some stupid collaboration
There’s no tacky and baffling match-up that a marketer won’t try to prop up a title, even if it doesn’t make any sense. Popularity rubs off, don’t you know! So why not World of Warships… and Godzilla! Genshin Impact… and condoms! Destiny 2… and toasters! Diablo IV… and KFC! Halo Infinite… and nail polish! I made none of those up!
Put the game under new ownership
Obviously, this isn’t so much of a marketing move as a simple fact-of-life in the industry, but when a game moves between owners, it’s a newsworthy event – and can even help that title be noticed again, especially if the new owner is more respected or trusted than the old one. So, pretty much every game that went from EA to not-EA.
Adding an amazing quality-of-life feature
Don’t have enough dough to fund a full-blown expansion? There’s a way to make a game feel refreshed on the cheap, which is to finally give players some quality-of-life feature that they’ve been demanding for years. And yes, I’m talking about player housing in 99% of situations, but I’m sure there’s something else out there. Like giant mechs. Giant mechs would go great in any game. STOMP STOMP PEW PEW
Pay for an advertising blitz – with streamers
On the other end of the financial spectrum are companies flush with cash that want to make their game even more prominent. So why not funnel those funds into a massive advertising spree, complete with loads of streamers extoling the virtue of your game while sitting uncomfortably on the pile of money that you paid them!
Roll out a classic version or new ruleset
When players have been-there-done-that but don’t want to leave your game, just change the rules or roll everything back to those nostalgic early days of fun! Classic versions and alternate rulesets have taken off in recent years with strong results, producing everything from permadeath server runs to divergent development paths with older versions of the game.
Everyone likes a good list, and we are no different! Perfect Ten takes an MMO topic and divvies it up into 10 delicious, entertaining, and often informative segments for your snacking pleasure. Got a good idea for a list? Email us at justin@massivelyop.com or eliot@massivelyop.com with the subject line “Perfect Ten.”
