What is the future of the highly competitive MMO market? Jeonghee Jin, CEO of Pearl Abyss America, has a very unique answer. The studio is best known for Black Desert Online. In an interview with Gamesindustry.biz she talks about competitive pressure, 90s nostalgia and subscription models.
Two ways for MMOs
"I think the MMO market is divided," says Jeonghee Jin. On the one hand would be the players who miss the online role-playing experience of the 90s and 2000s.
On the other hand, the genre market is so competitive and players have seen so much that one has to offer extraordinary innovations in the areas of graphics, technology and gaming experience.
From this, two different directions of today's MMOs would crystallize more and more clearly:
"Competition is getting tougher, but games like WoW Classic and Oldschool Runescape are going so well at the same time. I think trends and things players are looking for are developing apart."
Developers would have to think carefully about which side they want to use. The middle ground between the extremes of nostalgia and innovation seems to lead to a dead end.
WoW Classic is swinging the nostalgia club for players from the very beginning. It turned out to be a successful concept for Blizzard.
Who still pays for MMOs?
Online role-playing games use one of three payment methods these days: One-time purchase, such as in the example of Guild Wars, a monthly subscription, as in the case of World of Warcraft or Free2Play, as in the case of Star Wars: The Old Republic.
Monthly subscriptions and Free2Play offers are particularly popular long-term player retention and live service, Jeonghee Jin, however, sees demand for subscriptions dwindling as they compete directly with Free2Play titles, which also offer continuous expansion for their games.
"I think there are other things that are simply more valuable than a current subscription and there will be more and more challenges for subscription games."
And indeed, in times of game passes and Co., a subscription to a single game seems almost out of date to reach the masses. Jeonghee Jin estimates that Subscriptions for MMORPGs will become a niche in the future could withdraw.
"Subscriptions will survive"
"But if subscribers believe in the value they get for their money, they will of course continue to pay. The subscription model will survive, but in a different way. […]
But I don't think it's a Free2Play fight vs. Subscription model will. I don't think one survives and the other dies. "
Accordingly, MMORPGs would have to make a much more conscious decision in the future on which horse they want to rely on in order to survive. In the question of nostalgia for innovation, as well as in the choice of their payment model.
If you want to know more about what the development for 2020 will look like, then watch our video about the 20 most exciting new MMO releases and decide whether you would rather experience a return to old values or an innovation firework.
