Top 10 MMOs That Died
The Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game genre has been dominated by a few select games throughout the years. But for every success story like “World of Warcraft” and “Everquest,” there are dozens of MMOs thatfailed to capture the imaginations of online gamers. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we'll be counting down the Top 10 Failed MMOs.
For this list, we've picked the top 10 MMOs that for whatever reason, be it shoddy gameplay, technical issues or the inability to live up to their hype, were forced to shut down their servers.
#10: “Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising” (2011)
Bringing to the table a unique setting filled with mythical tropes and brutal gladiatorial combat, “Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising” crumbled before it could even get going. The classic case of too many eggs in one basket, developer Perpetual Entertainment made the mistake of simultaneously developing this game, and “Star Trek Online.” The end result was not one, but TWO half-baked MMOs with amazing source material. After selling thousands of lifetime subscriptions and physical copies, “Gods & Heroes” servers went on indefinite hold. Though they eventually came back online, it was far too late to re-coup the disgruntled user base.
#9: “Auto Assault” (2006)
Another MMO with a really cool concept, “Auto Assault” promised a massive post-apocalyptic wasteland sandbox filled with large-scale destruction, awesome weapons, and unparalleled vehicle customization. Unfortunately, “Auto Assault” failed to live up to its cool “Mad Max” inspired themes. The world was extremely barren, with very little to actually do. The gameplay didn't encourage teamwork, so you ended up with hundreds of players cruising around an empty map, soloing tedious objectives to grind for better cars. Shoddy gameplay combined with a low user base out of the gate led to a quick death for “Auto Assault.”
#8: “The Matrix Online” (2005)
Considering the Wachowski's billed this game as the official sequel to the film trilogy, “The Matrix Online” seems like it could have been totally badass. The ability create your own Neo to bullet-time and slo-mo kungfu your way through legions of agents was a dream come true for fans of the iconic science fiction franchise. Unfortunately, just like the second and third films, “The Matrix Online” caved under the weight of its own expectations. Despite bringing pretty cool features to the table, like awesome hand-to-hand fighting, “The Matrix Online” was totally mediocre, lacking the flair and style of the movies. Frequent server issues also contributed to this game's downfall. “The Matrix Online” certainly wasn't the One.
#7: “City of Heroes” (2004)
An anomaly on this list, “City of Heroes” was actually a pretty awesome MMORPG with a very loyal fanbase that stuck with the game until the servers were tragically shut down in 2012. With unanimously great reviews and feedback from its users, mostly due to its unique superhero themed universe and awesome character-building, “City of Heroes” seemed destined to find its permanent place alongside MMORPG titans like “World of Warcraft.” However, sudden budget cuts and studio shutdowns by parent company NCSoft led to the untimely closure of the game's servers. To this day, hardcore “Heroes” players are still pointing fingers and trying to figure out what exactly happened to their beloved MMORPG.
#6: “Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning” (2008)
“Warhammer,” despite its firm place in the pantheon of tabletop gaming, is a property that has for years failed to translate into a satisfying gaming experience. “Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning” actually came pretty close. Developed by Mythic, who had an amazing MMORPG track record, and promising tonnes of innovative gameplay mechanics like huge-scale PVP battles, the hype surrounding “Warhammer Online” was palpable. Unfortunately, the end result was a cluttered mess. The game was unbalanced, with many classes being totally useless, and having put so much emphasis on PVP and large-scale questing, the underlying game felt really mediocre. Ultimately, “Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning” was just too bloated and unconventional for its own good.
#5: “Star Wars Galaxies” (2003)
Though it never blew anyone away, “Star Wars Galaxies” eventually established itself as a viable MMORPG for fans of the series. Was it overly complicated? Definitely. Was it riddled with bugs and wonky mechanics that sometimes detracted from its playability? Certainly. Fans still flocked to this game however, partially due to fandom, and partially because “Star Wars Galaxies” managed to make you feel like you were actually part of a giant, breathing universe. “Star Wars Galaxies” ultimately died due to meddling from its developers, Sony Online Entertainment. In a misguided attempt to 'revive' the game, they changed and streamlined everything, turning thisMMORPG into a weak third person shooter. The changes alienated hardcore fans, and “Star Wars Galaxies” never recovered.
#4: “Final Fantasy XIV” (2010)
An amazing example for the developers of other struggling MMORPGs, “Final Fantasy XIV” went from being one of the darkest moments in the hallowed RPG series, to being one of the most successful and beloved MMORPGscurrently on the market. When Square Enix released the original iteration of “Final Fantasy XIV,” it was universally panned. Filled with terrible, half-baked ideas, boring lifeless gameplay, and a myriad of technical issues, “Final Fantasy XIV” was not only a terrible “Final Fantasy” game, but a terrible MMORPG. Luckily, Square Enix took the high road on this one, re-releasing the game as “Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn,” almost completely re-building the games systems from the ground up.
#3: “APB: All Points Bulletin” (2010)
As an attempt to be “Grand Theft Auto Online” before it even existed, “All Points Bulletin” crashed and burned right at the starting line, sporting absolutely terrible controls and gameplay. An open-world crime and gang life simulator seemed cool, but things become tricky when it's a chore to even get your car from point A to point B. Basically the opposite of “Final Fantasy XIV,” “APB” was re-released after the closure of its original developers as APB:Reloaded. Instead of actually making the game better, however, the new developers decided to fill with already troubled universe with microtransactions. Yay!
#2: “Tabula Rasa” (2007)
Garnering a lot of pre-release hype based on its creator alone, “Tabula Rasa” failed to separate itself from the hundreds of other MMORPGs releasing around the same time. The creative mind of Richard Garriott, the man behind the granddaddy of all MMORPGs, “Ultima Online,” was enough for many hardcore gamers to put their dollars behind “Tabula Rasa.” A sci-fi space opus with intense combat and interesting world-building ideas, “Tabula Rasa” had so much potential. Before long, vicious in-fighting between Garriott and publisher NCSoft, led to unstable support for this game, and eventually a huge lawsuit ensued. Ultimately, “Tabula Rasa” shut its doors before it could really solidify itself in the cutthroat MMORPG market.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
“The Sims Online” (2002)
“Playstation Home” (2008)
“Motor City Online” (2001)
#1: “Vanguard: Saga of Heroes” (2007)
All of the legendary MMORPG minds and heavy-hitting publishers in the world couldn't stop “Vanguard: Saga of Heroes” from releasing in a completely broken state and quickly earning the dubious honours of being the biggest bust in MMO history. Developed by the minds behind the original “Everquest,” “Vanguard” went through pre-release hell, being dropped by “Microsoft” mid-development. The sudden lack of funding forced Sigil to release “Vanguard” early. The end result was almost completely unplayable. Plagued with a laundry list of crippling bugs, unfulfilled gameplay promises, and a boring and empty world, “Vanguard: Saga of Heroes” looked pretty, and that's about it! This game couldn't even hold a candle to “Everquest,” leaving thousands of hungry MMORPG fans disappointed.
Agree with our list? Did we forget any notably disappointing MMOs? For more massively awesome top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
read more...
The Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game genre has been dominated by a few select games throughout the years. But for every success story like “World of Warcraft” and “Everquest,” there are dozens of MMOs thatfailed to capture the imaginations of online gamers. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we'll be counting down the Top 10 Failed MMOs.
For this list, we've picked the top 10 MMOs that for whatever reason, be it shoddy gameplay, technical issues or the inability to live up to their hype, were forced to shut down their servers.
#10: “Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising” (2011)
Bringing to the table a unique setting filled with mythical tropes and brutal gladiatorial combat, “Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising” crumbled before it could even get going. The classic case of too many eggs in one basket, developer Perpetual Entertainment made the mistake of simultaneously developing this game, and “Star Trek Online.” The end result was not one, but TWO half-baked MMOs with amazing source material. After selling thousands of lifetime subscriptions and physical copies, “Gods & Heroes” servers went on indefinite hold. Though they eventually came back online, it was far too late to re-coup the disgruntled user base.
#9: “Auto Assault” (2006)
Another MMO with a really cool concept, “Auto Assault” promised a massive post-apocalyptic wasteland sandbox filled with large-scale destruction, awesome weapons, and unparalleled vehicle customization. Unfortunately, “Auto Assault” failed to live up to its cool “Mad Max” inspired themes. The world was extremely barren, with very little to actually do. The gameplay didn't encourage teamwork, so you ended up with hundreds of players cruising around an empty map, soloing tedious objectives to grind for better cars. Shoddy gameplay combined with a low user base out of the gate led to a quick death for “Auto Assault.”
#8: “The Matrix Online” (2005)
Considering the Wachowski's billed this game as the official sequel to the film trilogy, “The Matrix Online” seems like it could have been totally badass. The ability create your own Neo to bullet-time and slo-mo kungfu your way through legions of agents was a dream come true for fans of the iconic science fiction franchise. Unfortunately, just like the second and third films, “The Matrix Online” caved under the weight of its own expectations. Despite bringing pretty cool features to the table, like awesome hand-to-hand fighting, “The Matrix Online” was totally mediocre, lacking the flair and style of the movies. Frequent server issues also contributed to this game's downfall. “The Matrix Online” certainly wasn't the One.
#7: “City of Heroes” (2004)
An anomaly on this list, “City of Heroes” was actually a pretty awesome MMORPG with a very loyal fanbase that stuck with the game until the servers were tragically shut down in 2012. With unanimously great reviews and feedback from its users, mostly due to its unique superhero themed universe and awesome character-building, “City of Heroes” seemed destined to find its permanent place alongside MMORPG titans like “World of Warcraft.” However, sudden budget cuts and studio shutdowns by parent company NCSoft led to the untimely closure of the game's servers. To this day, hardcore “Heroes” players are still pointing fingers and trying to figure out what exactly happened to their beloved MMORPG.
#6: “Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning” (2008)
“Warhammer,” despite its firm place in the pantheon of tabletop gaming, is a property that has for years failed to translate into a satisfying gaming experience. “Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning” actually came pretty close. Developed by Mythic, who had an amazing MMORPG track record, and promising tonnes of innovative gameplay mechanics like huge-scale PVP battles, the hype surrounding “Warhammer Online” was palpable. Unfortunately, the end result was a cluttered mess. The game was unbalanced, with many classes being totally useless, and having put so much emphasis on PVP and large-scale questing, the underlying game felt really mediocre. Ultimately, “Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning” was just too bloated and unconventional for its own good.
#5: “Star Wars Galaxies” (2003)
Though it never blew anyone away, “Star Wars Galaxies” eventually established itself as a viable MMORPG for fans of the series. Was it overly complicated? Definitely. Was it riddled with bugs and wonky mechanics that sometimes detracted from its playability? Certainly. Fans still flocked to this game however, partially due to fandom, and partially because “Star Wars Galaxies” managed to make you feel like you were actually part of a giant, breathing universe. “Star Wars Galaxies” ultimately died due to meddling from its developers, Sony Online Entertainment. In a misguided attempt to 'revive' the game, they changed and streamlined everything, turning thisMMORPG into a weak third person shooter. The changes alienated hardcore fans, and “Star Wars Galaxies” never recovered.
#4: “Final Fantasy XIV” (2010)
An amazing example for the developers of other struggling MMORPGs, “Final Fantasy XIV” went from being one of the darkest moments in the hallowed RPG series, to being one of the most successful and beloved MMORPGscurrently on the market. When Square Enix released the original iteration of “Final Fantasy XIV,” it was universally panned. Filled with terrible, half-baked ideas, boring lifeless gameplay, and a myriad of technical issues, “Final Fantasy XIV” was not only a terrible “Final Fantasy” game, but a terrible MMORPG. Luckily, Square Enix took the high road on this one, re-releasing the game as “Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn,” almost completely re-building the games systems from the ground up.
#3: “APB: All Points Bulletin” (2010)
As an attempt to be “Grand Theft Auto Online” before it even existed, “All Points Bulletin” crashed and burned right at the starting line, sporting absolutely terrible controls and gameplay. An open-world crime and gang life simulator seemed cool, but things become tricky when it's a chore to even get your car from point A to point B. Basically the opposite of “Final Fantasy XIV,” “APB” was re-released after the closure of its original developers as APB:Reloaded. Instead of actually making the game better, however, the new developers decided to fill with already troubled universe with microtransactions. Yay!
#2: “Tabula Rasa” (2007)
Garnering a lot of pre-release hype based on its creator alone, “Tabula Rasa” failed to separate itself from the hundreds of other MMORPGs releasing around the same time. The creative mind of Richard Garriott, the man behind the granddaddy of all MMORPGs, “Ultima Online,” was enough for many hardcore gamers to put their dollars behind “Tabula Rasa.” A sci-fi space opus with intense combat and interesting world-building ideas, “Tabula Rasa” had so much potential. Before long, vicious in-fighting between Garriott and publisher NCSoft, led to unstable support for this game, and eventually a huge lawsuit ensued. Ultimately, “Tabula Rasa” shut its doors before it could really solidify itself in the cutthroat MMORPG market.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
“The Sims Online” (2002)
“Playstation Home” (2008)
“Motor City Online” (2001)
#1: “Vanguard: Saga of Heroes” (2007)
All of the legendary MMORPG minds and heavy-hitting publishers in the world couldn't stop “Vanguard: Saga of Heroes” from releasing in a completely broken state and quickly earning the dubious honours of being the biggest bust in MMO history. Developed by the minds behind the original “Everquest,” “Vanguard” went through pre-release hell, being dropped by “Microsoft” mid-development. The sudden lack of funding forced Sigil to release “Vanguard” early. The end result was almost completely unplayable. Plagued with a laundry list of crippling bugs, unfulfilled gameplay promises, and a boring and empty world, “Vanguard: Saga of Heroes” looked pretty, and that's about it! This game couldn't even hold a candle to “Everquest,” leaving thousands of hungry MMORPG fans disappointed.
Agree with our list? Did we forget any notably disappointing MMOs? For more massively awesome top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
read more...