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The next big thing: WoW on the iPhone
When you look at where World of Warcraft could go next, mobile seems like an obvious choice.
Written by Dave Taylor, 01 July 2009
A while ago I wrote a series of articles on creating the perfect MMO, and what I thought the next generation of MMOs needed to improve upon to create a genuinely new gameplay experience. It attracted a lot of attention and lots of comments agreeing and disagreeing.
One subject I didn't touch on in the series though, but which I've long pondered, is platforms.
Currently, MMOs, even World of Wacraft, are limited to PCs (various PC operating systems, for sure, but computers nonetheless). We've got rumblings of certain games like Age of Conan and even LOTRO coming to the home consoles, or Xbox 360 more specifically, but the obvious platform missing is the mobile.
Now by mobile, I mean mobile gaming. It could be DS. It could be PSP (not likely, though the hardware is easily up to it - there's a killer app for Sony: get Blizzard to put World of Warcraft onto the PSP). But let's be honest, most likely and most attractive to publishers is the iPhone platform.
MMOZine Issue 34
For our latest World of Warcraft coverage, click here to download MMOZine Issue 34 for free.Firstly, the iPhone itself is so popular it should run for president. Not president of the USA, of the world. Secondly, the operating system for the iPhone isn't limited to the iPhone, it's also on the iTouch iPod. And thirdly, and most importantly, Apple has come up with a really easy, secure and profitable distribution platform that developers could sell their game client on.
What I think could be really popular though is not a straight port of the game client. It's not going to be a level playing field trying to raid in WoW on an iPhone with others playing on a PC. What needs to be done is for the developer to look at the gameplay within the MMO and see what could be done via a mobile client. Then, create a gameplay mechanic that allows the player to jump into those sections and then return to where they were (some sort of hearthstone mechanic in WoW), so that when they log back on to the game on a PC, they are exactly where they last were when they were last on the PC.
For example, you could easily be able to do inventory management on the mobile, check and sell at auctions, perform some crafting, adjust talent points, etc.
Developers could charge a client fee and even a nominal "top up" monthly fee to allow the mobile client to work. Their players would be able to feed their habit during work time without the boss finding out, and so would become even more hooked on the game and likely to stay on playing the game.
Win-win. Except for those who need to get some work done. What do you reckon?
World of Warcraft coverage available in MMOZine Issue 34 - click here to download it for free!
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