Guild Wars 3 dev wants you to be able to take a break for months at a time and know you're "not going to be left behind"
Colin Johanson doesn't think the MMO is dying. He would say that: he's the studio head of Arenanet, the team behind the Guild Wars series. He's also talking to me directly after showing off combat and movement in the team's next MMO, Guild Wars 3. That said, what is more unexpected is that he says the genre is "as big as it's ever been." You just need to expand your definition of an MMO. Read more
Colin Johanson, the studio head of Arenanet, the creators of Guild Wars, believes that Guild Wars 3 is not dying. Instead, he thinks the genre is as big as ever if you broaden the definition of an MMO. He acknowledges that traditional MMOs have accumulated baggage over the years, making it hard for players to justify spending time on them.
Examples include movement and combat systems that are viewed as separate entities, with static combat and tap targeting. Guild Wars 3's combat looks more like Assassin's Creed than a traditional MMO, with characters running along walls, leaping and kicking enemies. Johanson also believes that MMOs need to change the long loading process before players can start playing.
He aims for a game where players can log in for short sessions and make meaningful progress. Additionally, Johanson wants to create a game where players can take breaks and come back without feeling left behind. He admits that making these changes and communicating the value of the game to potential players will be a challenge, but if successful, Guild Wars 3 could be the first MMO to capture player interest in years.
Written by urgent.news from Rock Paper Shotgun's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
