Examining the features that will make the next generation of MMOs better than ever.
Tighter Social Media Interaction
I believe this one is a bit on the obvious side, but yet has not been as wide spread as you would expect. What I am referring to is a mixing of the FarmVille and WoW models. Why not have your most recent epic drop or achievement tweeted or posted on your wall? Beyond the potential negativity of all your work peers knowing how much you play, it lets the players share more of their gaming experience with their closest friends. This really helps to open up the game world into the larger community, potentially throwing the game in front of the eyes of new potential customers. Mind you, the above is only the beginning.
With the recent success of viral campaigns through promo websites and social media, we are seeing different ways to get the gaming community engaged than directly in-game. This greatly expands the options that developers have for storytelling. Why not introduce a new expansion through an extensive viral campaign that gives the players a bread crumb trail of details? Why not expand the story of a significant villain within the game through different posts on the internet? By giving the community riddles and puzzles that they can solve together, the developers are further engaging the community. While this can expanded into movies and books, the key to its success is the interactivity. Give us the game, outside of the game. Let us continue to see the world grow even when we are not in it. That really makes the player feel like being part of something bigger.
