(Note: Published 04/2013 for Press2Reset)
EA and Maxis have been on damage control since SimCity was released. Due to the rough launch the always-on DRM feature came under fire prompting the publisher and developer to defend the decision to include it. One of the reasons provided, for defending the DRM, was to disregard the DRM and make the claim that SimCity was an MMO instead.
MMO, an acronym for Massively Multiplayer Online, is a term used for online-only games that feature a large player base, usually hundreds if not thousands of individuals, who interact with each other simultaneously on servers provided by the developer. MMORPGS are the most popular genre with games such as World of Warcraft, but there are other types. There is Planetside 2, an MMOFPS, and even MMORTS games such as Shattered Galaxy. All of these games feature servers where a large number of people can interact and play together at the same time. Shattered Galaxy, for example, allows up to 100,000 people to play on the same server/world and, when it is time to fight a battle, go to a territory/instance where over 50 people can fight in a skirmish together.
But has the definition of MMO changed?
For EA Labels president Frank Gibeau it sure seems so. When asked whether or not the always-on DRM factored into SimCity he responded,
“That’s not the reality; I was involved in all the meetings. DRM was never even brought up once. You don’t build an MMO because you’re thinking of DRM – you’re building a massively multiplayer experience, that’s what you’re building.”
Yet Gibeau isn’t the only one to think that the sim game is an MMO. Maxis general manager Lucy Bradshaw compared the title to an MMO in a post also defending the developer’s decision for using the DRM saying,
“The game we launched is only the beginning for us – it’s not final and it never will be. In many ways, we built an MMO.”
So is the claim that SimCity is an MMO a valid one?
Let’s look at the facts. Only 16 people can play in a region. Not exactly a large number of people playing simultaneously. Then there is the claim that computations are server-side which was proven to be false by a modder who altered the game so he could play it offline indefinitely. The only common factor between SimCity and an MMO is that the servers are provided through the developer.
There is another game, however, that caused a lot of controversy with always-on DRM; Diablo 3. But in this case, Blizzard never once called their game an MMO and never shied away from the fact that it was DRM. In fairness there are two features, though, that Diablo 3 shares with MMOs. First of all is the fact that mob spawns are done server-side just like an MMO. The second is the Auction House, a feature most MMOs have.
But is that enough to classify it as an MMO?
Having those features, it appears, has generated some confusion amongst gamers. In my editorial, Boycotting Diablo 3: A threat to gaming, there were those who argued that the game was an MMO; even though Blizzard never made such a claim. In the case of EA and Maxis, if all it takes to be classified as an MMO is a small number of players, an online-only requirement, and servers provided by the developer, then a lot of multiplayer games out there would have to be called an MMO. Games that, unlike SimCity, have a lot more than 16 people playing at the same time.
So should always-on DRM become more prevalent, and in the case of Diablo 3 share certain features with the genre, does it warrant a look at or the redefining of the definition of MMO?
Author’s Note:
Support this site by donating via Paypal or even checking out our merchandise on RedBubble where you can find designs that cater to writers and readers. Money donated and raised goes into paying for this website and equipment.
Interested in posting this article, or another article, on your website? Check out our prices to make that happen – https://tinyurl.com/mrxa56pp
