The direction EQ is starting to take concerns me.The direction EQ is starting to take concerns me.
First we have an announcement of a movie. This worries me, as the game is oriented towards teens and adults. I think a movie would try and broaden the appeal, thus targeting a younger audience.
Today announced on EQ Vault, was a line of Action figures. This came as no surprise to me. With a movie announcement action figures were not far behind.
Reportedly EQ has become the most popular online game to date. At the same time it is probably one of the most popular computer games to date, period.
Why is this? I think it has to do with the freedom of the world. Someone who's 10 years old can enjoy it just as much as someone who's 50. You are free to explore the word, kill monsters, or be a stripper, it's up to you how you wish to live your life.
Right now EQ is aimed at primarily a mid to late teen audience. One who is starting to figure out their place in the world. I will be idealistic and say their sexuality*, and can comprehend, reason, and type at a reasonable pace to present themselves in a commonly understood fashion.
* = Idealistic because I know that sexuality is commonly being explored in the young and pre-teen years these days.
Summary / Solution / Truth
This is more just a personal rant than a solvable argument. I think with the upcoming movie and action figures Verant is just going to hurt themselves in the long run. I think they will harvest a younger, higher cycling audience, and be forsaking the older more devoted crowd.
I'm not so much against lowering the age appeal in and of itself. What I'm against is that I really don't think pre-teens should become more and more a target audience for EQ. It will limit options, and worse its an audience I don't think should really be exposed to the options of an adult world.
I think there should be blood, there should be more nudity in all the models, give it more of an adult appeal and atmosphere. When the sky is the limit, you should set your abilities there. If you can do something of an adult nature, target that end, because that's how most will act if allowed.
The forthcoming movie and action figures can only mean one thing - Lowering of the target audience for EQ.
As a society, I don't think this is a good thing. This game is not just a game, it's a world. If you target pre-teens they will not have the reading / typing comprehension, or understanding (aka street-smarts), to function in the world. I'm not saying they can't (that it would be "impossible"). I'm just saying that I think a younger audience than we have now just opens up more abuse, and will get people into more fights due to the fact that they don't understand each other and can't explain their positions well.
It's happened before. He-man / She-ra, GI-Joe, Dungeons & Dragons cartoon, Thundar the Barbarian, all 'worlds' which originally spawned for audience target x, and wound up in the hands of a younger audience. A recent example is Starship Troopers. A good 'cartoon' (it's really CG) but it really doesn't relate the horrors of war and personal bonding that the movie did.
I don't know what will happen for sure, but I have a very strong feeling that because of this EQ will have a split in the genera they have started. I see the industry splitting in two. (Following the flow that the movie industry is starting to create.)
On one side EQ will fall the wayside of a younger audience. Sure things can still look cool, but they will never deal with more adult issues. It will never become more realistic or complex. It will just be a mixture of D&D and Zelda. Less penalty and emotional stress, and an easier path to achievement. (Example of lowered target audience - You can not use the words Killed or Slain, you must instead use Defeated.)
On the other side will spawn the new games, darker, more adult, higher conflict, with higher rewards which are more distressing / challenging to attain. They will include nude models (at least more nude), and blood. They will deal with more real issues. They will push your limits mentally.
Maybe it's just me, but I think that all this 'targeting to the youngest audience' is not a good thing for the future of EQ.