Richard Bartle has woken the periodic “Why is Fantasy the dominant MMO genre?” beast at TerraNova, and it demands to feed on our attention.
It’s prompted a number of replies and other posts that bring up some good points:
- Risk-averse development
- Convenience of having ‘magic’ to explain things
- The existence of Tolkein
- The existence of AD&D
- Likeliness of appealing to both genders
- …and others…
I think that all of those arguments have some degree of merit - There are aspects of each that are very true. There are also great replies from Damion Schubert and Michael Scoggin there in the TN thread.
Michael’s point that “…humans have more universal reaction to organic stimulus.” is the closest to the answer that I’ve always given. It’s great to see someone actually having studied this.
As for my take, even before you get into development risk, or D&D, or Tolkein, or any of the rest of the above:
Fantasy resonates primarily for three reasons:
- We (humans, both men and women) are just plain wired to be instinctively affected by it in a way that other genres don’t cause, and…
- For the majority of the (US/EU) playing audience of both genders, that wiring is initially built upon by the fact that it’s the first fiction we’re ever exposed to, which is when most of our fondest/strongest memories are formed, and..
- …there’s a good chance that it’s most likely the genre that woke our imaginations in the first place.
Pick a subject at random. What’s the first thing that you think of?
I’ll pick “winter.” The strongest/fondest/first memory is a blizzard from when I was about 7, building snow forts with my friends Lee and Tony in giant 12 foot drifts up against the cinder-block walls of a garage, with a shiny red aluminum snowshovel while wearing a yellow winter jacket and dark blue mittens.
Or I could pick “music.” The first flash of a memory that makes me smile is my mother playing singalong-type folk songs on her classical acoustic, sitting next to the heavy coffee table on the floor in our living room in the house we lived in when I was 5, taping us singing along on an ancient cassette recorder.
My point is: Early memories are sticky.
…and the early memories that first woke your imagination are sticky beyond ever being dislodged.
When it comes to fictional attachment, forget about Tolkein or AD&D, I’m talking even earlier:
- Snow White
- Jack and the Beanstalk
- Cinderella
- Hansel and Gretel
Just from four stories at random, you have fantasy concepts burned in: Dwarves, Witches, Princesses, Heroes, Poison, Castles*, Giants, underdogs triumphing over stronger evil…and lots and lots of Magic.
([*] Sorry, Richard - To a lot of us “castles” are a fantasy element, not something you can wander down the road a ways to see. 
You don’t need to have been exposed to all of them. As long as you’ve been exposed to enough of these tales, you already have a solid foundation.
To paraphrase Raph (and I’ll apologize in advance for mangling the concept) one part of Fun is the idea of building on things that we already know, by learning more about them and being rewarded for it.
In most of us, there’s already this functional, working base of Fantasy bits there just waiting to be awoken and built upon. That’s what drives us to Tolkein, to AD&D, and to Fantasy worlds that reward us for building on this pre-existing knowledge.
Things that we enjoy later are (relatively speaking) acquired tastes. I enjoy Sci Fi worlds a lot now, but I enjoy them for what they are - Crafted places of varying degrees of quality and fun - They don’t have the same kind of difficult-to-define resonance that Fantasy does. They take effort to get “lost” in.
Like I said in the subject, I’d definitely love to be wrong on this one, because I do agree that it’s limiting us. I’d love to see the market more open to first-timer success in other interesting directions.
(When I say first-timer, I mean that we’re not going to be able to count, for example, Blizzard’s eventual World of Star-iablo’s success here - That will be a victory built on the strength of a brand, not a victory for genre diversity.)
Even if I am right, I don’t believe for a moment that all is lost.
As the market continues to grow, which it’s going to do in all forms of online entertainment, even if 50-70% of the experiences out there remain fantasy based, there are plenty of chances for success in other genres.
As the whole pie grows, the non-fantasy slice will grow along with it. The majority may continue to cut their teeth on Fantasy, then they’ll acquire tastes for other worlds. And so the cycle continues.
Compounding that, as time goes on and tools improve, it’s going to become more and more possible to make compelling worlds for less money. The days when “success = 250,000+ paying customers” are not just going away, they’re already long behind us.
As it stands right now, as many other games have proven, you don’t even need six figures of users to make your development money back, turn a profit, continue to build a healthy business, a solid brand, and be able to do good by your customers. Those stories just don’t make nearly as interesting of headlines as “WoW scores its 15,000,000th user!”
The presence of the juggernaut has changed the average observer’s perspective of what “success” is by a fair bit, but it hasn’t changed the reality. On the contrary. It’s actually created a lot of interesting opportunities.
In that light, I think that “Why Fantasy?” isn’t really the most interesting question to ask.
The more interesting one is: “Okay. It’s Fantasy. We accept that. How do we best expand from here?”
Owlchick said
December 24 2007 @ 1:27 pm
When I first played EQI, I didn’t like it at all as it wasn’t GemStone III which was my first fantasy game.
I think people look at new games, hoping that they’ll be reminded of experiences they’ve had in other games…but better, because new is supposed to always be better. When newer isn’t better, is really because it’s no good or because it’s not reminding them enough of their earlier experiences?
Happy Christmas, too, btw
Nick McLaren said
December 24 2007 @ 2:56 pm
I agree with both of you. I think it’s precisely that fine mix of familiarity with the unknown-but-new-and-interesting stuff that draws interest. Familiar to hook, but different to keep engaged.
It’s quite possible that some kid could be raised on Star Wars and stories of the force vs. the traditional magic and fantasy concepts, then would have an entirely different tendancy about what games he/she prefers most.
It just so happens that the majority of childhood stories rely on fantasy, cultivating the first sparks of imagination, and leaving behind a trail of fond memories that magnetize people towards fantasy novels, movies, and games. This is not to say that *all* people are driven this way, but it does lead us to conclude that the most successful imaginative works will be this genre… until we re-teach our children from an early age through a broader spectrum of story genres.
Good post! Happy Christmas to both of you!
Cheers,
Nick
srand said
December 24 2007 @ 5:23 pm
That’s a good summary of my own thoughts on the matter as well, Scott. Thank you for writing this post so I don’t have to. :> Now each year when the topic comes up I can just link back to you and be done with it.
Steve said
December 24 2007 @ 5:29 pm
Snow White
Jack and the Beanstalk
Cinderella
Hansel and Gretel
Disney, or Grimms’?
Calthine said
December 24 2007 @ 6:20 pm
Owlchick reminds me of a recurring conversation on why [The Current Hot MMO Title] isn’t as good as [The Old Title That First Sucked Me Into MMOs].
There’s nothing like your first time, baby.
EQ1 for me was the bomb, the end-all-be-all, or as I’d describe it, “Everything you liked about AD&D without rolling dice for hours on one battle.” And nothing, nothing, will ever match that virginal excitement. We go looking for that first-love feeling, and we return, as Scott notes, to the familiar that tickles our collective unconscious.
The Brothers Grimm had something there, ask Joseph Campbell.
But as the world moves on, kids are cutting their teeth on Star Trek reruns (or in the case of my almost-5-year old, CyberChase, a sci-fi PBS show that teaches math and logic) as well as Grimm and the Multi-Colored Fairy Tale books. That non-fantasy slice will grow, and while Kiddo’s first MMO will probably be Free Realms, it’ll be more about accessibility and being family friendly than the genre.
n3rfed said
December 25 2007 @ 3:41 am
An Addendum
I gave a nod towards the most recent blogogogosphere discourse, Why Fantasy?, in my previous yearly update. The most recent voice to weigh in on the subject is the love of our lives, Scott Hartsman. I agree with Scott, and
Domino said
December 25 2007 @ 10:33 am
The question not yet addressed is, as the new generations grow up exposed to computers as early as they are exposed to books and fairy stories, will we see the “natural” attractiveness of the fantasy genre slowly changing? When a computer is something that reminds you of your formative childhood years, will a cyberpunk MMO evoke those sticky early memories just as well as castles and magic spells?
I don’t think it’s unlikely, particularly if our children’s stories also start to involve technology more. If this is the case then those of us designing games who do NOT have the same familiar childhood memories of technology, may in the years to come find an increasing gap between what they feel is appealing and what their younger audience may find appealing. Something that designers may need to keep consciously in mind in the coming decades.
Babs said
December 25 2007 @ 3:20 pm
I think it’s much more basic than this. I believe it’s a primal need in human beings to explore new territories and to readily adapt to unusual (albeit stickily familiar) surroundings. Fantasy is just enough reality that we aren’t stretching our right brain too far; Elves and Gnomes and Ogres are enough like us that we don’t have to spend too much time being Jane Goodall, and anything that’s not like us (dragons and dementors and clockwork whirlygigs) are automatically feared. Fantasy is so easy to write (and edit!) because of these traits that you can have a whole world - with history - put together in just a few weeks.
I also believe that a company who runs/funds fantasy-based MMOs probably knows its first genre better than anything else and would be glad to publish a Transformers game online if only it had the nuances of the first genre going for it. But you wouldn’t have a Transformers game, would you? You’d have a yet another fantasy game - with Transformers in it. Yet…you’d have a game.
Almeric >> Fantasy - The Only Frontier? said
December 25 2007 @ 4:58 pm
I wonder along a parallel line to Domino. I think Scott makes very good points about how even Snow White and other fairy tales have driven fantasy into our cores from a very young age.
HOWEVER, the “new hotness,” so to speak, is Harry Potter. Fantasy in a modern age. I’m beyond-shocked that there isn’t an official HP MMORPG/Sandbox in development already (or even unofficial, if you don’t count text MUDs). That said, this is the defining setting for fantasy-lovers of a new generation. Will the influences of new literature change the stock genre of games 10 years from now?
The Hiram Key said
December 25 2007 @ 8:14 pm
Has anyone seen my pants ?
Moorgard said
December 25 2007 @ 8:17 pm
“My point is: Early memories are sticky.”
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the secret to the genius of Scott Hartsman.
By advancing theories that would take years of controlled conditions to test, he ensures that he cannot be disproven. I mean, how can you raise a statistically relevant group of children with no exposure to fantasy whatsoever, then years later introduce them to the genre to see how they respond to it?
I bow to you, sir. I bow to you.
Ogrebears said
December 25 2007 @ 11:14 pm
Almeric right that Harry Potter is new hotness. EA owns the right for all Harry Potter games (i believe) So far they put one out ever time a new movie comes out. The last one was technically a sandbox type single player game. (Never played it wikipedia says it is though).
EA own the right though, and EA isn’t really in to MMO’S. Though now that they have Mythic, ya i guess there a chance in the future they might make one.
Sylvene said
December 28 2007 @ 1:47 pm
Mmm… actually, I’ve heard rumors - it’s only rumors, mind you - of who’s got the HP MMOG license.
/wave teh Scotteh
Wydow said
December 29 2007 @ 3:03 am
I’ve never thought of the fact that we are hard wired for the fantasy genre because our earliest memories are of it.
This is a well written and articulated post.
Bunion said
January 3 2008 @ 8:36 pm
Go look in any books store at the Scifi/Fantasy section and there will be 90% fantasy v/s 10% scifi books (I actually remember when they were in two different sections), but I think the market for fantasy MMORPG’s follows this.
One of the problems with SciFi games is that almost all MMORPG’s are stuck with the Tank/Healer/DPS core mechanic. So people still view scifi games as just a fantasy game in space, I don’t think that will change until someone comes up with something that is different but still works. Plus there has to be some kind of “magic” system, otherwise people would find just shooting stuff boring.
I am hoping for a good scifi game to come out, Gamma World was the first Role playing game I played and still have fond memories of it. I think someone is eventually going to have to try something outside the box and hopefully they will hit on something fun to play.
Online Gaming Radio » Blog Archive » New Attitude said
January 4 2008 @ 4:23 pm
[…] His most recent entry, entitled “Why Fantasy (I’d love to be wrong) that you can find here. This particular blog entry is written in answer to a question Richard Bartle recently posed on […]
Calthine said
January 6 2008 @ 1:48 pm
This discussion had my mind meandering through the various sci-fi universes I know and love. And it suddenly occurred to me: is it possible to go sci-fi and completely divorce ourselves from fantasy?
Pick your favorite sci-fi universe. Got it? Okay, find the fantasy archetypes. Star Wars: beyond the classic Princess captured by Evil rescued by the Prince who doesn’t know he’s a Prince, we have the Evil King Who Must Be Overthrown. Dune: while these are largely political and environmental, there’s that Spice thing without which the whole storyline would not exist, and which smacks heavily of magic. Star Trek: if you can’t find the fantasy archetypes in there, you ain’t looking! Battlestar Glactica: the underlying lore comes from an ancient myth - the Lost Tribe of Israel.
Do we need dragons and castles to have fantasy? Are the “universal” archetypes that underlie fantasy so pervasive that we cannot have sci-fi without them?
Time to re-read some Asimov and Clarke….
Almeric said
January 7 2008 @ 10:35 am
Well that’s just it. I mean hell, The Death Star was basically a giant fire-breathing dragon, wasn’t it? It even had the hard-to-find weak spot in its armor no different than Smaug.
Most Science Fiction is just Fantasy with spaceships and technobabble. There’s a big difference between throwing future-people into a crazy situation and having them use advanced scientific possibilities to get out of it, versus pulling out the Star Trek equivalent of, “Well Robin, those sharks look formidable, but luckily I happen to be carrying a can of Bat Shark Repellent!”
Horror movie though it was, I tend to consider the first Alien movie to be MUCH truer science fiction than the vast majority of “sci fi” that comes to mind. People in a ship with tools, bulky space suits, an android…but without replicators and time travel and the ability to heal any wound with the wave of a metallic rod that looks and acts oddly like a magic wand.
Winwin said
January 13 2008 @ 2:16 pm
I’ve often thought about this subject myself. Fantasy is fantasy.
It’s where you go with it that matters.
Cheddar said
January 23 2008 @ 12:12 am
Needs more blog.
The Hiram Key said
January 31 2008 @ 8:48 pm
WTB regular updates to this site pst
Babs said
February 6 2008 @ 8:09 pm
I know you’re alive, you answer your IMs =)
Adele said
February 18 2008 @ 9:15 am
Fantasy is great because it lets you be something that you could not be in real life. Magic, power, beauty all in another world full of mystery and life that does not exist in our world.
Long time no post! Dec 24th!
Antony Markesino said
February 18 2008 @ 10:10 am
I think the biggest issue at the moment is even with the expected growth in the industry and MMOs, that the fantasy Genre is saturated and unless you can produce a truly outstanding product that consideration should be given to other areas such as cyberpunk which have gone largely untapped.
Or it could be that I have been fiending for a Shadowrun MMO since I started playing EQ back in 98
Shane said
February 20 2008 @ 5:16 pm
I’ve always though fantasy was mostly chosen because it wasn’t something an individual could copyright, yet was still open for interpretation. (ie. not all elves have to be nice etc.)
Calthine said
February 26 2008 @ 12:40 am
Finally! Someone up updates their blog less frequently than me!