Games Industry Concept: Mega Multiplayer Games

Hello All,

What I'm proposing with "Mega Multiplayer Games" or MMG as an acronym is a scaled down version of a full blown "Massively Multiplayer Online Game" or a MMOG. Where MMO's or MMOG's consist of thousands of players per server shard if not tens of thousands together in one super shared game world. An MMG takes a single player game and regular multiplayer game mode and makes a glorified game mode together. Not to the scale of a MMO, but extending the shelf life of many single player RPG or FPS games to come.

Current multiplayer games be they FPS mostly have been stuck at either 32 to 64 players per game server as an artificial limit. Not due to technological hurdles, but economic ones of not willing to invest resources to push the regular multiplayer ceiling. The "Mega Multiplayer Game" pushes that ceiling where a standard single player game gets a backdrop conversion.

Take for instance the Bioware games franchise of "Mass Effect" as an example. Mass Effect games 1 and 2 play differently from each other as will "Mass Effect 3". Its logical since its an evolution in game play mechanics and game design to see what works and what doesn't. What if under a MMG game treatment a gamer can play "Mass Effect 1-3" with the current flavor of how "Mass Effect 3" will be presented. For example as each single player game iteration is introduced previous single player game titles under the same IP (Intellectual property) entertainment brand. Will be stitched together like a daisy chain keeping all the game encounters in "Mass Effect 1 & 2" intact. But be presented with the User Interface and game mechanics of "Mass Effect 3". Akin to when the game developer "Blizzard" redid "World of Warcraft" through the MMO game expansion of "Cataclysm". The entire MMO landscape of that one game was given a facelift.

A "Mega Multiplayer Game" offers continuity of past single player games to be assembled by a skeletal framework. Where the most recent game version gives all past game title versions a facelift in game play. So where a MMO allows thousands of players together in a game world. An MMG allows hundreds of players together to experience their favorite single player games together. Picture playing an MMG version of "Mass Effect 1-3" just with your clan or guild mates all being able to explore the galaxy on the Normandy. Where each player has their own version and custom look of "John Shepard". If not allowed to play other prominent roles of "Garrus" the Tunarian and so forth. Or allowing players to jump randomly into Npc's (Non Player Characters) of whatever race and play them out according to the game's story arc for that npc.

There can be other versions of "Mega Multiplayer Games" than just the one example I provided above. Where the latest single player game dictates the game mechanics in user interface that all games in their line up are played. There can be via the MMG skeletal frame work conversion allowing each game to be played as it was designed. So continuing with the "Mass Effect" example "Mass Effect 1-3" are played as each one is presented in game design. However they are all still glued together to form a continuous game world. Still that would mean a dizzying manner in how the game is played by user interface differences between each game title version.

Game rental service vendors can offer gamer consumers servers that are tailored towards a "Mega Multiplayer Game" environment. Just like how they are tailored towards the FPS game match server business model today. Game Publishers can offer present and future game entertainment IP's with a MMG game mode. Right alongside the vanilla single player or traditional multiplayer game modes. So instead of a game publisher investing into a full blown "Massively Multiplayer Online" game project. They can go the "Mega Multiplayer Game" route instead where gamers not needing to subscribe in a "pay to play" monthly MMO business model. Do something closer to a "Guild Wars" business model where the consumer just buys the game itself and no monthly subscription fees on the back end. The game publisher can offer a selection of its own servers so MMG games can be played. Just like they currently do with FPS game titles. It'll be the game server rental vendors by interested consumers to allot additional server rack space on how popular a game entertainment IP may be.

This is but a choice to another way how we all enjoy our games. No way I'm I spelling out all the intricate obstacles that may be encountered like any game title project in development. It is still a novel and different game mode model for our games to be played and enjoyed together.