Being a previous WoW player, who lost interest, I have been keeping an eye out for a new MMORPG to take too.

I prefer the idea of playing such a game on my console rather than my PC. But as far as I know (waits for someone to correct me...) there's never been a true MMORPG on the console to date, or if there has it hasnt been very successful. There are a few due out on PS3, DC Universe, Agent, FF14, but what are the chances of them being a success? and if they dont suceed is it because consoles arent cut out for them, or just because WoW has such a dominant control over the MMORPG market?

I plan on getting DC Universe online when it comes out to try out an MMORPG on the PS3. Though it wasnt something I was originally taken too, the E3 trailer has caught my eye a bit.

Does anyone else plan on getting it (on PS3)? as the few people I have heard talk about it seem more interested in getting it on the PC.

I think an MMORPG on a console could be a huge success, I mean imagine a Pokemon MMO on Wii. That things' sales would be scary.

I guess all you'd need is this:

In all seriousness, IMO, I think MMORPGs on consoles are not a bad idea either. I've been playing Monster Hunter Tri on my Wii lately and even though the online quests only support 4 players at the same time, I could imagine how great it would be to talk to even more players online. You can even use a USB keyboard so there's no communication problems whatsoever. I really like the game.

I want to try FFXIV on PS3. It might be my next big MMORPG.

I am a former WoW player myself. Played just over 2 and a half years and was a hardcore raider for the last year and a half. I understand the question and I will give my 2 cents on it.

It depends.

Certain franchises would be smash hits while the traditional Star Wars, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, and other lesser known franchises such as Fallout and Fable will bomb because they don't have the history of multiple generations growing up on playing their games and the critical mass of younger fans to make it an ongoing successful venture such as the World of Warcraft. Star Trek, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings are contemporarily viewed as good movies to watch, but their fans are scoffed at as nerds and socially retarded to a certain degree by their irrational fandom. Case in point, those who speak in Klingon.

MMORPGs based off of any Nintendo franchise (Mario, Donkey Kong, Metroid, Zelda, and Pokemon) would rival WoW quite easily. Similarly, I could see a Halo MMORPG doing well, but that is about it.

The main problem I see is, and I cannot verify it 100%, the fickle nature of console gamers due to the constant lineup of new releases year in and year out. Console gamers are spoiled in this regard. Console gamers have a  certain degree of expectation when it comes to new games. The success of an MMORPG relies on killing this expectation and sucking you and all your time into its world.

When WoW came out in 2004, I noticed a significant drop in the quality of new PC games. What was the bleeding edge with Diablo, Fallout, Half life, StarCraft, Counter Strike, and on seemed to really be hit hard by WoW sucking up all the gamer dollars and time.

This leads to another question, do MMORPGs monopolize the gaming market to the extent that the quality and quantity of new games is much lower?

I believe so. Just consider the PC games released from 1996-2004 and compare that to the PC games released from 2004 until now. Much less in quantity and quality since WoW invaded.

now that consoles are equiped with hard drives, there's really no barrier to them having MMos (with updates, patches...) that could even be cross platform (this would ensure a good amount of players).

I get killiana's point on the quality of PC games... but this also has to do with the fact that consoles are now basically PCs, so the devs can do the same games... and make them cross platform. Of course, the limitations of consoles will touch also the PC, this is the cause of the decrease in quality.

Lastly... quality games haven't been comming out cause Bliz was occupied with wow :p as they account for the best PC games anyways =) (they are 40% of the games you cited)

Well I shall talk about the PS3 in specific coz there are big MMOs coming to PS3.

The PS3 right now has 3 Major MMOs coming it's way with DC Universe, The Agency and FF XIV and when I mean major, I mean games that have enough interest right now.

I'm more leaning towards the opinion of that MMOs definitely have a chance of succeeding on the PS3. Here's why I think so:

1) PS3 will support Keyboard and Mouse input.

2) Graphics is not a major factor of MMOs so PS3 Versions and Mid Level PC graphics will msot probably be very similar

3) PS3's PSN is open and free for everyone so anyone can sign up and jump right into the PS3 MMOs.

4) Paid Subscriptions are not a problem as long as they're not so high. Obviously people who are willing to play the MMOs are aware that most MMOs are Pay to Play and will Pay to Play and therefore this won't become a major issue.

5) Cross Platform Gaming will be available in the MMOs.

The reason why MMOs haven't been so successful on consoles is that there just hasn't been much effort put into making console MMOs and there is a major lack of MMOs on consoles. So if Sony can succeed with the 3 Major MMOs for the PS3, I think you'll be able to see more devs seriously considering Console MMOs.

I agree, this generation and the following generations of consoles is and will be on par with PCs in terms of graphics. Of course you will have PC games such as Crysis that are at the bleeding edge of graphics output and good gameplay, but they are not the norm. Most PC shooters aim for one or the other, the Unreal series exemplifies the best graphics with meh gameplay, while the Battlefield series has skimped on graphics for the best multiplayer experience.

Yeah, nobody is better than Blizzard with the exception being Nintendo. Rare had quite a run there in the 1990s with Donky Kong Country, but flatlined in the 2000s. Same with Square Enix who was at the pinnacle during Final Fantasy 7 , but has not released a Final Fantasy game quite as good as 7 since.

Finally, I was hoping for someone to bring up the current generation of consoles eating into the PC gaming market. I believe that if I was faced with the proposition in 2007 to spend $600 max (price of the PS3) on a console or spend $1500 for a new computer to run the best PC games, I would take the former without a doubt and always.

When I was exclusively PC gaming from 2002 until early 2007, I encountered way too many PC gamers who got off on how powerful and expensive their gaming machine was like teenage boys brag about the size of their penis. Those who owned an Alienware had an overinflated epeen and you could not play through a WoW raid without them mentioning how cool their PC was at least once through Vent.

It will be nice to see how those pan out. I hope they don't go the way of the Age of Conan, which was overhyped as the WoW killer.

As for MMORPGs on the 360, I think it will be a tad harder due to Microsoft's tyrannical centralized control over online content relased on Xbox Live.

Another issue of contention for an MMORPG on the Xbox 360 is will and can the subscription be paid with Microsoft Points or is it a straight to the game developer transaction?

I would not doubt for a second Microsoft to be milking their position as the middleman and forcing developers to hike the subscription price for a maintenance fee because Xbox Live is maintained by Microsoft.