Martin Feldhausen, inventor of the Extra Life, outlines a new online RPG model.

PlanetFargo readers will remember my last chat with Martin Feldhausen, creator of the "Extra Life." Feldhausen is a true gaming visionary, one of those fascinating minds who can spellbind a listener for hours. I hadn't talked with him for over a year, and was absolutely stunned to see him roaming the halls of the 2002 Game Developers Conference Although we talked for several hours, it was his opinion on the state of massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs for short) that really caught my attention. I'd already written an in-depth article on the subject, but found Feldhausen's take on the matter fascinating. I've transcribed our dialogue below.Hang on, let me turn on my tape recorder. Test test? Okay, I'm talking with Martin Feldhausen, inventor of the "Extra Life." We were just having a conversation about massively multiplayer gaming. Mr. Feldhausen, could you repeat what you just told me?Certainly. Every single massively multiplayer game currently published is completely misguided, from both a business and game design standpoint.Those are pretty strong words! What about, say,, a game with hundreds of thousands of paying customers? Are you calling it a failure?Yes, if by "failure" you mean it's making pennies on the dollar of potential revenue, and is turning away a million or more possible customers. Yes, indeed.Explain!There's a chapter about massively multiplayer gaming in my upcoming book,. I've done extensive research into this unique field of computerized entertainment. I'm also no stranger to the gameplay. I've spent several hours on ... that one game ... the one with the swords. And the monsters, with the other players. Anyway, here is how I understand it:Most game developers create the game, then they try to shoehorn a business model around it. It's rubbish. These games ultimately are about profitability, since the developmental and support costs are so high. To thrust an antiquated "pay by the month" model on them, as though they were cable television, is absurd. Instead, optimally, you would start with a. Then you would build a playable game around it.That's interesting. What would you suggest?Allow me to draw it out on this napkin. You see, the problem with these games is that the people playing them have variable income. Allow me to make some broad generalizations. Typically, the players with the most time to invest in the game -- teenagers, often -- have the most time because they don't have families or jobs. In short, they have time, but less disposable income. The opposite end of the spectrum are the people who have very little time to invest in the game. Only a few hours a month. Typically, they can't play because they work. They have a large income, but no time.Here's what I call "the rub:" The CURRENT crop of massively multiplayer games reward those who spend the most time playing. In short, these games offer the richest game experiences to those with the least amount of money. And everyone is charged a flat rate to play. Ludicrous! Wasted potential!Maybe so, but I'm still waiting to hear an alternate plan.