Origin Enterview

A new word. Enterview. Meaning E-interview, the now extremely common process of sending an electronic “interview” to a person, and having them respond via e-mail. Well, RPGvault’s Jonric enterview’s the “Executive in Charge of Production” (does that mean producer?) of the MMORPG successor to Ultima Online, Ultima Worlds Online: Origin. Here’s a dusting:

Jonric: In light of this projection, what do you see as the main factors that will drive the market to this level? And do you think the audience for online worlds will grow rapidly enough to support the number of games being developed?

Jeff Anderson: I do not think that online worlds are going to cross over and appeal to people who do not already play games. The idea of uncovering a “new” audience is a myth. That being said, I believe that the market for online worlds is as large as the current market for games. That fact alone makes it a sizable marketplace. However, the potential market share for online games is weakened by its current distribution model and the business model. What does that mean? First, this means that many potential players want to download online games, not go to a store – which is unlikely until everyone moves to broadband. Likewise, subscriptions – eg. $9.95 per month – are an enormous limiter. Many fifteen year olds are game players, but most of them do not have access to a credit card. As we resolve these issues, we will reach the true potential of this space.

For a new (though a bit unflattering, considering I really think this game so far has the best graphics of the MMORPG pack) screenshot of of the game, Origin Stratics has one for you here.

On a tangent:
I would politely disagree with Mr. Anderson. I believe that games such as Everquest have already started converting people who are not traditional computer game players. In fact, in my travels within that game I met quite a few and heard of others. Most of the time it’s husbands converting wives, boyfriends their girlfriends, but not always.