When companies have a seemingly successful MMO, a logical step is to craft a sequel based on said existing game. Two goals for this project would be to make it even more popular than the first, and not take away the old game as long as it’s still making money.

Unfortunately there is no real case of this happening. Everquest 2 is probably the most successful sequel, but it has gone beyond the subscription numbers of the original at it’s peak.  Asheron’s Call 2 is another sequel that comes to mind, which for most people was nothing more then a sequel in name only.

So why is it that MMO sequels are so difficult to do ‘correctly’? It’s all about balance, it’s an absolute must that you strike a balance with what’s already been established and what you’re going to create that’s different.

Since there’s already a brand awareness you can typically expect a sequel will be and improved version of the original. Comprised of the same lore fans know and love and established world only in a different time period or during/after an event which dramatically effected the world the game is set in.

This is all well and good because why change a great thing in a dramatic fashion? If the new game is just a new version of the old game two things can happen.

• Succeed and kill off the old game.
• Not be quite as successful and splits the player base.

If you’re a publisher chances are you’re not going to want to do anything that will detract from the bottom line, which is profits. Two really profitable games are much better then one and much better then two that are kinda profitable.

So what do you do in that position? Believe it or not your best bet is to create a game that you’re old audience wouldn’t be interested in.  For a moment let’s say you’re SOE and are gearing up for that third Everquest.  A good way for you to handle a third Everquest  would be to design it closer to Free Realms.  No, it isn’t a typo. I do in fact mean Free Realms.

Why? It’s simple. Current Everquest players probably have little to no interest in a game like Free Realms, so taking all that wonderful lore and the EQ setting and making it more casual aimed would effectively give you the sequel you want, allow you to reach a new group of players and would keep you existing playerbases intact.

Leaving you with a potential gateway drug for players new to the MMO scene to check out either of the other two games in the series or possibly both.