In the latest developer blog for Star Wars: The Old Republic, Principle Lead Designer Damion Schubert contrasts the "games" vs. "worlds" philosphy of massive multiplayer games. While both philosophies have their apparent positives and draw-backs, Schubert asserts that the inclusion of the third element, community, is what ties a successful MMO together. Click here for the full read and check out the excerpt below.


"Community is the crazy notion that massively multiplayer games are more interesting when other players matter. Advocates of this viewpoint savor competition and cooperation above all else. Community-driven players want, above all else, to be able to interact and gather with other players, in a civil way. They share ideals with the other schools of thought: community-driven players tend to value balance and fairness, but they also want the freedom to express themselves and interact with others.

To me, as an MMO designer, community is the whole ball of wax. Let’s face it, if you wanted to play just a ‘game’, you’d be off playing a single player roleplaying game. If you wanted a ‘world’, maybe you’d play a life-simulation game. But community – well, that’s the whole ‘massively multiplayer’ part of MMO. When you look at it this way, ‘community’ is at least as important as ‘game’ or ‘world’ in this debate.

And probably more so."