DBZ MMO, Why? Options

[Knightsword]

http://kotaku.com/gaming/dragon-ball-z/nex...ll-z-245440.php

Mark your calendars. In 2008, a MMO Dragon Ball Z will be hitting Japan. Being beta testing in Korea this summer, the game is set 200 years after the manga's end. The plot? An evil organization has divided up the world, which players set out to reunite. What's more, players start off as kids, grow into adults and can select any of the major races — Saiyan, Nameks and Humans. Just as you'd expect with any MMO, players can also make their own avatars. Artist Akira Toriyama will be lending a hand to design characters, backgrounds and generally make sure the game looks all Toriyama-ey. Brian Ashcraft

Dragon Ball Online [Japanator]

Why cant DBZ stay dead, its an awful anime and Akira Toriyama's art hasn't had any originality to it for years, its always the same characters over and over again.

[Retehi]

I'm soooo playing, and the rest of you better be to.

[Sieranis]

Seems...interesting.

To say that his art hasn't changed. given most of his anime-style art is similar, might be just a tad close-minded. Also, you're only talking DBZ, which is a so-so anime series. I much prefer his art from other series, such as Dragon Quest or Chrono Trigger. And oddly enough, one of his more prominent series, Dr. Slump, has not even garnered much attention state-side. Which goes to show that his success isn't just attributed to Dragon Ball, that it was more-or-less his humble beginning. That said, I do hate...hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, what this "MMO of DBZ" will turn out to, mostly due to idiots who idolize it...Gah.

(Oh and kudos to anyone who has figured out the "hate, hate, hate, hate..." is a reference to a certain villain who is miles beyond Sephiroth in terms ingenuity and cruelty)

This post has been edited by Sieranis: Mar 20 2007, 07:57 AM

[Wiryu]

If you're talking about kefka, I don't disagree that he probably is more deviant than sephiroth, but I still hate kefka. I dunno, DBZ has never been a ground breaking anime to me, but that's not to say I don't think it's entertaining. I'm perfectly conten with being able to enjoy mediocre animes as well as great ones without comparing them, because I know they shouldn't for any reason be compared. As for the art, I personally like Akira Toriyama's style. I wouldn't mind checking out the game if I didn't think EVERYONE would pick saiyan.

[AC9breaker]

I could see myself playing a DBZ MMO if it weren't for the fact that I already play PSU, and I know I'm gonna be totally immersed in Pokemon Diamond /Pearl once they drop next month. I've always loved dragonball, I grew up with Dragonball. I remember waking up early Saturday mornings so I could watch it. Then buying bootleg VHS tapes of JP episodes. To me, Dragonball Z is up there with memorable childhood cartoons such as Rescue Rangers, Duck Tales, Darkwing Duck etc.

I'd totally pick a Namek.

[DarkEpyon]

DBZ was my first exposure to anime in its pure form all those years ago, and is one of my all-time favorites. I'd definitely give this one a shot. I'm sure that all the important characters' names will be unusable to players.

[Vitamin D]

I'd likely give it a shot myself. Like AC, my memories of DBZ are more nostalgic than negative, and my brother and I also had the super ghetto VHS tapes of the Japanese version hahaha good times. And I love Akira Toriyama's art work, I was bummed, for instance, when he didn't return for Chrono Cross' character designs :(. And you know, it actually could be a lot of fun, we'll see what happens when it drops haha.

[tanshin]

One of the biggest draws in DBZ was how strong Goku could get, and how a stronger bad guy kept showing up. The thing about MMO's is that no one will ever be exceptionally stronger than anyone else (being the "Goku"), as much as each player likes to try and believe that. The most you can do is be the first one to do something, or get a rare armor or something; This still doesn't making you remarkably stronger than anyone else. That is why I find myself preferring offline, single player games a lot of the time. You ARE the one strong guy that has to kill the ever stronger bad guys, and you're the only guy who can do it.

All that aside, I'd try it out for fun.

[Crushinator]

Watch out guys, he's coming this way! Better move!

[Wiryu]

"Ok guys, it's time to fight HNM Goku! Does everyone have senzu beans?"

*All*

"Check!"

"Do the namekians have regenerative properties active?"

"Mine won't be active for another 5 minutes."

"Ok, we'll just have to deal then, try to stay in the back until then ok? Humans stand back and Chi Blast. NOT NOW!"

"Oh shit! Sorry!"

"Here he comes."

"He's using the Kamehameha wave!"

"RUN AWAY!"

"Too late...."

Goku defeated the invading Z team!

[Crushinator]

I don't get how this will work anyways, as far as the concept goes. Isn't the whole point of DBZ the fact that there are only like 5 guys that are super strong in the whole god damn universe? If you're playing an MMO with thousands of other people, and you all have the potential to be super strong (over 9000 if you will), then doesn't that take away what was interesting and special about the DBZ universe to begin with?

I have the same problem wrapping my head around the forthcoming DC and Marvel MMOs. Not everyone can be fucking Superman or Wolverine or whatever, how the fuck are they supposed to work?

[Sieranis]

I don't get how this will work anyways, as far as the concept goes. Isn't the whole point of DBZ the fact that there are only like 5 guys that are super strong in the whole god damn universe? If you're playing an MMO with thousands of other people, and you all have the potential to be super strong (over 9000 if you will), then doesn't that take away what was interesting and special about the DBZ universe to begin with?

I have the same problem wrapping my head around the forthcoming DC and Marvel MMOs. Not everyone can be fucking Superman or Wolverine or whatever, how the fuck are they supposed to work?

I agree wholeheartedly Crush. The idea of creating a MMO off of the realm of such franchises is pretty absurd. The catch around the marvel and DC universes is that the heroes there are superhuman, now in a MMO how can there possibly be THAT many with superpowers? I'd think that would unbalance the overall premise of being humanly normal. Especially since I doubt that there are more than 1000 supers in either franchises, if there are that still doesn't factor in that MMO's may have over 10000 people playing at a given time. But I'm over-analyzing things, seeing as these are probably factors that will just be overlooked, because all that probably does matter is gameplay. That said, it really is pretty fun playing a super-hero though. (I've played CoH and CoV and enjoyed them both for a good while)

[tanshin]

I too enjoyed CoH and CoV for a bit. What crush was saying is what I was trying to get at in my post, but if you were an expert in DBZ like me, you'd know that everyone's powers (other than Gohan's in cell games) are dwarfed by goku and are forced to stay out of latter fights. Running around as someone who would've been forced to hide behind goku the whole series doesn't seem all that appealing. Yea yea yea, I'm a nerd, it goes without saying.

[Wiryu]

On the other hand, the MMO takes place 200 years after the series, so it's kind of like the rise of the new goku, except there's you know......a lot of potentials.

[DarkEpyon]

No doubt there will be a flood of saiyans, as no one will want to play as anything else. That is, if they decide to keep things as is. I'll be interested to see how they execute this.