Earlier this month, Steve Danuser contributed to a discussion with Ten Ton Hammer's Cody Bye, who wanted to know why the MMOG environment appears to be shifting from games based on existing IPs to games developed in original worlds. Bye queried MMOG fans as well as a handful of developers working on original IPs.

It was noted that existing IPs are well known and already have a fan base, so it is often easier to find funding and media attention. The downside to basing a game off an existing IP, some interviewees mentioned, was that the scope of the game was often limited – you might not be able to play as the hero of the story, or perhaps you already know how the game will end.

On the other hand, original IPs give developers lots of room to be creative and constantly expand the story. “Making a new IP stand out comes down to a number of factors,” Danuser told Bye. “Are you crafting a world in which players can feel a personal investment? Does it drip with charm and danger and drama? Are you thinking not only of cool places and people to put into the game, but also the history behind them and how they relate to the world as a whole?”

While making a game around an original IP sounds exciting, there are a lot of risks involved. But with those risks come great rewards. Over half of the gamers interviewed noted that at least one of their favorite games was based on an original IP.

Bye and Danuser both had a lot more to say on this topic — seven pages worth, in fact — so check out the full story at Ten Ton Hammer.