Dev question: Why love the sandbox?

[Morreion]

EVE Online: Nathan Richardson: Why Love the Sandbox? (MMORPG.com)

Sandbox games have proven that they stand the test of time. Why do you think the sandbox model appeals to players even after all these years?

It’s the other players--that’s the appeal. The sandbox is essentially an open environment, with rules and tools that empower players to become the “content” for everybody else playing. And this manifests itself on almost all levels of gameplay and interaction.

Fallen Earth: Wes Platt - Why Love the Sandbox? (MMORPG.com)

What's not to like about a model that lets you shape the game to your own image and at your own pace? Games like this are great, in my opinion, because they're all about the journey rather than the destination. I'm notoriously slow at leveling in MMORPGs, like Fallen Earth, because of this particular quirk. It's also why I really love games that come with design toolkits, they make it possible to dabble in my own creations.

Some of the games that have been most appealing to me over the years provided the opportunity to just go out in the realm and, within certain parameters--the boundaries of the sandbox--do things to experiment with actions and consequences.

Earthrise: Atanas Atanasov: Why Love the Sandbox? (MMORPG.com)

While game designers may have initially balked, a supportive and enthusiastic audience of experienced players stayed true to the promise of the MMO genre and now the demand for sandbox MMO games has never been bigger! Over the past few years the vast majority of players, many them introduced to MMORPGs by the flagship titles on the market today, have matured to see past the limitations of the set in stone design and have become more experienced and demanding. These players demand the right to have their actions influence the way the fictional world develops and to have the freedom to act anytime based on their best judgment with true and strong consequences for their actions. Many developers are leery of giving control to the players, but it is a risk worth taking. The combined actions of thousands of players can create unfathomable situations that balance out and require the designers to intervene in only rare and extreme situations. The beauty of the sandbox experience is in the unpredictability of its nature - the sense of amazement is incomparable to anything in other games.

Ultima Online: Derek Brinkmann: Why Love the Sandbox? (MMORPG.com)

Sandbox games lend themselves very well to the traditional MMO business model. The MMO monthly fee business model relies on players not only purchasing the game but continuing to play it for years. The basic idea behind sandbox games is to provide players with a virtual world (one that is more exciting than the real world) and the tools to enjoy living in that world. There are many aspects of these games that keep players paying, but three core concepts immediately come to mind. (ownership, persistent world, and open-ended character development)