NCsoft Europe wants to avoid making 'copycat' MMOs
NCsoft Europe was created in the wake of last year's deal with Sony to provide content for the PlayStation 3 platform. In an interview with the Develop magazine site, company creative director Marc D'Souza offers hope for future titles that don't simply "redress" World of Warcraft's gameplay. While the NCsoft developers greatly respect Blizzard's behemoth, they're looking to offer a very different alternative.
"To maximize your potential, you really need to work from first principles. If you only copy what other people are doing, then you're not going to understand the choices and compromises that were made from a design point of view." It's clear the company has a good grasp of what's 'in play' at the moment. Avoiding previous pitfall while charting new territory is what innovation is all about.
The interview also covers the social challenges to MMO developers in the form of griefing, as well as some thoughts on the art vs. graphics debate. Make sure to check it out.
