Make My MMO: April 6 - April 12, 2014
This week a reader named TrollsRoyce (no relation to Massively Editor-in-Chief Bree Royce, we swear) brought a new crowdfunding project called Red Blood to our collective attention. The game's IndieGoGo campaign will run through May 5th and the staff, which includes former CABAL Online and Perfect World developers, could use your help.
What exactly is Red Blood? It's a "triple-A MMORPG title that's based on the popular comic book series Red Blood," the project site explains. "Set in a post apocalyptic future, the world is a changed land where science and magic coexist and humans have been recreated by changing DNA. Four opposing countries have risen in an attempt to gain total control of the world using their new armies of genetically modified mercenaries."
Listed features include a full pet system, non-targeting combat, and an infinite number of instance dungeons. User Games and Gorilla Banana have released a trailer, and Steparu has posted an extensive review of an early build.
Dream a little dream, get a little green, and before long you'll have your very own MMO... at least that's what these developers are hoping! Games seeking funding to make their plans a reality are listed in this section.
The Chosen (Fair Games Productions): Open donations, end date April 25
A sci-fi space exploration MMOFPS touting ship design and a player-driven economy.
Citadel of Sorcery (MMO Magic, Inc.): Open donations, no end date
A vast, dynamic world where nothing is set in stone and each player will experience the game in very different ways
Contested Space (Zon): Kickstarter coming soon
Player-design spaceships and stations
Action-oriented combat, territory expansion and defense
Gloria Victis (Black Eye Games): Open donations, no end date
Fantasy medieval setting with a classless system and unrestricted character development
Realistic weather system
Greenlit on Steam
Latest news: March 30 -- PvP raid and new screens
Neo's Land (NeoJac Entertainment): Open donations, no end date
A sandbox where the community decides development by round table discussions
Massively news: Voxel-based building demo available
Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen (Visionary Realms): Open donations, no end date
Old school fantasy MMO with focus on group content
The return of corpse runs
Race/class combos revealed
Red Blood (User Games/Gorilla Banana): IndieGoGo, ends May 5th
Action combat with four classes
in-depth pet system
Infinite number of instanced dungeons
Trials of Ascension (Forged Chaos): Light the Forge, ends at $40,000 raised
Skill-based sandbox MMORPG
Success has its privileges, including a spot in this section! Games that have reached their crowdfunding goals and that are currently being developed are listed here. Once a game reaches the closed testing stage, it will move to the hallowed halls of Betawatch.
Camelot Unchained (City State): Official site - Recent news: Producer's letter, storefront
City of Titans (Missing Worlds Media): Official site - Recent news: Unreal 4
Divergence: Online (Ethan Casner): Official site
Elite: Dangerous (Frontier): Official site - Recent news: Premium beta now live
Embers of Caerus (Forsaken Studios): Official site
Epic Space (EpicSpace.net): Official site
Ever, Jane (3 Turn Productions): Official site
The Mandate (Perihelion Interactive LLC): Official site
MyDream (MyDream): Official site - Recent news: Kickstarter successfully funded
Novus AEterno (Taitale Studios): Official site
Pathfinder Online (Goblinworks): Official site - Recent news: Boatloads of classes coming
Shadowrun Online: (Cliffhanger Productions) Official site
Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues (Portalarium): Official site - Recent news: $3.7 million raised so far
Star Citizen (Cloud Imperium): Official site - Recent news: March update and PAX event
TUG (Nerd Kingdom): Official site - Recent news: Our hands-on
Kickstarter puts the the fate of fledgling MMOs in the hands of gamers. Which will live and which will die? Check the pulse of MMO crowdfunding with Massively's Jef Reahard every Wednesday in Make My MMO. And for a look at non-MMO crowdfunding, don't forget Joystiq's Crowdfund Bookie.