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Turbine to announce console MMO plans early next year
We've all known about Turbine's plans for a console MMO for a few months now, but in a recent interview with videogaming247.com, Lord of the Rings Online's Executive Producer Jeffrey Steefel mentioned the fact that an announcement will be coming early next year on what type of "products" Turbine aims to release for the console."What we're doing now is the early development work and the work with the hardware manufacturers to understand where they're heading in the online space, where the connectivity between the console and internet is really headed," Steefel said in the interview. Since Turbine's recent work with Warner Bros, the speculations have been across the board from a Harry Potter MMO, to LotRO being ported to the console or even an entirely new project. The biggest news of this interview though is the fact that he mentions "products", plural. Guess we'll just need to wait a few months to know for sure. In the meantime, we should be able to keep ourselves busy.
Turbine's CEO talks consoles
In continuing cross-platform MMO news, Turbine has expanded their views on plans to bring current and future projects to the console market. During a recent interview with Gamasutra, Turbine's CEO Jim Crowley spoke of the reasoning behind bringing MMOs to a console, and the future of the PC retail market.Most of the recent push for console projects from otherwise PC-based games (like MMOs) arises for a few reasons. First, there's global allure. In the Eastern world, consoles are king. In order to appeal to that market, you need to bring your title to the platform which is most popular in a region with so many hardcore gamers. Secondly, as Crowley states, "There is irrefutable data that exists that [shows that] the willingness of retailers to support PC inventory has been decreasing with time." This isn't to say that Turbine believes the PC is a dying platform. "We have a wonderful business built on the PC platform; it's a growing and exciting business," he says.
Will Sony's push for console MMOs help sell the PS3?
Over the past few weeks, Sony Online Entertainment's President John Smedley has spoken candidly about his company's plans to bring MMOs to the console platform. More specifically, Smedley says that all of their future projects will release on both PC and the Playstation 3, even with some hints of MMOs coming to the PSP.These future projects include some highly-anticipated titles such as The Agency, Free Realms and DC Universe Online. While we've talked about other companies announcing MMOs on the console coming soon, would the inclusion of future SOE titles on the PS3 be enough to persuade dedicated PC/MMO fans to buy the poorly-received Sony console?
Is LotRO coming to the console?
In previous interviews with Turbine, we've heard about their interest in developing an MMO on the console. There was speculation of a Harry Potter MMO, following some venture funding by Warner Bros, but now we have a piece of information that might put the console spotlight back on Lord of the Rings Online.According to a job posting on Turbine's website, they're looking to hire a Senior User Interface Engineer who "may be refactoring existing user interfaces or implementing completely new user interfaces for systems such as combat, skills, inventory, treasure, and social systems." Does this mean LotRO? There's no question that LotRO is Turbine's largest and most successful game, and this topic has been discussed before. In fact, LotRO's Executive Producer, Jeffrey Steefel has mentioned in the past that "we have the Lord of the Rings license for use on all platforms, and we're determined to use it." Would you want to see LotRO on a console? Tell us your thoughts!
Console MMOs from a reverse perspective: Can they succeed?
In the first of a promised series of articles concerning MMOs on a console platform, Jim Pwnage of Xboxoz360gamer.com gives us a discussion on the importance of communications to a cross-platform MMO. He starts off by making a general introduction to MMOs, seemingly directed at console gamers. If this is the future of the genre, we might as well get used to it.This first installment discusses how voice communication is essential to a console MMO. No one wants to be typing out their commands or guild chat on a console, and voice chat among 100+ people would be chaotic to say the least. So his solution is a way to join and leave smaller conversations more easily. Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of massively multiplayer though? It's an interesting thought, and we look forward to the next part of this series.
Why aren't there more console MMOs?
Joe Ludwig is probably best known for his role as producer on the historical MMO Pirates of the Burning Sea. Today the Gamasutra site is running an opinion article written by Mr. Ludwig, looking into the surprising dearth of console MMOs on the market. He's essentially responding to a post by Dan Rubenfield, a confrontational post that puts MMO developers "on notice". While undoubtedly there are several opinions in the post to take issue with, the Gamasutra article tackles this statement directly: "If you continue to refuse to acknowledge consoles as the de-facto standard for AAA gaming, you will go out of business. Quit making PC games. It's a waste of time and money."Ludwig asserts that he'd love to make console games, but there are numerous barriers between his interest and reality. We've even talked about a number of these problems on the site, but they're well worth exploring again. Problems like the lack of a keyboard, the rarity of a double-console household, and the hoop-jumping required to get content certified all warrant a look. Of these issues, Ludwig sees the console holder's demand for a share as the most daunting obstacle. In the near-future, console MMOs are probably doomed. What the future might hold is another story entirely.
Codemasters looking to publish two console MMOs
Speaking with GamesIndustry.biz, Codemasters has made it known that there are two MMO titles for consoles that they are in talks to publish. Codemasters has done well as the European distributor of Lord of the Rings Online, and they will be publishing the anticipated Jumpgate Evolution later in the year. These and other MMO ventures have led them to explore new possibilities in the home console market.David Solari, vice-president and general manager of Codemasters Online Gaming, said, "the time is right for some good console MMO games", but also admitted, "it's a little more challenging because of the restrictions of a console -- certain games aren't going to work". Right now they're working on making sure that they pick the right games to bring over. They hope to enter the market within the coming year, putting their titles up against other MMOs that are moving into console territory, like The Agency and Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures.
Petroglyph has a console MMO in the pipes
Is it just us or is the MMO replacing the FPS as the ubiquitous genre du jour for developers still looking to find their niche. Why do we ask? Well it looks like Petroglyph Games, the Las Vegas-based team behind Star Wars: Empire at War and more recently Universe at War, are in the process of building up their team for an as-yet-unannounced MMO. The kicker? The listing for MMO Game Designer specifically refers to the new game as a "console project." Whatever your opinions on console MMOs are, it looks like a new one is on its way.Of course, all this leaves us with is delicious, delicious speculation. The team's credits are heavily focused in the PC RTS genre, which doesn't (at least as we see it) have terribly much cross-over with a console MMO. It's also interesting to consider that Universe at War, which comes out in February of next year, is being released on the Xbox 360 in addition to the PC. Given the way console development works, it's more than likely that they'll use their new-found familiarity with the 360 platform to aid in the creation of the new property, and develop it with Microsoft's console in mind.Don't say we didn't tell you so![Via VE3D]
Where's the love for console MMOs?
One genre was conspicuously absent from Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft's E3 press conferences -- the humble massively multiplayer game. We at Joystiq are on the lookout for innovation in MMOs, and what better platform to push the genre to its limits than next-gen consoles? Yet few developers seem to be taking the bait.While some console MMOs are under development, the PC is definitely the platform of choice, and nothing we saw at the keynotes has changed that. With the investment in connected online services for the next generation of consoles, it's a surprise that the MMO isn't getting any attention. Perhaps translating gameplay to console platforms is holding developers back, or perhaps it's just too early for the genre to come into its own. Either way, it will be interesting to watch the few console MMOs that are launching soon, as well as Final Fantasy XI, to get some hints of what the future holds.
