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The Soapbox: That's not an MMO
You may not be aware of this, but Massively is a website focused primarily on massively multiplayer online games. It's kind of what we do. However, the world of MMOs in 2013 is far different from the world of MMOs in 2007, when the site was founded. The niche has changed and the games industry has evolved. There was a time when "online" told you everything you needed to know about a game because there was really only one type of online game. You knew in picking up an online game that you and some friends would be leveling, looting gear, and slaying dragons. It took a while for developers to notice that online play was actually a thing that could work in more than one particular format. Nowadays, online games range from traditional MMORPGs like Guild Wars 2 and RIFT to MOBAs like SMITE and League of Legends. There's no clear definition for what an MMO is or isn't because so many games are massive, multiplayer, and online. Maybe it's time to embrace MMO as a broader term than previously thought.
Rockstar reveals Grand Theft Auto Online
Rockstar Games today lifted the curtain on Grand Theft Auto Online, showing off the new title via a lengthy announcement trailer. GTA Online appears to be more than just a simple multiplayer iteration of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, and features player housing, a persistent world, and player-generated content. The game shares game elements and geography with Grand Theft Auto V and supports up to 16 players co-habitating in their own little online world. Players will be able to purchase and customize vehicles, own property, shape their appearance, and work their way through the criminal underworld, in addition to participating all the random acts of chaos the series has offered since its inception. In Grand Theft Auto Online, players have the freedom to explore alone or with friends, work cooperatively to complete missions, band together to participate in activities and ambient events, or compete in traditional game modes with the entire community, all with the personality and refined mechanics of Grand Theft Auto 5. Purchasers of Grand Theft Auto V will receive access to GTA Online when it launches October 1st on PS3 and Xbox 360 (and not PC). It is unclear whether the game will be available as a standalone product; we have reached out to Rockstar for clarification. Check out the reveal trailer after the break.
The Digital Continuum: Five exciting MMOs in 2010
Space, car chases and heroic fantasies lie in wait, plotting the demise of our nights and weekends. 2010 will soon be upon us and with it a whole new set of MMO releases, which means it's time to look at some of the most exciting ones. Some are obvious, while others are surprises even to me. Overall, however, this next year is going to be pretty crazy for fans of the genre. These are my five most exciting titles that the coming year has to offer, whether it wants to or not.
Rumor: Realtime Worlds hopes APB becomes GTA Online
As far as rumors go, this one isn't much of a surprise. A mysterious masked man told Eurogamer that developer Realtime Worlds recently bought the distribution rights to its forthcoming MMO All Points Bulletin (APB to you kids) with one specific goal in mind: "so that it could try and sell it to Rockstar as GTA Online."Now, Realtime's motivation for the purchase can really only be parsed two ways: either it's going to go it alone or it'll partner with "someone else who may well be interested and have the infrastructure [to support it]." Though the founders of Realtime Worlds used to call Rockstar Games "home" – not to mention the instant similarities between APB and the money-printing franchise – the developer is opting to downplay the GTA Online link, only saying that it re-secured the license to give itself "some options." Gallery: GDC08: All Points Bulletin [Via X3F]
Rumor: Rockstar to buy APB, release as GTA Online
In rumor news that initially seems a bit far fetched but eventually turns into a rumor that sort of makes sense, Realtime Worlds' recently purchased All Points Bulletin MMO may be up for sale with the targeted purchaser being none other than Rockstar. Yup ...Rumor has it that Realtime may have secured the APB license not only to distribute it as they wish, but possibly to re-package it and sell it to Rockstar as GTA Online. Thus far, Realtime has downplayed the whole idea of an APB re-sell, but did confirm that one reason for their recent APB acquisition was "to look for another partner; someone else who may well be interested and have the infrastructure [to support it]." Interesting stuff. Seeing that GTAIV is all the hawtness right now and from what we've seen of APB, a re-worked GTA Online MMO may not be all that bad of an idea. But only time will tell.
