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SUN is most anticipated game in China
According to the latest poll from Chinese gaming site, 17173.com, Korean developer Webzen's Soul of the Ultimate Nation is the most anticipated game in China. Other titles in the top ten include Guild Wars and Granado Espada (both will be operated by WoW host The9), as well as Kingdom of Warriors, Ragnarok Online 2, and Rohan. Analysts are predicting China's online gaming market will approach $1 billion in annual revenue within the next year, surpassing Korea. In response to this gaming boom, major publishers such as Electronic Arts, NCsoft, Take-Two, and Ubisoft have opened development offices in Shanghai. Webzen is currently putting the finishing touches on MMO-shooter Huxley for the North American market, but has also opened an office in Shanghai to produce Kingdom of Warriors.See also: Disney, Shanda bring online content to China
MMORPG's After World of Warcraft
Love it or hate it, WoW has changed the face of the MMO genre. The Escapist considers how things have changed since WoW has taken over. When you have such a successful game, how can in development games break hope to break into the market? There are a lot of up and coming games dealing with exactly this issue. Now, whether the next big MMO will simply be a further refinement of WoW's model or something entirely opposite - only time will tell. But the MMO's of the future can't help but be a response, of some sort, to WoW's huge success.
Kicking up a storm: The Escapist on Blizzard
This week's Escapist is fascinating as ever, dealing with the behemoth that is Blizzard Entertainment. While the pieces looking at the rise of Blizzard and its company culture are interesting enough, the real gem is the World of Warcraft article.Of course, no mention of Blizzard would be complete without WoW these days. However, the game's dominance of the MMO genre means that, as the folks at Terra Nova noticed, no discussion of MMOs is really complete without WoW:For better or worse, WoW is the face of the massive genre. In a very small part of the galaxy, it's a gravity well bending light that passes anywhere near it. When discussing PvP, questing, guilds or class balance, commentators now have a lingua franca: the common tongue of World of Warcraft.When on the hunt for a MMO to play that isn't "just another WoW clone", then, bear in mind that many people are looking at what clearly works for inspiration. We will certainly see games with strange and innovative MMO gameplay, but will they attract the numbers necessary to survive?
DDO solo play now available
Last month at E3, Turbine announced they would be adding solo play to Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach -- a decision based on user feedback (and most likely, to bring the game a step closer to World of Warcraft). According to the company's web site, a "Solo" option is now available to players at the earliest levels, and dungeon difficulty is adjusted accordingly, although there are certain maps that still require team play. PvP functionality will also be added in the future.[via RPGPlanet]
WoW dominates MMO market share
If you were in doubt about World of Warcraft's popularity amongst MMOs, the updated subscriber numbers over at MMOGChart will set you straight. The pie chart above shows the market share, as of May 2006, of subscription-based MMOs; the huge blue slice taking up 50.6% of the market is none other than Blizzard's behemoth.While a number of smaller games have some slice of the pie, the MMO world is dominated by Lineage, World of Warcraft and Runescape -- the latter has been racking up subscribers recently.
Prof debunks MindArk hype; causes CEO tantrum
Not sure how we missed this bit of juicy drama, so forgive us for the weeks-old nature of this post in advance, please. A chronological format works best: MindArk creates major media buzz with its announcement that they would allow players to draw money out of their Project Entropia accounts with a new debit card. We admit, it sounded novel, so we published our own uncritical account of the news. Wharton Professor and Terra Nova blogger Dan Hunter took a step back to ask whether the big news was really as fantastic as MindArk made it out to be. He analysed the deal then concluded, "Hey, guess what? This new frontier in virtual currency is...wait for it...a co-branded debit card." He went on to state that previous MindArk press releases, upon further analysis, appear to be "nothing but bullshit." MindArk's CEO throws a fit, sending a nasty email to one of Hunter's bosses at Wharton, accusing Hunter of "spreading slander." Hunter blogs it. Awesome. As Terra Nova commenter Peter wrote, "Someone should have told [MindArk CEO] Welter his god-mode is limited to [Project Entropia] alone...." See also: Aleks Krotoski's take, Daniel Terdiman's summary.
Immersive Communications Environment adds spatial dimension to in-game audio
Although we some may scoff at any research that won't directly lead to a "cure for cancer," the less judgmental may appreciate a new technology being developed by Australian engineers that promises to add a spatial dimension to in-game audio. Called the Immersive Communications Environment, this bit of code from the Smart Internet Technology Cooperative Research Centre maps voices and sounds from MMORPGs so that players can gauge their general direction using just headphones or stereo speakers, and even adjusts audio volume to reflect a sound source's virtual distance from the listener. Besides helping players communicate with teammates or figure out that they're getting shot in the back a little faster, the ICE software could also be employed in the business world, where it would give teleconference participants a more accurate sense of their remote colleagues' activities.[Thanks, Kaius]
Mobile MMOs in Carmack's future?
After recent mobile efforts including Doom and Orcs and Elves, John Carmack may have a new trick up his sleeve. Speaking to CNN Money, Carmack outlines his fears for the industry -- the unexpected cost of episodic gaming, along with security problems, make up his main concerns.With id's recent move to the mobile phone platform, Carmack's got plans. By trying out franchises on cell phones before risking a big-budget console or PC title, games become a safer bet; Carmack's also "really into the idea of a massively multiplayer cell phone title". While some MMOs have made forays into the mobile world, an exclusive massively multiplayer mobile game is a fairly novel idea -- it may even help the flagging mobile market.[Via Gamesindustry.biz]
First MMORPG to hit the DS
Have you guys ever heard of this game called Maplestory? Apparently, clever as they are, developers Wizet have you in NO WAY acquiring syrup to generously cover shortstacks of buttermilk pancakes so that you may fill your body and soul with their warm, fluffy substance. As much of a crime as that is, their focus, which is a 2D side-scrolling MMORPG, isn't too disappointing in contrast according to some. Actually, if the grapevine is to be believed, it's a downright enjoyable experience more so than consuming pancakes (crazy, I know). If you're curious, you could just download it and find out for yourself or have a gander at the rather robust Wiki for some more information. [Thanks Zack McClelland and Joey!]
Was Microsoft's vision for Vanguard Vista exclusive? [Update 1]
Sigil Games, developers of the upcoming MMORPG Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, shocked quite a few people by announcing that they were buying the publishing rights from Microsoft so that they could co-publish the title with Sony Online Entertainment. We've already provided some speculation about what the "varying visions and direction for the title's development" between Microsoft and Sigil were, but a tipster (who asked to remain unnamed) from E3 provides another possible reason for the split. Our tipster claims to have spoken to several developers working at Sigil and at another development company that has Microsoft as a publisher -- we'd say the meat of the tip is on the same level of credibility as someone saying that the Government is tapping your phone (yes, I made a political joke -- the first comment to judge my political affiliation wins my apathy!).According to our tipster, Microsoft intended to make Vanguard a Vista-exclusive title and Sigil didn't like it. The fact that XP users wouldn't have been able to play the game (limiting the user base quite drastically) and Windows Vista's notoriously slippery release date being the obvious disadvantages of such a move on the part of Sigil. If true, the motivation for Microsoft would have been that the title would be the first MMO to take advantage of Live Anywhere, Microsoft's online games platform which blends Xbox 360, PC and mobile phone devices: more Vista sales = profit!It's credible that Microsoft wanted to use Vanguard as the first MMO to work with Live Anywhere but that Sigil didn't want its game to be Microsoft's guinea pig and therefore bought the publishing rights. With Vista around the corner, Microsoft wants to provide as much incentive for gamers to upgrade and by making big name games playable exclusively on Vista it can gain that incentive. At the very least we get a kick out of discussing the vague PR explanations of the reasons behind leaving a game's publisher during the beta stage. It's impossible for us to believe that simple, meaningless "varying visions" caused this massive, late in the game move.Update 1: Brad McQuaid (Sigil CEO, creator of MMORPG Everquest) responds by saying "false rumor", but Joystiq commentator Jack Slater cleverly rebukes: "personally I would just deny everything if I was him, as there is no legal obligation for me to tell the truth on the forums but there is likely a legal obligation to keep the reason for leaving Microsoft undisclosed." Meanwhile, Ctrl+Alt+Del daydreams about how the meeting between McQuiad, Microsoft and Sony went. Funny stuff.
MMO players convene after E3
Those of us heavily invested in massively multiplayer games are part of a community, just as FPS clans have a brotherhood borne out of hours of playing together. Events like BlizzCon provide an opportunity for MMO guilds and players to meet up -- for the unknown to meet the infamous.E3 may have been over, but that didn't stop NCsoft arranging a player get-together last Saturday. Over 400 players signed up, some travelling from as far as Arizona for this one evening. While NCsoft had rented out a LAN centre for the event, players spent just as much time talking as they did playing, with a sizeable contingent of developers and community managers on hand to help the event along. NCsoft celebrities including Richard Garriott and Matt "Positron" Miller attended the event, showing a pleasing commitment to the player base.
PC impressions: Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising
Games like Rome have gained some following, so a Roman-themed MMO doesn't seem too surprising a concept. Marking a departure from the elves-and-orcs staple of so many MMOs, Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising takes place in a stylised Roman setting of approximately 300BC.The game's setting assumes that Roman mythology was more-or-less fact, so players can attain favour with various gods and battle a range of mythological creatures. The focus of play is a cross between hack-and-slash combat and squad-based strategy -- execute combo moves and fight hand-to hand, or deploy a squad of soldiers to do your dirty work for you.
PC impressions: Pirates of the Caribbean Online
Disney's upcoming MMO Pirates of the Caribbean Online is aimed at the teen and casual market, enticing fans of the films to try a new genre. As such, it's a very stylised representation of a pirate world, with fast-paced action that's easy to jump into for a few minutes. The story runs parallel to the films, with sub-plots revolving around the main characters that fans know and love.The aim of the game is to sculpt a career as a pirate, building up notoriety that takes into account skills like sword fighting, captaining ships and playing cards. With a group of players, you can crew a ship, with every player taking a particular role -- from firing cannons to piloting the ship. Disney isn't aiming for historical accuracy, so moving a ship is much like driving a car -- it even has a reverse gear.
Wanna try a MMO? The first hit's free
We know that MMOs can be a little addictive. So do developers and publishers. That's why some of NCsoft's new offerings are at once a stroke of brilliance and absolutely terrifying. Aimed at new MMO players as well as existing ones, the PlayNC portal invites players to try its games by putting them at an irresistible price -- $0.The money, of course, lies in areas like micropayments -- while a great portion of each game is free, features like new items or character slots will come at a price. Some games may only offer lower-level gameplay for free, meaning that players are enticed into purchasing the game once they have become invested in a character. Two games from the PlayNC portal were playable at E3: Dungeon Runners and Exteel.
PC impressions: Aion
We spent some time with Aion, an upcoming MMO from NCsoft. The gameplay is immediately familiar -- we've been here before. Floating exclamation points, a variety of quests and skills and a fantasy setting all combine to make a surprisingly uninspiring cookie-cutter game.Aion has some beautiful environments -- we saw a range of lush, green settings. Combined with fairly realistic faces, the game certainly looks good, but the pretty mask hides a reinterpretation of standard MMO features with little to differentiate it from the crowd. Combo-style skills -- execute a main hand attack, then an off-hand attack, then a followup -- make combat a little more varied than in other games. A quest system with a detailed breakdown of goals helps navigation.Ultimately we saw nothing about Aion that seems to appeal to anyone other than those currently engrossed in fantasy MMOs. If that's your genre of choice, you'll likely love Aion for its graphics and good-vs-evil setting, but anyone else will have to look hard to find anything special about the game.
Seen at E3: A message to MMOs
No beating about the bush from this MMO. Directly attacking your competitors may not be nice, but with a MMO cliché that's so ingrained in the genre, sometimes you have to be bold to succeed.Unless, of course, they had a lapse of concentration while typing Mr. Presley's name.
PC impressions: EVE Online
Three years after its launch, EVE Online has racked up 100,000 players and a dedicated fanbase. Developer CCP is in the midst of a graphical revamp, upgrading the game's look and feel without increasing its system requirements. As a game where it takes months to even learn to fly a ship, let alone build it, there's a refreshing contrast to the instant gratification of some other MMOs. Skills are learnt in real-time, rather than based on level, but specialisation options and the power of numbers mean new players can stand alongside older ones.
First impressions: Everquest II addons
Everquest II, released over 18 months ago, is being continually revived with expansions and adventure packs. Expansions are full-blown boxed releases which add a great deal of content to the game, sometimes introducing major gameplay changes -- adventure packs are cheaper digital downloads that add new zones and story arcs. The third adventure pack, The Fallen Dynasty, features the addition of a new set of Eastern-themed zones. In order to feel foreign, a strong Oriental touch runs through the landscape, from pagodas to rice paddies. The adventure pack is heavy on story, and players will have to earn the trust of NPCs before parts of the story unfold.
PC impressions: Tabula Rasa
Tabula Rasa is a sci-fi themed MMO from NCsoft. Among its arsenal of features are: party-based voice chat, instances and open battlegrounds, a range of weaponry and an interesting cloning system. The class system is branching, and players can clone their character at any time -- change your mind about a class, and you can just dust off the clone and try again, rather than re-roll at level one. Playing the game, it comes across as the crazy lovechild of a MMORPG and MMOFPS. Combat is fast-paced and loud, with a big focus on guns and special abilities. Aiming isn't the FPS-style twitch-based shooting, though, and players progress through levels and missions much like in other MMOs. Being able to zoom into first-person view makes Tabula Rasa play almost like a straight-up FPS at times, but without the response and accuracy that FPS games are used to.
Live Anywhere could enhance MMOs
With the upcoming Live Anywhere service from Microsoft, various gaming platforms will unite in new ways. For MMOs, this means some exciting scenarios in the realm of pervasive gaming, gameplay that will follow you around, creating a seamless virtual world across your PC, phone and console.Checking in-game auctions from a mobile phone has been on our MMO wishlist for some time -- Live Anywhere will enable that, and other immersive features. Levelling up crafting skills via casual mini-games; chatting with guild leaders via PC or phone-based VoIP; sending in-game mail and IM from normal mail and IM clients. We'll have to wait and see if Live Anywhere will support more unification, such as matching friends lists and clan systems both in-game and outside it, but there are definitely some really cool possibilities that this vision opens up for MMOs. It's up to Microsoft and developers to really deliver on this potential.
