Origins
Latest
Origins of Malu gameplay vid shows house construction
If you've got nine minutes of free time and a predilection for sandbox MMOs and player housing, you might want to check out a recently released Origins of Malu clip. The sci-fantasy title features open-world housing and the ability to build your humble abode from the ground up, and the video features footage of a player doing just that. We get to see the avatar place a foundation as well as walls and doors, a roof, and some basic furniture items. Head past the cut for a look-see.
Origins still eyeing March 30 beta, signups coming soon
Burning Dog is "cautiously optimistic" about its March 30th beta date for Origins of Malu. The indie dev house posted an update on the sci-fantasy MMO's website yesterday that tells followers what to expect over the next few weeks. Signups will be done via a partnership with Alienware and should happen the week of March 11th. The post also notes that this will be a real beta beta type of beta as opposed to the usual pre-launch marketing tool. "This is an old-fashioned cross-your-fingers-and-hope-the-server-gods-are-not-vengeful" undertaking, according to the dev team. For more info, check out the post and the beta FAQ. [Thanks Sharvis!]
Origins of Malu beta coming March 30, signups in February
Ready for another round of indie sandbox updates? Good, because this time the title in question is Origins of Malu. The devs at Burning Dog have posted an extensive blurb on the game's official site that touches on various tweaks to the client as well as a bit about beta. The closed testing period has been moved to March 30th and it will focus on systems, scalability, combat, and faction wars. Testers will have access to nearly 100 square kilometers of the game world. Signups will become available toward the end of February. The website update also clarifies the game's financial situation, and contrary to popular belief, Origins is not currently funded. The team originally launched a Kickstarter project last October before canceling it the same day due to what was assumed to be an angel investor. As it turns out, Burning Dog is still negotiating a deal but had to pull out of Kickstarter "due to the chance of scope- and date-change of deliverables to our community." [Thanks to Christian for the tip!]
Leaderboard: The Repopulation vs. Origins of Malu
So last week we asked which upcoming sandbox you'd most likely play, but as was correctly pointed out by an astute commenter, we inadvertently omitted a couple of promising indie projects. First up is The Repopulation, a game that features extensive city building, an entertainer skill set, and a bunch of other stuff that will probably remind you of Star Wars Galaxies. Next is Origins of Malu which boasts scary stalker AI, a gorgeous sci-fantasy aesthetic, and interesting takes on PvP and, gasp, possible permadeath! Today's Leaderboard asks which of these upcoming indie sandboxes you'll support. Cast your vote after the cut! Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
Burning Dog updates Origins of Malu website, beta dates to be announced next week
Burning Dog Media has posted an end-of-the-year update for its Origins of Malu MMORPG. The sci-fantasy sandbox title has been in the works for a while now, and the post says that the dev team is committing to weekly website updates as beta approaches. When is the beta, you're probably asking? Well, hang on for another few days, as the team will announce the official testing dates before the year is over. In the meantime, the site's screenshot section has been updated, and there are plenty of new environment shots to tide you over. [Thanks to Cody for the tip!]
Origins of Malu secures funding, cancels Kickstarter project
So, forget that whole thing we said yesterday about Origins of Malu's new Kickstarter project. Burning Dog Media has canceled the funding drive less than a day after it began, but the situation isn't as dire as it sounds. In fact it sounds pretty positive, as the indie outfit has secured funding for its sci-fantasy sandbox title and lead developer Michael Dunham has updated the Origins website with an explanation. "We did not want to disappoint anyone. We know this seems like a strange turn of events, but we are learning just how fast the game industry can change. And all I can say is this will give us the ability to deliver what you have been asking and begging for for years," Dunham writes. Burning Dog will refund the pledges of Kickstarter contributors and provide them with a substantial list of in-game bonus items for their trouble.
Origins of Malu Kickstarter launches today [Updated]
Hey look, it's another Kickstarter project! We know, it's a cliche at this point, but we thought we'd point out Burning Dog Media's foray into the space because its Origins of Malu title predates the whole crowd-funding phenomenon. To recap, Origins is a sci-fantasy sandbox with an ambitious feature set that aims to give players full control over an expansive open world. It's also more than a pipe dream, and we've already gotten our hands on a build of the title to prove it. All that said, indie sandbox development is expensive, and Burning Dog is looking to raise $1.2 million to help fund the project. The Origins Kickstarter initiative just launched today and it concludes on December 8th, so you've got plenty of time to learn about the game and the various pledge-related incentives. [Update: We've added a new trailer past the cut!]
PAX Prime 2012: Hands-on with Origins of Malu
PAX Prime is gone and passed, but our coverage isn't done quite yet. As it happens, we've saved one of the best for last. Burning Dog Media's upcoming MMO, Origins of Malu, has been making a few waves in the sandbox-craving community. Boasting features such as brick-by-brick player-house construction and exploration-focused gameplay, Origins of Malu is a game that I've had my eye on for some time. So of course I was rather excited to be able to go hands-on with the game at PAX, where Burning Dog had set up a small alpha-build PvP battleground in which players could battle head-to-head in a slightly twisted version of the traditional capture-the-flag gametype. Now, I don't know about y'all, but PvP isn't exactly on the top of my list of Origins of Malu features I'm looking forward to, but there were definitely some surprises to be had in the demo, plus I got to have a bit of a chat with Burning Dog's president of media, Michael Dunham. What did I think? Find out for yourself after the cut.
Origins of Malu to have playable demo at PAX Prime
If things have seemed quiet on the Origins of Malu front, it might be because Burning Dog Media has been working on a special treat for attendees of this year's PAX. Folks lucky enough to be milling about the convention this year have the opportunity for some hands-on experience with the up-and-coming sandbox! Teaming with Alienware, the studio is bringing a mini-game version of Origins of Malu to give players a peek into the world. Two eight-man teams will fight over the Chochobi (a true scaredy-chicken) for 20 minutes in a head-to-head battle. Players will be able to choose from the Toljon, Qulinta, or Jolah races and will have the chance to get used to the variety of spells, skills and talents they will be playing with before diving into the fray. This mini-game is only a glimpse of what's to come when the game releases (think 300-man battlegrounds), but is a great opportunity to sneak a peek first-hand. To participate, find Burning Dog at the Alienware arena. And we'll keep you posted on any further details as they come in.
The Daily Grind: How do you kill off your characters?
Indie sandbox Origins of Malu plans to feature a very unusual PvP mode: a permadeath PvP duel system. Characters who voluntarily duel under this system -- and lose -- will be erased from the game. Forever! Massively's staff roleplayers are divided on whether or not this feature will ever see much use, though. While most of us think it's an awesome system that will provide some spectacular entertainment, others of us have argued that it takes a lot of courage for MMO gamers, so used to investing time and money into their avatars, to kill off a character permanently. It won't be easy finding another roleplaying duelist who's both capable of putting up a good fight and willing to risk his own hide. Plus, wouldn't it be weird if every single RPer who wanted to off a toon did so in a gladiatorial duel to the death? There are so many other dramatic ways to end a character's story! And that brings us to today's Daily Grind: How do you kill off your characters? Do you go for climactic in-game events? Do you field "can I have ur stuff" requests? Do you delete silently and never look back to avoid future temptation? Or do you cancel your accounts and let your characters slumber peacefully, awaiting your someday return? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Origins of Malu shows off combat and house-building in video interview
Seeing is believing, and folks want to see more of Origins of Malu, a promising upcoming sandbox MMORPG. In answer to this, Burning Dog Media has released an E3 video interview with Lead Developer Jason Mitchell interspersed with alpha footage highlighting a bit of combat as well as the house-building feature. Although some of the footage will look familiar from our exclusive E3 interview, there are added combat scenes and a brief demonstration of housing construction. Jason adds a few details about the twitch-based combat such as the ability to dodge and the charging feature for skills. At 3:28, viewers get their first glimpse of the beginnings of creating unique personal structures in game; creative types are going to have fun with the open functionality of construction by which you build literally from the ground up. Sounds promising, no? Go ahead and take a gander at the new footage after the break, and be sure to read our interview for more details. [Source: Burning Dog Media press release]
E3 2012: Origins of Malu brings player-created factions, housing, and exploration to the sandbox
It's hard to remain completely objective about Origins of Malu. The sci-fantasy title from Burning Dog Media is a project I've been watching personally for quite a while now, both because of its ambitious design goals and because of the sandbox affinity displayed by the dev team. At this week's E3, I finally got to put names with faces when I met with senior developer Jason Mitchell and programmer Chris Shaw. The pair had plenty of interesting tidbits to share, and despite the fact that I haven't put my hands on an Origins build yet, it remains very near the top of my most-anticipated-MMOs list. Join me after the cut for some chit-chat about action combat, player-created factions, PvP (yes there are safe zones), and more.
The Daily Grind: What originally got you into MMOs?
Do you remember where you were when you first heard about the idea of paying $15 a month for a video game? How about when you finally accepted that it's actually cheaper than most of your other hobbies? Or how about when you signed up for your second concurrent subscription? Most of us have changed our game-playing (and paying) habits because of MMOs, and the beginning of that wasn't too far back. The transition usually started with a trusted developer (Blizzard, Sony) or IP (Ultima), but not all of us started at the very beginning. So that's where your stories come in. Tell us how you first got into MMOs. Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Third Origins of Malu race revealed
Origins of Malu has been flying under the radar of late, but the team at Burning Dog Media has just updated its website with the game's third playable race. On the surface, the Qulinta appear to be rather benign (if not cute and cuddly), but it would be a mistake to underestimate them on the battlefield. Burning Dog says that Qulinta undergo a stark transformation when threatened, one that manifests as an "ethereal ghost-like appearance with dark energy emanating from their bodies." The Qulinta people are known for their xenophobia, and they are one of the oldest races in the Origins mythos. You can read more about their history at the game's official website, but don't forget to look at the new concept art in the gallery below. %Gallery-134056%
New Origins of Malu video highlights story-based sandbox design
We've been looking forward to Origins of Malu for a while now, even though the sci-fantasy sandbox from Burning Dog Media has been kept pretty tightly under wraps. That's starting to change as the company ramps up its presence at various gaming outlets in anticipation of an Origins closed beta in the near future. Electric Playground has what amounts to the first official Origins trailer, and the clip features a good bit of in-game alpha footage as well as brief interview clips and commentary from lead designer Michael Dunham. During the course of the video, you'll get a taste of the world and its backstory, and Dunham describes Malu as a "gigantic network of portals around the universe [that are] linked through inter-dimensions." Dunham also explains a bit about the mechanical philosophy behind Origins, stating that "we wanted to build a story-based sandbox game where the user is able to do what they want to do from the beginning [...] it can't be just a complete free-for-all, but at the same time we don't want railroad tracks," he says. Journey past the cut for the full video.
Burning Dog announces cross-platform plans for Origins of Malu
We've got some more Origins of Malu news today courtesy of the team at Burning Dog Media. A new press release on the sandbox MMORPG's official website is touting a partnership with Dell and Alienware that will generate awareness of the sci-fi title as it heads into its beta phase and eyes a 2012 launch. The release also mentions cross-platform functionality, and though it doesn't elaborate, we contacted lead developer Michael Dunham for clarification. As it turns out, the Origins team is aiming for both PC and Mac clients, and some sort of mobile/tablet functionality is in the works as well. We'll keep you up to date on that as we learn more, and in the meantime you can head to the Origins website to read up on the game. Before you go, be sure and check out Massively's exclusive interview with the dev team.
Origins of Malu reveals Toljon race
What's new from the Origins of Malu crew? How about a new race, for starters. The sandbox title is gearing up for its beta period sometime during the next couple of months, and as a prelude, Burning Dog Media is starting to ramp up its information dissemination. Today's reveal centers on the Toljon, and though we don't get any gameplay info, there is quite a bit of lore related to the unique race. The Toljon are renowned for their approach to building civilizations, which feature "entire bridges and roadways being suspended off the ground, connecting areas otherwise separated by cliffs and canyons." The Toljon have even perfected a way to seed farmland high above the ground, and you can read all about this unusual people at the official Origins website.
Origins of Malu has more plans on the horizon
If you're a long-time fan of sandbox gameplay, Origins of Malu is most likely on your short list for games to watch. The developers are promising that the game will allow players to experience a true sandbox environment, and from their early discussion of the game, it's certainly promising thus far. Of course, the real verdict is going to come when the game goes live, but until then, the team at Burning Dog Media is planning more updates to keep players hooked. An earlier posting on the official Facebook page claims that there are two major announcements about the game coming this month as well as information about how PvP will work and exactly what the team is doing for it. There's also the promise of official forums on the site and developer videos, both chances for future players to get engaged in the development and refinement process. If you're following the sandbox field, this may be worth keeping an eye on. [Thanks to Halldorr for the tip!]
Some Assembly Required: Diving into details of Origins of Malu with an exclusive interview
"This will be the world's best game ever ever ever!" -Michael Dunham. You tell 'em! Honestly, we have heard it before: MMORPG feature lists that promise what our sandbox-loving hearts desire. Try as we might, we cannot escape those sneaky tendrils of hope that find the chinks in our +10 jaded armor of cynicism as we read about the return of a true virtual where actions have consequences, personal choices dictate gameplay, and individuality is a matter of principle. Sadly, time and time again those hopes are dashed by titles that either cannot deliver on their promises or never even survive until launch. The same is true for the developers at Burning Dog Media; they too have ridden the roller coaster of sandbox dreams and harbored in their hearts a vision of their ultimate game if only they had the wherewithal to produce it. The difference between them and us is... they do! Welcome to issue #6 of Some Assembly Required -- an exclusive interview with Michael Dunham and Dave Cruikshank -- Lead Developer and Art Director of Burning Dog Media, respectively -- who are in the midst of developing the new sci-fi/fantasy MMORPG Origins of Malu. Originally called just Origins (the change was to help avoid confusion with other projects that were cropping up with similar titles), this game previously teased sandbox aficionados with a glimpse at some hope-stirring features. Today, we have the privilege of expounding on "coming soon" and revealing more features that not only are planned but are for the most part implemented. So why should we check out Origins of Malu? And what tantalizing tidbits of sandboxy goodness can we expect? Grab onto that hope and dive past the cut -- if you dare -- to see what Michael and Dave have to share.%Gallery-134056%
New Origins sandbox MMO wants your creature concepts
There's a new indie sandbox in town -- or at least in development -- and the team at Origins is looking for a few good fan submissions to help them populate the game. Actually the devs are looking for one good submission, but that didn't have quite the same ring to it. Anyway, the Origins website was recently updated with a new Create a Monster contest, and the lucky winner will get to see his design incorporated into the gameworld (and the lore) of Burning Dog's upcoming MMORPG. Submissions should be in the form of artwork, images, or text, and are limited to a single entry per person. You'll also need to like Origins on Facebook or follow the game's Twitter feed prior to submitting your work. The contest is currently accepting entries and it runs through September 14th, so don't delay if you think you've got what it takes to make your MMO mob concepts a reality.
