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The Digital Continuum: Torchlight my fire, page 2
Torchlight's setting is somewhat fantasy with a little bit of steampunk -- right now I'd say it feels something like 75/25 leaning towards a unique fantasy world. Can we get a little more steampunk, though? Of all the many strengths it possesses, story and setting are the game's biggest weakness.
Torchlight demo released on Steam for frugal fantasy fans
Your money is precious, like a precious, precious flower, made out of a precious crystal of some sort. We understand your hesitance to drop a wad of cash -- or in this case, a lone $20 bill -- on unfamiliar IP. Fortunately, so does Runic Games, developer of the recently released top-down RPG Torchlight. The studio has answered the call of the "try it before you buy it" contingency and added a demo for the game to Steam. It's there right now, and it's free, and it has Diablo-ish sensibilities. If that's as enticing to you as we think it is, you can click right here and make it your own.
The Daily Grind: Getting Torchlight?
Today is the launch of Runic Games' Torchlight, although you probably know them best as the guys who worked on Mythos. The MMO version of Torchlight isn't out for another 18 months or so, but you can get a taste of it as of today, which is of course the game's release date -- imagine that! Not only is the game developed by the former Mythos team, it's also headed by Max Schaefer and Erich Schaefer, co-designers of Diablo and Diablo II. Speaking of those games, we hope you liked their music, because the same man who wrote it worked on Torchlight as well. The pedigree is definitely high, and from our hands-on experience it shines through exceedingly well. So will you be getting Torchlight? At the low price of $20, it's not a hard sell considering the quality of the game. Plus, with full mod tools being included in that price, free fan-made content should be falling down from the heavens in no time flat.
Steam to be lit by Torchlight on October 27
We were a little concerned with the limited release plans for Runic Games' ultra-charming Diablo-esque RPG Torchlight, which would've been sold directly through the game's official site on October 27, then on Steam one month later. Fortunately, Runic recently saw fit to strike up a new agreement with Steam, which will now host the game on the day of its release for the budget price of $19.99. Hopefully having the might of the undisputed king of digital distribution behind its franchise from the get-go will allow Runic to follow through with that Torchlight MMO it's always dreamed of. You know, the one with the isometric white picket fence.
Runic Games dreams of XBLA Torchlight
Speaking to 1UP, Runic Games' Max Schaefer intimated that he'd like to see the company's upcoming RPG Torchlight make an appearance on Xbox Live Arcade. Unfortunately, Schaefer admitted that Runic is a small developer and is focused on bringing out the Torchlight MMO next, so an XBLA version may not be in the cards. He noted his belief that an XBLA version "would really do great," however. Given the enjoyable time we spent with the PC version at PAX, we're inclined to agree. A dungeon crawler in the same vein as Diablo, Torchlight would be a perfect fit for consoles, especially with the addition of multiplayer. Here's hoping Runic finds a way to make it happen.
An insight into the art of Torchlight
While many eyes are glued to the revitalization of the Mythos IP, many other eyes are looking in the direction of Runic Games's Torchlight. For those not in the know, Torchlight is being made by the original Mythos team -- the ones who were on staff at the time of Flagship Studios's untimely closing -- while Mythos is now in the hands of HanbitSoft, the publisher who had a massive stake in Flagship.While Torchlight won't be ready for the MMO scene anytime soon, the developers are still coming up with the single-player game that will be the base component for the MMO edition. With that in mind, we'd thought you'd like to check out this Gamasutra article that focuses on the art style and history of Torchlight and how exactly Mythos has impacted that style. It's a great read (although it's a little long at six pages of narrative) and a must see for all fans of the upcoming action RPG.
PAX 2009: Runic Games announces Torchlight launch for October 27
Runic Games announced at the Penny Arcade Expo today that Torchlight is slated for an October 27th launch, with Perfect World as the game's publisher. Torchlight will be a fully downloadable game, sold at $19.99. Massively had a look at Torchlight at E3 2009 and noted the game is influenced by titles like Diablo and Fate, which should come as little surprise given that the Runic Games is headed up by CEO Max Schaefer (co-designer of Diablo) and President Travis Baldree (designer of Fate). Runic Games now has a "Meet the NPCs of Torchlight" page up on the game's official site and will be giving fans an early peek at the game at PAX 2009. For the rest of us who can't be there, they'll also be on Twitter with updates from the expo.
Mythos teaser and closed beta registration page emerges
Things are stirring behind the scenes in the world of Mythos, the little MMO that could. A newly launched site offers a very small teaser, but also, a closed beta registration form which is of far more interest. While Mythos was much-loved in its previous form, we don't doubt the followers of the Diablo-esque dungeon-crawler are keen to see if the magic is still there in HanbitSoft's re-envisioning.If you're not up on the history of this title, now (at its new beginning) seems a good time for us to sum things up. It started out as a way for Flagship Studios to test their networking technology for the then-upcoming Hellgate: London, but soon grew into a popular game in its own right through a widespread closed beta test. It was all set to transition from experiment to fully-fledged title and move into open beta when the well-documented trouble at Flagship derailed the whole thing. However, Flagship's Korean publisher HanbitSoft acquired the game's license and decided to make use of it. They reassured eager fans only a few months ago that Mythos would be re-born better than ever. Only time will tell if that's true, but with this new closed beta registration, it shouldn't be too long before a select group finds out for themselves. In the meantime, all of the old Mythos devs will be working away on Torchlight at Runic Games. Torchlight undoubtedly stands to be significant competition for Mythos in the future, but it won't be ready (in its MMO form at least) any time soon.
E3 2009: Torchlight will morph from single player game to MMO
Coming from the desginers who made Diablo, Mythos, Mythos II and Fate, we're expecting quite a lot from their new title, Torchlight. This classic Diablo style 2D hack-and-slasher can in every way be considered the spiritual successor to Mythos, and in some ways even more closer to the original Diablo. For instance, Torchlight is a town with another world underneath it -- that and it's going to be a single player RPG before it goes MMO. But rest assured, it will go MMO in a year to a year and a half.First, we'll discuss features that will exist at singleplayer launch later this year, then we'll cover the new elements planned when the game expands into a massively multiplayer game. Check it all out after the jump along with gameplay footage, complete with Felicia Day of The Guild trying her hand at a beta version of the Action RPG.%Gallery-65189%
We're assured that Mythos is coming back
Mythos seems to hold a cult fan status among those who were lucky enough to play the game before last year's Flagship kerfuffle unceremoniously halted the games' production -- and with good reason. The game was a lot of fun, as all those cult fans know. Which is why we're torn about this news.It appears as though Hanbitsoft -- the Korean developer who picked up the rights to Mythos last year -- has come out and said they fully intend to bring the game back into the world. They've also said they realize the game is basically inspired fully by Diablo, and plan to, "-put in more content for more exciting multiplayer." That's great and all, but we worry that the beta that we played last year and this retooled Korean flavored version aren't going to elicit the same kind of excitement.This is also compounded by the fact that, well, the original Mythos team has already formed Runic Games and will be presenting their spiritual successor to Mythos, entitled Torchlight, at E3 in just about a month. Now, while Torchlight is only a single player RPG for the time being, Runic has clearly stated their plans to build it into an MMO down the road. So for now, with one game the closer, we'll just decide to be excited for E3 come early June.
Runic Games interview digs deeper into the Torchlight MMO
Earlier last month we learned a bit more regarding a resurrection of the Mythos team in a new project entitled Torchlight. Apparently, this game will begin life as a single-player game, then eventually branch out into an MMO. Although not much is known about this MMO and how much Mythos influence it will hold, a recent interview at Gamasutra sheds a bit more light on what we can expect from Runic Games.The Torchlight MMO is said to be modeled after a Diablo-style game mechanic. With the 22-person Runic Games team being comprised of mostly Diablo and Mythos vets, the familiarity will certainly be there. "Obviously it's the same style, but again, they're working on an established IP that has its own look, and its own story and its own tone, and they're not doing, as far as I know, a traditional MMO," says co-creator Max Schaefer. "[It's] more in the BattleNet style that Diablo II was in."
Ex-Mythos devs discuss upcoming MMO project at Runic Games
A few of us on the Massively staff were gutted when Mythos became a casualty of the Flagship Studios closure. We later learned that some of the former Mythos devs had formed a new studio called Runic Games; just the other day we picked up on a partnership between Runic Games and Perfect World to release a new title called Torchlight. Aside from this, we'd heard precious little about what's in the works at Runic Games, but an interview we've come across sheds some more light on what the former Mythos devs have been up to. Travis Baldree from Runic Games discusses how they're building Torchlight as an MMO, although its first incarnation will be a single player title, one that actively supports modders. The interview also discusses the story and art of Torchlight, as well as its music, programming, and the toolsets which will be made available to players. In fact, Runic Games' Greg Brown says, "Hopefully, nearly everything I've been working on will be usable by players who want to modify the game." If you were interested by what you saw of Mythos and want to know what those devs have in store for gamers with Torchlight, you'll want to give the interview a read at the Runic Insider site.
Runic Games partners with MMO portal Perfect World for their upcoming game
Perfect World Entertainment, the MMO portal of the self-titled Perfect World International and Ether Saga Online, has announced a partnership between themselves and the phoenix game studio Runic Games for the publishing rights of the upcoming MMO, Torchlight.This is a large step forward for Runic Games, the previous Mythos game team of the now defunct Flagship Studios. Their agreement with Perfect World is for global publishing rights, meaning Torchlight could be seeing an international release.Little is currently known about Torchlight, other than the game will be focusing on a single city and centered around the acquisition of a magical ore that imbues equipment with power, but also has a downside to it as well. The game has a bit of a cartoony, playful character to it, as seen in some early concept art shown on the main Runic Games website.
Just to be clear: Flagship Studios is dead
Despite playing along like nothing was wrong not too long ago (making the image above more than appropriate), Flagship Studio's co-founder Max Schaefer tells Gamasutra that "for all intents and purposes" the company is closed down. It is no more. It has ceased to be. It's expired and gone to meet its maker ... etc., etc.Some former Flagship employees have gone on to start a new studio, but what they'll be working on is anyone's guess as the rights for the deceased developer's IPs were gobbled up by other companies. Now, let's all move on and learn from Flagship's mistakes and try not to repeat them. Writing stories about lots of people losing their jobs is never fun.
From the ashes of Mythos, Runic Games is born
The fate of the former Flagship Studios staff is something a number of our readers have been wondering about, particularly after the confusion and drama surrounding the Hellgate: London and Mythos IPs. The writers at Massively have been curious about this as well, until now. We've gotten word from Joystiq that former Flagship Studios Seattle staff -- specifically, the Mythos team -- have formed a new company called Runic Games. Max Schaefer and Travis Baldree are at the helm of Runic Games, and have stated that their forthcoming projects will be announced in the coming days. There are no further details at this time, but Runic Games now has a site where the announcement of their resurrection is posted. Massively extends its congratulations on making a quick comeback, and here's hoping Runic Games will bring some of that Mythos magic to their new projects.
Former Flagship Studios Seattle team becomes Runic Games
Since the very first word was uttered concerning the firing of nearly all of Flagship Studios' staff, the story has unfolded into a twisted bramble of confusion regarding IP ownership and disappointment for the Mythos and Hellgate: London developer. Today, however, we got the first bit of somewhat uplifting news on the matter -- Flagship's Seattle chapter (the group formerly in charge of Mythos) was recently reformed and remonikered into a new development team: Runic Games.This news came from a brief press release on the newly formed company's website. While the release promises further details in the coming days concerning properties Runic will be working on, little else is explained -- such as the fate of the former employees of Flagship proper, or whether or not the team plans to regain control of their "highly anticipated" MMO. We'll keep you updated, provided these announcements will be as prompt as the reborn developer suggests.[Via Evil Avatar]
