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World of Darkness Online to launch in 2010?
Horror hasn't been a widely explored genre in massively multiplayer online games thus far, but there seems to be a shift in focus in the industry away from fantasy titles. Darren over at The Common Sense Gamer came across an interesting bit of information regarding World of Darkness -- the next massively multiplayer online game from CCP Games, creators of EVE Online. Horror fans eager to find details about the upcoming title turned up a business document (dated July 2008) from CCP Games that states World of Darkness is scheduled to launch in 2010.Darren also makes a good point in his post -- there are a number of people who like the idea of EVE, but haven't been able to get immersed in the game. Given that the World of Darkness setting already has earned quite a number of RPG fans over the years, it seems the title is in a position to have a decent-sized following right off the bat. Or, at the very least, is likely to garner a number of people willing to try it out.
Age of Conan and the question of next-gen MMOs
Darren over at The Common Sense Gamer is wondering out loud whether or not it's fair to point at Age of Conan's combat system as its true next generational feature. He wants to know if -- like the Nintendo Wii -- what make's something truly next generational is the way you interact with it. His point being that the way Age of Conan's combat system works causes the player to become much more invested in what's happening on their screen.We do wonder if it's just the combat system that makes AoC so much fun. As Darren mentions in his post, there's something to be said for the game's graphical prowess and visual feel that makes it so unabashedly Conan.
The problem with cross-platform MMOs
Darren over at The Common Sense Gamer has brought up an interesting reason for cross-platform MMOs to never happen. The reason is that patching and updating on PCs is an easier-going process than on a console, because consoles are closed platforms with certification processes for any new incoming software updates. This is a headache for developers to figure out and possibly for the players too, since many may have to wait for the console certification before a PC version patch can go up.
