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General: Warhammer 40K MMO In The Works
GFulls
Member Posts: 478
Gamespot is running an article that outlines the makings of a Warhammer 40k MMOG. It looks like Vigil Games will be working on the new project. Well, I guess this finally answers everyone's question for the last six months!
Video game publisher THQ and tabletop game publisher Games Workshop have already enjoyed great success since 2004 with Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, the popular real-time strategy game based on the gritty and brutal Warhammer 40,000 sci-fi universe. The game has given rise to two expansion packs, the most recent of which won GameSpot's award for Best Expansion Pack of 2006 and remains a popular title with strategy enthusiasts.
Today, the two publishers are announcing an extension to their licensing agreement to work together on new projects, including a Warhammer 40,000 massively multiplayer online game. The first hints at such a project came last November, when Relic Entertainment, developer of the Warhammer 40,000 real-time strategy series, posted a want ad for MMOG developers. As it turns out, though, another studio--Austin, Texas-based Vigil Games, will be working on the new project, which should not be confused with the swords-and-sorcery MMORPG, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning.
Read more here.
Comments
see, now THIS is the only warhammer that Mythic should have considered. 40k as an MMO is a very original concept and will definitely bring in new subscribers as well as introduce old MMO gamers to something other than fantasy and steam punk.
cant wait for this!
"If you want a picture of the future, imagine a robot foot stomping on a human face -- forever."
While I agree, it would have been great if Mythic had undertaken Warhammer 40k instead of WAR, some new dev company with no track record isn't going to get me all excited quite the same way. No reason to think it won't just be yet another worthless MMO, no matter how good the material it's based on may be.
We'll see, of course.. in what, 2012 or so?
When I want a single-player story, I'll play a single-player game. When I play an MMO, I want a massively multiplayer world.
Mythic probably didn't have a choice in the matter, given the IP is owned by Games Workshop who within the last few years had pulled the plug on a previous attempt to develop a 40k MMO owing to 'technical' problems. At that time GW probably thought it better to shift the focus away from 40k and towards a more traditional style of MMORPG.
It's probably down to Mythic doing a good job with WAR, that GW have allowed someone new to take another attempt at a 40k MMOG, this new game is at least 2 years away and probably more (especially if it is to be done right), so its unlikely theat WAR will be affected much initially and if it does establish itself well, its more likely that the 40k MMO will bring new people into gaming .
I'm certainly looking forward to seeing what the new 40k looks like (I just hope that this new incarnation is not based of the original 40k code that had issues).
Well, I checked out their website.... all they have is : "Our first project - a totally original property for next-gen systems - is expected to be announced later this year."
They also said in a press release on the site: "Vigil is currently working on new content for next-gen scheduled for release in 2008"
So maybe, just maybe they're talking about WH40K MMO.... would be nice if it was true and they were able to deliver this game sometime by 2009.
But then again... Vigil is awfully close to Sigil... and we know how that turned out..
But I sure would love a good Sci-FI MMO to come out....
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Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
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"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
It is a bit early to get all excited about the game. I mean a great IP is one thing but there's absolutely nothing known about what the game will be like. And these guys could really mess it up - like the first try at Warhammer Online by that other company or Matrix Online.
I mean for all we know they could turn it into some kind of grinding game where you can only PVE and you can only be a Space Marine.
"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society."
~J. Krishnamurti
yea, thats just the way i would like to see it too, like you say on a larger scale and better! that would be awesome!
just imagine ship to ship boarding actions! (aka space crusade).
the great thing about planetside (and it is a really cool game still) is there is no death penalty and a low Battle rank 4 can still kill a Battle Rank 25. (its all about skill,teamplay and weapon certs).
While Mythic has a good record with Dark Age of Camelot their first foray into a sci-fi genre game was cancelled to make way for Warhammer could they handle a sci-fi warhammer? no one knows
Now, we definately have no word on what the game will entail and have nothing to go on about how it will play. I know I haven't even heard what the Bioware MMO is, genre wise, but that doesnt keep me from being excited about the possibilities. And the same thing holds true for the WH40k mmo. At least we know it is in the works and that is a good thing.
http://www.speedtest.net/result/7300033012
I hope they think outside of the box and make a unique MMO.
We need to give companies a break. If they dont't have a track record of bad MMOs, then let's given them the benefit of the doubt until we see screenshots and hear about gameplay.
The information on their site about next-gen games and unique IP is all about what they were working on before THQ purchased them.
THQ has inserted an MMO veteran from NCSoft to run the project at Vigil.
Pedigree or not, it's in Austin, which is the largest concentration of experience MMO developers in the USA, I doubt they will be short of talent. They have an experienced veteran running the project, they have previous experience of working with GW and providing what GW want. They already had the full license for W40k before this announcement happened, that is why Mythic EA couldn't make a W40k MMO. Though that fact was kept very quiet for some reason.
THQ have full rights to produce digital media based on W40k on any platform/genre they see fit and have had that license for some time, it's just been extended though and that brought about the MMO.
Back at the beginning, the 40k MMO was announced well before WAR, and like many others I was gutted when they sold out and decided to throw out yet another fantasy-themed RPG (because we don't have enough of them). That said, WAR is fast looking like the MMO to take the world by the balls.
I'm far more interested in the 40k universe, post-Herecy and all. The problem is that RPGs with gun combat in them tend to feel unbelievably slow. Anarchy Online was the first (IIRC), but you couldn't just crank the trigger until you run out of bullets, and due to server lag it sometimes felt like it took several seconds for your shot to actually reach the enemy.
In order for the combat system to work, it must be treated primarily as a FPS. It must be fast, frantic combat. Sure, you still have melee weapons, but most fights are done from range. This will be a very difficult combination to get right (the imbalance between guns and swords/axes will be hard to address), and I can't blame anyone from staying away from that.
But the Dawn of War games are amazing, and the online balancing is fantastic. If they can transfer that massive-scale combat and race balancing into an RPG I will be sold.
I don't know that being entirely like Planetside is the path I'd like to see them take.
You start the game as a Space Marine, say. Initially, you can chose any of the canon Chapters, as sort of an autoguild, like what they do in DAoC. From there, you could form your own Chapter, or join an existing player made Chapter.
After doing your "Basic Training" tutorial, you're able to get assignments from the chapter commander, which are range from squad based actions a la Space Hulk, or Necromunda, to planetary invasion/defence like DoW. Depending on how successfull you are your rank increases, which unlocks the ability to use other weapons, vehicles, and eventually Terminator Armor, and allows you to increase WS, BS, etc. This would be more or less like Planetside.
But...
Then you have a free space area, sort of like 0.0 space in Eve for guilds. Not sure if I'd allow guilds to "own" a planet and set up facilities there, like you could do with a Nation in Shadowbane. Though, that brings with it the problems with alarm clock raids.
Could do a couple different things with this, I guess. You could have the ownership of worlds, with a touch of RTS style play in building defense facilities on the planet to repel would-be invaders, npc, or pc,. Could do ship to ship stuff. You could even allow for a guild to invade an opposing races territories, and take them over, though, that would require a reset of the server once a particular faction had taken the other races out.
Lot of things you could do, really. It's an awesome IP, I hope they don't bugger it up by trying to make WoW in Space.
I'm giggling with joy! Help me...
Kelly Flock is involved. The game is doomed. Sorry, but this person's only motivating factor is NOT customer satisfaction.
Hey, Kelly, I have a credit card, guess who's not going to get it?
I very much doubt that a company with an IP like Warhammer and 40K (and for the sake of this im taking warhammer and 40k as different IP's) would give the job of making MMO'd for these games 2 different people.
For a start lets look at who are involved in WaR and this 40K project.
WaR: EA + EA Mythic. Ok same company but again, look at them as seperate parts. Mythic know MMo's, they have done very well with them and have a very very good relationship with Games Workshop (GW). EA are the world biggest publisher and (although I personally have problems with alot of stuff they control) they clearly wanna get into MMO's in a big way.
40K: Vigil and THQ do not have alot of proven experiance in these areas.
Having you 2 IP's competing against one another does not make sence. I very much doubt GW will allow it. Also why would any company piss off their partners when it not needed? EA will do their nut on this one.
Im betting an a MMO-FPS or MMORTS for this project. Not your standard MMO-RPG. That or after some DEV time GW will pull the plug.
THQ has a track record, especially in the realm of the 40k ruleset
http://www.dawnofwargame.com/
Theyre not new to games by any stretch, but yes they are new to the MMO genre but I doubt that really matters much since they will be working closely with Games Workshop
http://www.thq-games.com/uk
"If you want a picture of the future, imagine a robot foot stomping on a human face -- forever."
I, for one, welcome our new Eldar overlords.
And you can say they work well togeather. They made a very good game yes, but it hardly changed the way the game worked. Almost every unit did what the table top version did. Making an MMO iis totally different.
And you can say they work well togeather. They made a very good game yes, but it hardly changed the way the game worked. Almost every unit did what the table top version did. Making an MMO iis totally different.
actually, Relic is owned by THQ. Aquired in 2004. Just like Vigil is one of their game studios, so is Relic
"If you want a picture of the future, imagine a robot foot stomping on a human face -- forever."
And you can say they work well togeather. They made a very good game yes, but it hardly changed the way the game worked. Almost every unit did what the table top version did. Making an MMO iis totally different.
actually, Relic is owned by THQ. Aquired in 2004. Just like Vigil is one of their game studios, so is Relic
Granted, but like EA Myhtic they are owned yet are left to work their own way (this is why Vigil and Relic still exist and not THQ GAMES).
I just cant see GW letting this go all the way. And if they do it will not be untill there have been at least 2 expansions for WaR imo.
It just doesnt make sense for them to compete with themselves.
http://www.speedtest.net/result/7300033012