The Chronicle is the first of several titles on tap at Rapid Reality, the Atlanta-based company behind MMOCenter.com. We learn a bit more about it, their second title in development Machines and some initial details on three more projects coming down the pipe. This article is based off an interview with Adam Ghetti at the Austin Game Conference.
Adam Ghetti, the Creative Director at Rapid Reality is a sort of enigma. Ghetti is young, even for the youth-centered games industry. He cannot drink a beer in the United States, yet is a driving force behind one of the most ambitious MMORPG companies out there. We spoke to Adam at the Austin Game Conference about MMOCenter.com and its flagship debut game The Chronicle.
The Chronicle is a medieval fantasy game, the first product for MMOCenter.com, which is a designed to house a multitude of games built using Kanevas game engine. True to their company name, Rapid Reality intends to build MMOs quickly and support those that catch on.
Closed beta starts soon; Adam suggested targets of the second or third week in November. This includes the 500 pre-orders and an addition 1,500 beta testers. |
You may read the full article here.
Dana Massey
Formerly of MMORPG.com
Currently Lead Designer for Bit Trap Studios
Comments
Respect to Adam Ghetti and his youth. Respect to abundance of ideas. Respect to nice people that work in Rapid reality (including some posters on this forums)
But as somebody who worked in game industry... I can only say...DREAM ON !
It takes 4 years for extremely talented and experienced creative team like Blizzard to came up with WoW.
Rapid Reality is going to make it in 6 months? WOW was beta tested for 6 months!
I mean, I am sure they have great ideas and and burning wish to make great game.
It is just not possible to do it in 6 months , not in the quality that is expected as norm today....
"Before this battle is over all the world will know that few...stood against many." - King Leonidas
well... if you've ever used the Kaneva editor (which you obviously haven't) then you would realise how they can make games that fast, and high quality too You just watch out, their games may surprise you.
I think we'll surprise you rattrap.
- CaesarsGhost
Lead Gameplay and Gameworld Designer for a yet unnamed MMO Title.
"When people tell me designing a game is easy, I try to get them to design a board game. Most people don't last 5 minutes, the rest rarely last more then a day. The final few realize it's neither fun nor easy."
its true... rattrap obviously hasnt used Kaneva... and also has to lighten up quite a bit.
Once theyre done learning the engine (through making The Chronicle) I can guarantee that things will go super fast. You need to learn to believe more...
Besides, no one said they wanted to make a game like WoW (who would?)
Other than the amount of subscribers (which is only because of a) blizzards fan base, and b) the lack of good games on the markey) I wouldnt really want to make a game as verbatim as World of Warcraft either.
To be clear on one thing, something I've mentioned in previous articles but probably should have added here too... They intend to make games with very finite content (3 months worth) and then expand them if there is interest.
They are not trying to make games with as much content as WoW.
Dana Massey
Formerly of MMORPG.com
Currently Lead Designer for Bit Trap Studios
That sounds more likely.
I am not trying to bash Chronicle. If its going to deliver what it is promising , it is going to be a good game.
All I am saying that making any good game in 6 months is a miracle... and MMO's usualy have more content than ordinary games.
We will see.
Anyway I decided never again to preorder MMO or to buy it until it is well 1 or 2 months old...
"Before this battle is over all the world will know that few...stood against many." - King Leonidas
- CaesarsGhost
Lead Gameplay and Gameworld Designer for a yet unnamed MMO Title.
"When people tell me designing a game is easy, I try to get them to design a board game. Most people don't last 5 minutes, the rest rarely last more then a day. The final few realize it's neither fun nor easy."
I meant Adam.
Check out the E3 or studio visit articles.
http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/setview/features/loadFeature/122/gameID/196
Second paragraph.
Dana Massey
Formerly of MMORPG.com
Currently Lead Designer for Bit Trap Studios
i have been following this since the first announcement sometime back in june i think.
i never heard anyting about finite content., besides 3 months is more than enough to see all of WoW's.
although i am a fan and not trying to knock the game, the rapid in rapid reality isn't nearly as fast as they first thought though. just hope chronicle is as good as we hope and it won't really matter when the other games come. though that ww3 one sounds awesome.
They are doing something completely different from what you have experienced from the past rattrap. The game developers you have followed to this point have created their own engine which takes years. Rapid Reality is using an already existing engine created to be easily modified. So in essence its similar to making a mod for a game, which obviously takes a fraction of the time of creating and debugging a whole new engine.
a breath of fresh air at last. MMORG had a gr8 start this year with Eden, WoW, Guildwars and lately City of Villains. However only these four games have pushed the borders (this could well be due to the prolonged time it takes to get a game out i.e. dated by the time it is released! D&D a classic example of how not to do it).
I think Chronicle is a benchmark on how games will need to be made in the future and I for one dig all the new concepts. Love the death concept and playing NPCs too.
Hail the saviour of mmorg!
/agreed 100%
In fact I was wondering if there was a another game called WoW with lots of content that I wasnt aware of.
The point that is made from this is the very one Ratrap was making in the first post. It takes a LOT of work to turn out an MMO even one with limited content such as WoW.
The main hurdle MMO Centre faces is not one of game creation but one of overcoming the bad reputation handed to new small house developers by the #@$#&^ that have recently destroyed many gamers faith in new products including me.
There are companies popping up all over the place trying to get a slice of the gullible pre-order action that people seem happy to get involved in. The ones that have taken the faith of these inexperienced gamers and trashed it (such as Mourning and Wish) have made life very difficult for other companies, because inevitably they seem to be making the same promises as the failed companies that have gone before them.
Of course MMOC might well be the exception to the new rule of "dont pre-order anything", but at this stage they have yet to prove that.
Personally I will continue to say what I have said all along about MMOC and that is I will wait and see what the game is like on release.
Im not sure about the success potential of the model either Im sorry because considering most modern MMO players dont last any longer than 3 months in a game anyway, its a bit difficult to base a business plan for an MMO game around that market. WoW and EQ2 for example have a small core group of long term players (3 months +) but the vast majority of their player base at any given time would be churn populations. So how do you know whether to close the game or not ? Is there a number of players you need to get to keep it open ? If you dont get that number does it mean the game sucks, or that it wasnt promoted effectively ? Too many variables go into the end population of an MMO to decide in a few months if its going to be a success or not.
Look at Rune Scape, sucky little game, lots and lots of players. Look at AC2 great looking game, all the elements in place to be a classic MMO, it tanked... go figure.
It just seems to me that this business model is designed to turn out at best average MMO's, why would bother to polish an MMO to a mirror shine then close it a few months later. If you suspect for a second your MMO might not work your only going to put in an average effort to build it thus sealing its fate.
Its not a coincidence that the really successful MMO's have emerged from a long term plan, based on a solid franchise with a big team of devs and a huge budget. This seems to be the recognised model for success. Basically exactly what Ratrap said.
I hope MMOC can break the mold and I wish them every success, but Ill believe it when I see it.
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"MMOs, for people that like think chatting is like a skill or something, rotflol"
http://purepwnage.com
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"Far away across the field, the tolling of the iron bell, calls the faithful to their knees. To hear the softly spoken magic spell" Pink Floyd-Dark Side of the Moon
This is yet another reason we've started what we call our Open House program. One of the things I'm personally proud of us our interaction with our community. I listen to them, and have gotten to know many of them on a personal level. The Open House program lets any of our PreOrderers who can get to the studio come in, sign an extra NDA, and walk around and talk to the Developers (Artists and Programmers). The people who have visited the studio have all had great things to say about it, and we hope to keep to that. (I even got hired after my 2nd visit.)
My point to all of that, is not 1 of those visitors ever left with a doubt we might not be able to do this. If you're in the Atlanta Area, or within a decent driving distance, I fully would reccomend you visit the studio. You have nothing to loose really, and you might be impressed enough to change your mind about us.
And if you want a chance to talk to the Developers, our IRC channel is basicly a continuous Dev Chat. Normally myself, and at least 1 of the programmers, is in there. And sometimes Artists drop in from time to time.
- CaesarsGhost
Lead Gameplay and Gameworld Designer for a yet unnamed MMO Title.
"When people tell me designing a game is easy, I try to get them to design a board game. Most people don't last 5 minutes, the rest rarely last more then a day. The final few realize it's neither fun nor easy."