Tagged: mmorpg

Project Copernicus video shows off game’s lush world and architecture

Following its payment to the state, 38 Studios has released a flyby video that showcases the world of Project Copernicus. It is an MMO set in Amalur’s world; it’s set to launch in June 2013.

The clip shows off some of the environments you’ll face, as well as some dramatic architecture.

Amalur MMO due out June 2013

38Logo_square_web138 Studios isn’t out for the count just yet. Rhode Island governor Lincoln Chafee stated in a press conference that the studio’s Amalur-based MMO, only known as “Project Copernicus”, is set to launch in June 2013.

We know nothing of the game as of yet. It is apparently a “risky enterprise,” according to Chafee, who is referring to the troubled business deal between the studio and the state.

The governor also noted that the studio intends to seek private capital to pay off its loans to the state.

Lionhead may be hiring for next-gen MMO

Lionhead_Studios_LogoThis job listing on LinkedIn states that a “major, renowned studio in the UK” is recruiting designers and programmers to work on an MMO for next-gen consoles. Superannuation believes it’s Lionhead.

The MMO is going to be based on an RPG IP that will offer a “radical new take on… co-operative and multiplayer gameplay.” It also aims to blend online and single player into one experience.

Building upon that, it further states that the game will feature a “complex progression system, multiple routes through the campaign, and an MMO-like multiplayer experience.”

If it’s Lionhead making the game, then it’s definitely coming to the next Xbox console.

5 Reasons Elder Scrolls Online is Going to Fail

The Elder Scrolls is an amazing saga of open world action role-playing that has led players across the continent of Tamriel from the first game in 1994, The Elder Scrolls: Arena, to the last mind-blowing installment in 2011, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. As an avid fan of the series in all its incarnations, my first reaction to the news that there will be an MMO sometime next year was “hell yeah!” But then I dug a bit deeper and found out why I may just have been counting the proverbial chickens before they hatched.

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ArenaNet surprised by massive number of gamers who've pre-purchased Guild Wars 2

The best problem a developer can possibly have is when too many people want to play their game. As it stands, ArenaNet is facing that problem: they opened the Guild Wars 2 beta to anyone who had pre-purchased the game, and now they can’t handle the massive number of players they have.

Company president Mike O’Brien phrased it quite positively, noting that the number of people who bought its game “far exceeded the expectations, and that it had to temporarily disable pre-purchases.”

Keeping that in mind, the studio will host a stress test today from 11am to 6pm PDT. It is open to anyone who has pre-purchased the game.

 

Star Wars Old Republic loses users, gains update

star_wars_the_old_republic_fight1EA has announced that Star Wars: The Old Republic currently has about 1.3 million active subscribers. It’s a sizable drop from 1.7 million reported back in February.

These numbers come from the publisher’s annual financial report, which saw it boast a net annual income of $76 million. They had lost $276 million this time last year.

It should be noted that the MMO got a 1.2 update only a month ago. It added lots of new content, which is a trend BioWare hopes to continue with “Allies”, its next content update. No further details are known about this update, other than the fact that it will be available in EA’s “Q1” time frame.

Could “Allies” be EA’s answer to reduced active users?

Atari posts losses, letting go of Cryptic

Atari hasn’t been financially strong for a couple of years now, and it seems it is taking a toll on its studios as well. In its latest fiscal year earnings report, the company announced that it is looking to sell Cryptic, the studio behind the superhero MMO Champions Online.

As it stands, the company reported a net loss of $8.8 million, which is, quite honestly, an improvement over its $27.5 million loss in the previous fiscal year. Interestingly, Cryptic alone was responsible for $7.5 million in losses this year.

Cryptic is currently working on a Neverwinter MMO and “Season 4” of Star Trek Online. The studio’s future is currently uncertain.

BioWare: Old Republic not coming to consoles; PC is the “place to be”

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PC gamers rejoice: BioWare’s Daniel Erickson has said Star Wars: The Old Republic is not coming to consoles, noting that the interface for PC is “made for games” and that the possibility had not been discussed.

“I have no idea if it’s possible,” Erickson said of a console version. “I’d have to ask our tech director.

“I can tell you that it’s not anything that we’ve even discussed. There is nobody anywhere in Bioware laying the groundwork for that because we have a very large complicated game to ship first.”

Finally, he notes that PC is the “natural place to be” and that any game at BioWare uses the PC as the lead platform.

Star Wars: The Old Republic is due for release next spring.

Fallen Earth Tour Contest

As part of their ongoing national tour, developers of the self-titled apocalyptic MMO Fallen Earth announced a contest where their fans will have the opportunity to choose the final tour stop. The final stop is slated for May 2 at an undetermined location and will let fans the chance to meet the dev team, demo the game and collect a surprise in-game item.

The tour consisted of previous stops in Raleigh, N.C., Baltimore, M.D. and more, including the GDC in San Francisco.

“GDC provides us with an excellent opportunity to showcase the in-game elements we have been working on since we went into closed beta,” said Lee Hammock, lead game designer for Fallen Earth. “Our testing community has been instrumental in helping us develop a more compelling game environment and we are excited to give them the opportunity to choose the last destination on our national tour.”

Fallen Earth is currently in closed beta testing and is set to launch later this year.