Life After Warcraft?
Sep 27, 2007
Characterized by vast online worlds, player-driven economies, and life-demolishing addictiveness, the massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) went from geeky fringe pursuit to the most popular PC game genre with the release of Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft in 2004. But players of World of Warcraft, who currently number some two million in North America alone, are sure to be looking for their next fix at some point. Find out which upcoming games are vying for a chunk of Warcraft's action.
Gods & Heroes
Thanks to the recent rash of historic movie epics, ancient cultures are big news right now. What better time to release an MMOG focusing on the antics of the Romans? Gods & Heroes combines historically accurate elements of Roman life with classic period mythology. So not only will players have to contend with rampaging Gauls, Visigoths, and Carthaginians, they'll also have to handle Gorgons, Minotaurs, and Furies -- and the ever-changing will of the gods.
Gods & Heroes sports a unique "minion" system, giving players a team of additional characters they can take with them into battle. Minions can perform useful tasks like casting spells, healing, and attacking -- and you'll gather your own army as your character progresses, although you'll only be able to take four with you at any time. Does that remind anyone else of Nintendo's smash hit Pokemon series? Hey, what's good for the goose is good for the gander, and with around 130 minions to gather, the system should add plenty of variety to Gods & Heroes' combat.
Slated for release in early 2008, Gods & Heroes has the backing of EverQuest creators Sony Online Entertainment, but it's actually in development at indie San Fran studio Perpetual Entertainment. With a setting as sexy as this -- and plenty of distinctive features to set it apart from the MMOG pack -- we're positively salivating at the thought of taking our place in the mighty Roman Empire.
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Age of Conan
Crush your enemies. Drive them before you. Hear the lamentations of their women. Dust off your best Arnie impressions, because classic '80s action movie Conan the Barbarian is making its way onto the MMOG scene in March. Well, strictly speaking Age of Conan draws its inspiration more from the pulpy 1930s short stories on which the Arnie movie was based. Still, one look at the graphical style, fast paced combat, and blood-splattering violence should make fans of either source equally at home. In development at Anarchy Online studio Funcom, it'll feature a combat system that has more in common with console fighting games than the Dungeons & Dragons-esque system on which most other MMOGs rely.
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Pirates of the Burning Sea
Another Sony Online Entertainment release, Pirates of the Burning Sea takes its players to the volatile world of the Caribbean, circa 1720. Pirates takes a reasonably realistic approach to its popular subject matter, including tactical ship-to-ship combat, skill-based mano-a-mano dueling, and a detailed economy that lets players harvest raw materials produce finished goods, and transport and ultimately sell them to other players.
No firm release date for Pirates of the Burning Sea has been announced, but last we heard it was expected sometime this year. It's currently in closed beta, with a controlled and selected group of players testing the game -- but we wouldn't be surprised to see it slip into 2008.
Pirates of the Caribbean Online
But if all that sounds a little too serious, Pirates of the Caribbean just might be up your... er... ocean. Bringing all the excitement of your favorite theme park ride turned movie to your PC screen later this year, Pirates promises characters straight out of the films, easy-going nautical action, player-versus-player duels, and (presumably) numerous buckles just waiting for someone to give them a good swashing. Oh, and best of all, it'll be free.
Tabula Rasa
In development for some six years, Tabula Rasa is the creation of Richard Garriott, the famed designer of PC classic RPG series Ultima. Perhaps surprisingly, Garriott isn't following in the footsteps of most MMOGs by taking design inspiration from classic RPGs like his Ultima games. Instead, Tabula Rasa is a futuristic, action-heavy offering that shares more with first-person shooters like Halo than it does with his earlier works. Tabula Rasa also innovates with its character class system. While most MMOGs lock you into the choices you make as your character develops, Tabula Rasa allows you to change your mind. If you're curious, you'll be able to get your hands on it very soon indeed.
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Characterized by vast online worlds, player-driven economies and, often, life-demolishing addictiveness, massively-multiplayer online games - or MMOGs - shot from a geeky niche fringe pursuit to the most popular games on the PC with the release of Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft in 2004. But players of World of Warcraft, who currently number some 2 million in North America alone, are sure to be looking for their next fix at some point. Find out which upcoming games are vying for a chunk of Warcraft's action.
Warhammer Online
An offshoot of the near-legendary tabletop wargame (of the lead figurines and tombstone-like rulebooks ilk), Warhammer Online separates its players into two warring factions, much like World of Warcraft. Blizzard's universe was always (ahem) heavily inspired by the considerably older Warhammer setting, and that's sure to be reflected in EA Mythic's creation. In keeping with its warlike setting, though, Warhammer Online features a much more detailed representation of the struggle between the two alliances.
One thing's for sure: Games Workshop stores around the world know exactly how to separate adolescent boys from their pocket money. If Warhammer Online can duplicate the Games Workshop experience in a virtual world, it might be the MMOG with the best shot at stealing Blizzard's crown. Expect to hear a lot more about it as it approaches release, early next year.
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Huxley
Although MMOGs, both domestic and foreign, are absolutely huge in Korea, it's rare for a Korean-developed title to make waves over on Western shores. That's not the only unusual thing about Huxley, either: it's due for release on both PC and Xbox 360 next year, breaking the usual PC-only MMOG paradigm. Like Tabula Rasa, it takes inspiration from popular sci-fi first-person shooters to brighten up its combat.
You'll be fighting in much larger groups than in your typical shooter, though. Team up with other players to take on computer-controlled enemies, and your forces can number up to 64 players. In player-versus-player combat, each team can bring along an impressive total of 100 buddies.
Like Halo and Battlefield 2142, Huxley's crowded battlefields also come fully equipped with sci-fi vehicles - and as your character develops, you'll gain handy abilities like cloaking, melee attacks and double-jumps. Look for it later this year.
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SUN
Another project from Korean developer Webzen, SUN (or Soul of the Ultimate Nation, as it's properly titled) has actually been out for well over a year in its native land. It's on its way to American shores, and although no release date has been announced, it can't be too far away. It's beautifully presented, featuring a score from Lord of the Rings composer Howard Shore and explosive, fantasy-themed visuals. In Korea, SUN is free to play but funded through sales of in-game items for real currency -- whether this will be the case in other countries remains to be seen, but if so it'll be one of the highest-profile free-to-play releases to date.
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Star Trek Online
It's Star Trek. It's online. How can you go wrong? Judging by the long, long line of terrible video games Gene Roddenberry's creation has spawned, very wrong indeed. Trek Online is actually in development at the same studio as Gods and Heroes, although it's not due out for at least another year, and details on its gameplay are few and far between.
That said, we know it's set shortly after the popular Next Gen, Deep Space 9 and Voyager triumvirate, and that players will be able to own and fly smaller ships of their own - although larger starships of the kind highlighted in the TV shows will take the role of social areas and mission hubs, and won't give players the opportunity to take their helms. It's planned to have a mixture of space and ground combat, and the opportunity to crew starships in cooperation with other players.
If nothing else, the opportunity to walk the corridors of a Galaxy-class starship chatting with fellow nerds is probably enough to snare a good number of Trekkies alone. If Perpetual can back up that appeal with gameplay that's compelling enough to keep them coming back, they could well be onto a real winner.
BIOWARE
Unnamed Bioware project
Although we know next to nothing about this game - not even its name - it'd be a foolish MMOG punter indeed that underestimates it...whatever it turns out to be. Bioware's heritage encompasses many of the finest and best-loved RPGs on PCs and Consoles, and although the Alberta, Canada-based firm has never turned its hand to an MMOG before, nor had Blizzard before it set to work on World of Warcraft.
Most of Bioware's big hit games were based on licensed intellectual property, such as Star Wars or Dungeons & Dragons - and both of those already have comparatively recent MMOGs. Unless Bioware intends to supplant one of those, it's likely to be striking out into unknown territory, and whatever it comes up with, we (and Bioware's many devoted fans) will be anticipating with bated breath.