I've read several E3 previews of the game and watched the E3 trailer, but what really pulled me in is the developer commentary video on IGN. The clip is about 24 minutes long and runs very quickly through character creation, melee combat, ranged combat, mounted combat, and even gives us a short trebuchet demonstration. I'd recommend skipping the trailer and watching this instead. Funcom is alright with a mature rating for Conan, so be prepared for blood, beheadings, and so on. At one point he grabs an enemy by the throat, drives a sword through his chest, and throws him to the ground. If all goes well, Conan could be on store shelves by this Christmas.
Age of Conan Developer Commentary - IGN
Age of Conan Screenshots - Games.net
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
Human versus Strogg is the plot behind Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, team-based multiplayer shooter being developed by Splash Damage, who brought us Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory back in 2003. While the latter focused on infantry battles, Quake Wars will move the emphasis onto vehicular warfare, placing it squarely in the Battlefield camp. They're aiming for the same objective-oriented gameplay we're familiar with from their earlier titles, but on a larger scale, and they certainly have the credentials to create a top notch online experience. Coupled with id Software's engine technology, this game appears to be shaping up very nicely, and the E3 trailer is definitely worth a look.
I should mention that there are a lot of impressive sci-fi multiplayer shooters in the works. Huxley, Battlefield 2142, Unreal Tournament 2007, Crysis, and Quake Wars will all be competing for your game dollars in the upcoming months.
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars Preview - GameSpy
]Enemy Territory: Quake Wars Trailer - Fileplanet
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars Screenshots - Games.net
Pirates of the Burning Sea
Flying Lab Software is determined to bring naval warfare and adventures on the high seas to a MMORPG with Pirates of the Burning Sea. This title has been in development for a couple years now, so we already know that players will control their own ship and battle other players for domination of Carribbean ports. It sounds like the individual engagements will we instanced, but it will be possible for a faction to win, at which point the server will be reset.
What I learned from MMORPG.com's E3 preview of the title is that history buffs with some 3D skills will actually be able to contribute their own ship models to the game. Flying Lab will ensure that all ships added to Burning Sea meet their standards for historical accuracy and such, but apparently over a quarter of the ships available in the beta have been created by players, so they're off to a solid start. Community created content can make the difference between a good game a great one, and it will be fascinating to see where this leads. Although there is no fixed release date for Burning Sea, later this year is a solid bet.
Pirates of the Burning Sea Preview - MMORPG.com
Pirates of the Burning Sea Screenshots - Games.net
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
One game making it's first appearance at the show was Warhammer Online, which is being developed by Mythic Entertainment, the makers of Dark Age of Camelot. No doubt, this company is right at home developing a PvP MMORPG and has a lot of experience to draw on. Add to that a venerable franchise that has special place in gamer's hearts, and you've got a shot at success even in a very competitive market. They plan to have PvP instances as well as persistent world objectives and PvP missions. It's very early in Warhammer Online's development so there is still a lot we don't know, but this will be a title to watch for at E3 2007.
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Preview - GameBanshee
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Trailer - FilePlanet
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Screenshots - Games.net
EverQuest Progression Server
In games as in everything else, there will always be those who reminisce about "the good old days." EverQuest players seem to be a particularly nostalgic bunch, continually alluding back to the early years when the game had no map, no teleport stones, and plenty of other problems. In a very unusual move, SOE has decided to bring back the good old days by launching a "progression" server. This server will start with the oldest version of EverQuest they can get to run properly, and players will gradually unlock all of the major updates released over the years by completing in-game objectives.
It sounds more like torture than fun to me, but there has been a startling amount of interest in this project from the EverQuest community. I guess quite a few people who weren't playing MMORPGs at the turn of the century have a desire to see for themselves if it was as bad as the veterans say it was.
EverQuest Progression Server Preview - MMORPG.com
