Aug 24 2009
Although World of Warcraft continues to dominate the MMORPG scene, the genre is growing steadily and developers are experimenting with a wide variety of settings and game mechanics, with mixed results. There are a few big titles due this year, like Aion and Champions Online, but let's look a little further ahead to see what we might be playing in 2010 or 2011.
It's curious that no sci-fi MMORPG to date has really succeeded in becoming a smash hit. A few have arguably come quite close: notably Star Wars Galaxies and Eve Online, but sci-fi games just haven't managed to get the same sort of traction as their fantasy counterparts. If any game has the IP, funding, and development team to change that, it's Star Wars: The Old Republic. While it is Bioware's first MMORPG, they have vast experience making both RPGs and Star Wars games. Of course, MMORPGs are a risky business, and The Old Republic is likely to have stiff competition, such as the next game on this list.
ScreenshotsMMORPGs based on TV and film franchises have always had a bit of a tough go. People come in to them with a heap of expectations, which often includes being the hero of the story. Still it's hard to imagine that there isn't some way to adapt the Star Trek universe to massively multiplayer gameplay. You will play as the Captain of ship and the game will offer both space combat and away missions on release. It remains to be seen if you will really be able to "go where no man has gone before," but I'm sure I'm not the only one anxious to see if they can "make it so." And let's hope they leave Q out of the game.
The first iteration of Guild Wars very nearly dispensed with the rulebook on how to make an online RPG and moved away from many of the characteristics that define "massively" multiplayer games, with considerable success. The plan for Guild Wars 2, however, is to go for more of that persistent world feel while retaining a lot of the stuff that made Guild Wars so popular, like story-driven content and PvP tournaments. They also intend to stick to the same revenue model, which means no subscription fees.
From Realtime Worlds, makers of the award-winning console game Crackdown, comes All Points Bulletin, a GTA-style criminal vs. enforcement battle, presumably with plenty of car chases. It will take place in the virtual city of San Paro, offering solo or group play with and against other players. Hard to say how they will make it all work, but it certainly promises to be something different. Realtime Worlds hopes to launch APB in North America and Europe in Spring of 2010.
Final Fantasy XI is around 5 years old now, and Square Enix has decided that the time is right for a new MMORPG in this franchise. Final Fantasy XIV will have slightly different races than its predecessor, and it looks like the Job System will be replaced by a more flexible Armory System, that will allow players to switch skill sets simply by switching weapons. It will still use a high fantasy setting, but players will be exploring the new lands of Eorzea rather than Vana'diel.
This online third-person shooter is being developed by Hi-Rez Studios using the Unreal 3 Engine, and while a release date hasn't been set, it may arrive before the end of the year. The game will have both PvE and PvP elements, character progression, and a "player-driven" sci-fi world. It will also have jetpacks, which may bring back fond memories of Tribes, although Global Agenda doesn't let you shoot and fly at the same time. I'm not yet convinced it belongs in the MMO camp, because it sounds like gameplay will be largely instanced, but it could still be a good time.
