Colony Studios' new MMO
Veteran devs go sci-fi.
Freshly formed developer Colony Studios has revealed that it's working on a sci-fi MMO for launch in late 2009.
Its key to success will be its experienced personnel, counting former members of the World of Warcraft, EVE Online, City of Heroes, Dark Age of Camelot, Lord of the Rings Online, Everquest and Ultima Online teams among its number.
"One important thing to note is that our experience isn't going to be used to make a 'safe' MMO," Mike Wallis, CEO of Colony Studios, told RPG Vault. "Because of our experience, we can take a somewhat stagnant and increasingly generic genre, and breathe new life into it. Our game isn't about collecting 10 boar tusks..."
"The important differentiator is this - players will log in and react to what's been happening in the game, not log in and get the same exact experience they had the last time they played. Our game is dynamic, so you'd better keep up with it."
The space-themed game will be built on the same Hero engine that BioWare Austin is using for its MMO project. This Simutronics middleware will allow the developer to get off to a running start, as well as apparently being essential for the "really big" Player versus Environment and Player versus Player battles that Wallis wants to produce.
He also points out that the art direction will result in a very stylised game, one that won't require you to buy a new computer to play - similar to World of Warcraft. He also promises the best of both casual and hardcore time-consuming content, as well as "twitch" and "sandwich" gameplay styles (referring to FPS-style action and turn-based combat that requires less user activity; enough time to go and make a sandwich).
"Ultimately, we think this will attract the interest of gamers because of our unique approach to warfare, player vs. player combat, territory control and player advancement," he added.
"Finally, the end game is what everyone strives for, and if we use our experience and talent correctly, ours will be completely immersive and rewarding."
Head over to Colony Studios' website for more information.