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Big World - Xbox's Secret MMORPG Weapon?
Thanks to the TNL forum regulars for pointing to an Internet.com interview with Micro Forté CEO, John De Margheriti. This Australian company has an original, as yet unannounced Microsoft-published MMORPG for Xbox Live in development, and the CEO (overconfidently?) says "Our technology could very well be the killer app for the Xbox. I think the Xbox killer app is online games in general, and I hope that the BigWorld Technology will play a strong part in that." Interestingly, BigWorld Technology is being pitched as middleware for multiple MMORPG titles on PC and console, but no further deals have been announced apart from the Microsoft game. So.. revolutionary or 'just another MMO engine'? Update: 06/25 14:46 GMT by S : Here's a preview and some screenshots of Citizen Zero, Microforte's dormant PC MMO title that the Xbox game may be somewhat based on.
Too bad for all those people with mods out there who cant play xbox live
You can simply install a switch on your modchip to turn it off while you use XBox Live. It's not difficult to do at all.
Just be careful not to go online with the modchip on, or your xbox will banned for all eternity.
"Moderate drinking can help prevent amputated limbs" -- Abigail Zuger, NYTimes, 12/31/02
There are a few dozen startups all pitching their toolsets to console makers, seeking to be the 'official' MMORPG SDK for that platform, with all the attendant royalties such a placement would bring. I assume these guys are one of them, though I've not heard of them before.
Anyway, what they all appear to have in common are a few very skilled programmers and an evangelical CEO who probably doesn't *quite* understand the technology, but knows how to talk to other CEOs. The CEO that gets the best 'buzz' and gets along the best with their target patron (be it Microsoft, Nintendo or Sony) will be the winner, irregardless of the merits of their particular technology.