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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.
Note that there's a difference between "not online gaming" and "single-player gaming". I mostly bought my console (a GameCube) for party games such as Super Smash Bros Melee - and I still believe that's the most entertaining type of game around (for me) even though I obviously enjoy Metroid Prime, Zelda etc.
The main problem with MMO console games is that they are usually detached from other platforms, losing the player-base on other systems.
Take Shadowbane & WWIIOL as examples. They both have Windows/MAC clients to connect to the same backend. If there was "just" a MAC client, the population would surely be lower purely based on the number of x86 boxen out there.
Despite, many of my friends who own Live! will surely be happy with this announcement.
A CEO talks about a non-existant game, making exorbitant claims with absolutely nothing to back them up, no beta, hell, no alpha even, not even preliminary designs and we are told that this is the big hit that will make XBox users ecstatic. When they actually have something that people can play, please let us know, until then this is not news, it is CEO drivel.
Mother is the best bet and don't let Satan draw you too fast.
Micro Forte has developed or is developing the following games:
America's Cup
Bombs Away
Demon Stalkers
Fire King
Nordice
Enemy Infestation
Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel
HotWheels: Bash Arena
Citizen Zero
Other than Fallout Tactics (the bastard child of the Fallout series) I've never heard of a single one of these. Which leads me to believe that they arn't exactly a AAA developer. I would not expect Microsoft to entrust its MMO technology to a small, almost unheard of developer.
Sounds to me more like Micro Forte is desparately trying to hype its product. Look at their track record, though, and it becomes obvious that the chances of them creating a "killer app" is pretty damn low.