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The Matrix Going Massively Multiplayer
Chembro writes "Looks as though Ubi Soft is making a Matrix MMORPG. Everything is still pretty sketchy now that Revolutions has "ended" the series, but so far it seems pretty interesting. I wonder when the game will be placed (i.e. before Revolutions or after) but this could be the way the Wachowski brothers keep the universe going and how it will end. Pretty cool if you ask me."
it says explicitly in the FAQ on the website linked that it will take place after revolutions. this was regarded as a spoiler in several communities...
* Call to Tech Support.
...
Caller: Yeah, um, are you guys going to fix the lag issues? I'm having some major problems. The screen refreshes at 10fps, my player barely moves, characters pop in and out of the frame.
Support: What kind of processor are you running?
Caller: Well above the specs you need, and I'm sitting on a DS3 connection.
Support: I see...
Caller:
Support: (consulting PR manual) It's not server lag... it's... bullet time!
Small potatoes make the steak look bigger.
...will there be a linux version of this? or are only the win32 hackers allowed to enter the matrix?
I wonder if they will try to implement "Bullet Time"...
From the FAQ at thematrixonline.com: Yes, BULLET TIME(tm), slow motion interactive gameplay, is an essential part of the Matrix Online experience.
You know they make FAQs for a reason... but don't feel too bad, the original poster didn't bother to read it either.
You won't play a rebel fighting the matrix, ro anything like that. The game will be the matrix! You'll go to work, come home, and manage your life. Just think The Sims, only first person! ^_^
I saw a leaked version of the user manual PDF. Apparently you're supposed to put in the CD, lay naked in a bathtub of strawberry Jello, and have a friend shove a metal spike in the back of your neck. I'm sure real Matrix fans won't have a problem with this, but personally I prefer orange Jello.
that its new online multiplayer Matrix game
has been infected by a malicious computer virus.
The virus changes all player characters
to look and sound like the evil Agent Smith.
Warner executives say they are baffled:
"we certainly didn't see this coming,
and we're not sure yet how to fix it."
Everquest, AC, and AO all use original backgroups set in familiar genres (Fantasy for EQ and AC, SF for AO). Players have some general expectations based on the genre, but no specific characters/story requirements. (Although any fantasy game that has a Ranger class seems to run into some problems for every way that their Rangers differ from Aragorn).
DAoC used Arthurian, Celtic, and Norse mythology for its background, loosely. This was a brilliant move on Mythics part--it gave them background that people would know something of, but because there are few specific characters and stories that most people are overly familiar with in those settings, it doesn't overly focus people's expectation.
Now consider SWG. Although it is doing well, it has had a problem with disappointment for not living up to what many people want from a Star Wars game. The Star Wars universe is too strongly focused on a few characters and stories, and people playing a Star Wars game often want to be those characters. Far more people want to play Han Solo than play the guy Han Solo buys his guns or beer or hairstyling from.
The Matrix, I think, might suffer from this. (As will the upcoming LotR MMORPG, BTW). The focus of the movies is too strongly on a small set of characters, and people will want to play those characters, or at least play with them, doing the the things that were done in the movie.
Also, both The Matrix and the good SW movies were basically about world (galaxy, universe) changing events. If the games don't have that, many people will find them disappointing, compared to their expectation, which will basically be playing the movies.
In light of the above, here are some movies/TV shows I thing would make good MMORPG conversaion.
First, I'm surprised there has not been a Star Trek MMORPG. Sure, in some ways ST suffers from the same problems that SW and LotR have...but because there were several series, focusing on different crews (original, next gen, DS9, Voyager, Enterprise), I think the focus has been diluted enough that it would work. Set it in TNG time, and I think people could accept being on ships other than Enterprise, or space stations other than DS9.
Second movie that comes to mind is either Antz or A Bug's Life. Those would work because there was only one movie for each, and though they focused on basically one character/story each, I don't think one movie is enough to form the strong association between the character and the world.