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THQ Announces Warhammer 40K MMOG

Posted by Zonk on from the slashdot-readers-made-happy dept.

In our interview with the Warhammer Online team a while back, there were questions as to why we weren't going to be seeing a Warhammer 40K MMOG. Several people seemed quite keen on the idea. Well, for those people: your time is now. THQ has announced they'll be developing Warhammer 40K into a MMOG and mobile games. Gamasutra reports on comments from Kelly Flock, executive vice president of worldwide publishing for the company, about their plan to work with Austin startup Vigil games on the project. Says Flock, "We realized this is one of those few properties that has a high level of interest from the hardcore gaming community, which could be a great launching point to turning it into a great mainstream mass-market MMO ... We're not out to replace World of Warcraft, we think we have a unique offering in the same category that will get its own share of attention if we deliver properly on the gameplay mechanics we'll build our own audience." Flock demures from offering a timeframe for release of the game, saying they're not even going to try to pinpoint a development schedule yet.

71 comments

  1. Not an announcement. by Needs+Food+Badly · · Score: 1

    Hardly much of an announcement... more of a "Well, we're interested in maybe sometime possibly making another video game."

    1. Re:Not an announcement. by zyl0x · · Score: 2, Interesting
      From TFA:

      "So we worked with Games Workshop, broadened our license, extended it out, and are announcing that we're putting the MMO into development down in Austin, TX."

      His actual use of the word "announcing" seems to conflict with your.. interpretation.
      --
      Blerg.
    2. Re:Not an announcement. by Needs+Food+Badly · · Score: 1

      Consider that there is no timeframe or development schedule at all. Sounds like vaporware to me. When they have some numbers or dates this will be newsworthy.

    3. Re:Not an announcement. by Pojut · · Score: 2, Interesting

      BZZZT wrong.

      I direct you to Duke Nukem Forever. How many times have they had a release date or release time frame for that monster?

      No date does not equal vaporware, just like having a date does not equal it will hit retail within a reasonable date of the original release date.

      --
      Living With a Nerd
    4. Re:Not an announcement. by Needs+Food+Badly · · Score: 1

      I must concede to you, you are correct. But I don't think Duke Nukem Forever was the best possible example there. ;)

    5. Re:Not an announcement. by Pojut · · Score: 1

      While not exactly in line with the conversation, Prey I think is an excellent example of when vapourware can be BENEFICIAL to a game.

      Look back to the mid-90's when they were talking about it. Fastforward to last year.

      The only thing that was basically unchanged was that the main char is a native american and it has to do with aliens. With the way the game was released, there is NO WAY they could have achieved it technically back in the mid-90's.

      I am hoping the same fate awaits Duke Forever.

      --
      Living With a Nerd
    6. Re:Not an announcement. by Das+Modell · · Score: 1

      With the way the game was released, there is NO WAY they could have achieved it technically back in the mid-90's.

      They could and they did. I saw demonstration videos that used the same portal technology we see today. The game even had simple Havok-esque physics, though of course nothing like today's stuff.
    7. Re:Not an announcement. by Pojut · · Score: 1

      The game even had simple Havok-esque physics, though of course nothing like today's stuff.


      The physics were the part that I was referring to...while it may not seem like much, imagine Half Life 2 with a physics engine from even just five years ago...

      --
      Living With a Nerd
  2. The only problem I predict... by GodInHell · · Score: 4, Interesting

    is that they have a little trouble keeping that kind of ultra-violent, soul crushing story line interesting to players over the long term.

    Everything I like about 40K involves big armies, lotts of drama, and massive casualties. Not the best fodder for a MMO.

    Two cents inserted, I go!!
    -GiH

    1. Re:The only problem I predict... by Shadow+Wrought · · Score: 1

      True, but I also wonder if they are going to go more of the RPG route, or more of the FPS route. MMOG's haven't really interested me to this point, WoW bored me fairly quickly when I tried it, but a 40k shooter sounds awesome. Ironic that a universe predicated on so little hope causes so much amongst its fans...

      --
      If brevity is the soul of wit, then how does one explain Twitter?
    2. Re:The only problem I predict... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'll restate the other poster's point, because it's a good one and I want to show support, plus my own two cents.

      Make it a massively co-op FPS and I'll very likely play it. Have a chapter of space marine players fighting to clear out a genestealer(NPC)-infested city, make sure that there is actually progression (i.e. clear an area and it stays cleared, when everything is dead reset the server). Make sure the gameplay is skill-based (ideally levelling doesn't affect combat ability of the characters, just rank or something) and I'm there.

    3. Re:The only problem I predict... by Dan+Slotman · · Score: 1

      Based on Dawn of War, the other 40K computer offering, I would expect the MMO to reflect RTS sensibilities more than FPS. I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to create an epic-feeling arena for play, in which each player is inserted into the role of a commander or subcommander, similar to the special characters in Dawn of War. If each player had an AI-controlled squad of soldiers, or controlled one of the many powerful vehicles, an MMO could reflect the sort of large-scale chaos and high casualty rates that others have mentioned.

    4. Re:The only problem I predict... by Das+Modell · · Score: 1

      As far as I know technical limitations prevent developers from making MMOFPS games at this point.

      A 40K FPS doesn't sound appealing to me. How would it differ from any other FPS out there? You may as well play BF2142. I'd love to see a 40K game in the vein of the first Space Crusade, where you control a small team of Space Marines, with RPG elements.

    5. Re:The only problem I predict... by Barny · · Score: 1

      Hint: its not being made by the same devs as DoW was ;)

      At a guess I would say MMOFPS (aka planetside clone) which I for one would be perfectly happy with, just give me an xv8, a pair of missile pods and some targeting upgrades and I will be set ;)

      As for your "powerful vehicles" you do know most heavy weapons 1 shot them right?

      --
      ...
      /me sighs
    6. Re:The only problem I predict... by Dan+Slotman · · Score: 1

      Most heavy weapons ARE vehicles though, aren't they? Maybe it is a matter of terminology. I've never played the tabletop game, only Dawn of War, so my perspective is undoubtedly skewed by that. Can you really one-shot a Prism or Predator Tank or a Squiggoth?

    7. Re:The only problem I predict... by MMaestro · · Score: 1
      Try Planetside. The game came out in 2003 so take the technology with a grain of salt.

      As it is, MMOFPSs don't exist simply because FPS gamers are extremely flickle and MMOs cater to the dedicated. Unless you have a serious brand-name franchise backing the game up (See Star Wars Galaxies and The Matrix Online), any type of MMOFPS is going to crash and burn within the first 2 or 3 years.

    8. Re:The only problem I predict... by icegreentea · · Score: 1

      they did make a wh40k fps. its called fire warrior and its for ps2. pretty much every agrees that it sucks, and the only redeeming feature is the kickass fmvs.

    9. Re:The only problem I predict... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Planetside and WW2 Online are MMOFPSes, which people can't make apparently?

      BF2142 is team vs team. Team vs NPC is what I want, something like a much bigger, less linear and more (but not entirely) persistent version of Serious Sam co-op or UT2004 invasion. Just scale Serious Sam 2 from 16 player co-op to 128, change the level designs so everyone will fit and you're two thirds of the way there already.

    10. Re:The only problem I predict... by dreddnott · · Score: 1

      Vehicles with one structure point (pretty much anything you'll find in a standard Codex) can be destroyed in one shot by most weapons, given the right roll of the dice.

      Vehicles do not have 'wounds' as infantry and other units do - the strength of a vehicle is represented by front, side, and rear armour values, which are rolled against by weapon strength, ending up on either glancing or penetrating hit tables. It's significantly harder to destroy a vehicle with a weak weapon, but an unlucky roll on the glancing hit table can bring your zillion-point Land Raider to a permanent demise. The worst-case scenario for multi-wound models like Ogryns or Crisis Suits is losing one wound, unless the weapon's strength is at least double its toughness. With truly large vehicles such as the Baneblade, you have multiple structure points, each of which is about as tough to destroy as a normal vehicle, and which are roughly equivalent to 'wounds'. Most walkers follow vehicle armour rules, but others, like the Wraithlord, have an infantry-style stat profile.

      Oh, and in tabletop, a Falcon Grav Tank is just as durable as a Fire Prism - Dawn of War exaggerates the latter's armor greatly as it is a late-tier vehicle.

      --
      I may make you feel, but I can't make you think.
    11. Re:The only problem I predict... by Barny · · Score: 1

      Whoa, late as hell reply but any who :)

      The parent is indeed correct baring one minor point that he doesn't stress enough.... railguns.

      If you fire a tau railgun, and it hits, it will (most of the time at least, squigoth and wraithlords are an exception to this) kill what it hits, with one shot.

      Another example is necron warriors, their weapons get a special bonus (on average one shot in 6) that gives them a chance at taking out a vehicle in one hit.

      Best example of out of kilter damage is the melta (fusion blaster on the tau commander suit), this thing on that suit will, 3 times out of 4 (or thereabouts) destroy a vehicle outright, they are the ultimate anti-vehicle unit, and yet DoW fubars them so badly.

      And don't get me into the "static" tau tactic used in DoW, tau are ultra mobile, fast moveing, flanking/surprising/shooty army, they can be non-moving but it is generally considered to be the lesser of the 2 tactics for play.

      --
      ...
      /me sighs
  3. Uh.. by Lordfly · · Score: 2, Funny

    Maybe I've slipped into an alternate dimension, but wasn't there a Warhammer MMOG game being developed like... 4 years ago?

    --
    hookers and grits.
    1. Re:Uh.. by Needs+Food+Badly · · Score: 3, Informative

      There is a Warhammer Fantasy MMOG currently under development. That's probably what you are thinking of. On the other hand, this announcement is about a Warhammer 40k based MMO, which is GW's other Warhammer line. One is high fantasy and lends itself more to RPGs, and the other being gritty sci-fi.

    2. Re:Uh.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Welcome to slash dot. Time in not linear here.

    3. Re:Uh.. by GWLlosa · · Score: 1

      Warhammer Fantasy is currently being developed. Has knights, swords, orcs, eleves, etc. This article references Warhammer 40k. Has space marines. And guns.

    4. Re:Uh.. by doublefrost · · Score: 1

      Mythic/EA has been developing a Warhammer MMO for the past couple years.

    5. Re:Uh.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Warhammer and Warhammer 40k are different, but related.

    6. Re:Uh.. by Enoxice · · Score: 1

      Additional reply saying the exact same thing as all of the above replies.

      --
      Anyone else think the comments just weren't rendering right before they turned off ABP and saw ads?
    7. Re:Uh.. by HappySqurriel · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I don't know much (well anything) about Warhammer but I could see how it might make sense to create two MMO games, that were based off of similar systems, which are seperated by many months of development ...

      If I was Blizzard, and was considering making a World of Starcraft (or world of Diablo) I would try to use as much of the server side code from World of warcraft as possible (obviously, focusing on improving everything over the next 24 months of development) and focus technical development on creating a new client. The result of this would be that most of the features people want (chat, mail, grouping and battle system) would have already been built and tested (all of your competition will spend 2 years of development trying to get to this position).

    8. Re:Uh.. by Kardall · · Score: 1
      I'm in your thread, Cloning your posts!

      www.warhammeronline.com

      Warhammer Online will be cool, but 40k would be better. Same diversity if not more, PLUS you get the future thing which most company's have failed with. IMO it's because their stories are crap. At least with 40k there isn't really a story, so you don't have to worry about it. You go in, kill or be killed. It's simple... that's why it will succeed.

    9. Re:Uh.. by jfodale · · Score: 1

      There was indeed a Warhammer Fantasy MMO being developed about 4 years ago. After about a year of development, it was shutdown. Later the IP was re-licensed to Mythic Entertainment, who has been in development of their own project (completely different from the original) for a couple years now and is set to release around this upcoming Christmas.

      THQ, if they do go through with this, is probably looking at a release date of around 2011. There have been a ton of rumors that it will not even be an MMORPG, but instead some kind of alteration on the theme... perhaps an MMORTS or MMOFPS.

      --
      Waiting for Warhammer Online.
    10. Re:Uh.. by pl1ght · · Score: 1

      And orcs with guns!

    11. Re:Uh.. by AliasTheRoot · · Score: 1

      The Warhammers are different companies and publishers. Warhammer Fantasy is Mythic(DAOC)/EA. Warhammer 40K is Vigil(ex NCSoft)/THQ. Not that NCSoft US has any experience in developing MMO's really - they buy them in from third parties or the Koreans.

    12. Re:Uh.. by king-manic · · Score: 1

      There is a Warhammer Fantasy MMOG currently under development.

      I thought it was already released and was massively successful. Kiddign aside WOW occupies so much fo the same space (for obvious reasons) that a MMOG based on warhammer seems redundant.

      --
      "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
    13. Re:Uh.. by king-manic · · Score: 1

      If I was Blizzard, and was considering making a World of Starcraft (or world of Diablo)

      MMORPG players are essentially the same lot of people. Very few new players are added to that pool and the last addition was Blizzard loyalists for WOW. Addign a SC MMORPG would canabilize their subscirbers base more then add to it. They'd be smarter to release a RTS. Having 2 compellign products int he same space just weakens their individual positions.

      --
      "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
  4. Obligatory by Trails · · Score: 2, Interesting

    "We're not out to replace World of Warcraft"

    It seems like every MMO announcement includes this. I guess it's boilerplate PR indemnification in case they fail to kill WoW.

    1. Re:Obligatory by _xeno_ · · Score: 2, Informative

      I think it's more along the lines of "yes, we know it exists - please don't ask us about it, we want to talk about our product and not compare it to WoW."

      Otherwise they're basically guaranteed to be asked how they plan to "beat WoW" which ultimately becomes an effort in comparing the new game to WoW and, in a way, yet another ad for WoW.

      --
      You are in a maze of twisty little relative jumps, all alike.
    2. Re:Obligatory by flyingsquid · · Score: 2, Insightful
      What they really mean when they say, "we're not out to kill WOW" is "we won't get killed by WOW". If I wanted to invest in or partner with a company doing a MMORPG, my first question is going to be, "how will your company survive if you can't take significant market share away from WOW?" The answer is that you'd have to find a different group of gamers, or offer something different enough that people would play both your game and WOW.

      Otherwise... well, Blizzard isn't invincible. If you build a better game and market it well, people will come. But even though it's possible to beat Blizzard, your chances of failure are very high. So if your entire strategy hinged on the idea that you could beat Blizzard at their own game, I'd say you were at best, reckless, and at worst, deluded.

  5. RTS vs RPG by sanjacguy · · Score: 2, Interesting

    All they've done is announce it as an MMO - the better question is are they planning an RPG or an RTS? Or even an FPS? What I can tell you definatively is that Black Library is currently planning to publish the Warhammer 40K RPG for table top gamers. It should be noted that after I wept openly at this announcement, I read closer and really want to know what they're planning, RPG, RTS, FPS?

    1. Re:RTS vs RPG by KDR_11k · · Score: 1

      Well, THQ is the publisher for Relic who did Dawn of War.

      --
      Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
    2. Re:RTS vs RPG by sanjacguy · · Score: 1

      True, however the vast majority of MMOs seem to be some sort of RPGs. While Blizzard had done Diablo previously, the first Warcraft rpg was WoW. So I'm leaning towards RPG at this point.

    3. Re:RTS vs RPG by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There IS an RTS: http://www.dawnofwargame.com/. It's quite good, too.

    4. Re:RTS vs RPG by Cornflake917 · · Score: 1

      This all just speculation, but here's my prediction:

      Warhammer 40k will compete with a Starcraft title for the top spot in the MMORTS market.

      Yeah I may be crazy, but I said it first bitches!

      --
      Abaddon: An Xbox 360 Indie game
  6. Not interested. by hookedup · · Score: 2, Funny

    Sorry, but a Space Marine dancing on the mailbox is not going to do it for me.

    1. Re:Not interested. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hey hermit, WoW is the only MMO where idiots dance on mailboxes. Get out of your basement and explore the genre.

    2. Re:Not interested. by CrashPoint · · Score: 1

      Hey hermit, WoW is the only MMO where idiots dance on mailboxes

      Only because there aren't any mailboxes in City of Heroes.

  7. 40k? by cybereal · · Score: 2, Funny

    40k... Apparently they already know their peak membership numbers!

    --
    I read the script, and I think it would help my character's motivation if he was on fire. -Bender
    1. Re:40k? by Crunchie+Frog · · Score: 2, Funny

      40k... Apparently they already know their peak membership numbers! Thanks folks, Cybereal will be here all week. Try the veal.
      --
      --- Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity
    2. Re:40k? by Joelfabulous · · Score: 1

      I'm Jewish, you insensitive clod! (I'm a Christian, so from a purely theoretical standpoint, that's like Jew squared.)

      Wait... None of that applies here, since cows are kosher... You're still an insensitive, baby-(cow)killing clod, though.

      --
      Sometimes I wonder if I think too much.
  8. Inquisitors and Space Marines by RockoTDF · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I hope the game comes off like the sub game inquisitor, where you play more as individualistic characters (Inquisitors, Assassins, Rogue Traders, Eldar Rangers etc) rather than just being a soldier or space marine. I get the feeling that if they put the option to be a space marine out there everyone will do it and it will be over saturated just like the table top game. On the other hand, if they don't they will be missing out on a huge part of the market for that game. Perhaps they should consider doing what the Star Wars MMO did with Jedi. You can't start as one, but instead have to get an offer for training and earn it somehow. But then again being a space marine wouldn't be a great deal of fun in an RPG (shoot, shoot, shoot some more) so perhaps they could stick to the specialist chapters like the Grey Knights and Deathwatch who actually have abilities/powers to keep them interesting.

    --
    There is more to science than physics!

    www.iomalfunction.blogspot.com
    1. Re:Inquisitors and Space Marines by servognome · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Perhaps they should consider doing what the Star Wars MMO did with Jedi.
      You mean leave it out in the first place hoping nobody discovers how to actually become one. Then when enough people get bored and complain introduce a system that lets them mindlessly macro grind for months through a bunch of professions they don't care about. When they finally jump through all those hoops they discover that the profession is unfinshed. Finally everything gets scrapped a few years later and just make it a regular profession.
      --
      D6 63 0D 70 89 81 BB 8E 7B 7C 5F 5D 54 EA AB 73
    2. Re:Inquisitors and Space Marines by KDR_11k · · Score: 1

      I'd say they should focus on PvP with each battlefield having deployment limits by point value in each instance. That way even if everyone plays SM they'd still be in fewer numbers in a battle than, say, the orcs. Something like a Dreadnaught would need a special promotion system (but mostly due to the fluff), space marines don't need a real limit.

      Though perhaps it would work better if every player controlled a squad of characters so the imperial guard can get enough people together to fight.

      --
      Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
    3. Re:Inquisitors and Space Marines by jfodale · · Score: 1

      If this game turned out to be an MMOFPS, I believe it could pretty interesting if everyone were Space Marines going off on missions.

      --
      Waiting for Warhammer Online.
    4. Re:Inquisitors and Space Marines by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Perhaps they should consider doing what the Star Wars MMO did with Jedi. You can't start as one, but instead have to get an offer for training and earn it somehow.

      That wouldn't work with the Warhammer 40K backstory. Space marines are bred (and genetically engineered) specifically for the task, and trained from birth.

    5. Re:Inquisitors and Space Marines by MMaestro · · Score: 1
      Not to nitpick but, (assuming Games Workshop doesn't mind twisting the lore) its not that hard to imagine a player being able to switch "classes" just by changing armor/weapons. Although the basic setup for a space marine is (basically) a machine gun, grenades and a knife, with that in mind its very easy to imagine different 'armors', 'weapons' and player 'crafted' equipment. Switch machine gun for sniper rifle/flamer/gatling gun/etc. You could pick what types of grenades you want (or forgo them for more ammo/space). The knife could be replaced with a pistol/sword/hammer/claws. Different armor? Assault armor (basically just jetpack equiped space marines). An 'elite' player class? (Assault) Terminator armor. Etc, etc, etc.

      (Again, this is assuming Games WOrkshop doesn't mind twisting the lore.)

    6. Re:Inquisitors and Space Marines by RockoTDF · · Score: 1

      They are not raised from birth, they are recruited from numerous types of worlds to include feral, medieval, or more modern hive worlds or even ones such as Ultramar which are modern but not particularly hard to grow up in like a hive world. You would still have to start as a scout at an early level in order to become a marine is more what I meant.

      --
      There is more to science than physics!

      www.iomalfunction.blogspot.com
  9. Innovate or stagnate by The+Orange+Mage · · Score: 1

    MMORPGs have followed pretty much the same general gameplay ideas since their inception in the late 90's, as liad down by Ultima Online and EQ. These games in turn took their gameplay concepts from existing RPGs of the day. The entire MMO market is made up entirely of games that follow this exact pattern only with different skins. One notable exception is EvE. Players actually have MEANING within that game's world. Any MMORPG that comes out using the same old formula as usual, like Lineage II for example, will only be played by hardcore fans of MMOs, or hardcore fans of that particular IP. Other than that, not a whole lot of long-term success.

    1. Re:Innovate or stagnate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I started with Knight Online as my first MMO and found the grind annoying. Then I had to find another game and discovered Eve Online. Then when my friends started playing EQ2 and WoW I gave them both a try. However I found the gameplay to be very similar and after watching my daughter go through a miriad of other MMO's I realised that Eve Online is head and shoulders above the rest because it is different. I've been playing Eve for 18 months and have only touched on some of what the game has to offer. I'd done most things in WoW by level 20 and had no wish to repeat the grind.

      With any new MMO it would have to be vastly different to even stand a chance of surviving in todays MMO market. I think Warhammer would just become another name on the shelf that only the usual suspects would play. No Innovation = No fun

  10. Not out to replace World of Warcraft by Shivetya · · Score: 1

    Why do so many developers lead off with this or a similar statement?

    Are they all admitting they have no chance to be as popular either because of subject matter or skill? I think some would delude themselves into believeing its subject matter but mostly its skill.

    Even Vangard is this way, hell they go out of their way to not only claim they aren't like WOW but worse, to dismiss WOW as a kids game. I guess thats one way of convincing yourself.

    If any game should have a shot its LOTR but we all know its going to fall on its face because of who is producing it; Turbine.

    Warhammer Online looks fun, watching some of the developer videos "and I heal, and I heal" are just outright a blast. Imagine a game where you finally don't have some twit who just sits back and spams "heal". Kind of like Quakeworld the MMORPG :)

    still, that line of "we aren't wow, or we aren't going to replace wow" comes off as "we suck, but it sounds better and looks better to point to the elephant in the room"

    --
    * Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
    1. Re:Not out to replace World of Warcraft by aapold · · Score: 1

      Even Vangard is this way, hell they go out of their way to not only claim they aren't like WOW but worse, to dismiss WOW as a kids game. I guess thats one way of convincing yourself.
      Sigil, Vigil, what's the difference?
      --
      "Waste not one watt!" - CZ
  11. So how does one... by DragonPup · · Score: 1

    Balance a Space Marine to Guardsman? Unless this is a MMOFPS, then it'd be easier...

    --
    "Useless organic meatbag" -HK-47
    1. Re:So how does one... by loopback_127001 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Nonsense. Try thinking a little bit outside the box.

      Sample classes could be that a Space Marine is a character who is moderately tank-like in nature. Rather than having a player play a guardsman, you instead play a squad leader, and you have 'pets' of guardsmen who fire on your behalf. There's a basic "x number of guardsmen = 1 space marine. roughly." rule of thumb you could go by, and scale that up as characters level, until you become able to have 'pets' as a Commisar such as tanks, heavy artillery, or the equivalent. and the marine works their way up to, say, Terminator armor, or a single rhino/land raider.

      If you don't assume one troop unit = 1 player, and break things up, the game could get quite interesting.

  12. O rly? by cpux · · Score: 1

    "We're not out to replace World of Warcraft" Now I saw the Warhammer Online booth at the NY ComicCon. That interface they used looked strikingly familiar somehow...

    1. Re:O rly? by jfodale · · Score: 1

      Warhammer Online is not the same thing as what is being discussed in this article.

      The interface for Warhammer Online does look pretty similar to that of WoW, but it also looks similar to the interfaces of many other MMOs.

      --
      Waiting for Warhammer Online.
    2. Re:O rly? by captainktainer · · Score: 1

      You were there too? I was impressed by how very little they were willing to say about their game, and how obnoxious their booth people were.

      The Warhammer Fantasy game looks exactly like WoW; you're right. Just more depressing.

  13. I think that there was a 40k MMO, it was canned by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I believe when GamesWorkshop sold the licensing of the 40k works to THQ. The developer was a small company in the UK and it was basically a new face on a 40k MUD they had developed on their own over the previous years from my understanding.

  14. Not shooting for the stars by Programmer_In_Traini · · Score: 1

    I find it funny when the article says "We're not out to replace World of Warcraft" ... what kind of statement is that ? They're almost telling me that they are gonna create a boring game to play.

    If from the beginning they don't shoot for the stars, where are they gonna land with their product ?

    And this is not the first comment i've read like that. Its like saying WoW is unbeatable ? that it cannot be made better ? That they might as well appeal to another type of gamer because they won't beat WoW ?

    How do you think the WoW team got there ? they looked at the best games out there, thought their things out properly and came out stronger and I don't see why Warhammer should do any differently if they expect to make a profit out of their mmo.

    --
    If you look like your passport photo, you're too ill to travel. - Will Kommen
    1. Re:Not shooting for the stars by austinpoet · · Score: 1

      Beating WoW in terms of gameplay is certainly attainable and I think that all MMOs have striven to improve the gameplay beyond WoW's system.

      I think that most of these PRs are saying that "we don't expect to trounce WoW's subscription numbers" when they say they don't expect to beat WoW.

      WoW had a huge consumer base from the Warcraft games, and Blizzard's Rep, and a general dearth of quality MMOs that many people flocked to it initially. Then the numbers swelled as word of mouth spread. Then the numbers became self-sustaining.

    2. Re:Not shooting for the stars by Guuge · · Score: 3, Funny

      I also found that statement funny, but for a different reason.

      Imagine a musician announcing that they're not out to replace Britney Spears. Imagine slashdot announcing that it's not out to replace CNN.

  15. Obligatory Obligatory by Joelfabulous · · Score: 1

    Beat Blizzard at their own *game*, eh?

    Pretty punny, huh?

    Now if the devs worked out of Russia, I could follow that up with an even funnier one.

    (I'll stop with the bad jokes now.)

    --
    Sometimes I wonder if I think too much.
  16. A MMOG? by Conspiracy_Of_Doves · · Score: 1

    Not a MMORPG?

    --

    Technoli
  17. Why not RTS by Seek_1 · · Score: 1

    I'd really like to see them implement big armies/battles on a massive scale.

    If they'd setup the game where you have the different races fighting for control over massively regions of space, I think that an RTS-based MMORPG could definitely work. I think Dark Age of Camelot had something similar to this from the first-person view. If they gave you control over an army and had to work together/against other players in massive/group battles, I would definitely sign-up.