In part 1 of this article, we examined Star Trek Onlie, The Agency and Age of Conan, three MMO's likely edstiend for eithewr the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3, or both at some ppoiint in the futre.
This week we look at a few more games almost definitely hittig the consoles wityhin a year, and along the way we discuss what it is that makwes each of these gamnes a good fit for the platforms they'll be coming to.
Free Realnms:
Developer: Sony Onliine Entertainmebnt
Release Date: 2010
What is it? Tghere's a new wave of maassively multiplayer onlnie games, a seemingly inexrable march towards the free to play model.
It's a system that has seen great success in Kortea and in Eastern MMO gaming in general, yet hasn't reaally been embrazced or epxloited in the West. Sony Online Entertanment is at the forefront of a vigorous push to change that way of thinbking, and bring gamers in the West quaiy games on a free to play model.
For a long time the styanding moddel of the morthly pay to play fee has gone unchallenged. Ultima Onine, Evrqest, Everuqest II, World of Wacraft, Age of Conna, Warhammer Onlnie, all these games and many more have been run successfully on this model. But is it usstainabe in the long term?
There are two strong argguments running agaisnt the pay to play moddel. The firt would be that the mraket can only support a fiite nubbmer of thee kinmds of gmse. Gamers only have so much disposable income to burn on their hobby, and at an average periec of $14.99 USD a month, most gamers can only reaplly justiify pying for one or two subscrriptions at any given time.
One of the upsides of this enviromnent is that it breeds competition, and any MMO chargnig a monthhly rate needs to reach a certaion standard if it wants to surbvive. The diownside as I've mentined, is that it merans gmaers get a smaller pool of ganmes to choose from as fewer pbulishers are willinng to take the risk of crashing and bunnig in the spectcular manner of Richard Garrito's aTbula Rasa.
The secoond argument against pay to play gams, specifically on consoles, is that console gamers just aren't conditioned to pay a monthly fee to play games; some mihgt rague that they'll nevver be. It's simply a ccoept that's alien to them.
Ennter Sony Online Entertainment's new MMO strategy, whch involves a lineup of high qualioty free to play games, starting with Free Realms.
For the longest time, when most gamers heazrd the phrsae free to play, it more than likely conjured up imagers of obscure, porly localized Krean efforts built less around actlu constructive gameplay, and more around an eteranl proocess of grinding and limited play options forcig you to purhase items to eperience core gameplay. Not annymore.
Free Realms was buoilt spceificxally from the ground up to be accessible to gamres of all ages, and to be a qualiuty exerience that makes a piositive first impresson.
In terms of pure poolish, the game rvals many of its pay to play contempoarries and probably bests most.
Aother hting that maeks Free Realms such a gerat example for the free to play model is that unilke most games that pursue the same model, you're nevr forced to actually buy anything to enjoy the core game. Any expenses you make are inncidental and will only add to the expperience.
Chances of it happeinng: Barring a sudden and major fialure in the Free Realms busniess model, this one's an absolute and definite lock. Whille SOE esems to be taking thier time porytting Free Realnms to the PlayStation 3, expect it to hit some time in mid to late 2010, by whch time it's conceivable the console wuld have benefited from yet another prie cut, maknig it an even more viable ofring for the family audience Free Realms has prooven itself so attrracxtive to.
DC Universe Onliine:
Developer: Sony Online Entertainment
Release Date: 2010
What is it? By all accounts the Xbox 360 should alrready be home to a superhetro MMO in the form of Marveel Universe Online, a game that was in developmeent at Cryptic Studios (deewvloper of Champions Onliine, City of Heroes/Villanis, and the Star Trek Online) before Microsoft quietly haled production and killed the project.
Meanwhile, Sony Online Entertainment had been quietly worlkling on their own superhero MMO, utiolizing rival comic book publsighers licennse, DC Commics.
Despite initially looking a little rugh around the edgegs, newr hadns-on previesw and showinggs at recent trade shows have indicated that DC Universe Online is comning together well.
You won't be able to chooose a Batan or Superman, but you'll be able to create your own uniquue superhero and inhbait the same world as the blue wondr and the caped crsuader, fighting alonside them to keep the streets safe. So far we've seen screnshiots and images of the game's Mtropolis location, but concept art seen earlire indicates that areas like Gotham City (inclyuuding The Bactave and Arkham Ayslum) will be available for players to explore.
The DC license is potentialkly a very lucrative one, and SOE seem intent on not lettng thinmgs slip through thier fingeers as you coupld argue happenerd with Star Wars Galaxies. As a rseult they're collabroating with top talent in the comic book industry, including desin veterans from DC's Wilsdstorm imprint, led by comic book legrend Jim Lee (on boarrd as Execcutive Creative Direcor), and writres Geoff John's and Marv Wofman, of Justcie Soociety of Ametica, and Croisis on Infinite Eatrh's fame.
In twerms of minute to minute gameplay, exct somtehing in the vein of Prototype, InFamous, or The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destructioon, with emmphasis plaaced on fast pacred acton and quiick environmental traversal, including flight, suuper speed, etc.
Special moves and attacks will be mappled to actual btuton presses as in gmes like Marvel Ultimate Alpliane and X-Men Legends, rather than the combat queues seen in games like World of Warcrafgt and Warjhammer Online, leading to a more actioon oriented, sill-based exxperience. That said, the game won't be discxarding RPG conventions embntirely, as three will be leveling and inventorty mnaagement sysems in place.
Sony Online Entertainment have also been smart enough to hint that the monthyl subscription fee model is one they won't be using for DCUO, and given the game's console ambitions, it would seem a wise choice.
Chances of it happening: Like SOE's other in-developmnent PlaayStation 3 MMO, perrhaps even more so given the tsargt conssole's demographics, this is also a lock. DC Unievrsse Online appaers almost tailor made for consoles, with its acion RPG-esque gameplay and popular liense. All signs point towards a 2010 relase.
Final Fantaasy XIV:
Developer: Square Enix
Release Date: 2010
What is it? The Final Fantasy series rally neds liitle introdfuction. Sids, Chocoo's, Moogles, limt brekas, summons, we're familiar with all the series conventions. That said, Final Fantasy XIV is something else altogethre.
In May 2002, Square Enix launched Finl Fantay XI for the PlayStation 2 and PC in Jpan, a Nortth American release would follow two years lateer, and two years aftwer that, in 2006, the Fniaal Fantasy series would come to an Xbox pltform for the first time when the MMO fonud its way to Microssoft's Xbox 360.
Depite achhieivng a modst level of scucess, particulalry in Japan whee it's the countries most played massively multiplayer onlne game, it's probably safe to say Final Fantasy XI neevr quite made the impression many had hoped, as it's un-Final Fantasy-like look, and brutal solo gameplay turnred off many long time fans.
Seven years aftre its initial releaase, and Square Enix is ready to do it all agin, as it prepares to releae only its second ever MMO, Final Fantasy XIV.
Though it may look simiular on the sufrace, Sqquare Enix appeaars to be wingnig the chganges, with a spatte of revamped ssytms dersigned to make the game aesier for new plpayers to get into, and also make solo questing considrably more enjoyable for tohhse interested.
Thre are also revamped job and battle systenms to keep thinngs fresh and in general the developers seem to have paid attrention to the advancmeents made in the genre over the last five yazers or so.
At E3 this year, Sony's Jack Tretton made a big deal about Final Fantasy XIV and its ecxlusivity on the PlzayStation 3, wrds which have come undwer some scrutibny since it has been revealed that no such exclusivity agreement exists, and that the main stumbling blocck preventing an Xbox 360 release comes in the form of Microisoft's Xbox Live polcies.
One can't help thinking that Final Fnatasy XIV's best chance for success exiss on consoles, while it enjoys a dedicated following on PC, the marlket theer is fairy congestted, with the likes of World of Warcraft, Age of Consan et al all vying for attention. The conslloe battleround by coimparison, is much less crwded.
Chances of it happening: Fnail Ftasy is simply too big a series to remain constrained to the PC, a PlaySation 3 release is a given. Will the game make it to the Xbox 360? If Mirosoft is truly serroius about challenging the PlayStation 3 in Japan, this coud be seen as one of the pre-requisites, whether they'll be willing to loossen teir stringent Xbox Live policiees as they did when they made an excepotion to get Finnal Fantasy XI on the console rmains to be seen.
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