Creating an MMO in today’s gaming market takes some big cojones. Were talking elephantiasis sized stones. The investment required, in terms of both time and money, is enormous. Anything less than total devotion to your product results in yet another MMO title getting its head handed to it by WoW.
For a time it seemed WoW would continue to reign supreme, but then news that WarHammer would be making its debut as an MMO shook the very ground of MMO players everywhere. Unfortunately, delay after delay continues to haunt the title.
Check out all the latest details on the WarHammer MMORPG after the jump
To be fair, delaying a MMO, that isn’t ready yet, is only common sense. The last thing anyone wants is another unfinished MMOG to be released (looking at you D&D Online). Sadly, WarHammer Online: Age of Reckoning’s constant setbacks stem as much from problems on the business end of things, as they do simple development issues.
Few people realize that this game SHOULD have been released years ago. WarHammer Online was originally being developed by Climax Entertainment with help from Microsoft and Games Workshop. The project died after a few years in development. Then, Mythic Entertainment announced that it had secured exclusive, worldwide rights from WarHammer creator, Games Workshop. Then EA purchased Mythic Entertainment and re-dubbed it EA Mythic, as part of their future plans to enter the MMO market.
EA Mythic broke the news about their upcoming MMO back in March of ‘06 and the title was originally meant to be released some time in ‘07. Fast forward to April of ‘07 and EA Mythic announces the game won’t arrive until first quarter ‘08. At the time, the delay was explained as EA Mythic taking advantage of everything EA’s purchase of the company provided. November ‘07 arrived and big surprise, the game had yet again been delayed until sometime between April and September ‘08. Skip forward to the present day and WarHammer Online is once again being delayed, this time until the fall.
After years in development, its death and eventual rebirth, WarHammer Online is finally close to proving whether or not gamers have waited for nothing. Over 400,000 people signed up for the beta and by December ‘07 half a million gamers were play testing.
With the new WoW expansion, Wrath of the Lich King fast approaching, the pressure is undoubtedly on EA to release WarHammer Online before the latest WoW expansion. Should the game gods be unkind and WarHammer arrives AFTER the WoW expansion, EA Mythic will be facing one hell of an uphill battle in terms of making the huge wads of cash EA no doubt expects them to bring in.
Personally, I question Age of Reckoning’s ability to take a serious bite out of WoW. To be clear, everything I have heard from my beta testings peers indicates that Age Of Reckoning will be one hell of a game. I know I loved playing the tabletop version of WarHammer back in the day and the many RTS titles in the universe are just awesome. That said, yet another fantasy based MMO will have to be almost overwhelmingly amazing to pull pimple faced virgins away from their love affair with Azeroth.
My lingering doubts aside, I really hope this game does well. Anything that lessens WoW’s stranglehold on the market and rewards a team of developers who have been working their little orchish asses off is a definite win in my book.
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1 response so far ↓
1 Tanker9111 // Apr 5, 2008 at 4:20 am
one of my neighbors that i play wow with (yes i play wow and love it as a MMO) is part of the beta, and from what ive heard, and seen, im very un-impressed, when we both look at this game we see it no more then World of Warcraft 2 (if 1 existed) most the characters and spells look very similar and the general world items (npc, mobs) anything alike are identical.
now im not saying its a horrible game, but i dont see it taking wows titles especially with WotLK coming out with raised level caps, new gear, new zones etc, ill give them credit for trying - they did a good job. But in the end it comes down to - Do you really want todo all that leveling of your character, get all that sweet gear, meet all those cool people online ALL over again for a game thats pretty much the same as what you already had? sure wow may be boring for some people now, but thats why you gotta mix things up, as i said, its your choice to play which ever.
But between me and my freind, we’ll take paying that 15$ a month for wow for boring old crap till next Xpac, over starting all over again
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