The Secret World inspired by movie The Ring

In an interview with the PC Zone magazine, Funcom reveals that it’s super secret mystery shrouded MMO Project The Secret World, was in part inspired by the classic Japanese horror movie The Ring.

Funcom product manager Erling Ellingson explains: “The setting for The Secret World is actually our own world… But there is something out there, another world beyond our own”. Further down he reveils: “We’re putting a lot of effort into making huge, believable environments … you will actually be exploring vast cities such as London and New York. This creates some really exciting opportunities for us as a developer, to actually set a massive online game in real-world cities.”

Ok Funcom you got me hooked! More details please. Kthxbai.

Source

Tags: Funcom, Interview, Movie, The Secret World

More Rumors pointing to Starcraft Online

An article published at TradingMarkets.com points to the chinese Caijing Magazine that claims that an “industry insider” was quoted as saying that China’s leading online game operator Netease.com will be responsible for Blizzard’s next big MMO project *drumroll* Starcraft Online.

Netease CEO Ding Lei didn’t confirm the market saying, adding that the company is observing many online games and has not signed any formal license contract.
On an industry meeting earlier this month, Ding disclosed that Netease will strive to provide more game products by being licensed foreign games and co-developing games with foreign partners.

Source

Tags: Blizzard, Rumor, Starcraft Online, World of Starcraft

Jumpgate Evolution gets publisher

In a press release issued today, Codemasters announced that the company will publish Jumpgate Evolution, a space combat MMORPG currently in development by NetDevil Ltd., in Europe and North America. The announcement does not reveal a release date other than “late 2008″ which confirms that the game is scheduled to ship in 2008 but nothing more.

29th January (2pm GMT) - Codemasters Online have today unveiled their next generation MMORPG set for release in 2008, Jumpgate Evolution. Developed by the US-based experienced MMOG developer NetDevil, Jumpgate Evolution is a space-based MMO incorporating all-new action style gameplay like never seen before in any previous online game.

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Tags: Codemasters, Jumpgate Evolution, NetDevil

New Interview with Hermann Peterscheck

The Escapist recently interviewed Hermann Peterscheck, Lead Producer of Jumpgate Evolution. In interview Herman talks about his job as producer, why Jumpgate Evolution turned out as sequel rather than an expansion and how the game has evolved over time.

In late 2001 NetDevil, a small independent developer, released Jumpgate: The Reconstruction, a unique take on a then young MMOG market. The game, which would earn a devout if relatively small following, centered on intense space combat in a massively multiplayer setting, though it would remain overshadowed by larger projects with bigger budgets. Now, NetDevil is looking to reinvent its own niche with a sequel to Jumpgate called Jumpgate: Evolution, a larger and more organized effort to finally make the property both a cult and bona fide hit. We sat down with Hermann Peterscheck, Lead Producer of Jumpgate: Evolution to find out how NetDevil is planning to elevate their game to the next level.

Via TentonHammer.

Tags: Interview, Jumpgate Evolution, NetDevil

BioWare conducting market research on MMO

Rumor has it, that BioWare is secretly preparing to conduct an extensive market research study on their upcoming MMO. Supposedly, the studio is currently looking for volunteers within certain internal channels that meet the following criteria:

• Aren’t affiliated in any way with the fields of advertising, journalism (d’oh!), public relations, video game hardware or software developers, video or computer game retail.
• Can’t have participated in more than 3 paid focus groups in the last 6 months
• Must own at least one video game console or handheld system, but no more than four.
• Must play games on the PC, but have no experience with MMOs
• Must own 2 or more video games
• Must have purchased 1-5 games in the last year
• Must play between 1-9 hours a week

Unfortunately this information still does not provides us with any clues as to what the secret MMO project is all about, so we have to continue speculate if the project is the rumored KotOR based Star Wars MMO or something entirely different. Want to hear my personal opinion? I say its Star Wars and here’s why.

Via Massively.

Tags: BioWare, KotOR MMO, Market Research, Star Wars: The Old Republic

Age of Conan Instance Run Video

Ben Avery of the Guild “The Acolytes“, author of the excellent AoC Visual FAQ, was one of the lucky folks who were invited by Funcom to the recent AoC Community Event in Oslo, Norway. At the official Age of Conan Forums he has the following to say about this video:

Hiya, just a short video clip from the Community Event in Oslo, showing a little of the Sanctum of Burning Souls. I was playing for quite a long time with a group and remembered to pick the camera up at the same time (sometimes) hard to control with half a hand! … I played the Assassin and Jeff from Tentonhammer was also filming but not playing there really so expect some nice footage from them too. (longer) For me I couldn’t pull myself away … Bit at the end is the top floor view in Funcom Offices and 10 meters behind me is where they were working on the secret un-named mmo. (Editor’s Note: Maybe “The Secret World” ?)”

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Tags: Age of Conan, Funcom, Instance Run, Video

WoW: Sunwell Loot?

Mmo-champion posted an image showing some items they dugg out from the depth of the World of Warcraft Client Data files. The items in question are supposed to be related to the coming Patch 2.4, which will also introduce a new 25-Man Raid instance “Sunwell Plateau”. Be warned though. Although the folks at mmo-champion are 95% certain that these items are not fake, the items could still be changed or removed before the patch hits the live servers.

Summary:

• Items seems to be ilvl 154~155
• At least one of them is ilvl 164 (Apolyon, the Soul-render), we can assume it’s a loot from Kil’jaeden. I didn’t try to get the ilvl for all items, maybe there are more loots from KJ.
• Even if they’re legit, these stats are probably from early beta servers and could be changed/removed once the 2.4 patch is released on PTR.
• The feral staff is with the caster weapons, I know, I’m not redoing the screenshot just because of that. :/
• Nothing is confirmed by Blizzard, trust it at your own risks.
• (Bonus) It seems that the Arena Season 4 sets will be named “Brutal Gladiator”. This one is still fairly unconfirmed though.

Related story.

Tags: Blizzard, Sunwell Isle, World of Warcraft

New rendering engine for Anarchy Online

Funcom’s Anarchy Online team has released a trailer showing off the capabilities of the revamped rendering engine for the MMO. AO was released back in 2001 and its graphics don’t quite hold up when compared to games of this generation. The influx of new players caused by switching to advertising backed free to play model without monthly subscription fees, has motivated the team to redo the graphics engine for their aging MMO. In an interview with MMORPG.com, AO’s game director Craig Morrison revealed the the engine has been in development for more than a year.

Related story.

Tags: Anarchy Online, Funcom, Rendering Engine

Eve Online meets Steam

CCP Games has announced it will utilize Valve’s Service “Steam” as an additional distribution platform for its critically acclaimed Space MMORPG Eve Online. To celebrate the launch of Steam’s first MMO offering, a special 21-day trial period for EVE will be available free of charge to all Steam gamers bundled with a USD 5 rebate for their first full month of EVE Online.

“We are immensely excited and honored that EVE Online will be the first MMO on Steam,” said Magnus Bergsson, CCP’s VP of sales. “Steam has been the leading online distribution platform for a long time and home to some of the most dedicated gamers around, so we couldn’t think of a better fit for EVE Online.” “Launching EVE on Steam means the addition of another fantastic PC game and the introduction of MMOs on Steam,” said Jason Holtman, Valve’s director of business development.

I welcome this announcement. I think it’s pretty important to have at least well performing (commercially) Sci-Fi on the market, emphasising that there’s more to MMOs than just Elves and Orcs. Maybe one day my dream of a worthy successor to my beloved Neocron becomes reality. Fallen Earth do you hear me?

Tags: CCP Games, Eve Online, Steam, Trial

Age of Conan Music Information

Ben Avery, the guy behind the excellent AoC Visual FAQ on which I’ve reported earlier, has created another Video containing lots of information about Age of Conan’s sound effects and its musical soundtrack. One of Funcom’s Sound Designers provides us with an in-depth demonstration on the creation process of sound effects for AoC’s magical abilities and at the end, we get to see the finished spell cast in the game. We also get confirmation that there will be 2.5 to 3 hrs of original music in the game, all of which recorded in 5.1 surround sound which is going to make the Xbox 360 crowd especially happy since many of them have hooked up their console to a 5.1 receiver.

Source

Tags: Age of Conan, Audio, Funcom, Music, Sountrack

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