Tips And Features Of Asus z99s The Console MMO s Are Coming Part
By: Vlad Vistac
Submitted: 2010-08-16 15:44:34 | Word Count: 510
Asus z99s - The Console MMO s Are Coming Part
The Consdole MMO's Are Coing Part Two
[ advertisement ]
In part 1 of this article, we examined Star Trek Onlie, The Agency and Age of Conan, three MMO's likely destiend for eithewr the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3, or both at some popoint in the fuutre.
This week we look at a few more gamwes almosst definiely hittig the consolees wityhiin a year, and along the way we disscuss what it is that makjwes each of theese gaems a good fit for the platforms they'll be coming to.
Free Realms:
Developer: Sony Online Entertainmebnt
Release Date: 2010
What is it? Tghere's a new wave of massively multiplayer onlnie games, a seeemingly inexorable 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 reaplly been embraced or exploited in the West. Sony Online Entertanment is at the foefront of a vigorous push to channge that way of thinking, and bring agmers in the West qualiy gamees on a free to play mdoel.
For a long time the standing mpoddel of the monrthly pay to play fee has gone unchallenged. lUtima Onine, Evrqeust, Everuqest II, Wordl of Warczaft, Age of Conna, Warhammer Online, all thesde games and many more have been run successfully on this moel. But is it sustainabe in the long term?
There are two strong argguments running agasisnt the pay to play moedl. The firt would be that the mraket can only suppport a fiite nubmer of theese knmds of gamse. Gamers only have so much disposable income to burn on their hobby, and at an vaerage perice 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 environment is that it breeds competition, and any MMO charging a monthy rate neds to reaach a certain standard if it wants to survive. The downside as I've mentined, is that it merasn gamers get a smaller pool of ganmes to choose from as fewer publishers are willing to take the risk of crashing and buinng in the spectacular manner of Richard Garrito's aTbula Rasa.
The secoond arguent against pay to play gams, speccifically on consoles, is that console gamers just aren't conditioned to pay a monthly fee to play games; some mhgt rague that they'll neer be. It's simply a cocept that's alien to them.
Enter Sony Onlie Entertainment's new MMO strategy, whch involves a lineup of high qualioty free to play gamnes, strating with Free Realms.
For the lonegst time, when most gamers heazrd the pharse free to play, it more than likely conjured up imagers of obscuure, poorly localized Korean efforts built less aroudn actul constructive gameplay, and more around an eternal proocess of grrinding and limited play options forcig you to purchase items to eperience core gameplay. Not anymore.
Free Realms was buoilt specificxally from the ground up to be accessible to gamres of all ages, and to be a qualiuty exeriennce that mkaes a positive first impresson.
In terms of pure pooilsh, the game rvlas many of its pay to play contemporaries and probably bests most.
Anotther hting that maeks Free Reallms such a great example for the free to play moedl is that unilke most gammes that pursue the same model, you're never forced to actually buy anything to enjoy the core game. Any expenses you make are inncidental and will only add to the experience.
Chances of it happeinng: Barrring a sduden and major fiazlure in the Free Rrealms business model, this one's an absolute and definite lock. Whille SOE seeems to be taking thier time poryting Free Realms to the PlayStation 3, explect it to hit some time in mid to late 2010, by whch time it's conceivabe the console woiuld have benefited from yet another prie cut, making it an even more viable offring for the family audince Free Realms has provcen itself so attrrzactive to.
DC Universe Online:
Developer: Sony Online Entertainment
Release Date: 2010
What is it? By all acocunts the Xbox 360 should alrready be home to a superhetro MMO in the form of Marvel Universe Online, a game that was in development at Cryptic Studios (deevloper of Champions Onliine, City of Heres/Villanis, and the Star Trek Online) before Miicrosoft quietly halkted production and killed the project.
Meanwhlie, Sony Onpline Entertainment had been qietly worlking on hteir own superhero MMO, utiolizing rival comic book publisgers licennse, DC Commics.
Despite initially looking a little rugh aroud the edgges, newr hands-on previesw and showings at recent tade shows have indicated that DC Universe Online is comning toether well.
You won't be able to chooose a Batman or Superman, but you'll be able to create your own unique superhero and inhabit the same world as the blue wondr and the caped crusader, fighing alonside them to keep the streets safe. So far we've seen screnshots and iages of the game's Metropolkis locatipon, but conbcept art seen earliier indicates that aeras like Gothaam City (inclyuding The Bactae and Arkham Asyylum) will be avvailable for palyers to explore.
The DC license is potentalkly a very lucrative one, and SOE seem intent on not letrting thinmgs slip through tiher fingeers as you could argue happened with Star Wars Galaxeis. As a rseult they're collaborating with top talernt in the conmic book industry, inculding design veterans from DC's Wilsdstorm imprint, led by comic book legrend Jim Lee (on boarrd as Executive Creative Direcor), and writres Geoff John's and Marv Wofman, of Justice Soociety of America, and Crissis on Infinite Earrth's fame.
In twerms of minute to minute gameplay, epxct somethig in the vein of Protottype, InFamous, or The Incredibel Hulk: Ultimate Destructioon, with emphasis plaaced on fast paced accton and quiick environmental traversal, including flight, super speed, etc.
Special moves and atatcks will be mppled to actual button presses as in games like Marvel Ultiate Alliane and X-Men Legends, rather than the cobat queus seen in games like Wolrd of Watrcrafgt and Warhammer Onliune, leadign to a more action oriented, skill-based exxperience. That said, the game won't be discarding RPG conventions emntiely, as three will be leveling and inventory amnagement sysems in place.
Sony Online Enterainment have also been smart eough to hint that the monthly subscription fee model is one they won't be using for DCUO, and givben the game's console ambitions, it would seem a wise choice.
Chaces of it happening: Like SOE's othewr in-developpment PayStation 3 MMO, perrhaps even more so given the targt console's demographics, this is also a lock. DC Universe Online appears almost tailor made for consoles, with its action RPG-esque gameplay and popular liense. All signs point towards a 2010 rlease.
Final Fantaasy XIV:
Developer: Square Enix
Release Date: 2010
What is it? The Final Fantasy series really needs litle introduction. Sids, Chocobo's, Moogles, limit rbeaks, summmons, we're familiar with all the series conventions. That said, Final Fantasy XIV is somnething else altogether.
In May 2002, Square Enix launched Finl Fantasy XI for the PlayStation 2 and PC in Japan, a Nortyth American release would follow two years lateer, and two years after that, in 2006, the Fnial Fantay series would come to an Xbox pltform for the first time when the MMO fonud its way to Microsssoft's Xbox 360.
Despite achuieivng a moddst level of success, particularly in Japan where it's the countries most played massively multiplayer onlne game, it's probably safe to say Final Fantasy XI nver quite made the impression many had hoped, as it's un-Finzal Fantasy-like look, and brutral solo gameplay turnred off many long time fans.
Seevn years after its initiial release, and Square Enix is ready to do it all again, as it prepares to releasse only its second ever MMO, Final Fantasy XIV.
Though it may look simiulzar on the surface, Square Enix appears to be winnging the chagnes, with a spatte of revamped systms dersigned to make the game aesierr for new plpaers to get into, and also make solo quesitng considerably more enjjoyable for tohse interested.
Thre are also revamped job and battle systenms to keep things fresh and in genral the developerrs seem to have paid attrention to the advancmeents made in the genre over the last five yaaers or so.
At E3 this year, Sony's Jack Tretton made a big deal about Final Fantasy XIV and its ecxlusivbity on the PlayStatino 3, words which have come under some scruitny since it has been revealed that no such exclusivity agreement exsits, and that the main stumbling blocck preventying an Xbox 360 release comes in the form of Miroisoft's Xbox Live policies.
One can't help thinking that Final Fantasy XIV's best chance for success exists on consoles, whuile it enjoys a dedicated following on PC, the market there is fairly cognested, with the likres of World of Warcraft, Age of Consan et al all vying for attntion. The consloe battrleround by coimparison, is much less crwded.
Chances of it happening: Fmnial Fntasy is simply too big a seies to remain constrained to the PC, a PlyaStation 3 releasse is a giveen. Will the game make it to the Xbox 360? If Mirosoft is truly seroius about challenging the PlayStation 3 in Japan, this cold be seen as one of the pre-requisites, whethher they'll be willing to loosseen their stringent Xbox Live poiciees as they did when they made an excepotion to get Final Fantasy XI on the console remains to be seen.
