BioWare's MMO team just wants to be competitive
by Alan Rose 
{ Nov 30th 2006 at 9:30AM }
Can't we all just get along? At least that's the attitude of BioWare Austin director Gordon Walton regarding his upcoming MMO and its assumed rivalry with Blizzard's industry-dominating World of Warcraft. Walton insists that it is not BioWare's goal to dethrone the champ, but to simply provide a little healthy competition: "Will some people who play WoW play our game? Of course. But we'd be better off if we got new customers, too. It's not a zero-sum game out there."As always, BioWare's designers will rely on their ability to spin a good yarn, and also try to avoid the FedEx-style quests that have helped define the MMO genre. Creative director James Ohlen explains: "We want to bring a level of storytelling that's equal to the single-player box games that BioWare has done. I think we can do that. One of the big challenges will be making our storytelling work in an environment that has multiple players."
The name and estimated release date for BioWare's MMO are still MIA, so Blizzard and its bloodthirsty orcs can rest easy for now.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ttt @ Nov 30th 2006 9:58AM
If anyone can Bioware can :)
ScreamingSkull @ Nov 30th 2006 9:52AM
So by "bringing a level of storytelling that's equal to the single-player box games that BioWare has done" he means they'll make a whole lot of fed-ex style quests and a poor camera system?
Wilson!!
Kunikos @ Nov 30th 2006 10:27AM
I think you mean to ask whether this will mean that the game will feature many NPCs whose mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters were killed and are haunted by it.
ackmondual @ Nov 30th 2006 11:48AM
Healthy competition is great. I'd like to see some WoW players and non MMORPG players migrate over to this new MMORPG
Arglor @ Nov 30th 2006 10:54AM
Thats a great quote.
"We want to bring a level of storytelling that's equal to the single-player box games that BioWare has done. I think we can do that. One of the big challenges will be making our storytelling work in an environment that has multiple players."
Ya think? Really? That happens to be the defining difference between a single player game and a multiplayer game of the massive type. How can you make a game that lets everyone be the hero, without making the game feel anti-climactic.
Thats like saying the biggest challenge of making ice is freezing the water. Last i checked it is the only challenge. Without it, all you have is water.
HaloBreaker @ Nov 30th 2006 12:04PM
I miss Black Isle. =(
JP @ Nov 30th 2006 4:09PM
There are a lot of MMORPGs to choose from, but not many of them are polished enough to have a chance at dethroning WoW... and it's hurting a lot of the other games. I'd love to see a clever Bioware MMO project take a bite out of WoW. I hope it's sci-fi.
So sick of Fantasy games.
Tom @ Nov 30th 2006 7:23PM
Knights of the Old Republic Online, please.
ChrisL @ Nov 30th 2006 7:57PM
"6. I miss Black Isle. =("
Indeed, Bioware just isn't in the same league.
rpg_man @ Nov 30th 2006 7:49PM
Umm, ChrisL, BioWare co-developed Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 with Black Isle (ever hear of the Infinity Engine?).
And remember that little-known game called Neverwinter Nights (2002 RPG of the year), and Knights of the Old Republic (2003 game of the year)? I too mourned the demise of Black Isle, but they had nothing to do with those last two games. Most of them are now either at BioWare or Obsidian anyway.
ChrisL @ Nov 30th 2006 10:57PM
"Umm, ChrisL, BioWare co-developed Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 with Black Isle (ever hear of the Infinity Engine?)."
Yes, and BG 1 & 2 weren't in the same league as Planescape: Torment. NWNs single player was hardly worth talking about in comparison to either of the other games.
rpg_man @ Nov 30th 2006 11:10PM
Excuse me, BG 1 and 2 aren't in the same league?? Is that why they were inducted into the GameSpot and GameBanshee Halls of Fame? Torment was great, but it has virtually no replay value, especially compared to BG. And what engine do you think it uses? The same one as BG and Icewind Dale, my friend.
You're smokin' something to dis Shadows of Ahm like that. I suppose Diablo and Morrowind stink too, despite all the critical praise they've received.
Dan @ Dec 1st 2006 6:47AM
BG2 = win, for the record.
however, if this game even looks sideways at DnD, it can get out. does anyone actually want another fantasy setting like that? I'd rather see something fresh and unexpected like....oh I dunno, Colonial era steam punk? that'd be interesting.
cogline87 @ Dec 1st 2006 8:25AM
Apparantely you all haven't heard the rumors...
Lucasarts has taken the Star Wars liscense away from SOE (this does not mean they have to close down Galaxies, by the way, but they can't do certain things to it anymore). In fact, the time they took it away is about the same time Bioware opened their MMO studio in Austin, Texas... The very same city that SOE resides in.
A possible Star Wars MMO from the people who do Star Wars better than anyone else (even its creator)? Think about it.
Flash Gamer @ Dec 6th 2006 3:28PM
To date BG2 is my favorite RPG. After that I would not consider playing an RPG without a complete party to work with. (IE Diablo)
I'm also a fan of Blizzard but I don't like how they currently control the market. Hopefully a new player in the game with strengthen the industry.
JarekStorm @ Dec 10th 2006 9:22AM
I am thinking it will be KoToR: Online.
Set in the old republic era, 5000 years before New Hope, so no issues with having tons of Jedi. There's a built in PvP and faction system, lightside vs. darkside.
Bio's studio is in Austin, SOE is in Austin, Bio just hired a bunch of the original SWG team to work on their upcoming MMO... I dunno maybe it's too obvious and the game will have nothing to do with SW.
Cliff Lee @ Jan 16th 2007 1:02PM
i do hope its a star wars MMO. It will give some long needed relief for those of us who got treated like dirt from soe/LA. I am sure there are people who regret doing that long jedi grind.....such as me.
Stéfan @ Jan 20th 2007 5:17PM
Just like the previous 2 posters, I wish this is a Star Wars MMO they are working on. I have played SWG for almost 3 years and have been very disappointed by how SOE poorly managed the game and ruined its potential. I left SWG a few weeks before the infamous "New Game Enhancements" (end of 2005), and now the only thing I'm waiting for is a new SW MMO, with depth, complexity, respect for the licence, freedom of action (no stupid script-based quests gameplay), strong role for non-combat professions, etc. (a lot of things that were partially in SWG in the early years). KOTOR Online would be great.