An NCsoft Europe spokesperson tells Eurogamer that Tabula Rasa has a growing player base and isn't in any trouble. Recent reports suggest otherwise, as NCsoft was apparently too embarrassed by the game's performance to mention it in its recent Q1 financial report. NCsoft states that a recent European trial met with "great demand" and it'll do a similar promotion later this year.

It's no secret that Tabula Rasa's had a slow start, but just how bad is it? If MMOGCHART is to be believed, Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa has approximately 75,000 players, the same subscription numbers as his decade-old Ultima Onine.

Wherefore art thou, Tabula Rasa? Though we knew the title's been a bit slow to start, we were still a shocked when Richard Garriott's MMO was largely absent from publisher NCSoft's Q1 financial report. As Massively reports, the title appears only twice throughout the publicly accessible earnings report, and neither time in a particularly favorable light.

In a conference call following the release, CFO Lee Jae-Ho confirmed that the "Tabula Rasa operation" has not yet been profitable for NCSoft. This point, however, was only addressed during the Q&A session, and otherwise entirely ignored during Jae-Ho's formal presentation.

For those interested, Massively presents a more thorough breakdown of the financial standing of Tabula Rasa. We'll summarize here by saying "it ain't good."

There's a new set of massively multiplayer hands on the wheel at Cryptic Studios, as the developer has announced the appointment of MMORPG industry vet John Needham as the company's new CEO. For those playing catch up, Cryptic, which is known for its infatuation with superheroes, developed the popular City of Heroes and City of Villains MMOs, properties it sold off to publisher NCSoft late last year before moving on to develop the decidedly not-Marvel MMO Champions Online.

Needham is not completely out of his element at Cryptic, having worked as a senior exec at Sony Online Entertainment since 2001. However, while he handled a wide range of duties at SOE, from business development to QA testing, it remains to be seen if this prepared him to don spandex and wield executive powers at the Los Gatos, CA based MMO dev.

[Via Big Download]

The E3 2008 confusion continues. Following the soon-to-be merged Activison and Vivendi Games' departure from the Entertainment Software Association and its E3 press event, we got to wondering who else might not be showing up for the annual game industry showing. The list of attendees on the (password-protected) E3 site leaves out some pretty big names, including MMO-publisher NCsoft who tells Joystiq that, though it's been an ESA member since last year, it will not be attending E3 this year because the timing of the event didn't work out for their upcoming releases. Gamespot reports that Foundation 9 won't be attending, stating, "We just didn't feel like we got enough out of the investment last year in order to justify the expense this year." Atlus also confirmed to Joystiq that, despite attending last year's summit, it too would be skipping out on E3 2008.

Gamespot confirms that other names missing from the list – Bethesda, id Software, Majesco, and D3Publisher – still plan on attending. Kotaku claims that id Software is not attending despite Gamespot's story to the contrary. We've contacted id for clarification. They also assert that Her Interactive (best known for their popular Nancy Drew games) won't be attending, though the publisher didn't attend E3 last year either. We reached out to peripheral manufacturer Nyko who said that, though they aren't listed on the official site, they will nevertheless be attending.

As for a specific reason for the absences, outside of timing and exposure, Kotaku cites several unnamed sources who pin the blame straight on current ESA pres Michael Gallagher's well-tailored lapel. Is Gallagher out of touch with the video game industry?

[Update 4:58pm: Added Atlus and Nyko details.]


Read – Activision/Vivendi leave ESA, skip E3
Read – Five Publishers Drop Out of E3 This Year, Some Blame ESA President
Read – NCsoft, Foundation 9 bypass E3 '08

Mo' MMO news now, with Guild Wars publisher NCSoft announcing its licensing of Epic's Unreal Engine 3 for use in two upcoming, still unannounced massively multiplayer titles. The company previously incorporated Unreal technology into Lineage II and giant-mech shooter, Exteel. Much like the rest of us, it seems the folks at NCSoft simply can't resist a well structured rendering pipeline.

"Unreal Engine 3 has a well structured rendering pipeline, and its graphical quality is superb thanks to advanced lighting and shadowing systems," said Young-muk Choi, lead programmer for NCsoft's Development Unit. "Tools within the Unreal Editor empower us to instantly produce and optimize our outputs, and we especially love how the engine enables designers to easily prototype concepts without the need for programming." Jay Wilbur, VP of Epic Games, returned the press release back patting by saying, "We expect to be completely wowed by what they do with our latest technology."

So do we, Mr. Wilbur. In fact, it'll take a lot to wow the millions who've already been thoroughly WoW'ed.

Though it certainly looked promising pre-release, it has seemed to us that Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa isn't exactly taking off. We're not playing it, and as far as we know, we don't know anyone who's playing it. Now, in a "State of the Game" post on NCsoft's official website, producer Starr Long admitted that they haven't received the reception they would have liked, saying, "the game has not taken off as quickly as we had hoped."

The admission comes almost a month after reports of major financial trouble and layoffs for NCsoft caused by the game. That said, Long does have some good excuses, and he reaffirms that NCsoft is still devoted to seeing the game succeed. Meanwhile, Richard Garriott is training to go into space. ... We don't have a joke here, we just thought you should know.

[Via Eurogamer]

[UPDATE: Starr Long is, in fact, a male, not a female. We regret the error.]

Earlier today fans of Massively Multiplayer Online Games were given a rare treat: a look into the future of the genre. Five veteran members of the gaming industry debated the finer points of MMO game creation as it exists today, and how the games of tomorrow will be bolted together. Participants included Cryptic Studios' Jack Emmert, NCsoft's Matt Miller, BioWare's Ray Muzyka, Nexon's Min Kim, and Blizzard's Rob Pardo. Each designer brought their own unique points of view to the conversation, and their visible conflicts made for a not only entertaining but informational dialogue.

The biggest point of contention during the discussion was the subject of Microtransactions; while Nexon's business model is based entirely on that concept, Cryptic's Emmert was a staunch opponent of the practice in general and as a "magic bullet" in specific. Mr. Emmert also dug several times at Blizzard and Rob Pardo, cracking jokes like "Isn't it true that Blizzard is going to buy the entire continent of Africa?" and essentially stating that the Massive gaming industry is deeply sick as a result of WoW's success.

The entire liveblog of the discussion is available over at Massively, and is well worth a look.

Though NCSoft has made a name for itself as a PC-based MMO developer and publisher, the South Korean company will soon be expanding to the console business, with plans to announce its first title before the second half of this year.

Wired recently spoke with NCSoft president Chris Chung, who confirmed that a title is in the works for PS3 and that it would not only be announced this year, but shown. When asked whether NCSoft would be porting one of its popular PC titles to the console, Chung stated that it's important to design gameplay suited to the console's strengths. Whether this means an entirely new title, or simply a console-oriented version of an existing IP remains to be seen.

[Via Massively]

Publisher NCSoft has canceled work on Blackstar, a science-fiction MMO deep in development by Austin-based Spacetime Studios. As a result of the cancellation, Spacetime has been forced to lay off 12 of its employees, but remains somewhat optimistic and committed to the IP.

Spacetime shares news of the cancellation on their official website, making it clear that they are disappointed by NCSoft's decision, but that they will not allow it to affect their relationship with the company. For the 12 employees who were laid off, Spacetime will supply severance, extended benefits, and letters of recommendation. On the official site, Spacetime encourages developers looking to hire to contact them for more information about these individuals.

As for BlackStar, Spacetime appears dedicated to continuing work on the MMO, and looking for other publishers once all contractual obligations with NCSoft have been completed. Spacetime has handled this entire matter with incredible class and dignity, and we wish them the best of luck.

[Via GameDaily]

Independent developer Cryptic Studios has announced the sale of its intellectual and proprietary rights to super-powered MMO duo, City of Heroes and City of Villains. NCSoft, having acted as publisher for both franchises, will be taking ownership and will further license Cryptic's technology for future games. If all goes according to plan, both parties hope to make the transition invisible to currently playing saviors and psychopaths.

In a separate FAQ, Cryptic notes that this sale of two cities was prompted by the studio's desire for "complete creative freedom" and resources to delve into new titles and worlds. No changes to existing accounts are foreseen, as Cryptic believes the franchise is "in good hands at NCSoft." In fact, many of the same hands will still be involved, with NCSoft offering Cryptic members employment and forming a team dedicated to providing new content for each title. Seemingly content with what it accomplished with City of Heroes and City of Villains, Cryptic likely made a wise decision by letting NCSoft maintain the game while it explores new territory. Bring on City of Morally Ambiguous Freaks, None of Whom Resemble Marvel Characters (Especially Not Wolverine)!

MMO factory NCSoft today took the wrapping paper off of Carbine Studios, its latest developer. According to the press release, Carbine has some very apt cogs in its machinery deriving from 17 former Blizzard employees, "including lead and senior developers from the World of Warcraft team," including lead designer Kevin Beardslee, who is now the vice president of design.

Additionally, former Fallout designer Tim Cain has been tapped to be the programmer director. Carbine is currently working on an unannounced MMO, according to their website. No other details have been revealed, but the team definitely has a powerhouse of employees.

[Via Gamasutra]

NCsoft has pulled the glasses off of its next update and revealed its secret identity. Issue 11, "A Stitch in Time," will allow players to travel into the past of the City of Heroes universe and relive (or live for the first time) some of the major events that helped to shape Paragon City.

Of course, there will also be the requisite new power sets ("Dual blades" is obvious, but we're curious about "Willpower") and enhanced customization of weapons to match the depth of the costume creation system in the game. It all sounds cool, but we're curious: Are any of you still playing CoH?

[Via TVG]

Despite confirming an October 19th release date early last month, NCSoft has announced their years-in-the-making MMO Tabula Rasa will see a minor delay, bumped two weeks back to November 2. A message from the game's producer, Starr Long (now that's a stellar name!), on the official site explains, "This short but critical amount of time will give us time to address several issues including stability and balance as well as allowing our players to test the continent of Ligo (L38+) and our major changes to crafting for a few weeks rather than a few days."

Don't get all worried pre-orderers, your Halloween plans aren't ruined after all; you'll still get the game three days early on Oct. 30. Everyone else, what can we say besides we're sorry?

[Via Gamespot]

NCsoft is expanding in Europe and creating 100 new jobs over the next three years in Brighton, England. The company will grow and add another 116 new jobs to the 110 employees they already have there and a move to Brighton's City Point in the next couple years. The studio is responsible for assisting with Lineage II, City of Heroes, City of Villains, and Guild Wars.

The Korean company is expanding its operations due to a "major investment" by the South East England Development Agency. English developers are still seeking the kind of tax breaks found in France, currently Australia is struggling with the same issue. Expect to see greater expansion if NCsoft continues to do well.

NCsoft's CEO Robert Garriott has written an open letter on the company's website discussing its relationship with Sony after their announced support during E3. Few details are provided, but it does give a glimpse of what we should expect in the coming years.

The first title, hopes Garriott, should hit holiday 2008. It will be based on a current IP. "We want to make new products using our current, popular Intellectual Properties that will take advantage of the console, specifically in terms of user interface, connectivity, and play styles." We wonder if that means cross-platform play won't be tackled.

Garriott is looking into new, original IPs, but said "that process ... will take two to three years at a minimum." Also interesting is that the relationship extends beyond just the PlayStation 3 and specifically mentioned the PSP as a possible platform for future projects.

Garriott reassures that PC development is still a major focus for the company. In terms of business models, Garriott said, "there will be the traditional subscription models, micropayment systems and free-to-play games with membership options."