Cryptic making Neverwinter Nights MMO?

By Oli Welsh Published 10 June, 2009

"Primary reason" for sale to Atari - Variety.

Variety's well-connected games blog is rumouring that Cryptic is working on a Neverwinter Nights MMO for new owners Atari.

The game is scheduled for a 2011 release - after current Cryptic projects Champions Online and Star Trek Online - and is "reportedly the primary reason Atari was interested in acquiring Cryptic late last year", according to Variety's sources.

Atari has already confirmed that Cryptic is working on an MMO game or games based on its existing intellectual properties - most recently in its latest financial statement.

Neverwinter Nights and Atari's other Dungeons & Dragons-based role-playing game series always seemed like the likeliest candidates for the MMO treatment, adding credibility to this rumour.

While not technically a massively multiplayer game, the original Neverwinter Nights, created by BioWare, was known for its large-scale online multiplayer features, making it a natural fit for development into an MMO. But betting on an entry into the hotly-contested fantasy MMORPG market, dominated by World of Warcraft, would be a risky strategy for the cash-strapped Atari.

We'll bring official word either way as soon as we have it.

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About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (6) Latest comment 3 years ago

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  • Kremlik Verified Co-Founder, Crash To Desktop #1 3 years ago

    With Cryptic behind it at least we know it's not just going to be NWN3 with 'premium services' - It's just a shame Bioware have nothing to do with NWN anymore...

    Anyway we kinda know the reason for the accouncement now - Turbine just accounced DDO Unlimited - which is basically DDO but with a F2P/cash option as well as the normal subcriber option - which in MMO terms is a HUGE thing for DnD fans, so getting Atari want to milk that area of the market. I'm kinda wondering why EG havn't reported it yet

  • ChthonicEcho #2 3 years ago

    They're responsible for City of Heroes, aren't they? I've heard good things about the game, although I haven't tried it myself, so perhaps Neverwinter Nights will flourish as an MMO. I just hope it's purely that - Neverwinter Nights in a massively multiplayer context with the possibility to customise and/or possibly even create something of your own. Like a limited Second Life set in Forgotten Realms. It most likely won't happen, but I hope at least the isometric view will remain.

  • MrChuckles #3 3 years ago

    NWN1 was awesome, NWN2 was meh....

    I had some of my best online Roleplaying in NWN1 on City of Arabel, great times, the closest to the roleplaying of an early graphical mud imo.

  • Oli Verified Reviews Editor, Eurogamer.net #4 3 years ago

    Kremlik - I'm waiting for confirmation of European plans for DDO Unlimited. Codemasters operates the game for Turbine in Europe, and hasn't made an official statement on the free-to-play game yet. Am chasing them.

  • Kremlik Verified Co-Founder, Crash To Desktop #5 3 years ago

    @Echo - they originally owned City but it's been in the hands of NCsoft a while now..

    @Chuckles - Yea kinda showed between the two when Bioware left the project

  • foamy #6 3 years ago

    I'm with MrChuckles. My best online time was with NWN online. Aventia servers = love. And D&D Rules just kick the ass out of WoW anytime. The customization available when leveling up is astonishing. I've never been really able to adapt to the new MMO's. And besides, the community was much better than now.