NCsoft 'actively developing' for consoles - but not Xbox 360
TJ Kim confirms plans.
Korea-based online gaming giant NCsoft is preparing to launch titles on next-generation consoles, according to chief executive Tack Jin Kim, who confirmed to GamesIndustry.biz that development work is already underway.
The company, which is behind the world's largest massively multiplayer game series, Lineage, as well as titles including City of Heroes and Guild Wars, has until now focused exclusively on the PC platform.
However, Kim - who is founder and president as well as CEO of the firm - openly confirmed that the company is now "actively developing" for next-generation consoles, which he considers key to building the firm up in markets outside Korea.
NCsoft is already the largest gaming company in its native country, and its titles are proving a major draw at this week's G* games expo at the Kintex exhibition centre near the capital city, Seoul.
Kim did not discuss specifics of the company's development work on next-generation consoles, nor did he reveal which platforms the firm is working on - but sources close to NCsoft's European division revealed that Xbox 360 is not part of the company's plans at the moment, suggesting that the PS3 is the target platform for NCsoft's first console titles.
Speaking today at NCsoft's head offices in Seoul, Kim also confirmed to GamesIndustry.biz that a European development location is part of the firm's plan for the future, joining the company's other development studios - NC HQ Studios in Seoul, Guild Wars creators Arena.Net in California and Richard Garriott's NC Austin Studio.
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Comments (78) Latest comment 6 years ago
Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!
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Way to go EG, something tells me that if you'd switch xbox 360 for PS3 in that article, it would never make it to the news...
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Yawn.
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1 Select the text of all your news items
2 Find and Replace "PS2", "PS3", "GCN', "GBA", "PSP' with X360
3 Find and Replace "Interesting" with "Exceptional"
4 Find and Replace "Sony" and "Nintendo" with "Microsoft"
5 Find and Replace "Not" with a blank
There. You are good to go, back on the road to journalistic integrity!
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The number of PS2 MMORPG subscribers in Europe must be very small especially as the hard drive needed for FFXI was not released here.
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I’ll admit that some of the whining regarding EuroGamers’s so called anti-Xbox 360 stance is far fetched, only if you admit that EG is adding fuel to the fire on purpose with titles like this...
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Why bother putting in the 'but not Xbox 360' bit at all it only serves to fuel the fires to those who think EG is anti-360
Seems like EG do tend to try intentionally to put a negative spin on any story remotely linked to 360. Just an observation, I am not saying it's true, but it is starting to form that impression.
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About a zillion obsessive Koreans, it would seem.
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lineage 2
both are mmorpgs
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1 Nintendo has no plans to port Mario Kart DS to X360
2 Shadow of Colossus not to make it onto the XBox after all
3 "We would sooner shoot ourself than port Halo 3 to PS3' , says Bungie]
4 "Next generation 5 series not to use Rover 75 platform', says a BMW insider.
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Or maybe it's a ploy for Bill to c'mon over with a cheque, heh. Or maybe M$oft have signed an exclusive with 360?
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They will change their minds as too much money could be made from the 360 to ignore it.
Stupid japs sucking up the PS3 because another Jap made it.
Its getting like "im not developing games for your console because your not a jap"
Bad business sense if you ask me
also XboxLive is kicking ass, they are daft not to use it!
btw.. NO offense intended.
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You sir, are an arse.
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/considers threatening EG until PC explodes...
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/hates mmo's.
/doesnt have enough time to play them
"Stupid japs sucking up the PS3 because another Jap made it.
Its getting like "im not developing games for your console because your not a jap" "
I dont know, but arnt they korean? 0_o
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Yeah stupid Japs in Korea with a German technical lead and an international staff. Those stupid Japs are so stupid. Unlike you, genius.
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@L42yB : Lousy way to get an upgrade mate, won't work this 91st time!!
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1 Nintendo has no plans to port Mario Kart DS to X360
2 Shadow of Colossus not to make it onto the XBox after all
3 "We would sooner shoot ourself than port Halo 3 to PS3' , says Bungie]
4 "Next generation 5 series not to use Rover 75 platform', says a BMW insider.
"
ROFL. Good post
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"bacon sarnie anyone?"
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Whatever NCSoft may say, if they want to be a major player in console MMORPGs, especially those aimed at western gamers, then they'll have to develop for the 360 anyway. Only Sony Online Entertainment has a good excuse not to mess with the Xbox.
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BTW did you know the new sam and Max site has launched?
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Racist crap.
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Yes and no - There might not be the opportunities for NCSoft to charge a decent subscription fee on Xbox 360 because everything(?) goes through Live, controlled by Microsoft. Sony have said there is going to be no central platform which leaves PS3 quite open for NCSoft to control their own player database and billing system, like on PC.
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@rauper: Wow, good point. Thanks to your post, Sony's decision not to develop an exclusive online service makes some sense to me, since it will leave everything open to the devs. Not to mention that they might not have the cash for it right now as well.
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Wrong, MMO games are DO NOT require a Gold Membership, only a Sliver membership (free) and are charged by the publisher of that game separately
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From the article:
"sources close to NCsoft's European division revealed that Xbox 360 is not part of the company's plans at the moment"
'Sources' could be anyone. I'd be very surprised if NCSoft is ignoring what's set to be the biggest next-gen console, this source is probably a friend of a friend. If this was the Sun I'd say it was just made up.
Isn't Guild Wars free of charge? Wouldn't that work on live, or NDS?
Yeah it's free. That's a possible for one of the earlier launches since it would encourage lots of sales, but they might also hold it back until they've got a steady revenue stream from pay-monthly titles. Someone mentioned City of Heroes - that would work very well since it's a lot simpler than many other MMOs.
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Ok who ever wrote that article either:
a) Knew that Xbox fanboys would read it and spread the word(cheap way to get more traffic)
b) Has some serious bias against Xbox/360 and therefore should not be able to report or review any Xbox/360 games and what not.
c) This "source" is a Sony Zombie trying to creat a negative buzz around Xbox360(not going to happen the list of games in developement is impressive to say the least... I'll try and find the OXM list)
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It's like saying that you wish the 10 o'clock news would stop reporting about war, famine and disaster because it's 'negative press' about the countries involved - whether it's a negative or positive statement, if it's a fact, it's a fact. Plain and simple.
And if it's not a fact - and just speculation - then what's the issue? Keep a healthy balance of cynicism and optimism with EVERYTHING you read (including the normal news regarding world issues), and you might not be so shocked when it turns out to be wrong or just half the story. Media is media folks and journalism will never change. If there's a hint of a story, someone will report it. If you don't like, read something else.
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Has this been confirmed? I've not seen anything about MS letting third parties piggy back on their XBL service.
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Wow Calgon, you are The One, you with your balanced views and rational mind. I salute your objectivity and exemplary grasp of facts and history. Hire him at once EG and salvage your plummeting reputation!
@Fatfish: The problem is, wherever they go, they find the same thing. However, only EG provides readily accessible forums that are so frequently visited. So there.
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/sighs
EDIT: BTW, I know nothing about NCSofts plans, which is why I can comment on this story
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Final Fantasy XI is an exapmle of this...
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That is not their point, is it?
We don't know if NCsoft are or are not developing for the 360, its just a rumour from some source. Their point is that EG ignores negative rumours about the PS3 and always makes and emphasises the negative rumours about the 360
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Sounds a titch unlikely.
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As for PS3, the whole thing is a rumour right now, while X360 is close to launch. Since the launch games are not out yet, the sites (not only EG) are printing any news item they can get their hands on about the 360.
So chill out man! Come 2006, Revo and PS3 are bound to get the same treatment.
@Calgon: I appreciate that you understand. Being a fanboy is no bad thing, but what is wrong is Sony fanboys dissing the X360 without reason, and X360 doing the same for PS3. Liking one console does not mean you have to hate another.
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Seems to work a treat as well
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Yeah, who's going to bother reading the article, that's so lame, we should just putt everything in small headlines. So you don't have to putt in any effort, because reading the news is just tooooo hard man, can't focus my attention long enough.
Oh look birds....and a shiny thing......
/wanders off aimlessly
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Stop obsessing about every 360 news item as if the fate of the universe depended on it. Ncsoft isn't working for the platform, they said so. It's not a big deal, it's not some overtly negative spin on things, it's just the news. Sources are in the article so if anybody wants to know the particlulars or judge the reliablity they can.
As if every developer on the planet is working on Xbox 360 and saying otherswise would be some gross lie or mega conspiracy.
Developers talk about what platform they are or are not working on all the time and it regularly apears in news items all over the net. There is no conspiracy either get over it or go to another site. Because the news won't change to fitt your strange version of reality.
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Liking one console does not mean you have to hate another.
Yes it does! How would people like tengu exist if we all just got along and agreed with each other? Its for the good of the internets and eurogamer that people hate the console they didn't fork out several hundreds of euro on. We NEED the uninformed shots from the side into comments threads. We NEED the self deluded posts of people convinced console X has feature Y despite it being common knowledge it wont. We NEED people demanding 4xAA despite most small form electronic goods working off of 2 batteries these days. Eurogamer would be a boring place without the console hate. If it didn't exist we'd have boring old news posts with facts and no wild speculation from "sources".
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/Wells up
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/shakes head to clear it
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Anyway enough of that its just Ive seen this all before the average Jo can be swayed by negative press even when its pretty meaningless what they are being told.
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@krudster: Yeah right, give an anti-Sony news LINK in a comments THREAD. When will you learn EG? When that 10 million euros from Sony run out?
@jiveguy: But you are right - that is half the fun.
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I think its just the fact that there is NOTHING to report on. I'm sure EG would pick up articles (both positive and negative) as soon as more comes out regarding the PS3. XBOX 360 is the news at the moment, the PS3 is still several months off, they report what they see and right now all anyone can see is XBOX.
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Relatively new to all this, but looking for a really good war game like Call of Duty: Frontline (well it was revolutionary for me when i bought my PS2).
Have a PS2 and a reasonably new ( 2 years) PC.
Suggestions welcome.
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You mean like the fact that Sony is not going to do anything about it online policy or the fact that Sony have recently patented a technology where disc are encrypted and once used they are locked to the system they where used on...? which might turn up in the PS3...?
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I am calm, I'll be buy all three of the next-gen consoles makes no difference to me.
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FEAR, though it seems to be riddled with bugs.
Quake4, bit of a simple shooter but Im enjoying it for what it is.
HL2 is alright - which also gives you access to counter strike source, another online game.
Those are the fairly recent ones off the top of my head
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Beat me to it I was gonna say that... If it were roumerd about MS Id imagine it would have been posted here long pretty sharpesh and extreemly negative. Thats a far bigger roumer and far more important... no renting, no lending, no taking games around to your mates for multiplayer, no pre-owned games.
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It's also a 'roumer' that hasn't been confirmed by Sony. All we know is that they patented the technology. Nobody has said they're using it on the PS3.
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lineage 2
both are mmorpgs
... and suck shit
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And I like the way the you both pass it off as rumour, unimportant and its not going to happen when you don't like it
But you'll defend eurogamer and take it as gospel when they say some source says a company is not going to develop for the 360
Sorry just playing devils now
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Right ok - that's a good thing then. The 360 will be as open as the PS3.
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What was the point of this non-news news? Especially when you try to give the impression that nCsoft aren't developing for the 360 as a fact?
I could ask why EG haven't reported on the ps3 not lacking any true online infrastructure (thus going back on thier words), but knowing EG, they'll probably wait for it to be last months news before reporting it.
I'm beginning to lose respect for this site. These kinds of reports are making you loose your integrity (what's left of it since the E3 "real next gen" comments).
Is it wrong to expect some object news report (even though no news can truly be "objective"
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the news which broke a little later about the so called poll and this article.
What next sony confirm launch price £4.99 (xbox 360 £279)
Breaking news MS responsible for high winds.
Dont fall for it!!
A port of City of heros would easy from PC to 360 and the company would be mad not to make use of the live capabilities!!!!!!!!!
the guys at id think the 360 is better to develop for so nurghhhhhh!!!
Eurogamer i banged on aboout the lack of news last week and updates but lets not start with this tripe: NCsoft 'actively developing' for consoles - but not Xbox 360( News )
Do Sony pay you or summat?
Can we stop denoting microsoft as M$, or if we are to us it lets call playstation P$ There both after our money....
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Working, right now, on games for (next-generation) consoles. Plural.
Which means: PS3. Plus...Revolution! (Or Phantom - nah).
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it says the most popular games ... yet there is not one single splinter cell game listed (or i'm blind). i thought they were really big sellers ?
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