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Sony, MS don't understand console MMOs News
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Robert Purchese
Star Trek Online captain Craig Zinkievich has explained that the MMO is delayed on console because of "the business side of things". The game itself, he said, already runs on the machines.
"When it comes to the business, I'll be honest, the business part of bringing MMOs to consoles has been really sticky," Zinkievich told Eurogamer in an interview published today. "Trying to get Sony, trying to get Microsoft to really understand MMOs; really understand what needs to happen for MMOs, and then figure out all the business aspects of those games, has really been a difficulty for all of the MMO developers."
He said Final Fantasy XI - the sole MMO on 360 - was only possible because "so many exceptions were made" while Microsoft tried to establish market share. Getting the platform-holders to understand the technologies needed network-wise have been "the really big hangups".
"In terms of actually developing the game on the consoles?" asked Zinkievich. "I mean Champions runs on the console right now; Star Trek Online runs on the consoles right now; our engine - the Cryptic Engine - runs on the consoles."
"So I can guarantee that internally I can have Star Trek Online running on the consoles because I know I can, and we've done it. But it's that [business] side that I can't speak for.
"I can give you guarantees that if you really, really want, someone can come here and play it," he added.
Cryptic hasn't announced which consoles Star Trek Online will appear on, although you can probably rule out Wii.
The PC version of Star Trek Online is due out early next year. Check out our full interview with Craig Zinkievich to find out much more.
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Comments: 1-38 of 38 in total
Poster
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+2
I play a lot of Phantasy Star Universe, and while it isn't particularlly MM it's definitely an ORPG. From what I gather getting updates and various clearances takes longer than would be preferred on the Xbox side of things due to all the certification issues. And with the way these games progress over time that doesn't seem to be the ideal way to manage games like this.
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muscleblade
09/10/09 @ 13:28
-3
I dont care. MMOs isnt my kind of thing. Borderlands with 4 player coop suits me better.
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+9
I'm not sure why console owners would want MMOs on their platform. The most attractive thing to the MMO maker is that the customer regularly gives their cash directly to them. Sony and Microsoft would rather the customers bought lots of new games that they get a licence fee from. A hugely successful MMO would be like poison to them.
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M_of_the_sys
09/10/09 @ 13:48
+11
@easychord
Maybe it's easier for some of us than it is for others then. |
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Collymilad
09/10/09 @ 14:02
+13
"@M_of_the_sys: No it isn't. They are very time consuming and to say otherwise is symptomatic of something or other. "
Yeah, it's symptomatic of playing an MMO but not wasting your entire life on it. It is possible, you know. |
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WinterSnowblind
09/10/09 @ 14:23
+4
@lord
How so? PC MMO's are constantly having to make concessions for lower end models, leaving us with games that look like Old Republic, a style that is horrible unfitting for the Star Wars Universe, it has to look simplistic to ensure it'll run on a wide array of machines. If it were a console game, there'd be no fear of that. |
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beastmaster
09/10/09 @ 14:24
+3
Just charge a sub. How else would it work? The game would have to be 'not shit' though.
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+2
The only Star Trek game i ever liked was Elite Force, that was a decent FPS, every other Star Trek game before and after that wasn't very good. The space combat on this game looks okay, just not sure about ground combat.
As for which console(s) this is getting released on, who knows? I know there were talks about Paramount (Star Trek's liscence holders) merging with Sony a few months ago, those rumours may have died now though. I probably wouldn't buy it on any console, MMO's are better suited to PC's. |
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Chazmeister
09/10/09 @ 14:43
+6
Why do some people seem to assume that folks paying for an XBox Live sub won't be prepared to pay for an MMO sub on top of that? I mean I already pay for my TV license, my broadband connection, my cable TV package, all of which cost much more than my XBL sub. So why would I suddenly balk at paying for an MMO sub?
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+2
@Chazmeister
I'm guessing even many gamers themselves must be guilty of subscribing to the old stereotype of most gamers being kids with the need for begging their parents for money, because otherwise I'm certainly also struggling a bit to see why €15 a month to play an MMO (quite possibly making you spend so much time that you'll often buy one or two fewer €60 regular games than you normally would) should be such a big issue for a console gamer. While I'm still quite happy using my PC for MMOs (currently playing Fallen Earth and occasionally Champions Online), I'm definitely looking forward to the day where I can also play an MMORPG on my PS3. I happen to love a comfortable chair, a 40" TV and a gamepad :). |
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+1
Who says there has to be a monthly fee to charge people? The most obvious route I would take is the micro transaction model. Everyone can play for free (if you bought the game of course) but if you want items without grinding, people can purchase them.
(Re: Edit - Oh yeh, from the article they said that they have they games running on the console's and that you can see it if you really want to. How about you do go and see it and let us know what they're like?)
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 09/10/09 @ 16:27
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optimusprym8
09/10/09 @ 15:21
+4
@miiiguel case in point - Guild Wars. Runs on the shittest of shit PCs, is still playable and looks not too bad
I would probably play more MMOs if they were available on consoles, sitting at a PC/desk really puts me off PC gaming these days |
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kangarootoo
09/10/09 @ 15:30
+1
Seems to me that the business side of things is the only barrier to putting an mmo on consoles. The hardware is up to the job, the chat services are all present and correct, the network is already there for you. Ideally, all 3 platforms would share the same world space so it wouldn't even matter what your client was running on. I know Blizzard have no plans to go onto consoles, so the opportunity is there for some dev to create a platform spanning mmo.
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+6
If it were a console game, there'd be no fear of that.
Yes, there would. MMOs do not only look a bit sparse to compromise for lower-end PCs, but because you need to be able to display and sync dozens upon dozens or even hundreds of characters at once. An MMO can't possibly look like Gears of War. Not on PCs, and a lot less so on current consoles.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 09/10/09 @ 16:41
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-1
Voice chat works but its limited on how it should be used, since I played WoW I think that I can say that Lag Forge with voice chat would be "audio hell".
I do not think MMO works in consoles, after all they have been attempts of doing and none really worked.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 11/10/09 @ 04:28
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makeamazing
09/10/09 @ 17:08
0
I am not convinced of MMO on consoles, certainly for people like me who have the console in the living room, if i had it on my office desk then perhaps.
BUT.. if i was Sony or MS at this point, I would certainly try to understand MMOs and get STO as a console exclusive *(still with normal pc release mind)... Dont think it would be that expensive or costly for them to get it. |
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hiddenranbir
09/10/09 @ 19:37
-2
But MS surely must understand! Look at all those MMOs on the Microsoft Windows console!
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freakzilla
09/10/09 @ 22:01
0
Sony probably doesn't even want the cryptic games, they've got their own games lined up for release. (no need for the extra competition)
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 10/10/09 @ 01:04
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Emmit_Assassin
10/10/09 @ 07:05
0
When he says they (MS, Sony) don't understand the business side what he's actually saying is that they don't want to miss out on too much money. The publishers and developers get the monthly fee's, not MS or Sony. Sure, they get their share, but it's all of it they want, so to give up all that revenue to a third party must be the problem. If they can get an in-house dev to do it, and publish themselves, then they can grab a bigger cut.
I mean, come on, MS don't understand about networking? The people that invented it don't know how to do it? |
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metallicorphan
10/10/09 @ 08:06
+1
i was with FFXI for 2 years on the 360,loved it and that was after i gave up on it after 3 months on the PC
and FFXI isn't the sole MMO on the 360,there is also Phantasy star universe |
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AphoticCosmos
11/10/09 @ 09:37
0
CCP seems to have enough faith in both consoles to want to make a ground-breaking MMOFPS on them, I think that to write both companies off as not understanding console MMOs is a little silly.
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jefranklin18
12/10/09 @ 12:42
0
@Emmit_Assassin
Suggest you read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TCPIP to swat up on history of TCP/IP, which is the basis for most network traffic nowadays. Microsoft did not "invent networking", at best you could say they came up with the concept of Live but that is dependent on existing technologies, nothing particularly new. Also regarding your comments on revenue, Sony (and I suspect Microsoft) publish third party games via online and they will receive a percentage of the revenues. I am sure that if someone comes to them and says "I want to publish a Coronation Street MMO on your network", they will quite happily take a percentage of the revenue for doing so. |
Comments: 1-38 of 38 in total
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