BREAKING NEWS: TIM CAIN SIGHTINGS REPORTED

[Llyranor]

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=15745

 

Excellent news! Tim Cain will once again rejuvenate the world of CRPGs with next generation design!

 

With employees who had worked on groundbreaking titles such as WORLD OF WARCRAFT, CITIES OF HEROES, and ASHERON'S CALL, this title can't fail! Keep chugging along, Tim, you can't go wrong with this MMO!!!

[Pop]

Meh on MMOs. And just how much input does he have on design? He's lead programmer.

 

This has been known for the last 3 days at least, btw. It was a headline at NMA, at least.

Edited October 7, 2007 by Pop

[Zoma]

MMO as an anticipating CRPG...

 

My love for him got shot into pieces

[Sand]

Lets see here. We have one guy that headed a failed gaming company teaming up with Blizzard cast-offs...

 

Color me unimpressed.

Edited October 7, 2007 by Sand

[Kaftan Barlast]

Yay, another MMO we dont need or want.

[Niten_Ryu]

Sounds like dream team for sure. Then again, Jeremy Gaffney left Turbine just when Asheron's Call went to alpha and beta stages. Early Asheron's Call was a lot of fun and unlike MMoGs these days, didn't bother too much with balance. In those days designers could still let loose and not worry too much about huge budgets what plague game development nowadays. Not saying that it's only a good thing since most of those mad designs fail horribly, but there was always a chance to see something new. Jeremy Gaffney left to work for Ultima Online 2, a sort of holy grail of MMoGs those day and bonus working with **** Garriot (who at that time had much more prestige with highly successful Ultima series and of course Oltima Online).

 

I think everyone in this board know Timmys positive and negative aspects when it comes to game developement. He has some great ideas but at the same time he can crash and burn development houses like Brad McQuaid or Warren Spector. Timmy is working with MMoGs now and that industry have really high failure rate... Let's just say even if Timmy manages to design a game I like, it'll be commercial failure like Arcanum or Vampire Bloodlines, but with several more millions burnt.

 

Didn't remember who Kevin Beardslee was, even thou I've played WoW over 2 years. Checked from credits and he was lead animator. No arguments there, WoW have absolutely beautiful animations and I bet new game will have 'em too.

 

I think with team like they should go for some niche MMoG genre with relatively low budget. They should aim to create a good game that would be able to turn profit with 100k subscribers and not to go after WoW numbers.

[Berserk]

I'm not sure if I can drum up any enthusiasm for a great single player RPG programmer working on an MMORPG...

[Meshugger]

It will probably be filled with interesting ideas and even some new design-choices. But 80% will not get it, and while the other 20% will get it, they will however be unable to play it because of bugs.

[Nick_i_am]

You guys are all bitter and twisted husks of humanity who long since lost your passion for video games and indeed for life itself!

[Jaesun]

Interesting. However, exceptional creative design and thinking is going to be required to break the WOW bubble.

 

Though, many thought WOW would be a flop, and Lineage/EQ would remain as the industry's leader in MMOG. oops.

 

I will say, Asheron's Call had the BEST in game lore and game dynamics of any MMOG. Period. No one has ever topped that, but unfortunately, that just isn't something embraced by the general public. Sigh.

 

I wish them the best, hopefully it will not be another "Fantasy" based MMOG *Jabs forks into his eyes* MAKE IT STOP!

[Berserk]

You guys are all bitter and twisted husks of humanity who long since lost your passion for MMORPGs, which means you save money and time for games that are actually good!

Fixed that one for you. If Tim had been working on a singleplayer RPG I'd be all aflame but lead programmer for an MMORPG? That doesn't even register on my radar, I can only hope that he'll be involved for a few months and then jump ship for another project. Edited October 8, 2007 by Berserk

[Hurlshort]

Interesting. However, exceptional creative design and thinking is going to be required to break the WOW bubble.

 

Though, many thought WOW would be a flop, and Lineage/EQ would remain as the industry's leader in MMOG. oops.

 

I will say, Asheron's Call had the BEST in game lore and game dynamics of any MMOG. Period. No one has ever topped that, but unfortunately, that just isn't something embraced by the general public. Sigh.

 

I wish them the best, hopefully it will not be another "Fantasy" based MMOG *Jabs forks into his eyes* MAKE IT STOP!

 

On a side note, Lord of the Rings Online is really reminding me of my years playing AC, and has definitely recaptured the Turbine magic. They are also back to releasing epic updates every couple of months for free. Housing is next.

[Meshugger]

You guys are all bitter and twisted husks of humanity who long since lost your passion for video games and indeed for life itself!

 

Yeah, i know. We should quit gaming

[taks]

we just get tired of the "OMZG!!@!! TIM CAIN IS TEH MASTER!" comments when his seemingly greatest accomplishment in life is a post-apoc crpg that he _partially_ designed, followed up by a disastrous company that failed for obvious reasons. yeah, lots o reasons to get excited about him being back i the game.

 

taks

[Monte Carlo]

The game will be half finished. Tim will blame the publishers who, in turn, will blame Tim. Rinse and repeat.

 

Whyohwhyohwhy are people still making MMOs? WHY?

 

Of course, I'm not the target audience but I'd rather stick pins in my eyes than play one.

[Hurlshort]

I think it has something to do with MMO's making some companies a ton of money, and the fact that the revenue continues to flow in, whereas most games are only profitable for a few months after the release.

 

Maybe we should offer to pay Obsidian $10 a month to make excellent single player RPGs. We'd only need about 100,000 people to buy into that idea.

[Berserk]

The problem is that the majority of those companies thinking that MMORPG's pull in the big bucks is that they are using World of Warcraft as an example. Emulating WoW's success is pretty much a slim to none chance.

[Hurlshort]

The problem is that the majority of those companies thinking that MMORPG's pull in the big bucks is that they are using World of Warcraft as an example. Emulating WoW's success is pretty much a slim to none chance.

 

Not really. Most companies are very honest about the fact they won't pull in 9 million people. They don't need to though, just getting a few hundred thousand people is more than enough to create solid revenue. Surprisingly few MMO's have shut down over the years.

[Stephen Amber]

At least he has a job.

[Volourn]

"The problem is that the majority of those companies thinking that MMORPG's pull in the big bucks is that they are using World of Warcraft as an example."

 

Nonsenical. There are a multitude of MMORPGs thata re financially successful without having WOW numbers. Don't be silly.

[@\NightandtheShape/@]

"The problem is that the majority of those companies thinking that MMORPG's pull in the big bucks is that they are using World of Warcraft as an example."

 

Nonsenical. There are a multitude of MMORPGs thata re financially successful without having WOW numbers. Don't be silly.

 

Wow... Volo speaking sense... I'm scared, in the same way I would be if I was surrounded by big black men in prision.

[Jaesun]

"The problem is that the majority of those companies thinking that MMORPG's pull in the big bucks is that they are using World of Warcraft as an example."

 

Nonsenical. There are a multitude of MMORPGs thata re financially successful without having WOW numbers. Don't be silly.

 

Wow... Volo speaking sense... I'm scared, in the same way I would be if I was surrounded by big black men in prision.

 

Volo is actually correct. However no other gaming company has had the financial success of WOW. (Cost of development - Current subscriptions).

 

He is some data, that sadly has not been updated in a year or so:

 

http://www.mmogchart.com/

 

6,500,000+ people paying.. what is it 20$ a month... blows... my... mind. o.O

[Walsingham]

Lets see here. We have one guy that headed a failed gaming company teaming up with Blizzard cast-offs...

 

Color me unimpressed.

 

What do you mean colour you unimpressed? You ARE the colour unimpressed. I have a pot of paint here called 'Shades of Sand' and guess what? It's the colour of a dying man watching a plank of wood. If we wanted to up your game we'd have to leaf you with sheets of 24 carat ennui and attach a boredom bell to your pointy louche head. Except the bell wouldn't ring because you'd be so lacking in motivation you wouldn't impart so much as a tremor!

 

Cheered me up, anyway.

[taks]

yeah, but tim offers sheets of corroded copper and a bell without a ringer, albeit with some nice hats. you could try to ring that bell with a hammer only to find it isn't even a bell, but a pile 'o crap.

 

taks

[Berserk]

"The problem is that the majority of those companies thinking that MMORPG's pull in the big bucks is that they are using World of Warcraft as an example."

 

Nonsenical. There are a multitude of MMORPGs thata re financially successful without having WOW numbers. Don't be silly.

Who said anything about MMORPG's beside WoW isn't financially viable? I sure didn't. My point is that a lot of developers of MMORPG's gives me the impression that they will be pulling in as much dosh as WoW does for the moment, which frankly isn't going to happen for the moment.

 

I can only hope that this job will tide Tim over until he (hopefully) starts working on a new single player RPG.

Edited October 14, 2007 by Berserk