New Dungeon Keeper announced!!!

[Morgoth]

...it's going to be a MMO, and for China only.

 

Click

 

HONG KONG, Dec. 1 /PRNewswire-Asia/ — NetDragon Websoft Inc., a leading game developer and operator in the People's Republic of China ("NetDragon" or the "Company", with its subsidiary collectively know as the "Group"; Hong Kong stock code: 777) announced a new licensing agreement with Electronic Arts Inc. (Nasdaq: ERTS; "EA") on the development of the Group's first 3D massively multi-player online role playing game (MMORPG) based on Electronic Arts' "Dungeon Keeper" line of games — including themes, characters and other game content. As part of this agreement, NetDragon will develop the game and obtains the exclusive license to operate and distribute Dungeon Keeper Online throughout the Greater China region, including Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau.

 

"We are delighted to enter into an agreement with EA in the development of our first 3D MMORPG. Our partnership with this internationally renowned game developer is proof of our capabilities in game operations and development as well as a reflection of our market reputation," said Mr. Liu Dejian, Chairman and Executive Director of NetDragon on a Kotaku press release. "Capitalizing our strength to create a strong gaming experience, powerful operating platform and unmatched expertise within China's online game market, we are confident that Dungeon Keeper Online will not only become successful in the Greater China region but also achieve remarkable results overseas."

 

Jon Niermann, President of EA Asia Pacific said, "The partnership marks a significant milestone for EA as it will enhance our intellectual property and extend our product reach throughout the Greater China region. It will also further enhance our intellectual property with differentiated, high-quality games, particularly in the field of MMORPGs."

 

Dungeon Keeper is a PC strategy game released by EA in July 1997.

 

This really sucks. DK series was really great fun to play. It let me play a badass, plus it got chicks, silly dwarfes and British humour. Plus it was the only game from Molyneux that I actually liked (I still hate him though).

 

Edit: Oh and I was quicker than funroc. Take that!

Edited December 1, 2008 by Morgoth

[Purkake]

Does EA really hate gamers so much that they have to dig up long-forgotten classics just to crush them right in front of our eyes? Why, EA, why? Why can't they just make new franchises to screw up???

[Zoma]

****.

 

And the next game to be licensed to the Chinese would be Syndicate. And next System Shock MMO.

 

OMFG.

[Hassat Hunter]

but also achieve remarkable results overseas."

 

Where does it say China-only?

 

Anyways; being a MMO I fear the worst never-the-less.

[SteveThaiBinh]

but also achieve remarkable results overseas."

 

Where does it say China-only?

It's quite badly written and does give that impression, but I think this part:

but also achieve remarkable results overseas

suggests the game will be available worldwide, and the 'China exclusive' part just means that this company will run it in China, whereas EA will run it elsewhere.

[Hurlshort]

Technically Overlord is the new Dungeon Keeper, so I'm not sure what the fuss is about.

[Purkake]

Technically Overlord is the new Dungeon Keeper, so I'm not sure what the fuss is about.

 

Yeah, only Overlord sucks...

[Nick_i_am]

Overlord is the new Pikmin, silly.

[Dagon]

It's so depressing...

EA is really a sauron of computer gaming

[Purkake]

It's so depressing...

EA is really a sauron of computer gaming

 

The only hope is that they will finally run out of good titles to desecrate and will have to cannibalize their sports titles and other crap.

[Morgoth]

In a perfect world, EA would have sold the DK license to Lionhead, System Shock to 2K and Alpha Centaury to Firaxis. Most likely though, even the latter two properties will eventually be turned into MMOs, and developed by some Indian/Chinese dip**** studio nobody cares about.

[Purkake]

In a perfect world, EA would have sold the DK license to Lionhead, System Shock to 2K and Alpha Centaury to Firaxis. Most likely though, even the latter two properties will eventually be turned into MMOs, and developed by some Indian/Chinese dip**** studio nobody cares about.

 

God, can you even imagine how a System Shock MMO would work? Neither can I. Also, Dead Space was supposed to be System Shock 3 but EA, in brief flash of intelligence, renamed it.

[Morgoth]

God thanks they did. DS was nothing like SS. But that won't stop them to sooner or later exploit the franchise in a horrible way.

[Hell Kitty]

The Dead Space devs have repeatedly stated that it never started out as System Shock 3, so any claims to the contrary are simply fan speculation.

[Gorgon]

Dude, Dungeon Keeper was boring as hell.

[Tigranes]

What a weird, weird idea. Gonna be interesting, ta least, to see what comes of this.

[Purkake]

The Dead Space devs have repeatedly stated that it never started out as System Shock 3, so any claims to the contrary are simply fan speculation.

 

There are just too many similarities while playing it. The devs might have just really liked System Shock, but I think that it is true.

 

Dude, Dungeon Keeper was boring as hell.

 

Blasphemy! Madness!

[Dagon]

Dude, Dungeon Keeper was boring as hell.

 

I find it to be the best game BULLFROG ever made.

I read somewhere that this noname china development studio will pay EA for the license only if it make some good income, it sounds as everyone could take this ip and then just pay EA some % of the income.

And this company so far made only 2d grind-heavy mmo's with ****ty anime graphics..

it's really (f***in) sad

[Purkake]

Dude, Dungeon Keeper was boring as hell.

 

I find it to be the best game BULLFROG ever made.

I read somewhere that this noname china development studio will pay EA for the license only if it make some good income, it sounds as everyone could take this ip and then just pay EA some % of the income.

And this company so far made only 2d grind-heavy mmo's with ****ty anime graphics..

it's really (f***in) sad

 

Theme hospiral was good as well.

[Gfted1]

How in the world can they make this into a MMORPG? Maybe my memory is foggy but wasnt DK where you were the bad guy, excavate your own dungeon and then when your forces are of sufficient strength you bumrush the good guys dungeon which is controlled by the computer? I loved the game and beat it a few times (my favorite was torturing the last dungeon endboss untill he flipped to my side) but how would it work with thousands of live players? Just a huge map where everyone makes their own dungeons then randomly attack whichever other dungeon you like? It not like there is any story or lore to follow.

[Hurlshort]

That's why I'm surprised anyone is really upset about this. The concept of DK is totally open to anyone who wants to develop it. The IP only covers the name and the storyline, which isn't in existence.

 

If anyone wants to create a RTS game where you make dungeons and try to trap heroes, no one is stopping them.

[Maria Caliban]

That's why I'm surprised anyone is really upset about this.

 

Video gamers + Internet = must be upset about something.

[Mamoulian War]

That news made me realy realy sad another gold classic gonna be turned into pile of steaming ****...

[Amentep]

That's why I'm surprised anyone is really upset about this.

 

Video gamers + Internet = must be upset about something.

 

Its funny because its true.

 

It does sometimes seem that people on the internet - not just video gamers but in any online community - react to things they don't like as if someone came into their house and slapped them in the face.

[Morgoth]

I frankly didn't really care about the announcement. I just let it look like, because ya know, we internet geeks have some standards to maintain (moaning and pissing about everything). I feel so ashamed now...