More and more information on Funcom’s next project The Secret World is being released in the weeks leading up to the Game Developer’s Conference in March, where the game will be shown to the public for the first time.
We’ve already told you about the removal of grinding from the occasion as well as shown a trailer comprised of in-game footage, and now Funcom has released two pieces of artwork from their upcoming MMO. The two images details the town of Kingsmouth, previously shown in the in-game trailer. It appears to be a town completely overrun by zombies, and you can’t really go wrong with zombies in an MMO.
See them after the cut
One of the, in my opinion, major problems with most MMOs is the need to constantly grind your levels. It might be part of the overall experience, but grinding can get frightfully boring.
This is the reason I have high hopes for Funcom’s upcoming MMO, which forgoes a character leveling system and the need for a perpetual grind.
I dunno about my fellow writers here at The Gaming Vault, but I am definitely excited about Funcom’s new MMO The Secret WOrld, which combines real world history with myths, urban legends and pop culture into a new and “exciting universe”.
So far we’ve seen two trailers and some screenshots, but actual in-game footage hadn’t surfaced until this week. This isn’t gameplay footage, but it does show off the game’s in-game graphics.
The trailer introduces us to the small town of Kingsmouth, which should sound familiar to those who like H.P. Lovecraft. Not to mention the fact that a streetsign appears to read “Lovekraft lane”. The black and white footage shows off the town post-destruction, with a narrator explaining what happened. How it fits into the overall story remains to be seen.
Once upon a time, adventure games were the proverbial kings of PC gaming, entertaining gamers everywhere with a heavy focus on well-written stories and strong, realistic characters. Adventure games had their best run during the late 80’s and early 90’s, before suddenly dying out. So what happened to the adventure games, and where are they now?
In this three part series, we’ll be taking a look at the history of the adventure game and possibly try to predict a future for them as well.
In this second instalment we take a look at the decline and near eradication of adventure games
Funcom is doing their best to entice players back to Age of Conan, offering two weeks of free play for returning players and two weeks of double experience for everyone. Those who choose to subscribe will be given even better gifts.
Sign up for three months to earn a place in The Secret World beta; sign on for six months for a beta spot plus an in-game AOC experience boosting helment; and signing on for a full year gives you all of the above plus a free copy of the AOC expansion Rise of the Godslayer on release. These rewards are eligible from October onwards.
Are Funcom becoming desperate?
“We know that coming back to a massively multiplayer online game demands effort, so for us it’s all about making it worthwhile for former players to come back,” Erling Ellingsen of Funcom told Eurogamer.
“With all the improvements having been introduced to the game, we’re eager to have as many former players as possible be exposed to all the updates. So for returning players we’re offering two weeks free game time, and the ability to level up twice as fast as normal.”
Norwegian developer Funcom seem to be in some financial difficulties for the moment, and are cutting costs by laying off 20% of their current staff. The company lost $34 million last year.
The cuts have resulted in a “significant delay” to their upcoming MMO: The Secret World, which hasn’t been officially dated, but is expected in 2010.
As a Norwegian, I’m hoping Funcom manages to survive and that The Secret World can make up for the anti-climactic release of Age of Conan
The first ever screenshots for Funcom’s upcoming MMORPG The Secret World surfaced earlier today, and this journalist for one is most definitely impressed.
Take a look below and judge for yourself.
Norwegian developer Funcom, whom we reported on yesterday, has some more news about their upcoming MMO The Secret World. The company is currently in Seattle for Penny Arcade Expo, showing off the game behind closed doors. This is the first time the game will be seen by anyone outside of Funcom.
“We’ve taken inspiration from history books, mythologies, urban legends and pop culture, mixing it all into an exciting universe. Development began almost seven years ago, but the in-game story stretches back literally millions of years,” said creative director Ragnar Tørnquist in an interview with Norweigan newspaper Dagbladet.
One of my favourite game developers, Funcom, has decided to open a new studio in Montreal Canada, assisted by Investisseement Quebec.
Funcom is known for creating the hit adventure game series The Longest Journey, as well as operating and developing MMOs Age of Conan and Anarchy Online. The company is currently developing a new MMO, The Secret World, set in the modern-day with a large emphasis on storytelling and skill progression
Dev boss Ragnar Tørnquist tweeted last night that “a large and important part of the TSW team will be located in Montreal. I’ll need to brush up on my French.”
The new Montreal studio will be headed up by Ole Schreiner, previously Funcom’s VP of operations:
“We are excited about the opportunity that Montreal represents to our company, not only because of the great incentives offered by Quebec, but also the authorities’ strong commitment to training qualified video games personnel and building a video games cluster in Montreal and Quebec,” said Schreiner in a statement.
Montreal currently houses game developers such as Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, indie developer Artificial Mind and Movement, as well as numerous others.
Funcom has just released the first every trailer of Ragnar Tornquist’s uniquely styled The Secret World, which is shaping up to be a very different kind of MMO.
The concept behind The Secret World involves taking the real world as we know it, and overlaying it onto a contemporary dark fantasy world of warped horror. Urban locations, with a familiarity we all recognised, interspersed with fantastical elements of our nightmares and fears.
As an MMO, The Secret World be unique in that it has no classes. Characters will be freely definable from a large pool of unique skills… and not all of them will be based on combat. In fact, the game will blend elements of both fighting and puzzle-solving, which certainly hasn’t been seen before in the genre.
The Secret World is currently planned for release on the PC and Xbox 360 at an unspecified date. Don’t be expecting it before 2010 at least.
Enjoy the trailer, and be sure to click the HD button to see it as its best quality.
As some of you may know, Norwegian developer Funcom is working on a new MMORPG entitled The Secret World.
Some screenshots have previously been leaked to the internet, but nothing else since then.
But at the Game Developer’s Conference in San Francisco this year, The Secret World will be demoed behind by designer Ragnar Tørnquist.
The title features an original setting created by Funcom, with contemporary elements combining with “magic, myths, conspiracies and dark horrors”.
According to Funcom the game will blend elements of MMO gameplay with ARGs and social networking.
We’ll give you more details if, and when, they’re revealed.
Norwegian developer Funcom announce that Craig Morrison has been appointed the new Producer and Game Director of Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, after co-founder Gaute Godage left the company.
“I have done my very best making this fabulous game, but I have concluded there are elements which I am dissatisfied with,” said the exec. “I have decided to act on this, and as a result I have chosen to leave Funcom.”
Godage also added that he had had a fantastic time during his 16 years at Funcom, and is certain that Age of Conan is in the best of hands.
Craig Morrison has previously been Producer and Game Director of Anarchy Online, and has also worked as Funcom’s Community Manager before that.
“Taking on the position as Producer and Game Director on Age of Conan is a great challenge but also one I welcome. I have a clear conviction I can lead the further development in a good way, evolving Age of Conan into something even better. My main priority now is therefore to listen to, and act on, player concerns, while ensuring we add additional great content to the game,” said Morrison. “At heart I will always be a gamer, and the coming changes and additions to Conan will always be done with the gamers in mind. Together I am certain we will shape an amazing future for Age of Conan.”
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