Dark Millenniums MMO Plans Squashed
March 29, 2012 by brennon
Most of you will remember the news that THQ were going to publish an MMO based on the world of Warhammer 40,000. Well, it seems as if the plans for an online future have been changed and the astropaths are guiding Dark Millennium on a different path.
"As previously announced, we have been actively looking for a business partner for the game as an MMO.
"However, based on changing market dynamics and the additional investment required to complete the game as an MMO, we believe the right direction for us is to shift the title from an MMO to a premium experience with single and multiplayer gameplay, robust digital content and community features
"Because we believe strongly in the high-quality and vast creative work that is in production, this is the right decision for both our portfolio and for gamers devoted to this powerful property."
So it seems the game is going to look in the same direction as Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine. This could be a great thing since the added time spent in perfecting an MMO could stagnate production. On top of that is the risk involved with online only games in a competitive market.
I look forwards to hearing about the story driven elements going forward with this game and just how things will be changed up.
News via CVG.
What do you think about this turn of events?
not wholly surprising, I didn’t really see how an all-races-encompassing 40k MMO could make any sense anyway (at least not the way they were going about it).
The gaming side won’t bother me but one always feels for the poor sods now out of a job 🙁
http://www.beastsofwar.com/groups/news-rumors/forum/topic/warhammer-40k-dark-millennium-mmo-to-turn-into-a-single-player-game/
Indeed, been watching my twitter (I follow a lot of the staff from these companies) and they are incredibly bummed out about it. It shows a real lack of purpose behind the new ideas as they could readily re-task the devs onto other things. Such a shame.
But, despite that I think this should still turn out as a good game with the success of Space Marine.
BoW Ben
Yay first comment.
While I was looking forward to an mmo, I think this could be a good thing if it was more like an action-based RPG. Sort of Mass Effect in the 40k universe. Hopefully even with choices that effect the story, but that might be wishing for too much.
YES! You got it sir! Bioware should be involve in it.
Only way to make the perfect 40k mmo would be to join Bioware + CCP + THQ.
Actually not first comment… oh well
Not the first but the best 😉
damn, i was looking forward to this game. then again it’s the same thing they did with space marine. that was supposed to be a bit like mass effect (you know where you make decisions and customize your team to effect gameplay) but they changed it and completely re-made it.
Heard about them having funding issues which made me think the MMO was doomed but nice to see they are adapting it to have single player and multiplayer aspects instead though how that will turn out remains to be seen.
It’s a great decission because anything that they make here can be them expanded and adapted for a MMO in the future. There are just big titles right now like Guild Wars 2 , Rift and Eve ( that right now would be explosively expanded with DUST 512 ) that eat most of the competence ( but i love Wakfu 😛 ). It would be nice to have race campaings, at least as expansions or DLC, that would give it good money influx and not require to pay a full package at first but rather the races that i want… Read more »
Also… why not using Kickstarter ? There a hell lot of fans out there that would definitely pay in advance and also will give good qualified feedback for sure.
Any way, i like the single/multi player of SM idea.
seems a sensible decision to me
Honestly, I just want a squeal to Space Marine. Heck Or better yet a stand alone game for each race with a multi race multi player aspect (I have my space marine game, but you have Eldar, and in online mode we fight each other.)
Hopefully as it started as an MMO and therefore a PC game this will have a better interface than Space Marine, which was clearly coded for console and then ported with little concern for how clunky it would be with a mouse, mind you it was done better than Halo 2 which was near unplayable.
This is suprising news. Then again MMO markets are not really empty so maybe this would had been risk that would not had been worth taking. Expesially when its WoW and some other MMOs that most players are intrested from.
Honestly, I think the scope for the whole 40k universe was too grand. An MMO in the 40k universe needs to be more streamlined, such as a Necromunda or Gorkamorka setting, or the Battle for Armageddon, etc.
This would allow the development to focus in on fewer settings, allowing for more detail and attention.
As long as I don’t have to play space marines as standard army again, i’m happy. Would love to get some dakka with da mek’s gun or play as a warboss or for example as a tyranid. ofc. the option to play as space marines should be there.
I never felt that MMO would have been the right direction to take Warhammer 40K in console and computer gaming. Space Marine is fine example that a game can look and feel the part and still be fun to play.
I often wondered how this game would have been in PvP. By the way it looked it seemed as if there were going to be multiple factions all fighting against each other. Would have been interesting to see the absolute chaos of it, but in any case I’m still looking forward to the game. It’s about time they made a 40k RPG. Hopefully it will have multiple races so I can play Eldar/Ork but it doesn’t seem likely now. Space Wolves it is then!