GDC 08: BioWare talks on mystery MMO

BioWare, the studio behind the hit game, Mass Effect, recently talked about their new MMO during the 2008 Game Developers Conference. From the sound of it, it looks like they’re planning something really ambitious, putting the RPG back in MMORPG. Details in the full article.

BioWare, the studio behind Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and the hit game Mass Effect, was recently interviewed during the 2008 Game Game Developer’s Conference where they talked about their new MMO that’s in the works.

Judging from the interview, it sounds like the new MMO is putting the RPG back in MMORPG. BioWare’s aspiring to make their new MMO story-driven, putting the gamer in a place where they connect with the game on an emotional level.

Aside from this, BioWare will be tackling multiplayer storytelling, which is a difficult thing to pull off in an MMO where an endless number of things can happen when you are trying to make each player have a central part in the story.

According to BioWare’s Drs. Greg Zeschuck and Ray Muzyka, they plan to have every player become the primary protagonist of the MMO, making the story critical for each player. Here’s how they put it:

We have all this great technology now from all of the games we’ve made, and we can try different things. We’ve gotten to a point now where I think we have a pretty compelling system which creates a fun experience.

The other side of it is that you have to be very careful with story because if it gets too pedantic and overpowering, it turns people off. You’ve got to have just enough, and that part has to be fun. We’ve gotten to a point now where I wouldn’t say we’ve solved it, but we have a legitimate shot.

We’re excited to hear more on this mystery MMO. Who knows? They might even release it for the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. At the least they should give us a clue, a hint, or at least the game’s title. We’ll keep you posted, so check back for updates.

Via GameSpy