CCP Games halts development of World of Darkness MMO.

[Archaeon]

http://www.ccpgames.com/en/public-re...-darkness-mmo/

CCP Games Halts Development of World of Darkness MMO
April 14, 2014

CCP Games today announced that they have cancelled the World of Darkness massively multiplayer online (MMO) game project in development in their Atlanta, GA studio.

As a result of the change, 56 employees of the Atlanta studio have lost their jobs. Some team members have been offered roles on other projects inside the company, and CCP has provided severance packages and job placement assistance for those affected.

The remaining team in Atlanta will focus on games in the EVE Universe, which will mark the first time since 2006 that the entirety of CCP will be working on a single universe.

CCP CEO Hilmar Veigar Pétursson:

The decision to end the World of Darkness MMO project is one of the hardest I’ve ever had to make. I have always loved and valued the idea of a sandbox experience set in that universe, and over the years I’ve watched the team passionately strive to make that possible.

I would like to give special thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make the World of Darkness MMO a reality, especially the team members affected by this decision. Their considerable contribution to CCP will not be forgotten, and we wish them well.

To our current and former employees and fans of World of Darkness, I am truly sorry that we could not deliver the experience that we aspired to make. We dreamed of a game that would transport you completely into the sweeping fantasy of World of Darkness, but had to admit that our efforts were falling regretfully short. One day I hope we will make it up to you.

Although this was a tough decision that affects our friends and family, uniting the company behind the EVE Universe will put us in a stronger position moving forward, and we are more committed than ever to solidify EVE as the biggest gaming universe in the world.

Seriously disappointing. This is the only MMO I've been genuinely excited about since Warhammer Online was announced years ago. If there was one company that I was pretty sure could pull off a World of Darkness MMO it was CCP. Seeing them cancel the game after... 8 years of development is just bullshit.

[Valeron]

yeah, saw that. really disappointed as well but the writing was on the wall for this game when they had the restructure a year (or was it two years ago).

[unholytestament]

Not surprised, just very disappointed...

[Belloc]

I know a lot of people will disagree with me, but there really needs to be a significantly smaller number of MMOs. The market is over-saturated and no one is really bringing anything new or interesting to the table. It also doesn't help that the genre hasn't ever really been that good to begin with.

Hopefully enough developers will realize that they've all been making the same game and start working on something interesting for a change.

[Valeron]

Hopefully enough developers will realize that they've all been making the same game and start working on something interesting for a change.

The exciting thing was with this game was that it really was completely different than anything else out there. But that doesn't matter now. Instead we will be getting the same themeparks and Korean mmos that the industry seems to be regurgitating.

[chazus]

I've been quietly squee'ing over this for -years- ever since I saw White Wolf partner with CCP. But ever since a single trailer/environment test was shown back in like ... 2010.. I haven't seen a peep since, and I'm not surprised this is the case.

[Deleted]

I've never been interested in World of Darkness as the concept was cool but I already knew they never could pull it off. Same as Warhammer Online, Swtor and all the other MMO's. Smaller companies need to face the fact that MMO's aren't for them anymore, if you don't have loads and loads of money you almost can never pull it off. And even then it's still guessing if it will be a good MMO.

[Puupi]

I hope the publishers finally understand that vampires and zombies are so last season. If you are going to make a game, make sure it doesn't involve either of those.

[Grizzelbar]

This is sad to put it mildly. Really was looking forward for this one. Well maybe this will allow another greatness like V:tM - Bloodlines to happen.

[chazus]

This is sad to put it mildly. Really was looking forward for this one. Well maybe this will allow another greatness like V:tM - Bloodlines to happen.

I actually looked up the old Bloodlines team. After Troika exploded, they kinda went in all directions. Lead Programmers and Bloodlines team went to Obsidian, Sony, Blizzard, and a few odds and ends.

The Bloodlines IP is still held by Activision so uh... Maybe... we'll see "Blizzard Introduces Vampire Game" soon?

[Lord Pebbleton]

I've just now watched the trailer because I had no idea what was this about. Didn't look like anything special.

[chazus]

The "Trailer" (I'm assuming from EVE Fanfest 2012) wasn't... even a trailer. It was just cinematics. It's like saying a poster of a movie is representative of the movie.

I've seen some of the actual dev work in the pre-alpha, and they had some pretty intense character stuff. WoD has gobs of lore behind it too. There just wasn't a 'game' built yet, so very little to show.

[Hubbl3]

Well, then I have to play Bloodlines until the end of time

[Svifnymr]

I've been quietly squee'ing over this for -years- ever since I saw White Wolf partner with CCP. But ever since a single trailer/environment test was shown back in like ... 2010.. I haven't seen a peep since, and I'm not surprised this is the case.

The problem really is that White Wolf merged with CCP, so with this, White Wolf is basically "done". The publishing arm is a fraction of what it used to be, and under a different name. Granted the rpg market has been slumping for a while.

I was looking forward to the WoD MMO, but I don't think they had a solid grasp of what they wanted to do with it before they started. I'm sure there were also tech limitations vs the wishes of the story guys, but it still seems like after all this time that they should have SOMETHING to show for it.

- - - Updated - - -

I hope the publishers finally understand that vampires and zombies are so last season. If you are going to make a game, make sure it doesn't involve either of those.

There's also werewolves and fey, so they could react to whatever the next Supernatural Teen Romance trend is!

[Puupi]

There's also werewolves and fey, so they could react to whatever the next Supernatural Teen Romance trend is!

50 shades of grey. Aliens, tentacles and Miley Cyrus. Musical scifi teen romantic drama comedy mystery thriller.

[Clockwork Pinkie]

Seen this shit coming. Shame though, it had an awesome art style.

I hope the publishers finally understand that vampires and zombies are so last season. If you are going to make a game, make sure it doesn't involve either of those.

And why is this? Why is it "last season"? If it's good, it'll be praised no matter what season it involves, notice MMO's are still going for Wizard and Warriors vs Dragons, or anything that wants to take over the world? That shit is beyond a decade old, yet they keep trying, and they keep failing.

[Puupi]

And why is this? Why is it "last season"? If it's good, it'll be praised no matter what season it involves, notice MMO's are still going for Wizard and Warriors vs Dragons, or anything that wants to take over the world? That shit is beyond a decade old, yet they keep trying, and they keep failing.

Because it is last season? Vampire/Zombie MMO would have been awesome roughly 8 years ago. Not today. Wizards and dragons MMO is also outdated.

[barackopala]

Because it is last season? Vampire/Zombie MMO would have been awesome roughly 8 years ago. Not today. Wizards and dragons MMO is also outdated.

errr no. they have not been part of mainstream players for a long time.

[Clockwork Pinkie]

Because it is last season? Vampire/Zombie MMO would have been awesome roughly 8 years ago. Not today. Wizards and dragons MMO is also outdated.

They're still doing pretty awesome, being last season or not. They just don't want to make them because vampires's reputation is ruined by Twilight and Zombies are done to death. People will play a game if it looks good, regardless of how old the content is. "Today" is all about making anything you want, it's a shame developers can't do exactly that because of this illusion people have, thinking something can't be decent at best because the content they are using "would have been awesome 8 years ago". It works in some cases like, say, a Halo movie, that would of been awesome 8 years ago, now, nope, too late, that ship has sailed.

[unholytestament]

I've never been interested in World of Darkness as the concept was cool but I already knew they never could pull it off. Same as Warhammer Online, Swtor and all the other MMO's. Smaller companies need to face the fact that MMO's aren't for them anymore, if you don't have loads and loads of money you almost can never pull it off. And even then it's still guessing if it will be a good MMO.

I disagree in every way.

AAA studios need to back off the MMOs. Their publishers have unrealistic demands, force the games to launch before they are done, start firing/rearranging staff before any major changes can be made to rectify the previous mistakes, and then comes the inevitable force to change to free to play because they couldn't be bothered to allow the developers to do it right the first time.

CCP is able to do something different. There is little out there like EVE Online. They were planning on doing something different with World of Darkness Online. It's a shame that will never come to pass.