Ensemble Talks MMO Plans

[Trippy]

Ensemble Talks MMO Plans

The Ensemble MMO

Patrick Hudson, Executive Producer points out that they haven't been secretive, "because we are advertising on our website that we're looking for people with MMO experience." 

Hudson explains the origin of the project.  "We've got a lead designer here, his name's Ian Fischer, he's been here for a long time.  He's always wanted to do an MMO.  He's been playing MMOs since the early days, MUDs, before that."

The idea was proposed to Ensemble right after Ultima Online came out. 'Why don't we do an MMO?' At the time, Ensemble was in no position to be thinking about it.  But Fischer persisted ever since.

"After we shipped Age III," Hudson says, "We started diving up the studio to do more games than we've ever done, and get beyond Age of Empires."  A small team was put around Fischer to start working on a prototype.

"And that's where those guys still are." Hudson says.  "A pretty small group, just noodling away on ideas, a long way away from anything substantive and shipping anything, that's for sure.  But it's fun to explore."

"It's always been a risky kind of market to look at." Hudson admits.  "And then you see WoW come out, and turn the industry on its head, and you start to reevaluate.  'Wait a minute, there's a true business case out for a game like this.'"

"Maybe it's not crazy to go spend thirty or forty million bucks to actually make one of these things."  Hudson points out, "At some point, they'll get tired of WoW and want to play something else."

"We haven't settled on anything," Hudson cautions.  "It's safe to say we won't be chasing the fantasy genre.  It seems like there are so many coming out.  [We're] still pretty far out from even thinking of taking that prototype to a greenlight phase."

As for monthly subscription fees: "Yeah, I think that's the business model we mostly believe in," Hudson says.  "There could be things that come along and change our mind, but there's a lot of people trying different things...  If anything, WoW is charging too little, not too much."

"So for us, it's just trying to get a little away from Age."  Hudson concludes, "It's been hugely successful - we're now up near almost 18 million units."

What does this mean for the future of the Age of Empires franchise?  "[We'll] just slow it down.  Probably take a little break from it," Hudson says.  "Microsoft would obviously like us to keep churning them out as quickly as possible."

"But you can only do that for so long."  Hudson adds.  Ensemble is successful and profitable enough as a studio that they get the leeway to spend money on prototypes.

"And [we] prototype probably a lot longer than most developers would take the time and effort to do," Hudson says.  "To Microsoft's chagrin, probably spend more on prototypes than they'd ideally like."

But it ultimately returns, Hudson hopes, in a better game.  "Usually we kill our own prototypes before we take them up to Microsoft and say, 'Hey, here's this new idea.'"

[Furiously]

Microsoft owns FASA's assets right?

[schild]

*tosses Mythica's assets at the AOE Team*

"What the fuck is this?"

"I don't know, do something with it. Issue a press release, shut the fuck up and go back in the cave."

"For Zul'jin!"


-


I actually heard Ensemble was doing an MMOG about uhm, well, let's just say a long time ago. Surprisingly it took them even longer than I thought it would for it to become official. Unfortunately, I fear, it will be the same old shit, except with Empires. Despite some early rumors I heard about what IP they had.

[HaemishM]

With the legacy of fuckups that the MMOG medium is made up of, they couldn't do much worse than anyone else.

[Telemediocrity]

If WoW makes the business case for them, is it wrong of me to then think that they look at WoW as an exemplar of the genre?  I didn't see anything in that release even hinting that they have goals beyond WoW + more shiny.

[HaemishM]

If WoW makes the business case for them, is it wrong of me to then think that they look at WoW as an exemplar of the genre?  I didn't see anything in that release even hinting that they have goals beyond WoW + more shiny.

It IS an exemplar as a business case. They make asstons of money hand over fist every month. Why wouldn't it be an exemplar as a business case?

What's a great game and a great business case are two almost entirely separate things.

[Telemediocrity]

If WoW makes the business case for them, is it wrong of me to then think that they look at WoW as an exemplar of the genre?  I didn't see anything in that release even hinting that they have goals beyond WoW + more shiny.

It IS an exemplar as a business case. They make asstons of money hand over fist every month. Why wouldn't it be an exemplar as a business case?

What's a great game and a great business case are two almost entirely separate things.

On the latter point, we agree.  On the former point... I can see how it could be used as a good pitch, but I'm not sure if by the facts it's really such a great indicator - Blizzard had a perfect storm of factors with WoW that produced the subscriber count they've got, plus an unbelievable promotional budget.

[HaemishM]

But again, as a business case it goes to show that big money CAN be made in the business. It doesn't have to be made, but the potential is there. When the best you could hope for was 400k subscribers, and that was THE BOMB of profit, having a competitor that has millions is huge.

Of course, no one will be able to compete with Blizzard on numbers, but it does show there are tons of players out there in the market.

[Venkman]

If Ensemble can toss $30-40mil to develop an MMO, they're ahead of where most others have been. Not Blizzard range, but then, it's pie-in-sky hallway talk right now, so who knows.

Nothing here except some company who makes good games is thinking about making an MMO.

[Trippy]

If Ensemble can toss $30-40mil to develop an MMO, they're ahead of where most others have been. Not Blizzard range, but then, it's pie-in-sky hallway talk right now, so who knows.

Looks like SOE's FUD is working well. What are we up to now for WoW development costs? $100 million?

[Trippy]

Microsoft owns FASA's assets right?

They bought FASA Interactive so they own the exclusive electronic rights to BattleTech and Crimson Skies.

[Hoax]

Why do you people do this to me...   

[Venkman]

Looks like SOE's FUD is working well. What are we up to now for WoW development costs? $100 million?

FUD? Effed up development?

For WoW, the number that seems to be the most consistent from a cross section of reliable and !reliable sources seems to be around $75mil.

[Trippy]

Looks like SOE's FUD is working well. What are we up to now for WoW development costs? $100 million?

FUD? Effed up development?

Fear Uncertainity Doubt.

For WoW, the number that seems to be the most consistent from a cross section of reliable and !reliable sources seems to be around $75mil.

Other than Smed and Raph pulling those $80 - $100 million numbers from their asses what other "reliable" sources are you referring to? We've already had this discussion a number of times and nobody has been able to substantiate any of these estimates. Lum posted that the WSJ estimated the cost at $30 and that's a reliable as any other source I've seen.

[Venkman]

Actually I was hearing about $75mil before I heard them talking about it. In standard intarweb faire though, who the hell knows who's parroting who.

In the final analysis I really don't care. They spent a crapload of cash building something to that took over the world And even if Lum is closer, that's still way more than any other company has spent. EQ2 reported $25mil in 2003. Raph or someone back in the early days of SWG said somewhere around $15mil.

The point is that Ensemble willing to spend that much cash shows a seriousness and ability few have had. Money itself does not mean shit (Battlefield: Earth), but it can enable talent up their execution.

Or it could just mean they can tap cash to pay off a license royalty.

[Wolf]

Here's what a friend saw at another forum:

GI is standing by their April issue in which they revealed Forerunner. a new title in the Halo series. Now this month in their Loose Talk section, they reveal Project Orion. According to GI, Bungie and Ensemble Studios are teaming up to make a Halo FPS MMO. They claim this project is in "planning stages" just like Forerunner, so things could "change."

It's a rumour, but I decided to share it :)

[schild]

Well, now that the cats out of the bag... I heard about Ensemble working on a Halo FPS MMORPG about 8 months ago. I may or may not have heard that through someone at Ensemble. But who am I to spread rumors?

[CmdrSlack]

Well, now that the cats out of the bag... I heard about Ensemble working on a Halo FPS MMORPG about 8 months ago. I may or may not have heard that through someone at Ensemble. But who am I to spread rumors?

Someone who never really gets inside info and just pretends he does?

[schild]

Well, now that the cats out of the bag... I heard about Ensemble working on a Halo FPS MMORPG about 8 months ago. I may or may not have heard that through someone at Ensemble. But who am I to spread rumors?

Someone who never really gets inside info and just pretends he does?

I wouldn't know anything about RTS companies under Microsoft's umbrella. Nothing at all.

Edit: But on that note, that's note where I got the information from.

[WindupAtheist]

Oh man, I hope so.  They'll invite Schild to play it, and he'll come back and say it'll be Robot Jesus as soon as they patch in X.  Then it will come out and the entire universe will think it's the worst thing ever invented, and we'll all realize that X won't arrive for months and months, if ever.  Cue another 100-page thread (Halo Online: Did Somebody Say Twitch?) filled with wailing and gnashing of teeth and Schild's bitter promise that he WILL STILL PLAY THE GOD DAMNED THING AS SOON AS THEY PATCH IN X!

[schild]

Definately.

[Hoax]

I fucking hate Halo, somebody tell Bungie to go make another Myth game, Halo doesn't do anything special at all, omg vehicles?  That is so 1998 or whenever Tribes1 came out.  Fucking console fps newbs.

[Yegolev]

I fucking hate Halo, somebody tell Bungie to go make another Myth game, Halo doesn't do anything special at all, omg vehicles?  That is so 1998 or whenever Tribes1 came out.  Fucking console fps newbs.

While I agree with you, the Halo vehicles are better than the Half-Life 2 vehicles.