… whenever his super secret game from 38 Studios is released. Why am I going on the record saying that his game will be a hit? Right now he has a lot going for him. He has an all-star staff. Steve Danuser, Bryan Salvatore (yeah, the son), Munch, and even Curt himself are just a handful of the team over at 38 Studios. Beyond just their names and their past accomplishments I’m really drawn to Curt’s believability. He seems to relate more to the players than he does the development process. It’s been said before and you’ll see it in the video attached to this entry, Curt knows how to surround himself with amazing skill and then get out of the way to let them show it. From watching and reading a few interviews I don’t get the feeling that he is delusional at all like some devs are when it comes to what the players want and what can and can not work in a MMO.
From the first ever footage of 38 Studios’ game it’s obvious that we’re looking at fantasy. It’s a smart choice. Fantasy MMOs sell. Fantasy MMOs are well received. And more importantly it’s not another attempt at making a Sci-fi hit. The animation on the horse and rider seen in the video looks superb. I like how ‘full’ it looks and how smooth the animation appears to be. Warhammer will sit on its throne for a few years and will likely be untouchable like WoW has been but it will eventually start to lose the initial appeal. That’s when Curt has to throw a fast ball and sweep up the players.
I’m looking forward to seeing more.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n75H5SpegbI[/youtube]
Additional tidbits:
Art Direction – Tod McFarlane (Spawn, Spider-Man)
Initial Development Budget – $60M (plus they’re seeking additional investors, not venture capitalists)
It truly sounds like they want to make an awesome game and he’s definitely surrounded himself with some all stars to help make it happen.
Thanks for the info! A 60M budget… sheesh. Now a hit is expected. 😉
Drinking a little of the Schilling Kook-Aid are we? All anyone has ever been able to say about his effort is the fact he signed Salvatore and Tod McFarlane. Neither of which are experienced with MMO’s or game developed from what I’ve seen.
I’m also very curious to see McFarlane’s art direction for this game, as his work for Ultima Online left A LOT to be desired and didn’t seem to fit the genre.
I sincerely wish Curt the best for him and his team on this project, but as we’ve seen no matter how much money and talent you throw at MMO development it’s never a sure thing.
You have to put some faith in them. They have some fantastic creative minds and a very experienced team. It’s early yet but it’s adding up to success.
I’m with you in your enthusiasm, Keen. Really anxious to see what they have in the works.
Good to see you excited about our game. A couple random comments based on the… comments.
Curt hired experience game developers to actually make the game. R.A. Salvatore is our Creator of Worlds. He’s not designing our mechanics, though he does contribute his input to them. Meaning, he is directly responsible for what he does best (make amazing fantasy). That said, the bulk of the basic work is done by experienced MMO designers, and we discuss our ideas with him, refine them to a sheen, then put them on paper.
Todd McFarlane does drive the vision of the game, but in the same way as Bob drives the design. That is, he works with the artists to find the right style for the game, and to find the right look for all artistic “stuff” in the game. And, if we were making a serious Wild West MMO, he wouldn’t make it look like cartoony sci-fi (meaning, he is an extremely experienced artist, and isn’t stupid by any stretch).
RE: Animators: Yeah, they rule. Our entire art department is outright stellar, as are all of our others (those huge names attracted a lot of great talent).
RE: Bryan Salvatore: As much as I hate to admit it, he’s awesome. We beat him around as an intern for a while until we decided that he is almost as good at mechanics as he thinks he is. But if he ever reads this I will never admit to writing it.
[…] So the fact that I have had my eye on 38 Studios might not be a good sign for them! Somehow, though, I think this is something worth watching carefully, and I agree with Keen and Graev, who contend that Curt Schilling will pitch a no-hitter. Maybe it’s because of the fact that 38 Studios is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from where I live. Maybe it’s because I was a longtime Red Sox fan. Or maybe it’s because that little green monster is so cute when he eats my mouse cursor. […]