What’s on your Gaming Radar?

We’re approaching one of those points in time where several good games are coming out or projected to come out in the near future.  I’ve been thinking about which games seem most interesting to me and why.

gamingradar

1.  Star Wars: The Old Republic – For obvious reasons this one is hottest on the radar.  Combining my love for Star Wars, polished gameplay, and my weakness for games with potential, it all makes for a game really worth watching.  I’m hoping they don’t make it a MSORPG or butcher the idea of a persistent world too badly.

2.  StarCraft 2 – Although it’s probably not going to release in 2009 (I’m still hoping for a late Fall release), SC2 looks to be another fine Blizzard RTS game (for which I am a sucker) that will be capable of holding my interest on and off for a few years.  I really don’t care about the idea that it’s going to be a reskinned SC1, even though it’s not since SC1 wasn’t even partially 3d.  It looks like fun, it’s predecessor was fun, so it’s probably going to be fun.

3.  Mortal Online – This one is up there on my radar simply because it’s going to be another different type of MMO.  Even further ‘out there’ than Darkfall, and potentially not as screwed up when it comes to exploits/bugs/crappy post-launch development, Mortal Online seems to have (at first glance) what Darkfall lacks.  If I can get past the supposed 1st person only view then I think this will be worth a shot.  Anyone in beta?  Do tell.

4.  Diablo III – If it weren’t for the launch being so far out I might have put this at #1.  It’s Diablo… what else is there to say?

5.  Warhammer Online* – A game that has been out for a long time being on a radar?  Yep.  I’m considering the launch of LotD and the token system as a “relaunch” and will resub to check it out.  The lack of the Darkness Falls mechanic made the game feel empty to me after one play-through and I didn’t have the drive to continue playing deep in to T4 (or alts) without it.  if Mythic can recapture the Darkness Falls experience and provide a place for people of nearly all levels to level up, collect tokens, get gear, PvP, and enjoy gameplay that isn’s chaptered then I’m all over it.  I’ll even be looking for a guild to join up with on a good server, as I will starting a completely new char.

6.  Star Trek Online – Like Star Wars, I’m a Star Trek fanboy.  I’m eagerly awaiting the opportunity to Captain my own starship and explore the Alpha quadrant.  The opportunities for content and exploration are seemingly unlimited.  Having an avatar and a ship is a huge plus.  Let’s hope they can get it right; I don’t think Star Trek will have another shot at a MMO if this fails.

7.  Global Agenda – Not much to tell right now.  This mix of Tribes, parts of Planetside,  and massively multiplayer elements appeals to a pickup-and-play side of me.   It has just entered my radar since it’s still in Alpha.

8.  Jumpgate Evolution – I’m keeping this one at arms length.  I was given a demonstration of the game at E3 2008 and thought it looked very nice.  However, it’s one of those games where your ship is your avatar and you’re forever stuck flying around in space.  Additionally, there are no sim elements to the game.  It’s like flying a WoW character around.  When I asked the rep who showed me the game about raising shield levels, altering phaser power, adapting your ship to your playstyle he just sorta shrugged and said that it wasn’t planned.  If it’s going to be twitch, I’m going to need more than spaztactics in space.   Still, I want to give it a try.

9.  Champions Online – I want it to be really cool.  I want to enjoy playing a super hero MMO.  I just can’t get past how much it appears to be like City of Heroes (A game that I did not enjoy at all).  It looks like a carbon copy with elements from Marvel that were half-way scrapped after losing the IP and just a new pass on elements that bring CoH up to code.  If Cryptic can make it different enough I’ll try it.  It’s starting to fall off the radar for me but it’s there.

What’s on your Radar?

  • – Mortal Online

    Was drawn in by the sandbox style Darkfall has. I hadn’t played a similar game before and now that I see the potential I am interested in a more polished game.

    – Aion: Tower of Eternity

    Been testing it in Chinese OB for the last week. Think of it as a combination of a Korean WoW/WaR in 2009 using the Crytec engine. Much more PvP focused. Not grindy like L2.

    – Starcraft2/Diablo3

    Who isn’t?

  • 3. Mortal Online – Somewhat interested in this, I’m sceptical to the 1st person view and not sure if I’ll enjoy 100% sandbox with playerlooting, but I’ll prob try it out.

    2. WAR – well basically some of the same reason as you. Difference is that I hope Darkness Falls changes the way people RvR into more small scale battles. I just don’t see the fun in being one of MANY killing the enemy, I want to feel like my presence in a group is vital and you can’t have that with 50+ people in a “group”.

    1. AoC – Yeap, they’ve worked a lot on this and it’s getting somewhere now. I just fixed myself a 7 day trial to check if it still had those horrible technical issues, and most are gone. I’ve been hearing that there’s lots more added to do post lvl 50 as well, and even more to come during this year. If the new game director can pull a Anarchy Online or Everquest 2 on AoC, it’s gonna be a great game even if probably never a huge playerbase (it has been increasing in player numbers lately though, thanks to patching and I guess lots of advertising).

    These are the games that interest me tbh, nothing up and coming (bar MO) has any interest to me.

  • -Mortal Online
    Been following it for about 6 months.

    -Diablo 3
    You have no idea how big of a Diablo fan I am. I was in closed beta of Diablo 2 and got my name on the credits. I would kill to be in D3 beta.

    -Starcraft 2
    Something play with my friends off and on for the next few years.

  • I expect SCII to launch in 2009. Acti-Blizzard is saying they expect to launch a major Blizzard release per year, and I doubt that any of DIII, the next WoW expansion, or Mystery Projects 4 (the new MMO) and 5 (who knows?) will be ready.

    As to my outlook, I’m less interested in the long term. So many games have launched and failed to live up to their hype, that I’d rather focus on the tangible, and let the future sort itself out when the NDA comes down and the free trial goes up.

  • Thanks for showing me just how bleak the radar is for me. ahahahah

    Unless MO can pull it off, none of the others interest me at all.

    It’s been hard for me to go back and play WAR after playing DarkFall, but I haven’t gone to crazy into DarkFall since I’m hoping they open a fresh NA server once the issues get more ironed out.

    Baaaaaaah! I’m kinda bummed now!

  • I am very much looking forward to Diablo III, whenever it shows up. StarCraft II as well, if only because I can no longer stand to look at the game running at 640×480 on my 1600×1200 monitor.

    Other than that I am somewhat content for the time being. I peek in on Star Trek Online once in a while to see what is going on, but I have been so often disappointed by Star Trek games that I am keeping my hopes under tight control.

  • Warhammer Online is still my main focus. I can’t wait for the new dungeon, and the token system will definitely keep people logged in more to collect these for the gear grind.

  • Star Trek Online
    Huxley
    Diable 3 and StarCraft 2
    Champions Online and DC Online

    I was looking forward to Stargate Online, but I think it has become deceased.

  • Huxley and CrimeCraft up top.

    I’m keeping Darkfall on the radar, waiting for the real release (North America) with the real game (not paid beta). Mortal Online also sounds fun, but i predict the same issues Darkfall has, same launch issues too. We’ll see. I enjoy the way these two games are trying to push their playstyles.

    Mount and Blade online looks like it’s going to be fun. (in my dreams)

  • Guild Wars 2
    Aion

    Not sure if well see GW2 before the mayan calendar expires but it’s been the most anticipated game for me since it’s announcement.

  • I’m also VERY interested in GW2, but I’d hardly say it’s on the radar yet, dunno if you could pick it up using some of those scopes that they use for studying space maybe.

  • 1) Blizzards next-gen MMO: No one knows anything about it, but come on, it’s Blizzard. I consider WoW just a massive learning experience, although I did love it, it’s getting stale. Think of all the things Blizzard learned from WoW, good and bad, then make something equally amazing in all the fields/aspects of game play. That is what I’m expecting.

    2) Starcraft 2: Self explanatory.

    3) Diablo 3: Self explanatory.

    4) Mortal Online: Looks good, will give it a try.

    5)Global Agenda: Played my friends Beta, it’s pretty amazing. Although it feels more like a FPS than an MMO, but perhaps that’s a good thing!

  • 1. King’s Bounty: The Armored Princess (add-on)
    2. Diablo 3
    3. Starcraft 2 (though I am not too excited about one more RTS, regardless how good it is)

    Long-Range Radar:
    4. Heroes of Might and Magic: Kingdoms (Browsergame)
    5. Guild Wars 2

    Don’t care for Superheroes Online MMOs. And I am deeply sceptical about Star Trek and Star Wars MMOs. I prefer the standard pseudo-medieval setting, but I am tired of the DIKU-MUD scheme of WoW, and do not really want to see more of that in different SciFi-tastes.

  • “When I asked the rep who showed me the game about raising shield levels, altering phaser power, adapting your ship to your playstyle he just sorta shrugged and said that it wasn’t planned.”

    Surprised he didn’t say, “Why would you want that?” 🙂

    Maybe check out Black Prophecy instead, although I heard someone say it’s supposed to be heavily instanced.

    Best space sim I’ve played to date has been Allegiance but it has a huge learning curve. Unfrickenbelievable gameplay though that puts you on the edge of your seat with cliffhanger battle endings (i.e. entire fleet teleporting in by surprise to knock out a home base). Wish someone would look at it for the foundation of making an MMO. It’s what I thought EVE was going to be like but obviously wasn’t, as EVE isn’t a FPS.

  • Mortal Online, Global Agenda, and Earthrise. These games are going to have to be pretty damn good to steal some of my game time away from Darkfall.

    I also plan on checking out the changes to Warhammer.

  • Wow, just watched this new Global Agenda video that was added to Game Trailers today.

    At first, I was like what the hell, instanced!? Are they serious? Then he mentioned the instances being LINKED with objectives achieved in one affecting a team’s success in another instance. So you could have five or six teams all working on a single common objective but from different perspectives / instances (i.e. one trying to knock out a power generator which will help another team break through into another area elsewhere). Sounds pretty cool.

  • Keen – shoot me a mail if you’re interested in the Global Agenda alpha. I have a referral or two on my account 😉

    With respect to Warhammer and you’re LFG, Xen of Onslaught is a good and well established guild there (www.xoohq.com). We play destruction on Badlands there. For what it’s worth, order is dominating right now so it’s an uphill battle 🙂

  • On my radar are :

    1.The secret World
    2.The Black Prophecy
    3.Jumpgate Evolution
    4.AION
    5.38 studios “copernicus”

  • No Aion, Keen? Sure, the avatars seem a bit pansy, but the gameplay seems crazy! If all goes well, it’s what WAR should have been.

    As for WAR, I’m with you. Currently, I’m barely logging in and will treat Land of the Dead as a relaunch of sorts. I’m still willing to give it a fair shake, but if they can’t fix the balance, bugs, and performance as well as giving me an alternative end-game to city capture, well, I’ll be out permanently.

  • I’d say 38 Studios’ ‘Copernicus’ (I wish it had a better codename) is pretty high on my expectations list. A game financed and made by a fan of the genre strikes me as something I have to play. They’ve hired some great established talent too.

    Champions Online is something I’ll just have to try because I loved City of Heroes as a sort of MMORPG-lite (great fun for awhile).

    The Secret World still interests me, although I do have to keep reminding myself it’s from the creator of Dreamfall rather than think of it as the same company as Age of Conan.

    I know it’s a long time not to let it go, but I’m still a little on the bummed side that BioWare went with Star Wars for their first MMO. I’m very likely to try it, but don’t expect me in line on opening day. It’d be a hard sell to my gf and other guildmates too.

    I’d still love to see Peter Molyneux (or just Lionhead Studios) venture into the MMO space. I know he’d like to, but given the scope of his ideas making it into their games already, it’s probably an unlikely scenario.

    In any case, I’d like to see a lot more ambiguity put into this big social games we play.

  • SWtOR
    Diablo 3
    Stargate Worlds (still have hope and gameplay in beta was fun, devs still say its on)
    Blizz next mmo

    Any of above could get me back on my PC.

    Bioshock 2
    Lost Planet 2

  • 1) Street Fighter 4 for PC

    2) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

    3) Starcraft 2 (it’s about time…)

    4) A new Harpoon game! Nothing on the radar, but this was one of my favorite games of all time (and wouldn’t it make a great MMO?)

    I realized after Warhammer Online that MMOs maybe aren’t for me. Any game model that relies on others showing up to generate fun = frustration in my books…

    Currently loving Fallout 3

  • @Snafzg: I know so very, very little about Aion. In fact, I thought it was going to be another Asian grinder. Can you expand upon the details?

    @Rog: Copernicus is on my “long range sensors”. Normal radars can’t even pick it up yet. Peter Molyneux in MMO space could be interesting.

  • Right now I’m only really looking forward to Mortal Online. I’m still enjoying Darkfall, but in the off chance that a NA release never happens or the games population tanks then this will be the last hope for a skill based full loot pvp mmo.

    I’ll be surprised though if MO actually makes it out this year. They keep saying Summer 09 but I’ll believe that when I see it. If they pull it off, and it’s a relatively bug free/smooth launch, that would be a miracle.

  • Aren’t you forgetting one? I think Aion will be a game to have on your radar. If you look at the ingame screens taken and the whole flighing combat.

  • I can answer any Aion questions you may have Keen. I’ve been playing the Chinese Open Beta for the last week.

  • Warhammer Online is still the game for me. I actually think the new token system will force players to do small scale RvR and skirmishes. Imagine being in a warband where you have to roll for every single token, 24 ppl needing on one thing. It would be a bigger chance in a small group or solo PvP.

    I also signed upp for the Mortal Online because I want to try somehing new and different. I’m not sure if I’ll like the full player loot, but the PvP seems exciting.

  • Hey,

    I’ve played Aion Chinese Open Beta with and without the english language pak.

    I have to agree that this WILL BE the next big MMO. NC Soft are giving the game a western facelift, it’s not going to be available until Q4 2009.

    Please, get yourself an acc and take a look 😛
    If you want more info graev/keen sent me an email.

  • I’m looking forward to EVE’s WiS. Pleaseletitbethisyearpleaseletitbethisyear…

    And then nWoD Online, CCP Fanboi that I am.

  • SC2- Yes

    Diablo 3- Yes

    Blizzards new MMO- I have heard it wont be fantasy but I do not think I could stand another sc-fi MMO on the market

    Red 5 Studios- Whatever they are cooking up I would love to see but it is very hush-hush at the moment no real details at all. A link to the graphic engine they are using;

    http://www.projectoffset.com/media/video6.html