According to Destructoid, a super secret mysterious source has hinted at a rumored possibility that perhaps there might be a chance at there being a MMO set in the Bioshock universe. Pretending that this is real, which it probably is given these things are usually true, I don’t think it’s a good idea. Bioshock is already borderline not being a RPG. Does the universe really lend itself to being MMO-able?
The underwater city of Rapture set somewhere around the 1960’s in an alternate universe might be a tad restricting for anything but a heavily instanced storyteller on rails. At this point I think it lends itself more to a multiplayer cooperative game than a MMO. It follows the same concerns that I’ve been voicing about Star Wars the Old Republic — concerns which may have been slightly laid to rest after hearing the developers actually mention and state the words “open world”.  Both games being Bioware titles doesn’t ease my worries. Total blonde moment there… I don’t know why I was convinced that EA was over both games and that Bioware got control. The connection to SWTOR is still one that I think makes sense, but not the Bioware part. Forgive my moment of humanity there.
There is this new push for ‘fun size’ MMO’s. It’s starting with the casual flash-like games on the social networking sites and moving its way into the “every game has MMO potential” thinking. If it doesn’t go the route of ‘fun size’, I see it being a sequel or a prequel where somehow there is a new Andrew Ryan character with a somehow much bigger Rapture city. It could also take place on the land and have this same type of steampunk world with multiple underwater cities. Either way, I think it destroys the story and the universe that was created all in then name of creating a MMO.
People are chomping at the bit for a steampunk title, and Bioshock offers that quality in abundance, but I really do not believe that this is a title that would fit into the MMO mold; nor one that would break the mold either. MMO’s are great fun, but they’re not the end-all-be-all of gaming.
Ummm, I see what you’re getting at, but note that Bioshock was made by Irrational Games, not Bioware.
I may be reading this incorrectly, but it sounds like you’re saying BioWare created BioShock. Despite the similar sounding names, BioShock was developed by Irrational Games for 2k Games / Take-Two Interactive.
Anyway, getting to the point: I agree, I don’t think the BioShock universe and story would lend itself well to an MMORPG. It’s been very protagonist driven (as the player) and I think having a bunch of other players running around would remove a lot of the suspense that drives BioShock’s gameplay. Their world is just a little too dystopian for me to imagine living in it.
It may make a great movie or coop game, but yeah I think this is falling prey to the “everything should be an MMO” kind of thinking that’s probably more profit minded.
I don’t think you are understanding the BioShock/Rapture world at all. Sure you were on a linear path in the first person shooter version of the game but let us not forget that this is a VERY LARGE city that supported thousands of people, all of whom went crazy and began killing each other with super powers and guns. This place was large enough that the people managed to live there without getting that caged feeling, and it housed not only places to live, eat, work, and gather, but to relax and have fun such as amusement parks and the like. I liken it to the size of Los Angeles city proper,and if you render it to that scale, then merge in the wildly varied areas like the almost tropical garden areas and the apartment building style areas, it could have many zones that fit together but were different.
And let’s not forget that everyone is going insane because of Adam and general craziness, but they also have super powers. You could walk into someones bedroom and find a desert complete with ruins because the guy created a plasmid that could teleport you to another part of the surface world.
I think it’s a fine setting for an MMO, though I would prefer to just play BioShock 3.
The developers of Bioshock 2 was 2K Marin and from what I have heard their next project is a first person shooter based in the old X-Com universe.
Anyway I don´t see a bioshock mmo working out but I would love a mass effect style mmo from bioware 🙂
I agree with Amuntoth. Bioshock 2 was a bit of a dud in terms of lore/setting (haven’t played it but from what I can tell they messed it up a bit), but the world before those two stories took place could be interesting.
Either way, setting and stuff is only a minor worry. They could mess with it which ever way they wanted, it is a game not a movie. I don’t see why they cannot completely change it around to suit their means. Whether or not they make a good game is the important thing here.
From what I know System Shock 2 was quite a complex FPS RPG, that knowledge they have from that could be useful and make a good MMORPG.
I just can’t see Bioshock in a mmo setting, it would be kind of cool to create some steampunk characters, imagine all the toys!!
I know the team that worked on Bioshock (2k Marin)that they are looking to ressurect X-Com as a first person shooter so anything is possible.
probably the worst idea for a MMO EVER.
Total moment of stupidity on my part there. I don’t know why I was convinced that Bioshock was an EA title. I fixed the post to reflect the error.
You guys get the gist though. I think that turning Bioshock into a MMO would still be a bad idea because the setting doesn’t lend itself nicely to one as is and that if it were changed it would ruin what people like about the Bioshock games.
I could see myself playing it if it was a sandbox that the players had the control over. Like you start out as a normal human and with some epic events the world starts to go into chaos. Maybe give it some level as you go system but don’t fail like dark where its too easy to macro it. Make it where you only gain in the skill if it hits another player but give it DR if it hits the same people with in X amount of time. Give players some incentive to hold areas and to attack the held areas. Like the defenders get income or some resource and it increases the longer you hold the area. You would have to make sure that you have some kind of cap to amount of players that you can ally with to make sure it does not become blob vs blob. Plus besides adam you could make anything into a resource like food, plant life(oxygen), munitions, medical supplies and so on. I don’t see if it would have any pve since this vision is mostly pvp.
Now X-Com’s premise could possibly fit an MMO. Such a shame the original X-Com & Laser Squad (X-Com’s precursor) devs aren’t likely to get credit or see a dime out of it.
If you’re an X-Com fan, you can always support them by playing the updated Laser Squad Nemesis online: http://www.lasersquadnemesis.com/
If they can make a MMO out of an RTS, then I see no problem with a MMO out of a strong story based FPS 🙂
Everybody is hopping on the MMO train these days without a proper ticket.
Personally, I’m waiting for World of Tetris to be released.
I think it would be a brilliant idea to make an MMO in the bioshock world.
Make the entire city tenuously controlled by small factions with the understanding that players will take over a part of it from the factions. Make the space actually have purpose such as having one area provide air, one provide tools, one food and so on. Now you have a zombie MMO with a lot more intresting “zombies”, enviroment and super powers with the players either fighting to control parts of the city or doing the normal “quests” for the factions getting tools, killing specific splicers and so on. I don’t get how that wouldn’t be fun.
@Qpon
They DID make a World of Tetris, for all intents and purposes. It’s an iPad game called Aurora Feint 3. Think Puzzle Quest but as an “MMO Facebook style game” and you apparently have it.
FARMVILLE MMO! BUILD IT!
i’m kinda serious though. imagine the market we could tap in to.
I like Bioshock, but it’s so reliant on mood that I couldn’t see an MMO being made of it.