Getting Past That Old MMOG Grind

The Hollywood Reporter is offering up a new article entitled “Getting Past That Old MMOG Grind”, which focuses on what studios are doing in order to create a unique MMORPG. The article also features commentary from a couple of different developers, including Colony Studios’ Michael Wallis and Flagship Studios’ Phil Shenk:

And so, rather than depend on a known property for one of the MMOGs currently in progress at Flagship, says Shenk, the team recalled the extraordinarily popular gameplay of “Diablo II” which it created back in 2000 at Blizzard.

“Where ‘WoW’ is one big, persistent world,” explains Shenk, “our MMOG ‘Mythos’ takes Diablo II to the next level with fast gameplay and towns where everyone can meet and medieval dungeons where you and your party can have your adventures.”

As with “Stargate Worlds,” plans are to create a game that appeals to hardcore gamers but has the “accessibility” — the current buzzword for MMOGs — for traditional non-gamers, “like moms and grandmoms,” says Shenk.

At its birth, “Mythos” began as merely a test to check Flagship’s network servers for its other MMOG, “Hellgate,” which is being published by Namco and distributed by Electronic Arts. But, as “Mythos” grew, the design team decided to turn it into a product of its own that is expected to be released late this year or early next year.

Because “Mythos” is not based on licensed IP, Shenk has high hopes for its success.