Gamesindustry.biz had some sweet news to report, as Electronic Arts have apparently licenced the Dungeon Keeper rights, in order to develop a massively multiplayer experience based on the franchise. NetDragon, for whom this will be the first 3D MMOG, will be keeping the title, which has already been named Dungeon Keeper Online, operational.
The not quite as sweet part, is that all the information is related to the confirmed Chinese version, while absolutely nothing has been announced of any potential international release. Then again, this is Electronic Arts we're talking about. If they see potential for success elsewhere, they'll most certainly localise the game. It just doesn't seem to be the ideal way of starting up a new MMOG franchise, if it's to have any hope of Western success. Well, I suppose it could be worse. At least they didn't go to the even more saturated-by-mediocre-MMORPG-titles Korea.
I only wonder, will this become just another generic grind-a-thon, as the lower budget Asian MMORPGs usually seem to us, or will it actually keep the series' spirit? I would certainly love to see a version which has players building massive dungeons, full of lethal traps and dangerous monsters, while a band of player-controlled adventurers tries to delve deep enough to loot some of its treasures. Putting that type of gameplay in a multiplayer environment could make it an instant classic, just like the original 1999 title was. Who knows, It might just become the equivalent of a pen and paper RPG for the online world.
December 1st, 2008 at 1:27 pm
A Dungeon Keeper MMO? That's an odd move for a strategy/RTS/RPG game... Maybe we'll finally see a resurgence in the series with this.