I’ll set aside the theme and tackle the format instead. Is there really an audience for MMORPGs anymore? It was a deadly space to enter when WoW was in its prime and it’s only gotten harder. I’m not so sure the MMORPG even “died” as much as slowly diffused into every other genre as live-service capabilities began to spin up. These massive worlds where everyone shares the same story just don’t feel right without a strong ludonarrative dissonance, as opposed to most games that make you the exclusive hero. Sandbox MMOs, on the flip side, rarely have any staying power or purpose. It’s just a really hard design space, in my opinion, when other genres now have all the same benefits of letting you seamlessly play with strangers or friends en masse, without the limitations or side effects of having a single shared world.
Rambling thoughts for discussion. Also I love MMORPGs, to be clear. I just wouldn’t want to be in the business of making one after about 2010.
GRRM is on the design team. Keep holding your breath folks.
It’ll depend on how much influence he has. He consulted on Elden Ring and I think his touch can be felt in the fucked up family dynamics of the story there, but he was limited in involvement. I don’t think GRRM will be the limiting factor here anyway.
What a waste of his time! Get on the winds of winter you big ole procrastinator!
No interest in this or that universe anymore
I dun wont et
I’ll believe it when I see it.
I’m still waiting for the Stargate MMO to reappear.
Also, from the article…
The untitled Game of Thrones MMORPG seemingly shared with Redanian Intelligence is said to be in the works over at Nexon, the Korean publisher behind the likes of multiplayer shooter The Finals, not-indie Dave the Diver and, most notably here, free-to-play MMO MapleStory.
