GDC 2008: Exanimus
What is Exanimus? It's zombies, psychological thrillers, blood but not gore all rolled into one MMO that has just left the pre-production stages. They've spent their development time so far coming up with the initial planning of playable areas, concept art, and nailing down the details, and are now moving into a production phase where they're building 3-D assets. This process has been going on for about 3 months now, but don't ask for concept art or more details. They're not forthcoming! Why? Thinking Man Studios' (TMS) CEO Charles "Relics" Terry believes in delivering what he and his company promise. So until they're sure that they can put their MMO where their mouth is, they're simply playing it close to their chests.
Read on to find out what Relics had to say at our 2008 GDC meeting.
So what's the timeline? When it's done! Charles believes that when a company delivers a date they should stick to it. Their customers expect results that are on time, and rather than disappoint and tease their potential players, they'd rather it be done when it's done, and not before. As of GDC (February 2008) they had a core team of about ten developers, all with at least one previous MMO on their resume. They're of the firm belief that saying something would be cool and actually developing it well, are two different things. It's an attitude that, as a gamer, I applaud whole heartedly!
The concept art, devlogs, and general information have been released by the team little by little but Charles denied that information has been released piecemeal just to show fans that there is indeed work being done on the game. "We're working on it. I know everybody's chomping at the bit (no pun intended) for screen shots" Charles noted, but went on to say that the technology they are using has never been integrated in the way that TMS plans to, or is currently utilizing it. While this causes him some concern, great care is being taken to be sure that all of their licensed technology and partners are aware of any issues that may need to be resolved. This is another reason why they're so reluctant to release information. Until they're sure that everything is going to work properly, even six months down the road, they'd rather not say anything about it.
Fans don't seem to be bothered by it. Despite being told by colleagues in the industry that opening forums this early in the development phase was akin to shooting themselves in the foot, the company has wholeheartedly invited their potential customers, players, fans and fan boys to come and take part in their forum community! Having come from TMS Broadcasting which specialized in in game radio and community events for MMOs, they know, and value, the importance of their fan base. While it may come back to bite them in unpleasant places, they're prepared to take that risk.
The Exanimus community which is incredibly enthusiastic and supportive (a nice way of saying fanatical) of the game developers thus far, seems to agree. So far. "Everybody loves zombies!" Charles noted with his own enthusiasm. "If we're devoting this much money, and this much time, and you guys are probably going to give me a heart attack eventually. If we're going to do an MMO, I want to do a horror one" One look at the official forums and one sees the truth in his words. One day after putting up a splash screen announcing a zombie MMO and their place in MMO history was cemented.
The forums have been a place of both feedback and general fan boy comments and many talented and dedicated people have shown their enthusiasm in new and exciting ways. Charles brought up forum poster and comic creator "Medic", among others. Her great commitment, and that of other posters, to a community for a game that may be many years from release truly shows how great our genre is, and how much fun it is to simply be a part of it all. TMS has had to deal with the issue of setting up forum rules of conduct and moderator issues much sooner than other games, because of this enthusiasm. But how can any player honestly say that having a place where you can go and get your daily fix of a great game can ever be wrong?
Rating is an issue that, with zombies, they're obviously aware of but they aren't too concerned with it. While video games are traditionally judged more harshly than other entertainment media by the ESRB, the current impression is that they'll end up with a mature rated game, which is akin to a PG-13 movie. (Isn’t mature actually akin to an R rating? Seems to me that Teen rating equals PG-13.) Charles said he'd be surprised if they got an adult rating, and noted that while they're not looking to develop for a mature rating, they're also not necessarily looking to avoid it. He also took care to point out that blood and gore does not a horror game make. The psychological aspects of Hitchcock is more their style, and while they're making the game they've always wanted to play in a genre that no one else even bothered with before the game was announced, they're sure that enough people will want to play to not be bothered by the rating.
How the world makes you feel, the music, the interaction. Those are the horror aspects they're looking to impress upon people. The blood and cheap freaky death scenes are not included here. The menace of a world out to get you, and the zombies lurking around corners that aren't in static safe zones are what you have to deal with.
Exactly how you become a zombie however, has not yet been released. Everyone starts as human. Ready? Go! Charles said that becoming a zombie day one was possible, but was quick to point out that they haven't yet said how one goes about becoming one. He said it was possible to play to higher levels as a human and then turn zombie, if one wished. He said that player choice was huge in how they developed their characters. Guild, solo, team, and group, this game has all the choices available to appease all sorts of players.
It's too early to talk about a lot of things, but subscription model is not one of them. Noting that this was a survivor/horror game, and that making supplies available for a fee would probably not make many players happy, they're mostly sure (another one of those pesky details) that this is going to be a subscription based game. How that will translate to an exact model is not yet decided. But as always, if there are new and different models that will make the game available to more players, and profitable, they'll take it!
Of course a major topic for us was the cost of developing an MMO, and the length of time required to bring a concept to fruition with a launch. As players, we tend to think that the second an MMO is announced work begins, but all to often the process began many, many years prior, and to even get to the announcement phase is a benchmark for a team. With anywhere between 5 and 10 years to develop, MMOs scare most venture capital (VC) folks, especially with an unlicensed intellectual property (IP) world. VC should also scare most players, as the higher ups are normally looking to get a return on their product even as the time line for launch and a return on investment passes because the game is not ready for launch. It's one of the reasons so many games launch early, without being completed or refined to a level which players deserve.
While a 50 to 60 million dollar VC loan isn't uncommon when you expect a return of ten times the amount, pushing back release dates certainly starts to make your investors wonder, and oftentimes, pressure is put on the developer. TMS doesn't have to worry as much about this issue. Their backers understand the length of time required to make a great game, and to cement a reputation for perfection. The game will not launch until it's done, because if it does, your chances of a higher return diminish.
That TMS has their own IP to develop, without worrying about licensing, costs, and worlds that belong to other people. They can do whatever they want within the framework they set themselves, and they have such a rich history of media to draw upon to create their world that it would be awfully hard to go down a wrong path. They're not looking for licensing deals with movies, dolls, and random other money makers. They're simply looking to make the best game they can. A game that they want to play, that other gamers want to play. One full of zombies, thrilling moments in the world, and a community that is awesome. We're much closer to the start of this process than the launch, but how can such great enthusiasm, commitment, community, and zombies be wrong?!
My thanks to Charles Terry for his time, and a window into the world that we'll all someday enjoy!
By Becky "Tovin" Simpson
Read on to find out what Relics had to say at our 2008 GDC meeting.
So what's the timeline? When it's done! Charles believes that when a company delivers a date they should stick to it. Their customers expect results that are on time, and rather than disappoint and tease their potential players, they'd rather it be done when it's done, and not before. As of GDC (February 2008) they had a core team of about ten developers, all with at least one previous MMO on their resume. They're of the firm belief that saying something would be cool and actually developing it well, are two different things. It's an attitude that, as a gamer, I applaud whole heartedly!
The concept art, devlogs, and general information have been released by the team little by little but Charles denied that information has been released piecemeal just to show fans that there is indeed work being done on the game. "We're working on it. I know everybody's chomping at the bit (no pun intended) for screen shots" Charles noted, but went on to say that the technology they are using has never been integrated in the way that TMS plans to, or is currently utilizing it. While this causes him some concern, great care is being taken to be sure that all of their licensed technology and partners are aware of any issues that may need to be resolved. This is another reason why they're so reluctant to release information. Until they're sure that everything is going to work properly, even six months down the road, they'd rather not say anything about it.
Fans don't seem to be bothered by it. Despite being told by colleagues in the industry that opening forums this early in the development phase was akin to shooting themselves in the foot, the company has wholeheartedly invited their potential customers, players, fans and fan boys to come and take part in their forum community! Having come from TMS Broadcasting which specialized in in game radio and community events for MMOs, they know, and value, the importance of their fan base. While it may come back to bite them in unpleasant places, they're prepared to take that risk.
The Exanimus community which is incredibly enthusiastic and supportive (a nice way of saying fanatical) of the game developers thus far, seems to agree. So far. "Everybody loves zombies!" Charles noted with his own enthusiasm. "If we're devoting this much money, and this much time, and you guys are probably going to give me a heart attack eventually. If we're going to do an MMO, I want to do a horror one" One look at the official forums and one sees the truth in his words. One day after putting up a splash screen announcing a zombie MMO and their place in MMO history was cemented.
The forums have been a place of both feedback and general fan boy comments and many talented and dedicated people have shown their enthusiasm in new and exciting ways. Charles brought up forum poster and comic creator "Medic", among others. Her great commitment, and that of other posters, to a community for a game that may be many years from release truly shows how great our genre is, and how much fun it is to simply be a part of it all. TMS has had to deal with the issue of setting up forum rules of conduct and moderator issues much sooner than other games, because of this enthusiasm. But how can any player honestly say that having a place where you can go and get your daily fix of a great game can ever be wrong?
Rating is an issue that, with zombies, they're obviously aware of but they aren't too concerned with it. While video games are traditionally judged more harshly than other entertainment media by the ESRB, the current impression is that they'll end up with a mature rated game, which is akin to a PG-13 movie. (Isn’t mature actually akin to an R rating? Seems to me that Teen rating equals PG-13.) Charles said he'd be surprised if they got an adult rating, and noted that while they're not looking to develop for a mature rating, they're also not necessarily looking to avoid it. He also took care to point out that blood and gore does not a horror game make. The psychological aspects of Hitchcock is more their style, and while they're making the game they've always wanted to play in a genre that no one else even bothered with before the game was announced, they're sure that enough people will want to play to not be bothered by the rating.
How the world makes you feel, the music, the interaction. Those are the horror aspects they're looking to impress upon people. The blood and cheap freaky death scenes are not included here. The menace of a world out to get you, and the zombies lurking around corners that aren't in static safe zones are what you have to deal with.
Exactly how you become a zombie however, has not yet been released. Everyone starts as human. Ready? Go! Charles said that becoming a zombie day one was possible, but was quick to point out that they haven't yet said how one goes about becoming one. He said it was possible to play to higher levels as a human and then turn zombie, if one wished. He said that player choice was huge in how they developed their characters. Guild, solo, team, and group, this game has all the choices available to appease all sorts of players.
It's too early to talk about a lot of things, but subscription model is not one of them. Noting that this was a survivor/horror game, and that making supplies available for a fee would probably not make many players happy, they're mostly sure (another one of those pesky details) that this is going to be a subscription based game. How that will translate to an exact model is not yet decided. But as always, if there are new and different models that will make the game available to more players, and profitable, they'll take it!
Of course a major topic for us was the cost of developing an MMO, and the length of time required to bring a concept to fruition with a launch. As players, we tend to think that the second an MMO is announced work begins, but all to often the process began many, many years prior, and to even get to the announcement phase is a benchmark for a team. With anywhere between 5 and 10 years to develop, MMOs scare most venture capital (VC) folks, especially with an unlicensed intellectual property (IP) world. VC should also scare most players, as the higher ups are normally looking to get a return on their product even as the time line for launch and a return on investment passes because the game is not ready for launch. It's one of the reasons so many games launch early, without being completed or refined to a level which players deserve.
While a 50 to 60 million dollar VC loan isn't uncommon when you expect a return of ten times the amount, pushing back release dates certainly starts to make your investors wonder, and oftentimes, pressure is put on the developer. TMS doesn't have to worry as much about this issue. Their backers understand the length of time required to make a great game, and to cement a reputation for perfection. The game will not launch until it's done, because if it does, your chances of a higher return diminish.
That TMS has their own IP to develop, without worrying about licensing, costs, and worlds that belong to other people. They can do whatever they want within the framework they set themselves, and they have such a rich history of media to draw upon to create their world that it would be awfully hard to go down a wrong path. They're not looking for licensing deals with movies, dolls, and random other money makers. They're simply looking to make the best game they can. A game that they want to play, that other gamers want to play. One full of zombies, thrilling moments in the world, and a community that is awesome. We're much closer to the start of this process than the launch, but how can such great enthusiasm, commitment, community, and zombies be wrong?!
My thanks to Charles Terry for his time, and a window into the world that we'll all someday enjoy!
By Becky "Tovin" Simpson