Massively Multiplayer Online games have been around for a long time, especially on PCs.
But console gaming has continued evolving.
Welcome to the Skilled Channel.
And today we're talking about MMO games.
Open world interaction has become an industry standard, taking the ability to interact with
others at any time from the MMO section of games.
And with titles such as Destiny pushing even more MMO aspects to the front, more gamers
than ever have has a taste of the MMO experience.
It's more than just RPGs now.
Here's the upcoming MMO games in 2015 and 2016 worth keeping an eye on.
Black Desert � PC, PS4 / Final Release TBA Hailing from South Korea, Pearl Abyss' Black
Desert has made its way worldwide with a 2014 release in Korea and 2015 dates in Japan and
Russia.
The game is built on the Black Desert game engine, specifically for large-scale castle
sieges and with a big world.
Two nations, the Republic of Calpheon and the Kingdom of Valencia, are in conflict in
a fantasy world and you get to decide who you side with.
You'll be able to trade, craft, and siege your way to victory in this free to play MMO.
Weather and time of day will dramatically impact how the game plays at any time, and
you'll be able to parkour your way through and over different obstacles.
You'll also be able to take part in mounted combat.
There will also be no loading screens while playing.
Black Desert is slated for 2016 release dates in both Europe and North America on PC, but
the developer is also engaging in ongoing discussions with Sony to potentially bring
the game to Playstation 4.
BattleCry � PC / TBA 2015 World war has had it's toll on the world,
and those who remained came together to ban gun powder.
The result?
Ranged weapon and melee weapon innovation at it's finest, leading to more tension between
factions that leads to war yet again.
BattleCry is a free game that plays as a third-person shooter, but the camera leans in close to
give you a feeling of being right there in the action.
The game's developers have said they want action to be fast paced like a first person
shooter.
Environmental aspects, such as the sun and the sky, also change depending on how your
team is doing.
For example, if you're getting destroyed, the sun may start crying blood.
In this warzone game that focuses on 32-player arena battles that fight like a shooter but
without the guns, BattleCry Studios may have brought something new to the MMO table.
BattleCry will be available on PCs in late 2015.
Star Citizen � PC / TBA 2016 When a game sets a Guinness World Record for
the most money ever raised through crowdsourcing, gamers tend to pay attention.
After setting a Kickstarter record for money raised in 2012 with over four million dollars,
the developers of Star Citizen set the world record two years later with nearly 40 million
dollars raised.
In Star Citizen, you'll have the chance to play as a smuggler, bounty hunter, merchant,
and more in this most anticipated space simulation game of all time.
Four different studios are working on three separate game modes: Space dogfighting, a
first-person shooter, and the MMO universe.
That means upon release, you'll be able to toggle between single player and immersing
yourself with everyone else.
The Arena Commander alpha version was released in 2014, allowing players the chance to engage
in wave after wave of dogfighting against enemy AI.
The full release date was originally set for late 2015, but it looks like that will be
pushed back into possibly 2016 or even 2017 so the developers can get everything polished.
But with fundraising stretch goals such as Oculus Rift integration getting met, there
is plenty to keep an eye on as this MMO creeps closer to PCs everywhere.
The Division � PC, PS4, XB1 � March 2015 The Division is an all new Tom Clancy game
published by Ubisoft and takes a whole different approach to shooters.
Players will assume control over the "Strategic Homeland Division", which is also known as
simply "The Division".
You will lead your team through a crisis hit New York in an attempt to shut down a virus
that is wreaking havoc throughout the city.
Of course, enemy foes will be trying to stop you at every turn.
With a third person view, The Division will be as much a mini-RPG as it will be all out
action game, as gamers will be able to level up their team in a number of ways.
Characters can be customized and will carry a backpack that can be opened to level up
weapons, add skill points, and activate new gear.
The landscape will be semi-open and will feature time based night and day cycles, which will
actually play a role in how you complete tasks and missions.
For example, during the day you may be forced into more destructive ranged fire fights,
while at night your stealth skills and melee attacks can be employed more.
The Division is scheduled for release in March 2016 on PC, PS4, and XB1.
Camelot Unchained � PC / June 2016 Set in a fantasy world but without any player-versus-environment
gameplay, Camelot Unchained promises to bring realm against realm battle to the frontlines
of MMO.
Your character will have to team up with other players in your realm to forage for supplies
and take resources from other realms to build camps, cities, and more.
In other words, your world is going to be what you're able to make it at the expense
of rivals.
The game will require a subscription fee to play.
Camelot Unchained is currently set to go live for Windows in June 2016.
Pathfinder Online � PC / Early 2016 In 2009, a tabletop game was created based
on modified rules of the third Dungeons and Dragons rule set.
That game was Pathfinder.
Now, the tabletop game's universe comes alive with this sandbox-style MMORPG.
You're put into an open fantasy world and will have to fight your environment and other
players to earn the resources you need and build the game how you want it.
But the game will emphasize avoiding PvP battle unnecessarily, with reputation and the potential
to be flagged for attack if you just randomly try to pick fights.
Leveling up will require time, as well.
Instead of spamming an action over and over, the more time you spend in the game, the more
experience points you earn to spend on your skill tree.
Early Enrollment lets you play the game now, but a more full version of the game is currently
slated for early 2016.
Destiny: The Taken King � Sept 15, 2015 / PS4, PS3, XB1, Xbox 360
Destiny was one of the most divisive games of last year, but it was still a big announcement
at E3 when Sony announced the new The Taken King expansion.
The content will be released within the "Legendary Edition" and "Collector's Edition" of Destiny
that will arrive later this year.
This is the third expansion since the original game landed and it will focus on Oryx, who
is the father of Crota, as he controls The Taken to avenge the demise of his son.
While combat will remain the same as previous titles, The Taken King does bring plenty of
new things to the Destiny franchise.
New subclasses have been added, the Hunter class Nightstalker, the Titan class Sunbreaker,
and the Warlock class Stormcaller.
Each of these subclasses will boast inventive new weapons such as the Nightstalker Shadowshot
that tethers enemies together with one bow.
New multiplayer elements have also been included.
Rift is a new capture the flag style game that is in Crucible mode and will be joined
by Mayhem Clash, a new features that decreases the cooldown for supers.
And the biggest feature fans have been waiting for, an all new Raid.
The game launches Sept 15 on PS4, PS3, XB1, and Xbox 360.
Crowfall � PC / Dec 2016 If you've ever wanted to be an immortal god
in a fully-destructible setting, then Crowfall may be for you.
You'll battle as one as you travel between different worlds that fade over time.
Each Campaign World may last one month or three, but has four seasons and becomes more
deadly as time goes on.
Your objective is to meet the win conditions set for different realms and earn the winnings
for yourself and your guild.
Meanwhile, Eternal Kingdoms last for the entire season and are governed by the players.
There are no resources to earn, but players can build structures and other items for use
on the Campaign Worlds.
Different campaigns will also have different rules, allowing for guild-based battle or
individual deathmatch.
With Gordon Watson, Executive Producer of previous MMOs such as Ultima Online and The
Sims Online at the helm, look for this pay-to-play offering to be available for PC in December
of 2016.
Life Is Feudal � PC / TBA 2016 This survival RPG focuses initially on building
up your fully-customizable housing and resources in this era of knights and kings.
The entire open world will be able to be terraformed in a method similar to that of Minecraft.
Looting is also present.
The major calling card here is the non-target based combat system, especially in melee combat.
The damage you do will depend on the attack's direction,
type of attack, weapon speed, and weapon mass, causing real-time calculations that determine
damage.
Combos, blocks, and other aspects of combat will also impact each conflict.
You'll have to buy the game to get started, but after it will be free to play and the
game will enable you to host a local server.
Life is Feudal is available for early access on Steam now, and the MMO beta is targeted
for mid-2016 for PC.
World Of Speed � PC / TBA If it's cars you want, then World of Speed
is where you go.
This free-to-play racing MMO from Slightly Mad Studio features street-based racing events
that allow you to team up with others.
It's not always just about your time, because your teammates' times and your ability to
complete specific challenges during the race will have the same impact on whether your
team wins or loses.
You'll be able to join various Motor Clubs comprised of other players, and can stake
your claim to a particular circuit by earning a clubhouse.
Other events include Destruction Derbies and Territory Wars on four different track styles
spanning Drift, Sprint, Circuit, and Drag racing.
Customization of cars and famous locations such as London add to the arcade feel of the
game, but it is geared for a multiplayer-only experience.
World of Speed's beta was released at the end of 2014, and will be out for PC in late
2015 with the potential to be moved to console gaming in the future.
The Repopulation � PC / TBA Set in a futuristic universe, players will
have to learn their DNA advantages quickly to survive in Plymouth City.
The city is a new human settlement on a distant planet, but cloning and arguments over the
science of people have split the city into three factions.
Of course, if you think you have enough of a following, you can always create your own
Rogue Nation.
Players will have multi-level mission to complete that change depending on how they've built
their character.
And they will be able to own cities and set how each city views another faction.
You'll be able to specify which kind of missions you prefer receiving, as well.
You can harvest, work through diplomacy, or simply fight your way to more power.
There are two ways to fight: The traditional RPG mode presents your typical battle experience,
but more skilled players may drift towards Action Mode and it's first-person shooter
feel.
Pets, vehicles, and one-time emergencies that pop up at random times promise to keep the
game fresh.
The Repopulation's official site says there is no set release date, but mid-to-late 2015
is when the developers expect to ship it out.
EQ Next � PC, PS4 / TBA Our last title is a continuation of the popular
EverQuest series.
Daybreak, formerly known as Sony Entertainment Online, says EverQuest Next is the biggest
addition to the franchise in what they're claiming is the biggest sandbox MMORPG ever.
Over 10,000 years of history will be available for exploration or destruction in the fully-destructible
environment, and your decisions will bring permanent change upon the world.
Traditional classes can be mixed, so if you want something like a teleporting barbarian
than it might be possible.
Choices on real-time events will impact the world around you, such as saving a burning
village.
Built on the ForgeLight Engine, the same basis for Planetside 2, motion blur and HDR lighting
are just some of the graphical improvements you can hope for.
There's also a connection with LandMark, a sandbox that allows you to build nearly anything
you want and battle with it.
Daybreak has hinted that some player-made objects in the game may make their way into
EverQuest Next, since it's built on the same LandMark sandbox.
It will be free to play on PCs and is currently in closed beta, and has received additional
developer support in recent months.
Gamers are hoping for a 2016 release date.
Wrap Up Whether it's exploration, combat, deception,
diplomacy, or whatever else you want to try, the coming months look to provide a chance
for you to play it with thousands of other gamers.
MMOs have a reputation for deep backgrounds and rich environments that open your imagination,
and it appears developers have become more willing to try and stand out in what is a
saturated market for PC gamers.
We'll be watching to see if any make their way to mainstream consoles, along with new
crossover developments like first-person combat and real-time simulation.
One thing is for sure: Our imaginations will be better off engaging with each new universe.
What are your favorite upcoming MMOs?
Let us know in the comments and subscribe to the skilled channel for more cool upcoming
games previews.