The ambitious MMORPG Chronicles of Elyria parts ways with the innovative technology SpatialOS and ends the collaboration. The head of the MMORPG states, however, that a more cost-effective alternative to the wonder technology has been found.
SpatialOS is a platform that aims to enable even small teams to create gigantic worlds.
The idea is that multiple servers work together to represent a vast virtual game world that is alive and populated by countless players and NPCs. The player should not notice when they switch from server to server in the background.
SpatialOS – Technology should allow small teams to fulfill big MMO dreams
This technology “SpatialOS” caused a stir in May 2017 after investors poured money into it, elevating the value of the startup behind it to 1 billion USD.
The implicit promise of Improbable, the company behind SpatialOS, is: We are taking MMOs to new, exciting shores. We are ushering in the next-gen. Developers should create great, ambitious games – and we make sure with our technology that these dreams become reality.
On the website, the message to gaming studios is: What will you build now that your design dreams have finally become achievable?
Miracle canceled – Chronicles of Elyria can’t afford it
An MMORPG that relied on SpatialOS is Chronicles of Elyria. The MMORPG has huge ambitions but only a relatively limited budget, around 3.5 million USD.
Chronicles of Elyria reports that they began transforming their game into an evolving online world in January 2017. They relied on SpatialOS and Unreal Engine 4. However, they then realized that not all game elements would work with this structure.
Additionally, there are concerns that it would be too expensive to use SpatialOS in the long term. They do not want to pass on the increased hosting costs to the players. The high costs are due to the enormous size of Chronicles of Elyria and specific peculiarities of the game.
They tried to solve these problems together with Improbable, but it was unsuccessful. Therefore, Chronicles of Elyria has parted ways with SpatialOS.
Head says: “We found an alternative” – fans skeptical
The head of Chronicles of Elyria praises Improbable and their technology in the highest terms. For their game in this specific case, however, SpatialOS is not the right solution.
In a blog post, the head of Chronicles of Elyria explains the process in detail and states, that in the end, they found an alternative that delivers everything that SpatialOS offers.
Even if the head of the game downplays the transition, concerned reactions can be found in the community. For instance, some express their concerns on the US site Massively Overpowered. They say, they only supported Chronicles of Elyria because of SpatialOS – and are disappointed by how it has turned out now.
Some fear that Chronicles of Elyria will turn out to be a Kickstarter flop.
Doubt regarding the realization of crowdfunded MMORPGs with huge ambitions
The new development comes after concerns had already emerged at the end of 2017 about whether Chronicles of Elyria can achieve its lofty ambitions with the budget it has. A search for an investor or publisher was apparently unsuccessful.
Other games relying on SpatialOS include MMOs like
All these games are considered ambitious – although there are doubts as to whether these games can realize their visions with the budget.
Mein-MMO says: That sounds strange. SpatialOS seems like the “next big thing in MMO gaming.” Many people are banking their hopes on it. And it seems that everything is in order – unlike some Kickstarter dreams.
At Improbable, more than 200 people are currently working – they have studios in London, Washington, and San Francisco. The value of the work at Improbable can be seen in the investors’ confidence: 502 million USD was paid for less than 50% of the company. This confidence in Improbable transfers to small MMORPG teams that collaborate with the company.
Some small teams dream of large, vibrant worlds and finance themselves through Kickstarter. Here, the trust of the backers in the developers is crucial. They could refer doubters to SpatialOS. This option is no longer available to Chronicles of Elyria.
The notion that Chronicles of Elyria can now forgo SpatialOS without compromises seems… optimistic.
One can only hope for Chronicles of Elyria that the separation from SpatialOS is not a big deal but rather a result of technical necessities, as stated by the head of the game.
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