Civilization Online, a Korea MMO by XL-Games, will feature elements of an MMO, but not the persistent, existing world that many associate with an MMO.
XLGames is working on a Civilization Online. Unlike the strategy series from Firaxis, the player will not control the fate of their people from a god-like position but will only be a part of the machine that lubricates the world axle.
In an interview with the US site mmorpg.com, the developers from XLGames explained that although Civilization Online is an MMO, it will not be a direct “successor” to ArcheAge, their first MMO. The special feature of Civ Online will be the so-called “Session Play”. Complete games will be played, which will either end in a defeat or a success experience for the players.
Sid Meyer is said to be very fond of the project, according to XLGames, and they are working together with 2k and T2 to advance the Civilization franchise.
The player can contribute to the success of their faction in Civ Online either as a “Fighter” or a “Non-Fighter”. They can easily switch between the individual classes. There is no housing in the sense, but it is a “large project” that belongs to everyone. While quests will be available in Civ Online, they will not have the same dimensions as in World of Warcraft. In PvE, resources such as wool or gold could be earned. However, it is not necessarily required to participate in that.
When asked about ArcheAge, the developers respond that they have learned a lot from the difficult launch of ArcheAge and have built a fan base with ArcheAge that loves the game and supports XLGames as a company.
After the great success of the first closed beta phase in Korea, other publishers have already inquired with XLGames about the possibility of a port to other countries. However, XLGames wants to focus on the domestic market first and will address a possible port (also to the West) later in the year.
Mein MMO says: It seems that XLGames, as can be inferred between the lines, does not necessarily have MMO or MMORPG players as its target audience, but rather wants to attract Civilization fans, turn-based strategy players and fans of such casual Facebook games as a new target audience that might feel put off by the core mechanics of an MMORPG.
This is a trend that some have anticipated. A kind of “MMOification” of the gaming market, as an MMO with ongoing monetization is a highly lucrative business model for many developers. We will see how the game develops. We in the West will probably only be confronted with it in a few years, if at all.
