The MMORPG expert Raph Koster has founded a new company. Together with some veterans from MMORPGs like Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies, Koster wants to give it another go. He is building a new MMO.
Who is Raph Koster? Raph Koster (48 years old) was the lead designer of Ultima Online (released in 1997) and the creative director of Star Wars Galaxies (2003).
The two games, together with Everquest (1999), form what can be considered the “Holy Trinity of MMORPGs.” They are among the major pioneers of the genre.
The sandbox MMORPGs, Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies, were characterized by granting players more freedom than “theme park MMORPGs” like WoW (2004) or Final Fantasy XIV (2010) later did.
Koster has distinguished himself in recent years by acting as a kind of pioneer and theorist in MMORPGs. He explained the principles behind online role-playing games and sees parallels between new “games as a service” titles like Destiny and the MMOs.
In his view, today’s popular games like PUBG, Fortnite, GTA Online, Destiny, Red Dead Online, or Fallout 76 are essentially MMOs at their core.
There is no doubt that MMOs are back, and more diverse than ever. They are just called differently today, he said on Twitter.
Koster frequently appears at conferences and is someone whose words carry weight.
New MMORPG has $2.7 million in investment
This is what Koster is doing now: He has founded the new company “Playable Worlds.” They have already raised $2.7 million in investments to create a new game.
Koster’s team consists, according to Venturebeat, of veterans who collectively have many decades of experience at companies such as Disney, Marvel, or Sony Online Entertainment.
These are people who have developed games like Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies.
This is known about the new game:
- It is supposed to be a sandbox world
- It should offer many features from sandbox MMOs that people like and are already proven
- The game should use a new brand
- It should appeal to as many types of players as possible
- It will use modern technologies like AI, cloud, and simulation
An investor also states that the new project will bring “community interactions” to new levels.
The $2.7 million is the founding money, it is not the full budget of the new game.
This is what Koster says:
We have a team in place. These are veterans, many of whom I have worked with before. As you might guess, we will create a massive multiplayer world where all players come together and find ways to play.
No matter if they like to explore, go on adventures, team up with others, or play PvP. It is a sandbox world, it supports many ways to play.
Now, as the trend is so heavily leaning towards “MMO-like games,” Koster felt it was time to return. He wants to complete the circle. After all, he initiated some of the trends that are popular today many years ago.
The title image is from the Raph Koster’s homepage.
