The studio Singularity 6, founded by former employees of Riot Games and Blizzard, is developing a new MMO. It follows a very social concept and seems to be well received.
What is the new studio planning? The developers of the new MMO have set a special goal for their game. They want to put the social aspect in the foreground.
For them, the sense of community in MMORPGs like WoW or Ultima Online was the important thing, not the game itself. They want to capture this sense of community with their new work.
The MMO is set in a future where technology has brought players together rather than isolating them.
“Today, there is too much focus on action-heavy combat”
How is the MMORPG structured? According to its own statements, the MMO has been inspired by games like “Animal Crossing”, “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild”, and “Stardew Valley”.
With their game, the developers want to simulate a social world in which players enjoy diving in and spending time together. One should experience the best anecdotes from other MMOs without being in fierce competition with each other.
For this, new technologies are to be used that make such a “social simulation” possible.
Founder Anthony Leung told Gamesindustry.biz about their idea:
The gaming industry has generally focused strongly on action-oriented, competitive games. […] With our first product, we want to create something that perhaps only contains a few competitive elements.
However, there is a real chance that we will succeed in a market that is under-supplied due to low competition.
What is the target audience for the game? The second founder, Aidan Karabaich, hopes that the MMO will also attract many female gamers. The reason appears to be the positive atmosphere that the game radiates:
Because we know that we want to build a really strong and positive community, we can align our decisions accordingly.
The game is not meant to be a Second Life 2.0, as Singularity 6 focuses on good gameplay. However, the developers have not been very concrete so far, as the MMO is still in a very early stage of development.
Are there any plans for release and monetization? In September 2018, the founders briefly spoke about plans for monetization. They want to find a good balance between their own revenue and a good experience for the players.
They also plan to have an Early Access for their MMO.
16.5 million dollars for the project
How is the development currently progressing? The studio Singularity 6 was founded in early 2018 and currently has 10 employees. 9 more positions are already advertised.
Early on, the company received a financial boost of 2.5 million dollars from London Venture Partners, which also invests in Unity.
Yesterday, the studio announced that 16.5 million dollars have already been invested in the company.
What do you think of the idea of a social and positive MMO? Would you play such a game or do you need the competitive aspect?
