Cryptic abandons Champions Online for consoles
MMO makers talks of "100%" focus on PC products as 360 version dropped
Plans for an Xbox 360 version of massively multiplayer online (MMO) game Champions Online have been halted, according to new comments from Cryptic Studios co-founder and COO Jack Emmert.
A post on the company's official forum, under the name Jackalop, sated that: "100% of our focus is on making the current PC product the best it can be."
The comment was made in response to the departure of Champions Online producer Bill Roper and specifically to comments from PC users enquiring after the 360 version - many hoping that further resources would not be expended on it.
Speaking in a recent Big Freaks podcast Emmert again ruled out the possibility of a console version in the short or medium term and implied that that company had no immediate plans for console development of any kind.
In October 2009 Star Trek Online producer Craig Zinkievich told sister site Eurogamer that: "I'll be honest, the business part of bringing MMOs to consoles has been really sticky".
"Trying to get Sony, trying to get Microsoft to really understand MMOs; really understand what needs to happen for MMOs, and then figure out all the business aspects of those games, has really been a difficulty for all of the MMO developers," he added.
However, other MMO developers have been more optimistic about console development, with Monumental Games' Rik Alexander revealing that the company was currently in talks with a major North American publisher for a console MMO.
"I think it'll be 2-3 years before the main players, or rather the normal players get into it," said Alexander speaking exclusively to gamesindustry.biz. "But we want to just be part of the solution, so we'll be 2-3 years into knowing about console MMOs before anybody else thinks about it."
Although MMOs are almost unknown on consoles, Square Enix has had considerable success with Final Fantasy XI and recently unveiled a follow-up in the form of Final Fantasy XIV.
Sony Online Entertainment is also planning DC Universe Online for both PlayStation 3 and PC and has suggested that all of its other future titles will see a console release at some point.