Ghosts 'n Goblins Online!

[OB1]

From Games Are Fun:

Super! Ghouls 'n Ghosts Online!
Capcom and Game Factory recently announced that they are working on a Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game set in the Makaimura universe (that's Ghosts 'n Goblines/Ghouls 'n Ghosts in North America) on multiple platforms. Created using the Terazona and Renderware 3D engine, the game will show up first on the PC in the Spring of 2004 with major console version following soon after.

Ghouls 'n Ghosts Online will star the son of the series' hero, Arthur, and 10 other playable characters. Players can choose from one of them and six classes, like knight, vampire, and archer, and battle against hordes of baddies over the internet.

Check out the concept art below, courtesy of The Magic Box. We'll have more soon, so stay tuned.

Hey it's great that they're making a new G&G game, but why the hell is it coming out for the PC first? G&G is a console franchise, and console owners are the ones that will flock to it. But whatever. It's still good news.

[Dark Lord Neo]

Awsome, I loved G&G on the NES
Maybe it's for PC first because of how uncertain the console internet is, users have to pay for X-Box live, PS2's online user base isn't that big yet and nintendo hasn't anounced any online plans yet

[A Black Falcon]

Yeah, read about this yesterday at The Magicbox... it looks intresting, but there sure aren't many details yet...

And I'm sure its coming to PC first because the MMORPG genre is well established and successful there, while in consoles its not and has only been around for a very short time...

[OB1]

But both PS2 and X-Box online plans are doing remarkably well. And since there are so few online games on the PS2 and X-Box compared to the PC, G&G Online would have a much better chance at competiting on the PS2 and X-Box (and GC, since there is only one online game) than it would on the PC. Especially since it's a famous console franchise.

[Great Rumbler]

I wonder if Capcom will port to the GC also. I kind of doubt that they will given Nintendo's uncaring stance on online gaming, but they may, like Sega, decide to go ahead with it anyway.

[Dark Jaguar]

Yes, but there's a marked difference between MMORPGs and every other online game in the universe. That's that everyone is playing the game AT ONCE and linked together across the planet, as opposed to seperate rooms. This means that the server costs are quite high compaired to every other online game, which basically act as matchmakers and then the systems keep the link themselves. This means that there must be a monthly fee to keep the game going, even in XBox live. While the free PS2 games in the US and the XBox live games (which only cost 50 dollars and it's pretty much free after that to play right now) are cheap, paying a monthly fee for ONE game is something that console gamers probably don't want to do. However, it's not like they aren't ever releasing it on the consoles OB1. They are just releasing it on a system with established MMORPG game lovers first, to test whether or not this game will even be popular. THEN they will release it on the consoles to test those waters.

[OB1]

That's not what they said. Capcom basically said that the game is first coming out for the PC and then the consoles. Not "well maybe if it sells well on the PC we'll port it over". They have to start making the console versions at the same time as the PC one unless they want there to be a year delay or something like that. G&G is just more suited for consoles than PCs.