Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Q&A

WarCry has cranked out a new two-page Q&A with EA Mythic’s Josh Drescher and Justin Webb about the launch delay, long-term appeal, and individuality aspect of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning.

WarCry: While most of the focus in the genre has been on WoW, only one MMOG has launched in the last couple years and had any kind of success. What have you guys learned from the recent history of this genre to make sure your game succeeds?

EA Mythic: Well, I suppose the first thing I’d have to say is that I disagree with the assertion that only one MMO in the past couple of years has experienced success. The fact of the matter is that the VAST majority of MMOs – both pre and post-WoW – made money and continue to make money today. To be sure, there have been failures here and there, but we’re a shockingly profitable genre overall. UO has been around for a DECADE and continues to make money. DAoC has been around for over six years and it continues to make money. And while I can’t speak for our noble competitors, but I’d be deeply surprised to hear that any of them are keeping games active that aren’t profitable in some fashion. So while it’s true that in the Western markets only WoW has achieved WoW-like numbers (thus far), it’s a mistake to regard that as the sole measure success.

With that being said, the Number One Lesson WoW Has Taught Us All â„¢ is that you cannot, under any circumstances, launch a buggy, incomplete or unpolished product. It’s as simple as that and, to be honest, it’s great for the entire genre that it happened. Players deserve complete, polished products. They deserve fully-realized gaming experiences. They deserve stability. People who play MMORPGs are passionate, dedicated, engaged and willing to give just about anything a chance. Recognize that, respect that and then deliver a game that isn’t crap and you’ll be rewarded by the fans.

Which is why we’re taking the extra time necessary to make sure that WAR delivers on its promises and rewards the good faith and abundant energy of the fans. They’ve given us the opportunity to succeed and we’re not going to let them down.