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As we
waltz into the winter months of 2009, many predictions are still
being made as to what shape the industry might take by this year's
end.  With a fairly diverse group of new MMOGs set to ship
sometime this year, we're certainly seeing a shift away from the common
fantasy-based settings that currently dominate the market.



Another trend looming just over the horizon is the rise of the console
MMOG.  While href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/52113">some
might remain skeptical that this
will ever
be embraced by a larger audience, this week Reuben
“Sardu” Waters takes a closer look at the concept,
specifically at how Champions Online could very well be the game that
ushers in a new era for the industry.

Ever since Cryptic
first entered the nutty world of MMOG development in
2000, they've consistently taken the industry in new
directions.  While many of their peers were focused on
sharpening virtual swords and scribbling down spellbook code for
fantasy settings, Cryptic went and pulled a super hero rabbit out of
their hat.  href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/140">City
of Heroes not only offered a
unique take on
the concept of online RPGs, but raised the bar for character
customization so high that it still hasn't been surpassed nearly five
years later.

href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/61241">Read
the rest of Cryptic, Champions and the Console MMOG here!