Gods and Heroes: Short Term Memories
by: Tony "RadarX" Jones
It seems like just months ago I saw Gods and Heroes for the first time at an E3 demonstration. Wait, that was just a few months ago. I had been taken in to SOE's very swanky booth to get my tour of what EverQuest 2 and Vanguard had to show. After the demonstration I snuck over and peered over a few shoulders to see Gods and Heroes. The graphics were I'll admit, astounding and cutting edge compared to everything else I saw at E3. A lot of people were won over by what they saw. A number of events have transpired in 2006, so lets take a look at some of the significant ones.
Perpetual finds a Publisher - Feb 2006
It's always good/necessary to have someone willing to publish your game, and in this case Sony Online Entertainment stepped up to the plate. I know, some people have negative feelings towards SOE, but you have to admit, they've got the history and the cash, so why not? It was clarified later on that SOE would be doing the publishing only and Perpetual will retain all other duties of maintenance and billing. This was just the beginning, and marked a major milestone in development.
How will the relationship work out? Is Perpetual wise in running their own servers? We'll find out as 2007 presses on!
Gods and Heroes Revealed - May 2006
E3, the mecca of all that is video games, was in full swing this year. It was here that Gods and Heroes showed itself to thousands through a demo running non-stop at the SOE booth. It displayed it's incredible graphics engine which far surpassed anything else most of us saw in LA. Seeing a demonstration of the combat system complete with opponents grappling each other was truly interesting to watch.
Alot of buzz was generated after E3 for Gods and Heroes and we'll be interested to see what they bring to E3 in 2007.
The Steig Hedlund Interview Tour - May - Dec 2006
Steig Hedlund, Design Director for Gods and Heroes, has been making the rounds getting the word out about Gods and Heroes. Answering questions about game play, promoting the positives of the game, and keeping Perpetual in the news have been par for the course this year. Whether enlightening us on skill trees, the level cap, or quests, Steig has answered more questions than Batman talking to the Riddler.
I think it'd be safe to say we'll see plenty more interviews from him about Gods and Heroes and I expect as we move closer to release he'll reveal more information.
Personnel Changes - December 2006
Perpetual saw some tumultous changes this month with their personnel. First, Community Manager Deodatus said a fond farewell and went to pursue life as a game designer. Everyone wished him well, and hopes he enjoys his new job, but someone as involved as he was will be very difficult to replace. While nothing has been mentioned about someone else stepping in, Binky has been doing a great job in his stead.
It's also worth nothing a number of employees were laid off at Perpetual this month. Rumors abound to which game they were on, and who was affected, but one thing was made clear: The game will be delayed for certain until the 3rd quarter of 2007. While a number of people will be disappointed, I'm sure we'd all agree a completed game is better than a rushed game.
What is to Come? - 2007
What can we expect in the coming year? For starters, a beta. We'll get a look at how the game is going, what the classes are like, and specific game mechanics we've all been asking about. We'll also hopefully see the game released and on shelves in the coming months, to the anticipation of many fans. Gods and Heroes is a unique MMO taking a very unusual route in a lot of its development. It's going to be one of the most interesting games released in 2007.
