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Dungeons & Litigations: DDO Developer Sues Atari

Nathan Grayson — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 02:04:54 -0500

Atari, you’ve got some ‘splainin’ to do. Or you will, anyway, if Dungeons & Dragons Online developer Turbine’s argument holds any water. The developer alleges that it came home from work one evening, only to find Atari in the arms of another D&D MMO. It seems, then, that trouble’s been brewing for a little while, as you’ll remember that we reported on the rumor of a Neverwinter Nights MMO a few months ago.

Citing what’s presumably that unconfirmed NWN MMO, Turbine has thrown the legal equivalent of a magic missile at Atari, accusing the publisher of fraud, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment. The gist of it goes like this: Atari allegedly planned to “terminate” its agreement with Turbine under false pretenses. Turbine suspected that Atari would “either terminate Turbine as part of a shakedown, or proceed with termination in bad faith to benefit from its own competing product at Turbine's expense.” That “competing product” is, in all likelihood, the NWN MMO.

On top of that, Turbine claims that Atari “failed to devote necessary resources” to Dungeons & Dragons Online, and “breached the agreements by accepting payments - including future royalty payments - in return for extending their relationship and paving the way for the launch of Turbine's free-to-play ‘DDO: Unlimited’ service, though Atari knew it would not perform its obligations under the agreements and knew it would pretextually seek to declare Turbine in breach of the agreements.”

Long story short: things are about to get ugly. How ugly? Well, why don’t you ask 3D Realms and Take-Two? We hear that “breach of contract” stuff flies really well in their parts.

Rumor: Neverwinter Nights MMO in Development

Nathan Grayson — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 03:36:01 -0500

First there was BioWare. Then Obsidian. And now, as the next stop in what’s beginning to look like a tour of the whole Western RPG development scene, the Neverwinter Nights license may be landing at City of Heroes/Villains creator Cryptic Studios.

The rumor comes from Variety’s typically reliable Cut Scene blog, which cites a number of unnamed “sources.” Those same sources believe the game will drop off Cryptic’s increasingly productive MMO assembly line – which also includes Champions Online and Star Trek Online – in 2011. Apparently, the NWN MMO was the deciding factor in Atari’s decision to acquire Cryptic last year. Clearly, whatever form this game takes, it’s gonna be big.

Other than those unconfirmed whispers, not much else is known about the game. So, if NWN Online is real – and not just some cruel joke cooked up by whoever it is that constantly produces bogus videogame industry rumors – would you be interested in playing it?

Neverwinter Nights 2

Cameron Lewis — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 14:57:46 -0600

Is it simple human greed that makes us want more than one life to live? Whether escaping into books, movies, or video games, we as a species spend an enormous amount of time absorbed in fictional realms. Neverwinter Nights became the stuff of user-modification legend, offering an arduous main quest, retail expansions, and innumerable top-drawer community-created adventures. By all rights, its sequel should be a controlled substance.

Like the Dungeons & Dragons v3.5 modules it emulates, this slab of latent addiction is crafted as elaborate forking fiction rather than free-roaming alternate reality. While there are plenty of optional side quests, travel is restricted to markings on the world map. There’s tremendous freedom in building and leveling your avatar, thanks to an array of races, character classes, and abilities, but the world your party is thrust into isn’t so easily manipulated. What you lose in freedom, however, you gain in meaning. The main story might begin too traditionally—a foster child raised in a small burg becomes the unwitting target of powerful unseen forces—and it takes its time gathering a head of steam, but the authorial control that guides more than 60 hours of gameplay gives your actions weight, whether you tirelessly serve justice, exploit the weak, or vacillate from one extreme to the other. Every character has its own attitude, ambitions, and approach; and keeping the gang happy is sometimes more challenging than keeping everyone alive.

FaerÃ»n’s landscape and spell effects are lovely, with trees that wave in the wind, fireballs that explode in brilliant flashes, and a menagerie of nasty beasts to cut down in intricate real-time combat that can be paused at any time. Interiors are still based on tile sets, but the variety of fixtures and detritus that litter the requisite dank tombs and inns keep locations from feeling prefabricated, as they did in the previous game. Unfortunately, for all the barrels, chests, and crates piled about, precious few are interactive, sapping some appeal from exploring every corner of the world. When a mage lets loose a fiery inferno in a troublemaker’s home, the invulnerable surroundings damage the world’s credibility.

As good as it looks, and as enjoyable as it is to craft your own armor, weapons, potions, and other goodies, the equipped items could be more visually interesting. Even powerful items often look plain and unexciting, and seeing only your shoulder pads change color when equipping new armor takes some of the thrill out of collecting loot. This might be a more realistic depiction of medieval flavor, but it’s just not as satisfying seeing a lowly Harborman grow from barely clothed newbie to gleaming engine of destruction.

At its core, Neverwinter Nights 2 is interactive theater: Nobody can act in contravention of the script’s predetermined branches, and the scenery has to survive for the following show. The single-player experience is long and satisfying, a slew of multiplayer options ensure your friends can get in on the action, and you can bet your enchanted long sword there’ll be countless first-class adventures constructed with the powerful free tools included. It’s not without flaws, but the sheer gameplay value here is enormous, and if you’re a fan of old-school RPG story-telling, Neverwinter Nights 2 will keep you adventuring for a good long time.

Month Reviewed: December 2006
+ LAWFUL GOOD: 60-plus hour campaign; excellent creation toolset; huge replay value.
- CHAOTIC EVIL: Largely sterile non-interactive environments; minor camera and cohort management issues.
Verdict: 8
URL: www.nwn2.com