Los Gatos, CA-based online game developer Cryptic Studios is coming out of a slightly difficult period, in which the company launched two MMOs to less-than-stellar reactions from critics and many fans.
Of recently released PC MMOs Star Trek Online and Champions Online, says Cryptic Studios COO Jack Emmert in this new Gamasutra interview, "It's not that I thought the quality wasn't up to par, it's the customers and critics and everybody else, right?"
Emmert is co-founder of Cryptic, which was acquired by Atari in 2008. Since then, the studio's games have become a lynchpin in its parent's online strategy. Emmert also worked on the design of the company's first two games, NCsoft-owned MMOs City of Heroes and City of Villains.
He now is helping to guide the developer into a new era, he says, focused on quality and, in a surprise move, a new title that's not an MMO at all: the Dungeons & Dragons license-based PC co-op RPG Neverwinter.
Cryptic Studios announced with a press release that more of its veteran developers have returned to the studio following tenures elsewhere.
The MMO studio says it’s “unifying legacy expertise with fresh perspectives”
"Cryptic Studios and Gearbox Publishing are today very happy and excited to announce that "Neverwinter: Menzoberranzan" (Neverwinter’s 25th module) is now available for PC (via Steam), Xbox (via the Microsoft, and Playstation via digital stores (as announced at Wizards of the Coast’s Dungeons & Dragons Direct 2023 showcase)." - Jonas Ek, TGG.
It's for that online game, correct? I always wanted to see the drows home from Drizzt's books, I've read those years ago, but I never could fully imagine it from text alone. Looks a bit bright compared to what I remember how it was described, but I'm guessing that's for gameplay reasons.
