GAMES MMO EVOLVED Trion Worlds redefines The massively mulTiplayer The release last year of massively multi-player online PC game RIFT propelled Trion Worlds, Inc. into the top echelon of MMO publishers. Both critically and popularly acclaimed, RIFT dominated the MMO space— and it stands poised to extend the genre once again with its brand-new expansion RIFT: Storm Legion. As Executive Producer Scott Hartsman explains, the expansion’s focus is storytelling. “We’re enhancing a new gameplay type called ‘Instant Adventure’ in order to make MMOs what they really should be,” says Hartsman. Instant Adventure builds on RIFT’s existing gameplay and encourages players to complete adventure chains cooperatively, without the need for formal groups. Furthermore, small on-demand dungeons called Chronicles enable solo players and small groups to see a level of content usually reserved for larger, 20-person raids. Along with these storycentric features, Storm Legion brings players two new continents, 10 new levels, 100-player End of Nations | 18 | www.e3expo.com | JUNe 6, 2012 “Behemoth” boss fights, guild houses, and all the crafting, mounts, gear, abilities and quests that they have come to expect. Trion Worlds has not announced a launch date for Storm Legion, but demos are available on the <strong>E3</strong> show floor. Not satisfied with innovating solely within the MMO genre, Trion Worlds also extends the genre through its creation of MMO/ real-time-strategy hybrid End of Nations. Due out on PC later in 2012, the game takes place on Earth after a global financial collapse. The United Nations has gone from a <strong>media</strong>ting body to an oppressive regime, and two powerful factions rise to fight it—and each other—for the right to determine the future of humanity. Players choose from four classes: Spartan, Patriot, Phantom and Wraith, defined by their use of long-range weapons, stealth, heavy firepower or hitand-run tactics. Unprecedented unit customization allows players to tailor their companies to precisely fit their individual play styles, not to mention dominate during the game’s epic-scale 56-player battles. By combining the persistence, customization and social aspects of an MMO with the action of an RTS, End of Nations promises a uniquely strategic MMO experience. Trion Worlds’ third upcoming MMO gives new meaning to the word “multiplatform.” Defiance, developed in partnership with the SyFy Channel, aims to create a synergy between an online game and a television show—the likes of which neither industry has ever seen. Defiance unfolds in the nearfuture, on an Earth floundering in the aftermath of a universal war. Beset by alien refugees, humanity struggles to rebuild its fractured society in a threatening and unfamiliar world. The game combines the community tools and visceral action of a shooter with the persistence, scale and customization of an MMO. Both the game and the television show RIFT: Storm Legion Defiance (with cast members hailing from hit series like True Blood, Dexter, and Warehouse 13) will evolve together over time to create a compelling new cross-platform entertainment experience. As Defiance Senior Producer Rob Hill puts it, “The goal of Defiance is that if people participate in both the game and television show, they get a much deeper and more immersive experience into the whole universe.” Defiance’s release date is not set, but Trion Worlds is presenting “Arkfalls,” the centerpiece of the game’s dynamic content system, at its <strong>E3</strong> booth. Trion World’s new properties at <strong>E3</strong> demonstrate the company’s willingness to constantly innovate and re-imagine the MMO gamespace. RIFT’s new Instant Adventure capabilities, the compelling MMO/RTS combination of End of Nations, and the jawdropping cross-platform concept of Defiance are likely to earn Trion World even more accolades in the years to come.
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