Looking to the Past, To Find the Future of the MMO

There isn’t a better place to find the paramount components of roleplay, than in our own history. The struggle to survive and overcome odds as people and communites band together can all be found in an upcoming MMORPG Frontier 1859, set in the American West.

Computer gaming has been growing by leaps and bounds the past several years. Millions of people across the world are spending more and more time entertaining themselves with console and PC based games of all styles and genres. The fastest growing sector of this market, though, has been the Massively Multiplayer Online Roll Playing Games (MMORPG). These MMORPG’s are huge interactive worlds where hundreds of thousands, sometimes millions, of people interact and work together or against eachother to achieve their goals. One very successful example is Blizzard’s World of Warcraft, the most successful MMO to date with over 6 million subscribers.

The market, though, is still in its infancy. Publishers and gaming companies haven’t even begun to tap the possibilities and potential that these type of “social” games can have. One company, Cosmic Origins Studio headed by Daniel McMillan, looks to take the genre to the next level.

Frontier 1859 looks to be a revolutionary new concept for the MMORPG genre. The game is set in the American West, circa 1859, during the Silver Rush in Nevada. Every detail and facet of the time period is being observed and included to produce a historical accuracy that will allow even the most fervent of history buffs to be able to immerse themselves in this new “old world”.

Imagine being able to look across the vast, unaltered lands of the American West; knowing that you and your companions can set your own destiny and tame this new frontier. In my opinion, the gaming experience doesn’t get much better than that.

There is more to the game then just open plains, though. One of the most attractive features of Frontier 1859 is the community and social experience the game will offer. Players will have to work together with other players and form communities to achieve their goals and tame the frontier. From the Frontier 1859 home page:

Frontier 1859 will present a different kind of dynamic, departing from static persistence and focusing on the development of dynamic persistence. This means that player effort can affect and change the world around them. Players may focus on helping or hindering each other’s survival in a harsh environment. Communities can create their own laws (or lawlessness) and enforce them (or not). Frontier 1859 will model many of the same conditions people faced in 1859.

A dynamic skill-curve system will balance fair play for new gamers, as well as intricate involvement for more ambitious gamers. The “Dynamic Conscience System"™ will pit the morally obligated against the cunning gang who would take all without asking. Claim land, build settlements, establish a reputation, raise a family, or go it alone in the challenge to survive. Frontier 1859 will test your character, ingenuity, and resourcefulness against lawlessness, cruelty, fortune, and justice.

The concept for Frontier 1859 has been in the works for a couple of years now and already has a very large and devoted community. The Frontier 1859 community has been very involved in the ideas and concepts for the game and continues to voice their opinions, praise, and support for the project. Frontier 1859 is currently in pre-production and is in the process of securing funding to move to the next stage.

Cosmic Origins has also proposed a very interesting idea for funding regarding a community approach. Their “Funded by Gamers, for Gamers” concept has drawn a lot of attention from the community and press and could change the way community driven MMORPG projects are funded. Learn more about the Frontier 1859 “Funded by Gamers, for Gamers” membership program.

I know that I’m very excited about this game. Not only because i’m a gamer and history buff who would enjoy playing, but also because I know what a game like this can do for the entire MMORPG genre.

Visit the Official Frontier 1859 Site

Read the latest interview with Daniel McMillan on GamerGod

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Previous Comments

1. This is exciting. Our household has been playing level-grinder fantasy games for too long. I see they have put up some new GUI art, and a new web-site, and I like the video. All good things take time, and I’m glad that they have stuck to their word and are hanging in their until they acquire full production funding. That is true grit.

   Posted by Uber Pwner  on  03/28/06  at  10:49 AM

2. I wouldn’t get too excited about this game yet.  They’ve been talking about it, for a couple of years but I don’t see anything *but* talk on the forums.  The “Funded by Gamers, for Gamers” idea rocks, but so far they’ve raised $1090.  Only $9,998,910 to go.

   Posted by Gamer Dude  on  03/18/06  at  12:03 AM