14 DAY TRIAL // John Smedley, the leader of Sony Online Entertainment, says that the unannounced MMO he has been teasing will not use either Wild West or science fiction themes when it launches, although it will be familiar to fans of other titles from the company.
The developer explains via his Twitter feed that SF is not being used because it is not equally popular all over the world, with China cited as an example of a market where it would impede an MMO rather than help it.
This directly contradicts an earlier statement from Smedley, in which he explained that fans of Star Wars Galaxies would find plenty to like in the coming game experience.
He suggested that his team was aiming to replicate mechanics rather than themes and that it would deliver town building, bases controlled entirely by players, extensive crafting and complex social interactions.
Smedley has also said that he likes a show called Revolution, which talks about a world where all energy sources are gone, and that the post-apocalypse is a good setting for an MMO.
At the same time, the developer hinted that the new title would be free-to-play, because subscription fees were part of the past of the genre and were not needed to sustain a game in the long term.
It’s not yet clear when Sony Online Entertainment might officially reveal its new game, although E3 2014 could be a good bet.
At the moment, the company is focused on delivering MMO content for the PlayStation 4 and that might mean that the mysterious titles will only be launched on the next-gen console.
By the end of the year, both DC Universe Online and Planetside 2 are expected to have PS4 versions, although Sony has said it has no plans to make it possible to play with those who have the PS3 or PC versions.