Epic Games is considering a constant internet connection requirement for upcoming PC-exclusive, Fortnite. The implementation of such a system would follow in the footsteps of Blizzard with Diablo III and Ubisoft with... well, pretty much everything it's released on a PC.
Producer Tanya Jessen said in an interview with Rock Paper Shotgun that the always-online requirement is still very much a possibility - but would only be included if deemed necessary to improve the game, not as a piracy deterrent.
"That’s something we don’t know yet," Jessen said. “It’s gonna be really dependent on gameplay, and it’s also dependent on platform – the method of getting updates and stuff like that. So I can’t say for sure today one way or another [whether or not we're going to use it]."
Fortnite, announced last week, is the first game to take advantage of Epic's Unreal 4 Engine, and focuses on co-operative tower-building play. During the day, players work together to build structures. When night time occurs, you need to defend your work against an army of zombies and other cartoony-looking undead foes. It's a little bit of Minecraft mixed with Left 4 Dead, in an art style that reminds us of Plants vs Zombies and Team Fortress.
"Fortnite is a game that’s being developed as a co-op experience primarily. That’s our number one focus. This is a game you’re gonna want to play with your friends, and it’s most fun with your friends. So whatever we decide to do there is gonna be more relevant to the most fun experience you can have with your friends [than it is to piracy]. But I can’t nail that down today."
If we were to collectively chime in at SPOnG here, we'd say that an always-online requirement in a PC game is pretty much one of the worst, self-defeating things a developer could do. If Epic decides to go down this route, let's hope it's not expecting us all to pay top dollar for the game itself.
It's a shame, because the game looks good.
Source: Rock Paper Shotgun
Producer Tanya Jessen said in an interview with Rock Paper Shotgun that the always-online requirement is still very much a possibility - but would only be included if deemed necessary to improve the game, not as a piracy deterrent.
"That’s something we don’t know yet," Jessen said. “It’s gonna be really dependent on gameplay, and it’s also dependent on platform – the method of getting updates and stuff like that. So I can’t say for sure today one way or another [whether or not we're going to use it]."
Fortnite, announced last week, is the first game to take advantage of Epic's Unreal 4 Engine, and focuses on co-operative tower-building play. During the day, players work together to build structures. When night time occurs, you need to defend your work against an army of zombies and other cartoony-looking undead foes. It's a little bit of Minecraft mixed with Left 4 Dead, in an art style that reminds us of Plants vs Zombies and Team Fortress.
"Fortnite is a game that’s being developed as a co-op experience primarily. That’s our number one focus. This is a game you’re gonna want to play with your friends, and it’s most fun with your friends. So whatever we decide to do there is gonna be more relevant to the most fun experience you can have with your friends [than it is to piracy]. But I can’t nail that down today."
If we were to collectively chime in at SPOnG here, we'd say that an always-online requirement in a PC game is pretty much one of the worst, self-defeating things a developer could do. If Epic decides to go down this route, let's hope it's not expecting us all to pay top dollar for the game itself.
It's a shame, because the game looks good.
Source: Rock Paper Shotgun
Companies:
Epic Games
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Comments
DrkStr 19 Jul 2012 12:10
1/1
an always-online requirement in a PC game is pretty much one of the worst, self-defeating things a developer could do
Hasn't hurt World of Warcraft.
Horse for courses and all that.