Your Next: That's No Moon
Titan sort-of-but-never was a thing, so why should we care?
When logging into a new MMO for the first time, among the complaints about server issues and general vitriol, I would be willing to wager five whole American Dollars that the global chat channels would feature some kind of argument about World of Warcraft. Even if the argument is about exactly how bad it is, or how much abuse its players deserve, even the redundant ‘WoW-Killer’ discussion (yes, some people still think that’s a thing), I guarantee it’ll come up.
Why shouldn’t it? The MMO landscape has been shaped and sculpted by the existence of one game for so long, it’s been distorted to the point where some feel it’s the only shape that’s even possible. It’s shaped not just the games that have been made, but the very context in which we consider them, even before we really know anything about them.
As it turns out, it could be that even the progenitors of the World they call Warcraft think this may be the case.
Alright, it doesn’t mean that at all, but what can we do in the face of stark, complicated reality other than reach for a more comfortable narrative our brains can latch onto? With that in mind, let’s distort and anthropomorphise a corporate process of research and development in order to validate our emotional response to a product that was never officially announced.
Alright, you don’t have to—I’m just trying to drag you down to my level.
Titan got canned, that’s the long and the short of it. For the past seven years or so, Blizzard – owner-operator of the most successful and significant massively multiplayer property to date and quite possibly forever – decided that their next foray into the arena wasn’t shaping up to be something they really wanted to move forward with.
After seven whole years. Such is the position of power and privilege Blizzard enjoys.
They’re comfortable doing what they’ve been successful with, making widely accessible and wonderfully polished multiplayer games. If nothing else we have to thank Blizzard for demonstrating there is a huge market for these types of games, not only keeping them relevant but propelling them into the public consciousness. I wonder how many games we enjoy would never have existed without World of Warcraft being in the right place at the right time? On the other hand, how many never got made because of it, or were forced into a mold they didn’t quite fit? Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown, or so I’m told.
What does all of this mean for EverQuest Next and Landmark? I hear you cry, rolling your eyes as you humor my deranged need to express my thoughts on topics like these.
I’m glad you asked, I only wish I had a more interesting answer for you.
Honestly, despite a feeling that Titan would be hot on the heels of EQN as a ‘next-gen’ MMO, and fears from those with long memories that Blizzard would again ‘refine’ a concept that EverQuest began, there’s no way to know for sure.
There were rumors that parts of Titan were scrapped or changed in the wake of leaked EQN info, while other sources claimed that Titan was shaping up to be more like Destiny meets The Sims, and some even thought it was WoW 2. All of these feel far fetched, which I suppose makes it plausible that they would hit a dead end early. It also means it’s plausible that all of these thoughts and ideas have been kicked around or at least vocalized at Blizzard over the years, along with many, many more. Like making an online trading card game, or following the trend of Warcraft nostalgia products to its logical conclusion.
Ultimately, it doesn’t change the goals of EverQuest Next and Landmark. As we’ve said many times, and as SOE is becoming more and more confident in asserting, these games are meant to be new kinds of experiences. The most recent use of this message was in Lead Content Designer Steve Danuser's blog post about the role of the gods in Norrath, he calls EQN 'a whole new kind of game' and he is clearly excited about what they’re up to.
It’s one thing to borrow heavily from the design of another game, or distill key elements into a more streamlined and user-friendly package, but recreating the process of how EQN and Landmark are being built? I’m not sure it could be replicated in a way that would leave room for any dignity on the part of those who would attempt it. It would be too obvious, surely?
I’m sure if EQN were to enjoy a similar level of success as WoW that some would try, but I don’t believe Titan was ever a pretender.
I believe Titan was about the same things EQN and Landmark are about—trying to take the idea of an MMO or persistent virtual world to the next level. It’s for that reason I’m a little sad that nothing will come of it. I’ll think about it the next time I cave to the peer pressure and download yet another also-ran, and I’ll smile as I read the inevitable and damning comparisons. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that SOE succeeds and EQN doesn’t deserve the usual smearing, but I think my five dollar bet is still safe.
LockSixTime