Golden Rebirth
Bandai's latest .hack adventure is nearly here.
Published: October 13, 2006
It's funny to think that even as short as half a decade ago, people actually thought massively multiplayer online gaming wouldn't work. It was easy to see why, of course; MMOs counted their player base in the tens of thousands -- and if you were a mega-success like EverQuest you had a couple hundred thousand. Then came a little game called World of Warcraft, and it changed everything. Seven million people playing. A freakin' South Park episode made about it. Yes, it's safe to say MMOs are mainstream now.
But there is a problem with the genre as a whole (beyond the fact that you have to pay a monthly fee, of course): the people can be downright retarded. Bandai's internal CyberConnect2 development studio saw the writing on the wall well before the breakout success of WoW, though, and they crafted a truly multi-media experience that bridged comics, animation and video games to tell a story of an MMO that wasn't really online. The World was the offline online experience that the .hack series concerned itself with, and the whole idea was compelling -- if not a little flawed in the execution.
Now, the system has been rebooted and a new set of adventurers will explore The World, only to find that aspects of the "online" experience are tainting the "real world". The whole mess will go down in a matter of days, too, because .hack//G.U. Vol.1: Rebirth has gone gold. It's finished and shipping off for mass production so that you, the RPG-crazed gamer can enjoy the goodies.
“As the latest installment in the popular .hack series, .hack//G.U. Vol.1: Rebirth builds on the intriguing storyline of the original action-RPG series, while further exploring the limits of perceived reality,” explains Naruo Uchida, VP of Bandai Localization at Namco Bandai Games America. “The compelling stories and personalities of the lively new characters introduced in this game are sure to appeal to fans as well as those unfamiliar with the franchise. Additionally, we have expanded upon the concept that this game is a simulated MMORPG, yet the game itself is not actually online and no internet connection is required. The A.I. is more intelligent and acts like real players would in a true MMORPG.”
To help celebrate, we've got a batch of new screenies up there to your left. Feast on them while you wait for the game's October 24th release. Enjoy!
But there is a problem with the genre as a whole (beyond the fact that you have to pay a monthly fee, of course): the people can be downright retarded. Bandai's internal CyberConnect2 development studio saw the writing on the wall well before the breakout success of WoW, though, and they crafted a truly multi-media experience that bridged comics, animation and video games to tell a story of an MMO that wasn't really online. The World was the offline online experience that the .hack series concerned itself with, and the whole idea was compelling -- if not a little flawed in the execution.
Now, the system has been rebooted and a new set of adventurers will explore The World, only to find that aspects of the "online" experience are tainting the "real world". The whole mess will go down in a matter of days, too, because .hack//G.U. Vol.1: Rebirth has gone gold. It's finished and shipping off for mass production so that you, the RPG-crazed gamer can enjoy the goodies.
“As the latest installment in the popular .hack series, .hack//G.U. Vol.1: Rebirth builds on the intriguing storyline of the original action-RPG series, while further exploring the limits of perceived reality,” explains Naruo Uchida, VP of Bandai Localization at Namco Bandai Games America. “The compelling stories and personalities of the lively new characters introduced in this game are sure to appeal to fans as well as those unfamiliar with the franchise. Additionally, we have expanded upon the concept that this game is a simulated MMORPG, yet the game itself is not actually online and no internet connection is required. The A.I. is more intelligent and acts like real players would in a true MMORPG.”
To help celebrate, we've got a batch of new screenies up there to your left. Feast on them while you wait for the game's October 24th release. Enjoy!
