One of our guys on the ground at GDC 2007, Dana Massey, reports in with information he was granted during a meeting with Tracy Spaight, Boss over at Rapid Reality, and Lead Designer on Africa MMO.
Rapid Reality shot into the public eye a few years ago when they announced a slate of MMORPGs as part of their "MMOCenter.com" service. Highlighted by The Chronicle, the company is polarizing. They took pre-orders and promised a lot, but no games ever got done. Finally, people who were involved have some resolution coming after some big changes at the Atlanta studio. Adam and Mark Ghetti, who had run Rapid Reality, are no longer with the company after an amicable separation. The operation is now run by Tracy Spaight, who is also the lead designer of Africa MMO.
For people who pre-ordered, Spaight told us at GDC when we met, that a full refund and heartfelt apology is either on the way or coming very soon. They've also cancelled The Chronicle and every other game the company had announced or mentioned except for Africa. They are also going to close down and discontinue MMOCenter.com. Now, with a greater focus, the team is hard at work on Phylon.
Phylon
Phylon is an MMOFPS based loosely on the Endless Ages property the company owned. Rather than updating and re-releasing it, the team has done all new graphics and a wealth of content, so much so that Spaight does not believe you can consider it the same game. The similarities remain in terms of the playable races (Amphibians, Blobs and Terrans) and some story elements, but for the most part, the differences should outweigh, the similarities.
The game itself has vast open areas and missions as well as instanced, objective based PvP combat.
The closed beta hits this week, distributed through FilePlanet. If that goes well, Open Beta kicks in on the 21st. Spaight believes that the team can get the changes and work done to launch the game in early April.
Africa
Africa is the only game to survive the change in management at Rapid Reality remains in the early design phase. The team is of one - Spaight - and should remain that way for a time. They do not want to repeat the mistakes they made previously. Spaight hopes to see the game enter into a very limited pre-production soon.
Original partners, AfricaCast, are no longer involved in the project, but Spaight remains committed to this project, and believes it can eventually appeal to a mass audience and be completed in the next 2.5 to 3 years. They're currently actively shopping for partners who will allow them to bring the full breadth of their design to life.
"We're making it so this is not a museum," Spaight told us.
Africa promises to play strongly to those who enjoy politics, exploration and socialization. The subject, while obscure to most, offers a wealth of stories in a not altogether unfamiliar, but largely unexplored part of human history. Africa has been a hub of the world for years, and the period in which the game is set is a particularly fertile backdrop.
After a time of turmoil it is good to see the development team pull together and get back on track, rather than going under. With their first product due out the door before the middle of the year and Africa on the horizon, the fortunes of Rapid Reality seem to be on the rise.
GDC 2007: Rapid Reality Becoming Reality?
One of our guys on the ground at GDC 2007, Dana Massey, reports in with information he was granted during a meeting with Tracy Spaight, Boss over at Rapid Reality, and Lead Designer on Africa MMO.
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