GDC 2007: OnNet's 2007 Line-Up

OnNet has a wide and unique list of titles headed to market in 2007. At GDC 2007, we got some time with Insun Yoon and Chris Keswani of OnNet USA. The pair introduced us to five new games, including one that looks like it's just crazy enough to make them a pile of money, and updated us on their current core products.

OnNet made their name with Shot Online and in the coming year they're going to continue to redefine the things people do in MMORPGs with a series of unique products. OnNet is a firm believer in the micropayment business model and are moving towards smaller, focused niche games. In an interview at GDC they introduced five of them to us.

The most interesting game they mentioned is Battle Sudoku, which is a competitive sudoku puzzle game. That sounds odd at first, but really, this is the ultimate in casual. While not quite an MMO - the game operates through a text lobby and people head into matches - it does have elements, including the RMT model. At base, it's free to play. One example of gameplay is a race where you and another try to compete to complete a puzzle. Players can earn Mario Kart style actions, like one that blinds your enemy for a moment, giving you a leg up. At first, I was skeptical of the idea, but the more I think, the more I wonder if this is not the game I saw this week that will take in the most money. The goal is a quarter two launch.

Bomb and Dash is a casual, third person shooting MMO. It's cute and it's light. The primary goal is to do exactly what the name of the game says: bomb someone and then get the heck out of there. Again, it's a quarter two launch target.

They're also working on a game tentatively called "Sky Raiders", which is an MMO fighter plane game. It's set in a futuristic world, although the style blends in planes in a WWII style. In this game, the player is the plane and does not have an avatar. They hope to release that game this year.

The projected continued to flow with Fishing Champ. Again, a strange take on an MMO, this game is all about, you guessed it, fishing. Like Shot Online, there is a core town where players can meet, greet and trade fish. Then, they go off into rivers and look for the best fish. The game has levels, people advance and it's a "cartoonish" style. Don't expect a simulation. This is to fishing what Shot Online is to golf and has a planned quarter four launch.

Cupang is the fifth and final project they introduced. A multiplayer FPS, the game is wacky - to say the least. The example they gave is that one character is a bear with a bazooka who fires erasers at people. Gears of War it is not. The game only offers six characters to choose from, but will allow players to further customize through micropayments.

Finally, their two existing games - Shot Online and Xiah - both continue to chug along. Shot Online is an MMO golf game and has had over 250,000 people register for it in North America and the team continues to add new content. At the end of last year, a volcano themed course debuted and next month the team is holding an in-game charity tournament. OnNet will make donations based on the number of players who participated.

For Xiah, an Asian fantasy MMO, measures its registered users in the tens-of-thousands, and OnNet told us that they have made a lot of changes to the game since a less than spectacular launch on November 1st. Their focus has been on the new player experience and increased in-game help. Now that they feel their feet are firmly under them, look for new content to follow soon.

As a company that will soon have a half dozen or more games launched on their service, the North American perspective is to move to a one-price for all subscription model. That is not in the plans. OnNet USA firmly believes in the free-to-play, but price to buy specific items, business model and plans to stick with it.