MechWarrior Series Getting A Reboot

[Kromis]

http://pc.ign.com/articles/100/1002275p1.html

6 Page Q&A

MechWarrior fans have been hoping, praying and anticipating a new game in the famed franchise ever since the last expansion pack for MechWarrior 4 was released in 2002. Now, seven years later, their prayers have been answered. IGN has the very first details about MechWarrior reboot that is currently in production at Smith and Tinker and Piranha games. Yes, that's right, reboot. Instead of this game becoming MechWarrior 5, the developers have decided to completely re-launch the entire franchise, calling this new title MechWarrior.

We spoke to the two main players involved with MechWarrior. First there's Jordan Weisman, co-founder of Smith and Tinker and co-founder of FASA, the company that created the BattleTech universe that MechWarrior is based upon. Second is Russ Bullock, president of Piranha Games. (For an in-depth discussion of the reboot and how it fits in the franchise, check out our exclusive interview.)

You may remember the MechWarrior games published by Activision, MicroProse, and Microsoft. The latter actually acquired FASA Interactive in the 1990s only to shutter the studio in 2007. However, the software giant retained the rights to the MechWarrior franchise. After leaving Microsoft, Weisman engaged in various pursuits before founding Smith and Tinker in 2007. That same year, Smith and Tinker acquired the rights to many FASA properties from Microsoft, including MechWarrior.

This new MechWarrior is set on the planet Deshler in the year 3015, and places players in the role of Adrian Khol, a wayward nobleman who prefers partying and shirking responsibility over his training and studies. However, when House Kurita launches a massive invasion to conquer Deshler, resulting in the death of his entire family, Khol discovers a purpose to fight for.

There are ambitious plans for this new MechWarrior. The original MechWarrior games were limited by technology; now with modern computing power, the developers are hoping to really capture the sense that you're piloting a giant, walking war machine in the middle of an incredibly dynamic battlefield. While the two companies are still talking to potential publishers that could determine the final production budget, Weisman and Bullock explained that they plan to have a full single-player campaign, as well as support for a four-player co-op campaign, and a full multiplayer suite.

One of the key features is a sense of information warfare, using everything from unmanned drones surveying the battlefield from above to light scout mechs relaying information to teammates. Weisman and Bullock both explained how they want every class of mech to really matter in this game; it's not just a race to the heaviest, most powerful mechs. The designers want to reward you for picking a mech and sticking with it -- you will gain experience and become better at piloting your chosen mech, and that will translate into better accuracy and damage with weapon systems. This way, a player could specialize in a light mech throughout the entire game if they choose. It also means there are multiple playthroughs with different mechs. The developers also said the game will change based on your chosen mech class.

While the developers didn't go into how many mechs will make the game, based on the video trailer and the discussions, we know of at least four. There's the Jenner (light class), both the Warhammer and the Rifleman(heavy class), and an Atlas Prime, a feared assault-class mech.

The game is being developed for the PC and the Xbox 360, though there isn't any idea of a release date yet, since the game is still in the middle of development and the companies are still talking to publishers. For more information, read the interview with Weisman and Bullock. We also dissect the trailer in a Rewind Theater. Check out the gallery for the very first screens of the game anywhere. Finally, keep checking back with us as we keep a very close eye on this exciting new project.

 

[Howard]

Keeping an eye out for this one.

 

[Qbah]

When? WHEN? WHHHEEEEENNNN???????

That almost 3 minute "teaser" was :shocked: GIMME GIMME

 

[Harabec]

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[imported_sushicide]

meh...usually "developed for xbox360" = dumbed down action game

but as long as the multiplayer is good, I'll still buy the damn thing.

 

[ZzZGuy]

Originally posted by: sushicide
meh...usually "developed for xbox360" = dumbed down action game

but as long as the multiplayer is good, I'll still buy the damn thing.

Well, there are already console games made with the key aspects of the MW series such as mech upgrades (and I really hope salvage for this one) and large spacious maps to play with.

It's simply a matter of them doing a good job, and if it fails I will not blame "consolitus" but the people who made the game. MW4 & Mercs could easily work well on console, hell I even played them with a controller (logitech) and this games graphics look awesome as well. -edit- I take that back, it would work well on console with a controller with enough buttons -edit-

I hope the fact that their historical core audience has been PC gamers keep them from following this bizarre trend of making console games overly simplistic and devoid of decent gameplay.

 

[lupi]

Can't remember, but is Weismann the same one that started wizkids and tried that abortion of a battletech mini game by taking the history of the developed universe and put it through the cheese grinder?



As for the game, I really hope they stay more true to the armor/crits/weapon loadouts of the board game as was done in the first couple games rather then the consoleitis amalgamation that became the final title of the series. Other than graphics getting better, I think 2/3 were the best of the run for those reasons.

 

[Martimus]

Originally posted by: lupi
Can't remember, but is Weismann the same one that started wizkids and tried that abortion of a battletech mini game by taking the history of the developed universe and put it through the cheese grinder?



As for the game, I really hope they stay more true to the armor/crits/weapon loadouts of the board game as was done in the first couple games rather then the consoleitis amalgamation that became the final title of the series. Other than graphics getting better, I think 2/3 were the best of the run for those reasons.

Mechwarior 1 was the worst at this. It didn't really follow the board game at all, which is why I was so pleasantly suprised that MW2 was so faithful to the rules of the battletech game.

EDIT: I may be thinking of the actual Battletech video game. I had both games, and one was a complete abomination, while the other was pretty much a computerized version of the board game (even with the hex grid).

 

[SunnyD]

So basically... This is Battlefield 3015: Mechwarrior?

But still, if it follows the line of MechWarrior 2 with more customization and shit, I'm all over that.

 

[Fingolfin269]

I wish they would make a mechwarrior game in a fallout 3 type sandbox. That would be awesome.

 

[gorcorps]

Originally posted by: Harabec
YYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!

Jackass

 

[daishi5]

Originally posted by: SunnyD
So basically... This is Battlefield 3015: Mechwarrior?

But still, if it follows the line of MechWarrior 2 with more customization and shit, I'm all over that.

As a player of battletech this makes me so happy, and 3015 is just another timeperiod in the whole battletech universe. The customization style of mechwarrior 2 is normal rules, so if you can customize I am sure it will be the same style. But at that time period customizations were supposed to be hard. It depends on how much they stick with "canon" about customization.

I am having a hard time remembering exactly who Weismann was, but I know he was involved in the original battletech game, which gives me a lot of hope that they will drop all the crappy microsoft changes.

 

[TecHNooB]

The mechs in the trailer seem a little oversized.

 

[AdamK47]

Originally posted by: Fingolfin269
I wish they would make a mechwarrior game in a fallout 3 type sandbox. That would be awesome.

I really don't see how that would work.

 

[Elcs]

Originally posted by: TecHNooB
The mechs in the trailer seem a little oversized.

Possibly. If memory serves, something like an Atlas is only about 16 metres tall.

Still looks darn good though. That smoke sequence revealing the Atlas is rather ominous and well done.

 

[Dorkenstein]

This could either be awesome or legendary failure.

 

[SunnyD]

Originally posted by: Elcs

Originally posted by: TecHNooB
The mechs in the trailer seem a little oversized.

Possibly. If memory serves, something like an Atlas is only about 16 metres tall.

Still looks darn good though. That smoke sequence revealing the Atlas is rather ominous and well done.

16 meters is "only" about 4.5 stories tall. Judging by the trailer, right at the beginning the mech is standing next to a 4 story building. (It may be 5 stories, can't tell 100%) But the mech itself stands below the roof of the building, so scale appears about correct.

 

[Fingolfin269]

Originally posted by: AdamK47

Originally posted by: Fingolfin269
I wish they would make a mechwarrior game in a fallout 3 type sandbox. That would be awesome.

I really don't see how that would work.

You couldn't craft a Mechwarrior game around a sandbox world? Maybe I'm getting this confused with another game I played on the c64 long ago... Battletech maybe?

 

[ZzZGuy]

Originally posted by: Fingolfin269

Originally posted by: AdamK47

Originally posted by: Fingolfin269
I wish they would make a mechwarrior game in a fallout 3 type sandbox. That would be awesome.

I really don't see how that would work.

You couldn't craft a Mechwarrior game around a sandbox world? Maybe I'm getting this confused with another game I played on the c64 long ago... Battletech maybe?

You fight battles in battletech games, they do not happen every day in any of the game universes. If you where to make it FO3 style you'd be playing for months doing boring mundane things to get to a battle. Perhaps if they make it into a totally unrelated game it could work.

Now if they made a MMO loosely based around the battletech universe then that might work.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

It's something to keep in mind, but given the current state of the gaming market, it's hard to get excited about it. It could be a great game with excellent online multiplayer and high online player counts, or it could end up as nothing more than a disposable console game with pretty eye-candy and consolized garbage unworthy of a PC.

 

[Denithor]

Originally posted by: ZzZGuy
Now if they made a MMO loosely based around the battletech universe then that might work.

This + Blizzard working on "new IP MMO" could possibly = win?

 

[Cabages]

I don't know if it was mentioned, but they are releasing Mechwarrior 4 along with its expansions free sometime soon.

Text

 

[phoenix79]

If they made a Battletech MMO, I'd actually play it. (Love BT, don't like MMO's)

 

[Dorkenstein]

Heavy Gear pleeze. I hope this fills the shoes of the older classic games, but I have yet to be convinced.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

so this is not to be confused with the rumored UT3-based mech game?