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okay, there was a slashdot story (http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=03/01/08/1314208&mode=thread&tid=95) about a new MMPORG, so here are the links/happenings I gleaned from it:
some MMPORGs that I hadn't heard about or had forgotten about:
the most interesting ones:
http://lindenlab.com/ "Second Life" Sounds very extensible and exciting, perhaps the most extensible and exciting, judging by the reviews. Some of the reviews (pointed to by the lindenlab site) rave about how people can make new objects and new technology within the VR. You can create 3D shapes and textures and then program objects, so you can actually create environments and scenarios and minigames too. Also, there are many degrees of freedom in character creation: 130 sliders. I think there is no game premise, it is just a place where people can hang out and chat or create their own worlds. There are however some premade combat zones designed for capture-the-flag type combat. The game looks beautiful; I was impressed by the screenshots of characters, and also by the way that the nighttime looks generally beautiful. I think it will be monthly subscription. Currently in closed beta.
http://http://www.ea.com/eagames/official/thesimsonline/home/index.jsp "The Sims Online"
sounds like the one with the most marketshare. I haven't heard much about its extensibility, though. Monthy subscription for $10. Available now.
http://www.there.com/ "There" the new one that today's article is about. sounds like it might be as extensible as Second Life; you can design your own 3D objects, and they claim that there will be an open API and a scripting language for extending the game. This game also looks beautiful. Check out the screenshots on the There website, the landscapes are really neat. There has no game premise, it is just a place where people can hang out and chat (and eventually create their own worlds). Sounds like the Avatar is pretty flexible but not as much as the Second Life system.
They have already sold in-game store space to Nike and Levy. They haven't decided yet if there will be a monthly fee or not. Game is currently in open beta, launch expected this summer.
A review is at http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,3973,811543,00.asp
some less interesting ones:
http://www.worlds.net/ seems cheesy, but nevertheless it looks like an MMPORG.
http://ryzom.com/ A neat sounding and looking game with what seems like a cool plot. Actually it looks very interesting, but not as extensible as Second Life or There so I put it in this category. Currently in (closed?) beta. Uses the free software NeL? MMPORG engine.
Some additional screenshots:
http://www.ryzom-fr.net/?p=screens
Additional competitior:
these guys haven't released a game yet, but maybe they will:
Free software platforms for MMPORGs:
WorldForge? Crystalspace QuakeForge? Nevrax (NeL?)
