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PC Games (Games) Entertainment Games

The Matrix Online Announced 49

Thanks to Blue's News for pointing to the new official website for The Matrix Online. This massively multiplayer PC title, where you get to live, explore and fight within the machine construct of The Matrix, is courtesy Warner Brothers and Ubi Soft, and is being developed by Monolith (of No-One Lives Forever and Tron 2.0 fame) for a 2004 release. IGN.com has more details, and a healthy, if sensible, skepticism until they see the game playable. Finally, this project is completely separate from Shiny/Atari's Enter The Matrix game that we covered a little while back, and which is shipping into stores about now.
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The Matrix Online Announced

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  • by 2Flower ( 216318 ) on Wednesday May 14, 2003 @11:16AM (#5955447) Homepage

    The game takes place AFTER the trilogy. That in itself kind of trashes the series, since it confirms that the war is not over, the agents are still in control, and the Matrix itself still exists.

    Uh... yay. We win. Possibly.

    I was quite excited about the whole cross-media storytelling planned for the last two movies, the way the plot would expand to fill all relevant games and films and animes and such. However, like Japan's similar efforts with the .hack series, it's better in theory than execution since the end result is disjointed. I'd still love to see the idea of multimedia (as in, more than one medium) storytelling done right, but it's been an uphill climb to get something smooth and palatable...

    • well (Score:3, Interesting)

      Do you really think such a powerful entity as the Matrix could be dissembled in three movies? Right now humans are fighting off extinction. I think this just means there won't be a cheesy 'yay, good guys always win.' ending.

      Personally I am actually interested in this, and I generally can't stand MMOGs.
    • If you are a Star Wars fan, you know the Rebellion didn't end when the second Death Star blew up. You know that the fight with the Empire continued for at least a decade after that battle.

      Likewise, even if the Matrix is destroyed suddenly, all the humans inside would be killed, so logically, what could happen is having to carefully take out nodes on the breeding fields to not have to kill the people inside, or a billion other things..

      Don't assume that good guys riding into the sunset means the good guy
    • Of course by the end of the third movie it won't be completely resolved for a few reasons.

      First, there is one human city left. I would think that they don't have the rescourses to care for the complete human race.

      Next, the human race couldn't defeat the robots in an all out war before teh matrix, so what says they can defeat them now.

      Third, if everyone was to be released from the matrix all at once a very large number of them would be lost.

      And finally, whats to say that only a small amount would want t
  • ...is how the machines took control. :)

    Think we may be seeing more of this [jsonline.com] kinda crap is it comes out?
    =Smidge=
  • irony indeed (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Acts of Attrition ( 635948 ) on Wednesday May 14, 2003 @11:38AM (#5955686)
    Now we'll have humans spending hours in front of the computer trying to immerse themselves into the digital world of the Matrix, a place where humans trapped inside of a digital world are trying to get unimmersed. it's not too hard to believe that the robots probably released an early version of The Matrix as an MMORPG...
    • With Star Wars galaxies comming out could the construct have been created by the SOE .. in that case there will be so many more people "plugging" in.

      You think it was bad with Everquest.. omg .. now they have Star Wars?? how many more ppl will go to this?

    • Imagine if they will have interactive environment a la Duke Nukem 3D, where you will be able to use computers on the levels to play computer games. Now you suddenly have one more level of reality...
  • Since we're now in the 'Make MMORPG's out of popular movies' trend, let me make a few suggestions based on some of the most popular movies of all time.

    Citizen Kane
    Casablanca
    12 Angry Men
    Singin' In The Rain

    Let it die people... Let it die...
    • by torpor ( 458 )
      Dude, don't forget "Deep Throat".
    • Dude, Where's my Car? : The Online Experience

      Join a teeming world of intrigue and hilarity as you play on a server full of people looking for their cars. Features Include:

      • PVP action: Keeping rival teams from finding their cars. Combat system includes yelling "Sweet!" and "Dude!"
      • Crafting: Make a new car! Sell cars to players so they can lose it and have look for it.
      • High level play includes groping Kristy Swanson
  • Bad choice... (Score:3, Interesting)

    by sevensharpnine ( 231974 ) on Wednesday May 14, 2003 @11:50AM (#5955807)
    Why Monolith? Did Warner Brothers simply draw up a contract for the game design and award it to the lowest bidder? I hate to sound like a troll, but honestly, Monolith isn't exactly the paradigm of innovation in the industry. Almost everything they've done since the original Blood (nolf, avp 2, shogo) has been largely derivative of popular trends, and there isn't a whole lot of precedent for a game like this. Maybe I'm just being paranoid and the game will kick ass, but when I think of an ambitious project like this, one of the last development teams I would want is Monolith. The Blood series was first-rate, though the rest of their catalogue is a little weak. They're a pretty good team as far as the industry goes, but I wouldn't be surprised if this game ends up as "Everquest with Uzi's."
    • The Blood series was first-rate

      Evidently you didn't play Blood 2: The Chosen [the-chosen.com]. It's almost universally reviled as one of the most horrid FPS games of all time. Certainly not the worst, but definitely bad.

      Some will probably cry foul when I say this, but I thought it was worse than Daikatana by far, especially if you were playing the original demo that was so horribly non-optimized that you were lucky to get 20-25 frames a second, even with a good 3D card at the time that would run, say, Half-Life (a
    • Pardon? I believe both NOLF games have gotten really good reviews and they both kicked ass. They were what a game should be, they were fun to play and didn't take themselves too God damn seriously.

    • You're wrong. You've clearly not played nolf2. It makes several kick ass advancements in an otherwise stagnated gaming genre.
  • by ghostlibrary ( 450718 ) on Wednesday May 14, 2003 @12:02PM (#5955943) Homepage Journal
    So, is this going to be the first MMORPG where you're _supposed_ to cheat?

    "Wow, how'd you hit me?"

    "I found a way to step outside the game... and install an aim-bot."

    "Woah. Teach me."
  • Okay, this is where the Matrix merchandising goes too far. So, everyone in the world knows about the Matrix? And are fighting against it? I mean, one of the draw of MMO is that 95% of the people you encounter have a player sitting behind it.

    And what do you level treadmill against? Agents inhabiting the average Joe? Doesn't everybody BUT Neo pretty much lose to an Agent?

    Fine, lets talk about special skills. In the movie, they can load up ANY skill you want into your brain at any time. On the page it tal

  • by Paddyish ( 612430 ) on Wednesday May 14, 2003 @12:07PM (#5955994)
    A single blue pill.
  • Bad request Your browser sent a query this server could not understand
  • Entering a computer generated world to play a character whose goal is leaving a computer generated world.
    And they expect people to pay money for that?
  • by Rayonic ( 462789 ) on Wednesday May 14, 2003 @12:37PM (#5956264) Homepage Journal
    Yes, now you too can experience life first-hand in my Matrix online game. Fight, love, work, party -- all in an amazing virtual world so real you'll believe you're there! Startling graphics, real-world physics, and a seamless leveling system combine to make an experience you'll never forget.

    To sign up, simply send me $49.95 and I'll ship you a rare and coveted red placeb^H^H^H^H^H^H pill. Ingest it and you're on your way to adventure!
  • I can't help but to think that this will become a one dimensional game. Something like Unreal Tournament but on a massive scale.
  • Ah, irony (Score:2, Informative)

    by jearbear ( 10099 )
    So, wait, a computer simulation of what its like being locked inside of a computer simulation?

    As Kenu would say, "Whoah."

    At least it proves that irony is not dead, even if it is lost on some.
  • If we are indeed in The Matrix, then isn't life just one big MMORPG already?

    So we'd be playing an MMORPG in a MMORPG... this sounds too much like The Thirteeth Floor [imdb.com].
  • ...to make a single player Matrix game...
  • maybe in that matrix i'll be able to get a job!
  • ... and have already been nailed down by others.

    Imagine an online game where everyone can slow down time to bullet-time. Talk about the slowest game EVER.

    People need to chill with the persistant online RPGs. There's gonna be a whole lot of half-sustained games out there at this rate.

    I'm still waiting for a persistant war sim that doesn't suck (WWII Online did not live up).

  • of course
    can I get on the list?
    theres 86423754 ahead of you
    d0h!
  • by skinfitz ( 564041 ) on Wednesday May 14, 2003 @04:46PM (#5958704) Journal
    Don't believe that Animatrix stuff - this is how it really happens...

    Everyone knows how addictive MMORPG's are, and the next major thing in gaming will likely be to increase the immersive aspects of it. Next we see some special "totally immersive sens-dep tanks" designed originally for (naturally) pr0n consumption, however they naturally find their way into the gaming community where they become very popular.

    Soon.. everyone has one, and, due to an easily missed checkbox on a Microsoft designed acceptance of terms and conditions when installing the new Matrix MMORPG, users find that they actually no longer have the right to quit the game, and without their knowledge, their tank containing their body is shipped to an efficient storage area (which ingeniously uses the body heat of the player to power the gaming servers while decreasing lag due to the closer proximity to the server). Naturally given the pr0n functions of the tanks, many people decide they are better off in the system and due to the technical and biological developments in the real world, are able to breed. Naturally the children grow up knowing only the system and so do not even realise they are trapped in the Gatestrix.

    End of the world, human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together mass hysteria.

    Fortunately for humanity a small group of Mac geeks refused to play the game citing reasons such as "I ain't buying no PC dude". Led by a black polonecked individual known only as "Jobseus" they fight for freedom.

    This is their story.
  • Anyone think this is going to be another "Lets make a MMORPG because they are popular, but lets not actually make a good one" ? Or just end up Vapor? I think they will probably realize this is a bad idea and cancel it, or they will release crap and make money off fans and give them the finger. Matrix for consoles after playing the one for Xbox, I must say I'm disappointed. Without the bullet time this game would suck for sure, it needed 6 more months. And where I'm getting is, it didn't have multiplayer. Pe
  • Bullet Time (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Wheaty18 ( 465429 ) on Thursday May 15, 2003 @12:01AM (#5961341)
    I'm curious as to how they'll implement bullet time in a MMORPG setting. If I recall correctly, the bullet time feature was left out of Max Payne multiplayer.

    If someone hits the "bullet time" button, will everyone slow down? Will all NPC's within a certain radius slow down?

    Good luck devs. Lets just hope this title doesn't turn into a grief fest.
    • If I recall correctly, the bullet time feature was left out of Max Payne multiplayer.

      There was no multiplayer in Max Payne. And there won't be; perhaps in Max Payne2?

      I guess a solution as used in Jedi Knight 2 could be used, the others don't notice a change just you, so in fact you are going faster.
      However I don't have to worry about that ;)
    • Hard to imagine this working in multiplayer. However, the single player game Enter the Matrix doesn't have bullet time either. It has something called focus time, and it's very underwhelming.
      • Well, it doesn't make much sense to put bullet-time slow-mo in the game. It is done in the movies to impress the viewers with the abilities of our super-heroes. If you are a super-hero yourself, you don't need to be impressed, you need to get a job done. Therefore something like a focus-time is used.
  • Star Wars and Tolkien and Matrix, oh my (alternate: online)!

    Remember when a single MMORPG (eg, Everquest) could destroy a person's spare time and even their whole life? Now there are 3 of them motherfuckers. My life is officially over. The cyanide pills go down when they announce STO (guess what that stands for), any day now.

    • Before you take the big blue pill, think for a moment...
      What would happen if you got a Starwars vs. LoTR vs. The Matrix online game written by fans?!

      Can you imagine Ben Kenobe at his peak fighting all the ringwraiths and both the twins at once so Neo can try to carry the Oracle's candy and the Deatstar plans in two different hands past the hoardes of stormtroopers who are distracted by the masses of agent smith who are being set on fire by gandalf who is about to be attacked from behind by Anikin who is ab
  • ..will you be able to play The Matrix Online MMORPG within The Matrix Online MMORPG?

After the last of 16 mounting screws has been removed from an access cover, it will be discovered that the wrong access cover has been removed.

Working...