Vanguard mmorpg heading to the xenon ?

[jvd]

This is from the faq

1.8 What is this XNA I keep hearing about from Microsoft and how will it affect Vanguard?

XNA is a growing group of software tools that allow developers to more rapidly develop their games. Additionally, Microsoft wants to share tools and technology between its different platforms (e.g. Win32, Xbox, future platforms).

Vanguard is one of the chief early adopters of this ever-growing group of software. For example, we will be using technologies from Xbox live, voice communication, and already have the ability to play the game via an Xbox-style controller with a tiny keyboard attached to it (a TID).

There will be more information about all of this later.

1.8.1 Does this mean that Vanguard is a multi-platform game?

Vanguard has been announced as a Windows game. We remain open to the idea of taking advantage of future architectures, but nothing is written in stone. Certainly, Vanguard would not run on the existing Xbox platform.

They are already working with xna , they have support already for xbox controllers , they have xbox live voice systems in the game .

IT sounds like this is heading there .

 

[Shifty Geezer]

PC and Xenon. XNA is a platform that encompasses MS OS's, and they'd be daft to lock out umpteen million PC users for a tiny initial Xenon user base. Unless MS want to lose even more money in the entertainments biz!

 

[jvd]

Yea i figured the pc was a given considering its already announced for the pc


ANyway microsoft is also the publisher of this title .

This is also the team behind everquest 1 . Perhaps ms wants to mimic the success of final fantsy mmorpg .

Graphics are really good , looks better than eq2 in these stills .
http://www.vanguardsoh.com/screenshots/LethNuraeStatue_800.jpg

http://www.vanguardsoh.com/screenshots/FallenLands_800.jpg

http://www.vanguardsoh.com/screenshots/NewTargonorStreet_800.jpg

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Ahhh, you mean on Xenon as well?

I'd say expect to see most PC games appear on Xenon. It's MS's new strategy, to broaden to software base with cross-platform support for XNA. They've also talked of an XNA controller as oppoed to XB2 controller; a unified design to use with any XNA software whether on Xenon or PC.

I don't imagine many XNA developed games at all not being ported to Xenon in some form, to help promote the idea that XNA (presumably shown by a badge) is the gamers choice, whether an XNA enabled PC or console.

 

[Qroach]

This isn't the "team" behind everquest. Most of the people that worked on everquest worked on everquest 2. At most vangaurd has a few people from the original everquest team.

 

[cthellis42]

Well it has the "visionary creators" to be sure. Brad McQuaid at least gets "co-designer" credit. Jeff Butler signed on in a big way pretty early on, but not from the beginning. Meanwhile it's nice to see Keith Parkinson in a prominent position. ^_^ I always liked his art, but he's usually done "cover" or "box art" work, rather than art direction on any major project. The Senior Game Designers all have EQ roots as well--most of the game designers in general, actually. But then a lot of people have gone through the EQ houses over the years, and there's much reason to seek out people you've worked with before for your own new and exciting creation.

Whatever.

At any rate, as for Vanguard going to Xenon, I would certainly see that as likely. My hope, however, is that they do not let console influences affect the PC side of the game--I would rather PC MMO's come down in natural evolution from PC design. FFXI definitely feels like a "console MMO" and is a real "intentionally-designed-as-hybrid" game, and as such it is rather unappealing. EQ:OA came off as more of an afterthought. Vanguard--so long as it avoids console perils--should be fine.

I'd be happiest knowing that it would require a keyboard on Xenon, though. If Microsoft Halo's it, though, I'll be sorely annoyed.

 

[speng]

This isn't the "team" behind everquest. Most of the people that worked on everquest worked on everquest 2. At most vangaurd has a few people from the original everquest team.

Take a look at their team bio, you may see that you're wrong.

Although some of the people who worked on everquest, did work on EQ2, most of them are now with Vanguard.

Speng.

 

[cthellis42]

I don't think there's any quantitative way to say "most" or perhaps even "many." We have no idea just how many were on the design team at any stretch, nor just what their contribution was then OR now, so...

In the end, it never matters anyway. You don't have to be on the design team of one game to tell what works, what didn't work, what should no longer work, and how to make a good MMO in the current environment. You just have to gather a group of talented designers and have the monetary muscle to drive your vision through.

 

[Ty]

I thought I mentioned this sometime back. Anyhow yes, from what I've heard, MS wants this to be on Xbox2 (one of the reasons why Sigil got a stay of execution many months ago - so they could move over to a console).

As for the original creators of EQ, yes, some are definately with Sigil and some are not. Cthellis is quite correct that none of us can accurately say who deserves what credit.

 

[AzBat]

re: Xbox TID device

JVD,

Thanks for the reminder about Vanguard. I totally forgot about them working on a XNA title.

BTW, I found another interesting tidbit in the FAQ that confirms something I found a couple of months when searching the U.S. Patent database:

http://www.vanguardsoh.com/faq.php

we will be using technologies from Xbox live, voice communication, and already have the ability to play the game via an Xbox-style controller with a tiny keyboard attached to it (a TID).

While I was searching the U.S. Patent database for Xbox 2 related patents, I found a few patents regarding a detachable mini keyboard for the Controller S and the original Duke controller. At the time, I just considered it a device that had been designed, but never manufactured. Evidently, the Vanguard FAQ confirms that it physically exists and they're supporting it in Vanguard. For more info, you can check the following patents at http://www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html:

Issued Patents:

Patent # D483,769
"Portion of a keyboard"
Issued: December 16, 2003
Filed: May 8, 2003

Patent # D483,770
"Keyboard key configuration"
Issued: December 16, 2003
Filed: May 8, 2003

Patent # D484,887
"Portion of a keyboard"
Issued: January 6, 2004
Filed: May 8, 2003


Published Patent Applications(yet to be issued):

Application # 20040224765
"Text input device and adapter mechanism"
Published: November 11, 2004
Filed: May 9, 2003

Application # 20040224763
"Mode-altering key for a character input device"
Published: November 11, 2004
Filed: May 9, 2003

Application # 20040222970
"Controller with removably attachable text input device"
Published: November 11, 2004
Filed: May 9, 2003

Application # 20040222964
"Embedded text input"
Published: November 11, 2004
Filed: May 9, 2003

Application # 20040222963
"Input device and method of configuring the input device"
Published: November 11, 2004
Filed: May 9, 2003

I've looked at all of these, but really haven't digested what they all mean. The patent application I bolded first shows the device connected to both controllers. The second patent application I bolded shows the best view of the TID and its individual keys. Maybe somebody can look them over and give a better explanation about them.

Anyway, it's kind of cool, but I wonder how hard it's going to be to use.

P.S. Can somebody post links to a copy of the TID image in the patents?

Tommy McClain

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Re: re: Xbox TID device

JVD,
Application # 20040224763
"Mode-altering key for a character input device"
Published: November 11, 2004
Filed: May 9, 2003

What a great idea! A key to alter the mode of a keyboard, so you can use, say, number keys for entering symbols as well. Why has no-one thought of this before?!?!

Please tell me this patent is more than expressing an already wel used and ancient technology! Otherwise it seems more and more that the US patent office will allow anything through as long as they get paid!

 

[AzBat]

Re: re: Xbox TID device

JVD,
Application # 20040224763
"Mode-altering key for a character input device"
Published: November 11, 2004
Filed: May 9, 2003

What a great idea! A key to alter the mode of a keyboard, so you can use, say, number keys for entering symbols as well. Why has no-one thought of this before?!?!

Please tell me this patent is more than expressing an already wel used and ancient technology! Otherwise it seems more and more that the US patent office will allow anything through as long as they get paid!

Great sarcasm. Not.

Read it again. It's a patent that has been published by the US Patent office. It has NOT been granted.

Anyway, I could care less if the patents are worthy of being granted or not. I'm interested in what they are about and how it applies to future products that Microsoft may or may not intend to release publicly.

With that said, can you actually offer anything worthwhile to the discussion regarding these issued patents and patent applications?

Tommy McClain

 

[Ty]

Since we're on the subject of Vanguard - morale is going down the tubes.

 

[jvd]

Since we're on the subject of Vanguard - morale is going down the tubes.

why do u say that ? last i heard developement was going along very quickly

 

[Ty]

why do u say that ? last i heard developement was going along very quickly

Who told you that? Do they work there? I know some people that work there and the history of many others that are also there.

 

[jvd]

why do u say that ? last i heard developement was going along very quickly

Who told you that? Do they work there? I know some people that work there and the history of many others that are also there.

Just what i was hearing from the guy that runs ogaming.com vanguard portion .

dunno what your hearing , if u know someone thats working on it then mabye you know more than me .

 

[Ty]

Just what i was hearing from the guy that runs ogaming.com vanguard portion .

dunno what your hearing , if u know someone thats working on it then mabye you know more than me .

I could tell you TONS of stories. Did you know Parkinson has leukemia? A real shame since he's supposed to be a great guy. I think he went for a treatment recently (went to see if there was a matching donor).