The latest Warhammer Online video from the January newsletter has been released.
First impression is a striking resemblance to the WoW, and a very scripted and boring PvP scene.
Update:
Apparently some of the blogosphere’s and my own comments on this video riled up Heartless a tad as seen below, and on his blog. Some back and forth discussion has been taking place there and over at the Random Battle blog where Cameron also got called out for the same reason of taking issue with the craptastic nature of the video.
What’s the issue here according to Heartless?
Heartless is says, Point numero uno, Warhammer’s look was here first, not Warcraft’s. Therefore, Warhammer Online has every right in the world to look the way it does without a copycat tag being applied.
A MMO clone to me has very little do with taking inspiration or stealing the general art style or look and feel of a competitor, but it does has everything to do with copying gameplay and mechanics. Do I think Warhammer Online is a clone from what I’ve seen? No.
Do I think Warhammer has borrowed just as heavily from WoW for gameplay and mechanics as WoW may have borrowed from Warhammer’s style? Yes.
Really, I’m not one to nit pick who came first, I could care less as a 10 year MMO gamer it’s all about who offers the best gaming experience. I think both Blizzard and Games Workshop and have shared similar art design in all their properties. That’s not even at issue for me, its the overall impression of Warhammer looking and moving like more of the same, it most definitely is not a cry of “wow clone”. Does it feel like WoW as well? That’s the big question at hand giving cause for some concern.
2nd point by Heartless, the game-play in the video sucks and looks staged. Well, that is correct, as stated by Paul Barnett in the video!
But apparently its OK to put out a godawful video of PvP in Warhammer because.. Paul Barnett said it was crappy and not realistic. Totally understandable.. that out of 30 minutes of footage put together for the suits at EA, this was the best they could come up with to show off to the public and fans?
Helloooo Mythic Marketing? Community Manager? Anybody home?
Go here - http://random-battle.com/2008/02/04/warhammer-online-pvp-video-idiocy/ - read the comments and then edit your post to sound less like an uninformed hater. I can’t believe the idiocy that one stupid Wired article has spawned.
heartless_ on 02 5th, 2008
What’s not to hate? The video looks and plays like somebodies first lame attempt at a fraps machinema video. It should have never been released in the first place if their guy that handles the production was too busy with other stuff.
The gameplay could be awesome, but you’ll never know it from rubbish like this being put out to demonstrate it.
If Mythic/EA want any respect for this game they really need to step it up. It’s not like everyone isn’t rooting for them to pull through anyway.
-Scott aka the Hater
Scott on 02 5th, 2008
Still taking the video out of context. It is part of a longer video. It is in line with about every video ever released for an MMO that shows actual in-game, but scripted footage. If you think it is trash, then I have no argument against that, but that is not what the video was released for and that is clearly stated in the video itself.
heartless_ on 02 5th, 2008