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Warhammer 40K MMO no longer an MMO

THQ revamping Dark Millennium to focus on immersive single-player and online multiplayer; 118 employees at Relic and Vigil studios being laid off as a result.

237 Comments

THQ's long-awaited Warhammer 40,000 massively multiplayer online game is no longer going to be massively multiplayer, as the publisher today announced a genre shift to turn Dark Millennium into a single-player game with some online multiplayer features.

Dark Millennium's development has taken an unexpected turn.
Dark Millennium's development has taken an unexpected turn.

"As previously announced, we have been actively looking for a business partner for the game as an MMO," THQ CEO Brian Farrell said in a statement. "However, based on changing market dynamics and the additional investment required to complete the game as an MMO, we believe the right direction for us is to shift the title from an MMO to a premium experience with single and multiplayer gameplay, robust digital content and community features."

The change in focus will cost scores of THQ employees their jobs. The publisher said it is cutting 79 workers from the Austin, Texas-based Vigil Games and another 39 from Vancouver, British Columbia-based Relic Entertainment.

THQ said a release window for the project would be announced at a later date. For more on the game Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium was originally intended to be, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.

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Eludajae

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You can not blame them, just look at bioware, SWTOR isn't the killer hit they thought it would be, but ME3 is, and here is why, not only is it an awesome rpg single player, its bread and butter is the multiplayer. if they set it up like ME3 it will have lots of revenue building potential. Given the amount of DLC dedicated to ME3's Multiplayer aspect of the game it shows you just how successful you can make a single player game with an excellent multiplayer aspect to it. My hope is they keep to the genres' core lore and run it as more than just a Space Marine shooter. Its painfully obvious from the current Spacemarine game out Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine, that level after level of simple carnage isn't enough to keep a game afloat. My hope is they follow the ME3 model or at least learn from Borderlands 2 success on giving a shooter a plot.

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dj-armeliaz

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A sad thing, but I'll buy it anyways. If it's still deeper in plot than Space Marine, it's good enough :)

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pitosga

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You need but one example to know this is a smart move: Star Wars The Old Republic.

Its subscriber base soon began to decline after the initial novelty period, it's now to be made free-to-play by the end of the year, the 2 founders and major figures of Bioware quit that same week and the company is now a shadow of its former self.

Layoffs notwithstanding, THQ was right to dodge the MMO market. It seems no triple A title can enter that market and be successful on the level of rivaling World of Warcraft, which has dominated it since 2004. I can only imagine if even that game would flop if it were only now originally released - I refer to its Mysts of Pandaria stage of development, of course.

Perhaps Guild Wars 2 will fare better than the rest, considering its a sequel and has a pre-existing fan base.

They were right to change before its too late, their only mistake was going for an MMO in the first place. If there was a 2nd mistake, it's that they didn't make this call sooner.Frankly, I'm particularly pleased as I wouldn't have played it as an MMO. Before, I was merely curious, now I'm truly looking forward to playing it.

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boxfetish

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Just now hearing about this. I was really looking forward to this as an MMO. I have no interest in it as a single player RPG.

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stev69

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THQ had the opportunity to do something really special here, a shame they bottled it, but i think they realised they had bitten off more than they could chew. It could have been amazing a company with the pedegree of THQ and an awesome IP in WH40k.

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BenFireFox

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still the wrong direction as seen on space marine for example still 40k has a huge fanbase not all games are for the 40k fans. Dawn of War I was great some small old ones too but Spacemarine and the last topviewshooter where if at least average. I got them cause im a huge 40k fan but a moo had interested me very much now since 40k and fallout wont be published there is no upcoming moo im looking for :( still this shows they aint got the guts to develop ist caus moo are the most risk projects nowadays you need to have a very good (expensive to develop) game where you aint get so much money for compared to the costs of a "immersive single-player and online multiplayer" 08/15 game which has less then half of the costs with more bargain for thq :( still im very sad show guts be brave like square unix

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Blue-Diamond

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Love Warhammer single player games.

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Scarab83

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This is definitely for the best. The market is saturated with MMOs. Let's just hope the gameplay doesn't retain that bland story that most MMOs have these days.

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FreedomPrime

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This sucks. i was really looking forward to this game.

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InflictedOwned

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NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

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blackothh

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I would love to see a warhammer 40k mmo, but i dont think anyone can actually do it right, so im glad that they made this decision. 40k online, has to be immense, have all the races, and be able to do space ship combat, boarding actions, planetary raids, large scale ground combat with armor and troops, sieging huge cities and small scale infiltration. that would be the perfect 40k mmo to me.

All the combat stats are already in existance, and the models are made, just need a huge vision to tie them in together.

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Darkeus

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This is a very smart move. MMO games are on the way out if they don't find some way to evolve....

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Quivox

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Whenever anyone uses the word "robust" I cringe. It's usually a word people reach for when they don't have anything to say.

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Umur31

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<< LINK REMOVED >> I feel the same way, I'm so happy there is someone else that does too.Marry me.

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cephas90

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AKA, between guild wars 2, tera, ME online and Elder Scrolls Online, we decided to scrap the MMO idea and go with something that might actually be successful.

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onewithtoenail7

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they probably saw all the soon-to-be released MMOs and realized theirs would just get lost in the pile of s**t festering underneath WoWs throneroom. sure WoW might be on the downswing, but all these samey MMOs that i keep hearing about are just going to oversaturate the market and make people bored of the whole genre.

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cephas90

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<< LINK REMOVED >> Enter GW2

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blackothh

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<< LINK REMOVED >> Enter Planetside 2

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FreedomPrime

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<< LINK REMOVED >> planet side 2 will fail, gild wars 2 will thrive.

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cephas90

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<< LINK REMOVED >> Ahhh touche. I'm looking forward to that too. But that's a different flavor for a different kinda fix ;)

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kyphe

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makes total sense, as many of the MMOs I have played only get interesting in when you enter a non open instance where it is just you and your chosen party which is not different from a single player or co'op level, the open world MMO parts are often just stupid spawn zones for dumb creatures that hang about for no reason waiting for you to come into their area of detection, that you have to run through to talk to this person then back to that person pick up this object take it to here and on and on. most people I know do not even read the quest notes they just press accept and follow the map, not like it ever takes any working out what you are supposed to be doing lol so you get no sense of story at all

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cephas90

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<< LINK REMOVED >> Sounds like... world of warcraft...

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Vambran

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MMO's take too much time and money to get invested into. As a result most players only have 1 MMO going at a time. This naturally makes MMO's a very crowed market.

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feleas

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I think it's for the best that this be made a singleplayer game as opposed to an MMO. I mean they removed the multi-sided factions it was originally going to have down to 2 factions. they were going to remove the 1 major thing that set them apart from other MMOs. so I think this is for the better and we'll love it even more so than those of us who still enjoy Space Marine.

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The-Longshot

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Sorry to hear about the layoffs, but i do think the game will be better formatted as single player exp as opposed to an online only one. The single player appeals to me like Mass Effect, the multiplayer appeals to me like Phantasy Star Universe for 360.

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theaznfish

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Finally the tide is turning. First Gears announces discontinuing pursuit of a Kinect DLC and now Warhammer 40k is safe from becoming another crappy MMO. Both franchises are saved!

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RAGEofSTUNTS

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I'd hate to say it ,but having a solid single-player game instead of another MMO is just amazing news to me.

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Kjranu

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Mass Effect-esque Warhammer 40k? Yes please.

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McCarron

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Terrible. Had hopes for this. Now it's just going to turn into a gimmicky multiplayer. Pretty much just a Space Marine 2. Not gonna buy it.

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Ninja_Kinshu

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I have faith in Vigil. But how the hell are we going to have that massive PVP playstyle originally promised us? Simple answer: Battlefield style multiplayer. RPG driven co-op campaign is a good idea in the 40k setting, but a full on Battlefield style, complete with tanks and vehicles setting is prime for this game.

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Scholar_Of_Time

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WE'RE SAVED... This is one of the most official variants of "GETS SHlT DONE" I've seen; but I (and probably many several others) am not convinced until everyone gets the privilege to access the full product.

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Ultramarinus

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There goes the the sole future MMO with an interesting setting. Every other MMO/expansions in the work are as bland and generic as it gets.

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EtherUnion

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Wut da.... I (or WE) NEED ELDAR!!

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onewithtoenail7

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im sorry, but the sorrow of the loss of your jobs pales in comparison to the sheer joy of a company resisting the urge to crap out another MMO and instead make a solid single-player campaign.

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DredWulf

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So in short this game is gonna suck...which I lament...because I love WH40k and Space Marine was kinda a let down.

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jamyskis

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So begins the death of the MMO craze.

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Alpr1010

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I'd just like a better version of Dark Crusade (no not soul storm, that was terrible). DC was epic! Still this is interesting to me though.

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Jestersmiles

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Man I hope the MP of this games turn out better than Space marines MP and if it does I am sold :).

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Gelugon_baat

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@Bigbudd0045 Like I said... I wasn't referring to that human right. :roll:

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Bigbudd0045

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@Gelugon_baat I am not trying to start a flame war, but I am dead on about Freedom of Speech. I have a JD, freedom of speech and constitutional law is intro level stuff for something that basic.

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darkPSPfan

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i actually support that decision. Can't wait to have me some more Black Templars

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surppo

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it would be tight if they mixed dawn of war and space marines. 128 multiplayer could be a nice alternative to a mmo.

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Meteor7

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@stan_boyd I understand your sadness and I too am sad about the change of events. Guess we may never see a 40k MMO, but I guess theres a chance that it will have good story and good multiplayer. Though I seriously doubt it will keep me entertained forever unlike the MMO genre that usually keeps you tuned in with new content every other patch. WoW kept my sub until Cata when it failed me and I prayed for this game to happen. Now I am truly disappointed.

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stan_boyd

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I am deeply saddened, all you MMO haters can hate all you want, but some people (alot of people in fact) like MMO's and some of them would have gladly played this game. Now instead we are prob gonna get another mindless shooter/hackandslash like Space Marine, sure that game was fun...... for about 20 mins. I have been playing Lord of the Rings online for years and was hoping for something new to move onto.

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War2monkey

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I don't really care as long as they Crank up the graphics up!!!.... MMO's tend to have a wide graphics range (tailored for lower end PC'S aswell)... So Bring It ON!!! Oh yeah and i like MMo'S and RPG's, and the occasional MMORPG's so im okay with all this

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slydfx

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I just threw my dinner out the window........not happy at all, I've waited 20 years for this now they cower away at the sight of Guild wars 2? well GW2 just sold another collectors edition, at least there's guns in the game -.- They have no idea how to express the Warhammer 40k lore (Space Marine) cutscenes +voice acting *fail* so don't try again with this twist of direction nonsense.If i wanted a co-op action experience I'd watch Batman on blue-ray with the cat.

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ZeRo2545

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You guys may not realize this, but they just saved their company... again.

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Lash540

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=-/

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Lonelynight

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Good. Besides the part where 118 people lost their job.

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Tremblay343

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GOOD. Now it might actually be something unique instead of tank/dps/healer archetypes and standard MMO combat that needs to be balanced instead of fun. Until someone changes the formula established 8 years ago in WoW, all MMO's are going to fail. Also this is a Vigil Games product, not relic. So the Dawn of War series will keep on trucking.

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