[Zeshin]

One of the other upcoming space combat MMORPGs has been canceled!

The Escapist : News : NCsoft Cancels Blackstar MMOG Deal

NCsoft Cancels Blackstar MMOG Deal
Independent developer Spacetime Studios has released 12 employees following the cancellation of a contract with NCsoft for the development of the Blackstar MMOG.

In a post on the Spacetime website, company founder Gary Gattis wrote, "Our project has been canceled by the current publisher. Regardless of how you look at it, we won't be entering production in the immediate future, so we are retrenching and unfortunately had to let 12 folks go. There are always wild rumors at a time like this so we wanted to be as specific as possible to the number and circumstance. All 12 employees released were given extended benefits, severance and will be supplied letters of recommendation. These were good folks and we're not happy about it."

Gattis claims no ill will toward NCsoft, however, indicating the split was amicable. "We want to stress that there are no bad feelings with NCsoft. There is a tremendous amount of mutual respect between our companies. They have conducted themselves with honor and integrity, and we would work with them again in an instant."

He also said the MMO and rendering engines, networking infrastructure and tools suite are all complete, and that Spacetime intends to continue working on the game. "The company remains extremely committed to the IP and once all mutual obligations have been completed between the publisher and ourselves we intend to explore every possible avenue to see that our team's collective vision comes to fruition."

NCsoft announced its publishing deal with Spacetime in March, 2006, calling it a "great step foward for NCsoft." Robert Garriott, then CEO of NCsoft's North American operations, said, "This group has a proven track record in creating games in the space genre. They've also been successful in developing massively multiplayer games and we believe that's a winning combination and a perfect fit for the NCsoft lineup of products." Reasons for the cancellation of the deal have not been given.

That good news for Jumpgate Evolution really - if people don't have anything else to play, then they will play Jumpgate Evolution, and I will have more people to shoot at!

EDIT:
Also found this piece of news about another similar upcoming game:
The Escapist : News : P2 Entertainment Removed As Star Trek Online Developer
Snip:

Both the license and game content developed so far have been transferred to the new developer, although the code remains with P2 which could mean further delays in the game's development.

[Eraser55]

hmm, maybe ncsoft will/want to publish Jumpgate Evolution, so they canceled the other..

or maybe they just realised that they wont be able to compete with Jumpgate Evolution.

star trek mmo will never be as good as people hope it will. It will be a fiasco. The expectations are just to high.

[Radi]

There is also another space MMO that nobody knows about it. Yet at least.

[dailatron]

Originally Posted by Eraser55

hmm, maybe ncsoft will/want to publish Jumpgate Evolution, so they canceled the other.

That is a scary thought considering what recently happened with AA.

[Jump]

It's not really good news at all. It means the genre itself is weak and games are not being made and those that are do not come to fruition. If Jumpgate needs for there to be no other games to play then it will not make it either. It has to be "a game to play" not the only choice.

[Chaser]

I aree with Jump..we should look at this game as the best to play, not the only one. If their arent enough choices, then maybe people will go to fantacy games or something, the space gendre needs as many as possible to look good to new people.

[Tstrike3]

Originally Posted by Chaser

I aree with Jump..we should look at this game as the best to play, not the only one. If their arent enough choices, then maybe people will go to fantacy games or something, the space gendre needs as many as possible to look good to new people.

*Obi-Wan voice* There is another..... *looks at Jump*

[Jump]

You guys do know that the escapist is owned by Themis right?

[Ambrosius]

Yes. Pretty good work -- they do better on it than they did on Jumpgate.D

[Jump]

No, it's a piece of crap. I boycott all Themis owned crap.

[Ambrosius]

Well I kinda figured that's where you were going.

[Jump]

Once bitten twice shy.