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Trion CEO on console games, sequels, and the future

Jef Reahard — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Business Models, Interviews, MMO Industry, News Items, Miscellaneous

It's no secret that Trion has big plans for its future, and we don't just mean its impressive Storm Legion sequel for RIFT. Gamasutra talked to Trion CEO Lars Buttler at last week's E3, and what emerged from the discussion is a portrait of a firm "at the height of our art form, but doing new things."

One of those new things is a partnership with Crytek to publish its new Warface shooter. Another is its previously announced Red Door initiative. Interestingly, and despite developing Defiance for both PC and console platforms, Buttler perceives the console market as a sinking ship.

The company also sees "that the console market is going down," he tells Gamasutra. "I think the writing is on the wall and the best developers will want to make the step sooner."

Trion CEO on console games, sequels, and the future originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trion Worlds CEO pinpoints the failings of 38 Studios and Star Wars: The Old Republic

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Interviews, MMO Industry, Events (Massively's Coverage), Star Wars: The Old Republic, RIFT

Trion Worlds' CEO Lars Buttler has never been one to pussyfoot around his competition, and at this year's E3, Buttler bluntly addressed what he saw as the failings of both 38 Studios and Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Buttler talked about said studio and game in light of the perceived crumbling of the AAA MMO segment. Citing different issues between the two companies and projects, he said that "process management" was 38 Studios Achilles' Heel: "38 Studios had a concept they couldn't deliver on... It was too big of a scope. It was too much. It just went broader and never narrowed. They never even came close to the finish line."

In the case of SWTOR, Buttler sees BioWare fumbling where Trion's RIFT has stayed consistently strong: "I don't think [SWTOR's] business model was necessarily the issue, but I think it was content updates, and what to do in the game, and how you can play it without it becoming repetitive."

So what is the key to success for an MMO? "You have to be able to keep people interested," Buttler concluded. "The key about an online game is that it's a live service. If you make it more like a packaged goods game, people will stay about as long as they stay with a packaged goods game."

Trion Worlds CEO pinpoints the failings of 38 Studios and Star Wars: The Old Republic originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trion Worlds explains how Defiance will 'co-evolve' in two mediums

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Video, Interviews, Free-to-Play, Post-Apocalyptic, Defiance

Wondering whether -- or if -- the joint venture of Syfy and Trion Worlds will work in tandem with Defiance? Then you may want to put aside a few minutes to watch the following video that attempts to explain how a TV show and an MMO will work together to create a blended experience for fans.

"In the past it's always been very difficult to connect television shows, which are always evolving, with video games, which are static," Trion Worlds CEO Lars Buttler states, going on to say that Trion has cracked that code. "In our unique setup, we can do things other people have never dared to try before."

Defiance the TV show and Defiance the MMO will, according to Buttler, "literally depend on each other and co-evolve."

It may not be heavy on specifics, but it's a fascinating watch nonetheless. Check it out after the jump!

Continue reading Trion Worlds explains how Defiance will 'co-evolve' in two mediums

Trion Worlds explains how Defiance will 'co-evolve' in two mediums originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trion signs another RIFT publishing deal, brings game to southeast Asia

Jef Reahard — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, MMO Industry, News Items, RIFT

Trion has announced the latest step in its plans for global domination, and it takes the form of a publishing agreement for the southeast Asian market. It was only a couple of weeks ago that RIFT landed the biggest MMO deal ever for a western title in the Chinese market, and now Trion's online fantasy brand will be available in Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand as well.

The company is partnering with Asiasoft to make it happen, and CEO Lars Buttler says it's another example of what sets his firm apart from the competition. "Trion has a global view when it comes to delivering premium games, and our initiatives to bring RIFT to Asia through some of the industry's biggest collaborations sets Trion apart from other Western game developers."

[Source: Trion press release]

Trion signs another RIFT publishing deal, brings game to southeast Asia originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIFT in China: 'Biggest game deal ever' for a Western MMO

Jef Reahard — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, MMO Industry, News Items, RIFT

How big is RIFT? Big enough to attract one of China's heavyweight MMO houses, apparently. Trion has announced a partnership with publishing giant Shanda that will bring RIFT to the Chinese gaming market, and CEO Lars Buttler tells Gamasutra that expanding the game's global reach is only the beginning.

"We do a lot right, but we think there's so much to learn from Asia, and a company like Shanda that has been in the market so long, and has innovated in so many ways, is a great partner to work with and learn from," Buttler says.

Trion is flexing its muscles -- and broadening its horizons -- on the strength of a banner year that included a hefty influx of investment capital as well as RIFT's $100 million revenue windfall. Trion is also developing an MMORTS called End of Nations and an MMO shooter called Defiance. Additionally, the firm is fleshing out its Red Door program, which will outsource its development platform and distribution channels to third-parties.

RIFT in China: 'Biggest game deal ever' for a Western MMO originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIFT revenues reached $100 million in 2011, Trion secures new funding

Jef Reahard — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, MMO Industry, News Items, RIFT

How successful is RIFT? That's hard to say without knowing how much it cost, but it's safe to assume that Trion executives are smiling after the game generated $100 million in revenue in only 10 months.

CEO Lars Buttler told Reuters that the company is still considering an initial public stock offering, and it has also secured an additional $85 million in funding as it readies RIFT for the South Korean and Chinese gaming markets later this year. Trion is also developing an MMO shooter called Defiance and an MMORTS known as End of Nations.

RIFT revenues reached $100 million in 2011, Trion secures new funding originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trion Worlds may go public following RIFT's success

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, Legal, RIFT, Miscellaneous

Want to own a piece of your favorite MMO studio? If you're a fan of Trion Worlds, then you may yet get your chance.

The company announced that it is mulling over a decision to put the company on the market with an IPO. CEO Lars Buttler says that it's just a matter of time at this point: "As we build scale and become more profitable, [an IPO] is clearly on our horizon at some point. We've had a lot of bankers coming to us recently. We keep all of our options open at this point. We definitely have enough substance and enough skill to be a public company at the right time."

Trion has been doing well for itself lately, as it's doubled its staff in 2011 and raised $100 million from investments since 2007. RIFT's success has helped to convince the company that an IPO is a solid move. "RIFT is vastly profitable. It is profitable every single week and every single month," Buttler said.

RIFT isn't Trion's only project, as the company is working on End of Nations, Defiance, and the Red Door publishing platform.

Trion Worlds may go public following RIFT's success originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trion CEO: RIFT has the 'most dynamic gameplay ever' and is a 'serious competitor' for WoW

Jef Reahard — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Interviews, MMO Industry, RIFT

It's no secret that RIFT was one of the more successful MMORPGs launched in 2011. That said, is it making much of a dent in World of Warcraft's genre-dwarfing armor? Trion CEO Lars Buttler thinks so, and he recently told Industry Gamers that RIFT "is the most serious competitor [WoW] ever had."

Thanks to RIFT's success and the recently announced Red Door development and social networking platform, Buttler sees Trion as uniquely positioned to make headway in the post-WoW MMO marketplace despite the specter of Star Wars: The Old Republic looming on the horizon.

"I'm actually extremely excited about what's happening in our space. When we started five years ago, there was only WoW. Now there's RIFT as an absolute serious contender, with the most dynamic gameplay ever. Then there's Star Wars, then there's End of Nations coming. Then there's Defiance coming [...] so we're not afraid at all. We actually look forward to it with great excitement. It makes our point," Buttler says.

Trion CEO: RIFT has the 'most dynamic gameplay ever' and is a 'serious competitor' for WoW originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Oct 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trion announces Red Door publishing and development platform

Jef Reahard — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business Models, MMO Industry, News Items, RIFT, Miscellaneous

Trion is the latest development firm to try its hand at a large-scale publishing platform, according to a new company press release issued this morning. The beast is called Red Door, and it "will consist of a consumer platform and a full-scale publishing and development platform based on the proprietary technology fueling Trion's games."

What games are those, you might ask?

Well there's RIFT, of course, and the company is also developing End of Nations and Defiance. Red Door aims to allow third-parties to build and run games of similar scope via "fast real-time updates and versatile monetization models." Trion CEO Lars Buttler says that the company's goal is to "revolutionize premium games and help the industry realize its potential in the connected era."

[Source: Trion press release]

Trion announces Red Door publishing and development platform originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Oct 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trion Worlds and Syfy to debut Defiance at E3 2011

Matt Daniel — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, Screenshots, News Items, MMOFPS, Miscellaneous

Three years ago, Syfy announced that it would be teaming up with RIFT creator Trion Worlds to construct the world's first MMO that would actively intertwine with a live-action TV series. This project became Defiance, which will be making its debut at E3 2011. The groundbreaking project will create a shared universe for the game and TV series, with each influencing the other through actions the characters and players take.

The game -- an action-based shooter that will be released on PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 -- will be set in the San Francisco Bay Area, whereas the TV series will take place around St. Louis, Missouri. Both, however, take place on the same conflict-torn future Earth where humans and aliens coexist, though whether they do so peacefully or not remains to be seen. Lars Buttler, CEO of Trion Worlds, has this to say about the project: "This is essentially the convergence of the television and gaming industry into one fully-developed cohesive property. Syfy is creating a television show that takes place in the fictional universe that the game is set in. The game and the show will constantly [influence] each other from the moment they simultaneously launch." If done properly, Defiance could bring a new level of persistence and player influence to the genre. Keep an eye out for more on this upcoming title as E3 draws ever closer, and be sure to head over to Hollywood Reporter for the full article.

Trion Worlds and Syfy to debut Defiance at E3 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 03 Jun 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIFT ships off to South Korea

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, RIFT

For as many Asian MMOs that get imported overseas, it's good to see a little love heading back that way as well. South Korean players anxious to get their hands on RIFT will now have that opportunity. Trion Worlds announced that it signed a multi-year agreement with CJ E&M Games to publish a localized version in the country.

This is good news for RIFT, as it will expand outside of its current North American and European markets. Trion's Lars Buttler sees South Korea as ripe for a few dynamic invasions: "We take the Korean market very seriously as it is driven by innovation and growth in the online gaming space. By working with CJ E&M we are able to bring deep, immersive online gaming experiences to the east, and continue delivering quality games to gamers worldwide."

RIFT is riding high after a recent NPD report that listed the game as the top-selling retail PC game in North America in March, according to Trion's press release.

RIFT ships off to South Korea originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SyFy-Trion project revealed as Defiance

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, MMO Industry, New Titles

Trion Worlds may be big with its RIFT mojo these days, but the studio isn't looking to be a one-trick pony. We've known that it's had a number of other projects in the works, including an action science-fiction MMO created in conjunction with the Syfy channel.

Today we've learned the name of this project: Defiance. Described as a "new entertainment franchise that will seamlessly pair a primetime series with an online video game," Defiance is scheduled for release sometime later this year.

We first heard about this MMO a few years ago, although Trion's been fairly mum on the specifics. Video games and TV series working together offer a unique prospect for synergy and cross-promotion, something that hasn't escaped the attention of Trion CEO Lars Buttler. Defiance may also appear on the Xbox 360 if Trion's hiring practices are any indication.

SyFy-Trion project revealed as Defiance originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Enter at Your Own Rift: Getting a head start

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Launches, RIFT, Enter at Your Own Rift

Dateline: Thursday, February 24th, 12:55 p.m. EST. After having rushed home from work (huzzah for a half-day), I was frantically putting the kids to bed for an afternoon nap and patching up my RIFT client. Twitter was abuzz with gamers sitting at the starting gate and revving their mice. It was here. After seven betas, it was here, and we would be the first in the door.

12:59 p.m. EST. Began checking the server status list, trying to will the dull grey names to light up as they signified activity.

1:00 p.m. EST. Scott Hartsman posts a short message on Twitter: "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to RIFT."

Right on cue, the servers came up, and what felt like the entire population of Oregon tried to cram into the game all at once. By 1:01 p.m., when I logged in, my chosen server of Faeblight was already full and had 461 people in the queue. I was 462. It would be another 45 minutes until I was able to play the game proper.

Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: Getting a head start

Enter at Your Own Rift: Getting a head start originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Right on the first try: Trion Worlds' Buttler confident in RIFT's launch

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, Launches, MMO Industry, RIFT

"Nimble." "Dynamic." "Satisfied." "Revolution." These are just a few choice words that Trion Worlds CEO Lars Buttler has to say about his company's flagship game on the eve of RIFT's official launch.

Speaking with Gamasutra, Buttler walks a fine line between expressing confidence in and overselling RIFT's qualities. "This is the most social game in the history of gaming," he declared, pointing out how the game interacts with Twitter and open grouping to pull a myriad of players together.

What's the formula for a successful MMO in Buttler's opinion? "We took the time to try to get it right. We built the right technology first, we built an entire new platform architecture first, we then recruited the best team on the planet, and then we took a lot of time to build a complete and polished game, and then also focused very very strongly on slightly improving the things that are already great in MMORPGs, and introducing a lot of things that we and many gamers think are missing."

Buttler also hopes that RIFT will be one of a coming wave of MMOs that will usher in a more widespread acceptance of the genre as an entertainment staple, not just a fringe activity. He predicts that the revolution that happened with casual gaming will now spread to core games and break down barriers.

Right on the first try: Trion Worlds' Buttler confident in RIFT's launch originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIFT set to release on March 1st

Jef Reahard — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Launches, New Titles, News Items, RIFT

Get ready rifters, as Trion Worlds has dropped a definitive release date for its forthcoming fantasy MMORPG. That's right, RIFT will be firing on all cylinders round about March 1st in the States (March 4th in Europe). Today's announcement also brings further word on the pre-order program and collector's edition items that we mentioned last week.

Pre-order customers can choose one of three in-game pets and are eligible to jump in and play RIFT a week before the official launch date. The head start period begins February 24th, and all pre-order customers are automatically invited to participate in the remaining beta events (the details of which are available on the official site). Finally, Trion is also discounting multi-month subscriptions to the tune of $9.99 US with a time-limited Founder's Pricing program.

"We've been able to create an exceptionally polished and immersive online world filled with adventure, surprise, and beauty. We can't wait to share RIFT with players around the world," said Trion CEO Lars Buttler.

RIFT set to release on March 1st originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubisoft to shoulder Rift's European publishing

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, MMO Industry, RIFT

With Rift's launch looming closer by the day, forces are coming into play faster now than ever before. Trion Worlds has announced that it is partnering with Ubisoft to publish Rift in Europe. Ubisoft, which has studios in countries all across the globe, will be tasked with releasing the game in France, Benelux, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Nordics. This deal includes multiple years of service starting in 2011.

While Ubisoft has handled smaller MMOs, such as Might and Magic Heroes Kingdom, Rift represents the largest MMO client to date for the company.

Trion Worlds' CEO Lars Buttler sees this as a great move for the game: "To join forces with an industry leader such as Ubisoft on our first title further demonstrates the potential Rift has to be a game-changer in the online gaming space. We are thrilled to be working with Ubisoft, one of world's leading publishers, as we reaffirm our commitment to deliver quality products to gamers around the world."

While Ubisoft is not without its fair share of controversies, no one can deny that the publisher has clout across the market. Rift's closed beta starts later this week, and all signs still point toward an early 2011 release.

Ubisoft to shoulder Rift's European publishing originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trion CEO introduces MMO investing to Bloomberg TV

Larry Everett — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, Business Models, Economy, MMO Industry, New Titles, RIFT

Have you ever wondered where to invest your savings for the future? Have you thought about the MMO market? Apparently, multimedia companies like Time Warner, NBC Universal, and Bertelsmann believe it is worth their money. These three media giants have invested over $100 million into Trion Worlds, the top-tier gaming company featuring upcoming MMOs like Rift: Planes of Telara and End of Nations.

Yesterday, Trion's CEO Lars Buttler was featured on Bloomberg's CEO Sitdown. In the interview, Buttler mentioned the role that games, specifically MMO games, will play in the future economy. "This is actually one of the fastest-growing segments of the games industry. And there are markets like Korea or China where you can see what a massive potential these online premium games already have," Buttler explains in the video. As MMOs become more mainstream, the media industry is beginning to see them as a viable form of entertainment. They are not just pretend fun for teenage boys anymore. Buttler expounds later, "It's really once-a-gamer-always-a-gamer, so as people get older they stay with their favorite game types." The industry is constantly growing because the audience sticks to its favorite form of entertainment.

For more on this story check out the full video on Bloomberg's website.

Trion CEO introduces MMO investing to Bloomberg TV originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New information about hybrid SyFy MMO and television show

Rubi Bayer — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business Models, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items

Back in June of 2008, we first heard about a neat little idea from SyFy -- then the Sci-Fi channel -- involving a combination MMO and television show. The project is still going strong as a collaboration between SyFy and Trion World Network, and now has the intriguing working title of One Earth.

One Earth has since received financial backing from Peacock Equity, a global fund from NBC Universal and GE dedicated to investing in digital media companies (among other ventures).

New video -- featuring Lars Buttler, CEO of Trion and President of SyFy David Howe -- delves deeper into the project. "...we are making this game now with a lot of support from every side," Buttler says. "we can, in this unique setup, do things that other people would never even dare before: create a video game world, a television show, they're based on the same universe, they take place at the same location in the future. They not only promote each other, they literally depend on each other and co-evolve."

For the full story and video, take a look here.

New information about hybrid SyFy MMO and television show originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Emergent behavior to be produced in Trion's Heroes of Telara

Seraphina Brennan — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Game Mechanics, Interviews, Massively Meta, RIFT

Trion World Network is trying a very different approach with their fantasy based MMO, Heroes of Telara, by pushing into an area currently untouched by most MMOs -- emergence.

Emergence is one of the aspects that many MMOs aspired to, only to drop in favor of static storytelling. The problem with emergence is that simple decisions would have a compounding impact on the world. Heroes would solve problems, only to perhaps create further problems with their implemented solutions. Most game architecture can't handle decision making of that nature, as it would need developers to constantly code in the new events that would occur.

However, Heroes of Telara seems to be aspiring to that using server-side gaming. Their proposed method, as it appears in an interview between Trion's CEO, Lars Buttler, and GamesIndustry.biz, is to run the game entirely server side, letting developers change and alter the game on the fly. As Buttler puts it, "There are small events, there are big events, there is even emergent behaviour in the game that changes the game world. A lot of it is not even known to us, it's like the ghost in the machine. The game is almost alive, and that allows you to create heroes."

Emergent behavior to be produced in Trion's Heroes of Telara originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Over $100 million invested in Trion and its unusual distribution platform

Samuel Axon — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Business Models, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items

Trion announced that it has managed to get another $70 million in invested funds, bringing the total amount to over $100 million. For reference: that's somewhere in the ballpark of the development cost Grand Theft Auto IV, and about half of what Blizzard has spent on World of Warcraft since its 2004 launch.

Trion is the company co-founded by EA alum Lars Buttler and Might and Magic creator Jon Van Caneghem, which announced that it'll be making a game in concert with The Sci-Fi Channel, as well as a fantasy console MMO we know little about.

We've talked a bit about Trion's plans and business model before, but here's a refresher: it is creating development tools for making games that will run completely server-side. The graphics will be drawn on the client, but everything else -- physics, game logic, etc., will occur on the server and be downloaded to the user's computer. This serves two important functions. It greatly reduces the minimum hardware specifications for games and it makes piracy extremely difficult. We're not going to say yet that it makes piracy impossible, because, well, "life finds a way."

Over $100 million invested in Trion and its unusual distribution platform originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively interviews Jon Van Caneghem about the SCI FI Channel MMO

Mike Schramm — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Business Models, Game Mechanics, Free-to-Play, Interviews (Massively's)

Trion World Network is quite a company -- without releasing a single game, they've put together millions of dollars in venture capital and compiled a staff list that's got team members from across the history of MMO games, from EverQuest and Ultima Online to World of Warcraft and City of Heroes.

This week, they sent waves through the MMO community by announcing that not only were they working on a fantasy MMO to be helmed by Jon Van Caneghem (original creator of the Might and Magic series of RPG strategy games and co-founder of the company along with Lars Buttler), but that they were forming a groundbreaking partnership with the SCI FI Channel to develop and publish and MMO to live alongside a television show. Finally, we had a small glimpse of just what Trion, with all of their money and experience, were up to.

To find out more, Massively sat down with Van Caneghem (a busy man since the news dropped on Monday) to chat about both the fantasy MMO and the SCI FI project, and what Trion's been working on since they formed. Van Caneghem told us why Trion wants to make a different kind of MMO, and how they'll balance an online game with a television series from the network that's running Battlestar Galactica. The interview starts right after you click the link below.

Continue reading Massively interviews Jon Van Caneghem about the SCI FI Channel MMO

Massively interviews Jon Van Caneghem about the SCI FI Channel MMO originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trion on their new distribution platform

Chris Chester — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business Models, Interviews, MMO Industry, New Titles

When young, unproven companies make that first step of announcing new projects, as Trion did yesterday, there are typically scant few details for gamers to work with in trying to figure out what the company is going to be like. Fortunately, Trion bigwigs Lars Buttler and Jon Von Caneghem were willing to sit down for an interview yesterday to discuss what the focus of their new company is going to be with the development of the Sci Fi Channel project and the unnamed fantasy game.

Their big emphasis seemed to be on innovating the distribution model, removing the retail barrier for entry that may be keeping a lot of potential players from getting invested in serious MMO experiences. Along those lines, they also want to plug into social networking and let players feel they have a presence in the game world even when they're not sitting at their home PCs. Also interesting was their plans to centralize most of the "smart" elements of their games, like the physics calculations, server-side, reducing the hardware requirements for the player. They see their role as much as a platform provider for future MMOs as anything, but the proof is in the pudding, and their games are going to have to impress if they want to have any hopes of success.

Trion on their new distribution platform originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 03 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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