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Kuma War
by Jolex Del Pilar
Friday, January 30 2004
One company hopes to bring CNN to online gaming.
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Title:
Kuma War
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Platform:
PC Windows
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Publisher:
Kuma Reality Games |
Developer:
Kuma Reality Games |
#
of Players: Possibly hundreds. |
Genre:
MMOFPS (Massively Multiplayer Online First Person Shooter)
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Origin:
United States
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Expected
Release:
February 2004 |
Grapevine:
Maybe a bit too close to home? |
Last year Sony Online Entertainment began a new era of online gaming with its release of PlanetSide on the PC. Rather than the typical RPG setting that most MMO games are known for, SOE decided to bring in the era of an evolving world centered around shooter style gameplay. PlanetSide, was more or less a success featuring exciting gameplay where players could become part of, and eventually lead, virtual armies into battle againt other player armies.
Kuma Reality Games upcoming online shooter follows in PlanetSide's footsteps but hopes to bring the immersion to a whole new level. Kuma War promises to use real-life battles and other conflict situations as the basis for its content which, according to one spokeman, should be updated monthly.
"Kuma War uses real-world events as the basis for our missions," said Dante Anderson, Kuma’s head of development. "You can be the 4th Infantry Division, capturing Saddam, or the 10th Mountain Division chasing al Qaeda through Afghanistan. Our job is to give a 'boots on the ground' experience of actual events in the global war on terror."
"Our missions are pushed out over the web as fast as possible, they are playable games but also a kind of real-world news. They need to reflect current headlines that people care about today, not two years from now," added Anderson.
To some, this promises missions based on real life situations that may have taken place only months or even weeks before the online missions are put into place. This sort of turnover time is amazing considering that games that cover real world conflict sometimes take years or even decades before they are even considered for game conversion. Of course, there is the touchy subject that remains inherent in Kuma War's premise. In order for there to be new content in the game, their must be conflict happening somewhere in the real world. This of course leaves an unsettling thought in the minds of players with much more pacifist or peaceful goals for the political climate of this world.
Regardless of political consideration, Kuma War on the surface at least seems to be one of the more interesting shooters that will surface this year. That's saying a lot in a year that will see Halo 2, a new iteration of Counter-Strike, and Half-Life 2 launch within months of each other. The question remains though, will Kuma War's gaming mechanics be captivating enough for players to jump off the Half-Life 2, or Counter-Strike band wagons? Will the missions, no matter how accurate to real-life events, be exciting enough for players to consider playing through?
Many of these questions should be answered this Spring according to the companies website when the retail version is slated to launch. Until then though, CNN is about as close as many gamers will get to real-world conflict situations.
--- Jolex Del Pilar
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