The MMO genre is well established on PC, but has yet to take hold on consoles. Defiance is a game hoping to change all that, as Trion Worlds has partnered with TV channel Syfy to develop a game that will not only bring the persistent world and character building of an MMO to consoles but will support and crossover with an expensive TV show at the same time.
"There is no denying that doing MMOs on consoles is difficult," Nathan Richardsson, executive producer told Official Xbox Magazine. "When they were envisioned, the massive online model with aggressive evolution of the game and dynamic universes wasn't part of their core purpose. This has discouraged a lot of developers, going the paths of less resistance and sticking to other platforms."
"That being said, what's commonly associated with the word 'MMO' has a lot of connotations on consoles and even the most known games of the genre are experiences which would be a really poor experience on consoles. So yes but I think everyone is also just waiting for the answer to the question, 'what is a massive online game on console?'"
Obviously he's hoping that for many people the answer will be "Defiance" but there's also Bungie's Destiny on the horizon, which has similar online aspirations. "I don't think it's a threat at all," Richardsson countered. "I think it'll broaden the audience and introduce people to massive collaborative experiences as well as make online gaming more approachable. It's at the point where 'MMO' is very much associated - and even stigmatised - with a certain men-in-tights deep-and-wide subscription type of game."
Defiance is out for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC on April 2nd. There will be no subscription fee, but if you buy the GAME Exclusive Limited Edition or Collector's Edition you get bonus goodies to help you get started, including weapons and XP boosts.