Carbine Studios' WildStar is a game that many are watching with a keen eye as 2012 unfolds. We had the opportunity to chat with Producer Troy Hewitt about WildStar and about Carbine's plans for the year. See what makes WildStar one of our most anticipated titles for 2012 in our exclusive interview.

In dealing with a sci-fi genre game what are the biggest challenges?

One of the biggest challenges in dealing with sci-fi is the “sci” part of the equation. That might sound weird, but let me explain: First, mixing sci-fi and fantasy is great. The creative freedom you get by taking the best elements of both and combining them has been a lot of fun. We can tell almost any story we want, and it feels threaded into the fabric of our world, rather than trying to introduce some discordant add-on that ends up feeling like some strange exception to all the rules.

Read more of Bill Murphy's WildStar: Troy Hewitt Interview.

Sounds interesting. I like the fact they are trying to do something different than the norm.  Not normally a Sci-Fi player but will keep my eye on this one.

The game has interesting premesis; but if NCsoft has anything to do with the game I'd have some reservations about it's potential.

Originally posted by omidus

The game has interesting premesis; but if NCsoft has anything to do with the game I'd have some reservations about it's potential.

 

Why worry? NCSoft is the publisher and Carbine is the developer. Yes... NCSoft does make some games (Aion for example) but for the wholly owned companies (such as Carbine and ArenaNet) they are free to design their game as they want and just have to follow a rough timetable for release that is set down by NCSoft.

Originally posted by nightsong89

Why worry? NCSoft is the publisher and Carbine is the developer. Yes... NCSoft does make some games (Aion for example) but for the wholly owned companies (such as Carbine and ArenaNet) they are free to design their game as they want and just have to follow a rough timetable for release that is set down by NCSoft.

"Why worry? ...they ...just have to follow a rough timetable for release that is set down by NCSoft."

You answered your own question.

If it has sandbox stuff, it'll succeed, if it's yet another take on the themepark, we will see diminishing subs after the free month in abundance.

2012 > sandbox is the new themepark.

..because there are so many successful sandbox games right now.

On a side note....looking forward to another Sci-Fi mmo. Was put off by the art design but it's growing on me. Now lets see what all these "systems" are all about.

This game is at the top of my watch list.  I love the color palette/art and the general game concepts. I am one of those people that loves to play alone (or in a duo) in a world with thousands of players. So, I am hoping the balance between grouping and solo is done well.  Plus, I do hope you have crafting, with new and creative ways to create as well as sell the goods.

I am so tired of rewashed games. Same old methods, same old mechanics just given new graphics. Ugh. We need something new and fresh all the way around.

This could be interesting game and potential underdog when it hits out.

This games artystle is even more cartoony than WoW (which I'm 110% sure is the demographioc they are targetting). The artstyle alone tells me to stay far away from this game as it will be more of the same but even more dumbed down if thats even possible anymore (can the genre get even more dumbed down than SWTOR?)

99% of this game will be solo except for a few dungeons and raids which will probably be 8 man "raids". Book it

keeping a eye on it, but sofar not convinced at all about the "freedom of play" both in terms of themepark vs sandbox as in their "playstyle classes" system. 

Still keep getting the feeling that they are making a linair themapark whit limeted options of how to play by being locked into a playstyle .. we will see as time passes.  atleast "Role Play" is mentioned ..so perhaps in this game we can sit down on some chairs for a chance :P

Originally posted by TwystedWiz

Originally posted by nightsong89

Why worry? NCSoft is the publisher and Carbine is the developer. Yes... NCSoft does make some games (Aion for example) but for the wholly owned companies (such as Carbine and ArenaNet) they are free to design their game as they want and just have to follow a rough timetable for release that is set down by NCSoft.

 

"Why worry? ...they ...just have to follow a rough timetable for release that is set down by NCSoft."

 

You answered your own question.

 

Tell me a company who does not have a deadline! Games Company or not! The think is , NcSoft can afford to give them as much time as they want to release the game in a good shape...

See GW2!

Originally posted by Ovum

I dont get it. Walls of text and when the question for 2012 hits this start to talk about 2011 WTF?

 

dont worry, the whole interwebz will have full VO soon. 

Originally posted by BarCrow

..because there are so many successful sandbox games right now.

On a side note....looking forward to another Sci-Fi mmo. Was put off by the art design but it's growing on me. Now lets see what all these "systems" are all about.

 

Most "Sandboxes", in my opinion, lack funding and expertise on the developers side. Thats why they are not that successful. On the other hand this means: Large funding ---> need for large target audience and many subs. Thaaaat means on the developers side: Sorry, no sandbox. But this is tied to yet another problem, which is, that many confuse "sandbox" with "hardcore" (which narrows the potentional audience).

They talk a good game, and call me jaded, but I'm yet to see anything that really convinces me this is much more than just a typical theme pack MMO with an atypical setting and some sort of 'selective content' system tacked on.

Still it is one to keep an eye on in case TSW and / or GW2 aren't all they are cracked up to be.

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Originally posted by acidblood
They talk a good game, and call me jaded, but I'm yet to see anything that really convinces me this is much more than just a typical theme pack MMO with an atypical setting and some sort of 'selective content' system tacked on.Still it is one to keep an eye on in case TSW and / or GW2 aren't all they are cracked up to be.

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While I love the looks of this game and think it has potential .. it is all just talk at this point. Here's to hoping :)

From the first lines of text: shake up the MMO genre - truly unique - screaming with a fresh personality - new and different...

Call me jaded (and i probaly am) but isnt this what they all say about there new mmos?.. pretty sure i heard something along thoes lines from both swtor and Rift.

 I dont belive a single thing a developer says about his new game without, at the same time telling what it is exactly that is so new and unique..

(I wonder when it was i lost faith in developers.. was probaly AoC..) 

Is it me, or Hewitt doesn't give a single clear answer ?

Originally posted by k-damage

Is it me, or Hewitt doesn't give a single clear answer ?

It's not just you, every answer given is a bunch of vague double-talk trying to make it sound like what they are doing is a big departure from the MMO norm, without any real specifics.

What's worse, think about their supposed mantra "play how you want, when you want, with whom you want".  With it, I believe they are attempting to convey the sense that their game will be filled with meaningful choices in a persistent world filled with other players.

As far as I'm concerned, the mantra could be applied to just about every other solo-friendly themepark currently on the market.  Hewitt hails the ability of players to essentially divest themselves from the world.  How is that different from the games that are already out there?  Answer: it's not.

After reading this, it appears that Carbine has also failed to grasp what meaningful social interaction in a virtual world actually means.  It's not as simplilstic as guild tools or the ability to group only if a player wants to.  At its core, Wildstar sounds like yet another vapid themepark in which the value of the "virtual world" will mean little more than players having the ability to stand near one another (and, likely, the ability to grind instances for loot).