Funcom and EA Games to Co-Publish 'The Secret World'

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In 2006, Electronic Arts (EA) nabbed Mythic Entertainment in an effort to diversify their product output beyond the usual console mix. In a traditional corporate environment, actions such as these are looked upon with scrutiny due to their financial implications. In an entertainment-oriented corporate environment, customer experience holds stock majority – so to speak. Do actions such as these benefit the consumer directly, or do they simply fuel advertisement funding and other business-related functions?

Continue past the cut and decide for yourself!

In 2007, EA swooped on Bioware Entertainment, hoping to dispel a bad reputation that stemmed from this very behavior: industry consolidation. While EA’s venture capitalist fund certainly helps to lay the tracks for struggling developers, many believe that they are effectively diluting the industry – homogenizing what was once a motley crew of “indie” developers, working with their bare hands to bring a shared passion to life. As with many other forms of entertainment, our precious MMORPG industry has been infiltrated by suits & ties – often with questionable results.

It is with a heavy heart and weary soul that we hear of EA and Funcom’s joint decision to co-publish The Secret World, a highly anticipated next-gen MMO set in real-world locations like New York and Seoul. Despite a track record of profit-fueled decisions, EA Games has collectively honed its skill as a determined group of programmers and businesspeople. We remain optimistic about this newly formed bond as long as there are no signs of creative tampering on EA’s part.

Fans of The Secret World are anticipating a departure from typical class-based systems à la Age of Conan and World of Warcraft; according to Funcom, players will be free to cherry-pick their favorite skills and create their own unique “class”. Funcom’s CEO, Trond Arne Aas, explains this decision, “The experience and the knowledge that Electronic Arts brings to the table will be instrumental in allowing us to realize the full potential of ‘The Secret World‘.”

If you are curious about Funcom’s upcoming MMO, The Secret World, check out this informational interview the Crunch conducted with TSW’s Creative Director, Ragnar Tørnquist.