Paul Barnett interviewed at length on Land of the Dead

by Kyle Horner May 26th 2009 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, New titles, Warhammer Online, News items

If you've got time on your hands and are interested in reading the ramblings of Mythic Entertainment's Paul Barnett, then we'd like to direct your attention towards an interview at MMOGamer. Topics range from PR offices to all sorts of details on how Warhammer Online is doing and it's upcoming Land of the Dead update. We'll warn you now, a good amount of the meaty information is dispersed among lots and lots of strange Barnettisms and stories. We hope you like stories.

Granted, there's a lot more off-topic discussion, but it's all strange and left field type stuff so at the very least we found it endearing and strangely entertaining -- especially the story of Paul's son and his epic rise to being is father's ultimate griefer.

On a final, but definitely the most interesting note, it turns out that an in-game model of Paul Barnett was once used to test all the death animations. We kind of wish that such a thing could be seen by the public, and are considering writing a formal letter of request, asking Mythic to think of our dear readers.

Tags: ea, electronic-arts, land-of-the-dead, mmogamer, mythic, mythic-entertainment, paul-barnett, war, warhammer-online

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Claw said on 4:28PM 5-26-2009

I love this guy's energy, I love that Mythic are so good with these interviews and previews... but I wish he'd shut the hell up most of the time.

So many things this guy enthusiastically promised or exaggerated before launch just didn't happen or took so long to happen they were barely worth mentioning.

This has been the death of far too many MMOs. The very best MMOs say little and do a lot – much like LOTRO, or grudgingly Eve, who quietly beaver away between patches hardly needing to brag about how ace it'll be. And when it ain't that ace... well, they didn't spend six month hyping it for nothing.

Please Paul... just stop talking. Or at least moderate your enthusiasm to a level were the developers can actually hope to fulfil your wild promises.

clem said on 4:33PM 5-26-2009

Honestly, he didn't really talk very much about warhammer's new content. Sure he hyped it a bit but its a damn interview. PR wont bother with them unless he was going to do at least some plugging.

Digest said on 6:01AM 5-27-2009

Very well said Claw. Indeed, Mythic should stop talking already (I really hate their Waaaagh! thing videos, really). They've done enough to cause me money by buying that crap game, by them saying things that wanted for us to hear, then when I played it was full of crap. I wouldn't even play WAR even its F2P. It's so dull period. I'd rather play casual mmo's out there.

I'm hear to inform who are thinking of buying this game is to try it first then you'll know what I'm talking about for some $15 a month game. It's not worth it even your time, trust me.

clem said on 4:29PM 5-26-2009

I think the most interesting part of this interview is part 2, talking about where MMOs are going and whatnot. Its not strange at all.

Leshrac said on 4:35PM 5-26-2009

I've always said that if this guy spent as much time off camera working on the game as he did sitting in front of the camera the game would have been better off. He is a self-made celebrity and he just LOVES to listen to himself spout off. I love how he shares his opinions about how he is an MMO genius yet he cannot fix his own game. 300k subs? GTFO!

Pedro said on 7:21PM 5-26-2009

He is the freakin Creative Director. He has subordinates doing the work of improving the game you dumbass.

bilbo said on 4:35PM 5-26-2009

People still play this game?

TheDrago said on 5:21PM 5-26-2009

Again "bilbo," you keep asking this dumb question again and again. Yes, many people still play, and enjoy, this game. Accept it. Deal with it. Move on already.

morskittar said on 5:24PM 5-26-2009

300k is successful for a pay-for-play Western MMO. Not sure when that changed.

WoW isn't a reasonable benchmark for a niche game (read: anything built around PvP).

pogger said on 9:35PM 5-26-2009

Re: Do people still play this game?

Does anyone have a link where you can see MMO market share by region? I think the numbers for WoW in North America are plateauing or declining...

morskittar said on 5:25PM 5-26-2009

A WAR player must have shoved him in a locker at one point.

That can leave scars.

breezer said on 7:02PM 5-26-2009

Note to the devs: smart people don't believe a WORD Paul Barnett says.

sarr said on 7:48PM 5-26-2009

(sorry, I can't login under my login and test here ; / )

Scales said on 9:47AM 5-27-2009

I'm here to inform anyone thinking of buying this game that it's easily the most fun online game I've played, and I've been playing online games since Quake 1. I also know a lot of people who agree with me.

It can be a blood pumping mash-fest where you and your guildies take on twice the number of people just through pure organisation and skill and win the day. Tactics, organisation, timing (knowing when to attack as well as doing more than key mashing) mean a small group of people can lock zones faster than the zerging masses have time to react.

This game, despite the comments I've seen to the contrary, can be very much about so called 'gank' groups (as they're referred to in the previous Massively article) and your 6 man selection of classes can be more powerful against even a zerg than many think. 6v30? Yep, you can take out a whole warband with the right people.

I see the same people coming back to this site and making the same dumb comments about how it sucks (I don't mean you digest :P) - why are these people spreading their crap on these comments when they presumably don't play the game? We get it - *you* don't like it, fair enough, why keep coming back and saying useful adages like "lol fail" and "people still play this? Hurrrr". Unless... unless they're actually still playing? In which case wtf guys find something you enjoy and stop spreading the hate :P

I understand it's not for everyone, but if you want massive PvP battles, this is *the* game.

But... I would agree with the above posting on it being dull if the following applies:

1) You're in tier 4 and not in a guild / tiny guild - seriously you aren't seeing half the game if you're not in a guild or your guild is very small.
2) You always play in PUG groups.... and related to that:
3) You want to mostly play solo
4) You don't like PvP and want to raid. WoW is of course the leader in PvE MMO.

The best solution to most of the negative stuff I've seen here* is just to join a larger organised guild that actually wants to do PvP, which has people that will actually lead you to victory and not just zerg about, and isn't just interested in killing AI baddies. After all, what's more fun, killing predictable AI over and over or smooshing the other side through cunning plans ;)

* except lag, oh there is plenty of that ;) the lag is the biggest problem with this game (hence why my guild usually avoids the zerg), followed by yeah we know, dodgy forts and capital cities. They'll improve over time as Mythic know it needs fixing but to be honest if you're only interested in getting phat loot then in all honesty WoW would be better for ya :) This game is about PvP, not loot, not ranking your renown.

Queue the anti-war posts telling me it's their duty to inform the masses how since they hate it therefore everyone will *yawn*.