GDC10: An in-depth look at Battlestar Galactica Online
by Rubi Bayer 
Mar 10th 2010 at 6:00PM
Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, real-world, Interviews, New titles, News items, Massively Interviews, Battlestar Galactica Online
The initial announcement was met with a bit of apprehension from fans -- they love the IP but aren't sure how well it will translate into an MMO, particularly a browser-based MMO. Follow along after the jump as we take a look at that and much more in our interview with Bigpoint.
Wergin started off by addressing the basics: how is all of this going to work? He confirmed that the game will be free-to-play and browser based, but very extensive: "It's going to be a tactical shooter with a lot of interaction and questing rewards system. It's not just going to be a space shooter, but it's also going to have the whole [...] storyline to it, so really deeply immersive." You'll be able to play as a human or a Cylon, and enjoy third-person shooting action as well as twitch-based space combat.
Bigpoint is very confident about Battlestar Galactica Online -- the combination of their past experience and the extensive BSG universe could prove to be a very successful pairing: "We've licensed out five titles in the past already, and I think part of the fun for is is that with all of that content, all of that richness that this universe brings, we have that tradition with our other titles that we keep them...we have the creativity in house to keep them going and make them exciting for years." Wergin pointed out that a browser-based format allows them to add content regularly -- sometimes weekly -- and that increased flexibility will bring more of the BSG universe to their fans.
The other half of the browser question is what Wergin refers to as the entry barrier -- free-to-play allows potential players to take a look at the game more easily than a game that they would have to purchase to explore. That lack of an entry barrier gives the content of the game a chance to speak for itself: "It's really about how great is the content, how does it feel, how do you play it, how are the missions, how is it set up, and the storyline, how often do you get new content, do you get events within the game? I think with the technical readiness that we've achieved with browser online games, I think we're there to make a very rich experience." The chance to explore the game fully without ever reaching for your credit card is a powerful incentive.
The game is slotted for launch in September, so while the current information covers the generalities, we can expect much more in the coming weeks and months. Thanks to Jan Wergin and Bigpoint for your time!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Noz said on 6:59PM 3-10-2010
"start of season two of the new series" What? Did I miss something? I thought BSG has been concluded; two times now. Are they talking about Caprica?
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Archipelagos said on 7:17PM 3-10-2010
Must be talking about Caprica. Or they're stuck in some bizarre time vortex where season 2 of BSG isn't out yet. Stranger things could happen! Someone could make a BSG MMO! Oh wait...
centrik said on 7:32PM 3-10-2010
Fair enough, if the developer thinks we haven't been introduced to good browser games, I'll give it a shot and withhold judgement until then.
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Jason said on 8:08PM 3-10-2010
Does this mean the second season of Caprica will be the start of the Cylon war!?! oh i hope so!
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DrunkenPandaren said on 9:47PM 3-10-2010
Can't be. Husker isn't old enough to be a Viper pilot yet :(
Juelz said on 8:12PM 3-10-2010
I've never watched any of the new Battlestar Galactica series (though I wish I had the time to start) but if I was a fan I would be very pissed that this looking to be a half-wit browser based game.
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Lateris said on 8:26PM 3-10-2010
I would love to see some screenshots or a video!
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Scopique said on 9:10PM 3-10-2010
I'm not going to go off on this, as much as I want to. For me, BSG wasn't about blowing sh1t up. It was all about the characters. This type of game may have a place in the BSG universe, but I'm just generally disappointed.
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Eddy said on 10:26PM 3-16-2010
This.
I can't see myself being all that engaged in a world where Gaius Baltar is a questgiver, not the person I experience the show from the point of view of. (That's my experience of the show, anyway.)
Chris said on 11:37PM 3-10-2010
Yeah, so... baffled.
I can't begin to see this as an MMO. For that matter, the BSG universe was never one I wanted to participate in, especially the retcon version. It was more a society to observe rather than join. I mean, those people were f'ing crazy, man.
On the upside since MMOs never truly end then this will be the first BSG property without an utterly disappointing and shite ending.
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Jester said on 11:40PM 3-10-2010
if you look at their other games.... they're utter crap. Just what you would expect from browser based games. Why will BSG be any better?
This will be a big hit for about 10 seconds.
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Archmage said on 1:30AM 3-11-2010
This is going to fail. So. Hard.
I don't have a lot of experience with browser-based games, but just the mentions of what the format is going to be has already disappointed me. Why, oh why, must these moronic companies keep trashing such good and treasured IP's (especially for the older crowd such as myself, that grew up on the original show).
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Ingrod said on 2:15AM 3-11-2010
We read MMO and BSG in the same line and over hype the thing.
In reality is only a browser shooter game for the syfy website, not a
mayor MMO.
More evidence? Is F2P and will be released in six moths.
Calm down, is not the big BSG MMORPG, is only a cheap exploitation
game.
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Super Healer said on 8:19AM 3-11-2010
"The US is just starting to kick in on that freemium concept within a browser. We've done this in Europe.............They've already really embraced it,..."
No. No, we haven't...!
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postman said on 9:21AM 3-11-2010
"Fan opinions of the planned format, in Wergin's opinion, stem largely from the fact that truly good free-to-play browser-based games aren't a firmly established concept in North America: "The US is just starting to kick in on that freemium concept within a browser. We've done this in Europe and Asia, it's a different ballgame. They've already really embraced it, and I think there's really a lot of prejudice still as to what can be done in a browser in comparison to other big box titles. [...] I think people are going to be really impressed with what we're doing."
You cant do what "other big box" titles do in a browser unless they have some grand new technology that they have been keeping under wraps.
I am angry, rabid about this but I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt and be optimistic about this whole thing. I am an MMO gamer, I like my subscription model, I challenge you Bigpoint to change my mind about RMT and browser based games.
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Atnor said on 10:23AM 3-11-2010
OK, I just checked into some of their other games to see what they had been successful at before "in Europe and Asia" that we NA consumers seem to be missing the boat on...
OK, I understand what they want to do.... and ugh, ick....
No thanks, I'm pretty sure I dont want any part of that.
I think that apprehension of fans is well-placed. As others have said, this doesnt seem to be an MMO... Tt looks instead to be a browser-based space shooter with a BSG skin... not the same.
I may take a look later on when they have something to put in front of people, but for now, this is soooo far off my radar :)
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Neurotic said on 2:52PM 3-11-2010
The browser-based thing doesn't bother me one bit - look at Free Realms and Earth Eternal - technically speaking, they're every bit as solid (if not more so) than a lot of B+ mmogs out there today.
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Neurotic said on 2:54PM 3-11-2010
In fact, let's also not forget about Quake running in a browser, or BF Heroes. Again, whatever you may think of them as games, technically speaking they do prove that "browser based" does not have to equate strictly to "F***ing Farmville" etc.
Brian! said on 10:34AM 3-12-2010
It is a perfect PvP game.
The Humans are the pretty race. They get crafting skills and should be loaded with cool role-play tools.
The Cylons are combat only and are tough and mean.
Then the gameplay goes like this: Cylons gank and corpse camp the humans - who complain relentlessly that the factions are unbalanced and how they just want at least one safe area to harvest resources needed for their ships.
Just like the movie!
The only way it will succeed is if you can really design it so that the whiney carebares will fall for the Human race. Hrm... it might take modifying the IP a little to make it Humans and Elves fleeing the Cylons.
Seriously, I have doubts about this being the best IP for a video game. It is a story about humans fleeing an impossibly large force, staying alive by remaining hidden for the most part. That sounds like a crummy concept for a MMO in a age where players demand faction balance. Battlestar is all about imbalance.
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