Warhammer 40K MMO in the Works

According to a Q&A over at GameSpot, publisher THQ has acquired the video game rights to the Warhammer 40,000 science fiction universe from Games Workshop, publisher of the Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 tabletop strategy games. Included in the deal are the rights to games for all platforms and across all genres. Most notably, THQ worldwide publishing executive VP Kelly Flock and Games Workshop legal and licensing head Andy Jones revealed that THQ will be publishing a massively multiplayer game set in the world of Warhammer 40,000. The MMO will be developed by Austin-based Vigil Games. Vigil's official site makes no mention of the project, referring only to a separate unannounced "totally original property" for current systems. The studio is headed up by former NCsoft developer David Adams, and was acquired by THQ last year. Vigil's current MMO project has no relationship to EA Mythic's upcoming MMO Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning.

GS: Obviously, the current massively multiplayer online landscape is very competitive--Brian Farrell stated last June that, at the time, working on a game that would be "something competitive [with World of Warcraft]...would be misguided for anyone, including THQ." Tell us how THQ and Games Workshop intend to tackle the task of bringing a new massively multiplayer online game into this market. KF: We think World of Warcraft has done a great job of establishing the MMO market. We have seen tremendous growth in the space over the past five or so years. That said, we believe there is plenty of opportunity that lies ahead both in terms of developing innovative new gameplay mechanics and continuing to expand the user base. Combine that with the built-in popularity and richness of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and we feel very confident in our competitive position. AJ: Actually, I think Kelly says it all here--we believe very strongly that the Warhammer 40,000 intellectual property delivers opportunities for unique and innovative gameplay in the MMO space, and the fact that WOW has grown the marketplace can only be a good thing for all of us.