Funcom Press Releases

The Secret World Announcements

Eurogamer.net
Eurogamer posted a mysterious poem at the beginning of the week that promised to reveal a new game if you could crack the code. Well, you lot nailed it, finding the hidden forum and forcing the shrouded stranger to step out into the light. That face has revealed itself as Funcom, and the new game is The Secret World, previously referred to as The World Online.

GameSpy
The Moon landing never happened. Magic exists and demons stalk the streets of our major cities. King Arthur sleeps beneath a hill in rural England. The sewers of New York are infested by albino crocodiles. The Earth is hollow and a secret world inside it can be accessed via a volcano in the Antarctic. Welcome to The Secret World.

1UP
A few months ago Funcom said they were plotting an MMO that actually took place on Earth, and yesterday viral marketing for their newest creation kicked off. Today, however, they’ve given their plan a name: The Secret World. Coming to both Xbox 360 and PC, The Secret World is “is inspired by history and mythology, modern conspiracy theories and ancient mysteries,” says the company.”

Kotaku
From the team that brought you The Longest Journey and Anarchy Online comes The Secret World, a new massively multiplayer online game for the PC and Xbox 360. The modern day, alternate reality setting promises a blend of action, horror and bikini-clad, tattooed digital honies.

Shacknews
Over the last week, internet detectives have managed to uncover the existence of the game via the Funcom-created website DarkDaysAreComing.com and the recent launch of an official forum. Previously, the project has gone by the working titles of “Cry Gaia” and “The World Online,” with Tornquist having dropped hints as to the nature of the game over the past year. According to today’s announcement, The Secret World has been in development since last summer and has reached a playable state.

GameSpot
Titled The Secret World, the new game has a modern-day setting with a darkly fantastical twist. In it, massive monsters and secret societies employ arcane powers and battle beneath the high-tech veneer of the 21st century.

Wikipedia
The pre-production of the game started in 2002, but in mid-2003, most of the working team was transferred to the development of Dreamfall. The work on The Secret World was resumed after Dreamfall shipped, with many of the latter’s designers (including Ragnar Tørnquist) playing key roles in the former’s development.

Game Conferences

GDC ’07: The Rumours @ RagnarTornquist.com
GDC ’07: Funcom’s new MMO News @ Eurogamer.net

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