“Everquest Next” Development Has Stopped
"We found that it wasn’t fun."
"Everquest Next" would have been the third game in the popular MMORPG Everquest series, and while it showed some potential and introduced some interesting mechanics, Daybreak Games has decided to discontinue the project. This isn't that much of a surprise to anyone trying to follow the game, as it appeared to disappear completely about a year ago. That in itself isn't that surprising - games sometimes fall into a development hell, and get stuck for a while - but in this case, Daybreak has decided to stop development on the title entirely. In the press release, Daybreak Games president Russell Shanks said this:
For those familiar with the internals of game development, you know that cancellations are a reality we must face from time to time. Inherent to the creative process are dreaming big, pushing hard and being brutally honest with where you land. In the case of EverQuest Next, we accomplished incredible feats that astonished industry insiders. Unfortunately, as we put together the pieces, we found that it wasn’t fun. We know you have high standards when it comes to Norrath and we do too. In final review, we had to face the fact that EverQuest Next would not meet the expectations we – and all of you – have for the worlds of Norrath.
Its not often you hear a developer say that they're stopping work on a game because it wasn't fun. Still, it is an interesting move. Daybreak Games was able to look at their own creation, make that harsh judgement and then move in favor of the consumer - rather than try to force the game out to the public anyway. Definitely a noble move on the part of Daybreak and one that increases my respect for them as a company.
Shanks went on in the press release to say this about the future of the series:
The future of the EverQuest franchise as a whole is important to us here at Daybreak. EverQuest in all its forms is near and dear to our hearts. EverQuest and EverQuest II are going strong. Rest assured that our passion to grow the world of EverQuest remains undiminished.
So, while the newest game may not come out as soon as expected, Daybreak Games will still continue to support both "Everquest" and "Everquest 2" - games that could be said laid the very foundation that all modern MMORPGs have been built upon. With "Everquest Next" now on the back-burner, we are excited to see what Daybreak Games does now with the world of Norrath.
Source: Press Release
