What 2D space MMOGs exist?

[techbear]

I'm thinking about leveraging my existing tech to make a massively-multiplayer space game. I need to research the market space, but I don't trust myself to do a good job Googling it, so I could use some help.

What MMO space games exist, in any state or quality?

Thanks!

[GBGames]

If any MMO game counts:

http://www.planetarion.com


According to your subject, though, you seen to imply 2D games rather than browser and text based.

xpilot is a fun game that is available for Linux and BSD. It is server based, although I don't think you can really call it MMO really.

Otherwise, I don't think I know of any 2D MMO games that are specific to space.

[terin]

Hah, 2d space mmogs? There are tons!

Lets start a list:

Star Sonata just launched: www.starsonata.com

Earlier this year another good 2d space game took the stage and tried its best: Starport Galactic Empires www.starportgame.com

A bit over a year ago Dark Space Asia took the crown as most successful non-3d space game. Its not top down 2d, its isometric with 3d camera angles (but in a 2d plane and that makes it 3d). www.darkspace.net

Going WAY WAY WAY back into the recess of the first mmogs ever: Netrek is STILL around. www.netrek.org

Holy crap! There's more!

In the early 90s, greatest 2d space mmog ever from VIE software: Subspace! www.subspace.net Now known as Continuum.

From the creator of subspace in the late 90s came Cosmic Rift, which is part of Sony Online Entertainment.

But wait! There's more!!!

You then have your browser based, sometimes visually enhanced space MMOGs. Yes, Planetarion is one, but not the first and not longer the most successful. Galactic Conquest is probably the largest now. Also you should probably note Space Federation, which may have been the first as it was little more than a MUD on AOL in the very early 90s.

Don't end this rant yet, im not finished with non-3d mmogs set in space: The visually enhanced browser space games... most noteably Space Pirates which used a flash interface and is STILL around, having originally launched in like 1994. Also games like Space Merchant (gone, now replaced by a less cool Space Merchant Realms) and TDZK (one of my personal favorites) which uses a graphical web interface for its game.

And, coming very soon, probably now actually done: From the creators of Archmage comes the UNinspired title: Archspace.

I'm currently working with the above mentioned Star Sonata on doing a post mortem, which will be on gamedev.net in a couple months.

VGsmart. We do marketing because we know... stuff like this :-)

PS: These were just off the top of my head, I am sure you can find many more by doing some research.

[Yossarian]

Star Sonata looks like an ineteresting project... I'll be looking forward to he post -mortem on that one...

Although I think I'll have to agree with their forum posters, that a hard committment of $10/month will be a lot to swallow from an indie game for most players. Running indie MMOG's generally requires a LOT more flexibility than that in its revenue streams.

[techbear]

Actually, Terin, I'm NOT having much luck finding more. That's why I posted for help.

Your list is quite helpful, thanks!

Star Sonata and Starport are definately gonna be my direct competition. Are there any others like them?

[Pyabo]

I was a fan of Sub Space back in the day. I believe that's still running in some diehard user-managed incarnation.

[Phil Newton]

There's Eve Online, which looks really cool but my laptop couldn't run if it tried.