S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Developer Considering Move To MMOG

GSC Game World, the studio behind the hit FPS S.T.A.L.K.E.R., have said they are giving "serious consideration" to the creation of a S.T.A.L.K.E.R.-based MMOG.

CVG has reported on the development, which first came to light in a short Q&A based on questions the company has received from various fan sites. The questions related primarily to the in-development prequel, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, which the company said will continue to offer support for the DirectX 8 renderer, "which will let users of weaker machines into the world of S.T.A.L.K.E.R." Owners of newer DirectX 10 video cards will see improvements in the game's visuals, however, as GSC Game World is working to optimize the X-Ray engine for new features and a higher level of detail.

Asked about the possibility of "S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Online," the company responded, "We do not quite understand what you mean by "online." If it is the cooperative mode, then no, there will be none. Even at the time of development of the first part of the game we said that a cooperative mode is impossible, since Life Simulation would be different at each computer. Synchronizing it would be practically not doable. If you mean an MMOG, then we are seriously considering it."

The full Q&A, composed of five questions, is available at the GSC Game World S.T.A.L.K.E.R. forum.