An online Dungeon Keeper MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online game) has been announced for release in China by publisher Netdragon, who is licensing the franchise and its themes, characters and other content from EA in a deal for an exclusive online MMO that they will release and distribute throughout the Greater China region, including mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau.
NetDragon is the publisher behind many free PC MMO’s including: Eudemons Online, Conquer Online, Zero Online, Tou Ming Zhuang Online, Heroes of Might and Magic Online, Era of Faith, and Monster & Me
“We are delighted to enter into an agreement with EA in the development of our first 3D MMORPG. Our partnership with this internationally renowned game developer is proof of our capabilities in game operations and development as well as a reflection of our market reputation,” said Mr. Liu Dejian, Chairman and Executive Director of NetDragon. “Capitalizing our strength to create a strong gaming experience, powerful operating platform and unmatched expertise within China’s online game market, we are confident that Dungeon Keeper Online will not only become successful in the Greater China region but also achieve remarkable results overseas.”
Jon Niermann, President of EA Asia Pacific said, “The partnership marks a significant milestone for EA as it will enhance our intellectual property and extend our product reach throughout the Greater China region. It will also further enhance our intellectual property with differentiated, high-quality games, particularly in the field of MMORPGs.”
Dungeon Keeper was a popular “dungeon-building” real-time strategy game created by Bullfrog Productions. The first game was released for PC in July of 1997 with Dungeon Keeper 2 following in 1999. In the game’s you played as the bad guys as you build a dungeon filled with traps to defend your base and recruited monsters to keep the computer-controlled “heroes” and other dungeon keepers from getting inside and destroying your dungeon. The game was very unique for it’s time and has a large cult following, who have been waiting for a Dungeon Keeper 3.
I never played the Dungeon Keeper games personally, but I remember watching my brother and cousin play the games and they always looked quite fun and amusing. Sadly this isn’t the news that Dungeon Keeper fans were waiting for. So keep petitioning EA until they get the message that we want a true (not MMO, but strategy) sequel to Dungeon Keeper.