Pirates of the Caribbean Online Interview

*Please introduce yourself and give an overview of your involvement with Pirates of the Caribbean Online.

My name is Mike Goslin and I was the head of the studio that developed Pirates of the Caribbean Online. I also contributed as a programmer, game designer, and writer, among other things.

*PotCO still fills an interesting void in the MMO landscape. How do you feel it compares to its “soul brother” Pirates of the Burning Sea?

I believe that PotCO does fill a void in that it is an MMO that is fun for both casual and hardcore gamers. What also sets it apart is the rich mythology that originated with the beloved theme park attraction and later became the basis of a trilogy of blockbuster movies, including the ever present supernatural elements and of course, Captain Jack Sparrow.

*Do you anticipate adding more ‘perks’ for paid subscribers?

We are very focused on building out the customizable part of the game, from new avatar clothing, hair, tattoos, and eventually ships and treasure. These features will primarily be available to paid subscribers.

*What about new areas/adventures for ‘basic’ subscribers?

Many of our players are basic members, and we definitely want them to stick around. We are trying to expand the world for them in lock-step with adding new features for our paid players.

*Do you plan to add any more content from the movies?

Absolutely. There are a lot of great characters, enemies, and stories we haven’t had a chance to include yet.

*What other content are developers looking forward to adding to the game?

We are really excited about some of the community features coming soon. In particular, we had our first in-game GM event this past weekend, and have some awesome plans for a world-wide event on Halloween that will feature our villain Jolly Roger.

*Do developers have any plans to upgrade the graphics engine?

Not in the near term. Believe it or not, we are still working really hard trying to performance tune the engine so that we can run at a higher frame rate on our very low minimum spec PC.

*Will there ever be a retail ‘box’ version of PotCO?

We aren’t planning to release a retail box currently, but you can buy game cards for PotCO in most of the big retail stores that carry games.

*Now that PotCO is nearly a year old, what would you see as the greatest challenges you’ve faced with the game’s development?

Our biggest challenges in the first year have been keeping up with the voracious appetite for new content from our players while at the same time making the game run on the widest range of computers that we possibly can.

*What are its greatest strengths?

The greatest part of PotCO is being able to join a crew of friends in epic sea battles. Boarding a disabled flagship by swinging over on ropes and fighting hand-to-hand for control of the enemy ship is a truly unique experience. And now the fun extends to crews of other players with our recent Privateering PvP release.

*Please add some teasers/tidbits for fans.

Jolly Roger is up to something nefarious that will be revealed on Halloween.