Mythic 'Postpones' Imperator MMORPG

Mythic Entertainment, developers of Dark Age of Camelot and the upcoming Warhammer MMORPG, have announced the indefinite delay of Imperator, a third massively-multiplayer project announced in October 2004. The futuristic game, which also integrated elements of the Roman Empire and was originally scheduled to be released in June 2006, has been put under review regarding its future at Mythic. All Imperator staff will be moved onto existing projects, such as a new Dark Age of Camelot expansion titled Darkness Rising, as well as the just-announced Warhammer-licensed online game, being created following the cancellation of a similar project at developer Climax. However, none of the developers that were formerly on Mythic's Imperator project will be laid off. Nonetheless, the move will not come without a slowdown to proposed expansion plans: as a result of the delay, Mythic is holding off on establishing a previously announced European office until the 2007 release of Warhammer. Since TA Associates completed a $32 million venture capital investment in Mythic in March 2003, the largest ever granted to any independent game developer, the company, which is privately held and does not need to publically report financial results, can likely support the added financial burden that this cancellation brings. Speaking on the reasons for the postponement, Mythic CEO Mark Jacobs said: "Our team made a tremendous effort with the game and the praise it drew at E3 and in previews reflected their skill and dedication. But in the final analysis it just wasn't great enough to be a Mythic game at this time."