Dhruin
SasqWatch
News via Worthplaying that Cyanide's mythological action/RPG Loki has gone Gold in Germany. They also have eight new screens on offer.
More information.
More information.
I'd have to say that I believe the top-down ARPG market is probably dying out. I think top-down ARPGs could still make money if they were developed cheaply enough but I don't think they will ever again achieve sales like Diablo or even break a million copies regardless of quality....It is hard to compare TQ screenshots to Oblivion screenshots....top-down games just don't look as appealing. Seeing a screenshot of the horizon in Oblivion with mountains and forest in the background and a beautiful sunset just gives you the perception of a vast, open, living world that you're exicted to explore.... So, unfortunately, while I believe we succeeded in create some really fun gameplay, I think a lot of people who might enjoy the game will never buy it because it just doesn't look "sexy" enough. I'm sure the bright, happy, ancient world setting with no blood put some people off too. I guess it is a lesson learned much to our misfortune....
Somewhat off-topic, as crpg players who have heard about the niche, declining, dead crpg market ad nauseum, some may find this post by one of the Iron Lore developers a bit ironic; he mentions the "ARPG" as a dying genre...that the heyday of the top-down action rpg is over because of--yes, folks--the boundless eye-candy-infested, limitless world of Oblivion: