MMO title Shadowbane has probably gone full circle already. Sometime in the early part of 2006, the game had a problem with its original developer, Wolfpack Studios, because it was closing down. Publisher Ubisoft then contacted newly formed company, Stray Bullet Games, to express their decision to support the title.

Now, the game is stable and those who believed and continue to believe are now reaping the rewards. With that said, Stray Bullet Games feel like they should begin looking towards the future. They just announced that they are currently in the middle of developing a new MMO which was conceived in-house.

The company's VP for Product Development and COO mention Frank Lucero mentioned that it is too early to reveal concrete details. On the other hand, it seems like Creative Director Mike Madden couldn't hide his excitement as he shared:

We have two guiding principles: Rely upon the familiar and Be bold. In setting, systems and gameplay, we want to build on a firm foundation of features that are familiar and comfortable to MMO players, making the game as inviting and accessible as possible. We see no need to innovate in areas MMOs already do well. At the same time, in areas that do require innovation to achieve our goals, Stray Bullet will never think small.

Furthermore, the company mentioned that they will not be developing original engines as they want to focus on the game's features and concept. Speaking of which, Stray Bullet released just one proof of concept art albeit without any other details. Well, it looks well and it feels like this is going to be exciting.

We will update you as soon as things develop further.

According to his own statement, new Shadowbane designer Ashen Temper has "some big shoes to fill." This MMORPG, now being handled by Stray Bullet Games, has had some serious problems in the past, and a lot of uncertainty as its creator - the now defunct Wolfpack Studios - closed down and rumors started flying of Ubisoft discontinuing the game. Temper has some grand visions for Shadowbane. Recently, he talked about three of them.

The first involves player skill and PvP play. In most games, success seems to depend mostly on a character's skill, not necessarily the player's. Temper would like to change this. "Individuals who can identify a situation and react to it, adapting his or her tactics accordingly based on the enemy’s strengths: they’re using player skill," says Temper. He would like to see more emphasis on player tactics, not just the use of character skills.

To address these tactical situations, Temper wants to change the working of "buffs." Some need to last longer, and others should not last as long. Temper feels that buffs rob players of opportunities to make their own decisions, participating more actively in combat situations and strategies.

Finally, Temper wants to force players to pay more attention to the game screen rather than just pushing keystrokes. "Being aware of your surroundings is essential in combat," he says. "There are some current mechanics and features I consider 'crutches,' things that make auto pilot fighting too easy." Hopefully, engaging players more actively (and interactively) will discourage "botting," in which some unscrupulous (and usually bored) players use to "play" through the boring parts of games while they themselves are away from the computer.

Temper assures the community that any changes will be thoroughly tested before going live, and will not go live until they perform to expectations.

Temper says, "In the end, my goal is to make Shadowbane’s combat more interactive and fun. Some changes may seem drastic, but you have to look at them in the frame of what I am trying to accomplish...I would like to see a Shadowbane where the users with the best player skills are winning the fights, not the best typing or script skills."

Looks like all the fuss about Wolfpack Studios closing down and Shadowbane getting discontinued by Ubisoft is now reaching a turning point: The developers have announced the formation of a new company, Stray Bullet Games, which has been contracted by Ubisoft to ensure continued support for Shadowbane. So essentially, everything stays the same - only this time, Stray Bullet Games are working independently from the publisher. Players should expect a few changes, but "these changes will be transparent".

There have been no details on whether the contract merely includes keeping the game online, or also new content. Either way, Stray Bullet Games will also start work on a new, next-generation MMO title. It's not going to be a Shadowbane 2, however.

Note that the announcement from March making the title free to play will not be nullified by this (yet). So Shadowbane fans have a lot to thank for: not only is their game added to the rare occasions where the whole situation takes a turn for the better - they can also play it for free now.