Empyrean Interactive is coining a new acronym this season: PCA, which stands for persistent cooperative adventure, a “radically different” take on the MMO genre.
Studio founders Geoff Virtue and Joe Piepiora — of Hearthstone and WildStar fame, respectively — say their startup will build a new MMO, also named Empyrean, that will “align […] strategically with the growing digital distribution trend on console.” A dev blog rattles off Dark Souls, Left 4 Dead, World of Warcraft, The Witcher, ARK: Survival Envolved, and Diablo as influences.
So what the heck is a PCA?
“Persistent Cooperative Adventures combine deep cooperative gameplay with our proprietary AI techno-magic to fuel a core game loop that emphasizes exploration, tense combat, and rewarding progression through a story-line that can be won or lost,” the official website says. “In Persistent Cooperative Adventures communities of players work together to overcome tremendous odds in a hostile and dynamic world. In short, PCAs are MMOs you can beat.”
The company indicates it is “currently seeking world-class Series A investors.”
