Friday, December 12, 2008

Open-Source Uru is Coming

As for the announcement itself, I’m elated but not necessarily surprised. Given the pre-announcement, it seemed impossible for it to be truly bad news (i.e. “Uru’s dead, we’re keeping the body. Shoo”). It seemed equally impossible for it to be radically good news (i.e.”Valve has hired us to produce the next few Portal games as well as the rest of the Half Life series, Cyan’s set for life and Uru will return with all the ponies you can imagine”). Given the push for and interest in open-source, it’s good to see Cyan taking the initiative (relatively. Only a few months since it was first talked about often on the forums compared to the years it took for UCC to take hold).

It will not be easy. People will and do have wildly different expectations. Some see it as the paradise they’ve wanted. A place where no one needs to feel sidelined because there will be a place for everyone. Some see it as a failure of their dreams. A place which will likely have no Cyan content, at least for now. Still others see it as just a place to gather and have fun. I think those people will be the ones who see the greatest benefit from this new Uru. It won’t be those who are elated but likely over-estimating Cyan’s open-ness. It won’t be those fearing a shattered community. Those two sides, as well as many others, will likely fight. Particularly if we try to make the Uru we like THE Uru. No, the ones who will have the most fun will be the people who just gather, no matter where they are.

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