Pirates of the Caribbean Online has launched for PC and Mac in Oct, 2007. We had a chane to get the interview about this game. If you're really itching for a simple MMO you may want to check out Pirates of the Caribbean Online.

MMOsite: Congratulations for Pirates of the Caribbean Online's official launch. First, can you share with us how did you come to the idea of making an MMO based on Pirates of the Caribbean?

Thanks! Well, before we started building MMOGs, the VR Studio team worked on virtual reality theme park attractions.  In 1999 we developed an attraction for DisneyQuest based on Pirates of the Caribbean that allowed players to sail a around in that world sinking ships and gathering treasure.  It was a lot of fun and had such strong appeal that when we later got into building MMOGs one of our first pitches was one based on Pirates.

We felt the online medium was a great new way to deliver the kind of experiences we'd been building for the theme parks. In 2000, we pitched the idea of multiple MMOGs, including Pirates of the Caribbean Online. This was before the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, but we knew from our DisneyQuest experience that the franchise was popular and that the environment would translate incredibly well into a game.

 
We were thrilled with the success of the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie in 2003 and immediately teamed up with the movie studio to weave characters, stories, creatures, and themes from the films into the game. 

MMOsite: What were some of the major challenges you encountered while developing Pirates of the Caribbean Online?

Overall, our biggest challenge was developing a truly authentic Pirates of the Caribbean experience that was detailed and rich while simultaneously making a game that runs on a wide range of hardware. We have a great team of talented artists and engineers who spent countless months tuning the game engine and creating authentic environments. Their hard work has payed off resulting in the Pirates of the Caribbean Online that we have today.

Accessibility was another challenge, but we've been able to develop a challenging and deep combat system that is easy to pick up for new players and enjoyable for experienced gamers as well. We've also incorporated a "Lookout System" that helps new players find other players and fun activities in the game.

MMOsite: In what aspects does this game stand apart from the other Pirate MMOs out there?

Pirates of the Caribbean Online is the only MMOG where you get to live the exciting life of a pirate in the world established by the POTC films and the beloved theme park attraction. This means you get to interact with Jack Sparrow and the other characters, visit places like Port Royal and Tortuga, and match wits with enemies both familiar and new.  Being a pirate and having the chance to set sail on adventures at sea in a pirate ship with a crew of other players blasting away at other ships and gathering treasure is one of the things that sets our game apart.  Another big difference is how easy our game is to play. We put a great deal of energy into making the game fun and accessible. Also, because a large portion of the game is free to play and due to the popularity of the POTC franchise, we hope to continue to attract a broad audience of gamers, casual gamers, and fans of the POTC movies.