NCsoft Ceases Development on FPS Project AMP

Remember Project AMP? Let me jog your memory, it was the working title of an Unreal Engine 4 shooter under development by Korean studio NCsoft. Development on Project AMP started in 2015 and a beta test was expected back in 2016. The year came and went with no update. One intrepid caller during NCsoft's 4Q2016 financial conference asked what was going on with Project AMP. The answer was that NCsoft had cancelled development and reassigned the roughly 50 employees working on it to other games.

The story broke on Korean news site Inven where one source claims NCsoft had already spent roughly $1.3 million USD on Project AMP before canning it. The official reason given for canceling the game was a 'consideration of recent market conditions' which I translate as 'mobile is where the money is at baby.' Those interested in forming their own interpretation can read the full (Google translated) quote:

"The development of the new 'AMP Project' has been steadily progressing, but we decided to suspend the project in consideration of the amendments made during the test and the recent market conditions."

Project AMP joins a long list of shooters axed by NCsoft over the years. Exteel, Tabula Rasa, and Project HON all met a similar fate. On the bright side, we have Master X Master and a slew of mobile games from NCsoft to look forward to this year.

You can listen to the entire 4Q2016 Earnings Conference Call online. The audio is presented in Korean and English and there's a fun slide deck to accompany the presentation.