I don’t know about you, but I’m getting tired of MMORPG developers who claim that their game is “totally different from what’s in the market now.” Giant Interactive, one of China’s leading online game developers and operators, has fallen into such a loop shortly before announcing plans for its second MMORPG title, Giant Online.

In an interview published in China’s biggest video games portal, Yuzhu Shi, chairman of Giant Interactive, delivered that exact line, and went even further by submitting the idea that Giant Online would be one of the most popular games of 2008.

No, no, I have nothing against the man and his product. I’m just expressing dismay at the continuous churning out of new MMORPG titles only to be disappointed with the gameplay, the characters, the graphics, the sound … the list goes on. And I’m afraid that this Giant Online may turn out to be just a clone of another game.

Hmmm, let’s see. I’ll let you read the big announcement from Giant Interactive and tell me what you think about Giant Online:

Giant Interactive Group Inc. has announced plans for Giant Online to begin open beta testing on March 28.

Giant Online is the company’s second self-developed game. It is a free-to-play 2.5D massively multiplayer online role-playing game featuring a modern military theme. Players may choose their characters in one of fourteen different roles, such as engineers or spies. Giant Online will provide players with a wide selection of modern weapons and equipment, such as guns and airplanes, and allow player characters to engage in friendship and even romance. To further enhance the level of interactivity, Giant Online will utilize the company’s server technology that allows for single-shard play by one million concurrent users.

“Giant Online is doing well during the closed beta testing process. We are receiving positive feedback from our beta testers and we have been able to further refine the gameplay in accordance with players’ requests. I believe Giant Online will be even more welcomed by gamers in the upcoming open beta test,” said Yuzhu Shi.

I don’t know about you, but the game smacks of the massively multiplayer online shooter game WarRock and Electronic Arts’ Battlefield series. I sincerely hope it’s not the same game in a slightly modified package.

There’s a new first-person shooter in town, and it’s not Counter-Strike, Gunz Online, or WarRock. It’s called Special Force, and the game is all about taking names.

“We invite those who loved and played Counter-Strike years ago to try this game as it gives the same feel and pulse-racing action as Counter-Strike, but online. It’s free-to-play, and players can customize everything about the way their avatars look from gear to weapons,” Paul Buencamino, marketing associate of Microgaming Technologies, told Hackenslash.

Well, I just have to ask: What makes Special Force special or different from Counter-Strike and the two other established and existing online shooters?

Mike Leaño, blogger of fpsrantings and editor of b5media’s video game channel, has a different perspective:

At first glance, Special Force seems to be a Counter-Strike wannabe, but MicroGaming’s marketing representative insists that the game has more oomph to it. Special Force has a ranking system like an RPG where players get experience points. As players increase their rank, physical prowess is also improved.

Knowing that marketing people would stake their lives to the supposed quality of their game even if it’s named Daikatana, I’ve decided to download the game’s beta client for a look. Expect more on Special Force when I get my hands on it.

We’ll be waiting for your fabulous review, Mike.