As for EA publishing Bioware's MMO, that wouldn't necessarily be the case. EA is buying Bioware and all of Bioware's existing contracts. If Bioware has already signed a publishing deal with a non-EA company, EAwill have to honor the contract, or buy the contract out.
Is this shown some where that EA is going to honor or buy all contracts because that would be interesting.
They have to either honor Bioware's contracts, or buy the contracts out. Contracts don't become void due to one party being bought by a third party, unless the contract specifically says so. Any pre-existing contracts Bioware had will still be valid after the EA deal is finished.
It isn't something that EA is going to announce, since it is going to be required of them. If they were planning on canceling Bioware's contracts, they would announce it and pay whatever penalties the contracts call for, or fight paying the penalties in court.
It's kind of a moot point anyways, since EA knew via their CEO who used to own Bioware's parent company what the IP of the MMO was. With that information, there's no way that EA would then buy Bioware and claim that an MMO they weren't even going to be able to publish, was a main reason for doing it.
Again...EA wouldn't have ANY interest in buying Bioware based on an MMO that LucasArts would be publishing.
Sure they would, because they are going to get all the money that Bioware was set to earn. For whatever reason, the folks in charge of EA feel that they stand to earn enough from the MMO to make paying close to a billion dollars for Bioware and Pandemic worth the investment.
Think about this in the equation. LucasArts doesn't publish worldwide, they hire other companies, like Atari and EA, to publish their games in the markets they don't. EA was the publisher for SWG in Japan, they even hosted the Japanese servers, because LA doesn't publish games there, they pay other companies that already publish games in Japan to do it for them. EA may still be able to be the non-North American publisher for a KotOR based MMO, if that turns out to be the IP. By owning the developer, it makes them the logical choice to publish the game for LA in all the areas LA doesn't publish games.
Fine use of MSPaint for your sig, OP. Also, remember that the publishers PAY LucasArts for the rights to the Star Wars label. They receive upwards of $1,000,000 per month from SOE to keep the game going, not to mention a percentage of each game sold. For them, it's a win-win situation. In reality, Lucas Arts has very little to do with most of the games they have under their name.
Can you provide a link that states that SOE pays LucasArts $1,000,000 per month for SWG? Because I've honestly never heard of any kind of agreement like that. And I've also never heard of anyone paying LucasArts for the right to use the Star Wars IP (that would mean Bioware payed LucasArts for the right to make KotOR).
Usually LA gets the majority of the earnings in box sales and a take on the subscription fees as well as creative control of the use of the license.
I'm not saying you're wrong, just saying I'm unaware of that agreement if it exists.
LOL...um...bringing up SWG Japan really doesn't strengthen your case.
EA closed the servers and shut down the operation and it was a very unpopular decision with Lucas.
Again, if you really want to convince yourself that EA would be interested in Bioware for an MMO being published by someone else for the crumbs that they'd get...go for it.
You sure as hell don't see any other names on Warhammer Online in the publisher spot after buying Mythic though do you?
OH...one other thing. If all they wanted was someone else's MMO, they could have bought Funcom for a fraction of Bioware, and had an MMO coming out in a matter of 6 months AND co-production rights with Eidos.
All you really have to do is follow the money and follow Riccitello. He's a high level exec at EA and suddenly decides...about the same time as Bioware starts their MMO with an unspecified IP...to leave and create a company called Elevator who's first action is to buy Bioware. He was a high level EA exec, but Elevation Partners first act was to try to purchase Eidos (which they failed at). You see, Elevation Partners is an investment firm. I have no doubt that John R.'s first encounter with Bioware was after it was purchased by Elevation Partners in late 2005 (btw, he left EA in 2004, long before Bioware would have started working on the MMO). What information could he have garnered at EA that would make him so dead set on buying Bioware? Certainly the knowlege that Bioware's mysterious MMO being started at the exact same time was using a hugely popular property of EA. It's more like, what information could he have garnered at Bioware that would make him so dead set on getting EA to purchase them? Fast forward a couple years and here we are... Riccitello now sells Elevator (and of course Bioware) back to EA and rejoins them as their new CEO. He didn't sell Elevation Partners to EA, he wasn't at Elevation Partners at the time that this deal went through...he was already CEO of EA. Also Elevation Partners wasn't sold, the holding group they owned that brought together Bioware and Pandemic was sold. Elevation Partners still exists only with a lot more money (which was always the goal in the first place)
Now, if you look at the list of IP's owned by EA, only one stands out as a superstar...Harry Potter. Which now is all neat and tidy in one package through those maneuvers, producer, developer, and IP all under one roof with one guy leading the train...the guy who did all of this. I already explained why I think Harry Potter would be an immense waste of Bioware's talent and the talent they've assembled in Austin. However, if you still really want to believe that EA and LucasArts can work out some sort of deal to work together feel free to fantasize...but it ain't gonna happen, and it wouldn't make an ounce o sense for EA to agree to it or to even be interested in Bioware's MMO. It would make sense, you just refuse to believe EA would be willing to forgo publishing if the price was right.
and p.s. As far as Producer/Developer relationships when you're talking about IP's and licenses such as D&D or Star Wars...yeah, the developer is basically footing all the bills on a gamble that just those names will be enough to make the project work, and since the producer holds them, the producer puts forward next to nothing. I'd be surprised to find a single developer capable of "footing the bill" on any game project, let alone an MMO (SOE would probably the only one, but only because they also function as a producer). Most developing companies don't have that kind of cash flow, not even Bioware. The publisher is were the money is at. Not very many private investors want to invest in developers...they invest through publishers.
Originally posted by Vincenz
OH...one other thing. If all they wanted was someone else's MMO, they could have bought Funcom for a fraction of Bioware, and had an MMO coming out in a matter of 6 months AND co-production rights with Eidos. Funcom's AoC isn't guaranteed to be successful and John R. had no insider info on Funcom. Not to mention AoC is another boring fantasy title, just like Warhammer. EA could have bought just about any company in the world for a fraction of the price...$800 million dollars for a single developer is pretty unprecedented in this industry (see: Mythic's price tag)
LOL...um...bringing up SWG Japan really doesn't strengthen your case.
EA closed the servers and shut down the operation and it was a very unpopular decision with Lucas.
Again, if you really want to convince yourself that EA would be interested in Bioware for an MMO being published by someone else for the crumbs that they'd get...go for it.
You sure as hell don't see any other names on Warhammer Online in the publisher spot after buying Mythic though do you?
I don't think it is going to be a star Wars MMO. I just think the reasoning that EA would never allow Bioware's MMO to be published by someone else to be bunk. EA is required to honor whatever contracts Bioware has, unless the other party agrees otherwise. Mythic had no existing publishing agreement for WAR when EA bought them. If Bioware does (they may not), EA will have to honor that agreement.
I don't think EA thinks the potential revenue for the Bioware MMO is going to be crumbs, and I don't think the folks from Bioware would have signed a deal for crumbs in the first place. EA is basically buying a company that has an already funded MMO project and are going to reap rewards from it without doing anything more than writing a large check.
I greatly doubt the Bioware MMO would be based on any IP that EA currently has the rights to. EA already owns a couple developers that have made MMOs, and would not be very inclined to farm out development of one to an outside developer.
1. "he left EA in 2004, long before Bioware would have started working on the MMO"
04/05 was [i]exactly[/i] when Bioware started working on the MMO. The first press releases, from almost a year ago, stated it had been 2 years since it began.
2. He didn't sell Elevation Partners to EA, he wasn't at Elevation Partners at the time that this deal went through...he was already CEO of EA. Also Elevation Partners wasn't sold, the holding group they owned that brought together Bioware and Pandemic was sold. Elevation Partners still exists only with a lot more money (which was always the goal in the first place)
If I wasn't clear in this thread, I was in others...yes, he left Elevation, joined EA, and suddenly Elevation sold Bioware to him...that's the point.
3. I already explained why I think Harry Potter would be an immense waste of Bioware's talent and the talent they've assembled in Austin.
ANYONE who thinks a Harry Potter MMO would be a waste of talent is using their own personal preferences...not logic...to make that decision. Harry Potter is a more valuable IP BY FAR than Star Wars at this point. The fan base is larger, and most importantly...you could draw in NEW MMO PLAYERS instead of just trying to take them from elsewhere. While Harry Potter may not appeal to YOU, saying it's a waste of anything is ridiculous
4. I'd be surprised to find a single developer capable of "footing the bill" on any game project, let alone an MMO (SOE would probably the only one, but only because they also function as a producer).
um...I thought I clearly stated that only in the case of properties like D&D and Star Wars..."guaranteed home run" properties...would a developer do that. Turbine and SOE both fit that bill, btw.
As to the rest of it, there's simply no motivation for EA to buy a company who's already committed to another publisher for their MMO when they could buy a half dozen other companies and not give up that cheddar. If you really believe, after the consumate failure of SWG, that anyone in the software business thinks KOTOR is a guaranteed superstar...I want some of what you're having. And it's DEFINITELY not worth sacrificing the position of publisher simply to be a part of from EA's standpoint.
Now, if you look at the list of IP's owned by EA, only one stands out as a superstar...Harry Potter. Which now is all neat and tidy in one package through those maneuvers, producer, developer, and IP all under one roof with one guy leading the train...the guy who did all of this. I already explained why I think Harry Potter would be an immense waste of Bioware's talent and the talent they've assembled in Austin.
Not to mention that Bioware wouldn't have needed to license the billing software from Perpetual if EA was already set to be the publisher of the game. Whatever the IP turns out to be, it isn't going to be one that EA already had the rights to.
Fine use of MSPaint for your sig, OP. Also, remember that the publishers PAY LucasArts for the rights to the Star Wars label. They receive upwards of $1,000,000 per month from SOE to keep the game going, not to mention a percentage of each game sold. For them, it's a win-win situation. In reality, Lucas Arts has very little to do with most of the games they have under their name.
My sig is there for a reason, and that reason is that KOTOR MMO is speculation, and this thread is for all the following arguements you see above. I got tired of speculation and wanted to bring in some critical thinking onto these forums about this mystery MMO, and LA is the publisher SOE was the developer. and yes I know SOE pays them other wise why would LA contribute their IP? but SOE failed to continue to gain subscribers as a matter of fact they have lost most of them and most of their servers are now barren so 1mil per month? I dont even think there are enough subscribers currently to SWG to pay LA that much and still maintain servers, pay employees, etc.
P.S. the cheapness of my sig by using MSPaint is there for the cheapness of everyone else spreading around the same article over and over about KOTOR MMO. And I happen to LOVE my new sig btw, was thinking about changing it to a Hogwarts one but that would also be speculation and thats not why I created this thread.
LOL...by that logic, you also just shut down KOTOR.
How so? LucasArts does no billing for SWG, SOE is in charge of that.
...and why would it be any different here??? LucasArts HAS billing services and software available, but it wasn't used. EA HAS billing services and software available, maybe it isn't going to be used?
OH...or the flipside of that coin...if the developer is responsible for billing in the SOE/LA relationship...why wouldn't Bioware be responsible for it in the Bioware/EA relatinship?
LOL...by that logic, you also just shut down KOTOR.
How so? LucasArts does no billing for SWG, SOE is in charge of that.
...and why would it be any different here??? LucasArts HAS billing services and software available, but it wasn't used. EA HAS billing services and software available, maybe it isn't going to be used?
EA has been using their billing system since UO was released. LucasArts has never used a monthly billing system. If EA was already set to be the publisher of Bioware's MMO, which they would if they hold the rights to the IP, they would handle the billing since everything is already in place and been running for over ten years. Licensing Perpetual's billing software would be an unnecessary expense.
If LA has signed a contract with BioWare to produce a new Star Wars MMO you can Bet SWG will be shut down because as I read BY another poster on a different thread. that LA would be Stupid ( no better word) to have TWO MMO's running at the same time by two different companies about Star Wars they would be competing with themselves and if they want to bring people to the new one the only option is to sign an agreement with SOE to either get a certain number of subscribers or shut down SWG. So unless a contract like that has been signed chances are LA has not signed one with BioWare to produce a Star Wars MMO. I believe a lot of people want KOTOR online, personally I dont think we need another jedi epeen fest only in a different setting 1000 years before the movie. But my point is becareful what you read on the other websites Because BioWare actually coming out and saying its a Star Wars MMO is one thing, having an article on a not very well known game site saying that a "close source" said it was a Star Wars MMO is another. Think critically about what you read and also why are there no other speculations about what it might be? I doubt a mass effect MMO as mass effect hasnt even come out yet. there are many other things to look for and look for them all dont just start posting CONFIRMED and then say "...Welll......It could be.....See the article says 'Close Source'......"
though i agree with what your saying, i disagree with why it makes sense for LA not to have 2 games out! They represent two totally different times, and they also will represent two totally different aspects of teh universe. If bioware is making a KOTOR, then that game will have a main focus on the force! SWG has no focus on the force or its history what so ever. To Top it all though, KOTOR will bring back old players from SWG before it takes away the guys that are still playing SWG.
If LA has signed a contract with BioWare to produce a new Star Wars MMO you can Bet SWG will be shut down because as I read BY another poster on a different thread. that LA would be Stupid ( no better word) to have TWO MMO's running at the same time by two different companies about Star Wars they would be competing with themselves and if they want to bring people to the new one the only option is to sign an agreement with SOE to either get a certain number of subscribers or shut down SWG. So unless a contract like that has been signed chances are LA has not signed one with BioWare to produce a Star Wars MMO. I believe a lot of people want KOTOR online, personally I dont think we need another jedi epeen fest only in a different setting 1000 years before the movie. But my point is becareful what you read on the other websites Because BioWare actually coming out and saying its a Star Wars MMO is one thing, having an article on a not very well known game site saying that a "close source" said it was a Star Wars MMO is another. Think critically about what you read and also why are there no other speculations about what it might be? I doubt a mass effect MMO as mass effect hasnt even come out yet. there are many other things to look for and look for them all dont just start posting CONFIRMED and then say "...Welll......It could be.....See the article says 'Close Source'......"
though i agree with what your saying, i disagree with why it makes sense for LA not to have 2 games out! They represent two totally different times, and they also will represent two totally different aspects of teh universe. If bioware is making a KOTOR, then that game will have a main focus on the force! SWG has no focus on the force or its history what so ever. To Top it all though, KOTOR will bring back old players from SWG before it takes away the guys that are still playing SWG.
another late joiner,
Welcome to the thread. please feel free to read the rest of it as stated before many things have happened since that original post by me and I have further learned things about the companies since then so that original post is some what flawed I will admit. but again please feel free to catch up and join in. for instance this thread was 9 pages when I left for classes this morning now its almost 13 so I myself had some catching up. and since I was mistaken it wouldnt be LA competing with itself its a matter of EA and LA being both publishers and BioWare being owned by EA now.
1. "he left EA in 2004, long before Bioware would have started working on the MMO" 04/05 was [i]exactly[/i] when Bioware started working on the MMO. The first press releases, from almost a year ago, stated it had been 2 years since it began. I'm assuming you mean this press release which states that Bioware Austin was only created after Bioware/Pandemic was formed which was long after John R. left EA. Nowhere does it say they'd been working on it for 2 years. 2. He didn't sell Elevation Partners to EA, he wasn't at Elevation Partners at the time that this deal went through...he was already CEO of EA. Also Elevation Partners wasn't sold, the holding group they owned that brought together Bioware and Pandemic was sold. Elevation Partners still exists only with a lot more money (which was always the goal in the first place) If I wasn't clear in this thread, I was in others...yes, he left Elevation, joined EA, and suddenly Elevation sold Bioware to him...that's the point. All that means is that he had insider information on what Bioware was up to. According to you he would have already had that information years before from EA. The speculation is that he learned about the MMO through Elevation and that's what made him want to purchase it through EA. If you believe what Bioware has said about it, the two guys in charge of Bioware knew about the sell and agreed with it because of the relationship they had with John R. during his time at Elevation. 3. I already explained why I think Harry Potter would be an immense waste of Bioware's talent and the talent they've assembled in Austin. ANYONE who thinks a Harry Potter MMO would be a waste of talent is using their own personal preferences...not logic...to make that decision. Harry Potter is a more valuable IP BY FAR than Star Wars at this point. The fan base is larger, and most importantly...you could draw in NEW MMO PLAYERS instead of just trying to take them from elsewhere. While Harry Potter may not appeal to YOU, saying it's a waste of anything is ridiculous I like Harry Potter. I think they're fantastic books. I think someone somewhere will eventually make a crappy MMO out of it. But that is NOT Bioware. The very nature of the Harry Potter IP is restrictive. The very nature of the Star Wars and DnD IPs is unrestrictive. Bioware does well only when they are given freedom to be creative, something the Harry Potter IP would not allow. 4. I'd be surprised to find a single developer capable of "footing the bill" on any game project, let alone an MMO (SOE would probably the only one, but only because they also function as a producer). um...I thought I clearly stated that only in the case of properties like D&D and Star Wars..."guaranteed home run" properties...would a developer do that. Turbine and SOE both fit that bill, btw. Please provide proof to me that LucasArts and Atari don't fund Star Wars and D&D projects respectively. If they don't, who do you think does? Private investors? Obsidian wasn't rolling in the dough when they made Knights of the Old Republic 2 you know. Someone had to pay for that game to be made. You're defying logic. As to the rest of it, there's simply no motivation for EA to buy a company who's already committed to another publisher for their MMO when they could buy a half dozen other companies and not give up that cheddar. If you really believe, after the consumate failure of SWG, that anyone in the software business thinks KOTOR is a guaranteed superstar...I want some of what you're having. And it's DEFINITELY not worth sacrificing the position of publisher simply to be a part of from EA's standpoint.
Again, speculation on what EA would or would not be willing to do is pointless.
Oh were to begin...look I know you SWG people really don't want to see another Star Wars MMO, but I guarantee you there will be one in the future, be it Bioware or someone else. If LucasArts has learned one thing from this fiasco, it's that demand for a new SW's MMO is high.
Originally posted by Obee
EA has been using their billing system since UO was released. LucasArts has never used a monthly billing system. If EA was already set to be the publisher of Bioware's MMO, which they would if they hold the rights to the IP, they would handle the billing since everything is already in place and been running for over ten years. Licensing Perpetual's billing software would be an unnecessary expense.
Very good point, I actually hadn't thought of that.
Well, the best two points I've seen are Obee and Koru for it not being Potter...but frankly neither remotely strengthen vs. the problems with it being KOTOR.
I still don't remotely believe that EA would buy Bioware for an MMO that LucasArts would publish, I don't think they play that well with others and frankly there's too much other property out there that would make more sense.
I also still believe that an EA owned Harry Potter IP combined with Bioware's MMO development makes the most sense in my mind, particularly combined with the timeline...but I won't take away the good points you make about why it may not be Potter.
I don't think EA is going to "partner" with any other producer though, when they own the development companies they do...it just plain doesn't make sense. In light of WAR not even hitting the market yet, taking a chance on a 3 way dance with LA and Bioware really doesn't make sense to me.
Try and follow along here...I'm suggesting the EA purchase of Bioware is exactly BECAUSE the IP is an EA property.
I'm really starting to miss the logic of Obee and Koru.
There's absolutely no logical argument that EA wouldn't buy a developer who was developing an MMO around an IP they own and simply absorb the whole project back into itself...if anything it's the opposite.
I agree with Vincenz.. I do not think that licensing Perpetual's billing software is a telling sign of ANYTHING.. this sort of thing happens pretty common with IP and is most likely totally unrelated.
If Perpetual has a patent on their billing software, it could be as simple as them threatening to sue based on patent infringement if Bioware/EA does not take a license. Or maybe Bioware just LIKES Perpetual's billing software and wants use of it.
Try and follow along here...I'm suggesting the EA purchase of Bioware is exactly BECAUSE the IP is an EA property.
I
i dont think Bioware would start an mmo on an EA IP and THEN later on go with a sale to EA. i just think that if it had been an EA property, that EA wouldve bought Bioware first, and then made a 'Bioware to produce EA mmo" announcement.
again, thats just how i imagine it would have gone.
also im not sold on it being a Lucasarts IP either. though i wouldnt complain. but it is within the realm of possibility that Bioware started a LA mmo well over a year ago, they were then bought buy EA, and now EA has to honor their contract with LA.
one final note, it was said that the mmo was not based on an existing Bioware IP? if thats word for word correct then it could still be a completely original Bioware IP created solely for the mmo. thus not falling under the 'pre existing'
1- The EA and LA are competitors and both of them huge publishers, its not likely to sell each other any licence.
2- Haryy Potter have a huge potencial as a merchandise and why not a MMO
These two thesis about "this MMO will not be a Star Wars" , are making sense IMO,
BUT just these.
I still believing Bioware is developing a Star Wars MMO, because just think, ANY rumor but not Star Wars, Could create such a hype and speculation and attention ? just ask yourself.
These shows the demand man and every demand creates its own supply.
actually yeah...a Harry Potter MMO creates insane hype. Just google it for the dozens of times this kind of hype has already happened over the idea of one.
actually yeah...a Harry Potter MMO creates insane hype. Just google it for the dozens of times this kind of hype has already happened over the idea of one.
Nope. search google, even search universe there cant be more hype than a KOTOR MMO speculating ALso never like this in gaming history. and btw this goin on for 2 years, I remember, when Bioware first announce they are making a MMO, right after 2 or 3 days there are lots of websites claiming a near source confirmed it is a KOTOR MMO"
LOL...no offense Solaris, but you clearly like KOTOR a lot...and it's clouding your judgement. The number of people who even know what KOTOR is doesn't touch the fanbase for Harry Potter.
Stating KOTOR would be the "BIGGEST THING EVER" is just ridiculous.
Comments
Is this shown some where that EA is going to honor or buy all contracts because that would be interesting.
They have to either honor Bioware's contracts, or buy the contracts out. Contracts don't become void due to one party being bought by a third party, unless the contract specifically says so. Any pre-existing contracts Bioware had will still be valid after the EA deal is finished.
It isn't something that EA is going to announce, since it is going to be required of them. If they were planning on canceling Bioware's contracts, they would announce it and pay whatever penalties the contracts call for, or fight paying the penalties in court.
It's kind of a moot point anyways, since EA knew via their CEO who used to own Bioware's parent company what the IP of the MMO was. With that information, there's no way that EA would then buy Bioware and claim that an MMO they weren't even going to be able to publish, was a main reason for doing it.
Again...EA wouldn't have ANY interest in buying Bioware based on an MMO that LucasArts would be publishing.
Sure they would, because they are going to get all the money that Bioware was set to earn. For whatever reason, the folks in charge of EA feel that they stand to earn enough from the MMO to make paying close to a billion dollars for Bioware and Pandemic worth the investment.
Think about this in the equation. LucasArts doesn't publish worldwide, they hire other companies, like Atari and EA, to publish their games in the markets they don't. EA was the publisher for SWG in Japan, they even hosted the Japanese servers, because LA doesn't publish games there, they pay other companies that already publish games in Japan to do it for them. EA may still be able to be the non-North American publisher for a KotOR based MMO, if that turns out to be the IP. By owning the developer, it makes them the logical choice to publish the game for LA in all the areas LA doesn't publish games.
Usually LA gets the majority of the earnings in box sales and a take on the subscription fees as well as creative control of the use of the license.
I'm not saying you're wrong, just saying I'm unaware of that agreement if it exists.
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Life sucks, buy a helmet.
LOL...um...bringing up SWG Japan really doesn't strengthen your case.
EA closed the servers and shut down the operation and it was a very unpopular decision with Lucas.
Again, if you really want to convince yourself that EA would be interested in Bioware for an MMO being published by someone else for the crumbs that they'd get...go for it.
You sure as hell don't see any other names on Warhammer Online in the publisher spot after buying Mythic though do you?
OH...one other thing. If all they wanted was someone else's MMO, they could have bought Funcom for a fraction of Bioware, and had an MMO coming out in a matter of 6 months AND co-production rights with Eidos.
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Life sucks, buy a helmet.
I don't think it is going to be a star Wars MMO. I just think the reasoning that EA would never allow Bioware's MMO to be published by someone else to be bunk. EA is required to honor whatever contracts Bioware has, unless the other party agrees otherwise. Mythic had no existing publishing agreement for WAR when EA bought them. If Bioware does (they may not), EA will have to honor that agreement.
I don't think EA thinks the potential revenue for the Bioware MMO is going to be crumbs, and I don't think the folks from Bioware would have signed a deal for crumbs in the first place. EA is basically buying a company that has an already funded MMO project and are going to reap rewards from it without doing anything more than writing a large check.
I greatly doubt the Bioware MMO would be based on any IP that EA currently has the rights to. EA already owns a couple developers that have made MMOs, and would not be very inclined to farm out development of one to an outside developer.
Oh, where to begin...
1. "he left EA in 2004, long before Bioware would have started working on the MMO"
04/05 was [i]exactly[/i] when Bioware started working on the MMO. The first press releases, from almost a year ago, stated it had been 2 years since it began.
2. He didn't sell Elevation Partners to EA, he wasn't at Elevation Partners at the time that this deal went through...he was already CEO of EA. Also Elevation Partners wasn't sold, the holding group they owned that brought together Bioware and Pandemic was sold. Elevation Partners still exists only with a lot more money (which was always the goal in the first place)
If I wasn't clear in this thread, I was in others...yes, he left Elevation, joined EA, and suddenly Elevation sold Bioware to him...that's the point.
3. I already explained why I think Harry Potter would be an immense waste of Bioware's talent and the talent they've assembled in Austin.
ANYONE who thinks a Harry Potter MMO would be a waste of talent is using their own personal preferences...not logic...to make that decision. Harry Potter is a more valuable IP BY FAR than Star Wars at this point. The fan base is larger, and most importantly...you could draw in NEW MMO PLAYERS instead of just trying to take them from elsewhere. While Harry Potter may not appeal to YOU, saying it's a waste of anything is ridiculous
4. I'd be surprised to find a single developer capable of "footing the bill" on any game project, let alone an MMO (SOE would probably the only one, but only because they also function as a producer).
um...I thought I clearly stated that only in the case of properties like D&D and Star Wars..."guaranteed home run" properties...would a developer do that. Turbine and SOE both fit that bill, btw.
As to the rest of it, there's simply no motivation for EA to buy a company who's already committed to another publisher for their MMO when they could buy a half dozen other companies and not give up that cheddar. If you really believe, after the consumate failure of SWG, that anyone in the software business thinks KOTOR is a guaranteed superstar...I want some of what you're having. And it's DEFINITELY not worth sacrificing the position of publisher simply to be a part of from EA's standpoint.
Not to mention that Bioware wouldn't have needed to license the billing software from Perpetual if EA was already set to be the publisher of the game. Whatever the IP turns out to be, it isn't going to be one that EA already had the rights to.
LOL...by that logic, you also just shut down KOTOR.
How so? LucasArts does no billing for SWG, SOE is in charge of that.
My sig is there for a reason, and that reason is that KOTOR MMO is speculation, and this thread is for all the following arguements you see above. I got tired of speculation and wanted to bring in some critical thinking onto these forums about this mystery MMO, and LA is the publisher SOE was the developer. and yes I know SOE pays them other wise why would LA contribute their IP? but SOE failed to continue to gain subscribers as a matter of fact they have lost most of them and most of their servers are now barren so 1mil per month? I dont even think there are enough subscribers currently to SWG to pay LA that much and still maintain servers, pay employees, etc.
P.S. the cheapness of my sig by using MSPaint is there for the cheapness of everyone else spreading around the same article over and over about KOTOR MMO. And I happen to LOVE my new sig btw, was thinking about changing it to a Hogwarts one but that would also be speculation and thats not why I created this thread.
How so? LucasArts does no billing for SWG, SOE is in charge of that.
...and why would it be any different here??? LucasArts HAS billing services and software available, but it wasn't used. EA HAS billing services and software available, maybe it isn't going to be used?
OH...or the flipside of that coin...if the developer is responsible for billing in the SOE/LA relationship...why wouldn't Bioware be responsible for it in the Bioware/EA relatinship?
How so? LucasArts does no billing for SWG, SOE is in charge of that.
...and why would it be any different here??? LucasArts HAS billing services and software available, but it wasn't used. EA HAS billing services and software available, maybe it isn't going to be used?
EA has been using their billing system since UO was released. LucasArts has never used a monthly billing system. If EA was already set to be the publisher of Bioware's MMO, which they would if they hold the rights to the IP, they would handle the billing since everything is already in place and been running for over ten years. Licensing Perpetual's billing software would be an unnecessary expense.though i agree with what your saying, i disagree with why it makes sense for LA not to have 2 games out! They represent two totally different times, and they also will represent two totally different aspects of teh universe. If bioware is making a KOTOR, then that game will have a main focus on the force! SWG has no focus on the force or its history what so ever. To Top it all though, KOTOR will bring back old players from SWG before it takes away the guys that are still playing SWG.
though i agree with what your saying, i disagree with why it makes sense for LA not to have 2 games out! They represent two totally different times, and they also will represent two totally different aspects of teh universe. If bioware is making a KOTOR, then that game will have a main focus on the force! SWG has no focus on the force or its history what so ever. To Top it all though, KOTOR will bring back old players from SWG before it takes away the guys that are still playing SWG.
another late joiner,
Welcome to the thread. please feel free to read the rest of it as stated before many things have happened since that original post by me and I have further learned things about the companies since then so that original post is some what flawed I will admit. but again please feel free to catch up and join in. for instance this thread was 9 pages when I left for classes this morning now its almost 13 so I myself had some catching up. and since I was mistaken it wouldnt be LA competing with itself its a matter of EA and LA being both publishers and BioWare being owned by EA now.
Oh were to begin...look I know you SWG people really don't want to see another Star Wars MMO, but I guarantee you there will be one in the future, be it Bioware or someone else. If LucasArts has learned one thing from this fiasco, it's that demand for a new SW's MMO is high.
Very good point, I actually hadn't thought of that.
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Life sucks, buy a helmet.
Well, the best two points I've seen are Obee and Koru for it not being Potter...but frankly neither remotely strengthen vs. the problems with it being KOTOR.
I still don't remotely believe that EA would buy Bioware for an MMO that LucasArts would publish, I don't think they play that well with others and frankly there's too much other property out there that would make more sense.
I also still believe that an EA owned Harry Potter IP combined with Bioware's MMO development makes the most sense in my mind, particularly combined with the timeline...but I won't take away the good points you make about why it may not be Potter.
I don't think EA is going to "partner" with any other producer though, when they own the development companies they do...it just plain doesn't make sense. In light of WAR not even hitting the market yet, taking a chance on a 3 way dance with LA and Bioware really doesn't make sense to me.
its not going to be harry potter online. or any EA IP. because the mmo has been in developement well before the EA purchase of Bioware.
Try and follow along here...I'm suggesting the EA purchase of Bioware is exactly BECAUSE the IP is an EA property.
I'm really starting to miss the logic of Obee and Koru.
There's absolutely no logical argument that EA wouldn't buy a developer who was developing an MMO around an IP they own and simply absorb the whole project back into itself...if anything it's the opposite.
I agree with Vincenz.. I do not think that licensing Perpetual's billing software is a telling sign of ANYTHING.. this sort of thing happens pretty common with IP and is most likely totally unrelated.
If Perpetual has a patent on their billing software, it could be as simple as them threatening to sue based on patent infringement if Bioware/EA does not take a license. Or maybe Bioware just LIKES Perpetual's billing software and wants use of it.
Or maybe BioWare is making Fire & Ice online.
again, thats just how i imagine it would have gone.
also im not sold on it being a Lucasarts IP either. though i wouldnt complain. but it is within the realm of possibility that Bioware started a LA mmo well over a year ago, they were then bought buy EA, and now EA has to honor their contract with LA.
one final note, it was said that the mmo was not based on an existing Bioware IP? if thats word for word correct then it could still be a completely original Bioware IP created solely for the mmo. thus not falling under the 'pre existing'
1- The EA and LA are competitors and both of them huge publishers, its not likely to sell each other any licence.
2- Haryy Potter have a huge potencial as a merchandise and why not a MMO
These two thesis about "this MMO will not be a Star Wars" , are making sense IMO,
BUT just these.
I still believing Bioware is developing a Star Wars MMO, because just think, ANY rumor but not Star Wars, Could create such a hype and speculation and attention ? just ask yourself.
These shows the demand man and every demand creates its own supply.
Bioware + KOTOR, again.
We will see.
actually yeah...a Harry Potter MMO creates insane hype. Just google it for the dozens of times this kind of hype has already happened over the idea of one.
Nope. search google, even search universe there cant be more hype than a KOTOR MMO speculating ALso never like this in gaming history. and btw this goin on for 2 years, I remember, when Bioware first announce they are making a MMO, right after 2 or 3 days there are lots of websites claiming a near source confirmed it is a KOTOR MMO"
LOL...no offense Solaris, but you clearly like KOTOR a lot...and it's clouding your judgement. The number of people who even know what KOTOR is doesn't touch the fanbase for Harry Potter.
Stating KOTOR would be the "BIGGEST THING EVER" is just ridiculous.