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When will companies learn their lesson?
ghoul31
Member Posts: 1,955
If you release a MMORPG that is totally unfinished, most of the players will leave and never come back.
Even if you end up with a great game a year after release, it will be too late.
Comments
The game is finished for the most part. Just a few small bugs and some content problems. However most companies dont expect players to be level 80 within a few weeks, which was the main problem. But I will agree with you that as a player I do want a finished product at least for the most part when the game launches, and I think AOC acomplished that. Given that it is an MMO there will always be updates however and you have to come to understand that. If you do not, then you are playing the wrong type of game genre.
*I think WoW helped cause the need for gamers to race through most content just to get to end game content. However I like WoW myself even though its a constant gear grind. I hope WoW 2 learns from WoW 1
How about getting to 40? There is a massive lack of content for 40 to 50s.
How about people complaining about dungeons being simple at 30?
How about people complaining about content beyond Tortage (the starting area).
Check out the Funcom Official forums. Too many paying customers complaining about bugs/imbalances/content.
This game should never been released.
Waiting for the next thing
There's no incentive to release a finished game. Gamers will pay $50+ up front to play the most over hyped crap imaginable. Most of them will leave even the most finely crafted game after three months for the "next big mmo". Gamers have unrealistic expectations and make unrealistic demands. Companies get excoriated in the press and on forums for not meeting those demands and perfectly good games are abandoned regardless of how good they are for not meeting unreasonable expectations. . Companies have learned the lessons all too well. They should, we taught them
Did you ever wonder why WoW's success and longevity doesn't depend on mainstream gamers?
I'd have to agree for the most part. Most people leaving for the next new thing I think depends on what they are leaving. WoW for example has millions of subscribers your telling me that most of its player base left to go to AOC being a new game? While I understand and agree with what your saying, its purely situational.
Did you ever wonder why WoW's success and longevity doesn't depend on gamers?
Ummm, the incentive would be to show the majority of players that thier game has what it promised and is in a highly playable state. Call me crazy, but people like those types of things. Sure there are the MMO nomads who bounce between every MMO on the planet, but when a game is stable, loaded with the content people were promised would be there at launch, they will be less likely to go looking elsewhere for a new game for quite a while.
As for customers having unrealistic demands, yeah most of that happens because they fall for the game companies hype and PR crap. They promise all these things that will be in the game, in at launch and then after buying the game the players wonder where this wonderful content is. Next thing you know your buying an expansion pack that contains the content that you were promised to have back when you first bought the game.
There are 3 types of people in the world.
1.) Those who make things happen
2.) Those who watch things happen
3.) And those who wonder "What the %#*& just happened?!"
If you've read it's reached a Million units moved and EVERY MMO that has ever come out (yes, even WoW)) was "unfinished" when it was released. (I'm assuming you mean still buggy and unbalance, and not that there will be no additional content) There are a lot of player (enough to have to create new servers, and there were a good number to begin with) Thank you for you unresearched opinion though...
The situation being if you're able build a game able to appeal to the wide audience beyond gamers. No gaming company has any idea how to do that with any hope of success, not even Blizzard. The people who would leave WoW for AoC left WoW long ago.
Guess they'll have to be satisfied with 50 million and rising in gross sales.
Yeah, they must realize by now how bad they have screwed the pooch on this one...
Only a million copies on the street in less than a month... That ain't gonna cut it! Why, that isn't much better than WOW did in the same time period after launch!
That's ONLY 50 mil plus the resubs being maybe something over 7 mil a month. Hey, that only works out to 134 mil the first year if they somehow manage to keep half the people who bought the box the first month or so... What a bunch of losers!... Obviously there won't be any new subscribers either. Yep, they have tapped out all they will ever get!
And when they add content? That won't help at all... Yeah, sell yer Funcom stock boys, they are made of FAIL!
If you've read it's reached a Million units moved and EVERY MMO that has ever come out (yes, even WoW)) was "unfinished" when it was released. (I'm assuming you mean still buggy and unbalance, and not that there will be no additional content) There are a lot of player (enough to have to create new servers, and there were a good number to begin with) Thank you for you unresearched opinion though...
Lets see, the crafting in WOW worked when it was released. I didn't run out of quests after 2 weeks of playing WOW. All the armor didn't look the same in WOW. The stats on armor actually worked in WOW
Should I go on?
Guess they'll have to be satisfied with 50 million and rising in gross sales.
Yeah, they must realize by now how bad they have screwed the pooch on this one...
Only a million copies on the street in less than a month... That ain't gonna cut it! Why, that isn't much better than WOW did in the same time period after launch!
That's ONLY 50 mil plus the resubs being maybe something over 7 mil a month. Hey, that only works out to 134 mil the first year if they somehow manage to keep half the people who bought the box the first month or so... What a bunch of losers!... Obviously there won't be any new subscribers either. Yep, they have tapped out all they will ever get!
And when they add content? That won't help at all... Yeah, sell yer Funcom stock boys, they are made of FAIL!
Uhuh, a bunch of losers right? Do you read your posts before you post them? I am just curious ofcourse. 1 million copies in 3 weeks with a game that is missing content that was advertised is a win for them. I wouldnt consider that being losers heh. Now whether or not it has the same potential as wow, is another feat to see in itself.
If you've read it's reached a Million units moved and EVERY MMO that has ever come out (yes, even WoW)) was "unfinished" when it was released. (I'm assuming you mean still buggy and unbalance, and not that there will be no additional content) There are a lot of player (enough to have to create new servers, and there were a good number to begin with) Thank you for you unresearched opinion though...
Lets see, the crafting in WOW worked when it was released. I didn't run out of quests after 2 weeks of playing WOW. All the armor didn't look the same in WOW. The stats on armor actually worked in WOW
Should I go on?
Servers were cramped in wow, huge lag spikes, graphical and logging problems. Not to mention alot of the armor in WOW does look alike, in fact so much so that end game wow everyone has the same gear, I can see a class comming just based on the armor their wearing.
Should I go on?
P.S. Also just to give you a heads up, the armor and weapons in AOC are so detailed and for the most part, most of them look different. I have seen several pieces of armor and weapons in wow that have the same graphic. WoW and AOC both had problems at launch, get over it.
Should I go on? No I think not.
Guess they'll have to be satisfied with 50 million and rising in gross sales.
Yeah, they must realize by now how bad they have screwed the pooch on this one...
Only a million copies on the street in less than a month... That ain't gonna cut it! Why, that isn't much better than WOW did in the same time period after launch!
That's ONLY 50 mil plus the resubs being maybe something over 7 mil a month. Hey, that only works out to 134 mil the first year if they somehow manage to keep half the people who bought the box the first month or so... What a bunch of losers!... Obviously there won't be any new subscribers either. Yep, they have tapped out all they will ever get!
And when they add content? That won't help at all... Yeah, sell yer Funcom stock boys, they are made of FAIL!
Uhuh, a bunch of losers right? Do you read your posts before you post them? I am just curious ofcourse. 1 million copies in 3 weeks with a game that is missing content that was advertised is a win for them. I wouldnt consider that being losers heh. Now whether or not it has the same potential as wow, is another feat to see in itself.
Man, you really, really need to get your sarcasm detector looked at, it's on the fritz.
Yea they sold a million copies, and when 800,000 people quit after the first month, then they will be losing
15 million or so a month in lost subscription fees. Why would they want to flush 15 million a month down the toilet?
There is a difference in lag spikes, and having no content. The lag spike are mildly annoying
With no content, IE no quests and no crafting , there is nothing to do.
I can't believe you think those two things are the same.
Guess they'll have to be satisfied with 50 million and rising in gross sales.
Yeah, they must realize by now how bad they have screwed the pooch on this one...
Only a million copies on the street in less than a month... That ain't gonna cut it! Why, that isn't much better than WOW did in the same time period after launch!
That's ONLY 50 mil plus the resubs being maybe something over 7 mil a month. Hey, that only works out to 134 mil the first year if they somehow manage to keep half the people who bought the box the first month or so... What a bunch of losers!... Obviously there won't be any new subscribers either. Yep, they have tapped out all they will ever get!
And when they add content? That won't help at all... Yeah, sell yer Funcom stock boys, they are made of FAIL!
Uhuh, a bunch of losers right? Do you read your posts before you post them? I am just curious ofcourse. 1 million copies in 3 weeks with a game that is missing content that was advertised is a win for them. I wouldnt consider that being losers heh. Now whether or not it has the same potential as wow, is another feat to see in itself.
It was pure unadulterated sarcasm Mr. Greek... Sarcasm pure and unadulterated I say!
Whatever they have left unfinished and such will not hinder them as long as they nip those failures in the bud quickly.
If they do so? They win BIG!
And what will they learn from the experience? And what will other game companies learn?
Simple, you can release a game without all features in it and still win!
Hasn't that always been the way of it? It counters the proposition of the OP quite well I think.
Guess they'll have to be satisfied with 50 million and rising in gross sales.
Yeah, they must realize by now how bad they have screwed the pooch on this one...
Only a million copies on the street in less than a month... That ain't gonna cut it! Why, that isn't much better than WOW did in the same time period after launch!
That's ONLY 50 mil plus the resubs being maybe something over 7 mil a month. Hey, that only works out to 134 mil the first year if they somehow manage to keep half the people who bought the box the first month or so... What a bunch of losers!... Obviously there won't be any new subscribers either. Yep, they have tapped out all they will ever get!
And when they add content? That won't help at all... Yeah, sell yer Funcom stock boys, they are made of FAIL!
Uhuh, a bunch of losers right? Do you read your posts before you post them? I am just curious ofcourse. 1 million copies in 3 weeks with a game that is missing content that was advertised is a win for them. I wouldnt consider that being losers heh. Now whether or not it has the same potential as wow, is another feat to see in itself.
It was pure unadulterated sarcasm Mr. Greek... Sarcasm pure and unadulterated I say!
Whatever they have left unfinished and such will not hinder them as long as they nip those failures in the bud quickly.
If they do so? They win BIG!
And what will they learn from the experience? And what will other game companies learn?
Simple, you can release a game without all features in it and still win!
Hasn't that always been the way of it? It counters the proposition of the OP quite well I think.
Alright, sorry for not catching the sarcasm.
Guess they'll have to be satisfied with 50 million and rising in gross sales.
Yeah, they must realize by now how bad they have screwed the pooch on this one...
Only a million copies on the street in less than a month... That ain't gonna cut it! Why, that isn't much better than WOW did in the same time period after launch!
That's ONLY 50 mil plus the resubs being maybe something over 7 mil a month. Hey, that only works out to 134 mil the first year if they somehow manage to keep half the people who bought the box the first month or so... What a bunch of losers!... Obviously there won't be any new subscribers either. Yep, they have tapped out all they will ever get!
And when they add content? That won't help at all... Yeah, sell yer Funcom stock boys, they are made of FAIL!
Uhuh, a bunch of losers right? Do you read your posts before you post them? I am just curious ofcourse. 1 million copies in 3 weeks with a game that is missing content that was advertised is a win for them. I wouldnt consider that being losers heh. Now whether or not it has the same potential as wow, is another feat to see in itself.
It was pure unadulterated sarcasm Mr. Greek... Sarcasm pure and unadulterated I say!
Whatever they have left unfinished and such will not hinder them as long as they nip those failures in the bud quickly.
If they do so? They win BIG!
And what will they learn from the experience? And what will other game companies learn?
Simple, you can release a game without all features in it and still win!
Hasn't that always been the way of it? It counters the proposition of the OP quite well I think.
Alright, sorry for not catching the sarcasm.
Heeeeyyyy, no problem!
I was doing my best to sound as irrational as the trollbois who haunt this place.
Glad to see it made someone do a doubletake!
Funcom is very, very slick about this. They KNOW they pulled a fast one. They also have Gaute writing a letter apologizing for their short comings, especially LACK OF CONTENT! Then he tosses out the carrots of why to stick around.
If I went to Texas Roadhouse and ordered a $25 steak dinner and they delivered a McDonald's happy meal to the table and told me to come back this fall for steak and potatoes, I'd be pissed off and never go there again.
Not the MMORPG field though... why people will line up and pay for potential I will never know. But you know what? Got to respect their right to do so. Give it another year or two, and the only way you'll be able to sign up for closed beta is paying them $15 a month and eventually, if you get lucky, you may get a closed beta key. It isn't IF, but when. The time is coming.
Fear not fanbois, we are not trolls, let's take off your tin foil hat and learn what VAPORWARE is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaporware
"Vaporware is a term used to describe a software or hardware product that is announced by a developer well in advance of release, but which then fails to emerge after having well exceeded the period of development time that was initially claimed or would normally be expected for the development cycle of a similar product."
I totally disagree with the OP.
if people actually want to see a mmo game released bug free I hate to break it to you it will never happen.
Not event he most popular or any bugdet will help anyone... Programming mmo's is a complex progress and you actually need to know about it so you understand why things doesn't always work out as intended and needs constantly patching.
As for games which is non mmo many still got bugs upon release as well but not as many as mmo's.
So keep on bitching to the game creators if you actually believe it helps, problem is that if you want to see a game out your life time you have to accept the fact that mmo companies has a deadline and they need to choose to release what they have or not release at all.
but then again I never expect people posting their hatered to the game creators to be bright either... I mean seriously you should try to do simple programming 1st then you understand it's not easy.
A game is usally made up of several teams and when they implement their work together bugs will occour as well the game creators have to battle the constant problem regarding OS and compability and so on... so many things can go wrong and will go wrong that's why a game takes years to create.
I've done some programming even been in school for it and after 2 years I gave up it's just not for me but at least I know it require lots of patience and flaws in a complex code isn't easy to spot when a game gets huge as mmo's.
that's why it's easier for single player games to be bug free or have only a few bugs requiring patching.
But I do agree with your comment.
It is obvious Funcom knowing if they delayed the game till fall (which they should have done to get the game to where it needed to be) they would have an uphill battle going against both the releaes of Warhammer and WotLK. A battle it appears they didn't want to engage in...so they released the game early with plans on making their money while they can.
The game isn't finished. Even stuff they put on the box isn't in the game. Also, not all games get better after release, so there is not even that to give one comfort. Still, I am optimistic they will work out the bugs and polish the game. The problem is, how long will it take. My 30 days of free time is half over I think.
Companies will not learn their lesson though because too many gamers give them a pass. Hopefully they pour some of the money they make selling these boxes to improve the game.
Yea they sold a million copies, and when 800,000 people quit after the first month, then they will be losing
15 million or so a month in lost subscription fees. Why would they want to flush 15 million a month down the toilet?
800,000 quit? You clearly have nothing to show this foolish assumption of yours. You don't know how many players recently quit the game, and just because you think it's bad, you make useless assumptions saying they lost 800,000 players. So far, wether anyone here wants to admit it or not, they have become pretty successful (1million sold is a success for just releasing).
No game comes out perfectly. It can be costly (ie. Vanguard), but Funcom did state that they were going to add a lot more this month. Wether or not it is true, we will have to see.
__________________________________________________
In memory of Laura "Taera" Genender. Passed away on Aug/13/08 - Rest In Peace; you will not be forgotten
I got burned on that one. After that fiasco I am not buying a pay-to-play game without A) An extensive free playtest or
This saved me money on buying Tabula Rasa. Heh funny thing is I got a free copy of it in a giveaway here. It sits still wrapped on my shelf.
I am voting with my money. And it's going to eventually go that way, as potential customers will get tired of being burned and will just stop darkening their doors so to speak.
Guess they'll have to be satisfied with 50 million and rising in gross sales.
Yeah, they must realize by now how bad they have screwed the pooch on this one...
Only a million copies on the street in less than a month... That ain't gonna cut it! Why, that isn't much better than WOW did in the same time period after launch!
That's ONLY 50 mil plus the resubs being maybe something over 7 mil a month. Hey, that only works out to 134 mil the first year if they somehow manage to keep half the people who bought the box the first month or so... What a bunch of losers!... Obviously there won't be any new subscribers either. Yep, they have tapped out all they will ever get!
And when they add content? That won't help at all... Yeah, sell yer Funcom stock boys, they are made of FAIL!
Uhuh, a bunch of losers right? Do you read your posts before you post them? I am just curious ofcourse. 1 million copies in 3 weeks with a game that is missing content that was advertised is a win for them. I wouldnt consider that being losers heh. Now whether or not it has the same potential as wow, is another feat to see in itself.
It was pure unadulterated sarcasm Mr. Greek... Sarcasm pure and unadulterated I say!
Whatever they have left unfinished and such will not hinder them as long as they nip those failures in the bud quickly.
If they do so? They win BIG!
And what will they learn from the experience? And what will other game companies learn?
Simple, you can release a game without all features in it and still win!
Hasn't that always been the way of it? It counters the proposition of the OP quite well I think.
Point being that 7 years later, they havent learned from experience. Please see AO.
kthxbye
S
Further proof that fanboys are blind towards their cause: all of em in this thread have stated there have been 1 million copies sold. WRONG. L2read plz, 1 million shipped != sold. Sure, they are getting closer to that mark but please don't twist the words.
Okay, please resume the pointless arguing.