WAR was delayed by 6 months and still released unfinished.
Yeah, but that wasn't due to feedback from closed beta testers. Mythic knew the game needed more time in production without having to be told... sadly, some of the most annoying issues still exist today, though I haven't been following WAR in recent months, so some things may have changed.
Originally posted by Vrazule
Bad press of any kind usually hurts box sales. Very few MMO's have ever been released in a polished state, hence the current practice of NDA longevity.
And well it should hurt them. Everyone expects MMOs to lack polish at release nowadays, though, so there's no reason to hide that from customers. The real issue, currently, is games that are simply turds, like Tabula Rasa. You can't polish a turd (the Mythbusters proved that you actually can polish a turd, but you see my point).
The stakes are higher now. There are far more crappy MMORPGs being released per year now than there were in the UO and EQ days, and frankly, the number of GOOD MMORPGs released per year hasn't changed since EQ. Developers now spew out half a dozen or more per year, and you're lucky to get a decent game every second or third year.
It's not just about polish, it's about irredeemable suckage. Publishers want to sell as many boxes as possible based on hype, so that once customers discover a game sucks, it's too late and they're screwed. Their money's simply gone. And I don't buy that developers might not realize how badly their game sucks when they push it out the door, since many developers are gamers themselves, have been for years, and they know cow hockey when they see it just like the rest of us do.
I know that throughout human history, craftsmen don't want to show the public their work until it's actually finished. But MMORPGs are never actually finished when they're released anyway, and you can get a refund for an unfinished chair. This is a different playing field, and we need some transparency in the development process.
I agree your post 99.8%. One nice exception from the text in red was Lotro, no wonder it is probably the most successful P2P mmo since WoW (although not comparable in size). That game does nothing revolutionally or groundbreaking, the simple fact that it was ready and playable at launch, made players so feel good in their tummies, that the game is still considered a success, well over 2 years after launch.
MMO's should NOT be unfinished and broken at launch. It is more like a problem with development time and changing times. A good, playable MMORPG with lots of content should take many years to develop. Unfortunately, technology won't wait for anyone (imagine Duke Nukem Forever for the strongest example for this). Thus, MMOS are developed under great strain and pressure, and are rushed out the door mostly way before time.
They should not be, and let's hope more MMO's follow Turbine's way of releasing a finished game, with only features that were promised.
DB
Denial makes one look a lot dumber than he/she actually is.
FALLEN EARTH, LLC announced today that the post-apocalyptic massively multiplayer online (MMO) game of the same name will begin an Open Beta program August 17. Players who want to get an early glimpse of Fallen Earth on August 17 need only register on FilePlanet beginning Friday, August 14 at 1 p.m. ET (GMT-4).
Comments
I know people who actually got banned for saying or implying they are/were in the beta.
Someone is sure policing these boards 24/7..... if you think that's suspicios, it's your call.
DB
Denial makes one look a lot dumber than he/she actually is.
I know people who actually got banned for saying or implying they are/were in the beta.
Someone is sure policing these boards 24/7..... if you think that's suspicios, it's your call.
DB
I didn't say I had a problem with that. It was a mistake and I admit it. I only said the NDA for FA is still in place.
Better to be crazy, provided you know what sane is...
Yeah, but that wasn't due to feedback from closed beta testers. Mythic knew the game needed more time in production without having to be told... sadly, some of the most annoying issues still exist today, though I haven't been following WAR in recent months, so some things may have changed.
And well it should hurt them. Everyone expects MMOs to lack polish at release nowadays, though, so there's no reason to hide that from customers. The real issue, currently, is games that are simply turds, like Tabula Rasa. You can't polish a turd (the Mythbusters proved that you actually can polish a turd, but you see my point).
The stakes are higher now. There are far more crappy MMORPGs being released per year now than there were in the UO and EQ days, and frankly, the number of GOOD MMORPGs released per year hasn't changed since EQ. Developers now spew out half a dozen or more per year, and you're lucky to get a decent game every second or third year.
It's not just about polish, it's about irredeemable suckage. Publishers want to sell as many boxes as possible based on hype, so that once customers discover a game sucks, it's too late and they're screwed. Their money's simply gone. And I don't buy that developers might not realize how badly their game sucks when they push it out the door, since many developers are gamers themselves, have been for years, and they know cow hockey when they see it just like the rest of us do.
I know that throughout human history, craftsmen don't want to show the public their work until it's actually finished. But MMORPGs are never actually finished when they're released anyway, and you can get a refund for an unfinished chair. This is a different playing field, and we need some transparency in the development process.
I agree your post 99.8%. One nice exception from the text in red was Lotro, no wonder it is probably the most successful P2P mmo since WoW (although not comparable in size). That game does nothing revolutionally or groundbreaking, the simple fact that it was ready and playable at launch, made players so feel good in their tummies, that the game is still considered a success, well over 2 years after launch.
MMO's should NOT be unfinished and broken at launch. It is more like a problem with development time and changing times. A good, playable MMORPG with lots of content should take many years to develop. Unfortunately, technology won't wait for anyone (imagine Duke Nukem Forever for the strongest example for this). Thus, MMOS are developed under great strain and pressure, and are rushed out the door mostly way before time.
They should not be, and let's hope more MMO's follow Turbine's way of releasing a finished game, with only features that were promised.
DB
Denial makes one look a lot dumber than he/she actually is.
I know people who actually got banned for saying or implying they are/were in the beta.
Someone is sure policing these boards 24/7..... if you think that's suspicios, it's your call.
DB
I didn't say I had a problem with that. It was a mistake and I admit it. I only said the NDA for FA is still in place.
No, sorry if you felt that I meant you said anything like that
My comment was more like a sidemark, a general thought for all viewers... stay tuned! 
DB
Denial makes one look a lot dumber than he/she actually is.
FALLEN EARTH, LLC announced today that the post-apocalyptic massively multiplayer online (MMO) game of the same name will begin an Open Beta program August 17. Players who want to get an early glimpse of Fallen Earth on August 17 need only register on FilePlanet beginning Friday, August 14 at 1 p.m. ET (GMT-4).
Happy now?
i am! i cant wait to try it out thanks for the info.