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EQN is Not Cancelled.
Allein
Member RarePosts: 2,139
Is it possible that EQN could be cancelled tomorrow or be turned into Clash of Norrath? Absolutely. Has anyone that actually works for the companies behind the game made any indication of that? No.
There was just as much chance for EQN not releasing as it was a month ago or half a year ago. To my dismay, I've read countless posts of people claiming EQN was doomed from the initial reveal Aug 2013. As things have developed, the "cause" of the doom has simply shifted. Nothing new at all.
A shrinking team is not something I'd wish for, but from the devs themselves (let go and remaining) they seem to believe it was for the better of the company, products, and customers.
There is still a very good team, full of talented folks, working on the project. Actually fairly disrespectful to think the entire design and future relied on individuals that I could count on one hand or less, especially considering their roles and that the rest of the team (can't count on my fingers and toes) are not capable of pulling it off without them.
Anything is possible, but until there is actual proof, fact, evidence, not pulling it out of a hat and calling it reality, there is only this:
"We see tremendous opportunities for growth with the expansion of the company's game portfolio through multi-platform offerings as well as an exciting portfolio of new quality games coming up, including the recently launched H1Z1 and the highly anticipated EverQuest Next to be released in the near future," said Jason Epstein, senior partner at Columbus Nova.
http://www.soepress.com/article.vm?release=columbus-nova-acquires-sony-online-entertainment
Danny Navilio: "One huge question I think we all deserve an honest answer to: should we be worried about any of the EQ franchise?"
John Smedley: "Absolutely not."
SliceOfLife93: "Glad to hear. Is EQN going to be okay?"
John Smedley: "EQN has the largest development team at SOE. It is going to be more than ok."
https://twitter.com/j_smedley/status/565993340261257216
DS Berry: "Smed: Can you tell us why? Can you tell us when? There is a dearth of trust and info here now. A sense of betrayal."
John Smedley: "because the Everquest franchise is our lifeblood and we treat it with the respect it deserves."
https://twitter.com/j_smedley/status/565992875100340225
Ben Burnett: "We are still making #EQNext guys! That's what my job is. Don't worry. Thanks for all of your passion. That's what drives us."
https://twitter.com/RtugokDaybreak/status/565659836424413184
Anything beyond this is total speculation. You might not agree with the above comments, think they are lies, half truths, but this is what we have to go by that is actually from the people behind the product.
All those that think EQN is cancelled or will be turned into an iPad app, feel free to move along. No reason to beat a dead horse and all that.
Edit: Add this to what has actually been confirmed
"As most of you have heard by now, there have been some staff changes in the EverQuest Next and Landmark teams this week. While we've known that changes were coming for a little while now, we weren't able to discuss them until the details were finalized. I wanted to apologize for any anxiety this may have caused, but for the sake of everyone involved, it was simply the right way to handle it. While we don't have all of the details of how this is going to affect our schedules, timetables or the Blueprint yet, we wanted to make sure you know we're still here, we're still listening to all your great feedback and we're working to get you those answers just as soon as we can!
EverQuest Next and Landmark are games that involve lots of *very* large plans, so please bear with us as we take the time to review and reorganize the schedules. As soon as we have something we feel comfortable with, we'll be updating the entire team - which still includes all of you, of course - with our new plans and with details about how things will be rolling out in the near future.
We skipped Landmark Live this week, but we'll be back on Tuesday, Feb 17 at 10:00am PST to talk about the hotfix we'll be doing (hopefully) that afternoon and the following update information. Keep your eyes on the Landmark Live forum for any updates or changes.
We'll also be doing the Workshop Show next week, so join us on Thursday, Feb 19 at 11:00am PST where Rosie and company will be talking more about Qeynos and a ton of the things players have been building in that particular style.
Also, the entire team is thankful for all the warm thoughts and best wishes. The outpouring from the community has been amazing and is proof that we're not just a game company with a great community, we're a family"
-Terry Michaels
https://forums.station.sony.com/landmark/index.php?threads/quick-update-02-12-2015.53409/
It's important to understand something. The EQN design pre-dates everyone but myself, @JButlerDaybreak & @terryjmichaels. The game lives!
Darrin McPherson - Lead Game Designer
Comments
I love when they said ” It will be business as usual and all SOE games will continue on their current path of development and operation. In fact, we expect to have even more resources available to us as a result of this acquisition. It also means new exciting developments for our existing IP and games…”
How much of the above can be said to be true?
EverQuest:Next available only on mobile. With 32 different ways to pay, how can you not get behind such an exciting title!
All of it?
New ownership with a lot of cash + Cuts = more cash = more resources. Assuming those cut weren't bringing enough to make up for their salaries and might have been holding back "exciting developments." But who knows.
But they can easily go "business as usual" without those folks. SOE/DB is a very large company. I'm assuming more people were let go, but the list doesn't really contain a mass number in quantity or importance, depending on opinion of course. I don't see the company suffering because of this.
Coming today and every day: Hyperbole and fact free speculation.
So the last 1.5 years worth of show and tell, weekly streams, posts, 2 SOE Lives, videos, and an entire "Pre-Alpha" playable version, yadda yadda = Titan aka pure speculation based on rumors and vague alluding by Blizzard. Logic I do not grasp.
You have only proven that EQN is not cancelled NOW (this very moment). What we are saying is that it's only a matter of time before EQN gets slashed. Heck, the guys who made some of those statements that EQN will not dissolve could be laid off the very next week.
Think about it:
1. Lead talent behind the project was gutted-- including the director of development & the creative director for crying out loud. I don't know about you, but somebody needs to lead the project, and I find it extremely hard to believe Dave Georgeson was bad at his job.
2. They have already squandered millions of dollars will all the reboots of EQN. Soon enough it could be realized that the road to completion is really a bridge to nowhere.
3. Columbus Nova is an investment firm that primarily holds stakes in corporate entities w/ enterprise solutions. Consumer-driven businesses are NOT their primary concern. As such, there is little reason to believe they are committed to the idea of creating great games and putting smiles on the faces of consumers. We all know that priority #1 for them is profit. If they don't see EQN doing that for them, they will surely axe it.
LOL as if there is no precedent for John Smedley saying one thing and then something completely different happening. I particularly love the "Everquest franchise is our lifeblood and we treat it with the respect it deserves." when EQ Not! was clearly something completely different with the Everquest name slapped on to give it credence. No respect there at all.
But yes there is still and EQ Not! development team in place and development continues ....... for now.
..... and yes John Smedley is still there and making comments ...... for now.
Then next days and months will show how long that will continue. If EQ Not! releases at all expect its scope to be very much reduced from what was promised.
thats almost nothing...EQ next was essentially vaporware. the game is at least 3 years in development at this point....there should be more shown then tech demos and rumors/vague alluding by DB. All we've really seen is the base poorly optimized engine, some scripted tech demos and some really fancy water mechanics.
So the last 1.5 years worth of show and tell, weekly streams, posts, 2 SOE Lives, videos, and an entire "Pre-Alpha" playable version, yadda yadda = Titan aka pure speculation based on rumors and vague alluding by Blizzard. Logic I do not grasp.
Yes...EQN now has the perfect formula for vaporware based on what happened to other mmos in same position.They've shown very little actual in game footage, most of its 'systems' are linked to and dependent on an entirely different project, and now top developers fired after years of nothing to show and who knows how much spent.
Basically perfect vaporware storm if I've ever seen one.
They should because you want them to? Or they need to?
Landmark is basically EQN Pre-Alpha or Alpha minus the EQ assets. Not really vaporware. They have been in frequent contact with fans, again, not like Vaporware where devs go poof for years.
How many other AAA games have you seen at the Alpha stage in all their glory? How many did you have to wait until beta to see?
The Titanic will not sink.
"classification of games into MMOs is not by rational reasoning" - nariusseldon
Love Minecraft. And check out my Youtube channel OhCanadaGamer
Try a MUD today at http://www.mudconnect.com/Same could be said for anything. All games are active.... for now. All games are in production....for now. Funny when we pick and choose when something has an imaginary end date and when not.
I don't trust anything Smed says, but there are current/former devs and the company behind the game saying it is still happening, so he isn't needed to confirm anything.
Why is it that people who use the same amount of detail to speculate negatively always try to pretend that they're more knowledgeable than the ones who do the same and speculate positively?
It's a mystery, I tell ya...
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?”
― CD PROJEKT RED
They should because you want them to? Or they need to?
Landmark is basically EQN Pre-Alpha or Alpha minus the EQ assets. Not really vaporware. They have been in frequent contact with fans, again, not like Vaporware where devs go poof for years.
How many other AAA games have you seen at the Alpha stage in all their glory? How many did you have to wait until beta to see?
Are you new to mmos? Most big name mmos that get canceled had internal alphas.No it won't! There are enough lifeboats...well okay, there are enough watertight compartments...oh. Um, nevermind...
Again, you've proven that most of what is being said over and over and over is pure speculation without any facts. Someone could pull the plug on power in San Diego again (happened couple years ago) and fry all their computers because they forgot to back up their work or have surge protection and then a earthquake could happen that causes massive flooding which wipes out the HQ completely. What if, it could, might, looks that way....
What you are saying is you don't have a single shred of fact to what is going on behind closed doors or will be happening, but some how know the "truth" despite this. Surprised all of you didn't do a pool and win that Powerball lol
1) Main head for EQ was laid off
2) Loremaster for EQ was laid off.
So the brains and the heart of the outfit. Poof.
If it isn't cancelled, it certainly is going to mutate. For the better? Probably not. Look at EA and Ubi with their recent F2P monetization schemes.... to make profit. Which is what a venture capitalist group does. They slash everything not profitable and sell off anything they CAN make money on.
How much we betting that they'll sell the IP rights?
And for anyone who thinks a BIG MMO can't be cancelled, especially with millions and millions wasted on it... I present Exhibit A: Blizzard's Project Titan.
Do they let fans play them? Pretty big distinction between "Vaporware" and having a product in the hands of customers. Regardless if it has a future or not.
The logic that "they don't show me what I want so it is Vaporware" seems to go over my head. Then again 20 years of online gaming tends to fry the brain
They should because you want them to? Or they need to?
Landmark is basically EQN Pre-Alpha or Alpha minus the EQ assets. Not really vaporware. They have been in frequent contact with fans, again, not like Vaporware where devs go poof for years.
How many other AAA games have you seen at the Alpha stage in all their glory? How many did you have to wait until beta to see?
Are you new to mmos? Most big name mmos that get canceled had internal alphas.Do they let fans play them? Pretty big distinction between "Vaporware" and having a product in the hands of customers. Regardless if it has a future or not.
The logic that "they don't show me what I want so it is Vaporware" seems to go over my head. Then again 20 years of online gaming tends to fry the brain
They are letting people test Landmark which are systems that EQN is supposed to implement in future. That's not the same as EQN in outside alpha...it's the same exact scenario as WoD testing systems in EVE.If I have learned anything about this site it's that a majority tend to cling to the worst case scenario in any situation. In the end anything is possible, what will be will be. The biggest thing I don't understand is the hoopla in regard to SOE being bought by venture capitalists, is that really any worse than being owned and governed by Sony Co? Considering their performance, as well as actions as a corporation?
I don't see them being any worse off TBH, they were always held by hands that only wanted to capitalize off of their properties, hell that's Why Sony brought them back into the fold in the first place, IE ex-989 as well as verant employees. They had a property they saw long term life in... Which Sony released many products non-MMO/EQ-proper related under the name...One of the first console MMO's among them.
I don't even know if it's SOE we should blame for their performance, considering the performance of most of Sony's long term branches. It's obvious they really had no use of an MMORPG studio and hardly gave two ****s about it. I really wouldn't be surprised if it was easy as pie for Smed to work out a deal for himself to run off with company in tow.
As for the teams being cut, I really have no problem with some of these long term names being replaced (it's become a trend really). It's these folks that have been mostly responsible for the stagnation we've seen in direction in this industry. Yes I understand these specific devs were trying something new, but lets be honest, feedback on what they proposed isn't exactly overly positive. Not to mention how long it has taken them to show anything with this stuff in action. Prototypes and youtube vids, are not products.
It's not like this has been their first iteration of this game, isn't it like try number 3? Maybe they struck out...Due to lack of progress, with all due respect, enthusiasm only takes you so far in pursuit of getting real results..
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
several other games
Landmark is little better then a base engine at this point. which is horrifying this far along in the development cycle. Especially since EQ:N and landmark were intended to be designed in parallel. we should be seeing a working alpha.... possibly even an early beta builds at this point.
You have one of 3 possibilities.
1. EQN never gets developed
2. It gets developed but not according to the original design.
3. Development of EQN will continue it exactly as Dave would have done.
Now you tell me, which of these 3 is least likely to happen.
Lets be plain here. If CN had come in and cut some of the useless fat like barely known devs working on obscure parts of the game or useless community manager types, then no one would be concerned.
However, that's not what happened. Several key members of EQN, including many of the visionaries guiding the direction of the game since it's inception were cut and booted.
How that can be seen as anything but bad news for EQN is beyond my comprehension. I highly doubt that the game will look anything like it was pitched to us by the time it releases.
My only hope here is that someone in CN/Daybreak is a huge gamer like most of us and is actually passionate making these games good.