Asheron's Call 2 : Fallen Kings: Closing 12/30/05

Stradden

Turbine Entertainment announced today that they are ending service on Asheron's Call 2. Turbine cites no reason for the cancellation other than that "it no longer makes sense to continue the service." 

Dear AC2 subscribers, In spite of our hard work and the launch of Legions, AC2 has reached the point where it no longer makes sense to continue the service. We will be officially closing the Asheron's Call 2 service on 12/30/05. Until then, we plan to run live events, but we will not be adding any content or features. We deeply appreciate the many dedicated fans of AC2 who have stood by us over the years. You have our sincerest gratitude. Best regards, Jeffrey Anderson CEO, Turbine

Reactions on the official forums range from detached regret with comments like "I saw this coming" to sympathy "Don't blame the developers", to righteous anger as some users vow never to subscribe to a Turbine game again. We here at MMORPG.com send our sympathies out to both Turbine Entertainment and to the game's fans and subscribers. It's always hard to lose something that you've invested so much in.

Click here to visit the official forums.

Lowdos

Can't say I'm surprised, really.

Im actually astounded that the game has stayed up and running for so long.

I guess Turbine feels it's time to turn their focus elsewhere...hardly good PR though, is it?

Anofalye

We are talking about the same company who have been entrusted DDO by WotC and that is causing a massive denial from long term D&D fans?

Effect

I really do think this was a "matter of time" situation. I feel bad for those that got their interest peaked again with Legions only to find out the game is getting turned off soon.

This should teach Turbine not to make a game with a basiclly dead world and keep dead even as people are leaving and they are trying to fix things. Story or not, being in that world wasn't fun at all I felt.

Greatness

That stinks. I played the trial for this game and thought it was amazing.

darktravesty

It was a good game; I also send my sympathy and best wishes out to Turbine. Wonder if it will be going open source?

Damague

Thats sad now there will be tousands of post of people looking for free mmorpgs

Elapsed

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Originally posted by Damague
Thats sad now there will be tousands of post of people looking for free mmorpgs

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AC2 wasn't free. It was $12.95 a month. Though the launch sucked it was a fairly solid game these days, not to my liking particularly, especially the engine. Still, it sadens me to see all Turbines work and players work vanish.

Rikimaru_X

Wow. That really sucks. I'm going to try this game out before it's over with.

Bhazir

and there goes my very first MMORPG down the sink. Oh well, they had a nice written story and background. But the game lacked in different ways. Combat system was fun though

PS: ok can stop searching for a hardcopy of the expansion

kxmode

The reason AC2 failed and AC1 is still thriving today is all us avid AC1 fans (myself included; played for 2.5 years) expected AC2 to be AC1 with gameplay improvements and better graphics. I was so pissed off after playing the game. Finding out the game was not a true continuation on AC1 and that it took place in the future and in some weird parallel universe, that was and was not Dereth was too much. Had Turbine just listened to what their subscribers wanted AC2 to be the game would still be alive and thriving today.

Munka

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Originally posted by kxmode
The reason AC2 failed and AC1 is still thriving today is all us avid AC1 fans (myself included; played for 2.5 years) expected AC2 to be AC1 with gameplay improvements and better graphics. I was so pissed off after playing the game. Finding out the game was not a true continuation on AC1 and that it took place in the future and in some weird parallel universe, that was and was not Dereth was too much. Had Turbine just listened to what their subscribers wanted AC2 to be the game would still be alive and thriving today.

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Yea that was my big issue too, I was really hoping for something more like AC1. To bad really, I know they sunk alot of time and effort into the game. At least this is not the end of Turbine, they have some great things in store for us gamers in the future. I look forward to seeing their two new MMOG's in action. I'm also thinking about checking out AC1 again, I havn't played sence the very first expansion, I know I've missed alot. Sheesh, AC was still played threw Zone.com then too! OMG! Arg! I hate getting older lol!

carrieb

Although I did expect this to happen eventually, I think it's such a shame. I left the game a while ago but always came back to it from time to time, hoping for the usual monthly events, but they never happened. I never once saw this game advertised, anywhere in the UK, and never saw it on the shelves of computer game stores, so I guessed it was inevitable that it wouldn't last long.

I do feel that if it had been an improved version of AC1 this wouldn't have happened. Same with Everquest 2 which is soooo unlike EQ1, and I hear that's not doing too great. Sony wouldn't cancel, they'd add it to their premium service - maybe Turbine should consider this?

In any case, we want the code to continue playing after cancellation, pleeeaassee!

i<3robots

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Originally posted by Damague
Thats sad now there will be tousands of post of people looking for free mmorpgs

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I dont think AC2 had 1000 subscribers left

Bane101

Oh well. I liked the look of the world and it was quite fun to play but it didn't have anything special about it.

May be they should have looked at an all access payment model to allow all those AC1 players to play for a dirt cheap price. I'm sure EQ2 is help by all those EQ players with all access plans.

leipuri

Maybe these angry AC2 players will reliaze that level grinding wasnt worth of it, because i think most of these angry posters are the ones who were most powergamers that now feel their "work" is waste. Find game that is less level grind and more about player interraction.

Kaynos1972

I'm kinda suprised about how long it took for them to close that game down.   When you log at peak time and there is less then 500 players on all the servers you know something is wrong.  I can't blame them though, you can't expect a game company to keep a game running with so few peoples in.

RIP AC2.

JestorRodo

 This is a little sad but with all the new product about to be released from Turbine you have to respect a business decision to focus on D and D and Middle Earth then try to be EQ2 ( which is no great claim to fame). 

theanimedude

I just heard about this on Attack of the Show earlier tonight, and to be honest, most people are right, im not all that surprised. The game was dated, and just wasnt worth the time anymore. As long as they focus on their current projects, it is a wise business decision.

They really need to break back into the gaming scene with a huge hit, so lets hope their new projects are better off from this decision.

Good luck Turbine

SuperDuper28

Played from open beta up to about a year after launch.I won't go into theories or rumors as to why this has happend to a game that was building off a pretty stong first game.I just know it's been spiraling downward since shortly after release and it wasn't my fault =P And I'm suprised they kept the IV drip goign this long as well.BUT while I was playing the game I did have a failry good time entertaining myself even though the game had many bugs and shortcomings.

Effect

I don't think it has anything to do with the game being dated. Yes it came out a few years ago but it still looked great and the world was huge with great looking graphics even not on the high setting. Visually it could easily compete with newer games I feel but that was never an actual problem with Asheron's Call 2. I don't think I've seen anyone ever complain about that. THe problem would be everything else I feel, how they presented things and how they tried to address the problems that caused people to leave(fixing bugs they were good at but making the world feel alive for example they failed in the extreme. Things like that I feel). Graphics aren't everything but that was never a problem with AC2 but the actual gameplay. To this day the game was hardly dated.

If AC2 was dated then EQ1, UO, Anarchy Online, and Dark Age of Camelot are dated as well and by your way of some thinking aren't worth people's time. Just because the game isn't new doesn't mean people shouldn't play it.

Lowdos

the problem 'IMO', was that AC2 was never fun.