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SOE to publish Vanguard!
Rigamortis
Member UncommonPosts: 207
VANGUARD: SAGA OF HEROES FINDS A NEW HOME
- Sigil Games Online and Sony Online Entertainment In Talks To Co-Publish Sigil’s Ground-Breaking New Game -
May 5, 2006 – Carlsbad & San Diego, CA – Sigil Games Online and Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE), a global leader in the online games industry, today announced that Sigil is working with Microsoft Game Studios on an arrangement to acquire the rights to its highly anticipated massively multiplayer online (MMO) game, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. These efforts have resulted in a tentative agreement for Vanguard to be co-published by both Sigil Games Online and SOE. All three companies will be showing the game at the upcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) as they work closely together for a successful transition. Vanguard: Saga of Heroes is scheduled to launch this winter.
“As the development process is ongoing and constantly shifting, it became clear that MGS and Sigil had varying visions and direction for the title’s development,” said Brad McQuaid, CEO of Sigil Games Online. “In the best interest of Vanguard, it was decided that we would buy back the publishing rights from Microsoft.”
As co-publisher of Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, Sigil assumes greater control of marketing and PR, while maintaining responsibility for game development, community relations, media relations, customer support, and quality assurance. Under the terms of the agreement, SOE will provide distribution, marketing, hosting and back-end support -- including billing and technical support -- for the game. Additionally, SOE is tentatively planning on adding Vanguard, upon its release, to SOE’s Station Access™ subscription plan. Station Access allows players to enjoy all of SOE’s MMO titles for one low monthly price.
“We are very excited to be working with so many old friends at Sigil,” said John Smedley, president, Sony Online Entertainment. “Vanguard looks beautiful and has an incredibly rich game world. It’s the type of game that will appeal directly to SOE’s hundreds of thousands of players and should fit in perfectly with the current line-up of games available in Station Access.”
”This decision was made mutually by Sigil and Microsoft, in the best interest of the long-term goals for the title,” said Phil Spencer, General Manager at Microsoft Game Studios. “As a key Windows development partner, we will continue to work with Sigil to ensure Vanguard’s ongoing success.”
Vanguard: Saga of Heroes is the next generation of massively multiplayer online games. The journey takes place in the fantasy setting of Telon, a vast and ancient world of magic, intrigue and adventure. Facing the challenges of a war torn world, the diverse people here struggle to rebuild their once great civilizations. A fragile alliance has been struck, with the lands set upon by invading forces, the races must band together to survive.
Vanguard: Saga of Heroes is currently in a closed beta phase. The game will remain available via Fileplanet for existing beta testers during the transition to SOE. New information will be sent out to testers as the changeover occurs.
Comments
Actually this could be good, even for people who don't care too much for SOE.
If you read the announcement, Sigil maintains almost all rights. All SOE is doing is distributing, marketing, and hosting servers. Despite what you may say about SOE's games, when it comes to those 3 things SOE beats pretty much everyone else on the market.
This could be very good for SOE.
Besides, it's getting added to station access, which is deffinitely nice.
Schutzbar - Human Warrior - Windrunner Alliance - World of Warcraft
Nihilanth - Kerra Paladin - Blackburrow - EverQuest II
XBL Gamertag - Eagle15GT
*SIGH* Well I will hope for the best
You guys remember the Verant/Sony venture? Can you say "Everquest"?
Remember what happened?
Those that do not learn from their mistakes are doomed to repeat them.
What a disappointment. Damn glad I didn't buy a new computer to play this game.
SOE can go to hell. SOE will never get another $1 from me
wow this is horrible news, i really don't know what els to say........this is bad bad bad bad!......did i say bad?!?!
read this http://www.vanguardsoh.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1044304#post1044304 then come back and talk to me about the vanguard/soe fiasco.....
This game is done!
That is a bummer. As much as I was looking forward to this game, I absolutely refuse to deal with SOE, or send them one more thin dime of my money. It's a shame really. Factoring SOE in, I would honestly rather gamble my monthly fee on DnL than Vanguard.... and that really is saying a lot.
This just makes Warhammer seem even further away.
-----Zero Punctuation Eve Online Review-----
haha...hahaha....HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Honestly, I saw this coming a mile away. Really.
The majoirty of the devs at Sigil were ex EQ devs and worked for SOE before. Considering the type of game Vanguard will turn out to be, it comes no surprise that, to quote a fellow poster "the devs to run back to daddy". Even though I havent been too exicted about Vanguard, I REALLY do feel sorry for all the growing fans out there....as we all know $OE is infamous for its uncanny ability to run games into the ground with their elitist, gustapo-like ways. From nerfing to banning to re creating the game, $OE has done it all. They are the shame of the gaming industry.
So, it will also come to no surprise to me if this game goes to hell.
Goodbye. Have fun in hell with EQ2 and SWG. Im sure they need some company
Sincerely,
Dr. Steelarm
-------------------------------------------
Steelarm, Doctor of MMO gaming, ethics, and ideas.
Damn,
I was really looking forward to this game
SOE just sucks. They are horrible. They destroy everything they touch. They are ALMOST as bad as Turbine.
It doesn't matter all they are doing is publishing it. They will wreck it somehow because it compeats with EQII.
Heroes Journey is still SOE free........
Oh well, I guess I will be saving some money. You would think Mr. McQuaid would know better after the SOE/Verant merger destroyed his other big game. I hope Roma Victor, LotR:OL, Africa or PotBS don't go to SOE too or I am gonna have to quit MMORPG's all together.
Oh well...there are other games.
Well....
As msuch as I wanted to play this game I promised myself never to give my money to SOE again period. Not after the heretical treatment of SWG by heinous corporate automotons in turning what should have been the most successful MMO ever into the stinking pile of garbage we all despise. Not to mention the defiling of original EQ.
Sorry vanguard but you've cast your lot with the devil and you shall reap what you $OE.....
Critical thinking is a desire to seek, patience to doubt, fondness to meditate, slowness to assert, readiness to consider, carefulness to dispose and set in order; and hatred for every kind of imposture.
Link to complete thread with several official statements
Just found this in the official forums. Brad is very fast in answering the community questions. After reading this I still believe in Vanguard, although I know what SOE have done in the past...
edit: corrected a mistake, inserted link
Not that I want to get in the way of the bridge jumpers I thought I would bring a bit of sanity and rational thought into this discussion.
I'm going to give you guys credit and assume you understand the difference between a publisher and a developer. That would definitely help.
Here are some quotes from the CEO of Sigil.
"""SOE is not buying Sigil. Sigil remains Sigil.
I left SOE years ago because I wasn't in a position to be hands on making games anymore. That's why Sigil was founded.
Selling out would put me back in the same place I was before: not
making games. Making MMOGs makes me happy. I love Vanguard and intend
to see the game through, long past launch. We have so much planned for
the game after launch -- I've hinted at much of it.
Why would I do anything to jeoprodize what I have now? This new deal
now even gives us (which includes me) even MORE authority and autonomy.
This makes me even happier.
Seriously, think about what you are saying -- it doesn't make sense and it doesn't fit my track record and personality."""
"""I could retire right now, and could have retired after I left SOE.
Instead Jeff and I founded Sigil so we could keep the dream alive --
keep making MMOGs."""
"""Yes, they receive a small royalty for doing the operations, etc. (the
stuff listed in the press release). I understand how you feel, and you
certainly know my distaste for RMT. That said, this move is the right
move for Vanguard and gives us the control we need to make it the game
it needs to be. You have to weigh your distaste for any of your dollars
going to SOE vs. how important it is to you that Vanguard becomes the
game we all want it to be. Whatever your decision, I respect it, but I
promise you this was the right move for Sigil and Vanguard.""""
"""Vanguard will not leave the dream and visions of Sigil and its current
developers. I give you my word. And this move insures that the above
remains true by giving us total authority over the design of the game,
community, customer service, etc."""
"""Sigil and Microsoft agreed to amicably part ways when we decided to
raise money ourselves to buy the publishing rights away from them and
they agreed to it. (and the money we are raising is NOT coming from
SOE)"""
""" We did. Then we didn't. So we found an opportunity to become publisher not developer to make sure we keep control"""
""" Absolutely NOT. Vanguard will NOT be part of Station Exchange as you describe above.""""
""Microsoft is very focused on Xbox 360 -- as big as Vanguard is, their
console business involves BILLIONS of dollars. After talking for quite
a while with upper management at Microsoft Game Studios, it made the
most sense for both of us to do this separation. They can focus on
building their platforms (Windows, Vista, Xbox360), as well as their
other titles, but we can now do what we need to do to take an ambitious
title like Vanguard and use our expertise and experience to shape to an
even greater extent it into the game it needs to be. We now have the
time we need/decide to keep the game in beta until its truly ready --
there is no risk of being rushed out, which is something large titles
like MMOGs often face.
Bottom line, this is a win for Microsoft, SOE, and Sigil. Microsoft can
focus where they need to and on where they want to go with developing
games and platforms, SOE has a title they need such that Vanguard's
target audience doesn't leave EQ or EQ 2 to go to Vanguard in such a
way that hurts them, and we have even more control over the vision
behind Vanguard to insure it turns out to be the game both we and you
all want it to be.""""
Ok obviously you have to take what he says with a pinch of salt but really, is it THAT hard to read before you all just leap off the deep end and run around screaming about the sky falling?
*Soe does have a bad track record as a developer
*Soe arent developing, Sigil is, nothing has changed.
*Soe has done a much better job than Blizzard at server stability
*Sigil are now co-producing not just developing
*Sigil have more control over their own game now.
So unless you basically think that Sigil having more control is BAD or you are some sort of psychic mind reader and can forsee what Brad is thinking and what is going to happen in the future, maybe you should relax and calm down instead of spazzing out like a bunch of 5 yr olds. Soe isnt going to be making changes to VG.