And here we go again. Everytime SOE is involved the OMG NO-threads pop right up.
Grow up people, what did SOE screw up except for SWG? Did they do something completely hidious with EQ or EQ2? Did they mess up MxO? Maybe they bought VG. Oh wait they did, because there was no other option to kaap that one alive.
The only thing SOE needs to take a good look at is payment. They make a little to much mistakes on that part.
I'm not trying to convince anyone here to not play PotBS because SOE is involved, as half of the posts in this discussion are split for and against it would most likely be in vein anyways, lol it would be like trying to convince a Democrat to vote for GW. Most of the people who are still going to play this game will probably be doing so because they never were affected by the greediness of SOE and their business decisions to dumb down a game to sell more copies.
If it was even that simple, they totally were willing to give up their current player base to establish a newer younger player base because they would bring in more dollars, but thats a discussion for another thread. If you're still going to play PotBS, then good for you, but for those of us who hate SOE will not being playing PotBS if SOE has anything to do with it no matter how small of their total involvement might be.
I Reject your Reality and Substitute it with My Own!
Wow. I'm glad I put on my asbestos suit before I came online tonight! 11 pages and counting.
When it comes down to it, we wouldn't have signed this deal if we didn't like it. We have enough money to have marketed and shipped the game ourselves (and yes, I *DO* know the financial state of the company, I'm one of the owners) , but we believe we would have been far less successful if we had done so. The fact is, we're a game developer, not a game publisher. We've never done marketing and distribution, taken out print ads, handled box sales, or done billing. Could we do it? Yes. Would we make a lot of stupid mistakes because of inexperience? Yup. Would we have done a better job than Sony? Not even close.
As Rusty said in his post on our web page, for them this is easy. They already know all the people to talk to at Best Buy, Gamestop, EB Games, and the like. They already know all the people to talk to at PC Gamer and Games for Windows. They know which web sites are the best to advertise on. They already know how to produce box product. What we're doing is taking advantage of the part that they do well and we would do poorly (or at least less well), while retaining control of the parts we can do better.
We were well aware that this decision would be controversial. We're gamers. A lot of us played SWG. We've got old EQ vets, EQ 2 vets, you name it. Heck, we've even got VSoH players. Not to mention all the games from other publishers. So we've been there. But as a business decision this was the right thing to do. We keep control, and for that matter we keep the vast majority of the subscription revenue (both unlike every other publishing deal we've looked at). Hence the jokes about Superior Alien Contracts. We've seen those, to. And as a numbers game it's a complete win. Good marketing and box distribution could very well double our installed base over what it would have been if we'd gone alone. Yes, there are going to be hardcore sony haters who will not play our game even if it's great, just because a small percentage of the subscription money will go to Sony, and we're sorry to lose them. But for every one of them there will be hundreds who will see our game in stores who might otherwise never have picked it up. A slightly smaller percentage of a much larger pie is still more pie. And we like pie.
But in the end (to continue the dessert metaphor) the proof is in the pudding. We realize you have no reason to expect us to be more honest with you than Sigil was. Although we're sure trying. If you check out our forums we do our best to keep you informed. All we can reasonably ask is for you to keep an open mind and give the game a shot. When launch rolls around, read the reviews, play the open beta, check out the forums. If the game is good, we hope you'll play it and enjoy it. If it's not, then that's our problem, not Sony's.
For those who say that FLS working with SOE are weak minded. If you go an read the Post by Rusty on there web site then you will see that they are only using SOE to do the Plublishing and Marketing. This is the break down of what FLS and SOE will do.
Flying Lab Software
• Game Development
• Community
• Customer Support
• Server Operations
Sony Online Entertainment
• Billing
• Launcher
• Retail Distribution
• Localization
• Marketing
The one thing people forget is that FLS has the money and a good game. The CEO is in no way a sell out and has taken an extremely long time to get somone to even agree to what his demands are. So if you cry i am not going to play the game because of SOE then your an idiot who can't read what is really going on.
Amagin your a smaller developer that has a kick ass game that you spend over 5 years developing and you want to get it out for all to enjoy. Well if you can sign a deal as good as this with a major plublisher and still hold all that is dear to you, then go for it. This will bring in so many more people and make the game better. As you can see SOE is just the paper work aspect to this game other then that they are nothing.
Grow up people, what did SOE screw up except for SWG? Did they do something completely hidious with EQ or EQ2?
I'm guessing you didn't play EQ2 right after launch, where there was little soloable content and that little thing of lying to the player base about Frogloks being in the game but needing to be unlocked. Just like they lied about Jedi in SWG.
Then the nickle-and-dimeing started. Want more character slots? Upgrade to a station pass for a nominal fee and get a couple more! Want some crazy new dungeons to try out? You're in luck - they're now available for a nominal fee! For only $15 you can download new dungeons! Tell your friends! The value is EXTREME!
So what - I'll eventually have to pay $5.95 now to have access to Tortuga? Hell with that, and to Hell with SOE. I wish FLS and Rusty the best of luck but this game is officially dead to me now. And I'm sad about that.
Wow. I'm glad I put on my asbestos suit before I came online tonight! 11 pages and counting. When it comes down to it, we wouldn't have signed this deal if we didn't like it. We have enough money to have marketed and shipped the game ourselves (and yes, I *DO* know the financial state of the company, I'm one of the owners) , but we believe we would have been far less successful if we had done so. The fact is, we're a game developer, not a game publisher. We've never done marketing and distribution, taken out print ads, handled box sales, or done billing. Could we do it? Yes. Would we make a lot of stupid mistakes because of inexperience? Yup. Would we have done a better job than Sony? Not even close. As Rusty said in his post on our web page, for them this is easy. They already know all the people to talk to at Best Buy, Gamestop, EB Games, and the like. They already know all the people to talk to at PC Gamer and Games for Windows. They know which web sites are the best to advertise on. They already know how to produce box product. What we're doing is taking advantage of the part that they do well and we would do poorly (or at least less well), while retaining control of the parts we can do better. We were well aware that this decision would be controversial. We're gamers. A lot of us played SWG. We've got old EQ vets, EQ 2 vets, you name it. Heck, we've even got VSoH players. Not to mention all the games from other publishers. So we've been there. But as a business decision this was the right thing to do. We keep control, and for that matter we keep the vast majority of the subscription revenue (both unlike every other publishing deal we've looked at). Hence the jokes about Superior Alien Contracts. We've seen those, to. And as a numbers game it's a complete win. Good marketing and box distribution could very well double our installed base over what it would have been if we'd gone alone. Yes, there are going to be hardcore sony haters who will not play our game even if it's great, just because a small percentage of the subscription money will go to Sony, and we're sorry to lose them. But for every one of them there will be hundreds who will see our game in stores who might otherwise never have picked it up. A slightly smaller percentage of a much larger pie is still more pie. And we like pie. But in the end (to continue the dessert metaphor) the proof is in the pudding. We realize you have no reason to expect us to be more honest with you than Sigil was. Although we're sure trying. If you check out our forums we do our best to keep you informed. All we can reasonably ask is for you to keep an open mind and give the game a shot. When launch rolls around, read the reviews, play the open beta, check out the forums. If the game is good, we hope you'll play it and enjoy it. If it's not, then that's our problem, not Sony's. Rick Saada - FLS Dev & EPFBM
ya got my support, been waiting for this game since i first learned about it!
"The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand." - Lewis Thomas
the amount of doom preachers is truly amazing. The article clearly says that SOE will only do the publishing, marketing, things like that. So did all the articles involving the Vanguard/SOE collaboration, remember? Comparing it to Vanguard is absolutely pointless. Perhaps if comparing the two games, but not when comparing what is being said by the PotBS devs when put along side what Brad said in the beginning. Vanguard was taken over by SOE because it bombed and ran out of funds. True enough, but we all saw it coming from the beginning. However, it is different in the fact PotBS isn't coming from another publisher after mismanaging money/deadlines, I will admit.
This was actually a good thing, if SOE didn't take it over, then Vanguard would have been shut down. I agree it was a good thing as far as attempting to save the game ( however, whether it has or will be saved is still up in the air at this time), but it was not good for those who made the mistake of buying it in the first place and findig out they really did get the shaft. PotBS clearly says that they have enough funds, Brad said the same thing.
and even if it bombs and SOE has to take it over, then thats always much better then having the game shut down. Is that the new message we're giving gamers and developers alike, now? That it doesn't matter if a company puts out a half-baked games, because someone will eventually save it later on? Hope not, 'cause I sure as hell don't subscribe to that philosophy.
Fact is, everyone has a right to distrustful/hurt/angry when it comes to this situation when they see a almost word for word repeat of what transpired only a few months ago with Vanguard.
Do I think that the same will happen with PotBS? Not completely.
Unfortunately, I have to go with previous experience, where I believed a developers promises and fanboi's hype, only to be screwed without so much as a kiss or a thank you as I bent over. And alot of other gamers here apparently feel the same way.
Wow. I'm glad I put on my asbestos suit before I came online tonight! 11 pages and counting. When it comes down to it, we wouldn't have signed this deal if we didn't like it. We have enough money to have marketed and shipped the game ourselves (and yes, I *DO* know the financial state of the company, I'm one of the owners) , but we believe we would have been far less successful if we had done so. The fact is, we're a game developer, not a game publisher. We've never done marketing and distribution, taken out print ads, handled box sales, or done billing. Could we do it? Yes. Would we make a lot of stupid mistakes because of inexperience? Yup. Would we have done a better job than Sony? Not even close. As Rusty said in his post on our web page, for them this is easy. They already know all the people to talk to at Best Buy, Gamestop, EB Games, and the like. They already know all the people to talk to at PC Gamer and Games for Windows. They know which web sites are the best to advertise on. They already know how to produce box product. What we're doing is taking advantage of the part that they do well and we would do poorly (or at least less well), while retaining control of the parts we can do better. We were well aware that this decision would be controversial. We're gamers. A lot of us played SWG. We've got old EQ vets, EQ 2 vets, you name it. Heck, we've even got VSoH players. Not to mention all the games from other publishers. So we've been there. But as a business decision this was the right thing to do. We keep control, and for that matter we keep the vast majority of the subscription revenue (both unlike every other publishing deal we've looked at). Hence the jokes about Superior Alien Contracts. We've seen those, to. And as a numbers game it's a complete win. Good marketing and box distribution could very well double our installed base over what it would have been if we'd gone alone. Yes, there are going to be hardcore sony haters who will not play our game even if it's great, just because a small percentage of the subscription money will go to Sony, and we're sorry to lose them. But for every one of them there will be hundreds who will see our game in stores who might otherwise never have picked it up. A slightly smaller percentage of a much larger pie is still more pie. And we like pie. But in the end (to continue the dessert metaphor) the proof is in the pudding. We realize you have no reason to expect us to be more honest with you than Sigil was. Although we're sure trying. If you check out our forums we do our best to keep you informed. All we can reasonably ask is for you to keep an open mind and give the game a shot. When launch rolls around, read the reviews, play the open beta, check out the forums. If the game is good, we hope you'll play it and enjoy it. If it's not, then that's our problem, not Sony's. Rick Saada - FLS Dev & EPFBM
But why SOE? Why not the NCSoft? Those guys kick ass...
I Reject your Reality and Substitute it with My Own!
come on dude there has to be reasons that they chose SOE, Trust me we all made it clearly known that we did not like SOE. But if you know the company and the CEO (true historian of gaiming) then you would not even ask.
06.25.07 by Rusty 1) Strong distribution – We want Pirates of the Burning Sea to be in every retail store that carries games. SOE has that down cold. Will Pirates be on Station Access Pass?
Yes. For one price you can play EQ, EQ2, Pirates, and everything else SOE has to offer.
Just wanted to comment on these two points. Having played EQ2 at released but not played for a while. I went out the other day to buy the game (again) with all it's updates (they do 1 box with it all). I looked around 4 games shops and I couldn't find one copy to purchase! WoW everywhere but not one EQ2.I ended up doing a digital download as I couldn't even find the game to purchase via online stores. I wonder then why you think SOE have strong distribution?!!! They dont even push their own game in stores so why the hell will they push yours!
The station pass is the one thing SOE does good. So I'm glad to see it will be part of that system as I intend to keep playing EQ2 (I'd forgotten how much I enjoy it).
As for signing with SOE. I dont think it's a great idea and even though I dislike SOE, it wont stop me playing the game.
MADMANusa, why do they need SOE if they are financially sound? They can publish and market the game themselves (anyway, I suspect most MMO players have heard of this game, even in passing). Maybe you are dolt and dont understand the situation? I suspect that what really happened is that SOE offered the developer of PotBS a deal based on money and they took it.
To keep the SOE MMO side of the company profitable they are essentially forced to weasle their way into buying titles (under the guise of marketing them). SOE has lost a lot of players to one fiasco or another, so they have to do something, and this is their strategy. I can't blame them, however I think independent MMO companies should have some balls and complete the project on their own, especially if they are financially sound.
Also, since Blizzard is kicking their (SOE's) silly ass into the ground in the MMO arena they have developed this strategy. However, SOE doesnt seem to realize that fans pay their bills, and pissing off fans is a good way to be less profitable. Again, I won't give any money to SOE or PotBS since they have joined forces essentially. Que sera sera.
Another game to add to SOE's craptastic game library. Lol i just knew they would do this, they ssaid they werent going down the SOE route and they took it. LoL ANOTHER GAME DOWN THE DRAIN. HYPE low BIG TIME.
Again another weak minded person who can't take the time to go to the POTBS site and read the details....
SOE has nothing to do with the game except to put it on the shelves and sell it. It's all FLS who runs it. Even if they were by some crazy way not able to keep the company going the game would end SOE could not take the game or any of its content....
That's why it took so long for the contracts. What you should be doing is prasing a genious like Rusty Williams for making the SOE bow down to him...
This is what MMO needs is the little guy to succeed and with this they have done it...
I think most overestimate SOE's actual involvement in the game. The lead people on POTBS have said that SOE will just be handling the billing and such, not the game itself. It's the same with another game launching this fall, Gods and Heros. Both of these are being left to do their own thing, just being helped out in the billing and advertisement parts. SOE seems to be getting higher and higher quality games all the time, now these two can join the ranks of EQ2 and such. Games like Vanguard are bad because of bad designers, not because of the publishing company.
Because even if they did publish it it would probably be a download not a off the shelf purchase. Also they want to get the game out to the people including other countries. They may have money but why spend it when you can get a power broker like SOE do distribute it way faster and to a larger group of people. Plus, the trick in being a small developer is to make sure you have money in the bank so you can fund the next project. That's why Vanguard failed.
I am fairly certain that PotBS is offered only in English. Therefore only countries or players that know english will be able to play. So SOE marketing the game in other countries who dont speak english is just a non-issue at this point.
I don't like SOE at all. I think their upper management are a bunch of pricks who dont listen to the player base well-enough. I sincerely hope that Sony decides to just eradicate the SOE unit (MMO-wise). This will remove a thorn from the MMO-genre and let more innovative companies take its place.
I also urge other MMO gamers to do the same; Don't give your hard earned money to these craptacular games that are bug ridden and screwed up. Dont pay to beta test. Make them release a near perfect game so we can enjoy it, and not beta test retail released games. (thinking of Vangaurd here). The MMO community is actually a great democratic machine and we control what these companies do and can also bring down these companies if the screw with us.
wow, this is funny. So many SOE haters out there. I hope SOE gets AOC, ill laugh so hard at all u whiners. NONE OF YOUR MMO GAMES ARE SAFE, SOE WILL HAVE EM ALL!!!! today POTBS, tomorrow the world........ get over SOE, they arent goin anywhere.
We have tons of people in the community that are from other countries that speak english. If you have not noticed English is the most spoken language in the world. Also, Most of Europe speaks english(not the best but the true gamers do). Not to mention that you have no idea if the game may be availible in other languages. They are still working out those details.
And if you hate BIG BROTHER companies like SOE then support the game because its the developer that is the creater. NOT SOE. so if people say i don't like SOE so i am not buying this game. Then your just hurting the one thing you want.
I am fairly certain that PotBS is offered only in English. Therefore only countries or players that know english will be able to play. So SOE marketing the game in other countries who dont speak english is just a non-issue at this point.
I don't like SOE at all. I think their upper management are a bunch of pricks who dont listen to the player base well-enough. I sincerely hope that Sony decides to just eradicate the SOE unit (MMO-wise). This will remove a thorn from the MMO-genre and let more innovative companies take its place.
I also urge other MMO gamers to do the same; Don't give your hard earned money to these craptacular games that are bug ridden and screwed up. Dont pay to beta test. Make them release a near perfect game so we can enjoy it, and not beta test retail released games. (thinking of Vangaurd here). The MMO community is actually a great democratic machine and we control what these companies do and can also bring down these companies if the screw with us.
*bows to all the MMO players out there*
nah it hink i'll just go ahead and play the game.
"The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand." - Lewis Thomas
But why SOE? Why not the NCSoft? Those guys kick ass...
We've talked to every major publisher in the market at one point or another. The deal we got from Sony was head and shoulders above what we were offered by anyone else. The fact of the matter is that we're an anomoly in the market. There aren't very many independant MMO companies out there. Mythic? Owned by EA. Blizzard? Owned by Vivendi. etc. And of those that aren't owned by a big player, most are backed by one and beholden to them. We did things differently. We started very small and self financed the project. We're not carrying the boatload of debt that sank Vanguard. But that also means that we don't fit into the normal 3rd party/publisher relationship, where the publisher puts in lots of up front money and takes most of the backend in return. The hard part for us was finding a publisher that understood that. Finding one that realized if you aren't paying for the development, you don't get to claim the IP. Rusty, in doing our negotiations, stood his ground on this and many other issues, which meant that many of the talks we had with other publishers went nowhere.
Sony is actually doing something different with their platform publishing initiative. I believe Perpetual (Gods and Heroes) is the only other MMO involved so far, but the idea is that Sony is doing the part they do well (marketing and distribution) and leaving the independant companies to do the game. They put in less money up front, and take less in return. But what this does for us is give us access to the kind of distribution clout most small companies can't get without selling their souls, at the price of a very reasonable slice of the backend. We're taking most of the risk, and so we get most of the reward. And we get to keep our IP and our soul.
I hope that even those who have had bad experiences with Sony in the past will at least reserve judgement until the game is shipped, and decide then if it's worth playing. And I bid a sad farewell to those whose hatred is so strong they'll forgo a game they would have enjoyed.
Personally this all cracks me up. It's the same deal they had with Vanguard and with Gods and Heroes. I can't see why people can't get past that. And you know really don't understand the SOE hate. It can't still be because of SWG, which IMO is LA"s fault. And if it is because of SWG, blame the SWG dev's and upper management not members of the company that had nothing to do with that game
Comments
And here we go again. Everytime SOE is involved the OMG NO-threads pop right up.
Grow up people, what did SOE screw up except for SWG? Did they do something completely hidious with EQ or EQ2? Did they mess up MxO? Maybe they bought VG. Oh wait they did, because there was no other option to kaap that one alive.
The only thing SOE needs to take a good look at is payment. They make a little to much mistakes on that part.
And Flying Lab Software is still doing:
• Game Development
• Community
• Customer Support
• Server Operations
Get a grip all will ya.....jeez
so now that potbs made this deal, wonder if we will see constant threads by the SOE emotionally scarred.
and no i don't get emtionally attached to games like it seems the soe hater's have done.
"The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand."
- Lewis Thomas
I'm not trying to convince anyone here to not play PotBS because SOE is involved, as half of the posts in this discussion are split for and against it would most likely be in vein anyways, lol it would be like trying to convince a Democrat to vote for GW. Most of the people who are still going to play this game will probably be doing so because they never were affected by the greediness of SOE and their business decisions to dumb down a game to sell more copies.
If it was even that simple, they totally were willing to give up their current player base to establish a newer younger player base because they would bring in more dollars, but thats a discussion for another thread. If you're still going to play PotBS, then good for you, but for those of us who hate SOE will not being playing PotBS if SOE has anything to do with it no matter how small of their total involvement might be.
I Reject your Reality and Substitute it with My Own!
Wow. I'm glad I put on my asbestos suit before I came online tonight! 11 pages and counting.
When it comes down to it, we wouldn't have signed this deal if we didn't like it. We have enough money to have marketed and shipped the game ourselves (and yes, I *DO* know the financial state of the company, I'm one of the owners) , but we believe we would have been far less successful if we had done so. The fact is, we're a game developer, not a game publisher. We've never done marketing and distribution, taken out print ads, handled box sales, or done billing. Could we do it? Yes. Would we make a lot of stupid mistakes because of inexperience? Yup. Would we have done a better job than Sony? Not even close.
As Rusty said in his post on our web page, for them this is easy. They already know all the people to talk to at Best Buy, Gamestop, EB Games, and the like. They already know all the people to talk to at PC Gamer and Games for Windows. They know which web sites are the best to advertise on. They already know how to produce box product. What we're doing is taking advantage of the part that they do well and we would do poorly (or at least less well), while retaining control of the parts we can do better.
We were well aware that this decision would be controversial. We're gamers. A lot of us played SWG. We've got old EQ vets, EQ 2 vets, you name it. Heck, we've even got VSoH players. Not to mention all the games from other publishers. So we've been there. But as a business decision this was the right thing to do. We keep control, and for that matter we keep the vast majority of the subscription revenue (both unlike every other publishing deal we've looked at). Hence the jokes about Superior Alien Contracts. We've seen those, to. And as a numbers game it's a complete win. Good marketing and box distribution could very well double our installed base over what it would have been if we'd gone alone. Yes, there are going to be hardcore sony haters who will not play our game even if it's great, just because a small percentage of the subscription money will go to Sony, and we're sorry to lose them. But for every one of them there will be hundreds who will see our game in stores who might otherwise never have picked it up. A slightly smaller percentage of a much larger pie is still more pie. And we like pie.
But in the end (to continue the dessert metaphor) the proof is in the pudding. We realize you have no reason to expect us to be more honest with you than Sigil was. Although we're sure trying. If you check out our forums we do our best to keep you informed. All we can reasonably ask is for you to keep an open mind and give the game a shot. When launch rolls around, read the reviews, play the open beta, check out the forums. If the game is good, we hope you'll play it and enjoy it. If it's not, then that's our problem, not Sony's.
Rick Saada - FLS Dev & EPFBM
Rick Saada - FLS Dev & EPFBM
For those who say that FLS working with SOE are weak minded. If you go an read the Post by Rusty on there web site then you will see that they are only using SOE to do the Plublishing and Marketing. This is the break down of what FLS and SOE will do.
Flying Lab Software
• Game Development
• Community
• Customer Support
• Server Operations
Sony Online Entertainment
• Billing
• Launcher
• Retail Distribution
• Localization
• Marketing
The one thing people forget is that FLS has the money and a good game. The CEO is in no way a sell out and has taken an extremely long time to get somone to even agree to what his demands are. So if you cry i am not going to play the game because of SOE then your an idiot who can't read what is really going on.
Amagin your a smaller developer that has a kick ass game that you spend over 5 years developing and you want to get it out for all to enjoy. Well if you can sign a deal as good as this with a major plublisher and still hold all that is dear to you, then go for it. This will bring in so many more people and make the game better. As you can see SOE is just the paper work aspect to this game other then that they are nothing.
I'm guessing you didn't play EQ2 right after launch, where there was little soloable content and that little thing of lying to the player base about Frogloks being in the game but needing to be unlocked. Just like they lied about Jedi in SWG.
Then the nickle-and-dimeing started. Want more character slots? Upgrade to a station pass for a nominal fee and get a couple more! Want some crazy new dungeons to try out? You're in luck - they're now available for a nominal fee! For only $15 you can download new dungeons! Tell your friends! The value is EXTREME!
So what - I'll eventually have to pay $5.95 now to have access to Tortuga? Hell with that, and to Hell with SOE. I wish FLS and Rusty the best of luck but this game is officially dead to me now. And I'm sad about that.
ya got my support, been waiting for this game since i first learned about it!
"The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand."
- Lewis Thomas
Do I think that the same will happen with PotBS? Not completely.
Unfortunately, I have to go with previous experience, where I believed a developers promises and fanboi's hype, only to be screwed without so much as a kiss or a thank you as I bent over. And alot of other gamers here apparently feel the same way.
But why SOE? Why not the NCSoft? Those guys kick ass...
I Reject your Reality and Substitute it with My Own!
come on dude there has to be reasons that they chose SOE, Trust me we all made it clearly known that we did not like SOE. But if you know the company and the CEO (true historian of gaiming) then you would not even ask.
The station pass is the one thing SOE does good. So I'm glad to see it will be part of that system as I intend to keep playing EQ2 (I'd forgotten how much I enjoy it).
As for signing with SOE. I dont think it's a great idea and even though I dislike SOE, it wont stop me playing the game.
I seriously doubt PotBS is being run by someone as deluded and clueless as Brad McQuaid.
Vanguard didn't fail because of SOE, they failed because Sigil was run by incompetants.
People like to blame SOE for everything just because of SWG, and y'all need to get over it already.
MADMANusa, why do they need SOE if they are financially sound? They can publish and market the game themselves (anyway, I suspect most MMO players have heard of this game, even in passing). Maybe you are dolt and dont understand the situation? I suspect that what really happened is that SOE offered the developer of PotBS a deal based on money and they took it.
To keep the SOE MMO side of the company profitable they are essentially forced to weasle their way into buying titles (under the guise of marketing them). SOE has lost a lot of players to one fiasco or another, so they have to do something, and this is their strategy. I can't blame them, however I think independent MMO companies should have some balls and complete the project on their own, especially if they are financially sound.
Also, since Blizzard is kicking their (SOE's) silly ass into the ground in the MMO arena they have developed this strategy. However, SOE doesnt seem to realize that fans pay their bills, and pissing off fans is a good way to be less profitable. Again, I won't give any money to SOE or PotBS since they have joined forces essentially. Que sera sera.
Again another weak minded person who can't take the time to go to the POTBS site and read the details....
SOE has nothing to do with the game except to put it on the shelves and sell it. It's all FLS who runs it. Even if they were by some crazy way not able to keep the company going the game would end SOE could not take the game or any of its content....
That's why it took so long for the contracts. What you should be doing is prasing a genious like Rusty Williams for making the SOE bow down to him...
This is what MMO needs is the little guy to succeed and with this they have done it...
Here go read it. http://www.burningsea.com/pages/page.php?pageKey=news/article&article_id=10349
I think most overestimate SOE's actual involvement in the game. The lead people on POTBS have said that SOE will just be handling the billing and such, not the game itself. It's the same with another game launching this fall, Gods and Heros. Both of these are being left to do their own thing, just being helped out in the billing and advertisement parts. SOE seems to be getting higher and higher quality games all the time, now these two can join the ranks of EQ2 and such. Games like Vanguard are bad because of bad designers, not because of the publishing company.
Calcedon,
Because even if they did publish it it would probably be a download not a off the shelf purchase. Also they want to get the game out to the people including other countries. They may have money but why spend it when you can get a power broker like SOE do distribute it way faster and to a larger group of people. Plus, the trick in being a small developer is to make sure you have money in the bank so you can fund the next project. That's why Vanguard failed.
bad news for me at least
bye bye POTBS
Dude you have a nice time playing WOW.
And for any of you who are curious about the game and have questions contact me through the POTSB forums. Send me a message I use the same name.
I am fairly certain that PotBS is offered only in English. Therefore only countries or players that know english will be able to play. So SOE marketing the game in other countries who dont speak english is just a non-issue at this point.
I don't like SOE at all. I think their upper management are a bunch of pricks who dont listen to the player base well-enough. I sincerely hope that Sony decides to just eradicate the SOE unit (MMO-wise). This will remove a thorn from the MMO-genre and let more innovative companies take its place.
I also urge other MMO gamers to do the same; Don't give your hard earned money to these craptacular games that are bug ridden and screwed up. Dont pay to beta test. Make them release a near perfect game so we can enjoy it, and not beta test retail released games. (thinking of Vangaurd here). The MMO community is actually a great democratic machine and we control what these companies do and can also bring down these companies if the screw with us.
*bows to all the MMO players out there*
Dude you have a nice time playing WOW.
And for any of you who are curious about the game and have questions contact me through the POTSB forums. Send me a message I use the same name.
i dont play wow, i dont just wanna play anything that is related to soe
wow, this is funny. So many SOE haters out there. I hope SOE gets AOC, ill laugh so hard at all u whiners. NONE OF YOUR MMO GAMES ARE SAFE, SOE WILL HAVE EM ALL!!!! today POTBS, tomorrow the world........ get over SOE, they arent goin anywhere.
We have tons of people in the community that are from other countries that speak english. If you have not noticed English is the most spoken language in the world. Also, Most of Europe speaks english(not the best but the true gamers do). Not to mention that you have no idea if the game may be availible in other languages. They are still working out those details.
And if you hate BIG BROTHER companies like SOE then support the game because its the developer that is the creater. NOT SOE. so if people say i don't like SOE so i am not buying this game. Then your just hurting the one thing you want.
nah it hink i'll just go ahead and play the game.
"The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand."
- Lewis Thomas
We've talked to every major publisher in the market at one point or another. The deal we got from Sony was head and shoulders above what we were offered by anyone else. The fact of the matter is that we're an anomoly in the market. There aren't very many independant MMO companies out there. Mythic? Owned by EA. Blizzard? Owned by Vivendi. etc. And of those that aren't owned by a big player, most are backed by one and beholden to them. We did things differently. We started very small and self financed the project. We're not carrying the boatload of debt that sank Vanguard. But that also means that we don't fit into the normal 3rd party/publisher relationship, where the publisher puts in lots of up front money and takes most of the backend in return. The hard part for us was finding a publisher that understood that. Finding one that realized if you aren't paying for the development, you don't get to claim the IP. Rusty, in doing our negotiations, stood his ground on this and many other issues, which meant that many of the talks we had with other publishers went nowhere.
Sony is actually doing something different with their platform publishing initiative. I believe Perpetual (Gods and Heroes) is the only other MMO involved so far, but the idea is that Sony is doing the part they do well (marketing and distribution) and leaving the independant companies to do the game. They put in less money up front, and take less in return. But what this does for us is give us access to the kind of distribution clout most small companies can't get without selling their souls, at the price of a very reasonable slice of the backend. We're taking most of the risk, and so we get most of the reward. And we get to keep our IP and our soul.
I hope that even those who have had bad experiences with Sony in the past will at least reserve judgement until the game is shipped, and decide then if it's worth playing. And I bid a sad farewell to those whose hatred is so strong they'll forgo a game they would have enjoyed.
Rick Saada - FLS Dev & EPFBM
Rick Saada - FLS Dev & EPFBM
Personally this all cracks me up. It's the same deal they had with Vanguard and with Gods and Heroes. I can't see why people can't get past that. And you know really don't understand the SOE hate. It can't still be because of SWG, which IMO is LA"s fault. And if it is because of SWG, blame the SWG dev's and upper management not members of the company that had nothing to do with that game