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Pirates of the Burning Sea: Dev Chat report
Stradden
Managing EditorMember CommonPosts: 6,696
Last night, Flying Lab Software held a developer chat to discuss the SOE publishing announcement, and answer some questions from the public. Adele Caelia was on hand at the event and files this report.
Recently the announcement was made that Flying Lab Software would be teaming up with Sony Online Entertainment to publish and distribute Pirates of the Burning Sea. In light of this news the developers from Pirates of the Burning Sea held a chat session to answer questions from fans, and try to ease their worries.
Flying Lab said that they are firm in their decision to team up with Sony, and they do plan on sticking with SOE for the long run. CEO Rusty Williams said, "We have our responsibilities and they have theirs. Good fences make good neighbors."
SOE will be handling billing, marketing, and distribution. This means that customers will need a Station Account to play, but they are now in the process of figuring out how they will link up a player's current PotBS accounts with their existing or new Station Account. PotBS will be included in the Station Pass, which is great for current SOE gamers who are looking to try out the new swashbuckling game, and is also great for those who plan on playing PotBS, and want to try a game or two in SOE's current line-up. One other added perk to this deal is that players will also now find PotBS at the upcoming SOE Fan Faire, and the developers have said that many of them plan on attending.
FLS also stated that they would be handling their own customer service working with Playerbase Solutions in the U.S. and with Alchemic Dream in Europe. They are not interested in outsourcing customer service overseas.
"It's a little cheaper to do it that way, but I think it makes for a much worse support experience," said Williams.
;)
Read the whole article here.
Cheers,
Jon Wood
Managing Editor
MMORPG.com
Comments
Well, they must be getting some flack to feel the need to defend their decision to team up with the walmart of game publishers.
Too bad, could have been a good game.
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More info on what seems to be a great game! Keep it coming FLS.
So much so that they're still defending it three days after it was announced. And doubtless they'll keep having to defend it. And their spin is turning more to frustration. They've gone from "We regret losing players over this" to "Yeah well you're all just haters." Heh. My guess is they figured there would be some negative backlash from signing with Smedley, but they didn't anticipate it being this big or vocal.
So much so that they're still defending it three days after it was announced. And doubtless they'll keep having to defend it. And their spin is turning more to frustration. They've gone from "We regret losing players over this" to "Yeah well you're all just haters." Heh. My guess is they figured there would be some negative backlash from signing with Smedley, but they didn't anticipate it being this big or vocal.
QFE. They have created some serious problems for themselves. Somewhere Smedley is laughing.
Exactly! And reactions like theirs to the decision are only going to incite more frustration on the part of players who are upset with the decision. They should have announced the deal ahead of time... perhaps the flack would have caused them to rethink the idea, and go with a less questionable publisher.
I know I would have purchased the game if they had. And I know that I am not the only one to feel this way.
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Good work Adele. POTBS is on track to be the best MMOG around =D
I really wanted to try this game out, but I have a longstanding policy of not playing any game offered by SOE. I am not exactly a Smedley fan.
I have several friends from Eve that were going to play it, but they are wavering on that too.
I think they will regret the decision to go with SOE, not exactly a good choice for a publisher.
I would think they already regret it... though nobody would ever admit it. Lots of damage control going on. I haven't even attempted to post anything on the official PoTBS forums... they are locking threads that even lightly touch on the topic.
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Everyone who is freaking out with the SOE merger is a flipping idiot. Does anyone relise without their support and financial backing this game would of never left the gates? FL needs there marketing and promotional backing to make this game happen. Im so sick of seeing such moronic children trolling up the boards posting the same crap over and over. Yes they are now partnered with soe, no soe is not re-building the game and screwing it up (see SWG), no FL isnt a crap company pushing a broken and lackluster product into SOE's lap (see vanguard). They are getting involved to help market and promote the product as well as handle the billing, hell they aren't even taking over the forums or customer service. Some day your dolts will get your head out of your asses!
Nice article btw, enjoyed the read. Now if only we could ban all the children and morons from the site the world would be a better place!
You really have no idea what you are talking about... but those insults really made your point...
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You really have no idea what you are talking about... but those insults really made your point...
Yeah no kidding.
Where do you get the idea that FLS is saying 'you're all just haters?' I've not seen anything of the kind.
Actually I anticipated that the backlash would be bigger and more vocal, but Monday's announcement worked really well to address most gripes and quelled all but the most adamantly anti-Sony folks. Have you read it?
Have you looked at those locked threads? "If you have any feedback on the SOE publishing contract, please make it in the devlog thread." It's not a case of shutting out people's opinions, it's a case of trying to get them all in one place so they can be seen and addressed.
Actually, many of the threads have no reason for the lock listed... and they were discussions between players in the "general" category. I did look through some of the posts, and it looked like damage control to me.
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Actually, many of the threads have no reason for the lock listed... and they were discussions between players in the "general" category. I did look through some of the posts, and it looked like damage control to me.
You your self said there are to many thread about POTBS and SOE for you to keep up with here with your hate campaign, So why WOULDN'T you see there (common practice) actions to forum moderation as a good thing?
You have one thread to flame in. Be happy.
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"Anyone posting on this forum is not an average user, and there for any opinions about the game are going to be overly critical compared to an average users opinions." - Me
"No, your wrong.." - Random user #123
"Hello person posting on a site specifically for MMO's in a thread on a sub forum specifically for a particular game talking about meta features and making comparisons to other titles in the genre, and their meta features.
How are you?" -Me
And I am not member to a hate campaign... I am discussing video games.
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joining up with SOE is already benefitting FLS. look at all these threads with all these posts. the number of people who know about the game now is FAR above the number that knew about it 3-4 days ago.
bottom line is more people will be playing the game now than if they would've went with some other distributor. Only SOE as a distributor could generate this much publicity (weather we consider it bad or good publicity, its publicity nonetheless).
I made no such statement... offering an alternative point of view is only a flame to someone who doesn't like what is said, and has a hard time coping with it.And I am not member to a hate campaign... I am discussing video games.
Really?
No kidding... it gets difficult to debate in 40 different threads.
Your not debating anything, your yelling at people about the evils of SOE, with some sort of crazyman logic, as if they killed your girlfriend.
And you campaign is explained right in your sig.
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"Anyone posting on this forum is not an average user, and there for any opinions about the game are going to be overly critical compared to an average users opinions." - Me
"No, your wrong.." - Random user #123
"Hello person posting on a site specifically for MMO's in a thread on a sub forum specifically for a particular game talking about meta features and making comparisons to other titles in the genre, and their meta features.
How are you?" -Me
Maybe... maybe not. Time will tell. One thing is for sure... a lot of people who would have tried the game will never do so now. Is the publicity coming through about this game going to generate enough interest to counter that? Or will it kill the game?
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Anything that gets this game on the market is a plus.
Better than watching it languish in development hell for the next 3 years --- after a good five years already in the bank.
Are you trying to keep up the drama? Seriously... either discuss the topic at hand rationally and without the barbed insults... or just block me and move on. I've already told you that I can put our previous interactions behind me, can you?
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Are you trying to keep up the drama? Seriously... either discuss the topic at hand rationally and without the barbed insults... or just block me and move on. I've already told you that I can put our previous interactions behind me, can you?
You mean about how most of your postings are sensationalism? Unfounded, unsubstantiated, nothing but accusations (Such as the " Damage control” issue you interjected in this thread)?
You haven’t commented on one single thing about the dev chat, you read a part, made an accusation, and attack anyone who doesn’t agree with the absurdity of your statements.
That topic?
Or the dev chat?
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"Anyone posting on this forum is not an average user, and there for any opinions about the game are going to be overly critical compared to an average users opinions." - Me
"No, your wrong.." - Random user #123
"Hello person posting on a site specifically for MMO's in a thread on a sub forum specifically for a particular game talking about meta features and making comparisons to other titles in the genre, and their meta features.
How are you?" -Me
I my self dont like SOE and never was really interested in PotBS, I used to play SWG once upon a time and I really dont like what they did to the game, but thats in the past and i really dont care much about the past, memories remain memories and I dont want to let them effect the future.
Even though I respect the people who dont want to play this game because of SOEs involvement if you think deep down about it they wont have control over the game (content/patches/costumer support/developement) they will simply help put the game in the market and I dont think it is really that big of a deal. What that means is that they really cant destroy this game like they did SWG for example because they arent in control of the content or developement.
A man dies daily, only to be reborn in the morning, bigger, better and wiser.
-Playing AoC
-Playing WoW
-Retired- SWG
-Retired- EVE
-Retired- LotR
Computer (- Phenom 9600 Black Edition @ 2.81 Ghz (Quad Core CPU)- Gigabyte MA790FX-DS5 - 4 Gigs of PC 8500 ram (1066)- EVGA GeForce 8800 GTS PCI Express 2.0 - WD 500GB 7500RPM - Zalman CPU cooler (air cooled)
- 24" Widescreen 1080P HD display).
My statements are absurd to you, but I am not surprised given how you "debate". As for unfounded and unsubstantiated... you still haven't posted a single link backing your claims. All you have provided is a link to an interview with an unidentified "someone".
It's obvious you and I aren't getting along well. Continue to take my commentary out of context, and spin it all you want. I have explained and re-explained the same things to you repeatedly. You should simply let it go and move on.
[ edit ] - interesting link in your sig... the one for the thread where you complain about SOE's customer service. lol
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Monday evening, Tuesday and now Wednesday - yeah, going on 3 separate days now.
As to the 'Haters' comment... that was from FLS's John Scott Tynes, just posted today in the Q&A.
http://mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/gameId/68/setView/features/loadFeature/1304
He's since backed off that and said he was joking.
Yes, I read Rusty's announcement about the details of the deal. Nowhere in there did I see "Don't worry - not a dime of your hard earned cash is going to SOE and John Smedley." I'm glad that SOE won't have anything to do with PotBS on a development level (you know, the way they're not with Vanguard. Oh wait...) but I won't support SOE in any way,shape or form.
My statements are absurd to you, but I am not surprised given how you "debate". As for unfounded and unsubstantiated... you still haven't posted a single link backing your claims. All you have provided is a link to an interview with an unidentified "someone".
It's obvious you and I aren't getting along well. Continue to take my commentary out of context, and spin it all you want. I have explained and re-explained the same things to you repeatedly. You should simply let it go and move on.
[ edit ] - interesting link in your sig... the one for the thread where you complain about SOE's customer service. lol
The link in my sig was Sigils customer support, and lack of official forums, Something SOE corrected instantly when they acquired Vanguard.
My claims are this.
The makers of POTBS were looking for a publishers, as they have stated, they had a strict requirements for any deal they would sign. SOE wa the only publisher they could go with, as they were the only ones to even allow them to keep there IP. As to customer Service, you don’t have to worry, SOE isn’t doing it for them, that’s all them, and so is the development of the game. As to billing ETC.. I haven’t had an issue with them (Something you like to tell me that i have), however being a sane person i realize that others may have, but that will always be the case with ANY customer Service in any field, some of the employees just plain suck at it, some excel.
The major difference, which has been told to you many times, with the deal between SOE and POTBS and Vanguard are simple. POTBS are not finically hurt. Vanguard on the other hand spent 30 million dollars + On the game, were missing deadlines with Microsoft, and were basically dropped with the option to buy back the games publishing rites, the buy back being part funded by SOE, as well as SOE , once they entered the publishing agreement, subsidizing the ongoing development of the game, However this gave them rights to tell them when to go gold, and the Vanguard team could not meet this goal, the game shipped, was unfinished and none of that had anything to do with SOE, the game plain sucked, and they did not meet there target return in subscribers, as well as the huge debght they aquired. However SOE wanted a return on there investment, and bought Vanguard. POTBS are not in this position, so to keep drawing comparisons is silly and unfounded.
Now, its quite easy to tell, that for what ever reason, you will simply not accept any truths, and will continue to simply bash SOE, for most likely the wrongs of a team with in the company (SWG).
This I find absurd.
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"Anyone posting on this forum is not an average user, and there for any opinions about the game are going to be overly critical compared to an average users opinions." - Me
"No, your wrong.." - Random user #123
"Hello person posting on a site specifically for MMO's in a thread on a sub forum specifically for a particular game talking about meta features and making comparisons to other titles in the genre, and their meta features.
How are you?" -Me