Its largely irrelevant. Those defending AoC's numbers are those who are playing it and for whatever reason are feeling quite satisfied. Those hating on it are those who bought it with dissapointment and those who hope to see it fail because it implies success for whichever game they prefer. If a game has 10000 players but one healthy server, you are good to go. Those who claim that AoC should not be held to the high standards of a polished MMO are also being ridiculous because it is a free enterprise market, and no one deserves the benefit of the doubt from the public if they do not earn it. Warcraft was not perfect, but it was different and it was polished, which is something a suprising number of games can't play. Maybe we have been spoiled by the MMO giants who have long lasting and prosperous communities that we can no longer remember the origins of. SO!? A game is judged solely on its content for an individual's preference. If you like the gore play Age of Conan till its down to 50 players or they go bankrupt. If your hand hurts from the button mashing, pick up EVE and turn on your autoattacks.
Even though alot of users on this WEBSITE want to see this game fail, I seriously doubt it will. Funcom AO had way more difficult times than this game and it has lasted this long.
Anyways, just check the column to your left of released games. I can name at least 20 mmorpgs that shouldnt be running, but they still are. And if them fckers can go the distance, AoC should have no problem at all.
I know alot of ppl dont like this as well, but with the release of its Xbox 360 vresion slated in a few months, people are really pipe dreaming that AoC will shut its doors.
So get used to AoC being around for quite some time, you may not like it and want it to fail, but seriously doubt anything drastic will happen to this game anytime soon.
"Following a supposedly successful launch, Funcom's Age of Conan has begun to crumble as the opening-month hype wears off and the criticisms increase. Today's extremely demanding MMO players are accustomed to a very high standard of gameplay and polish that seems just out of reach for Funcom's new title, and the rapidly declining user base is evidence that this experiment has failed." Full article. http://wowriot.gameriot.com/blogs/Epidemic-Obesity/Age-of-Conan-Desperate-for-Subscribers/
While AOC might not be the success it wanted, it appears to me that article favors WOW. And WOW just floats a little higher in the same bowl with AOC, and we all are eager to give it a flush to clear the way for the newer MMORPG's coming out.
Do a search on the AoC website. Funcom just released the official sub numbers and it's 500,000 active accounts. I'm sure Briyan's Blog is really credible lol
This article seems to be a complete falsification. The reason is that they claim that 40% of the gameboxes are still on the shelf. But here in my country, AoC has been completely sold out for over a week. A friend of mine is waiting to buy it but has been told to wait for the next shipments. The general gist I get on forums everywhere is that it is very hard to obtain a gamebox at all.
So the big question is, if 40% of gameboxes are on the shelves, then why aren't there any gameboxes on the shelves?
But here in my country, AoC has been completely sold out for over a week. A friend of mine is waiting to buy it but has been told to wait for the next shipments. The general gist I get on forums everywhere is that it is very hard to obtain a gamebox at all. So the big question is, if 40% of gameboxes are on the shelves, then why aren't there any gameboxes on the shelves?
It is hard for some people to get the gameboxes in certain areas due to distribution issues...
Over where I live, Gamestops have several copies per.
___________________ Sadly, I see storm clouds on the horizon. A faint stench of Vanguard is in the air.-Kien
The article is useless and baseless because it has no source. This exact same article was posted on the AoC official forums, where even some of the naysayers shot it down.
They just made up a bunch of crap and slapped it on a page.
Error: 37. Signature not found. Please connect to my server for signature access.
This must be a big factor, given that half of the copies that actually sold came right back to the retail store because users could not run the game. System requirements proved too high to reach beyond the tight-knit group of "hardcore" gamers who spend thousands per year on PC gaming.
This is BS, if you cant run this game with atleast minimum graphics (which almost everyone i know can), then they wont be able to run any other newly released MMO with good graphics. In other words, if you cant run it on low, you need a new rig.
2. The World Has No Character
Age of Conan's designers attempted to deliver us a dark, gritty, realism-themed world that ended up feeling derivative, lifeless, and boring. The legions of gamers who enjoy MMO as an escape into an alternate world found Hyboria devoid of magical excitement, fun, and wonder.
i agree
3. World of Warcraft Raised The Bar Too High
After over three years of playing a polished, highly stable product from Blizzard, the masses of new and old MMO fans coming from World of Warcraft to "try something new" were disgusted with the instability of the game client, the poor response of the customer service teams, and the general poor pacing and lack of content offered in Age of Conan. This level of service may have been OK five years ago, but gamers won't accept it now after they've been spoiled by WoW.
this is BS, and shouldnt even be mentioned. Anybody with half a brain should know that a game's launch isnt going to be as polished as a game that has been out for years.
4. Funcom Broke Promises That Never Should Have Been Made
World PvP, large scale outdoor battles, and Guild warfare were all hyped in Age of Conan, but none of it was delivered. When players took too much control over the world, developers swiftly removed access and implemented lockdown controls to convert the game into a fairy-tale amusement park.
Yet another developer failed to realize that an open-ended large-scale PvP with total freedom is not only technically impossible, but is also not enjoyable for most players. Games need structure and direction to provide entertainment, even though a few hardcore gamers think they will have more fun without it. Funcom attempted to bait the hardcore gamers by promising that which they could not deliver, and the hardcore gamers called their bluff.
i agree, FC dropped the ball with the "open-ended" pvp .... no risk or rewards, reminds me of food with no spices or taste.
5. The Game Is Bad
Combat system is bad, world is bad, interface is bad, everything is bad. This game was built around graphics and an opportunistic release in a lull period for World of Warcraft. Sales were made and then lost as gamers realized it truly was just a bunch of hype.
This is also BS. Many people enjoy the combat, its different from anything ive expirienced. UI is similar to WoW, the game that supposedly "spoiled gamers". How is everything bad? For a site review he doesnt go into details much.
I just realized the site is called "WoW"riot...... a WoW fansite giving a completely biased review. I have canceled my subscription and plan to resubscribe in a month or 2, I know it aint perfect, but saying the whole game is crap is complete BS.
Playing: EVE Online Favorite MMOs: WoW, SWG Pre-cu, Lineage 2, UO, EQ, EVE online Looking forward to: Archeage, Kingdom Under Fire 2 KUF2's Official Website - http://www.kufii.com/ENG/ -
Do a search on the AoC website. Funcom just released the official sub numbers and it's 500,000 active accounts. I'm sure Briyan's Blog is really credible lol
His blog is no more credible than your statement. He did not provide any truths and while you say search the forums if your going to bring numbers into it, you should provide a link.
That said, the blog was complete crap indeed. I didnt even read it. Read everyones comments here so got the idea behind it but once I saw it was posted on a wow blog there was no need to read it, I knew it had nothing important or even semi intelligent to say.
This must be a big factor, given that half of the copies that actually sold came right back to the retail store because users could not run the game. System requirements proved too high to reach beyond the tight-knit group of "hardcore" gamers who spend thousands per year on PC gaming. This is BS, if you cant run this game with atleast minimum graphics (which almost everyone i know can), then they wont be able to run any other newly released MMO with good graphics. In other words, if you cant run it on low, you need a new rig.
2. The World Has No Character
Age of Conan's designers attempted to deliver us a dark, gritty, realism-themed world that ended up feeling derivative, lifeless, and boring. The legions of gamers who enjoy MMO as an escape into an alternate world found Hyboria devoid of magical excitement, fun, and wonder. i agree
3. World of Warcraft Raised The Bar Too High
After over three years of playing a polished, highly stable product from Blizzard, the masses of new and old MMO fans coming from World of Warcraft to "try something new" were disgusted with the instability of the game client, the poor response of the customer service teams, and the general poor pacing and lack of content offered in Age of Conan. This level of service may have been OK five years ago, but gamers won't accept it now after they've been spoiled by WoW.
this is BS, and shouldnt even be mentioned. Anybody with half a brain should know that a game's launch isnt going to be as polished as a game that has been out for years.
4. Funcom Broke Promises That Never Should Have Been Made
World PvP, large scale outdoor battles, and Guild warfare were all hyped in Age of Conan, but none of it was delivered. When players took too much control over the world, developers swiftly removed access and implemented lockdown controls to convert the game into a fairy-tale amusement park.
Yet another developer failed to realize that an open-ended large-scale PvP with total freedom is not only technically impossible, but is also not enjoyable for most players. Games need structure and direction to provide entertainment, even though a few hardcore gamers think they will have more fun without it. Funcom attempted to bait the hardcore gamers by promising that which they could not deliver, and the hardcore gamers called their bluff. i agree, FC dropped the ball with the "open-ended" pvp .... no risk or rewards, reminds me of food with no spices or taste.
5. The Game Is Bad
Combat system is bad, world is bad, interface is bad, everything is bad. This game was built around graphics and an opportunistic release in a lull period for World of Warcraft. Sales were made and then lost as gamers realized it truly was just a bunch of hype.
This is also BS. Many people enjoy the combat, its different from anything ive expirienced. UI is similar to WoW, the game that supposedly "spoiled gamers". How is everything bad? For a site review he doesnt go into details much. __________________________________________________________________________________ I just realized the site is called "WoW"riot...... a WoW fansite giving a completely biased review. I have canceled my subscription and plan to resubscribe in a month or 2, I know it aint perfect, but saying the whole game is crap is complete BS.
It's not whether or not you agree with his individual opinions. The guy is posting it as fact with no source. He even posted pie charts and crap, and he also says he got it from a FC press release. No matter how much you like an occasional opinion the guy has, you cannot argue the fact that he has not posted any FACTS.
Error: 37. Signature not found. Please connect to my server for signature access.
Was fixed today (properly) before was partially wrong, now its all fixed up for strength, wisdom, dexterity and constitution for items, strength now affecting DPS not attack rating
Did they rectify the Al-Qaida situation? How long did it take them? Did they fall over themselves apologizing for the issue even coming up, and fire the moderator and Co that thought the wait-and-see was appropriate? You know, the part where they implied that what was going on was acceptable under any circumstance?
I don't see that article prominently displayed on their website, or any related gaming site for that matter. I'm guessing they didn't.
It is displayed in the game's MOTD, when you patch. You have to have the client to do this.
That's funny, I didn't realize they have a website so stockholders can see how the game is doing. I'm pretty sure they have a website for the standard 'heres a screen, buy our game' garbage. Funcom is obviously only interested in their current players, hence the active account requirement to even see their official forums.
As for the article, I posted earlier asking where it is that the reviewer says something true, reason being is I've been seeing more people in the game. Not to mention the reviewer reminded me of a lot of the people that have been posting in the AoC forums on MMORPG.com.
"Sometimes, things that may or may not be true are the things a man needs to believe in the most. People are basically good. Honor, courage, virtue mean everything. Power and money, money and power mean nothing. Good always triumphs over evil. Love, True Love Never Dies." Which Final Fantasy Character Are You?
No mmo needs 500k subs to survivie, the number to successfully run it for a longer time is somewhere in the 200k line, even 100k subs works but you have to expect slower updates and less new content if sub numbers drop below a mark where they reduce team size.
the last number i have seen from funcom was that they had more than 500k accounts created and first month is not over yet so you cannot count the real subs but its soon. i personally think they will loose some players after the first month, but i expect it to be somewhere between 20 and 30% max. But i personally think that funcom will have to deliver the promised updates over summmer if they want to gain new subs and avoid more people unsubscribing when the next games release.
The article in the OP is a fake. Are you people so easily duped? Some random guy put up a pie chart and have the board think's it's gospel. The game has sold 1 million already. How in the hell does that only equate to 70K subs?
i play the game and even i know it hasnt sold 1 million copies .... the news article said there were 1 million copies SHIPPED, not sold.
Playing: EVE Online Favorite MMOs: WoW, SWG Pre-cu, Lineage 2, UO, EQ, EVE online Looking forward to: Archeage, Kingdom Under Fire 2 KUF2's Official Website - http://www.kufii.com/ENG/ -
Was fixed today (properly) before was partially wrong, now its all fixed up for strength, wisdom, dexterity and constitution for items, strength now affecting DPS not attack rating
Did they rectify the Al-Qaida situation? How long did it take them? Did they fall over themselves apologizing for the issue even coming up, and fire the moderator and Co that thought the wait-and-see was appropriate? You know, the part where they implied that what was going on was acceptable under any circumstance?
I don't see that article prominently displayed on their website, or any related gaming site for that matter. I'm guessing they didn't.
It is displayed in the game's MOTD, when you patch. You have to have the client to do this.
That's funny, I didn't realize they have a website so stockholders can see how the game is doing. I'm pretty sure they have a website for the standard 'heres a screen, buy our game' garbage. Funcom is obviously only interested in their current players, hence the active account requirement to even see their official forums.
As for the article, I posted earlier asking where it is that the reviewer says something true, reason being is I've been seeing more people in the game. Not to mention the reviewer reminded me of a lot of the people that have been posting in the AoC forums on MMORPG.com.
mmmmh, I do not have any subscription to AoC and I can see their forums just fine.
Looks like they fixed that problem at least.
"If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, if you teach him how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime"
Originally posted by HiGHPLaiNS Even though alot of users on this WEBSITE want to see this game fail, I seriously doubt it will. Funcom AO had way more difficult times than this game and it has lasted this long. Anyways, just check the column to your left of released games. I can name at least 20 mmorpgs that shouldnt be running, but they still are. And if them fckers can go the distance, AoC should have no problem at all. I know alot of ppl dont like this as well, but with the release of its Xbox 360 vresion slated in a few months, people are really pipe dreaming that AoC will shut its doors. So get used to AoC being around for quite some time, you may not like it and want it to fail, but seriously doubt anything drastic will happen to this game anytime soon.
I agree to some degree, even though I am one of those that quit playing I do not think nor wish AoC to fail. I am a strong believer in competition, so having one more game on the market is not a bad thing. Plus, all Funcom has to do is to hold out until xbox version comes out and they are golden (due to lack of mmo competition on the console market, if nothing else). So, yes love it or hate it, AoC is here to stay for while.
Mmh, AoC must be doing something right for someone to go to so much effort to discredit the game in such away.
I think AoC is one of the more successful game releases(MMO) in the past few years. I beleive that after WoW it will end up with the most number of subs.
Once they get all the pvp stuff in and balanced, it will offer an End game different to armor and rep grinding.
And note that AoC is Cert 18 so their target audience is not the entire MMO player base anyway.
Mature rating 18+ is actually a way to lure all the 14-17 years old kids. Together with the console release, yes I believe AoC target audience is partially wow-kids, partially console genre newkidscomming kids ehm.
Do a search on the AoC website. Funcom just released the official sub numbers and it's 500,000 active accounts. I'm sure Briyan's Blog is really credible lol
Comments
Its largely irrelevant. Those defending AoC's numbers are those who are playing it and for whatever reason are feeling quite satisfied. Those hating on it are those who bought it with dissapointment and those who hope to see it fail because it implies success for whichever game they prefer. If a game has 10000 players but one healthy server, you are good to go. Those who claim that AoC should not be held to the high standards of a polished MMO are also being ridiculous because it is a free enterprise market, and no one deserves the benefit of the doubt from the public if they do not earn it. Warcraft was not perfect, but it was different and it was polished, which is something a suprising number of games can't play. Maybe we have been spoiled by the MMO giants who have long lasting and prosperous communities that we can no longer remember the origins of. SO!? A game is judged solely on its content for an individual's preference. If you like the gore play Age of Conan till its down to 50 players or they go bankrupt. If your hand hurts from the button mashing, pick up EVE and turn on your autoattacks.
Even though alot of users on this WEBSITE want to see this game fail, I seriously doubt it will. Funcom AO had way more difficult times than this game and it has lasted this long.
Anyways, just check the column to your left of released games. I can name at least 20 mmorpgs that shouldnt be running, but they still are. And if them fckers can go the distance, AoC should have no problem at all.
I know alot of ppl dont like this as well, but with the release of its Xbox 360 vresion slated in a few months, people are really pipe dreaming that AoC will shut its doors.
So get used to AoC being around for quite some time, you may not like it and want it to fail, but seriously doubt anything drastic will happen to this game anytime soon.
Do a search on the AoC website. Funcom just released the official sub numbers and it's 500,000 active accounts.
I'm sure Briyan's Blog is really credible lol
While AOC might not be the success it wanted, it appears to me that article favors WOW. And WOW just floats a little higher in the same bowl with AOC, and we all are eager to give it a flush to clear the way for the newer MMORPG's coming out.
I'd trust that site reporting AoC news as much as I'd trust the Sony Defense Force bring me news about the Xbox 360.
Maybe you should link it.
STOP WHINING!
This article seems to be a complete falsification. The reason is that they claim that 40% of the gameboxes are still on the shelf. But here in my country, AoC has been completely sold out for over a week. A friend of mine is waiting to buy it but has been told to wait for the next shipments. The general gist I get on forums everywhere is that it is very hard to obtain a gamebox at all.
So the big question is, if 40% of gameboxes are on the shelves, then why aren't there any gameboxes on the shelves?
It is hard for some people to get the gameboxes in certain areas due to distribution issues...
Over where I live, Gamestops have several copies per.
___________________
Sadly, I see storm clouds on the horizon. A faint stench of Vanguard is in the air.-Kien
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/12/13/
The article is useless and baseless because it has no source. This exact same article was posted on the AoC official forums, where even some of the naysayers shot it down.
They just made up a bunch of crap and slapped it on a page.
Error: 37. Signature not found. Please connect to my server for signature access.
. Nobody Can Run The Game
This must be a big factor, given that half of the copies that actually sold came right back to the retail store because users could not run the game. System requirements proved too high to reach beyond the tight-knit group of "hardcore" gamers who spend thousands per year on PC gaming.
This is BS, if you cant run this game with atleast minimum graphics (which almost everyone i know can), then they wont be able to run any other newly released MMO with good graphics. In other words, if you cant run it on low, you need a new rig.
2. The World Has No Character
Age of Conan's designers attempted to deliver us a dark, gritty, realism-themed world that ended up feeling derivative, lifeless, and boring. The legions of gamers who enjoy MMO as an escape into an alternate world found Hyboria devoid of magical excitement, fun, and wonder.
i agree
3. World of Warcraft Raised The Bar Too High
After over three years of playing a polished, highly stable product from Blizzard, the masses of new and old MMO fans coming from World of Warcraft to "try something new" were disgusted with the instability of the game client, the poor response of the customer service teams, and the general poor pacing and lack of content offered in Age of Conan. This level of service may have been OK five years ago, but gamers won't accept it now after they've been spoiled by WoW.
this is BS, and shouldnt even be mentioned. Anybody with half a brain should know that a game's launch isnt going to be as polished as a game that has been out for years.
4. Funcom Broke Promises That Never Should Have Been Made
World PvP, large scale outdoor battles, and Guild warfare were all hyped in Age of Conan, but none of it was delivered. When players took too much control over the world, developers swiftly removed access and implemented lockdown controls to convert the game into a fairy-tale amusement park.
Yet another developer failed to realize that an open-ended large-scale PvP with total freedom is not only technically impossible, but is also not enjoyable for most players. Games need structure and direction to provide entertainment, even though a few hardcore gamers think they will have more fun without it. Funcom attempted to bait the hardcore gamers by promising that which they could not deliver, and the hardcore gamers called their bluff.
i agree, FC dropped the ball with the "open-ended" pvp .... no risk or rewards, reminds me of food with no spices or taste.
5. The Game Is Bad
Combat system is bad, world is bad, interface is bad, everything is bad. This game was built around graphics and an opportunistic release in a lull period for World of Warcraft. Sales were made and then lost as gamers realized it truly was just a bunch of hype.
This is also BS. Many people enjoy the combat, its different from anything ive expirienced. UI is similar to WoW, the game that supposedly "spoiled gamers". How is everything bad? For a site review he doesnt go into details much.
__________________________________________________________________________________
I just realized the site is called "WoW"riot...... a WoW fansite giving a completely biased review. I have canceled my subscription and plan to resubscribe in a month or 2, I know it aint perfect, but saying the whole game is crap is complete BS.
Playing: EVE Online
Favorite MMOs: WoW, SWG Pre-cu, Lineage 2, UO, EQ, EVE online
Looking forward to: Archeage, Kingdom Under Fire 2
KUF2's Official Website - http://www.kufii.com/ENG/ -
His blog is no more credible than your statement. He did not provide any truths and while you say search the forums if your going to bring numbers into it, you should provide a link.
That said, the blog was complete crap indeed. I didnt even read it. Read everyones comments here so got the idea behind it but once I saw it was posted on a wow blog there was no need to read it, I knew it had nothing important or even semi intelligent to say.
It's not whether or not you agree with his individual opinions. The guy is posting it as fact with no source. He even posted pie charts and crap, and he also says he got it from a FC press release. No matter how much you like an occasional opinion the guy has, you cannot argue the fact that he has not posted any FACTS.
Error: 37. Signature not found. Please connect to my server for signature access.
Did they rectify the Al-Qaida situation? How long did it take them? Did they fall over themselves apologizing for the issue even coming up, and fire the moderator and Co that thought the wait-and-see was appropriate? You know, the part where they implied that what was going on was acceptable under any circumstance?
I don't see that article prominently displayed on their website, or any related gaming site for that matter. I'm guessing they didn't.
It is displayed in the game's MOTD, when you patch. You have to have the client to do this.
That's funny, I didn't realize they have a website so stockholders can see how the game is doing. I'm pretty sure they have a website for the standard 'heres a screen, buy our game' garbage. Funcom is obviously only interested in their current players, hence the active account requirement to even see their official forums.
As for the article, I posted earlier asking where it is that the reviewer says something true, reason being is I've been seeing more people in the game. Not to mention the reviewer reminded me of a lot of the people that have been posting in the AoC forums on MMORPG.com.
"Sometimes, things that may or may not be true are the things a man needs to believe in the most. People are basically good. Honor, courage, virtue mean everything. Power and money, money and power mean nothing. Good always triumphs over evil. Love, True Love Never Dies."
Which Final Fantasy Character Are You?
No mmo needs 500k subs to survivie, the number to successfully run it for a longer time is somewhere in the 200k line, even 100k subs works but you have to expect slower updates and less new content if sub numbers drop below a mark where they reduce team size.
the last number i have seen from funcom was that they had more than 500k accounts created and first month is not over yet so you cannot count the real subs but its soon. i personally think they will loose some players after the first month, but i expect it to be somewhere between 20 and 30% max. But i personally think that funcom will have to deliver the promised updates over summmer if they want to gain new subs and avoid more people unsubscribing when the next games release.
The article in the OP is a fake. Are you people so easily duped? Some random guy put up a pie chart and have the board think's it's gospel.
The game has sold 1 million already. How in the hell does that only equate to 70K subs?
Error: 37. Signature not found. Please connect to my server for signature access.
i play the game and even i know it hasnt sold 1 million copies .... the news article said there were 1 million copies SHIPPED, not sold.
Playing: EVE Online
Favorite MMOs: WoW, SWG Pre-cu, Lineage 2, UO, EQ, EVE online
Looking forward to: Archeage, Kingdom Under Fire 2
KUF2's Official Website - http://www.kufii.com/ENG/ -
Did they rectify the Al-Qaida situation? How long did it take them? Did they fall over themselves apologizing for the issue even coming up, and fire the moderator and Co that thought the wait-and-see was appropriate? You know, the part where they implied that what was going on was acceptable under any circumstance?
I don't see that article prominently displayed on their website, or any related gaming site for that matter. I'm guessing they didn't.
It is displayed in the game's MOTD, when you patch. You have to have the client to do this.
That's funny, I didn't realize they have a website so stockholders can see how the game is doing. I'm pretty sure they have a website for the standard 'heres a screen, buy our game' garbage. Funcom is obviously only interested in their current players, hence the active account requirement to even see their official forums.
As for the article, I posted earlier asking where it is that the reviewer says something true, reason being is I've been seeing more people in the game. Not to mention the reviewer reminded me of a lot of the people that have been posting in the AoC forums on MMORPG.com.
mmmmh, I do not have any subscription to AoC and I can see their forums just fine.
Looks like they fixed that problem at least.
"If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, if you teach him how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime"
And the moral of this thread is: Learn to quote sources if you want to be taken seriously.
"A recent press release, however, has given us more details about what happened to these 700,000 copies of the game."
Funcom has not issued any press release containing any detailed subscription or sales numbers yet.
I agree to some degree, even though I am one of those that quit playing I do not think nor wish AoC to fail. I am a strong believer in competition, so having one more game on the market is not a bad thing. Plus, all Funcom has to do is to hold out until xbox version comes out and they are golden (due to lack of mmo competition on the console market, if nothing else). So, yes love it or hate it, AoC is here to stay for while.
I think AOC is not a very great mmo , it is to simple, it is linear and yes simple.
But this article is very , very wrong.
People, do not beleive because he shows no facts and 70000?
Well think for yourselves, i would say because that is article cries nonsense.
Move ahead people.
-----------------------------------------------------------
the old days, the days of gold.
representer of euhporium, shade/amity , high member of the council.
played
UO,M59,EVE,L2,AC,GW,WOW,LOTRO,SWG pre cu/nge,COH/COV, VG,TR,L1, POTBS,Neocron 1 and 2, DAOC pre TOA and age of conan
playing: EVE ONLINE
Waiting for Earthrise, FE, bioware mmo, guild wars 2, DFO , mortal online , the chronicles of spellborn
Mmh, AoC must be doing something right for someone to go to so much effort to discredit the game in such away.
I think AoC is one of the more successful game releases(MMO) in the past few years. I beleive that after WoW it will end up with the most number of subs.
Once they get all the pvp stuff in and balanced, it will offer an End game different to armor and rep grinding.
And note that AoC is Cert 18 so their target audience is not the entire MMO player base anyway.
Mature rating 18+ is actually a way to lure all the 14-17 years old kids. Together with the console release, yes I believe AoC target audience is partially wow-kids, partially console genre newkidscomming kids ehm.
REALITY CHECK
Maybe you should link it.
Okay... the official numbers are:
img501.imageshack.us/img501/7751/mmoshareti9.png
Actually, of everything said this is the one approximation I could actually believe.
MMOs are not cheap to make. How many staff did / does Funcom have working on AoC?
MMOs in general cost $10,000,000 or more to develop: http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/mmorpg8.htm
(which is on the conservative side I think)
TR rumored to cost $100,000,000 to develop: http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/13489
with many in the middle of that range.
Running a business with tens of staff is expensive.
For a start Google salaries in the US and a programmer can get $50000+ per annum.
As a rule of thumb multiply that by at least a factor of two to cover overheads.
Then these people work for 2+ years (5 on AoC?) on a project with no revenue?
The numbers start to get really big by the end of all that.
Nothing says irony like spelling ideot wrong.