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How does a company like SoE keep getting more MMO's to publish?
Axum
Member Posts: 891
I mean, are they one of the only publishers looking for more titles?
You would think after destroying the 4-5 games they already have, that they would give up, or learn to do something different.
Comments
They are the black hole of suckness.
If SoE was a F1 team, they would have their driver come in backwards during pit stops.
How do they keep getting games? Simple-- they have money.
No matter how lousy many of SOE's decisions have been over the years, they're still part of Sony, and that is what keeps bringing them new games.
SoE has been doing great in the past, and they have plenty of money
I agree they make dumb mistakes with their games, but up until that occurs they're usually earning a good amount of money and subscribers.
I am thinking that when this batch of indie games hits the market that it may show people you don't need a major publisher to launch a game and make money.
SOE has a lot of money. However, their market share has dwindled dramatically since 2003. Their games are widely less quality than most. Some of their games are downright horrible; MxO, SWG, PotBS, etc, etc.
The Station Pass is also a good idea. It really is. You take a bunch of mediocre games and you charge one fee to allow players to play any and all of them whenever they would like to...
Their lack of ethics and borderline illegal tactics have allowed me to happily NEVER play one of their games again.
Tecmo Bowl.
The truth of the matter is SoE remains under the impression they still have subscribers because they are making the right decisions. When, in reality, much of their subscribers are hanging around due to a lack of options. It's only going to take one company to develop a quality, PvE based MMORPG and there will be a mass exodus from EQ, EQ2 and Vanguard.
Heh, that's kind of funny, 'cause black holes actully suck.. :P
As for how SOE keeps getting games? i don't know, but i'm more amazed at why people keep playing them.
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SOE hate is so 5 years ago. Get off that train.
They RUINED my two favorite MMOs in history (Planetside & SWG) but even I have moved on. They have the right to change their games how they see fit, and when you update/change a game there is always going to be a demographic of the crowd that isn't happy. So you move on.
They need to scrap The Agency and give me Planetside 2.
Iwinbutton.com | Gaming / MMO Blog
Why? Planetside 2 would just encapsulate all of the bastardization that happened to ps1 but with new graphics and a cash shop
SOE hate is never ending as long as Smedly keeps his head up his rear end and continually makes some of the most idiotic decisions in the mmo industry. Probably the only reason why he hasn't moved on yet, no one else would hire him rofl.
http://www.speedtest.net/result/7300033012
"destroying" is purely subjective. I think not even SOE would debate that SWG went totally wrong but I'm sure many would disagree with saying the other games were "destroyed". Also, they look at profits and clearly the games they have are still profitable.
MxO was not creating by SOE, they picked it up after Warner Bros dropped it
Vanguard was not created by SOE, they picked it up after the original publisher (I don't mean sigil I mean the company funding it before SOE took over) dropped it.
The only game they truly destroyed was SWG and the fans are the most to blame because I have decided they wouldn't have been satisfied either way.
MxO was not creating by SOE, they picked it up after Warner Bros dropped it
Vanguard was not created by SOE, they picked it up after the original publisher (I don't mean sigil I mean the company funding it before SOE took over) dropped it.
The only game they truly destroyed was SWG and the fans are the most to blame because I have decided they wouldn't have been satisfied either way.
It's easy to blame the fans for SWG lol. It was SOE that stated how people were so close and they were all gatherign around daily to watch for the first unlock only to be disappointed again and again. So, instead of waiting they dumbed it down, not for the fans but for themselves. The game was FAR better while everyone was going along trying to find out how to unlock jedi and just do their thing, playing the game and having fun hoping that SOE would give us Hoth as an expansion. The hologrind was the start of the end for SWG. It wasn't the fans that requested the NGE, we wanted the Combat Revamp which was supposed to, and promised to, fix the huge bugs like not being able to jump over a pebble, being able to throw mind poisons through a closed door to the third floor of a bunker etc etc etc. The out of control doc buffs? Again, SOE not the fans. Everything that happened in that game was 100% the fault of SOE and no amount of left wing revisionist bularcy will change that.
MXO, you are right was not created by SOE, it was not really dropped by warner but SOE wanted rights to DC Comics and the only way they would give them to SOE was if they took over MXO. SOE, as far as mxo is concerned, completely dropped the ball (not like it was all that great) but they haven't really put any effort into it in any way shape or form, all they have done was kept it limping along because of DC.
Vanguard was originally to be published by Microsoft, they saw what a heaping pile of <insert euphamism here> and decided to cut their losses. Brad, not one to be told how wrong he was, went and begged his buddy Smedley for cash to buy it outright. When SOE didnt see any progress within the time frame they were promised they, in effect, called in the debt and McQuaid had no choice but to give Sigil over to SOE. From what I understand Vanguard has actually been improved by SOE, then again with the state Vanguard was in a room full of untrained chimpanzees could have improved it :P
Many fans believe that SOE raped and destroyed EQ and for every one person that will say that they did good things to eq2 (which I thought they did) you will find 3 people that say they ruined it.
Mark my words, DC Universe will suck compared to Champions Online and the Agency will suck as well, especially since its little more than a fps with a monthly fee that will be outperformed by every other fps that comes out in the same time frame lol.
http://www.speedtest.net/result/7300033012
MxO was not creating by SOE, they picked it up after Warner Bros dropped it
Vanguard was not created by SOE, they picked it up after the original publisher (I don't mean sigil I mean the company funding it before SOE took over) dropped it.
The only game they truly destroyed was SWG and the fans are the most to blame because I have decided they wouldn't have been satisfied either way.
It's easy to blame the fans for SWG lol. It was SOE that stated how people were so close and they were all gatherign around daily to watch for the first unlock only to be disappointed again and again. So, instead of waiting they dumbed it down, not for the fans but for themselves. The game was FAR better while everyone was going along trying to find out how to unlock jedi and just do their thing, playing the game and having fun hoping that SOE would give us Hoth as an expansion. The hologrind was the start of the end for SWG. It wasn't the fans that requested the NGE, we wanted the Combat Revamp which was supposed to, and promised to, fix the huge bugs like not being able to jump over a pebble, being able to throw mind poisons through a closed door to the third floor of a bunker etc etc etc. The out of control doc buffs? Again, SOE not the fans. Everything that happened in that game was 100% the fault of SOE and no amount of left wing revisionist bularcy will change that.
MXO, you are right was not created by SOE, it was not really dropped by warner but SOE wanted rights to DC Comics and the only way they would give them to SOE was if they took over MXO. SOE, as far as mxo is concerned, completely dropped the ball (not like it was all that great) but they haven't really put any effort into it in any way shape or form, all they have done was kept it limping along because of DC.
Vanguard was originally to be published by Microsoft, they saw what a heaping pile of <insert euphamism here> and decided to cut their losses. Brad, not one to be told how wrong he was, went and begged his buddy Smedley for cash to buy it outright. When SOE didnt see any progress within the time frame they were promised they, in effect, called in the debt and McQuaid had no choice but to give Sigil over to SOE. From what I understand Vanguard has actually been improved by SOE, then again with the state Vanguard was in a room full of untrained chimpanzees could have improved it :P
Many fans believe that SOE raped and destroyed EQ and for every one person that will say that they did good things to eq2 (which I thought they did) you will find 3 people that say they ruined it.
Mark my words, DC Universe will suck compared to Champions Online and the Agency will suck as well, especially since its little more than a fps with a monthly fee that will be outperformed by every other fps that comes out in the same time frame lol.
That was a lot of good info. But what can you say about Pirates of the Burning Sea. It took 4 years or so to released, and when released it was a piece of crap. I don't understand why they released, even less who could play It.
I mean, it wasn't that hard. I thought (SM) Pirates Online, what could be wrong? Evevery thing. Everything could be wrong.
And you also have to admit that Sony has bvious megalomaniac aspirations. SOE page, it's like a portal too hell that tries to steal your wallet and soul. You can almost feel the devil laughing at you every time you click, laughing as you fall in venenous contract loops!
What really amazes me is where do they get so much money, even to have 2 incoming games with big titles ans promises.
Well honestly I think SOE pretty much keeps getting Games for the simple fact its garunteed money for those worried about making money off of there product. It's like the bargin bin of MMO's. 30 bucks a month and you get to play em all. I mean seriously, if your paying 30$ a month for a station pass right and that includes 8-10 MMO's, thats a deal for many even if most of them suck lol. I was tempted to get a station pass at one point, I liked EQ2, it was a game I could play with my wife and relax. Problem is I was no longer interested in SWG thanks to many changes, PoTBS was meh, Planet side wasn't appealing to me, Matrix............. yeah no thanks lol, EQ1 I never got into I was a UO fan, Vanguard was ok but not enough to warrent another $15, don't remember what the others were if there were any others lol.
If SOE managed to dump the station cash idea, fix the games they have, then man they could rake in the dough. Hell, grab a few more MMO's polish em a bit and update em. Then they would end up with a large fan base.
So in the end I guess the overall concept is what draws people in. It's a good concept, take some decent MMO's lump em together in a package deal and sale it at a discount.
The follow through is what drives people away.
How does a company like SoE keep getting more MMO's to publish?
Simple, wither you want to admit it or not, they know their business, know their audiences, and know how to make games. Better than the players do, who are simply just wrong about 99.9% of the time.
Every single player looks at things with a tinted view, a narrow view with their own personal subjective views on it. SOE has numbers, facts, and experience.
To say it isn’t so, just proves the point. Somewhere, about 4 years ago, ever player decided they know better than XXX development house, truth be told, if companies listened to the players word for word, they would have some shitty game on their hands.
Playing MMO’s is NOT the same, or even close to making or running them. SOE has done fine job in this regard. And has one of the strongest distribution system in the genre.
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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
Why not? Publishers don't have any real influence in games anyway. And SOE does have a way to get your game around the world, they do have servers, they do have money, etc.
There's no reason for developers to turn their back to SOE, if I ever got my game published by SOE I'd be a very happy man...
You know it, the best way to realize your dreams is waking up and start moving, never lose hope and always keep up.
Oh god, you are such a SoE shill.
You either work for SoE, have family working there, have stocks in them or play some game from SoE you don't want to see die.
I KNOW it's one of the four. You are SO obvious.
Every time I see your avatar I have to puke in disgust when I see how biased your opinions are.
Lol.
But yes, that's the impression SoE gives out.
And people saying that SoE knows it better, I just want to remind them that there are many companies which go bankrupt every year because "they" know their customer better...............truth is they actually don't.
Don't assume that everything a big corporation does is succesful, because most of the time is not.
SoE has done a big mistake by thinking RMT are a good idea.
Because it works in Asia, that doesn't mean it will work in the western emisphere too.
Codemasters will agree with me, since all the MMO they imported from Korea (with RMT) has been a disaster.
Also SoE hasn't got the luxury to charge a monthly fee plus charge for virttual items, since their games are nothing special.
If they were, than SoE will have many more of those 200K subs for each game, in which case probably they won't need to use RMT at all.
Unfortunately what SoE doesn't get is the fact that they should concentrate in making succesful games rather than drain dry the few customers they have.
This is not good business practice.
To me would be better if SoE would be absorbed by the game division of Sony.
I don't understand why they should have a separate online division, when this branch cannot understand the online market.
To me Sony should axe SoE and merge it with the rest of its game division.
The way Mr Smedley run SoE business doesn't justify having a separate division for the online games.
Warner Bros didn't drop MxO. When SOE was shopping around for the rights to the DC game. They agreed to take on MxO in order to get the DC game.
Vanguard yes was dropped by Microsoft. If anything that game has improved under SOE control.. compared to its launch. I was actually quite suprised they took that game on at the time. (added debt load and having to launch it before it was remotely ready as they didn't have finances laying around.. or it would seem doubtful).
I think some would argue that you need to add Planetside to that list. I never really played it but I've read posts about the game over the years.
Every time someone makes a post like this, I die a little inside.
ALL opinions are biased. That's what makes them opinions.
Also, if he agreed with you, you wouldn't be trying to paint him as a Sony shill. You'd be slapping him on the back praising his posts instead.
Oh god, you are such a SoE shill.
You either work for SoE, have family working there, have stocks in them or play some game from SoE you don't want to see die.
I KNOW it's one of the four. You are SO obvious.
Every time I see your avatar I have to puke in disgust when I see how biased your opinions are.
I really get a kick out of these kinds of posts. So you just run around and assume that someone is being paid to have a strong opinion. Who's to say that you’re not a shill for say Blizzard?
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You wouldn't understand
well i did just buy a pair of $80 headphones from sony and im sure they sell many other products that people purchase.
Well my friend, it all boils down to one very specific point... SOE has money, and LOTS of it. It just amazes me that with all this money to throw at the best devs, artists, programmers, engineers, etc, they still cant seem to win,,,, just like Steinbrenner and the Yankees, lol.
But, I will say one thing on their behalf. When EQ2 first went live, the game was literally a joke. I followed that game religiously for 2 years before it was released. Many people including myself quickly jumped ship to WoW, but SOE did manage to turn the game around within a couple years. Same thing with Vanguard.. Although, they are to blame for the failure of the game, due to pressing Sigil to release it early,, but the performance issue, along with many of the aspects that plagued the game are now fixed.. IMHO though, it's to late to re release that game since the damage has already been done, but I'd like to think they at least should have learned from all their previous mistakes.
IMHO, I believe game DEVS should really focus on one thing when trying to create a successful MMO... Listen to the majority of the community, because they are the ones who will purchase your product. But SOE is a company that still does what they "believe" is best for their game, and more times than not, it turns out to be the biggest mistake, *cough NGE cough* that they could ever make..
Rallithon Oakthornn
(Retired Heirophant of the 60th season)
To answer the OP: It's because SOE ran out of clue long before running out of money. Unfortunately.
I have a walkman and headset from Sony. There's nothing wrong with the quality of Sony products really.
It's just SoE which is a complete joke of a company. From their developers to their customer service, they are THE WORST mmo company by far.