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Does Funcom have a future?
Mitara
Member UncommonPosts: 755
I have recently discovered two new paths of our favourite company to hate, funcom.
First of all they have hired a new game designer, Rasmus Hahr, said to be a genious, having been part of the development of another game that was nominated best game of the year. He is now a game designer on the Secret World franchise. 
Funcom also recently decided to use the Unity engine to create their new casual MMO's. The Unity is a great new engine that is very easy to get results with.
So its not exactly quiet the Funcom lab. What do you think, do they have a future?
Comments
No.
but then I am biased unwaveing.
Funcom is shooting themselves with AoC and all the intovative ideas like open world PvP free for all flagged guilds on a PvE server. PvE players are scrambling for cover. Especially those that thought it was safe to walk the streets at night.
i love the open world pvp in aoc only time i dont like it is when there's a group of 6 people from a guild jumping people randomly. but thats usualy cleared up fast theres normaly enough people in a few min to make a counter group of your own. at least on my server.
heck i like challenging games i'm a gamer
They should scrap this whole AoC and make Dreamfall chapters ><
scrap mmo of the year.... u crazy
i cant wait for the xpack to hit thats supposed to be comming
AoC is only going to go up from here. Also its European following is quite strong. As for the new MMO i'd say they do have a future as so far we have had 2 vastly different games from Funcom (a good thing) and this 3rd one will no doubt be different too (and could be more popular)
MMO wish list:
-Changeable worlds
-Solid non level based game
-Sharks with lasers attached to their heads
The natural design of AoC prevents them from doing what EVE Online has done because it is not a persistent world but a game driven by level progression and adding new lands to explore which then makes the rest of the game completly dead and puts off new players. History shows us with these kinds of mmorpgs that you only have one chance for a first impression and most people will never come back for another try.
So it's only down hill from here for AoC unless they do somethign dramatic and make it a free 2 player brower based game or something.
I'd say it could go the way of AO and entertain 10k people at mimal cost, but AOC wasn't built like AO. Creating assets and content for a game lke AOC is a much more time consuming and expensive process. I'd say it'll follow in AC2's or E&B's footsteps, lasting maybe 2 yrs and closing its doors. AOC wasn't built on a shoestring like AO. The same rules don't apply for big budget games.
Funcom will be just fine, some of you need some perspective.....really.
----------
"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
The problem is that when you release a game with so much funds invested, you need to earn it back in a reasonable timespan or no one will be willing to finance future projects. They don't really have the luxury of waiting for the turnaround like with AO - I don't doubt that AoC would improve over time and eventually have it's subscriber base grow again, IF things would remain stable and regularly updated.
But Funcom isn't in the position to devote a year to that, they've had a lot of financial problems lately and additionally some issues with employee treatment. Even if they have a future, the immediate one will be filled with turmoil, which won't help the continued development of AoC nor their new MMO.
Sorry to all the members of the AoC Hate club. But AoC is actually a solid title now. The gameplay and entertainment of AoC is actually good these days and AoC does seem to be having a resurgance in population (Im wagering its all the WOW players finally had their fill of WOTLK).
Torrential: DAOC (Pendragon)
Awned: World of Warcraft (Lothar)
Torren: Warhammer Online (Praag)
Funcom should stop development on the new game. Focus on fixing AoC, and take another look at AO. There are very few sci-fi MMO's, so there is a market for it. AO has a wonderful setting and core game elements, it just needs to be brought up to todays standards. It doesn't have to be AO2, but something more like AO1.2. I would resub to AO in a sec if they did this.
You hate it that they hired a new game designer, one that had a former game be nominated best game of the year?
You also hate it that they taken the Unity engine for their new casual MMO´s?
Serious do we even have GAMERS on this forum?
They made a semi-successful RPG title in Dreamfall so they still have a chance. Their biggest mistake was picking up an IP. Using a well-known IP is pretty much gaurunteeing your title is blown into obscurity. You will never meet the expectations of a player with Conan.
I think he meant to say...
1. Funcom is (apparently) our favourite hate-company (here on these forums).
2. He has discovered two pieces of news about them.
I doubt he meant that these two news is reason for any hate.
Then again, maybe I'm just giving him to much benefit of the doubt as he's hardly even registering on the hate-o-meter on these forums. ;-)
I've played Dreamfall, it was an epic journey. Only a bit interrupted by those damn loading screens anywhere
It's like Funcom's signature move to have them in every game, hehe.
Anyway, Funcom definitely has a feature. With the recent layoffs and server merges their costs will go down. They have AoC which is a GOOD game now, and AO which is a niche sci-fi MMO. They stick with their games, AO is what, 8 years old now? And it's getting a graphics engine overhaul. Plus they have The Secret World in development.
Preorder Diablo III | Preorder Guild Wars II
This right here. Funcom should seriously put more resources on updating AO or just make an AO2.
The Brave Do Not Fear The Grave
Most of the companies investing in Age of Conan have gone bankrupt, the servers have already been halved, and very soon will be halved again. For the many many many millions of dollars they put into this game, they didn't even make that back...
I would say, no, Funcom has no future, but sadly they're trying to pump out another MMO. So far they're 0/2. Only reason Anarchy Online is still going is because its free, with in game advertisements keeping the server cost paid.
Darkfall Travelogues!
You hate it that they hired a new game designer, one that had a former game be nominated best game of the year?
You also hate it that they taken the Unity engine for their new casual MMO´s?
Serious do we even have GAMERS on this forum?
I think you completely missed the point, Im not hating Funcom trying to fix their problems. I think its a good thing. Better try and fail that not trying at all.
I am also convinced that when Funcom does release the new AO graphics engine, that game will be able to offer many players a good experience. Its a strange game, but its not all that bad.
You hate it that they hired a new game designer, one that had a former game be nominated best game of the year?
You also hate it that they taken the Unity engine for their new casual MMO´s?
Serious do we even have GAMERS on this forum?
I think you completely missed the point, Im not hating Funcom trying to fix their problems. I think its a good thing. Better try and fail that not trying at all.
I am also convinced that when Funcom does release the new AO graphics engine, that game will be able to offer many players a good experience. Its a strange game, but its not all that bad.
Wel first of all what I did was not answering your question as you asked this community if Funcom has a future, here by will answer in saying yes they do have a future.
As for your point you wanted to make didn't come clear at me, all I saw is a person that discovered 2 new paths of our beloved company to hate, not sure what else I could make out of that first sentence. Kinda the reason why I ask the questions as you noticed the question marks on the end of each sentence in my first reply.
But glad to see you not hating the company or game, I mean to me anyone able to hate a game or company should stay away from games in general and especialy those type of people need to stay away form MMORPG, glad you're not one of those people................
Interesting.
to be honest, I wish they'd just scrap the graphical revamp of AO and just use the new engine they are building on AO-2, and build the game that they promised us back in 2001. They have the system, all they need now is the graphics.
Some things I'd like to see changed though
the missions, have the buildings be more 'static' in nature, nothing more immersion breaking than walking into a skyscrapper in Omni-trade and it being a train station or even worse, the inside of a long dead snake...
drop the levels and go to a pure skill system, let the xp become a direct connect to skill points.
Make it a bit easier to find things in the shops... that is a nightmare at times. Heck, even use a central terminal concept with a search feature system.
That being said, the game can still be fun, I sent a couple hours playing today in fact.