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Jumpgate: EU Server Closing
Admin
Administrator RarePosts: 5,623
It was recently announced that the European server for Jumpgate, which was operated by Mightygames will be closing at the end of June. The official announcement is below:
| We are sorry to announce to our customers today that on June 30th of 2005, the operation of Mightygames and all its respective services will be shut down permanently. After over three years as a stable and successful Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game on the market, the Jumpgate license Mightygames held for the european market has run out. All currently active subscriptions will receive a cancellation notification by Email. The last subscription fee for the month of June will be charged on May 31st. Subscriptions with billing dates of June 1st and later will not be billed. Thus, no subscription will have paid for a playing time of less than one full calendar month. We wish to thank all players for the exciting and interesting years of Jumpgate EU and wish you all lots of fun in its remaining time. All the best, Your Mightygames team. |
The official announcement can be found at this link.
- MMORPG.COM Staff -
The dead know only one thing: it is better to be alive.
Comments
Well what do you know??
I might get the descene online number again!
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Give me lights give me action. With a touch of a button!
never heard f this game before. Good ads in Europe
Very Very sad:/ All old players are welcome to join us "free" last month.
My cool sig: Turrets suck.
Yeah I'll hop on to the EU server to see if I get shot down by high levels in regulated space on the last days.
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Give me lights give me action. With a touch of a button!
It's really a shame that only half the story made it into this release. Netdevil, the game's creator, maintains what had been the "US" server for Jumpgate (after the demise of 3DO, the original publisher) and is planning on unifying the servers by moving accounts from the closing MightyGames server.
Although I know there's a lot of sadness in the EU Jumpgate community, I'm sure those who decide to migrate their accounts to the new unified server will find continued fulfillment from the best game no one knows about.
If haven't looked into JG, the main website is at www.jossh.com
-- Ambros.
I hope more two-bit games like this close there servers, we need to make room for the descent MMO's out there, on the verge of release.
Now, if they could only shut down SWG and WoW... that would be doing a BIG service to the world wide MMO community.
BundyTheRipper
-- Ambros.
A most interesting development. The game itself had a good theme for it's genre, though the graphics were not among the best. Following the link I see the European players have been invited over to the North American server. Which is surprising to see that a game this age is still active and has active development going with it. That alone goes to say something for it, I would so assume.
What I am looking at after reviewing this game, is what games are active in it's genre and are MMO's. I am not finding very many. Is it a requirement somewhere that good graphics mean poor play design, and poor graphics mean good play design? EVE vs Jumpgate seem a perfect example of this. The game in question here, Jumpgate, seems to have fair graphics and a low framerate, but I love the theme and gameplay, at least what I can see from my short trial of the MightyGames server. EVE had good graphics, but it was quickly boring and lacked any kind of long term fun.
Is there anything in the future that is in the space combat sim genre which will offer outstanding graphics, great theme, and long lasting fun that makes it worth paying $15-$20 per month? Maybe these Jumpgate people will make a Jumpgate 2 with modern graphics, or upgate the current one?
Last question I have is rather simple. Reading the posts on the MightyGames forum, I assume the North American server is going to continue to operate. So was the shutdown of the European server due to lack of numbers and the North American server has more, or what is the story here?
For Love, Honor, and Family!
Lol I agree with the above poster. Call this a game? hehehe I played it for 10 minutes and could not believe how shit it was.
Good riddance to bad rubbish!
Regarding your "last question" it is my understanding that the EU server, operated by MightyGames, was licensed via a lump-sum payment and was for a term of three years. The contract was up and I assume MightyGames either did not want to make another contract investment, or were unable to come to terms with NetDevil.
The longevity of this game (albeit with very low player numbers) is a testament to its uniqueness and excellent playability. Perhaps with the additional cash-flow generated by server unification, NetDevil will be able to provide more resources to development, advertising, etc.
-- Ambros.
MightyGames is being shut down by it's parent company. They simply took the opportunity that comes with an expired contract to act.
Should many of these players come to the US server, now called the Worldwide Server, then that will mean more direct money for NetDevil (Auto Asault) and therefor, more money for developement.
The many many years that this game has endured, since 3DO almost killed it by going under, are a testiment to it's greatness. Give it a try, it's fun.
Joystick Required
Jumpgate Forums
nice old game. graphics arent awesome, but gameplay and physics engine is really good.
i ll say goodbye with the last free trial.
The game is fun once you get involved in whats going on, joining a squad helps with that as most plan events depending on what they focus on. There are traders, rpers (Both PvPers AND non-PvPers), miners, pirates, and then there are just goofy comics. The latter are just in the game for fun and don't get involved in the meat of stuff without doing something. In fact, a couple actually got married in-game (nt for real just as their characters) and another held a ceromony in-game before their actual wedding which was last Feb.
The graphics aren't heavy. I personally hate games like the N64 Perfect Dark & Xbox's Halo 2 that blinded you and had no substance. Since JG is the only MMO I have paid for, while others I beta and just didn't like what was being released, I can't comment on camparsions. However, the graphics aren't bad and they ARE looking at updating them without losing the fact the game can be played on relatively old machines. The only problems are planets and distancing issues, that really are visual and don't affect the gameplay. One funny story was in beta, when the devs were trying to fix a distance-shading issue somehow the buildings got the AI of the enemy AI. So they were actually buildings flying around and chasing people!! LOL
Since Ambro answered your last question, Jumpgate costs 9.95 a month and you can download the game for free off their website ww.jossh.com. The game actually was only released retail-only, but the conlapse of the former publisher (3DO) gave the devs no other choice.
However, I want to add that after beta I didn't play the game because of financial issues. But then, I went out and bought the game at a retail store. Because the box includes a map of the initial sectors (at released date, but they are the majority of sectors used and the routes have not changed). This map is my treasured item along with the instrunction boolet that is outdated, but has a great fictional story and is left at to be continued, which 3DO never did and subsequently left to the ashes of time.
The map is a good resouce even if you print one out, it's a good reference while you're flying and don't want to switch screens and risk hitting an asteriod.
The free trial does require a credit card, but still good. Make sure you tell people you're new, some are known to upgrade you're ship's engines & etc for free and even give you money. I think there is a squad that revolves around support and teaching new players. So check it out!
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Lifelong TRI Pilot
Jumpgate Evolution
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