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Rift: Hal Hanlin Departs for Zynga

SBFordSBFord Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129

Trion Worlds' Hal Hanlin has, according to his Facebook page, left Trion Worlds and is now the Lead Producer at social games giant, Zynga. Hanlin had worked for Trion Worlds since 2008.

Thanks to Coolit for the tip!

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¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 


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Comments

  • azzamasinazzamasin Member UncommonPosts: 3,105
    First Scott and now Hal, something tells me Trion is not doing well and this doesn't bode well for ArchAge.

    Sandbox means open world, non-linear gaming PERIOD!

    Subscription Gaming, especially MMO gaming is a Cash grab bigger then the most P2W cash shop!

    Bring Back Exploration and lengthy progression times. RPG's have always been about the Journey not the destination!!!

    image

  • SeelinnikoiSeelinnikoi Member RarePosts: 1,360
    I think Rift reached it's peak and from now on its full downhill... sad.
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  • PivotelitePivotelite Member UncommonPosts: 2,145
    Any day now... waiting on the Rift F2P announcement.

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  • LuxatriaLuxatria Member Posts: 25
    I don't think these guys leaving Trion will reflect upon other games. They were there for Rift.. so if anything it's Rift that isn't doing so well these days.
  • RoxtarrRoxtarr Member CommonPosts: 1,122
    As Trion moves from production to publishing, it makes sense that Dev talent would swim to warmer waters.

    If in 1982 we played with the current mentality, we would have burned down all the pac man games since the red ghost was clearly OP. Instead we just got better at the game.
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  • BillMurphyBillMurphy Former Managing EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 4,565
    Hal is one of the nicest and funniest people I've met in my MMO work over the years. Very sad to hear he's left Trion.

    Try to be excellent to everyone you meet. You never know what someone else has seen or endured.

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  • FARGIN_WARFARGIN_WAR Member Posts: 166
    Logged into the game on saturday to see if it felt worth trying out the Storm Legion expansion. Every server I had charcters on were ghost towns. I'm thinking that the expansion didn't go over as well as hoped and this is just fall out from that. Its also possible that Trion is shifting its focus to Defiance and Aion so there isn't much for the Rift crew to do.

    image

    If you don’t do stupid things while you’re young, you’ll have nothing to smile about when you’re old.

  • LobotomistLobotomist Member EpicPosts: 5,981

    Themepark P2P MMO is thing of past. Nobody can not pull it anymore.

    Trion really did wonders and is probably best MMO company aside from Turbine - but the shit simply can not fly...

     

    ps

    Want proof ? Just log into SWTOR , i bet their population quadrupaled at least - and most of players I talked with are subscripbers too.

     



  • SiugSiug Member UncommonPosts: 1,257
    I just hope that Trion is doing well. They seemed to work with real passion when I played Rift.
  • FARGIN_WARFARGIN_WAR Member Posts: 166
    Originally posted by Lobotomist

    Themepark P2P MMO is thing of past. Nobody can not pull it anymore.

    Trion really did wonders and is probably best MMO company aside from Turbine - but the shit simply can not fly...

     

    ps

    Want proof ? Just log into SWTOR , i bet their population quadrupaled at least - and most of players I talked with are subscripbers too.

     

    Wait what? So people being subscribers in a Themepark MMO is proof that the P2P MMO is a thing of the past?

    image

    If you don’t do stupid things while you’re young, you’ll have nothing to smile about when you’re old.

  • ScivaSciva Member UncommonPosts: 298
    Mind bogling as to why you would go from working for a company like Trion then someone with a reputation like Zynga.
  • NadiaNadia Member UncommonPosts: 11,798
    Originally posted by Lobotomist
     
     log into SWTOR , i bet their population quadrupaled at least - and most of players I talked with are subscribers too.

    offtopic but commmenting anyhow

     

    if SWTOR subs are on the rise -- it was not discussed in the recent financials

    http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/31/ea-posts-45-million-net-loss-in-q3-reduces-revenue-forecast/

     

    i did not see SWTOR mentioned at all

    http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/ERTS/2297885214x0x631760/1b17f86a-b47b-44bc-aeb5-8efd05713573/Q3FY13_Earnings_Release_FINAL.pdf

  • f0dell54f0dell54 Member CommonPosts: 329
    Originally posted by Nadia
    Originally posted by Lobotomist
     
     log into SWTOR , i bet their population quadrupaled at least - and most of players I talked with are subscribers too.

    offtopic but commmenting anyhow

     

    if SWTOR subs are on the rise -- it was not discussed in the recent financials

    http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/31/ea-posts-45-million-net-loss-in-q3-reduces-revenue-forecast/

     

    i did not see SWTOR mentioned at all

    http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/ERTS/2297885214x0x631760/1b17f86a-b47b-44bc-aeb5-8efd05713573/Q3FY13_Earnings_Release_FINAL.pdf

     

    It's because it's not true. It's just another opinion thrown around on this site stated as fact.

  • Rthuth434Rthuth434 Member Posts: 346
    Originally posted by Torvaldr
    I could sort of understand Scott moving on.  He seems like an idea guy and a framework setter.  Hal seems like a really nice guy and a great influence at Trion.  I think Zynga is getting a great asset with this guy.  I wish him luck and I hope he brings a fresh perspective to social gaming.  It would be cool to see that platform move to the next level.

    i take it as a sign that SL will be their last expansion for a while.

  • PurutzilPurutzil Member UncommonPosts: 3,048

    EH I have a feeling a lot of this moving is mostly due to the fact Trion is probably not fixating on making games as much. They are launching quite a few games now, of which a couple they have made themselves. There is a good probability that they are less focused upon creating new games and are more so in a less active production cycle. With a focus seeming to be on acting as a publisher more recently with games like archage, I have a feeling they are toning down game development and focusing more on adding content to running games.

    I still believe they might have projects in the pipeline, just I suspect its likely just 1 project instead of multiple projects. 

  • VolgoreVolgore Member EpicPosts: 3,872

    Looks like on the official forums they again deleted threads in which the players discussed the many writings on the wall and voiced their concerns about Rift's future.

     

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  • VolgoreVolgore Member EpicPosts: 3,872
    Originally posted by Rthuth434
    Originally posted by Torvaldr
    I could sort of understand Scott moving on.  He seems like an idea guy and a framework setter.  Hal seems like a really nice guy and a great influence at Trion.  I think Zynga is getting a great asset with this guy.  I wish him luck and I hope he brings a fresh perspective to social gaming.  It would be cool to see that platform move to the next level.

    i take it as a sign that SL will be their last expansion for a while.

    Wasn't there a hint towards another expansion to come around Rift's 3yr mark in a recent video?

    I haven't seen it myself, but people talked about it on the forums.

    image
  • JudgeUKJudgeUK Member RarePosts: 1,700

    Rift's game focus is wow's vertical progression raid system. The original intent was aimed at disenchanted wow players  - amongst others.

    But it appears that many people saw this game as just a raid progression wow clone that was ok until something different came along.

    With GW2 plus other ftp conversions it kind of got drowned out despite the major amount of work that went into Storm Legion.

    Where it goes from here I'm not sure. Ftp seems to be the flavour of the month with only wow having a robust enough player base to continue with the standard ptp model.

     
  • doodphacedoodphace Member UncommonPosts: 1,858
    Originally posted by Lobotomist

    Themepark P2P MMO is thing of past. Nobody can not pull it anymore.

    Trion really did wonders and is probably best MMO company aside from Turbine - but the shit simply can not fly...

     

    ps

    Want proof ? Just log into SWTOR , i bet their population quadrupaled at least - and most of players I talked with are subscripbers too.

     

    P2P themepark model isnt dead....P2P for half assed WoW clones model is though....

  • tiddytiddy Member Posts: 23
    Originally posted by Lobotomist

    Want proof ? Just log into SWTOR , i bet their population quadrupaled at least - and most of players I talked with are subscripbers too.

     

    Nope. it saw a small upsurge in its playerbase after it went F2P but that didnt last long.....SWTOR is now going the way of WAR.

    P2P Rift is a quality MMO. It has a very healthy, large population and a big fanbase. Which is a lot more than I can say for F2P/P2P SWTOR.

  • tiddytiddy Member Posts: 23
    edit...
  • Sevenstar61Sevenstar61 Member UncommonPosts: 1,686
    Originally posted by tiddy
    Originally posted by Lobotomist

    Want proof ? Just log into SWTOR , i bet their population quadrupaled at least - and most of players I talked with are subscripbers too.

     

    Nope. it saw a small upsurge in its playerbase after it went F2P but that didnt last long.....SWTOR is now going the way of WAR.

    P2P Rift is a quality MMO. It has a very healthy, large population and a big fanbase. Which is a lot more than I can say for F2P/P2P SWTOR.

    Really? I am logged in SWTOR every day and I asure you that the surge is still on. Starting planets are full of players every day, multiple instances no matter if it's a weekday or weekend. Is it not a sign that players are coming to game? If starting zones would be empty - that's a different story.

     


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  • AmbrosiaAmorAmbrosiaAmor Member Posts: 915

    I wish him the bestest of luck.

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  • grimgryphongrimgryphon Member CommonPosts: 682
    Sad part is that I'm feeling sorry for Zynga.

    Optional PvP = No PvP
  • azzamasinazzamasin Member UncommonPosts: 3,105
    Originally posted by JudgeUK

    Rift's game focus is wow's vertical progression raid system. The original intent was aimed at disenchanted wow players  - amongst others.

    But it appears that many people saw this game as just a raid progression wow clone that was ok until something different came along.

    With GW2 plus other ftp conversions it kind of got drowned out despite the major amount of work that went into Storm Legion.

    Where it goes from here I'm not sure. Ftp seems to be the flavour of the month with only wow having a robust enough player base to continue with the standard ptp model.

     

    Not only that but every other system is an almost 1 to 1 port of WoW of a much lesser quality I might add.

    Sandbox means open world, non-linear gaming PERIOD!

    Subscription Gaming, especially MMO gaming is a Cash grab bigger then the most P2W cash shop!

    Bring Back Exploration and lengthy progression times. RPG's have always been about the Journey not the destination!!!

    image

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