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Why SWG is Going to Close Soon
haxxjoo
Member Posts: 924
Why bother posting this? Why make such a statement? I want you all to read this exert from John Smedley's post.
We HAVE to think that long-term. With the game the way it was we knew we would never be able to attract enough people to really keep SWG viable as a business. It certainly would have kept some portion of our existing playerbase for a good long time, and we would have put out new expansions and new content as well as fixing bugs.. but it wouldn't have appealed to the really large Star Wars fanbase out there.. and frankly over time the existing userbase would have churned out as happens in any game like this. We just didn't have the game we needed to have if we're going to really grow this userbase. It might surprise you to know that after the first combat upgrade, we actually added new subs. We took a step in the right direction, but it just wasn't enough. So what we're doing here is obviously risky.. we're betting that we can make this game a whole lot more fun to our existing userbase AND make it appealing enough so that we can grow that userbase in a major way.
So on this board can we please stop the server size screenshot posts and endless debate on whether or not the servers are very light, light or medium. It all boils down to this. The NGE is being given a certain amount of time to get polished into a system that appeals to the really large star wars fanbase. That means a significant turn in polls and subscriber numbers for the game. At the current trend with SWG and its decay over time userbase would indicate swg is not going to be viable as a business. At that point SOE is going to either shut it down operational or sell it off (if it even can).
My personal belief is that SOE developers realize its get the game to work or be unemployeed. I am certain this is driving them to get things fixed. All you players who play this game need to wake up to this very soon. Unless you help persuade people of the NGE being the best version of swg there wont be a swg.
So if you really want a star wars mmo and like the nge you'd better start helping soe a lot. Otherwise you will be playing battlefront II with me.
Comments
If you mean by helping that we should subscribe again, then you won't get much help from the community. Most of us are enraged by the NGE and SOE. If they can pull this off, and make the game successful as it is now, then it will be a major victory for media over the players. That would mean they can do anything to us.
Tango
over 2 years SWG vet, cancelled
What is funny, is that statement of "we actually added new subs. We took a step in the right direction, but it just wasn't enough" was later contridicted. They flat out stated that the post-cu adds weren't offset by the cancellations, and there was a net loss of players post-cu.
Which was their excuse for the nge. The CU didn't fix it, so they needed to go in another direction. But what they DIDN'T learn from the CU was that the vets will leave a game when they don't like changes.... especially ones that take things away from them. The nge took everything... EVERYTHING.
We all know the nge was a significant killshot to the subscriber base... that with the free 15 days, the servers are "almost as full as before"
This move wasn't meant to maintain the subscriber level at the status-quo. Tha could have done NOTHING and got that. It was meant to razzle-dazzle and bump them up to half a million subscribers MINIMUM.
That meant all the time and money put out for the nge got them LESS subscribers than before. All the commercials, and the marketing, and the articles... all still LOST them players, not doubled the playerbase. They went for the bird in the bush and got nothing.
That's why they'll pull the plug.
Shayde - SWG (dead)
Proud member of the Cabal.
It sounds great, so great in fact, I pitty those who canceled
I don't like it when you say things. - A Vanguard fan who does too.
09f911029d74e35bd84156c5635688c0
Question is...If SWG does close, do you think Lucas Arts would give the license to create a new MMO to someone else? or would they pull the whole Star Wars franchise out of the MMO realm forever
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Played: Age of Conan, DDO, Saga of Ryzom, SWG, DaOC, MxO, EQ2, and so on...
Wish List: Jumpgate Evolution, Star Wars: TOR, Star Trek
I think (and hope) that they will lease the license to some other company to release another MMO in the Star Wars universe. There is no reason why such a game shouldn't be sucessful. There are many reasons that lead me to believe so:
I read a very interesting article on the subject here and I firmly believe it, as I'm pretty sick of the fantasy genre myself: http://cgw.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3146208&did=4
If you take a look at the amount of people playing MMOs out there, there's certainly a profit to be had. WoW has roughly 4 million players plucking down $15 a month. Lineage I and II also have a huge subscriber base. COH/COV proved very sucessful and even SOE's EQ still has a loyal fanbase after 6+ years.
In my opinion, if Episodes I, II and III prove something, it's that George Lucas sees Star Wars as less of a "vision" now and more of a cash-cow. And as the revenues that Episode III brought prove, this cow still has a lot of milk to provide. As I said many times before, having a Star Wars license is basically permission to print your own money. Everything you slap the Star Wars name on should sell pretty well (except this game we all know). So if you tie all these reasons together, another Star Wars MMOG is pretty much a shoe-in.
SOE knows what you like... You don't!
And don't forget... I am forcing you to read this!
It's hard to see both sides of this. On the one side, Age of Conan is doomed if this is hard truth. Brands alone don't sell games or anything else for that matter, long term. Conan isn't as strong a brand as SW and if you remember the very short life of the TV series Conan that came out in the Xena/ Hercules days we know that a fluffy version of this brand is going to get ran over and crushed under hooves faster than you can blink.
Just like SW, Conan will draw eyes but you better have the expactations met at design. I agree woth the original, SWG is doomed. Too much branding, not enough dedication to mechanics of the port. Movies are great when they are detailed like SW. Games are great when they are detailed like MMO with an SW skin, or name your popular brand. Just know how far it can carry you and know the cost if you screw up. SW wasn't a brand to me, it was a childhood dream. Now it's a brand. Like twinkies or the cheetos cat or barbie. Not good for LA, a loss to me and a waste for SOE.
Uhhhh...ha? I'm fairly sure most of the people on the SWG team have already begun beefing up their resume. They know this game is going down and all that is left now is for the "plug to be pulled" as it were. This game never should have made it out of Beta.
SWG is to the MMO market as Gigli is to the movie industry.
ROFL, I thought that was "Matrix Online"
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Played: Age of Conan, DDO, Saga of Ryzom, SWG, DaOC, MxO, EQ2, and so on...
Wish List: Jumpgate Evolution, Star Wars: TOR, Star Trek
Lets Look at what SOE has done and look at the "Business" part of it.
They did the CU. which kind of irked a few people and they may have lost maybe 5% of the player base (it is a rough estimate so no flaming me on that)
Then out comes the "new Patch" NGE which from the forums I can guess a good 30-50% of posters have cancelled accounts and stoped playing. Now if we figure that say 25% stopped playing the game in essance has lost about 30% of the playerbase in the last 6 months. Now factor in all the cost of an advertizing campaign and all the tech work thrown in and I know some CEO out there is looking at the numbers saying "If you do not get a 40% increase on the Playerbase ... Pull it" Remeber the COE has to answer to the stockholders not to the players.
I cn see it if the game does not take off in its new incarnation that the game will not last through 2006.
Best thing that they can do is to sell the rights to a company that will remake the game from scratch.
But those are my thoughts... not yours.
http://img323.imageshack.us/my.php?image=roflmao9db.jpg
I disagree on this.
Fantasy genre will always be a success, especially till you can see barely clothed elf chicks everywhere. Also, age doesn't matter much. If someone loves fantasy as a youngster, he will love it when he matures.
I am a fantasy fan and i'm over 30. Yet, i never played WoW and never will, because that's NOT fantasy (in my definition). It just looks like one, using elements from it.
Also, i played SWG for 2 years, which is also not a fantasy game. Above that i'm not an SW geek at all.
Why did i play sci-fi instead of fantasy then? The answer is easy. I just loved the game mechanics. It was unique, diverse, challenging, fun. Now it is dull, broken and empty. So i cancelled and looking for a new MMO.
Tango
over 2 years SWG vet, cancelled
I disagree on this.
Fantasy genre will always be a success, especially till you can see barely clothed elf chicks everywhere. Also, age doesn't matter much. If someone loves fantasy as a youngster, he will love it when he matures.
I am a fantasy fan and i'm over 30. Yet, i never played WoW and never will, because that's NOT fantasy (in my definition). It just looks like one, using elements from it.
Also, i played SWG for 2 years, which is also not a fantasy game. Above that i'm not an SW geek at all.
Why did i play sci-fi instead of fantasy then? The answer is easy. I just loved the game mechanics. It was unique, diverse, challenging, fun. Now it is dull, broken and empty. So i cancelled and looking for a new MMO.
Tango
over 2 years SWG vet, cancelled
You make some good and valid points unqlTango, however when I mentioned that the MMO and it's players mature, I didn't necesarily mean age-wise,
SOE knows what you like... You don't!
And don't forget... I am forcing you to read this!
I disagree on this.
Fantasy genre will always be a success, especially till you can see barely clothed elf chicks everywhere. Also, age doesn't matter much. If someone loves fantasy as a youngster, he will love it when he matures.
I am a fantasy fan and i'm over 30. Yet, i never played WoW and never will, because that's NOT fantasy (in my definition). It just looks like one, using elements from it.
Also, i played SWG for 2 years, which is also not a fantasy game. Above that i'm not an SW geek at all.
Why did i play sci-fi instead of fantasy then? The answer is easy. I just loved the game mechanics. It was unique, diverse, challenging, fun. Now it is dull, broken and empty. So i cancelled and looking for a new MMO.
Tango
over 2 years SWG vet, cancelled
Actually, you were playing a fantasy game. Star Wars has much more in common with fantasy than with science fiction. Nothing in Star Wars is really based on any kind of science. And its basic theme is good vs evil....which is a tried and true methodology of fantasy. Think about it, you can easily replace all the major players and events that happen in Star Wars with "standard" fantasy equivalents. And don't get me started on "the Force". Even when they tried to science it up with the addition of "mitoclorians" (which was horrible, btw) they still didn't even come close to making it anymore science based. Star Wars is purely a fantasy story told in space. Using space ships instead of boats, and vehicles instead of horses. I mean, they even kept swords. It all comes down to the story being told, and thats a fallen knight redeemed by his son before he is utterly lost to the forces of evil. Thats fantasy.
Oh, and a statement to keep this on topic: I play the game now, I like it. If it fails in a few months and they shut it down, or sell it or whatever. No loss. It was fun for me while it lasted.
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Everything born must die. All that is, will come to ruin. This is the essence of Doom. So sayeth the Doomsayer.
As usual Doomsayer, great post.
And SWG won't close soon. The station pass will keep it alive long after people who cried doom will likely even be playing video games. I say this hoping they will get families and lives of their own. I haven't been able to play much in the last little while with my new gf and christmas and all.
Oh well, I digress. I'm just too happy to bother with much other than this: I hope you all get what you want, whether it be SWG closing forever or SWG2 or a river of chocolate milk running through your backyard. I got what I wanted for christmas, in fact what I wanted for the rest of my life.
Sorry, Doomsayer's post about what Star Wars is really about got me all misty and philosophical.
I'm sorry but your way way out there if you think something as big as a Star Wars MMORPG will stay alive due to the people having a station pass.
Its more likely that a river of chocolate will be running through my back yard by January 2007 than SWG in its state run by SOE still running by 2007...... continue wishing though.
PIRATE LORDS
I'm sorry but your way way out there if you think something as big as a Star Wars MMORPG will stay alive due to the people having a station pass.
Its more likely that a river of chocolate will be running through my back yard by January 2007 than SWG in its state run by SOE still running by 2007...... continue wishing though.
River of Chocolate running through our back yard? Talk about a PMS cureall
more then I can say for SWG!
Not to mention that sony is showing signs of pulling away from the game: i.e lack of customer support and lack of forum monitoring, letting the nut case jerks of the online world run rampent.
Honestly, one would think that people with at least half a brain would be wondering " gee where is my 15 bucks a month going? "
HMMMM......
Chrissy The Pirate
chrissy@piratelords.com
www.piratelords.com
"Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength, mastering yourself is true power."
NGE Refugee.
YA THINK?????????????????????
too bad it is not going where is should be - and that is SWG and the customers playing it.
What a novel idea!!! Customer support!!!!
Chrissy The Pirate
chrissy@piratelords.com
www.piratelords.com
"Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength, mastering yourself is true power."
Now I can't speak for others. But I have had 4 seperate issues that I asked for CS help with since I started the game. I opened a ticket and was answered promptly by the reps, either in the same game session or by the next day, all 4 times.
Now I am not defending SOE support. I have found them to be the WORST at support in ALL of their products. The best being Mythic. But for some reason, since I came back, they have been right on top of any issues I have.
Honestly, I guess if the population is in fact, serisouly low, maybe thats what it is. I was the only ticket in the support que. Or close to it.
But whatever the reason, they are doing a much better job of this. I never thought I would say that about any SOE support team.
As for the diversion of funds, you can probably bet thats whats going on. I mean, isn't that what they did with the funds from EQ1 and SWG when they were developing EQ2? Wasn't there something about servers going to the wrong game? So, if SOE has another MMORPG in development I wouldn't be suprised at all if they were diverting cash from all their running MMORPGs to new development of some other game.
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Everything born must die. All that is, will come to ruin. This is the essence of Doom. So sayeth the Doomsayer.
They used to be like that....I remember even at release when I had a problem in SWG I would get help very quick, but as time went on - it got worse.
My husband put in a ticket once about a pistol that had gotten bugged and the CSR replied with " I am sorry I can't help you with your cybernetic arm"
WTF??
You are quite possibly right about the part where population is low but I know that there have been a number of times when it has taken them 2-3 weeks to help people.
I don't like to speculate what a company is doing with their products but - a game that used to be a AWESOME as SWG to play really has gone down the tubes.
I guess this is just the opinion of someone who has played from beta till about a month ago. I love Star Wars - and I loved playing the game - but between all the crap changes, the stupid people who have testosterone issues and the lack of good customer support - it tuned SWG in a chore and not something i enjoyed.
But hey maybe one day SOE will see the light once more
Cheers
Chrissy The Pirate
chrissy@piratelords.com
www.piratelords.com
"Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength, mastering yourself is true power."
Anyone who has quit SWG or not joined has done so because somthing either wasent working right or somthing wasent implimented.
In SWG you had: Crafting, Business,PVP, PVE, Entertainment/musician, Doctors, housing, guilds, Space, alpha class etc. it had everything any mmo gamer could want.
If you cant win with that formula its because the game is to broken for people to play not because its not starwarsy enough or because its to hard/complicated. Arent MMO's supposed to be complicated isnt that why we play them for more than a month and pay fee's for the game?
SWG died because the Developers never fixed what wasent finished from beta and killed everthing that was fun with nerfs resulting in a boring and broken game. The NGE is no different the game is still going nowhere, unless your waiting for that "fix" in 6 months they keep promising you lol.
The real winner will be the company that listens to the player base and works hard to keep them happy and finishes what they started. Corparate mumbo jumbo doesnt work when your dealing with gamers.
And when a company expects me to invest years of time and money into their mmo i need assurance they wont just destroy that at any time. If thats what mmo's are all about then SWG will be my first and last mmo.
You are so right..../shake hands
SWG did have everything, being a doctor was a complicated matter and it required the talents of other crafts, and then you had to get a merchant ( if you weren't one ) to sell it. It was so real - the idea was so real- and all the options you had and the choices you had to make.
Now all the choices are made for you - it has become like Super Mario in SWG land. Even all the PVP fun has been taken out of it. I remember being on a PVP rampage with Warsong or taking out bases all night with friends and having a blast....
Those were the days and they will be sorely missed.
Chrissy The Pirate
chrissy@piratelords.com
www.piratelords.com
"Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength, mastering yourself is true power."