Comparing profit made by fully released games with funding needed to create a game still in alpha, seems legit.
And yes, there have been games that took longer to develop, even games that were more expensive, but those are exceptions and you know this. Funny part, they made it to release with that money and time and SC is nowhere near release. So again, a nice comparison, flawed though, again.
I like your comic though, it shows deaf people endlessly staring at the jpeg of a starship
I'm pointing out that 300$millions spread out by 8 years is nothing considering that involved creating a company from scratch and building a mmo & single-player game whille paying for live servers and community support staff.
They aren't making profit for shareholders but investing into into the games development.
If they were in it for the money they wouldn't keep hiring devs every year or hire so many hollywood actors.
I mean Mark Hamill would be enough for just about anybody...
They wouldn't keep spending money and time upgrading legacy assets multiple times instead of making new ones if their focus was stashing money.
These money articles are always magnets for controversy and salty commenters to relief their frustrations without needing to know anything about the game or thoughtfull reasoning.
It's the perfect click bait
Just posting the last sentence would have been sufficient, the rest is just filler.
/Cheers, Lahnmir
'the only way he could nail it any better is if he used a cross.'
Kyleran on yours sincerely
'But there are many. You can play them entirely solo, and even offline. Also, you are wrong by default.'
Ikcin in response to yours sincerely debating whether or not single-player offline MMOs exist...
'This does not apply just to ED but SC or any other game. What they will get is Rebirth/X4, likely prettier but equally underwhelming and pointless.
It is incredibly difficult to design some meaningfull leg content that would fit a space ship game - simply because it is not a leg game.
It is just huge resource waste....'
Gdemami absolutely not being an armchair developer
I just was this comment on MOP. Is it true that CIG was close to running out of cash?
oldandgrumpy
You do realize that the funding chart was going up up right at the time CIG were seeking bail out money from Calders. Their own accounts show they were very close to going under at that time.
Yes. On paper at least. CIG cannot have been that concerned though because it was not as if they started layoffs or anything.
I don't know how much money CIG have received in total but just adding the sales and Calder's investments puts them at $363.5 million.
They have spent at least $335 million of that. It is costing them approximately $5 million a month as things stand.
God, how much money are they going to need before they finally have a finished product at the current rate of development? $500 million? More?
Way more.
It's going to sound ridiculous but if they wanted to make everything they have said Star Citizen will be, it would cost a billion or more at the current rate of progress.
When you think about buying a game do you think about how much was spent developing the game? Or how long it has taken for that matter.
Now maybe people should (along with e.g. how much various game CEOs are paid) but I am pretty sure what most people think about are stuff like:
- how much does it cost them to buy / continue to play? - what is the gameplay like? - are the graphics OK for them? - can their rig run it? - longevity / "value"? - heck are they even interested in the game - a lot of people play FIFA for example but others simply have zero interest.
And those looking for Monster Hunter might give it a miss as well since - as you pointed out - they have only just gotten around to thinking about monsters. I suppose if they had done monsters first you would have called them out for not developing ships first!
If the game fails, I'm sure that some of its fans will helpfully explain that the problem is that they didn't get enough funding to create the game they intended.
If the game fails, I'm sure that some of its fans will helpfully explain that the problem is that they didn't get enough funding to create the game they intended.
It literally may be the worst 300million ever spent , SC is in an inexuseable state of bugs/ exploits/errors/crashes/ also lacking fundamental features and content for that amount of money ...
I just don't see how it ends well for this project (cant call it a game as it clearly is not at this point)........Even if they somehow ever finish it, the costs to keep it going will be astronomical.
If the game fails, I'm sure that some of its fans will helpfully explain that the problem is that they didn't get enough funding to create the game they intended.
If the game succeeds, I'm sure some of it's haters will helpfully explain that the reason they were so so cynic is that they didin't knew enough about game development to understand why it can take so long.
A "game" that claims to have raised 300 mil ought to have somone other than just the same 3 or 4 people defending it (like it was their job).
Others are too busy fighting bigger fish
But sure those "3 or 4 people" should just join the rest of the jaded bitter mmorpg'ers in their pro-bono bitter quest to miserably shit on everything they dont like
If the game fails, I'm sure that some of its fans will helpfully explain that the problem is that they didn't get enough funding to create the game they intended.
If the game succeeds, I'm sure some of it's haters will helpfully explain that the reason they were so so cynic is that they didin't knew enough about game development to understand why it can take so long.
Just as plausible
CIG themselves don’t know how long something takes to develop 90% of the time, hence the years and years of delays. Fortunately they are aware so abandoning something like the SQ42 roadmap just months before beta, q3 2020 remember, was the smart thing to do. You can’t fail a goal (again) when you don’t set one, right?
/Cheers, Lahnmir
'the only way he could nail it any better is if he used a cross.'
Kyleran on yours sincerely
'But there are many. You can play them entirely solo, and even offline. Also, you are wrong by default.'
Ikcin in response to yours sincerely debating whether or not single-player offline MMOs exist...
'This does not apply just to ED but SC or any other game. What they will get is Rebirth/X4, likely prettier but equally underwhelming and pointless.
It is incredibly difficult to design some meaningfull leg content that would fit a space ship game - simply because it is not a leg game.
It is just huge resource waste....'
Gdemami absolutely not being an armchair developer
Boy, doesn't this seem totally applicable to SC as well?
When Urquhart and his team first started making Pillars of Eternity in the fall of 2012, they plotted a schedule that would take them to 2014. But they ran into numerous complications during production, including scope issues (the planned game was too big), story issues (their lead writer was caught up on Obsidian’s other project, South Park: The Stick of Truth, itself delayed for many reasons), and thousands upon thousands of bugs.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Shows how little i pay attention to this game,i see this title everytime i come on and think....did someone win the lottery !!.
Then i click it and i am bummed out,oh yeah it's this game.I'll likely forget by tomorrow and forget again and click thinking someone won the lottery.Well i guess someone did win the lottery,not a forum user though.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
Its amazing how much salty tears 300 M$ can cause.
Even more amazing that it is US the backers providing the 300 M$, not
THEM ;-)
And it is not the backers that cry those tears.
Always
cracks me up.
Have fun
I am not crying. I am a backer. I like and play SC. I didn’t however lose my ability to be critical of some things and CIG and their project(s) have huge flaws, just like Babs his reasoning really. I like to point that out, it borders on dishonesty.
And just a thought, but out of all US backers, how many have walked away by now? Its no indication whatsoever but everybody I know personally who backed SC have stopped following it completely. We have no idea how many backers aren’t on board anymore due to the delays and changes. You always say that we, the backers, wanted all those features and don’t mind that it is taking longer. You don’t know that, at all, all those charts do not show how many abandoned “their” SC.
/Cheers, Lahnmir
'the only way he could nail it any better is if he used a cross.'
Kyleran on yours sincerely
'But there are many. You can play them entirely solo, and even offline. Also, you are wrong by default.'
Ikcin in response to yours sincerely debating whether or not single-player offline MMOs exist...
'This does not apply just to ED but SC or any other game. What they will get is Rebirth/X4, likely prettier but equally underwhelming and pointless.
It is incredibly difficult to design some meaningfull leg content that would fit a space ship game - simply because it is not a leg game.
It is just huge resource waste....'
Gdemami absolutely not being an armchair developer
I am not crying. I am a backer. I like and play SC. I didn’t however lose my ability to be critical of some things and CIG and their project(s) have huge flaws, just like Babs his reasoning really. I like to point that out, it borders on dishonesty.
Just because you don't comprehend why something happens doesn't mean it's flawed.
Money raised used as a milestone, as an indication of the succes of the game that is supposedly being built with it. There is no connection whatsoever and the focus on this “succes” is ridiculous. We could also “celebrate” every delay or every month the game doesn’t release, those are just as big an indication of the games succes.
The continuous raising of money throughout 8 years (remember that the very first alpha build players could test goes back to 2013 and that it's been updated ever since) and the fact that it keeps growing is absolutely a milestone and indication of success because it clearly shows their players like what they are delivering.
The continuous improvement of the games playability is tied to the growth of player engagement and that's why we've seen funding increase in the last years.
And just a thought, but out of all US backers, how many have walked away by now? Its no indication whatsoever but everybody I know personally who backed SC have stopped following it completely. We have no idea how many backers aren’t on board anymore due to the delays and changes. You always say that we, the backers, wanted all those features and don’t mind that it is taking longer. You don’t know that, at all, all those charts do not show how many abandoned “their” SC.
From all the stats US backers compose the majority of the player base followed by Germany & France:
Its amazing how much salty tears 300 M$ can cause.
Even more amazing that it is US the backers providing the 300 M$, not
THEM ;-)
And it is not the backers that cry those tears.
Always
cracks me up.
Have fun
I am not crying. I am a backer. I like and play SC. I didn’t however lose my ability to be critical of some things and CIG and their project(s) have huge flaws, just like Babs his reasoning really. I like to point that out, it borders on dishonesty.
And just a thought, but out of all US backers, how many have walked away by now? Its no indication whatsoever but everybody I know personally who backed SC have stopped following it completely. We have no idea how many backers aren’t on board anymore due to the delays and changes. You always say that we, the backers, wanted all those features and don’t mind that it is taking longer. You don’t know that, at all, all those charts do not show how many abandoned “their” SC.
/Cheers, Lahnmir
SC keeps growing .... both in new players and in older players adding to what they have.
And they are in game. You can meet them there. Try it, as you ARE a backer.
Yes, many say they wait until it is finished. Not everyone likes being an Alpha tester. That is ok. Waiting for completion is not the same as "abandoning".
Take the Invictus free fly week. Around 23,500 new accounts were created over that week, less than half of them will convert to paying backers. Newbros are much more likely to buy in at $60 than $200.
So 11,500 * $60 = $690,000, hell round it up to $750,00 for all those that spent $100 instead of $60
They raised $8 million over that week meaning "older players adding to what they have" accounted for $7.25 million. The main sale item for the week was the Drake Complete Pack, an "add-on" priced at $4600 ($5520 inc VAT).
Comments
/Cheers,
Lahnmir
Kyleran on yours sincerely
'But there are many. You can play them entirely solo, and even offline. Also, you are wrong by default.'
Ikcin in response to yours sincerely debating whether or not single-player offline MMOs exist...
'This does not apply just to ED but SC or any other game. What they will get is Rebirth/X4, likely prettier but equally underwhelming and pointless.
It is incredibly difficult to design some meaningfull leg content that would fit a space ship game - simply because it is not a leg game.
It is just huge resource waste....'
Gdemami absolutely not being an armchair developer
When you think about buying a game do you think about how much was spent developing the game? Or how long it has taken for that matter.
Now maybe people should (along with e.g. how much various game CEOs are paid) but I am pretty sure what most people think about are stuff like:
- how much does it cost them to buy / continue to play?
- what is the gameplay like?
- are the graphics OK for them?
- can their rig run it?
- longevity / "value"?
- heck are they even interested in the game - a lot of people play FIFA for example but others simply have zero interest.
And those looking for Monster Hunter might give it a miss as well since - as you pointed out - they have only just gotten around to thinking about monsters. I suppose if they had done monsters first you would have called them out for not developing ships first!
I just don't see how it ends well for this project (cant call it a game as it clearly is not at this point)........Even if they somehow ever finish it, the costs to keep it going will be astronomical.
Just as plausible
EQ1, EQ2, SWG, SWTOR, GW, GW2 CoH, CoV, FFXI, WoW, CO, War,TSW and a slew of free trials and beta tests
But sure those "3 or 4 people" should just join the rest of the jaded bitter mmorpg'ers in their pro-bono bitter quest to miserably shit on everything they dont like
Oh the irony
EQ1, EQ2, SWG, SWTOR, GW, GW2 CoH, CoV, FFXI, WoW, CO, War,TSW and a slew of free trials and beta tests
/Cheers,
Lahnmir
Kyleran on yours sincerely
'But there are many. You can play them entirely solo, and even offline. Also, you are wrong by default.'
Ikcin in response to yours sincerely debating whether or not single-player offline MMOs exist...
'This does not apply just to ED but SC or any other game. What they will get is Rebirth/X4, likely prettier but equally underwhelming and pointless.
It is incredibly difficult to design some meaningfull leg content that would fit a space ship game - simply because it is not a leg game.
It is just huge resource waste....'
Gdemami absolutely not being an armchair developer
When Urquhart and his team first started making Pillars of Eternity in the fall of 2012, they plotted a schedule that would take them to 2014. But they ran into numerous complications during production, including scope issues (the planned game was too big), story issues (their lead writer was caught up on Obsidian’s other project, South Park: The Stick of Truth, itself delayed for many reasons), and thousands upon thousands of bugs.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Then i click it and i am bummed out,oh yeah it's this game.I'll likely forget by tomorrow and forget again and click thinking someone won the lottery.Well i guess someone did win the lottery,not a forum user though.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
scroll down and have a look at the graph. 2020 is astronomical for them
And just a thought, but out of all US backers, how many have walked away by now? Its no indication whatsoever but everybody I know personally who backed SC have stopped following it completely. We have no idea how many backers aren’t on board anymore due to the delays and changes. You always say that we, the backers, wanted all those features and don’t mind that it is taking longer. You don’t know that, at all, all those charts do not show how many abandoned “their” SC.
/Cheers,
Lahnmir
Kyleran on yours sincerely
'But there are many. You can play them entirely solo, and even offline. Also, you are wrong by default.'
Ikcin in response to yours sincerely debating whether or not single-player offline MMOs exist...
'This does not apply just to ED but SC or any other game. What they will get is Rebirth/X4, likely prettier but equally underwhelming and pointless.
It is incredibly difficult to design some meaningfull leg content that would fit a space ship game - simply because it is not a leg game.
It is just huge resource waste....'
Gdemami absolutely not being an armchair developer