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Is it time for Smedley to go?
Sago
Member Posts: 516
Hey All ….
Been away for the last couple of months getting my certs in IT. Been doing this stuff for 10 years and never bothered getting them. So today I get to play catch up with what’s been going on around here.
My nephew and I sat around today reminiscing about SWG … watched a few videos and such.
Both of us are still amazed about a couple of things. First that Smedley, Jeff Freeman, $OE and $LA would have even considered to alienate their (at the time) current playerbase. And second that - Sony allows Smedley and his cronies to keep their employment at $OE. Maybe with this new CEO of Sony things will change …. who knows.
I say this because when being in business the object is to make money. A business makes money through providing goods and/or services that people are willing to pay for. In July ’03 it was reported that the playerbase level in SWG had grown to over 500,000 accounts. At this point in time SWG was NOT part of an All Access Pass. So the number of accounts reflected the actual number of people playing the game. In addition I would venture to say that there wasn’t very many people that had more than one account. Everyone should have been busy with his or her original toon.
Like I said, in July ’03 the account level was over 500,000. It was reported that SWG was the MOST successful MMO ever. WoW was not released yet. The annual income for 500K accounts is $7,500,000 per MONTH or $90,000,000 per year. Yes that is 90 million dollars per year. This does not include the profit from sales of the original game or expansions.
In my opinion this is a nice chunk of money. Er … was a nice chunk of money. SWG’s playerbase is a fraction of what it once was. There is no way anyone that is reasonable can say that there isn’t a severe loss of revenue.
So my question is … If someone ran YOUR company into the ground and took $90,000,000 out of your pocket (annually) wouldn’t you fire the SOB???? I would. So what is the delay over there at Sony (not $OE) to wake up, smell the roses, and get rid of ALL the management that allowed this NGE to occur?
Until Sony/$OE rights this wrong, they will FOREVER be know by all as a company that just can’t make a sound decision. (most recently the comment by Dennis Miller at Ryzom)
Since the NGE $OE has been adding bits and pieces of preNGE back into the game and in a lot of cases, calling it new content under some other name. What are they trying to pull? Or is it they are just trying to add the “right” piece or enough small pieces back into the game to get people to return?
For myself and my nephew, we will NEVER return to SWG unless three things happen/change.
1. Smedley, senior management, and those responsible is terminated.
2. A written public apology that includes that they will not do this again.
3. A complete rollback to preCU (not preNGE). Piece mailing preNGE back in will not surfice.
Guess I need to wait for a new game.
BTW ... I am sorry ... I have tried several times to get the paragraphs seperated, but am unable to.
Sago Mactow
Former SWG 2yr 7 month Vet
6/26/03 - 1/26/06
Jedi, Master Shipwright, Master Architect
DFR Councilman
Tarq Server
Comments
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
ROFLMAO
Everyone is welcome to an opinion - even if it cost me 1 disk set and over 3 years of subscription to get there
Sago Mactow
Former SWG 2yr 7 month Vet
6/26/03 - 1/26/06
Jedi, Master Shipwright, Master Architect
DFR Councilman
Tarq Server
Everyone IS entitled to an opinion, and the mass majority of people that voice their opions all agree that the NGE is a steaming pile of crap. I loved SWG and played it everyday before the NGE. I miss that game, and I know I'm not alone.
The fact that so many people have voted with their dollars and stopped playing SWG speaks volumes. The fact that no one was fired over the NGE also says alot... none of it good.
SOE is a corporation. Corporate-minded descision-making always churns out crap. Look at what our music industry has become. The film industry is starting to look the same. Right now we have a major problem with the death of American art and culture at the hands of large Mega-Corps.
I don't know what we as a people and as consumers can do about it, but something needs to be done soon.
millions but dumb SOE released game at %25. Many people bought the game
(was like 1 million in first month) but %75 of them quited due to bugs.
So SWG was known as "buggy like hell" game.
It has aroud 200k-300k customers but that was not enough because it was
SWG and should have millions. As you know 2 big companies run the game
together so 300k means 150k per company and that's really not much
money.
So they thought they had to do something new, instead of fixing the
orginal game, and put CU thing. Yeah many old players quitted but so
many new player started to play and I can say that SWG was growing
really fast.
But sounds like LA wasn't so excited and forced SOE to do something new
again and NGE is here now. Yeah, it really sucks and a big failure but
both company can not admit it. Because admitting fault means some guys
lose their jobs.
I think SWG will go with NGE 'till another company releases SWG 2. I don't think it's far away tho.
And, smedly will never ever go away. He is the boss. He doesn't only responsible for SWG, he is the president
Wrong .. SWG DID have over 500K ... read here - directly from LA website: SWG 500K accounts
I hear ya on the rest.
CELEBRATES ITS ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!
Marin County, Calif. – June 28, 2004 – LucasArts and Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), a worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online (MMO) gaming, are proud to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the launch of Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided. Launched a year ago, Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided quickly became the fastest growing massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) in North America and today boasts over 500,000 registered users, with more than 115,000 players logging into the game every day.
During its first year, an impressive amount of new content was added to Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided. November 2003 saw the introduction of player cities, incorporated townships that allow players to own homes, construct public buildings and elect mayors. A variety of creature mounts and player-crafted vehicles including the familiar speeder and swoop bikes were added to the game in December 2003. Early 2004 saw the addition of the Geonosian Bio Lab, Deathwatch Bunker and Corellian Corvette adventure areas, adding numerous hours of high-end content and depth to game play.
LucasArts and SOE are currently working on the first full-scale retail expansion to the franchise, Star Wars Galaxies®: Jump to Lightspeed™. Scheduled for release in October 2004, Jump To Lightspeed will add a whole new level of twitch-based space combat to the game and will feature 15 starships, four space-based professions, and two new playable species.
"While we will continue to aggressively expand the game for all players, we also will be rolling out a series of special items reserved exclusively for our long-standing community members,” said LucasArts Producer Haden Blackman. With the launch of Jump to Lightspeed, players who have maintained an active account for at least six consecutive months will be given special access to a luxury starship. “This luxury starship will allow veteran players to venture into space with their friends and explore in comfort and style,” Blackman added. The space yacht, which is used in Star Wars® fiction by wealthy and dashing characters such as Lando Calrissian, is only the first of many rewards planned for veteran players.
About LucasArts
LucasArts, a Lucasfilm Ltd. company, is a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment products for video game consoles, computers and the Internet. Based in Marin County, Calif., as well as on the Internet at www.lucasarts.com, LucasArts was created in 1982 by George Lucas to provide an interactive element to his vision of a state-of-the-art, multi-faceted entertainment company.
Lucasfilm Ltd. is one of the world's leading film and entertainment companies. Founded by George Lucas in 1971, it is a privately held, fully integrated entertainment company. In addition to its motion-picture and television production operations, the company's global activities include Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, serving the digital needs of the entertainment industry for visual-effects and audio post-production; and Lucas Licensing, which manages the global merchandising activities for Lucasfilm's entertainment properties. Additionally, Lucas Online creates Internet-based content for Lucasfilm's entertainment properties and businesses. Lucasfilm's motion-picture productions include five of the 20 biggest box-office hits of all time and have received 19 Oscars and 53 Academy Award nominations. Lucasfilm's television projects have won 12 Emmy Awards. Lucasfilm Ltd. is headquartered in Marin County, Calif.
About Sony Online Entertainment
Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Digital Inc., is a recognized worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games, with a subscriber base of over 700,000 active accounts around the globe. SOE creates, develops and provides compelling entertainment for the personal computer, online, game console and wireless markets. Known for its blockbuster franchises, EverQuest® and PlanetSide®, as well as for developing Star Wars Galaxies®: An Empire Divided®, SOE continues to redefine the business of online gaming and the creation of active player communities while introducing new genres on various entertainment platforms. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, with an additional development studio in Austin, TX, SOE has an array of cutting-edge online games in development.
Sago Mactow
Former SWG 2yr 7 month Vet
6/26/03 - 1/26/06
Jedi, Master Shipwright, Master Architect
DFR Councilman
Tarq Server
NOT A SINGLE DECISION MAKER who was part of the CUNGE should still have a job.
Wrong .. SWG DID have over 500K ... read here - directly from LA website: SWG 500K accounts
I hear ya on the rest.
Well, if you really believe what they say; NGE has 200k+ customers too...
Wrong .. SWG DID have over 500K ... read here - directly from LA website: SWG 500K accounts
I hear ya on the rest.
Well, if you really believe what they say; NGE has 200k+ customers too...
I was there in July 03 ... I know what the sever level were listed at. I saw the numbers of people playing the game, I saw several groups of 20 people at Squill Cave and Fort Tuskin at one time. Not to mention all the other POIs and other things to do during that time.
These are all things that you can not see today. But you can believe whatever you want.
Sago Mactow
Former SWG 2yr 7 month Vet
6/26/03 - 1/26/06
Jedi, Master Shipwright, Master Architect
DFR Councilman
Tarq Server
Wrong .. SWG DID have over 500K ... read here - directly from LA website: SWG 500K accounts
I hear ya on the rest.
Well, if you really believe what they say; NGE has 200k+ customers too...
I was there in July 03 ... I know what the sever level were listed at. I saw the numbers of people playing the game, I saw several groups of 20 people at Squill Cave and Fort Tuskin at one time. Not to mention all the other POIs and other things to do during that time.
These are all things that you can not see today. But you can believe whatever you want.
I was there too, when there were several groups, but they stayed just 1 or 2 months... But, let's say it was 500k.. Still was not enough for 2 companies.
Check this out, crap Warcraft Universe has 5 million players and the great saga of Star Wars, which is known by millions and millions of people, has 500k. If I was SOE, I would've done something too, but I would've fixed the orginal game instead of wasting money for nothing.
WoW is a spin off of another popular MMO (Warcraft) by an established company (Blizzard) that already had a nice playerbase. So they kinda had a built in playerbase for WoW when it was released.
In addition, WoW has alot of international servers. Most inparticular .. in China. and there are 3 billion screaming Chinese. LOL.
Sago Mactow
Former SWG 2yr 7 month Vet
6/26/03 - 1/26/06
Jedi, Master Shipwright, Master Architect
DFR Councilman
Tarq Server
Wrong .. SWG DID have over 500K ... read here - directly from LA website: SWG 500K accounts
I hear ya on the rest.
Well, if you really believe what they say; NGE has 200k+ customers too...
I was there in July 03 ... I know what the sever level were listed at. I saw the numbers of people playing the game, I saw several groups of 20 people at Squill Cave and Fort Tuskin at one time. Not to mention all the other POIs and other things to do during that time.
These are all things that you can not see today. But you can believe whatever you want.
I was there too, when there were several groups, but they stayed just 1 or 2 months... But, let's say it was 500k.. Still was not enough for 2 companies.
Check this out, crap Warcraft Universe has 5 million players and the great saga of Star Wars, which is known by millions and millions of people, has 500k. If I was SOE, I would've done something too, but I would've fixed the orginal game instead of wasting money for nothing.
we can all agree something needed to be done (I.E fixing the game) but what we're discussing here is the fact that the people who were in charge of getting that thing done need to go because clearly (by the sub numbers) they aren't very good at their jobs. SWG needs a total new management. (and now onto my view on this)
I mean come on these people belong to a international company they should know these things , like if they implimented "classic" servers the community would be happy and they'd get more money everybody wins
Why are they not doing it? because their stuborn and don't want to admit their wrong, does that sound like someone who should be running a MMORPG with such a community that star wars would bring?
Wrong .. SWG DID have over 500K ... read here - directly from LA website: SWG 500K accounts
I hear ya on the rest.
Well, if you really believe what they say; NGE has 200k+ customers too...
I don't think that SOE or LEC have ever claimed that they have 200k + customers now.
Being part of the station pass could make it appear that SWG has more players but it will not show that SOE is making more money.
Back to the real question: Everything that has gone wrong with SWG is not entirely John Smedley's fault. Galaxies certainly needs someone new running the show and several of the devs should be fired. Smedley, is a different story. You would have to look at SOE as a whole and not just focus on galaxies. Some of their games seem to be doing just fine and they just got Vanguard, so I think blame should shift to the people that work specifically with SWG, they are the real problem.
Take Helios for example, everytime he post anything he shows how incompetent he is yet he is still the lead designer.
Smedley could be blamed for having bad employees I suppose but by just firing him the problem get no better.
lol ah to hell with, fire them ALL!!!!
I don't claim to be right, I'm just posting.
1 small Goat: $600
One bottle of Scotch: $50
One polaroid Camera: $25
Being able to keep your job because of compromising photographs from the office Christmas party: Priceless.
The best things in life are free, for everything else, there's black mail
we can all agree something needed to be done (I.E fixing the game) but what we're discussing here is the fact that the people who were in charge of getting that thing done need to go because clearly (by the sub numbers) they aren't very good at their jobs. SWG needs a total new management. (and now onto my view on this)
I mean come on these people belong to a international company they should know these things , like if they implimented "classic" servers the community would be happy and they'd get more money everybody wins
Why are they not doing it? because their stuborn and don't want to admit their wrong, does that sound like someone who should be running a MMORPG with such a community that star wars would bring?
Classic Pre-CU servers can never happen. Think about it first, %90 of Pre-CU developers left SOE and now they are working for other companies (like Bioware and NCsoft).
CU servers are possible. A rollback, classic server or revert back to CU. All are possible but SHAME, SOE doesn't do it.
At some point falling revenues would have to be taken into account. I just think Smeldy will be able to keep his job for the foreseeable future, but if the DC comics MMO does not garner at least City of villians/heroes type numbers, there will need to be a scapegoat. We'll see.
LOL, Good One, hehehe...
I'll start my own SWG... with Black Jack... and Hookers!!!
In fact, forget the SWG!!!!
Unaware of the Jestor?
http://about.me/JestorRodo/
Friends enjoy his classic Vblog - https://www.facebook.com/GoodOldReliableNathan
Yeah think its time for him to go tbh.
But think of it this way LA and SoE sat together and agreed it was a good idea to have NGE.
I smell PS3 written all over the nge .The old SWG would never have made an impact on console gamers .
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
I trulely beleive someone had to sell this to them... They cant be that intelligent to decide something on their own... They didnt jsut sit around and think this up..it came from a dev somewhere.. Freeman I think... I jsut cant see smedly / toress creating this mess...
Now as far as them pushing this disaster once it was unleashed.. oh yeah...
Xcathdra
Having access to a billion $ IP - Billions of dollars..
Having access to a massive fan base of said IP - Even more Billons...
Singly handedly alienating them due to stupidity - Priceless.
Err.....no offense. So what! The problem is not the developers. Get a competent developer staff (they may or may not have) and a competent designer and a competent project manager and they should be able to make any codebase work. The problem is choice, not ability. And IF the problem is ability, then you replace the staff as well.
I mean, are you saying that ONLY the staff that writes something can maintain it? Or maybe that the original SWG developers are the best in the world and nobody else can understand their work it is so fantastic!
Coders code. Managers mismanage. This is mismanagement at it's finest.
I realize I said I quit. I never said it was forever