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GamersFirst sees a management shakeup
GamersFirst is in the minds of gamers for its successful relaunch of APB: Reloaded, which went from a lightning-fast shutdown to a successful free-to-play title. The company is also developing new games based on original IPs for future release. But there's some rumbling going on behind the scenes at the company, as the company's parent corporation, K2 Network, saw the resignation of its CEO, Joshua Hong. Bjorn Book-Larsson, former COO and CTO, has been promoted to the CEO position, with Hong's future uncertain. The official statements claim that the transition of power was amicable and pre-arranged, but it also comes on the heels of worldwide layoffs from K2 and rumors of a power struggle behind the scenes. Rahul Sandil, the company's public relations chief, claimed that there was no truth to these rumors and that the plan was to move forward from simple localizations of titles developed in foreign markets. Sandil went on to confirm that APB: Reloaded continues to be a large-scale success for the company and that further development will be centered around work that Book-Larsson had already seen during his time as CTO and COO.
GamersFirst welcomes World of Warcraft to 'the free-to-play revolution'
Sarcastic, genuine, or merely self-promoting? An open letter from GamersFirst's Joshua Hong to Activision-Blizzard's Bobby Kotick following World of Warcraft's surprise move to an indefinite free trial could be all three. "I wanted to congratulate you on taking your first big step to join the Free2Play® revolution," Hong writes. He certainly isn't shy in expressing what he sees as GamersFirst's great accomplishments in the market: "Having created this market in the western hemisphere, it's very encouraging for us to see the last bastion of the subscription-only online gaming business joining the Free2Play movement... Given our recent success in reviving APB Reloaded, which launched as a subscription-based game we transitioned to Free2Play, we know that the first steps are often the hardest. But the proof is in the metrics, as APB now has more than three times the active player base than when it initially launched as a subscription product. We also plan to repeat this success with Fallen Earth." Hong continues the letter by "extending [his] friendship and support" to Blizzard, inviting Kotick to the free-to-play party at Gamescom, and hoping that the company's entire library will be made free in the future.
Joshua Hong continues pursuit of Governor's seat
We heard some interesting news from GamersFirst CEO Joshua Hong at the beginning of the month, when he announced his plan to run for Governor of California under the "Free2Play" flag. The timing of his announcement combined with his stated intent to bring Free2Play to all Californians led many to think it was some elaborate April Fool's prank. Of course, we know now that Hong was serious about his bid for office. He remains serious in this pursuit now, having released "The 3 Tent Poles of Free2Play." While at first glance, the concept sounds a bit like "free MMOs for everyone," it's simply a platform based on the ideal concepts and goals behind free-to-play gaming: "The basis of the Free2Play model is to put gamers first. My premise for Free2Play in California is to put Californians first!" Hong expands on the goals of his campaign and promises more details to come, but he was kind enough to elaborate on the three cornerstones of them for us right away. Follow along after the jump for a detailed look at what Free2Play is all about.
GamersFirst CEO to run for Governor of California
Unfortunate timing made nearly everyone think it was another April Fool's Day prank, but today's news confirms that it's not: "Joshua Hong, CEO and founder of GamersFirst, has declared his intent to participate in the 2010 race for California Governor; replacing Governor Schwarzenegger; who is ineligible for re-election this year." Hong, whose company GamersFirst offers free-to-play games such as Sword of the New World, will be running a lighthearted campaign, on the premise that people are sick of weighty, "overexamined" issues like schools, healthcare, and the economy. "What people really care about is entertainment and video games." He sums up the campaign pretty clearly: "From experience, players are sick of big corporations charging exorbitant costs for video games and consoles. I want to incorporate the ideas of Free2Play, which I brought to this industry and trademarked. I will use my gubernatorial term to propagate and instill Free2Play to Californians. With our loyal Free2Play community of nearly 5 million in California, the strength of that bond will push me into the position of 39th governor of California!" Is he serious? Well, his camp says yes, and he only needs 10,000 signatures by the August deadline to get on the ballot. Are you interested to see how far he can carry this? Head over to vote4josh to add your support, and keep your eye on Massively -- we'll be talking with the candidate himself very soon to see where this is all going.
