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Second Life CEO Rod Humble leaves Linden Lab
Rod Humble, CEO of Linden Lab for the past three years, officially announced via Facebook that he has left the company. Humble has worked on both The Sims and EverQuest, pretty much exactly the two games that you would think could be mashed together into Second Life. Linden Lab has not issued a statement about Humble's replacement at this time. In a statement on the move, Humble wished his former coworkers and customers the best of fortunes, stating that he was moving on to form a startup company to make "art, entertainment, and unusual things." Whether or not this will be another startup in the online gaming space or something entirely different remains to be seen.
The Elder Scrolls Online won't require a PlayStation Plus membership
If you're looking forward to playing The Elder Scrolls Online on a console, it's going to be cheaper to do so on the PlayStation 4. Why? Because subscribers will not need a PlayStation Plus subscription to subscribe to the game and keep playing online. Xbox One owners, meanwhile, will require an Xbox Live Gold membership in order to subscribe, bringing the cost up ever so slightly beyond the normal price of entry. That's the takeaway from a recent post on the official PlayStation blog by game director Matt Firor. Other important points from this blog entry are the fact that the servers for the game will be split by platforms, meaning that PC players cannot play with PS4 players and vice versa. Firor also stated that while the team does not have an exact timetable, a beta on PS4 is incoming for later this year. The game is launching on the PC on April 4th, 2014.
The Nexus Telegraph: Everyone's got active combat, and so does WildStar
WildStar is launching with active combat, but let's be totally honest about something: The whole telegraph system is not exactly as special now as it might have seemed, say, three years ago. Guild Wars 2 has active combat. Ditto TERA, ditto DC Universe Online. The Secret World makes use of telegraphs all over the place (which kind of feels like a kludge, but so does most of the game's combat system, so there). Even Final Fantasy XIV -- a game I have noted on many occasions as having a much slower and more tactical combat pace -- makes heavy use of telegraph mechanics. And The Elder Scrolls Online is certainly launching with a more active combat system, to boot. There's more to WildStar than telegraph markers, though. So it's time to talk about what the game actually does in terms of combat that's interesting and novel. We've been told that the active combat of the game is a big deal, but is it actually revolutionary, an evolution, or just another thing?
Make My MMO: Crowdfunding January 12 - 25, 2014
After a sleepy holiday season, the crowdfunding crowd has woken up and gotten down to business. And amidst that new bustle of activity, Make My MMO's ranks are altering a bit. Two games leave our listing, but each for different reasons; the cross-platform space sim Space Unfolding folded after missing its goal, and Face of Mankind moved along to Betawatch to join the ranks of the games in testing. And now that War of Omens' campaign has wrapped up, it moves into the fully funded category. Some campaigns have really kicked into high gear. Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen joined the crowdfunding race and has delivered a slew of nearly daily news. Novus AEterno has nearly tripled its goal and is closing in on yet another stretch goal these final days of its campaign, while The Repopulation has also blown away its initial goal and is aiming for its eigth stretch goal (not to mention revealed plenty of juicy new bits). A smaller title, Tales From The Strange Universe, is more than halfway to its modest goal with a week left. And newcomer Star Rider also jumps on the Kickstarter bandwagon. Unfortunately, others aren't faring as well. Things aren't looking promising for Antilia or Universe Rush, whose campaigns end soon and are still over $85K and $98K short of their respective goals. Want more details on these stories or an update on all the already-funded projects? We've got the round-up right here.
Legislation may pave a path for 38 Studios case settlement
Amazingly enough, the 38 Studios saga could be wrapped up soon if lawyers and the Rhode Island government agree on a path out of the legal swamp. The Associated Press is reporting that efforts are being made to settle the 38 Studios lawsuit out of the courts. Rhode Island's lawyer is encouraging the state senate to pass legislation allowing both sides to come to a settlement, as the remaining 38 Studios assets and resources are "being eaten up very rapidly." The state is suing Curt Schilling and 13 others over the $75 million loan that 38 Studios defaulted on back in 2012, looking for repayment plus additional compensation for damages. If the legislation passes and a settlement is reached, then the defendants would be protected from any further claims for compensation.
A look at game budgets (and MMO budgets)
Let's not delude ourselves: Companies are making games to make money. That's the whole point. But it's not about how much a game sells; it's about how much it sells compared to how much it costs to make. And that's a bit harder to be sure about, since most companies aren't in the habit of disclosing exactly how much this game or that costs to make in the first place. Kotaku contributing columnist "Superannuation" looks at the rising budgets of games over the years, including some MMOs in the mix. Some of the figures are certain, some of them are more ambiguous, and all of them provide an interesting look at the price tag. EverQuest's initial budget, for instance, is pegged at $3 million, while World of Warcraft apparently cost $200 million for upkeep and development over the first four years of operation. Take a look at the full listing for a look at some known points and plenty of speculation fodder.
Make My MMO: Crowdfunding December 29, 2013 - January 11, 2014
Was 2013 the year of Kickstarter? Whatever you think personally about the funding model, you can't argue with the fact that over $480 million was pledged through the crowdfunding platform in the last calendar year. That's definitely one hunk of change! But whether or not that figure translates into a tidal wave of awesome games has yet to be seen; the jury will remain out until even more funded games actually release and players get to experience what they backed. As for specific MMO news this past fortnight, the bulk of it involves new titles vying for a slice of 2014's crowdfunding pie. The CCG War of Omens has already grabbed a piece; it met its goal and has moved on to stretch goals for the last couple of days. Other hopefuls include more two space strategy games. Learn more about all of these, as well as the news from the funded front, right here in Make My MMO.
Legislation introduced to resolve 38 Studios lawsuit
The ongoing saga of 38 Studios and the state of Rhode Island continued on Wednesday courtesy of Governor Lincoln Chafee introducing a new piece of legislation to the state assembly. Specifically targeting the ongoing lawsuit, the legislation would be used as an inducement for the former company to settle with the state out of court rather than go through the lengthy process of a trial by ensuring that the named defendants will not face further litigation on the same causes. In more conversational terms, the bill states that if the defendants in the lawsuit settle out of court, they cannot be sued again in Rhode Island courts by other people over the closure of the company or other similar charges. Whether or not this will provide sufficient incentive for Curt Schilling and the other 13 defendants named in the lawsuit to simply settle remains to be seen.
SEC subpoenas the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation over 38 Studios lawsuit
After the last bit of immature name-calling over the 38 Studios debacle, it must be nice to finally put this whole mess to bed for good so we can... oh, wait. No, it appears that the drama regarding the dead studio continues as the Securities & Exchange Commission has issued a subpoena for the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation regarding its lawsuit against Curt Schilling and the other executives of 38 Studios pre-closure. The subpoenas request both depositions and exhibits pertaining to the ongoing court case against the management of the former studio. The RICC, formerly known as the Economic Development Corporation, was the organization responsible for selling bonds to facilitate the $75 million loan to the now-defunct gaming studio and has been under investigation by the SEC following the company's bankruptcy and dissolution. Neither the SEC nor the RICC is discussing any further details regarding the investigation.
Make My MMO: Crowdfunding December 15 - 28, 2013
'Tis the season... but not for news! With minds focused on the holidays, it looks as if not much happened in the realm of crowdfunding since our last Make My MMO update. Just how slow was it? It was so slow that Star Citizen did not announce earning another $2 million. A few tidbits did, however, did trickle out. Novus AEterno met its goal within 102 hours and still has a month of funding ahead. On the other hand, Empires of Tahn followed what seems to be the new norm: cancel the project before getting the dreaded "unsuccessful" label. And one title that is already strong in its development has jumped back into the crowdfunding realm; The Repopulation aims to incorporate even more features into the sandbox. There are also a couple dev blogs to speak of and a few odds and ends, all of which you will find rounded up for you below.
Make My MMO: Crowdfunding December 1 - 14, 2013
If it seems as if crowdfunding's gone into a turkey coma lately, you aren't just imagining things -- at least as far as funded games are concerned. News on that front has seemed scarce compared to the deluge of some other two-week spans, but the current campaigns are trying to make up for it. Life is Feudal canceled its Indiegogo campaign, but devs vowed to "survive according to Plan 'B'," so we'll keep an eye out to see whether it moves into personal funding as other games have done. (That route is working for Neo's Land, whose donations keep creeping higher.) Similarly, Novus AEterno scrapped its second Kickstarter campaign, but in a twist, it's already restarted another with a lower goal. Outer Worlds Online, however, just didn't make the funding cut. On the successful side, manners and dinner parties will be coming to an MMO near you; Ever, Jane got an invitation to join the funded club. A few other funded titles also saw some progress, and still others joined (or re-joined) the race for your support. And topping all that, we also bid farewell to Elite: Dangerous, who leaves Make My MMO for Betawatch now that its alpha has started. You can catch all the updates below.
Tamriel Infinium: The Elder Scrolls Online is no April Fools' joke
Usually for this Elder Scrolls Online column, I bury the weekly question somewhere in the middle of the article or tag it at the end, but this week, I want to begin with the question. What do you think of the ESO release date? For those of you who missed Wednesday's announcement, here it is again: ZeniMax set the release date for April 4th, 2014 (4-4-14, isn't that quaint?). The date is smack-dab in the middle of the spring sales season, not the mid-June definition of spring many gamers feared. That also means that we sit less than five months away from stepping foot into the online world of Tamriel. Are we ready for it? Is ZeniMax ready for it? I know people who are in the beta have claimed that the game needs to cook for another year, at least. True or not, that state seems to be far too popular for MMO players to say so that they can be "right" when the game "fails" three months after launch. Although I believe there is some merit to statements like that, there are always reasons companies pick specific dates for releases. Today, let's talk about some of those reasons, and let's also examine the newly released trailer. What do these two things tell us about the game to come?
The Soapbox: World of Warcraft isn't back, and that's fine
So. That Warlords of Draenor, huh? To take the narrative that a lot of people have constructed, World of Warcraft has been sort of floundering for the past few years. It released one expansion (Cataclysm) that consistently ranks as the worst expansion in the game's history, coming behind the launch game, The Burning Crusade, and Alganon. Then it released another one that turned out to actually be pretty good but with a premise that turned a lot of people off right out of the gate. Mists of Pandaria's quality doesn't matter in the face of the game losing five million subscriptions in three years. But then, Warlords of Draenor was announced, and suddenly hope returned to the faithful. There's this thought that the game has suddenly returned from the brink, that Blizzard hit the big red button labeled "Save World of Warcraft" and the game will be catapulted back into prominence once again. Except that I think that portion of the story isn't just premature -- it's making a stab in the dark about a game that isn't back and can't, in fact, be back.
War Thunder CEO discusses free-to-play's future on consoles
Free has become the entry point for a lot of games on both mobile devices and the computer. If you enjoy the game, you spend money, but it costs nothing to try it. But what about free-to-play on consoles? War Thunder is on the PlayStation 4 and is looking to the future, but as Gaijin Entertainment CEO Anton Yudintsev explains, the problem with a large number of free-to-play games is a matter of polish. Yudintsev goes on to compare his company's flagship game to Call of Duty and its record-breaking profits, stating, "We're not the greedy bastards here." He sees a bright future for free-to-play on consoles but also asserts that free developers have to step up to a higher level of refinement, delivering more polished mechanics to get past the initial bias of console gamers. Take a look at the full interview with Yudintsev for more elaboration on his views of the console makret compared to the PC market.
RIFT shows off its customer service department
What's it like working a day in customer service? Most of you probably don't have to speculate, since the odds of you having worked retail at some point hover right around almost certainty. But have you worked customer service for a game before? If you have, then you probably don't have any need to look at RIFT's new post about the perils of working in the game's CS team. If you haven't, maybe you'd like to know a bit more about the people you're cursing about as you try to get your character bugs resolved. Aside from showing off some anecdotes and company-wide teamwork for the team, the post also contains the helpful reminder for players of every games that things which seem to be exploits are probably better off reported rather than, well, exploited. If you want a peek behind the curtain to see how the service team operates within games in general and RIFT in particular, take a look at the full article.
Make My MMO: Crowdfunding November 17 - 30, 2013
One thing gamers can definitely be thankful for this year is crowdfunding! Thanks to this phenomenon, we have many more options opening to us than ever before. And there are definitely some good gaming prospects on the horizon, even if news about all but one is seeming a bit scarce lately. While it's true that a few funded projects tossed out a news morsel or two, two new campaigns replaced two unsuccessful ones (neither The Zodiac Project nor Omuni Online made their goals), newcomer The Mandate already made its goal, and another hopeful -- Ever, Jane -- has secured three-quarters of its goal with only a couple of days left, the majority of the spotlight has been stolen the upcoming space sim Star Citizen, which continues to blast the crowdfunding record to smithereens. If you missed any of the news, you can catch up on it all right here in Make My MMO.
38 Studios' intellectual property auction in December, Project Copernicus on the table
The tragic tale of 38 Studios' unreleased MMO, Project Copernicus, isn't over just yet. The Associated Press reports that "[a]bout two dozen parties, including some overseas" have "expressed interest" in bidding for the intellectual property of 38 Studios, which includes the unfinished game. The auction, which was set to take place on November 14th but was delayed due to unexpectedly high demand, is scheduled for December 11th. Nick Jimenez, executive vice president of auctioneer Global Heritage Partners (which is handling the sale of the studio's intellectual property), stated that the potential buyers in the auction "are from North America, Europe, and Asia" and that "[s]ome have expressed interest in buying all the intellectual property, and some are eyeing parts of it." It's unclear what his means for the future of Copernicus, or at least of Copernicus as we know it, but be sure to keep an eye out for future developments.
Make My MMO: Crowdfunding November 3 - 16, 2013
A quiet fortnight in the land of crowdfunding these past two weeks have not been. In fact, with the popularity of this funding model, it may never be quiet again. The past two weeks have had their share of campaigns starting, campaigns closing, and campaigns obliterating goals and funding records alike. Three new prospective games have popped on the radar (including one for those with impeccable manners!), and one has disappeared. But even that game isn't gone for good; although pledges had climbed to over $86K, Trials of Ascension canceled its campaign in order to "regroup, rework, and return." Another title, City of Titans, is taking its place among the fully funded crowd. And there there is Star Citizen, which proved that a single fortnight can't go by without the game's gathering another million or two. All that information and more can be found here in Make My MMO!
Perfect World Entertainment explains more about Arc
Perfect World Entertainment is pulling its games together in a big way. The company's new Arc platform is meant to integrate all of its various titles, from Star Trek Online to Neverwinter to Perfect World International, under a single launcher and a more unified scheme. A new development update explains more about what this will mean for players of these titles and offers a rough idea of when these changes will begin rolling out. First and foremost in many players' minds, the new launcher will not be made mandatory just yet, although a new version of all the various game websites will be launching before the year's end. The change is also creating a new and streamlined format for buying Zen for each game, along with a new set of game guides to help new players understand what they're getting into. For more details on these changes as well as the new profile system, take a look at the full update, and keep your eyes peeled for our interview with PWE on these changes from Terilynn Shull.
World of Warcraft sheds another 100,000 subscriptions
Everyone is pretty certain that the next World of Warcraft expansion is going to be announced very soon. Tomorrow, probably. So it serves as an interesting counterpoint to note that the game has lost 100,000 subscribers over the past three months, dropping the game's total to 7.6 million subscribers and serving as a rather inelegant coda to the game's most recent expansion, Mists of Pandaria. Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick stated the numbers during a post-earnings call while noting that "new and exciting content" is on the way for the game. While 7.6 million subscribers is still more than enough to make hats out of money, it's a far cry from the game's subscription height. It remains to be seen whether or not the next expansion will help launch the game back upward or not -- and whether the game is currently undergoing a slump or is simply beginning to decline.
