Originally posted by CobraSolidus

Originally posted by altair4

Originally posted by Toolfan

No it's not too late. There's plenty of people playing the game, unfortunetly they are spread over too many servers. People want to write this game off already and call it a failure just because it doesnt have 10 million subs. 200k-400k subscribers in the market is considered a success and to be honest that's all i expected from the game. Of course people left due to missing content but I knew half the people would leave after the first 30 days because of the immersion and lore. Comparing WoW and AoC on that regard is absurd. It would be like comparing Justin Timberlake to Tool. They both are great at expressing themselves in creative and original fashions, it's just not many followers from either end of the those spectrums would appreciate the others end.

I'm sure WoW and maybe Warhammer are good games, but it has no appeal to me what-so-ever. To me looking at my monitor at ridiculously glowing armor and weapons would be the equivelant of hanging out a gay night club with men dancing around with glow sticks in their hands.

 

200-400k is a good number for a MMO, that I agree on. But what we have here is a MMO that costed alot and took a long time to develop and I think they got about 100k players now. Maybe slightly higher number if you count the subscribers who's accounts still havent run out. But no more than 100k active players. And that is not a success for such an expensive game, which is also why the stock is diving and Gaute left.

If it just had been a dissapointment, not having the amount of subscribers they were hoping for. Then Gaute would still be running the show. But it's such a failure compared to what they were both hoping and planning for. What I mostly wonder is if they can actually start making some money from this game or if all their loans and such are gonna eat up all the profit and it being a big reliability trying to fix this game and make it popular. I'm guessing the move they are gonna have to make is setup a ghost crew that runs the game and just get the money they can from the hardcore fans.

 

I think WAR has 75000 paying customers... And EVE possible 35000... Hell since we just started this game I also think LotRO has 90000 players. Opinions are like assholes, everybody get one.

I think has you and 15 or 16 other fanbois left... this means nothing... Im guessing AOC has the least of all the above mentioned games, as for EVE that company posts the numbers pretty regularly.

Originally posted by mintor

retarded poll .

Thank you for your deeply insightful and vastly constructive response. ;-)

AoC is far from being dead.

There's actually more people coming back day by day.

A lot of them from WAR advicing others in OOC channel NOT to try warhammer.

Anyway, i am waiting for the server merges too. All FC has to do is expand current areas like where guild cities are, or add new ones, so guilds can keep their cities and battlekeeps even after a merge.

I find AoC fun right now with not as many people around as i'd like it to have.

Just imagine how much fun it will be with 4-5 times more people online.

Oh and about the WOW expansion, i doubt it will make any difference to AoC numbers seeing as the people that left WOW to play AoC are already back to the blizzard game; and the ones who stayed say they wont be playing WOW anymore. And that is because as they say world of warcraft, WAS a good and cool game to play, once - some years ago.

Looks like a lot of people want this game to succede from the poll results. Is AoC getting any better?

For me, AoC never had a chance and will never come back. I played in beta and saw then that the gameplay was terrible. Leveling is a grind fest, the combat system is button mashing fever and the small instanced zones leave little room for exploration or any form of open ended gameplay. Unless AoC does something drastic that totally alters the entire basis of the game such as the way SWG had the "NGE" then it will never be the kind of game I would be willing to play. And since the NGE was probably one of the worst ideas in gaming history I'm not going to recommend that to the AoC devs. So they may as well admit they made a boring game which many people with high standards will not play and move on.

But can AoC itself recover, fix some of its problems and maybe regain a few of the fans it lost? Sure. Its possible. Anarchy Online was a terrible game when it was released. And although Funcom never made it into the kind of game that I would play myself, they fixed it up reasonably well and got a lot of people back. They could turn AoC around as well. It will never be a very big game and nobody will ever forget the way that Funcom treated the game and their customers over these last six months. But it may get a few people to return. And of course there will allways be the small crowd of blind fanboys who will fight to the death for the game like our buddy Cobra here.

Originally posted by Raltar

For me, AoC never had a chance and will never come back. I played in beta and saw then that the gameplay was terrible. Leveling is a grind fest, the combat system is button mashing fever and the small instanced zones leave little room for exploration or any form of open ended gameplay. Unless AoC does something drastic that totally alters the entire basis of the game such as the way SWG had the "NGE" then it will never be the kind of game I would be willing to play. And since the NGE was probably one of the worst ideas in gaming history I'm not going to recommend that to the AoC devs. So they may as well admit they made a boring game which many people with high standards will not play and move on.

 

But can AoC itself recover, fix some of its problems and maybe regain a few of the fans it lost? Sure. Its possible. Anarchy Online was a terrible game when it was released. And although Funcom never made it into the kind of game that I would play myself, they fixed it up reasonably well and got a lot of people back. They could turn AoC around as well. It will never be a very big game and nobody will ever forget the way that Funcom treated the game and their customers over these last six months. But it may get a few people to return. And of course there will allways be the small crowd of blind fanboys who will fight to the death for the game like our buddy Cobra here.

I saw one of you post in one of the other AoC threads and I just want to let you know that I do not belive you. It is just odd to straight out hate a gamedeveloper to the degree you hate FC. It makes me think that you youself have some personal agenda. No hard feelings, but it looks kind of strange.

Originally posted by altair4

Originally posted by Toolfan

No it's not too late. There's plenty of people playing the game, unfortunetly they are spread over too many servers. People want to write this game off already and call it a failure just because it doesnt have 10 million subs. 200k-400k subscribers in the market is considered a success and to be honest that's all i expected from the game. Of course people left due to missing content but I knew half the people would leave after the first 30 days because of the immersion and lore. Comparing WoW and AoC on that regard is absurd. It would be like comparing Justin Timberlake to Tool. They both are great at expressing themselves in creative and original fashions, it's just not many followers from either end of the those spectrums would appreciate the others end.

I'm sure WoW and maybe Warhammer are good games, but it has no appeal to me what-so-ever. To me looking at my monitor at ridiculously glowing armor and weapons would be the equivelant of hanging out a gay night club with men dancing around with glow sticks in their hands.

 

200-400k is a good number for a MMO, that I agree on. But what we have here is a MMO that costed alot and took a long time to develop and I think they got about 100k players now. Maybe slightly higher number if you count the subscribers who's accounts still havent run out. But no more than 100k active players. And that is not a success for such an expensive game, which is also why the stock is diving and Gaute left.

If it just had been a dissapointment, not having the amount of subscribers they were hoping for. Then Gaute would still be running the show. But it's such a failure compared to what they were both hoping and planning for. What I mostly wonder is if they can actually start making some money from this game or if all their loans and such are gonna eat up all the profit and it being a big reliability trying to fix this game and make it popular. I'm guessing the move they are gonna have to make is setup a ghost crew that runs the game and just get the money they can from the hardcore fans.

Not sure on AoC's numbers but all games, all music, movies pretty much all adventures and projects have investers and loans to deal with. And all those forms of media have had far worse products making profits and repaid their investers. Now I agree this project for funcom seems to have been expensive for them but the investors and whoever else loaned them the money must have believed in them that it will payoff in the LONGRUN.  And I always see people in here talk about funcom's stock but most of you dont seem to undrestand how stocks work, you actually think that the stock price would have stayed at $55 a share even if it amazing was a superb game and retained 100% of initial buyers. the fact is that it wouldn't. Are investors a little worried that it did drop to $5.... probably that's why changes were made. but $5 for a video game company is not bad and it's been stable around $5. And why no comments from these wanna be stock watchers watching Funcom have nothing to say about Activision/Blizzard's stock dropping around $3 a share in about 3 weeks, when they are making crazy profits off their more balanced, extensive and diverse portfolios of titles like WoW and Guitar Hero...even possibly collecting royalties from SEGA from Total War franshise. Not to mention the entire world's global economy is spiraling down. but you all think AoC is going to die just because you dont like it.

http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=ATVI#chart1:symbol=atvi;range=1m;indicator=volume;charttype=line;crosshair=on;ohlcvalues=0;logscale=on;source=undefined

Originally posted by Dreamagram

WAR is out. WoW expansion coming in 6 weeks. AoC has a new man at the helm. He has given an update on what they're working on.

I see comments along the lines of both "this will turn it around" and "too little, too late". So I wanted to throw up a little poll to see whether people's thoughts and hopes are the same or differ a lot.

The question: is it too late for AoC to become a healthy game? Let us know both what you think (will they go down or manage well?) and what you hope for.

So about 65% of those here think its too late for AoC, weather thrilled or sad, they all say the same thing ... its TOO LATE!

Originally posted by Toolfan

Originally posted by altair4

Originally posted by Toolfan

No it's not too late. There's plenty of people playing the game, unfortunetly they are spread over too many servers. People want to write this game off already and call it a failure just because it doesnt have 10 million subs. 200k-400k subscribers in the market is considered a success and to be honest that's all i expected from the game. Of course people left due to missing content but I knew half the people would leave after the first 30 days because of the immersion and lore. Comparing WoW and AoC on that regard is absurd. It would be like comparing Justin Timberlake to Tool. They both are great at expressing themselves in creative and original fashions, it's just not many followers from either end of the those spectrums would appreciate the others end.

I'm sure WoW and maybe Warhammer are good games, but it has no appeal to me what-so-ever. To me looking at my monitor at ridiculously glowing armor and weapons would be the equivelant of hanging out a gay night club with men dancing around with glow sticks in their hands.

 

200-400k is a good number for a MMO, that I agree on. But what we have here is a MMO that costed alot and took a long time to develop and I think they got about 100k players now. Maybe slightly higher number if you count the subscribers who's accounts still havent run out. But no more than 100k active players. And that is not a success for such an expensive game, which is also why the stock is diving and Gaute left.

If it just had been a dissapointment, not having the amount of subscribers they were hoping for. Then Gaute would still be running the show. But it's such a failure compared to what they were both hoping and planning for. What I mostly wonder is if they can actually start making some money from this game or if all their loans and such are gonna eat up all the profit and it being a big reliability trying to fix this game and make it popular. I'm guessing the move they are gonna have to make is setup a ghost crew that runs the game and just get the money they can from the hardcore fans.

 

Not sure on AoC's numbers but all games, all music, movies pretty much all adventures and projects have investers and loans to deal with. And all those forms of media have had far worse products making profits and repaid their investers. Now I agree this project for funcom seems to have been expensive for them but the investors and whoever else loaned them the money must have believed in them that it will payoff in the LONGRUN.  And I always see people in here talk about funcom's stock but most of you dont seem to undrestand how stocks work, you actually think that the stock price would have stayed at $55 a share even if it amazing was a superb game and retained 100% of initial buyers. the fact is that it wouldn't. Are investors a little worried that it did drop to $5.... probably that's why changes were made. but $5 for a video game company is not bad and it's been stable around $5. And why no comments from these wanna be stock watchers watching Funcom have nothing to say about Activision/Blizzard's stock dropping around $3 a share in about 3 weeks, when they are making crazy profits off their more balanced, extensive and diverse portfolios of titles like WoW and Guitar Hero...even possibly collecting royalties from SEGA from Total War franshise. Not to mention the entire world's global economy is spiraling down. but you all think AoC is going to die just because you dont like it.

http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=ATVI#chart1:symbol=atvi;range=1m;indicator=volume;charttype=line;crosshair=on;ohlcvalues=0;logscale=on;source=undefined

youre right it would have stayed at 55 if it were a 100% success. It would have gone to 120 or higher.
 

If they fix the bugs, it will easily be the best MMO on the market.

In fact, it already is imo, its better than WAR even with the bugs, and all the other MMOs are just more of the same WoW crap

mark my words when the expansion comes out more than 500K people will buy it

Also , AOC will hit the XBOX 360 this game is here to stay

Sadly I was hoping much more from WAR much much more

Funcom will make money

Originally posted by orzo

Originally posted by Dreamagram

WAR is out. WoW expansion coming in 6 weeks. AoC has a new man at the helm. He has given an update on what they're working on.

I see comments along the lines of both "this will turn it around" and "too little, too late". So I wanted to throw up a little poll to see whether people's thoughts and hopes are the same or differ a lot.

The question: is it too late for AoC to become a healthy game? Let us know both what you think (will they go down or manage well?) and what you hope for.

 

So about 65% of those here think its too late for AoC, weather thrilled or sad, they all say the same thing ... its TOO LATE!

You see that's the thing, OP tricked the trolls out of the poll by that I hope and think option. Of the rest of the normal gamers only 43% think it is too late. 57% think it is not too late. Numbers are still kind of shitty but not as bad as you suggest.

If they hurry up and deliver the game they promised folks, with all the features and minus the bugs, then yes, they have a chance to recapture some market share, but they have to hurry.

There is definitely hope for the game. They just need to keep fixing things like they are and they will be fine.

Originally posted by SaintViktor

There is definitely hope for the game.

There is much more than hope for this game. Now with the latest test server patch notes (currently v 3.21) we are even getting an improvement of the best pvp system ever (Lineage 2 PvP system) with criminal shady camps, guards attacking murderers on sight, quest lines for murderers, etc... etc...  awesome.

Originally posted by BigMango

Originally posted by SaintViktor

There is definitely hope for the game.

 

There is much more than hope for this game. Now with the latest test server patch notes (currently v 3.21) we are even getting an improvement of the best pvp system ever (Lineage 2 PvP system) with criminal shady camps, guards attacking murderers on sight, quest lines for murderers, etc... etc...  awesome.

This was a surprise to me. I had no idea of that this system was planned for the game. I knew murder/consequence  was on the way but I did not know that they would take it as fare as making murder quests and that guards will attack murderers etc. Sounds very promising.

I don't know if it will fail.  Even if it sucks now, they have a history of releasing suckfest games that have huge longevity and eventually turn it around.  (see Anarchy Online). 

Originally posted by anubis93

I don't know if it will fail.  Even if it sucks now, they have a history of releasing suckfest games that have huge longevity and eventually turn it around.  (see Anarchy Online). 

1) huge longevity , yes as a modestly populated niche title.

2) eventually turn it around,  yes to become a modestly populated niche title.

This is the second time they launched a broken MMO, burned the customers, the majority of which never returned. Very sad in Anarchy Online case. It became an almost unknown, very under rated and often over looked game. The bad rep it gained from it's catastrophic launch will last longer than the game itself, same goes for AoC.

Not to mention AO is 100X the game AoC is.

since i bought it, i hope it gets back on its feet one day....but at this rate....i don't think it can

I think that it is a crying shame that a game ends up in this way, what a wasted opportunity for all involved including the devs, producers and the players.

If VG can come back than AoC can surely come back, however it will never reach the hights that it could have done.

Even worse for Funcom, they have tarnished their name in this market  where people dont quick forget (SOE and SWG springs to mind) and a lot of people where exposed to their failings.

AoC will recover (this time next year for example)but will never be a great game, something it had the potetenial to be. It will be a niche game for a few that really like the lore involved.

Originally posted by eq2js

If they fix the bugs, it will easily be the best MMO on the market.

In fact, it already is imo, its better than WAR even with the bugs, and all the other MMOs are just more of the same WoW crap

The bugs other than the exploits and dupes they took so long to fix were never the issue for me, it was simply fast leveling combined with nothing worthwhile to do at max level meant the game became dull very quickly.

Originally posted by VultureSkull

I think that it is a crying shame that a game ends up in this way, what a wasted opportunity for all involved including the devs, producers and the players.

If VG can come back than AoC can surely come back, however it will never reach the hights that it could have done.

Even worse for Funcom, they have tarnished their name in this market  where people dont quick forget (SOE and SWG springs to mind) and a lot of people where exposed to their failings.

 

AoC will recover (this time next year for example)but will never be a great game, something it had the potetenial to be. It will be a niche game for a few that really like the lore involved.

Yes I am sure Asian Launch, Russian/EEurope Launch, Xbox360 launch, Lionsgate Conan movie wount hype the game to same levels as at US launch...Come on man, stop thinking yesterday. I see you on this forum 2 months from now talking about what an excellent game this is and how god damn successfull it is. It's not black and white;)

Originally posted by Toolfan

No it's not too late. There's plenty of people playing the game, unfortunetly they are spread over too many servers. People want to write this game off already and call it a failure just because it doesnt have 10 million subs. 200k-400k subscribers in the market is considered a success and to be honest that's all i expected from the game. Of course people left due to missing content but I knew half the people would leave after the first 30 days because of the immersion and lore. Comparing WoW and AoC on that regard is absurd. It would be like comparing Justin Timberlake to Tool. They both are great at expressing themselves in creative and original fashions, it's just not many followers from either end of the those spectrums would appreciate the others end.

I'm sure WoW and maybe Warhammer are good games, but it has no appeal to me what-so-ever. To me looking at my monitor at ridiculously glowing armor and weapons would be the equivelant of hanging out a gay night club with men dancing around with glow sticks in their hands.

AoC might look pretty but I found it to be unplayable.  The game was not fun at all.  Crafting sucks, pvp sucks, instanced small zones suck,  non-interactive world, more then 5 people in an area lags, poor design, the list goes on and on... Im playing Warhammer and although its not the prettiest girl on the block I can say that she is definitely the best in bed if you catch my drift.  The graphics are not that cartoony imo and its a lot of fun.  Try playing warhammer before you judge it based on medium graphics settings from open beta.  On a good computer the game looks pretty nice.

Even an orc wiggles a little while after an AXE to his head.  Just as AoC will do, it will wiggle and shiver and twitch before its goes dark.

That was uncalled for.

And guys, it is OK to not like a game, really, it is. Just know that your persional opinion does not speak for everyone.

There are tons of MMO's comming out, and out allready, find one you like.