Funding issues are a killer for any computer game but even worse for MMORPGs.

Any mmorpgs worth playing has received lavish investment and development time. Any mmorpg with funding problems has been released incomplete with the vain and wrong hope it coud be patched up later. This permanently destroys its user base and therefore income potential and hence its future development budget.

Stargate may possibly be given enough cash to rush the game out of the door. But in this climate, the banks, dumb at the best of times and with no understanding of game development, will give them at best enough to get the game out incomplete. The result will almost certainly be a mess that will take 2 years to fix (if the company is lucky and makes it) and will have 1/10th the potential user base that it would have with a release made when they *want* to make it not when forced to.

By the time the game is worth playing people will have lost interest and instead be playing whatever has just come out at the time. If the Old Republic from Bioware is out by the time stargate is any good, it will be too late. No one will go back.

I also cant believe that the Stargate Studio guy is uninformed. If he had been uninformed he would have said so, not kept saying 'its a shame'.

I'm suprised MGM isn't investing a lot into this game, They get on their knees for SG-1 and Atlantis, even still trying to get sifi renew SG-1. Or at least they were. Stargate Universe would be amazing to explore but i don't see sucess if MGM isn't even dedicated to it.

Originally posted by Mysk

"The lights here are still on and the development team is working hard every day to get this game built," said Balentine in the statement. "Team members are in the office seven days a week to deliver Stargate Worlds."

 

Picture says it all.  Doesn't even need a caption.

 Well if they hadn't hit on having a good MMO coming together on their hands by the time this hit, they may as well not bother if it's just looking mediocre. Lets hope this new company has not been looking over it's shoulder copying popular trends in the MMO industry and has created a game with their own creativity and innovation that will make it a popular MMO for sci fi fans who enjoy the StarGate IP, only time will tell. They've got stiff competition from Earthrise and Mortal online, not to mention two twitched based space action MMO's join the claim to the MMO sci fi pie soon.

Originally posted by Stradden

Originally posted by streea

The economy might be suffering, but the gaming/MMO industry is not.

I wouldn't say that... There have been layoffs all over the place. many people from within the industry are currently unemployed due to the economic crisis. Investor money in these difficult times, is hard to come by, smaller studios are having trouble making payroll... just like everywhere else.

 

This is a very true statement that the overall financial outlook has had a great effect on developers but I do have to add that the way they try to use the economy as an excuse doesn't sit well.These kind of statements to me are akin to a person commiting murder and then blaming a song that they heard on the radio.

I don't understand what this game have that's going to attract enough people to keep it alive.

Can I play as MacGyver?

Originally posted by jaxsundane

 

This is a very true statement that the overall financial outlook has had a great effect on developers but I do have to add that the way they try to use the economy as an excuse doesn't sit well.These kind of statements to me are akin to a person commiting murder and then blaming a song that they heard on the radio.

That's an incredibly poor analogy, no offense.

A company's ability to raise capital is heavily metered by the Fed and surrounding entities. Since most up-start companies rely almost exclusively on debt (hence the incredibly high volatility) through Bonds, IPOs, and general lending through major banks (whose interest rates are heavily influenced by the Fed), funding availability in a Recession -as we're in - is slim.

This basically ends up to there being nobody to borrow money from, and no one willing to give loans. When was the last time you heard of an MMO built without debt? Tabula Rasa was some $7.5 Million (or was it more?) in debt by the end. Funcom was also multiple million dollars in debt at the launch of AoC. I can't think of a single 3D MMO that has launched without massive debt.

Now, however, without anyone lending money and available credit shrinking, you have to finish up games with less money. This means cut features, fewer employees, and other cost-reducing measures to ensure that you still have a viable product. Whether or not Stargate Worlds is a viable product or not doesn't matter if they can't get the money to fund production costs.

So it may seem like a Cop-out, but they get their money from investors and banks. As an investor myself, I have to say - these are not fun times to start a company.

It's Dead, Jim!

agreed on it lol

Originally posted by Egamst3k

Originally posted by jaxsundane

 

This is a very true statement that the overall financial outlook has had a great effect on developers but I do have to add that the way they try to use the economy as an excuse doesn't sit well.These kind of statements to me are akin to a person commiting murder and then blaming a song that they heard on the radio.

 

That's an incredibly poor analogy, no offense.

A company's ability to raise capital is heavily metered by the Fed and surrounding entities. Since most up-start companies rely almost exclusively on debt (hence the incredibly high volatility) through Bonds, IPOs, and general lending through major banks (whose interest rates are heavily influenced by the Fed), funding availability in a Recession -as we're in - is slim.

This basically ends up to there being nobody to borrow money from, and no one willing to give loans. When was the last time you heard of an MMO built without debt? Tabula Rasa was some $7.5 Million (or was it more?) in debt by the end. Funcom was also multiple million dollars in debt at the launch of AoC. I can't think of a single 3D MMO that has launched without massive debt.

Now, however, without anyone lending money and available credit shrinking, you have to finish up games with less money. This means cut features, fewer employees, and other cost-reducing measures to ensure that you still have a viable product. Whether or not Stargate Worlds is a viable product or not doesn't matter if they can't get the money to fund production costs.

So it may seem like a Cop-out, but they get their money from investors and banks. As an investor myself, I have to say - these are not fun times to start a company.

Obviously you don't work in banking...  banks aren't lending because of the fed or the recession, banks (who aren't lending, some are) are doing so due to a crunch in liquidity due to toxic assets (NPL and NPAs) which are eating up their capital due to write downs and write offs and provisions for loan losses due to the idiotic decisions of our government (starting back in 1999 when Clinton pushed for lower standards at FNMA and FHMLC) and the banks and mortgage companies (which are out of the game before the crap hit the fan I might add) that saw dollar signs due to that poor governmental policy who made too many loans to people who shouldn't of had them.  Add to that the charge of racism any time someone tried to fix the problem before it became the mess we have now and you wind up with this situation of the housing market crashing.

There is only one way that the fed controls lending activity and that is with the reserve rate (or how much in deposits a bank must keep based upon their deposits).  The interest rate doesn't change the amount a bank has to lend, just how many are willing to borrow, it is a demand side mechanic.

[quote]For some time now, speculation has been running rampant about the current development status of Firesky's sci-fi MMO Stargate Worlds.[/quote]

I'm confused by the "Firesky's game" comment.

I thought it was being developed by Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment? Was there a change in developers?

I find it amusing that the developers say "We're doing just fine! The "rumors" are lies!" and people just buy it hook, line, and sinker. Guess what, Perpetual Entertainment said "We're doing just fine! The rumors are lies!" just before they abruptly shut down with no warning in the middle of beta for Gods and Heres.

There's a lot more evidence from the community showing CME being in trouble than there is from the developers showing everything is fine. Just like PE with G and H.

Originally posted by Kept

[quote]For some time now, speculation has been running rampant about the current development status of Firesky's sci-fi MMO Stargate Worlds.[/quote]

I'm confused by the "Firesky's game" comment.

I thought it was being developed by Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment? Was there a change in developers?

firesky is the SGW publisher its the publishing part of CME and the stargate license was transferd from CME to Firesky in April 2008. CME is the coding department Firesky is the publisher. Firesky owns the stargate license not CME. They are litterly the same company but different departments

TIIIIIMBER

TBH I never had a lot of hope for this game's success because, frankly, I just don't see a way for an MMO to capture the heart of the Stargate shows.. I just don't think it can be done without massive instancing (a-la GuildWars & DDO) which typically pisses traditional MMO players off. But without massive instancing and a very linear storyline I just don't see SGW feeling much like Stargate at all.

I hope, for the sake of the employees, that they do pull it off and it is a smashing success... but if history is any indicator this title is doomed.

Originally posted by Deadman87

I don't understand what this game have that's going to attract enough people to keep it alive.

 

Can I play as MacGyver?

Maybe they need to hire MacGyver. He could take some used bubble gum, his shoe laces, a piece of lint, and make SGW with just those items.

Originally posted by vefrode

I'm suprised MGM isn't investing a lot into this game, They get on their knees for SG-1 and Atlantis, even still trying to get sifi renew SG-1. Or at least they were. Stargate Universe would be amazing to explore but i don't see sucess if MGM isn't even dedicated to it.

Stargate is a strong IP for MGM but its not a top draw like Star Trek or Star Wars.  The strength of interest will be keeping a Stargate product infront of the audiance.  Stargate Universe will premier soon but I don't think it will have the legs that the two previous series have had.  Stargate Universe basic plot is ---> Star Trek: Voyager.  SGW will need SU to help propel the interest to gain funding.  If this series fails, then thats what will be the final nail in the coffin for the game.

From what I've heard, the gameplay and the state of the product  looks as if it suffers from a lack of funding. It's too bad. Hopefully they will work it out.

CME failed to meet payroll again last week and the pyramid scheme Whiting was using to pay his staff is cracking up. CME directors are selling off the non toxic assests of the CME/Firesky enterprise to eachother for worthless shares in CME and look ready to bail with golden parachute and all.

I dare Gary Whiting to come here an offer MMORPG an interview and tour of the CME offices where all those DEVs (that weren't laid off) are hard at work coding SGW. But he won't because he can't.

I wonder who that light they left on is for?

As far as I know, and I havent been in the building since Jan. They are still working on it as hard as they can. Everyone wants it to ship dispite whatever else is going on. I wont talk negitive about it but I also wont sugar coat anything.

Bizzaroderek Im going to miss you not working on SGW :( But where ever you go I hope you do well. Well atleast you speak some positives :D

ps everyone on sgw irc misses you :)