So it has happened. The subcompany of Spellborn International which was responsible for the patches and support of the game has been declared bankrupt.

Frogster and Acclaim it seems are going to relaunch the game in 2010 as a free to play MMORPG. But until then they are going to keep the servers running and also the subscription for them. In other words, they're going to make people pay for a game they no longer support and in 2010 they'll shut down the version so that players get nothing in return...how nice!

So sad to see a brilliant game get destroyed by the incompetence of their management. Who for the love of god would've truly believed that the IP block at the launch of the game was a smart idea? Also no sane person would've come up with the idea to split Europe in two.... yet someone at the management of Spellborn did!

So i guess Acclaim and Frogster have won, they'll get themselves a new F2P MMO they can add to their list of F2P games.....

press release:

Berlin, 30.06.2009:

The Chronicles of Spellborn is going go be re-designed into a free-to-play version in conduct of its publisher Frogster. The reorientation of the revenue model will be accompanied by fundamental enhancements of the game-play concept and game mechanics of the innovative fantasy online role-playing game. The further development will be carried out through a joint venture between the developer Spellborn NV and Frogster Asia Co., Ltd in Korea, the Korean subsidiary of Frogster bringing in its expertise in the field of free-to-play and microtransactions.

After the re-development, the current subscription model will be switched to a free-to-play system supported by micro-transactions. This will open the vast game world of The Chronicles of Spellborn with its rich lore and game-play in its entirety without level cap to all interested players. Until then, the European and US American live version of the online world will be operated in its current form via the subscription service. At the point where the new version is released, any unused subscriptions will be credited to the accounts of the respective subscribers.

What Lies Hidden, Must Be Found
In The Chronicles of Spellborn players enter an impressive online game world containing scenic landscapes, majestic cities and the remnants of a shattered world. Alone or with a party of friends, PC adventurers step into a fantasy realm consisting of varied shards: habitable pieces of the destroyed world floating in the magical Deadspell Storm. Those who want to prevail in the involving combat of The Chronicles of Spellborn need to apply their mighty arsenal of skills actively with mouse and keyboard. Battles with bloodthirsty creatures, intelligent hostile factions and other human opponents in Player vs. Player battles are waiting. An innovative and tactically challenging combat system with third-person shooter-like controls and a unique rotating Skill Deck provides a breath of fresh air amidst the more traditional MMORPGs. Thanks to a largely extended Unreal Engine 2.5, The Chronicles of Spellborn boasts stunning 3D graphics, spectacular effects and countless elaborate details. More information, images, videos and a beta registration-form can be found on the official website: www.tcos.com

Contact: Frogster Interactive Pictures AG, Tel. +49 (0)30-28 47 01-0

About Frogster Interactive Pictures AG
The Frogster group is a Berlin-based listed publisher of online games. Frogster focuses on the marketing and operation of virtual worlds, so-called massively multiplayer online games (MMO Games). This is one of the strongest growing sectors in the entertainment industry. The Berlin-based Frogster Online Gaming GmbH which has arisen from the merger of OnlineWelten, the German MMO Games and gaming network with the widest range, and Yusho, operator and service provider for virtual worlds on own hardware infrastructure, proprietary billing systems for subscriptions and virtual items, markets and operates MMO Games in Europe (Frogster share 71%). Frogster Asia Co., Ltd. based in Seoul, Korea, develops MMO Games and is planning the launch of the marketing and operation of virtual worlds in Asia for 2009 (stake 60%). Frogster America Inc. based in San Francisco, USA, markets and operates MMO Games in North America in 2009 (stake 90%). Amongst other titles the Frogster group owns several very promising MMO Game licenses with ‘The Chronicles of Spellborn’ and ‘Runes of Magic’. Currently the group employs more than 80 staff members. In 2008, Frogster was awarded as “Landmark in the Land of Ideas”, a competition under the patronage of the German President Dr. Horst Köhler. Internet: www.frogster-interactive.de
 

What's really funny is Acclaim's puppet community manager The Historian has been coming here since Acclaim first got rights to publish 'til recently, telling everyone how great it was going to be and how great it was and how great it is and everything is fine and dandy. lol.

This was not an overnight "Oh, shit! Let's go bankrupt!" kind of deal. It now makes sense why Acclaim has been dragging it's feet. Acclaim knew, there's no way they didn't know. And they waited for the ball to drop. And now they expect to make money off current subscribers while giving nothing in return and then shoving those subcribers off the server and opening up the item mall first chance they get.

End of an Era!

Goodbye Spellborn you was the best MMORPG ever but incapable publishers let you die......

Originally posted by Zorvan

What's really funny is Acclaim's puppet community manager The Historian has been coming here since Acclaim first got rights to publish 'til recently, telling everyone how great it was going to be and how great it was and how great it is and everything is fine and dandy. lol.

This was not an overnight "Oh, shit! Let's go bankrupt!" kind of deal. It now makes sense why Acclaim has been dragging it's feet. Acclaim knew, there's no way they didn't know. And they waited for the ball to drop. And now they expect to make money off current subscribers while giving nothing in return and then shoving those subcribers off the server and opening up the item mall first chance they get.

indeed it feels like that the publishers made some damn annoying contracts so the game would have zero success and afterwards they could claim the license of the game and do with it what they wanted from the start.

Prepare for the game to become another horrible Asian MMO.

The only truly next gen or third gen  MMORPG to come along in 5 years. After it is killed off and reborn as an Asian F2P it will be unrecognizable from the game we loved. A game with lore, story and gameplay like this should never have to be enslaved to a F2P business model to operate, but that's business.

R.I.P. Spellborn. We hardly knew ya.

Very sad news ... go to hell, Acclaim (sorry for the bad words but I'm pretty tired this night).

it wasn't acclaim...

Frogster are the bastards....

They have sent the same press-release to the media so they are formally sharing the same position but ... I'm still convinced that Acclaim should have never been involved in TCoS ... but maybe I'm wrong.

Anyway ... sad news. R.I.P. TCoS.

Aw, just shut up. You people are acting like they gave you every single specific detail!

The simple fact that it's going to be F2P does not make it crap.

They said that they were making some "adjustments and Enhancements". Given the fact that the game guide accually insulted the traditional system, I think it's pretty safe to assume your all overreacting!

the only way it will become another horrible f2p title is if they completely remove all the quests and storyline and increase the respawn timer of mobs. I don't see that happening cause that would take far too much work

Sure, oversimplifying the facts about TCoS story has not been a good approach by my side, you're right but ... please, relax.

The devs may have done some errors and maybe the lack of leadership did hurt the project but, in the end, the strategical choices have been made by the publishers ... TCoS would have deserved an experienced publisher. Creative talent, good ideas and coding skills are not enough in this business, you know.

Acclaim and Frogster approach to MMO publishing may work for 2 Moons and Runes of Magic but is incompatible with a game like TCoS.

Anyway, I had some fun with TCoS and liked the community. All the players that I've met in-game and in the BBS have been warm, mature and helpful. I'm pretty old and I think that joining a beta for a game like this (or Ryzom) is better than nothing. A big hug (and sorry for my terrible English)

 I really looked forward to Spellborn.  A few years ago I signed up for the beta and was really interested in the game.  To bad this happened.

so same game but instead of a monthly fee you have the option to use your cash on completely optional items in the item mall.....just like RoM. How the hell is this a problem. Same game less money and more people playing. I can really only see good things. Unless they take out everything including the combat system and just put mobs everywhere. Then its done

Originally posted by macpete

Sure, oversimplifying the facts about TCoS story has not been a good approach by my side, you're right but ... please, relax.

The devs may have done some errors and maybe the lack of leadership did hurt the project but, in the end, the strategical choices have been made by the publishers ... TCoS would have deserved an experienced publisher. Creative talent, good ideas and coding skills are not enough in this business, you know.

Acclaim and Frogster approach to MMO publishing may work for 2 Moons and Runes of Magic but is incompatible with a game like TCoS.

Anyway, I had some fun with TCoS and liked the community. All the players that I've met in-game and in the BBS have been warm, mature and helpful. I'm pretty old and I think that joining a beta for a game like this (or Ryzom) is better than nothing. A big hug (and sorry for my terrible English)

Did you ever think that maybe the problems they had were the reason they decided on this.

Originally posted by Martie

Reatards it has nothing to do with acclaim or frogster.  I was in TCos beta for  near on 2+ years yes thats right 2 bloody years in closed beta, and the game was a bloody mess,   there was a time when nearly a near went by with no news from devs or anyone and no news omn the state of the ebat, the patches in beta were pathetic, and the closed beta was full of bloody RP idiots that actaed like eevrything was perfect.  The game at launch was a distater, and remains so to this day.  I always remained they had the best combat system for any mmo out or prevoius, but the company making the game fuucked the rest of the game up.  Nobody is to blame but the bastard devs behind the game.  RIP TCOS u had potential but the devs never accomplished it, because they were to imcopetent.

I was in the beta too for a couple years. Kept having to check in every few months and see if they were actually tasting a new build or not ( months would go by with no beta testers testing because there was no client to test  ). It was why I eventually just dropped out of the beta and waited to see the fiasco unfurl.
 

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Did you ever think that maybe the problems they had were the reason they decided on this.

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Yes ... and this may have been the main reason. But I feel I can't get hangry with them ... they have failed on the develpement front but I think that an exerienced publisher could have saved the project.

These days I miss the Eighties and the 8 bit era ...you know, the legendary bedroom coders like Matthew Smith and Jeff Minter, games that were coded in a few weeks ... but I understand that developing, selling and supporting an MMO nowaday can be a real Inferno. And the publishers do the final choices (today as in the early Eighties).