In today's column devoted to The Secret World, MMORPG.com Managing Editor Bill Murphy takes a look at the partnership between EA and Funcom. Bill looks at both sides of the coin, both good and bad, and offers a few insights into his thought process. Check it out and let us know what you think!

As I see it, both the good and bad possibilities rely on whether or not EA keeps to the publishing side of things and lets’ Funcom take the time it needs to get the game out when it’s ready, not when the number is up. With something as complex and difficult as an MMO, I worry that EA simply doesn’t have the patience to let a developer see it through. I know it’s not easy to just keep feeding a game money when you want to see an ROI, but sometimes the best course of action is to do just that so that the MMO is more likely to retain subscriptions.

Read more of Bill Murphy's The Secret World: EA and Funcom = What?

FAN OF STEAM? What are you smoking? Steam is the most evil and useless tool ever developed by man.

Originally posted by ConjureOne

FAN OF STEAM? What are you smoking? Steam is the most evil and useless tool ever developed by man.

 Could you elaborate? Why is Steam the most evil and useless tool ever? Just curious...

Originally posted by sinjin

Originally posted by ConjureOne

FAN OF STEAM? What are you smoking? Steam is the most evil and useless tool ever developed by man.

 Could you elaborate? Why is Steam the most evil and useless tool ever? Just curious...

You think this guy has something productive to say? Honestly?

The only aspect that worries me is EA pushing Funcom to release early.  Funcom is horrible at launches as is and does not need a publisher making it worse.  Hopefully, the EA money actually has the opposite effect and allow them to take the time to polish the game, which from past expereince they sorely need.

EA getting involved, for me anyway, is a bad scene. I was excited for The Secret World, and still am, but I am now more skeptical of it. Plus, EA means no steam, which is also a bad scene.

Originally posted by sinjin

Originally posted by ConjureOne

FAN OF STEAM? What are you smoking? Steam is the most evil and useless tool ever developed by man.

 Could you elaborate? Why is Steam the most evil and useless tool ever? Just curious...

Because they block your games/CD keys according to your geographical locations and by doing that deny my freedom and also scam me off my money (retailer refused to refund the money for the cd key because its not their problem steam blocks russian boxes in my country)

also it takes forever to install games with steam

ALSO the customer support is awful, they just close your tickets whenever they feel like it if they have nothing more to say except "f off"

In truth, there is cause to be concerned.  Larry Probst is no longer there, at least that's my guess being there's a new CEO, but because of what EA did with Earth and Beyond, it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.  And there isn't enough Listerine to freshen it up.

But let's also look at Dragon Age 2.  I'm not sure on which end it is.  But BioWare being a division of EA...we saw what happened.  They rushed out a game that did not get great reviews.  If anything, they got slammed.  Was it EA's call?  Did they want to cash-in quick on DA: Origins success?  I've heard and read on the Bioware Social Network a resounding yes from alot of the playerbase.

EA has been known to focus on the failing Madden and sports series.  That has been their niche.

So is there cause to be concerned?  Especially with Funcom?  Funcom has one final chance to clear up their name.  If EA forces them to rush this out, I think it could be very concievable that we may see the end of Funcom.  EA will have destroyed yet another development studio.

Personally i play a game if it's good. First with Bioware, i haven't met a game yet i didn't at least like by them. Then secret world which is made by the same set of people who made the longest journey and dreamfall (which was the sequel). So i'm good on that front.

The only, and this is the only problem i have is the same one you have here:

EA also tends to like to get things out the door, and since Funcom is not BioWare I worry that Ragnar and crew will be rushed to hit some arbitrary deadline.

As long as EA lets them do their thing i think they'll be just fine but if they start pushing, then we are going to notice problems (bugs, lack of content etc etc)

Now i know EA is giving Bioware more then enough time to do their thing but Funcom doesn't have the history/money to do likewise so theres a bigger chance EA, especially seeing as how much they are putting out to ToR might rush this a bit to get ROI sooner then it should. 

It's also entirely possible that EA has changed their ways (at least a little) and reliezed that you can't keep rushing products and get a good return. Heres hoping they did.

As for me I'll be playing ToR and watching TSW closely (well closely after ToR launches as i can really only follow one game closely)

As far as I am concerned Funcom just dropped the soap, and took all of us with it.

Meh, instead of rushing I'm more afraid of that EA will see TSW as interference for their blockbuster MMO, SWTOR, and that they don't want TSW to launch too close to SWTOR's launch. Instead they could go and say, 'you know what, this year or early next year isn't convenient with our SWTOR launch, we prefer it when you release TSW in May 2012, that would fit our game release schedule better'

As with everything else I am not going to rush to judgement. Besides, the same people that think EA is an evil overlord that is going to ruin everything it touches with it's heavy-handed, money grubbing ways are the ones that use the "Failcom" moniker to describe Funcom, so it really makes no difference. 

I will NEVER play any MMOs EA is involved with...ever.

EA ruins MMO's just by being involved...Web is full of blogs by ex developers telling of how EA NEVER stays solely on publishing side of things.

I get what yer saying man but EA is bad news for an already somewhat untrusted dev like funcom..

I hope for funcoms sake they actually deliver this time or they will be going the way of the dinosaur and EA will waste no time pulling the plug on the time machine....

Originally posted by kishe

I will NEVER play any MMOs EA is involved with...ever.

 

EA ruins MMO's just by being involved...Web is full of blogs by ex developers telling of how EA NEVER stays solely on publishing side of things.

 

If i get to try it and i like it i will buy it but if i taste EAs taint on the development of the game i will pass because as you stated EA is known to dabble where they have no business and its never for the better..

If funcom lets EA use their resources to help finish or ummm polish TSW then it has already failed..

 

 

I like EA actually.  People like to complain about game companies,  but EA is one of the biggest,  and also quite possibly one of the most diverse publishers around.  While not everything they do is gold, I think we'd see a big decrease in the amount of games that see the light of day, or at least see the light of day in any playable fashion, if EA wasn't around.  

For me, I'm more worried about Funcom than EA.  Funcom hasn't put out a relatively stellar title on launch that didn't have some major issues somewhere.   If anything though,  EA will likely learn a few things from the launch of SWTOR, and may be able to support Funcom better now knowing first hand what it will take to put out the best most polished MMO they can.

umm, since when was UO still supported by EA?  your talking about publishing, and i haven't seen a UO box in stores in a long time, nor any advertisements. But anyways EA sucks and imo they are THEE reason games have sucked for the last decade... peace.

EA is the best publisher around. 

Apparently the writer of the article haven't read the agreement between FC and EA.

EA will handle the boxed copies and FC retains the control of digital distribution.  It's basically the same agreement thet FC had with Eidos when they published AoC.  FC handles every other thing in the game, from development to server hosting to CS, the partnership is only for co-publishing, so almost all of the bulletpoints are irrelevant.

Even some of "the good" bulletpoints are pointless, as, for instance, it wouldn't matter at all if EA cared for TSW or not, they wouldn't be the ones sustaining it or pulling it's plug in the future, but FC.

FC delayed AoC for a year despite Eidos, granted they should have delayed it more, but a year after the agreed date is quite a lot.

As long as EA does not push it out the door before its ready, I don't care one way or the other ...

But ... I full expect EA to push it out the door before its ready.  Hope I am wrong :\