Moral of the Story-

B2P + P2P + Cash shop = Failure.

Originally posted by eddieg50
Vanguard would kill for 200k subs

Vanguard would kill for 10k subs lol.

Originally posted by Kost

Originally posted by eddieg50
Vanguard would kill for 200k subs

Vanguard would kill for 10k subs lol.

SOE would kill for 10k subs.

:)

Originally posted by Burntvet

Originally posted by bcrankshaw

Originally posted by Burntvet

Why was the title of this article not: "Funcom laying off 50%, Getting out of the MMO development business".

Those being the two most important takeaways from that release.

Oh, and FC wrote off $35 mil on the value of TSW because it is tanking.

 

Interesting, but what do you mean they "wrote off $35 million". How do you value an MMO, is this predicted subscriptions?

They listed it on the financial report as an "impairment charge", which is to say they wrote of that much of documentable value of TSW, which is to say cost of development, value of sales contracts,  value of IP (when applicable), and various other things. The total value FC puts on TSW is anyone's guess, but they certainly chopped off a big chunk.

They also listed spending $9.8 mil on launch costs, including  marketing for TSW, for all the good it did them.

 

The long and the short of it is FC got slammed on the non-success of TSW. They are not cashflow positive as a company, and won't be for a while, if ever. And thus the "around 50%" layoffs, which is a ton.

The whole financial report sounded as if deperately trying to find some positive bits in a sea of punishment.

 

Okay thanks for the update, but I would consider the cost of development of TSW a Capex cost which would have been expensive. But surly knowing  the nature of Subscription based revenue Funcom couldn't have expected  to recover that Capex expenditure in the the first few months. But surly they will get there?

Been there at release and enjoyed the game but i got cut out of the net for 1 month and half and when i got back i couldn't get myself to justifiy a sub.

Mostly because even tho i enjoyed the game, it was like an open book you left too much time and its hard to get back, i could have rerolled of course  i had fun memory but the overall polish of the game, the somewhat laggy and clunky animation, missleading skills system period (i still have yet to figure some) was too much in the balance, even loading time took age.

Overall i think it could have been a great niche game but it lack polish and it make it tiresome to play, not to mention the game sub is expensive and you get the cash shop.

I will check it back after some polish and a free 2 play transition hopefully, for now grass is greener elsewhere.

Originally posted by cronius77
im not trolling i do just have a serious question , how is the population over there now that Guild Wars 2 released ?

Pretty much the same, since you dont feel any population falls (servers are all combined and you play with the whole community at once) so actually a server can't be really empty.

i'm kinda surprised that they sold only 200k

the game itself is not bad and have some potential but the "buy +monthly fee+ cash shop" was maybe too much for players

it will go f2p sooner or later and more people will play it

good luck to Funcom and the players , might try again this game later

Originally posted by ShimpoGenmu
those life subs ppl most be mad right now lol

I suppose some might yeah.

I am not tho i love TSW its the best MMO that came out in the last few years and i do not regret spending a lil bit more money on the life time sub.

Originally posted by Adelbern
I got nothing against funcom or TSW is just not fantasy sword/magic sand thats all I play. Now for the TSW fans here trashtalking every mmo and sayings its best mmo ever, I thing they deserve this news.

those are GW2 fans .

so many excuses! fail is just fail

die hards need to stop being apologists for crappy dev failures

survival of the fitest applies to MMOs too.

Hard to see such a good game be such a poor performer.

Combination of factors held it back:

. current economic slowdown meaning people are very sensitive to prices combined with higher than competition sub-rates

. timing of the release inbetween other games/updates from much-loved companies with better public perceptions

. aversion to sub-model increasing/growth of F2P meaning many just waiting for the game to go F2P

. a very low profile in terms of public awareness

. a lack of real advertising muscle

. a niche appeal due to it's setting

. the perception of AoC as a huge failure/disappointment

. mechanics & systems being different to the MMO standards being viewed as a negative

. lacklustre combat

. lacklustre PvP

This game needed combat to be "on fire" rather than feel like an afterthought, and I think "console-style" quality of player-to-character interaction feel, level of control, viscerality of combat will be critical to MMOs moving forwards, the old days of good systems & lore/story holding up a game are gone, there are so many games now you need to be above the best to have a real chance at success & I think that will come from the gameplay "feel" in terms of character  control fidelity & range of movement, had TSW the elements of fine "controller style" gameplay & gone for a larger range of physical controls for the character, climbing, vaulting fences, drop & roll, jump & grab, environmental actions, and given the combat a much more technically involved & fluid system they would have put their game out as something that would grab the players new to MMOs much better, what exists appeals to a shrinking older audience not the growing younger one.

The game AI needed a huge push too, its really stupid and easily exploitable in PvE, a "smart" AI could have set this title apart even more.

Originally posted by Skuz

Hard to see such a good game be such a poor performer.

Combination of factors held it back:

. current economic slowdown meaning people are very sensitive to prices combined with higher than competition sub-rates

. timing of the release inbetween other games/updates from much-loved companies with better public perceptions

. aversion to sub-model increasing/growth of F2P meaning many just waiting for the game to go F2P

. a very low profile in terms of public awareness

. a lack of real advertising muscle

. a niche appeal due to it's setting

. the perception of AoC as a huge failure/disappointment

. mechanics & systems being different to the MMO standards being viewed as a negative

. lacklustre combat

. lacklustre PvP

This game needed combat to be "on fire" rather than feel like an afterthought, and I think "console-style" quality of player-to-character interaction feel, level of control, viscerality of combat will be critical to MMOs moving forwards, the old days of good systems & lore/story holding up a game are gone, there are so many games now you need to be above the best to have a real chance at success & I think that will come from the gameplay "feel" in terms of character  control fidelity & range of movement, had TSW the elements of fine "controller style" gameplay & gone for a larger range of physical controls for the character, climbing, vaulting fences, drop & roll, jump & grab, environmental actions, and given the combat a much more technically involved & fluid system they would have put their game out as something that would grab the players new to MMOs much better, what exists appeals to a shrinking older audience not the growing younger one.

 

you guys will grasp at any lame excuse to not admit people just dont like the game.

Originally posted by Kenze

Originally posted by Skuz

Hard to see such a good game be such a poor performer.

Combination of factors held it back:

. current economic slowdown meaning people are very sensitive to prices combined with higher than competition sub-rates

. timing of the release inbetween other games/updates from much-loved companies with better public perceptions

. aversion to sub-model increasing/growth of F2P meaning many just waiting for the game to go F2P

. a very low profile in terms of public awareness

. a lack of real advertising muscle

. a niche appeal due to it's setting

. the perception of AoC as a huge failure/disappointment

. mechanics & systems being different to the MMO standards being viewed as a negative

. lacklustre combat

. lacklustre PvP

This game needed combat to be "on fire" rather than feel like an afterthought, and I think "console-style" quality of player-to-character interaction feel, level of control, viscerality of combat will be critical to MMOs moving forwards, the old days of good systems & lore/story holding up a game are gone, there are so many games now you need to be above the best to have a real chance at success & I think that will come from the gameplay "feel" in terms of character  control fidelity & range of movement, had TSW the elements of fine "controller style" gameplay & gone for a larger range of physical controls for the character, climbing, vaulting fences, drop & roll, jump & grab, environmental actions, and given the combat a much more technically involved & fluid system they would have put their game out as something that would grab the players new to MMOs much better, what exists appeals to a shrinking older audience not the growing younger one.

 

you guys will grasp at any lame excuse to not admit people just dont like the game.

How am I "grasping at any lame excuse" I just gave my opinion of what I felt was wrong with the game, and why I felt it was not liked, I am not only saying people don't like the game, I'm trying to highlight what I feel are the specifics - that you can't/wont see it that way shows you are so blinded by hate that you don't even like it when people are essentially agreeing with you.

It's a major failure for Funcom. TSW was probably too niche a game for gamers to grasp the concept or get into the game. Can they turn it arround, possibly by heading to free to play.

Its says a ot about Funcom their project direction...

Anarchy Online

Age of Conan

Lego mmo

It's the end of Funcom as we know it.

Sad to hear. Back to creating WoW clones, everyone. This is the punishment for trying to be original.

No wonder they had such a smooth launch.

Originally posted by Kenze

so many excuses! fail is just fail

die hards need to stop being apologists for crappy dev failures

survival of the fitest applies to MMOs too.

I think TSW was a great game for the while it lasted. Yes, as a subscription MMO it falls flat, but I never intended to subscribe anyway.