If you folks noticed the new "Planetside 2" 1 minute trailer everyone is firing at each other. But zero bodies are dropping from the fire fight. It's like everyone has bad aim, lol.

Hello There,

This is almost to the scale of what "Toyota" had last year with their vehicle mass recall debacle.

With that stated gamers have a "love / hate" relationship with SOE, perhaps not so much with PSN. Do recall that with SOE market leadership 5 or 6 years ago gave other jump on the band wagon game publishers. The idea to pursue F2P (Free to Player) business model here in the Western market. I'm not speaking about the recent "Everquest 2 Extended" experiment. I'm speaking about "The Station Exchange" auction format servers in EQ2 with real cash. Before that bold move it was the black underground market making nearly a billion of dollars US globally.

Now to 2011 don't forget just 6 weeks ago or so SOE fired 205 employees and closed down 3 MMO game studios in: Austin, Albuquerque, and Seattle. (Killing "The Agency: Covert Ops" MMOFPS that would've debuted later this year) Not to mention that Sony the parent company overall also fell victim to the Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami. Having to idle factories, if not losing productivity. Or worse losing lives of its employees or their relatives to some degree or another in that natural disaster.

I'm not condoning nor supporting what Sony is doing on a strategic level or how it may behave publicly. What I am doing is attempting to shed light on other mitigating factors that Sony as a whole is juggling during this recent spat of security data breaches.

Hi There,

Although your article focused on MMORPG's an infamous shout out should go to "World War II Online" by "Cornered Rat Software" as a MMOSIM / FPS. It rivaled Anarchy Online's abysmal gold launch back on June 2001 for WWII Online.

Here's the wikipedia link on the game:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_Online

Look Under the "Initial Release" category.

Hi There,

Whenever an MMO project takes 7 years in production its soon to be a "problem child". The recent APB MMO project also had a period of 7 years in development. Look what happened to that game developer running out of capital. Luckily for that project new owners stepped in to save the game title.

As for "Richard Garriott" and his brother "Robert Garriott" that often handles the business side for Richard. (Origin Systems & Destination Games) It seems his success was more so with the "Ultima" franchise he created. Be it the early PC games on floppy disks or "Ultima Online" itself. He has yet to replicate the success he encountered so many years ago.

I'm sure he as a person has benefited from the many lesson's learned personally and professionally. But, his spark of a genius or genie was left behind with the "Ultima Series". What wonders he could have developed if he didn't sell out to Electronic Arts.

What would "Walt Disney" be if he sold Mickey Mouse and the Disney intellectual property to another company?

Hi All,

I wonder why SOE offers the "Gold Tier" membership for EQ2X at the same price point of "EQ2 Live"? In EQ2 Live at the regular monthly subscription price you get the whole shebang without any restrictions. (at $14.99 or so) True you would have to buy all the expansions and action packs already available in EQ2X.

SOE, would be better served by adjusting the price point of the "Gold Tier" to $9.99 a month. Because believe it or not this game is already 6 years old. With many other MMO's that are F2P that are fast catching up in quality. If a "Gold Tier" membership at $9.99 US a month with a couple limitations. Wouldn't crimp the style of those on the "EQ2 Live" servers from crying foul.

That makes more sense to me but i'm no one special. Heck i'm just a SOE customer since 1999.

Hello TUX426,

I sent an email to the staff via the "Contact Us" page of this website. Under the category of Site News / Content the same day i posted this thread. But by all means contact the MMORPG staff, the more people bugging them with this bit of factual news. The more readily the staff will be able to reevaluate this game in their line-up of MMO's.

(Note: Its been over the 24 hour period that its stated in the contact us page. Where they would respond to my inquiry, so far no direct or indirect response to my email to them.)

Hi All,

I posted a question on the official SOE game forum for "Clone War Adventures". Pex, the developer community manager responded with this statement on August 26th:

---

We are definitely branching out into other genres and types of gameplay. CWA is not meant to be a Free Realms clone, nor a massive MMO like FR, EQ or SWG. Game sites keep calling it an MMO, but we do not use that term (unless we say it by accident, because after years of saying "mmo" it kinda slips out). ---Pex 8/26/10.

---

Link

So the staff here at MMORPG best get wind of this since this game is in no way a MMO.

Hello All,

Raph Koster, the former game developer that has worked on "Ultima Online" (Origin Systems) and "Star Wars Galaxies" (Sony Online Entertainment). Has been vocal in years past in favor of players having virtual property rights.

Here is an article from his blog site dated Dec. 12th 2006:

"Arguing About Virtual Property"

http://www.raphkoster.com/2006/12/12/arguing-about-virtual-property/

Don't forget back in 2003 a Chinese gamer won through the Chinese courts his stolen virtual winnings.

Article link:

http://www.technewsworld.com/story/32441.html?wlc=1274303464

There is some case law, albeit not here in the West.

Hi All,

To quote "TJKazmark":
----------
"I say this because using micro-transactions, as others have stated in this thread, can cost more than a monthly fee. "

Well it seems the MMO Industry is going in the direction of a mix of the two. That being a smaller subscription price and micro-transactions. (ideal example is "Free Realms") As a way to bridge it's inexperience with micro-transactions they are keeping smaller subscription rates for the meanwhile. When the MMO Industry is fully confident in micro-transactions expect to see variant types of micro-transactions as forms of payment in game play.

Yes, micro-transactions can cost more to players than the typical subscription payment model. But that where "self restraint" comes in your house hold budget. The game developer / publisher wants you to splurge like your going to a real life casino.

When you go to the Mall you don't go bonkers buying all the junk you see. Over time that will be the case with players in terms of micro-transactions.

Hi All,

There's another topic similar to this that i wouldn't mind that one of the Mmorpg.com columnists covered. That of the gaming print journalism shrinking in regards to magazines.

In the last year and a half we as gamers here in the States. Have lost 3 very good gamer magazines that were 10 years plus in circulation. That being "Computer Gaming World" that renamed itself to something else with the "Microsoft" name. Besides that of "Computer Games World" and "Electronic Gaming Monthly" (EGM) also got snuffed out.

I'm sure there are a couple more I could name like "Next Generation". Which lasted like 7 years in total.

Will the Internet be the only viable media outlet for Gaming Journalism? I hope not.

Hi All,

I quote:
--------------
"Richard Garriot can scream what the hell he wants but this are the facts. ---tryklon."
-------------

The way that NC Soft showed Mr. Richard Garriott the "airlock" (pun intended) was plain bad business. (maybe NC Soft was desperate or thinking its cunning) But Richard Garriott getting removed the way he did was a nasty breach of his contract.

Of course Richard Garriott will settle out of court costing NC Soft a slap on the wrist financially speaking.

---------------

Thanks "Torak" for those informative comments of yours above.

Hi All,

What NC Soft didn't say is they saved money as well. By dumping "Tabula Rasa" and Mr. Richard Garriott and his brother, also recently Mr. Jeff Strain and Mr. David Reid of NC Soft West.

NC Soft is reorganizing they're American branch and in the process saving capital. Not unlike many companies in today's economy laying off staff or other cut savings initiatives.

Hi All,

Another item to recall which happened a couple of years ago. When EA was sued for piss poor working schedules meaning sweat shop hours. Besides something to do about not paying over time hours.

However EA wasn't the exception of the working environment of sweat shop hours put in. Not just by the entry level personnel but all the way up to middle management. I know the IGDA (International Game Developers Assoc.) has a work study group on this issue.

Since many newcomers and perhaps old timers are encountering "burn out". Leaving the entire games industry itself to work in other business software firms. Problematic if turnover becomes moderate and deadlines are missed altogether for a work in progress.

Nice one MMORPG.com a very subtle way to punk us on April Fool's Day.

I didn't catch on until the Atari 2600 video game console was mentioned. :p

Those mentioning that this will take 3 to 5 years before it reaches litigation in the courts regarding the civil suit against PE. Most likely like the bulk of these lawsuits they get settled out of court in some sort of plea bargaining.

In some indirectly related news from CBS which Paramount is involved. I'm hearing that the website of "StarTrek.com" will be pulled shortly. They're saying the site has been online for 13 yrs and was a major community hub.

Linky to the story posted 12/17 at Razorwire over at Warcry:

http://razorwire.warcry.com/news/view/79977-CBS-shuts-down-Startrek-com-after-13-years

It seems that SOE's "John Smedley's" cryptic posts about the next Sony MMO, perhaps that one consisting of the DC Comics brand. Could use some sort of RMT system, which if i recall correctly John Smedley had stated. That the upcoming DC Comics MMO wouldn't be a subscription based customer model.

The Livegamer.com site also has an interview posted over at GamaSutra.com website.

Link:

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=16663

GamaSutra via their sister site "Worlds in Motion" had a Q&A with the CEO of LiveGamer.com Andy Schneider.

It seems that LiveGamer will be offering a secure platform system for these RMT trades. Be it a middleware developed specifically for this or an in-house bureau of their own customer support team.

Let's see how this stuff develops with new MMO titles coming down the pipe. Or some of the lesser performer MMO's in the SOE catalog might get retrofitted. (perhaps Vanguard ala the EQ2 Station Exchange model but with a "LiveGamer" treatment).

Ouch, talk about being noobs in regards to business and contractual acumen.

If this lawsuit pans out, Paramount the one granting the license to PE should revoke it fully. Paramount doesn't want all this drama surrounding their "Star Trek Online" IP. Much less after a questionable game software developer that has now been outed by a contractual lawsuit that does have merit.

Like "Ten Ton Hammer" stated at the end of their article the fans of STO will get the short end of the stick. But from a suit point of view Paramount will want to distance themselves from PE if this continues from bad to worse.

Another morsel to chew on if this was indeed a fraudulent exchange of assets from PE to it's next corporate incarnation. Than a criminal inquiry of the State Attorney General's Office will be considered down the road.

Hi Dreneth,

I remember that system which debuted around the time of Pre-NGE in SWG. It wasn't developed as a feature, but discovered as a bug, lol. Where one can speak to others across several SWG shards. Which later became possible as you cited above via chat commands in text via the other online game titles.

This suggestion i offered in my last post would polish that up quite a bit. And perhaps hook in with other IM programs, be it: X-Fire, AIM, or MSN. Unless SOE gets smart and contracts out the job to "X-Fire" for example instead of trying to reinvent the wheel themselves.

Hi All,

I remember last year some time that here in MMORPG.com they reported that some company was interested to make a service like X-Fire not needed. In as much where multiple MMOG game world friends lists are maintained and you don't lose buddies from past MMO game titles.

Since many of us have buddies that are very game specific and hardly lend themselves to rolling over to a new game. Unless of course your in a meta-guild community for your gaming hobby.

Now if SOE had such an internal IM system with all their MMO game worlds that would be neat. With my over arching Sony Station account all my buddy lists from inactive / active accounts in: EQ, EQ2, SWG, Planetside, and now Vanguard would be lumped together. Making a neat SOE Worlds IM system be viable, not just with PC users but perhaps with "transmedia" platforms like cell phones or game consoles.

Hi All,

Although it would be great if i can read this 6 page thread thoroughly, but i don't have the couple of hours to lay down for that time sink.

---

I also feel that if you are doing something that goes against that company's policy you should be punished and have your account banned. Whether or not that company owes you an explanation is up to them. ---Garrett Fuller.

---

In a games entertainment industry that is beating movie box office sales for many years now in the US for billions of dollars. I'm still befuddled that no grass roots "game consumer protection groups" have formed up. If one has please share the linkage with moi, i'll appreciate it.

I wonder if a MMO game developer publisher that bans an account without "due reason". Is not breaking some sort of national or US State consumer protection rights? Perhaps something along the lines that a Internet Provider falls under since that is a subscription based business model likewise.

As consumers many of us don't know our full rights (whether by US State or National) and thus fail to exercise them appropiately.