Going back to October 2010 (and through to March 2011) I detailed five reasons why Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWOR) was a high risk MMO. Those reasons where: EA was funding SWOR for the wrong reasons – they weren’t looking to develop a profitable title, but instead create a WoW-level success with a financial … Continue reading
Filed under Fail …
What Can We Learn From Picking Winners?
Having spent a bit of time looking at some infamous AAA MMO failures, it’s worth trying to see what lessons can be learned from them. Continue reading
Duke Nukem Forever: Taking Tits To Task
Or in this case, one tit in particular: President and CEO of Gearbox Software Randy Pitchford. Eurogamer conducted an interview with Pitchford a few weeks ago covering Gearbox’s generally poorly received 2011 title Duke Nukem Forever. In the interview he made a few comments worth evaluating: On why Duke Nukem Forever was a polarising title: … Continue reading
Great MMO Studio Collapses of Our Time – 38 Studios
So, what’s the take-out here? Obviously the market conditions that 38 Studios launched with in 2006 were very different to those it expired under in 2012, with investors no longer interested in pouring tens of millions of dollars into MMO development. But it’s not like 38 Studios should have been strapped for cash – as identified, they had at least US$135m put into the studio. Yes, they got a single player title out, but it fell a long way short of the initial “broad media” dreams, or even releasing the promised MMO, while burning a lot of cash. Continue reading
Great MMO Company Collapses of Our Time – Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment
This wasn’t MMO game development; this was a bloody soap opera. Continue reading
Great MMO Collapses of Our Time – Destination Games
You can get excited now, because if you picked this option, you’ve decided to back Destination Games! Destination Games Game That Destroyed Them: Tabula Rasa Studio Launch Date: April 2000 Studio Closure Date: 28 February 2009 Invested In By: NCsoft Estimated Money Blown: US$106m Cause of Death: Restarting the project, internal culture of fear and secrecy, … Continue reading
All Just A Little Bit of History, Repeating – 38 Studios Versus RealTime Worlds
I was going to continue with my current series, but looking at the collapse of RealTime Worlds really brought home the similarities between that event and the collapse of 38 Studios. Observe: RealTime World’s collapse was a big thing at the time, but they didn’t have any public money involved with them (that I’m aware … Continue reading
Great MMO Company Collapses of Our Time – RealTime Worlds
If you selected this option, congratulations – you decided to back RealTime Worlds! RealTime Worlds Game That Destroyed Them: All Points Bulletin (APB) Studio Launch Date: Early 2002 Studio Closure Date: September 2010 Invested In By: Private investors Estimated Money Blown: Over US$100m Cause of Death: Spending all the budget before the game had even launched, … Continue reading
Great MMO Company Collapses of Our Time – Mythic Entertainment
If you selected this option, congratulations – you decided to back Mythic Entertainment! Mythic Entertainment Game That Destroyed Them: Warhammer Online (WAR) Studio Launch Date: 1997 (when it took the Mythic name) Studio Closure Date: 24 June 2009, when it became BioWare Mythic Invested In By: EA Estimated Money Blown: “south of US$100m” on WAR Cause … Continue reading
Great MMO Company Collapses of Our Time – Flaghip Studios
If you selected this option, congratulations – you decided to back Flagship Studios! Flagship Studios Deceased Games: Hellgate: London, Mythos Studio Launch Date: 2004 / 2005-ish Studio Closure Date: August 2008 Invested In By: Independent investors, publishing partnerships such as Hanbitsoft, financial services company Comerica Estimated Money Blown: Unknown, but the title spent around 4 … Continue reading
World Class Villains 