Filed under Launch …

Five Reasons Why SWOR Is A High Risk MMO: #2 It Is Going To Cost Too Much

Following on from reason number 1, the next big problem that Star Wars: The Old Republic is going to face is that it is going to cost too much.

Cost estimates for SWOR vary from the US$150m mark up to the US$300m mark, which is a big range, but regardless of its true cost it is EA’s self-proclaimed biggest project ever and even BioWare sees it being multiple times bigger than anything they’ve worked on before. The reason is will cost too much is that combination of profit, business practicality and ego I mentioned before, but the development costs are actually what could cause the most problems post launch.

To understand this, you have to look at how MMOs actually make money: box sales, subscription fees and real money transactions (RMT). Continue reading →

The Brave, Brave Marketing Decisions of DCUO

A defining aspect of the superhero genre is bravery. The hero stands often outnumbered and outgunned, but is driven to do things to create a finer world. Regardless of what powers they have, the hero has bravery as a shield against doubt and as something that drives them forward. Inspired by this theme, Sony Online … Continue reading →

DCUO: All Quiet On The Beta Front

DC Universe Online is set for a November 2 2010 launch date – exactly two months from today. Although you’ve been able to pre-order the game for a few weeks now, there is still no announcement of when any kind of public beta will be starting. Although it is concerning that some kind of public … Continue reading →

CoH/V: Picking The Wrong Side

City of Heroes / Villains first paid expansion in a long while launches next week. Going Rogue is Paragon Studios’ big content update, aimed at getting back players who have left, attracting those who may have never played and locking in existing players as the competition continues to escalate. Unfortunately, I think Paragon has kind … Continue reading →

DCUO: Madly Scrambling To Launch

On November 2, 2010, DC Universe Online is scheduled to launch. Public beta still hasn’t started and announcements of features being cut are starting to appear. At the SOE Fan Faire, the DCUO panel revealed that DCUO is likely to launch with only six power types: Ice and Fire are the ‘tanker’ powers. Gadgets and … Continue reading →

DCUO Launch Cinematic – Yet Another Alien Invasion

I’ve got to admit I found the DCUO “Who Do You Trust?” cinematic engaging. Seeing Superman and Black Adam go at it was impressive and I always like seeing alternate versions of long-established characters. However… DCUO makes this three from three superhero MMOs that make the Big Bad Threat at launch as an alien invasion. … Continue reading →

APB: Advertising Over VOIP

Something I hadn’t heard of before: advertising over VOIP. Particularly in a MMO. Especially in a MMO that charges a box cost and subscription fee to play. Kudos then, I guess, to APB for being so creative. You can pay to turn it off by paying for Vivox Premium services, or alternatively use a different … Continue reading →