Monthly Development Update – 29th of November, 2013

[gresh]

How about the fact that Anarchy Online is the only game that makes them a profit? If you're grateful then you are also naive. They have made really bad decisions as a company over and over again, and with the only product that really was successful, they have neglected for far too long.

So im naive because im grateful? Im sorry that doesn't even make sense. Here ill show you the definitions. Gratefulness = an appreciation of something. Naive = a lack of experience or wisdom. I appreciate the ao servers are still up as the game is what i enjoy... See i.e grateful. Id say thinking u can make up on the spot crappy facts and expect people to believe you simply because you type it makes you naive.

[Legion84]

I have to agree with Zolarik that the mmo "Anarchy Online" has been Funcoms best, it's future proof in every way shape or form it's unique and not like anything else (Fantasy mmo anyone?.. didn't think so) maybe I'm been biased because of my involvement with the game and the fact I've been playing on and off over 9years.... it has been neglected for far too long, it should of been updated and worked on every year since it's launch and kept upto todays standards in terms of content graphics, I don't think they'd of lost so many subscribers.

This is the chance to revive it to its former glory, get it right, advertise, send out invitations, get it on steam, Get more content and updates coming thick and fast for the 1-2 months after the launch to keep players and raise their belief that it wont fall back and slip into neglect once again.

[Kralnox]

I have a 12 months recurring membership, where is my beta invite?

[Pennypacker]

I have a 12 months recurring membership, where is my beta invite?

If you bothered to read information from the Game director you would know it will come in due time. Likely january/february.

[Kralnox]

We are starting gradually with the Closed Beta invitations. As a token of our appreciation, those who have signed up for 12 month Membership plans will be given the highest priority and those with 6 months plans the second highest.

- Genele

I think I did.

[SaloSalo]

I have to agree with Zolarik that the mmo "Anarchy Online" has been Funcoms best, it's future proof in every way shape or form it's unique and not like anything else (Fantasy mmo anyone?.. didn't think so) maybe I'm been biased because of my involvement with the game and the fact I've been playing on and off over 9years.... it has been neglected for far too long, it should of been updated and worked on every year since it's launch and kept upto todays standards in terms of content graphics, I don't think they'd of lost so many subscribers.

I'm sure that if game companies knew what they know now 5-10 years ago, then the mmorpg scene would be completely different. Five years ago companies were still thinking they could make a game that would become the next Wow, and we now know that it didn't happen and isn't likely to ever happen. I'm sure Anarchy online is Funcom's most profitable MMO, even if that just means closest to being profitable.

[Lheann]

I'm sure Anarchy online is Funcom's most profitable MMO, even if that just means closest to being profitable.

Just read the quarterly funcom investor statements and you will see that AO is cash flow positive. Which is just another way of saying of profitable. The current CEO is all about the bottom line not being in the red quarter to quarter so you can bet any game they have that is not performing for some X number of quarters is going to get the switch thrown and shutdown. And I suspect that the X number is 2 to 3 quarters or some fixed dollar amount loss. Quarterly statements are a treasure trove of information.

As far as the beta goes, I have had 12 month recurring sub for like 5 years now. No invite. But my org mate that has been out of game for 15 months get the offer email for immediate invite with 12 month sub. Something wrong here you would think but think like a business and you will see it is make money now as fast as possible. Get lock in of customers.

Also would point out that the 4 bonus months for free with access to beta are a good indicator of the beta time frame. Basically it looks like this, come back and give us money for 12 month sub, we will let you beta the new engine and that beta period will be for free. To achieve this your purchase of 12 months will have 4 months of free extra time appended to it which just happens to be the amount of time we think the beta will run. Now look at the the 6 month offer that gives 2 extra months but states a jan/feb invite window to the beta which could be upwards of 2 months after from the immediate invite offer. Basically both sub offers would be giving the beta period and your playing the beta for free. Now extend the jan/feb invite period for the 6 month offer by two months and you get mar/apr for beta ending. which lines up with 12 month offers immediate invite lasting 4 months which is some time in april as well.

As I was in the closed & open betas for SL as an example, FC likes the 4 month beta period with the last 3-6 weeks going open beta to spike the numbers for load testing. They have done this with NW/SL/AI/ that I am aware of. It is actually a good practice oddly enough.

I really don't bother playing much any more due to the current engine just does not care for my graphics card and decided to puke on itself at the most bothersome of times. I am one of the folks that really needs the engine update to keep playing at all from a purely technical point of view.

[Trypha]

AO is profitable, but in today's market it is a niche product due to its mechanics; even if the new engine was completely up to date, animations redone, annoying grinds removed, inflation reversed, etc., not that many people want to play such a complex game when they have other choices. It was far different 10+ years ago. MMO's and games/gamers in general have changed.

I don't think that the new engine, NPE, and systems changes will bring the game back to its peak level of subs. AO is not "neglected" due to spite or inattention; rather there is a limit to which added resources can generate new revenues, because of the limited number of people who are even interested in this type of game. If FC plays it right they can keep the game going profitably for a long time, but don't ever expect them to make it a priority.

I love this game and I wish they could really go all out and make another expansion on the scale of SL, but I just don't see it happening, even with the surge of resubs and new players from the engine/Steam. I would love to be proven wrong

[Mastablasta]

Well, there were a lot of people interested in it and the market has only increased since, so there is a market out there, it might just be that the number of competitors with similar style of play are too numerous and polished.

[Teknologist]

Well, there were a lot of people interested in it and the market has only increased since, so there is a market out there, it might just be that the number of competitors with similar style of play are too numerous and polished.

Name one competitor that has a similar style to AO...

MMO's yes, a dime a dozen out there.
Sci-Fi, there are a few, Sci-Fi or Fantasy with the game play of AO?

[Psikie]

Volunteers and Arks have the highest priority for closed beta invites to help us sort out the most critical issues.

(makes sense)

Players who have signed up for 12 months Membership plans will have the second highest priority for invites.

(makes sense from business standpoint)

Players who have signed up for 6 months Membership plans will have the third highest priority for invites.

(still making money sense)

Players who have subscribed for the past year without having their account frozen or banned, will have the fourth highest priority to get closed beta invite.

(doesn't mean a loyal 10+yr player doesn't feel neglected)

[BytEfLUSh2]

OK, I'll bite...

Some people have mentioned that playing beta isn't actually any sort of privilege - they made it sound like it was a job that you are not being paid for (actually - you are paying to do all the hard work) - and that they "don't get it" why would anyone want to participate.

Well, I have a question for all the people asking that Broken Shores question over and over again:

Are you really mentally challenged or just pretending?

[Mastablasta]

Isn't participating in a beta a kind of thankless job that you do out of enthusiasm for said project? Or maybe if you don't care about the job part, just a way to get a look at something ahead of time, providing no feedback of any kind, being of exactly no value to the beta. Meaning if you are not serious about providing feedback, you're a less desirable betatester...

[Gimpynoob]

OK, I'll bite...

Some people have mentioned that playing beta isn't actually any sort of privilege - they made it sound like it was a job that you are not being paid for (actually - you are paying to do all the hard work) - and that they "don't get it" why would anyone want to participate.

Well, I have a question for all the people asking that Broken Shores question over and over again:

Are you really mentally challenged or just pretending?

BETA TESTING is not a privilege, it is an ungrateful chore. It is done by professional staff and a few select and trustworthy players and requires following strict procedures and filling countless reports.

What the noobs are paying for is for the "privilege" to see the game in its earlier and buggier forms so that they can add to their forum signature "In since beta". An "honour" anyone can claim and nobody will believe.

A few people may be eager to help with testing, a few more may just be curious. Most, only want the E-peen. And the devs know this. Why would they give preference to people willing to pay instead of choosing from people who are actively playing?

The real beta testers (paid and unpaid) have been in the beta for a long time. Trust me, I'm doctor.

[solcv2]

BETA TESTING is not a privilege, it is an ungrateful chore. It is done by professional staff and a few select and trustworthy players and requires following strict procedures and filling countless reports.

What the noobs are paying for is for the "privilege" to see the game in its earlier and buggier forms so that they can add to their forum signature "In since beta". An "honour" anyone can claim and nobody will believe.

A few people may be eager to help with testing, a few more may just be curious. Most, only want the E-peen. And the devs know this. Why would they give preference to people willing to pay instead of choosing from people who are actively playing?

The real beta testers (paid and unpaid) have been in the beta for a long time. Trust me, I'm doctor.

What he said basically. As a Game Dev I know that beta testing a treasuretrove of information. WHen opening something up for a beta, the people that I wasn testing are people that will actually TEST it, not just play it.

A lot of the people asking for access, are those that will just play it, and probably won't contribute to the testing of it at all.

I remember a game released I worked on. When they had finished the Open Beta, and main clsed beta they opened itup to select few of the community. Ther was a system linked to their accounts. For every genuine bug they submitted that wasn't a known issue, they got a point. You needed to get 5 points per week to stay in the beta. When there was effectively nobody left in the beta, they released it.

Mark

[Esssch]

Isn't participating in a beta a kind of thankless job that you do out of enthusiasm for said project? Or maybe if you don't care about the job part, just a way to get a look at something ahead of time, providing no feedback of any kind, being of exactly no value to the beta. Meaning if you are not serious about providing feedback, you're a less desirable betatester...

This may not apply to AO, but most modern betas will have some sort of passive information gathering going on, precisely because a lot of people simply won't provide feedback.

[SaloSalo]

This may not apply to AO, but most modern betas will have some sort of passive information gathering going on, precisely because a lot of people simply won't provide feedback.

A lot of modern games use open beta testing just to create hyper for their game, while essentially it is just a demo.

[Gargle]

The current CEO is all about the bottom line not being in the red quarter to quarter so you can bet any game they have that is not performing for some X number of quarters is going to get the switch thrown and shutdown.

That statement is an over generalization. You don't know that, and I certainly don't know that.

[Gargle]

I don't get what the big deal is about getting into the beta personally. Don't get me wrong... I'm looking forward to the release when it eventually goes live, but beta? I don't know... I rather play golf.

[Lheann]

That statement is an over generalization. You don't know that, and I certainly don't know that.

Have you not read the press statements? About operating FC as a cash flow positive company and addressing areas that impact the accomplishment of that goal. I may have over generalized some on the fate of a product but the current CEO has been pretty specific in his operational goals for FC in press statements that have been released and events that he has spoken at. As the CEO it is his fiduciary duty to act in this manner. You can get a pretty good read of the CEO's goal from reading the information available on the investors relations page of the funcom.com website. Also look for press reports covering events that the CEO has spoke at and read them. As an investor his words are very reassuring. He is speaking the things that need to spoken to keep people investing in FC. His actions to date such as the deep restructuring that occurred, indicate he is willing to make big changes/decision in the pursuit of his public statements.

So I will role back the statement that a product operating in the red will be axed quickly and in its place say that a product operating in the red will most likely see significant changes such that it is operating in the black within an acceptable period of time. But even that does not preclude the possibility of said product being shutdown if that is the most economical approach derived from internal cost benefit & risk analysis of the product.

The innovators and dreamers that founded FC are not at the top anymore. Bean counters have moved in. The future of all FC properties is based completely on how much revenue they can and do generate.