All this talk of Origin working solely on Ultima Online and how profitable UO is got me wondering - has UO been THAT successful? When UO first came out it was hammered by most (if not all of the gaming mags). I seem to recall that there was even a lawsuit started against EA/Origin because of heavy lag or something along those lines. Has UO changed that much? Also, with the competition (Everquest, etc) is UO still considered a "cash cow" in the industry?
Where Hath Origin Gone?
- Thread starter Marcml30
- Start date
EA belives that UO2 (or whatever that is called) will make the same cash the the original UO, at a time UO was making about a million dollars a mouth, but like you said UO2 will have quite a competicion, I have see on one that DRAGONS is a player race, for what I have seen UO2 is not very imaginative (I have been in the UO2 site) but its still on the works.
also some of the new online games are going to be for FREE, no payment to play online, I am do not see UO2 making a lot money without a single player if its going to be for free.
Well, EA is making some very strange moves in the present, I know that some will say that EA is going were the money is but the key in this industry is having several games in the works at least for a house the size of EA, Origin (now fully absorved by EA) is not doing that, and only have a skeleton crew (working in UO2 only) and that makes wonder in origin is not going to follow Bullfrog.
also some of the new online games are going to be for FREE, no payment to play online, I am do not see UO2 making a lot money without a single player if its going to be for free.
Well, EA is making some very strange moves in the present, I know that some will say that EA is going were the money is but the key in this industry is having several games in the works at least for a house the size of EA, Origin (now fully absorved by EA) is not doing that, and only have a skeleton crew (working in UO2 only) and that makes wonder in origin is not going to follow Bullfrog.
I wasn't suggesting that online/multiplayer games of the UO vein weren't popular - just that UO had A LOT of problems. I am especially surprised with the $1M/month since it got hammered so badly in the mags. And that was when they were charging $50 + online charges.
Something else I just thought of, why couldn't another company buy the WC licence? It was done with the Mechwarrior series wasn't it?
Something else I just thought of, why couldn't another company buy the WC licence? It was done with the Mechwarrior series wasn't it?
Pedro
Admiral
Alright I've not checked this topic for a while but Frosty your argument seems flawed, that EA won't produce a new WC game because it won't make as much money as UO2. So what, do you know how many of EA games make a loss these days? Believe me its not pretty (there was a whole debate over it after the 64 was blamed for EA making losses, seems the 64 wasn't exactly the only system losing them money), WC is certainly a smaller risk than a brand new franchise infact as long as they don't try and take on another with WCIV's budget is almost guarnteed to make a respectable profit.
If I've missed something answering this then sorry, but I think I've checked all the replies I've not been monitoring.
If I've missed something answering this then sorry, but I think I've checked all the replies I've not been monitoring.
Specifically Who TC, i want to know who to e-mail to get them to do so, but I swear to everything that is holy that if you say Bill Gates I will scream bloody murder and kill everything in the entire UNVIVERSE after I play through every WC game i have and kill as many cats/bls/Bugs as possible
WildWeasel
Spaceman
Wow.
purchase of WC rights
Again, OSI and EA are asleep at the wheel. I seriously doubt they have any intention of bringing WC back any time soon, or ever for that matter. If they are concentrated on UO2 or whatever, they shouldnt have any trouble comming to a decision about the WC stuff. Unfortunately, corporate minds work in a different realm. All they see is the profit line at the bottom. But they are looking at it wrong. They probably think that since the previous 3 WC games had movies that the public will want that to continue, and of course that is a great expense that affected WC's future. The movies were great and they did make a difference in the game. But to just drop the thing like it was contaminated or something is just plain dumb. Maybe they figured that if they just stop the whole thing, that the WC community would slowly break apart and move onto other things. Well we all know this isnt the case. Its just a shame that OSI and EA do not see this, nor recognize that there is plenty of talent out here that can assist with making a new WC game and continue it. Game makers look to the internet all the time for talent in new projects. And from the looks of some of the new games out there, they are not having any trouble finding what they need. It has to be something under the table, maybe they do intend to revive WC but are making all of us go nuts waiting for it so that it will generate the publicity and market to produce more profit when it is released. If they do it right they can make plenty of profit. All in all, who are the ones to suffer?,... us.
RFBurns
"Contraband detected!..Target offender and fire at will!" [milita/Confed, Privateer/RF"
Again, OSI and EA are asleep at the wheel. I seriously doubt they have any intention of bringing WC back any time soon, or ever for that matter. If they are concentrated on UO2 or whatever, they shouldnt have any trouble comming to a decision about the WC stuff. Unfortunately, corporate minds work in a different realm. All they see is the profit line at the bottom. But they are looking at it wrong. They probably think that since the previous 3 WC games had movies that the public will want that to continue, and of course that is a great expense that affected WC's future. The movies were great and they did make a difference in the game. But to just drop the thing like it was contaminated or something is just plain dumb. Maybe they figured that if they just stop the whole thing, that the WC community would slowly break apart and move onto other things. Well we all know this isnt the case. Its just a shame that OSI and EA do not see this, nor recognize that there is plenty of talent out here that can assist with making a new WC game and continue it. Game makers look to the internet all the time for talent in new projects. And from the looks of some of the new games out there, they are not having any trouble finding what they need. It has to be something under the table, maybe they do intend to revive WC but are making all of us go nuts waiting for it so that it will generate the publicity and market to produce more profit when it is released. If they do it right they can make plenty of profit. All in all, who are the ones to suffer?,... us.
RFBurns
"Contraband detected!..Target offender and fire at will!" [milita/Confed, Privateer/RF"
This is only tangentially related, but I hope that Sega entering the waters of 3rd party software development will kick EA out of its doldrums of only supporting software titles that are "sure fire" money games (when, I ask you, is the last time that EA released a game with the quirky brilliance of their early Genesis games?)
Starlancer was the last spaceflight sim I've enjoyed, and with Chris Roberts AGAIN without a company (Hmmm... I've heard that Richard Garriot left Origin - care to place bets that Roberts and Garriot will work together again?
), I somehow doubt if I'll find another good SF sim in the near future.To be fair I don't think that EA is really going for "sure fire" games. Any company with any sense will realize that any game development involves some risk. My feeling is that EA simply feels that the WC series has run it's course (probably aided by the disasterous WC Movie) - a belief that I disagree with. However, one can almost see their point: WC1, WC2, WC Armada, WC Academy, WC3, WC4, Kilrathi Saga, and WC Prophecy all told boast of an impressive series - and that's not counting the Special/Secret Ops and Privateer add-ons/games. As for their new releases, it seems to me that new innovative games are a rarity today - everyone wants to do a "me too" game. In other words, whatever genre is hot a the moment.
Absolutely! The last two space sim games I played (Independance War and Freespace) were okay - just okay. I lost interest in them before finishing them and stopped playing.Starlancer was the last spaceflight sim I've enjoyed, and with Chris Roberts AGAIN without a company (Hmmm... I've heard that Richard Garriot left Origin - care to place bets that Roberts and Garriot will work together again?
Origin and EA should simply sell the copyrights and all to C. Roberts. Roberts outta put a new company together to revive WC. Forget EA and OSI, they are gonna drag their behinds on this forever. If EA and OSI dont see any future in WC, then they should let it go from their sweaty hands and turn it over to a company that will continue the series. As far as I am concerned, OSI and EA are on my "blank, blank" list. Making the movie was great. But game makers are not Hollywood. They simply do not have the resources and manpower that Hollywood has. Remember, Hollywood has been around 70+ years. EA and OSI only a fraction compared to that. Its logical that when a game maker takes on projects like Hollywood, they take a great risk and tend to loose alot of revenue. If EA and OSI were to use the brain case, they could make new WC games by using computer sets, actors etc. Shure the camera movement etc is great, but remember, its not Hollywood. Its a game maker! Perhaps if EA and OSI from the beginning gained some support from Hollywood, maybe it be different today and we all would be sitting in front of our computers playing the latest WC game. The saga continues.
RFBurns
"Prepare to die, criminal scum!" [Insys, Privateer]
I dont know about C. Roberts, I think he leave EA/Origin because they were not letting him make the next WC the way he wanted, He knows more about the WC universe that anyone else, since that was his idea in the first place, if he wanted to make a new WC game or not, well see things this way, how many of us will buy a WC game were in the box it says "a Chris Roberts Game", well I would. that is a good reason to start a new house, it first game will sell a lot of copys.