News – Page 460 – MMO Fallout

Akaneiro's Team Down To Two People

Akaneiro has fallen on troubled times. In a post on the Kickstarter page, American McGee commented that the game’s two hundred grand pledge goal was set on the grounds that revenue from the game would be enough to sustain further development. It wasn’t. A number of unexpected costs coupled with feedback that the game simply wasn’t fun led to a massive financial hole for Spicy Horse.

In total, around 360 man-months have gone towards development, bringing our investment in dollars to nearly $2 million USD. In that same period, we’ve generated roughly 300kUSD in revenue – this includes funds collected via the Kickstarter campaign, F2P purchases in-game, and one-time purchases via Steam. In simple math: We’ve spent $2 million, we’ve made $300k, we’re “in the hole” $1.7 million.

So what does this mean? The development team for Akaneiro has been reduced to two people, slowing progress for the foreseeable future. Depending on the performance of The Gate, Spicy Horse may divert more resources to Akaneiro in the future. For now, the future doesn’t seem so bright.

(Source: Kickstarter)

Is Sony's New MMO A Zombie Game?

John Smedley is a man after my own heart, because what would be better for the company heavily invested in everything that SOE is doing other than to announce yet another MMO? We know from Smedley’s Twitter that there is definitely an MMO in the works, one that is dedicated to Star Wars Galaxies fans, presumably those who have been disgruntled with the developer ever since the New Game Enhancements way back when. Since then, Smedley posted two pictures on Twitter of in-game houses that were confirmed to be related to this upcoming MMO. So what is it?

Super sleuth Ste2000 over at the MMORPG.com forums found that Sony Online Entertainment filed a trademark last month for H1Z1, which sounds suspiciously like an MMO:

Computer game software and video game software; downloadable multiplayer, role playing, real time computer and video game software via an online website for entertainment purposes

H1Z1 is the name of a hoax zombie virus that spread around the internet claiming to be a strain of the H1N1. This isn’t a guarantee that Sony will do anything with the trademark, as developers are often known to file trademarks for products that die in concept/development.

(Source: MMORPG.com)

Blade & Soul Expanding Again…To Japan

Prepare your expletive buttons, as they are about to get a workout. The good news is, Blade & Soul is once again expanding. Following the game’s massive success in China, NCSoft is following up on its 2011 announcement to bring the game overseas…to Japan. Sorry, westerners, but if you look to your right you will find several expired issues of Highlights magazine* with which to pass the time waiting. There is currently no ETA on when the Japanese servers will launch.

*magazine delivery not currently planned for North America, South America, Europe, and Oceanic regions.

(Source: MMO Culture)

Everquest Landmark NDA Lifted

The Everquest Next Landmark alpha has been up for less than 24 hours, and John Smedley has taken to Twitter to announce that the nondisclosure agreement has officially been lifted. Players are allowed to talk about what they want, stream what they want, and post screenshots as they want.

The NDA is officially lifted for EQNL. Have fun. It will be Monday before we can yank it from the game

As far as people getting the wrong impression from the state of the alpha, “that’s life,” says Smedley.

(Source: Twitter)

Roblox Kicks Off Winter Games Competition

Grab your virtual snowboard and tobaggen and suit up for cold weather, because the ROBLOX Winter Games has officially begun. Beginning today and heading through February 10th, ROBLOX players will be able to compete in five different events, including snowboarding, snowball fights, racing, and even a tank battle. Each event has a leaderboard, badges, and a set of hats to earn for completing said badges. Furthermore, players will receive medals for placing in each event.

So what’s special about this? Every event featured in the Winter Games, including the ski lodge lobby, was developed by a select group of developers under 18 years old. It is incredible to see what people are capable of with ROBLOX.

(Source: ROBLOX press release)

Final Fantasy XIV Now Selling Physical Time Cards

I’m not horsing around. Those of you who prefer to keep your precious credit card data out of the hands of those prone-to-theft businesses are likely the same group as those who refuse to buy a subscription MMO without the option to buy time cards. After all, why not? Turbine has had multiple billing issues, as has Mortal Online and Warhammer, among others. Sony was hacked, stores have had their databases compromised, it seems like cash is the only safe method of payment for anything these days.

The good news is that players will be able to buy 60 day access cards for Final Fantasy XIV. They cost $30 and are available in stores in North America as well as on Square Enix’s website, the latter of which makes the whole “don’t have to use your credit card” part moot. Check out Final Fantasy XIV at a store near you.

(Source: Square Enix press release)

Funcom Offices Raided By Economic Crime Unit

News out of Norway is that Funcom employees showing up to work this morning were met by the economic crimes unit Økokrim. Police raided the Funcom offices, retrieving boxes full of seized documents. According to News in English, the raid is related to an investigation over whether or not Funcom breached disclosure requirements related to The Secret World, as well as who had access to inside information leading up to the game’s release. Funcom is also being charged with negligent bookkeeping according to a news post on the Oslo stock exchange, from which the company has been delisted until the investigation is complete.

This isn’t the first time that The Secret World has landed someone in hot water. Funcom’s former CEO Tron Aas came under investigation after he left his position and offloaded his shares of Funcom the day before The Secret World launched and Funcom’s stock plummeted. Employees have reportedly been sent home for the day.

(Source: News in English)

Elder Scrolls Online Pre-Order Bonuses

Yesterday the details for the Elder Scrolls Online collector’s edition leaked on the Amazon page for Dishonored, and today the details have been confirmed with Zenimax opening the game up for preorder. There are two bundles to choose from, standard and collector’s edition, and both have already sparked some controversy among fans. Preordering either edition automatically grants players the Explorer’s Pack, which includes the obligatory 5-day early access, vanity pet, and bonus treasure maps. The Explorer’s Pack allows players to roll on any faction, regardless of their race. Currently this is only listed as a preorder exclusive.

The Imperial Edition includes a metric ton of loot, including a 224 page illustrated book, a 12 inch Molag Bal statue, and a map of Tamriel. In-game, players receive a white horse mount, mudcrab pet, tradeable rings that grant bonus experience when grouped, and the ability to play as the Imperial race. To play devil’s advocate for a moment, anyone who purchases the standard edition has the option to later upgrade to the digital collector’s. The art of selling exclusive races seems to be getting more common, with last year’s Neverwinter offering an exclusive Drow race only with the purchase of a $200 package.

For now, check out the Arrival trailer.

Rise of the Ourobani Launches Today

The day has come, Hell has frozen over, pigs are flying, and cows are lactating chocolate milk. Earlier today, the folks at Quest Online took to Twitter to announce that the server for Alganon has been taken down in order to patch in the Rise of the Ourobani expansion. Originally announced in June 2011 for a release by the end of that year, the expansion has seen some turbulence in its development. Rise of the Ourobani includes flying mounts, a new race called the Ourobani (go figure), a new ranged class called the Warden, and a host of other changes.

Player housing was originally intended to launch alongside Rise of the Ourobani, however it had to be delayed in order to get the expansion out the door. After today’s launch, the folks at Quest Online hope to continue work on housing, future classes/races, and more.

(Source: Twitter)

Elder Scrolls Online Ignores PSN Subscription

The Elder Scrolls Online launches in just a few months on current gen consoles and PC, and playing on the Playstation 4 just became a little cheaper. In a blog post on the Playstation website, Zenimax Game Director Matt Firor revealed that The Elder Scrolls Online will not require an active Playstation Plus subscription in order to play.

Conversely, Elder Scrolls Online on the Xbox One does require an Xbox Live subscription in order to play, which owners of the console will already have if they play anything else online.

(Source: Playstation Blog)

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