Tag: Funcom

Anarchy Online Introduces PLEX, But Not For Free Players


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Funcom is jumping on board the PLEX train with the introduction of GRACE to Anarchy Online. GRACE, or Grid Access Credit Extension, costs $14.95 USD, and adds 30 days of game time to an account. GRACE can only be traded through the in-game market, does not count towards your market inventory limit, and cannot be withdrawn or traded through mail. Free players cannot use GRACE to upgrade their accounts without subscribing, as free accounts do not have access to the market and that is the only way to obtain the item from other players.

Free players will need to buy a subscription before they are able to purchase and use GRACE.

(Source: Anarchy Online)

The Secret World Second Anniversary Kicks Off


jomali

The Secret World has kicked off its second anniversary with golems once again invading the world, as well as new world bosses in Tokyo. Yes, I said Tokyo.

Many hours of new content is also introduced with a new mission pack for the Tokyo game zone called Side Stories: Love & Loathing. Here players get to fight off the demonic invasion of Tokyo or try their hand at complex Origami in a deep Investigation Mission, among many other challenges.

All players will enjoy double experience, extra tokens, and free membership for recruiting.

(Source: Funcom press release)

Lego Minifigures Now In Beta


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Lego Minifigures has gone into open beta. The game is currently available in English on the PC with further localizations and platforms (tablet) coming further down the line. In order to play, you’ll need a Lego account as the game does not go through Funcom’s account system. The open beta aims to tweak game mechanics and the in-game store to the community’s preferences, so get in and have your voice heard.

(Source: Lego Minifigures)

Black Watchman ARG Falls Short of Goal


jomali

The Black Watchmen was an experiment set up to become the first permanent ARG, set to launch in September and crowdfunded through MMORPG.com. Unfortunately, the drive came short of its $100,000 goal, and as a result all donations will be refunded.

To all agents,

We managed an incredible mobilization here, we’ve raised $ 54,362 with a common goal: to create the first ever Persistant ARG. Hopes where high when a couple of players, through word of mouth, helped us to get nearer our goal from 35% to 39% in ONLY one night. We had the chance to meet people as dedicated as we were to the project and we wish to give a big thank you to everyone who stood by our side until the end.

We also wish to give a special thanks to Robert Bannon and the Paradigm Symposium; who pledged $5,000 for a real life mission and to also offer a booth so we could recruit player at the next convention
Unfortunately, rules are rules, and we will start the refund of all pledges. In the next 7 to 10 days, you should expect a full refund if you were with Crowdtilt, and a small fee (2.5%) deducted from your refund if you pledged via PayPal.

(Source: MMORPG.com)

Funcom Q1 2014 Finances


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Funcom has released their quarterly returns for the first quarter of 2014, and the results are certainly interesting to look at. Revenues have remained relatively stable, decreasing slightly to $3.8 million from $4.2 million last quarter. Funcom has seen a steady decrease in revenue since the launch of The Secret World, with revenues at nearly half of what they were in the first quarter of last year, $6.3 million. Despite the lowered revenue, Funcom’s cash position improved from $2.5 to $2.8 million over last quarter. The company also noted that 15 million shares were sold to the tune of $5.5 million which was used to pay interest bearing debt.

The upcoming Lego Minifigures video game hit all of its major milestones and is on course for a beta launch in June 2014 and a commercial launch later this year. Nothing has changed regarding last year’s investigation into Funcom by Økokrim. Funcom’s offices were raided last year by the Norway’s economic crimes unit and is currently being investigated for possible insider trading and negligence. There are no details on how long the investigation will take.

(Source: Funcom presentation)

Age of Conan Turns Six


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Age of Conan turns six years old, and Funcom is celebrating by launching the Shadows of the Past event and Festival of Bloodshed. Shadows of the Past tasks players with uncovering a plot to bring down King Conan and will take them on a trip down memory lane to where it all began: Tortage island. Festival of Bloodshed introduces a new PvP system where players participate in week-long events each month. The system includes new PvP quests, new events, rewards, and a companion who taunts nearby players based on their number of PvP deaths.

I hope I don’t come across this companion.

(Source: Funcom press release)

Funcom Management Pulled Mankini


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Those of you who follow The Secret World likely already know the story, but last week saw the addition and sudden removal of a mankini outfit from the in-game cash shop as part of the April Fool’s day patch. Not only was the item removed from the game without explanation, it was also removed and a refund applied to those who had already purchased the suit.

Joel Bylos posted on the official forums to explain that miscommunication caused the

To be clear: the Mankini outfit (and the wetsuit) was definitely an April Fool’s joke, and it was always my intention to have them be available for a limited time only in the store. However, it was never my intention to pull them from players who actually bought these items. Unfortunately, there was a miscommunication between my team and Funcom management on how this was to be handled. Funcom management feels strongly that the Mankini outfit goes against what The Secret World intellectual property (IP) is all about and they did not want this item to stay in the game permanently.

Bylos assured the community that Funcom is working to ensure that such a situation is not repeated in the future.

(Source: TSW Forums)

Funcom's 2013 Income Drops


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Funcom has released their Q4 2013 finances and the results are a mixed bag, mostly leaning towards the negative. Revenues in the fourth quarter dipped below last quarter, $4.2 million compared to $5.3 million and far below the same period last year. Losses in revenue pointed toward weak sales due to increased competition in 2013. Funcom has continued to invest in LEGO Minifigures Online as well as the Dreamworld platform so that the former is compatible across multiple systems, including mobile devices.

The new strategy for 2014 is to increase communication with press and analysts on where the developer is headed in the future. As announced in 2012, the new strategy is to build mid-core focused games with smaller budgets and shorter development times using smaller teams. Also among the list of goals is to build games around known brands, hence the Lego Minifigures title. With the introduction of the Dreamworld technology, Funcom’s future games will be compatible with iOS and Android platforms.

Funcom’s large scale MMOs saw a decrease in activity level due to increased competition in the last quarter, which the developer has responded to with increased marketing campaigns that have resulted in higher activity and revenue in the early first quarter. Numbers and revenue in Age of Conan and Anarchy Online remained mostly stable, and all games are currently considered cash flow positive. The Lego Minifigures game is on track for an open beta this summer, with a tablet version available sometime this year. Lego Minifigures will be free to play with microtransactions, membership benefits, or some mixture of both.

As many of our readers know, Funcom is currently being investigated by Økokrim, Norway’s economic crimes unit, on suspicion of insider trading and negligence in information given to the market leading up to the launch of The Secret World. So far no employees have been charged and Funcom has not been informed as to how long the process will take.

(Source: Funcom Earnings Release)

Funcom Offices Raided By Economic Crime Unit


jomali

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)

Funcom's Third Quarter Finances


jomali

 

Funcom has released their third quarter results for 2013, and as usual the results are a mix of the good and the bad. Revenues in the third quarter amounted to $5.3 million, a decrease over the same time last year when The Secret World initially launched. A significant operating cost decrease combined with tax credits allowed for a $2.2 million cash flow compared to a slight loss in the previous quarter.

The main source of revenue for this past quarter came from The Secret World and Age of Conan, consistent with last quarter but lower than last year. Revenue in all games went down due to high profile game releases including Grand Theft Auto V. Work continues on the engine upgrade for Anarchy Online, and further initiatives are being pursued across all titles despite a relatively stable quarter for The Secret World and Age of Conan.

Funcom’s upcoming title, Lego Minifigures, is maintaining its development schedule, and was met with a positive response at its public showing in Cologne, Germany. The company expects lower revenue in the next quarter.

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