Tag: Turbine

Atari: Lawsuit Frivolous


I reported last week that Turbine is currently suing Atari over fraud and extortion claims. If you’ve forgotten the gist of the lawsuit, Turbine has sued Atari, claiming extortion and fraud. Atari is claiming owed royalty payments over the MMO Dungeons and Dragons Online, while Turbine is claiming that not only are royalties being paid in advance, but Atari has planned to set this situation up, in order to terminate Turbine as the developer, and to go further and possibly shut down Dungeons and Dragons Online to make way for a rumored Neverwinter Nights MMO.

Atari’s response, sent to Shacknews:

Last week, with no warning, Turbine filed what can only be viewed as a frivolous lawsuit against Atari. This action can ultimately do a great disservice to D&D fans and to the MMO community at large. Turbine�s actions also appear intended to divert attention from the contractual obligations that Turbine owes to Atari. In response, today Atari served a motion to dismiss the entirety of Turbine’s lawsuit. Atari also filed a separate complaint to recover monies owed to Atari resulting from an independent third party audit of Turbine. While Atari hopes for a quick and fair resolution, it remains fully committed to the D&D communities worldwide and will vigorously protect the franchise and its own integrity in this matter.

Lawsuits between publisher and developer never end well, anyone who remembers the problems Valve got into when Half Life 2 was released can attest to this (The publisher sued Valve claiming Steam was stealing sales). If Turbine wins this lawsuit, in addition to whatever monetary gain they will receive, they will also keep their recently renewed license for DDO, that lasts until 2016 (Most likely long after DDO shuts down). If Atari wins, you can probably expect Turbine to be axed at the first opportunity Atari gets. With a lawsuit like this, undoubtedly there is going to be bad blood between the companies.

Again, more information as this lawsuit unfolds.

Atari Vs Turbine: In Plain English


LOTRO

I’ve seen a few websites on this recent lawsuit that Turbine has filed against their publisher, Atari, and the whole thing sounds like a James Bond film, albeit corporate instead of the world. All in all, I found the reporting somewhat confusing, as to who had what motives, and what exactly was going on. So I decided to set up a new section of MMO Fallout, “In Plain English”, where things can be spelled out clearly and in context the average user can understand.

Continue reading “Atari Vs Turbine: In Plain English”

Asheron’s Call 2: What Happened


Dear AC2 subscribers,

In spite of our hard work and the launch of Legions, AC2 has reached the point where it no longer makes sense to continue the service. We will be officially closing the Asheron’s Call 2 service on 12/30/05. Until then, we plan to run live events, but we will not be adding any content or features.

We deeply appreciate the many dedicated fans of AC2 who have stood by us over the years. You have our sincerest gratitude.

Best regards,

Jeffrey Anderson
CEO, Turbine

Asheron’s Call 2 launched on November 22, 2002, as a sequel to the popular Asheron’s Call, developed and published by Turbine Entertainment Software. The game boasted an extensive crafting system with no level caps, that allowed players to excel in everything from various armor crafting, to weapons making, and onward. Experience was gained by questing, monster hunting, and even turning in treasure for gold. The player vs player mechanics were always consensual, offering a combination of duels, pvp zones, and pvp dedicated servers.

So what happened? Asheron’s Call, the original, is still running! For starters; Asheron’s Call 2 failed to gain the attention of the fans of the original, who cited massive gameplay changes, calling the game a sequel “only in name.” Asheron Call 2’s subscriber numbers peaked at a paltry 50,000, and depleted down to an estimated 10 to 15 thousand, as estimated by mmogchart.com. While Everquest/Everquest 2 shared the same scenario as Asheron’s Call, the major difference is that Everquest 2 managed to bring in enough new players to supplement those that would not transition over from the original, enough to stay afloat and continue expanding. Everquest was, and still is, a household title to the MMO genre, and such an ambitious venture did nothing but benefit SOE. Asheron’s Call, on the other hand, is not a household name, and was not equipped well enough for such a project.

Asheron’s Call 2 is lived on by its predecessor, Asheron’s Call. Although Turbine refuses to reveal numbers, it is estimated that Asheron’s Call has dropped below 10 thousand subscribers, meaning its days may be numbered as well.