EQN Cancellation: Are you shocked?

Leiloni · March 2016

Finally some long awaited news on EQ:N today. What are your thoughts? http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/952/feature/10656/EverQuest-Next-Russell-Shanks-on-the-Cancellation-and-Future-of-MMOs.html

SEANMCAD · March 2016

Smedley. but sadly it does slow the progression of popularizing 'smooth voxel' game design but I will live with what I got just fine

azarhal · March 2016

I'm sad, not really shocked. I was sure that they would cancel Landmark before EQNext. Nope, they cancelled EQnext and are launching Landmark instead.

Abimor · March 2016

This bums me out I was actually looking forward to this game it just looked so cool. It did get me to try out everquest 2 and I kinda liked it need to get back to it. My main problem is i have 11k of daybreak cash or whatever it is called saved up. I kept buying it when I was plying vanguard everytime they had a sale lol.

danwest58 · March 2016

I called this out as soon as SOE became Daybreak.

mithoss · March 2016

after their suspicous focus on the cashgrab that is landmark, the silence around next and the controversies around h1z1 i was pretty much sure they would drop next.

Wizardry · March 2016

I am shocked they just gave up,but remember i have been telling people all along that SOE now DBG are very transparent in how they operate their business.

People actually get angry at me just because i see thigngs easier than others.I knew there was no team working on this,but i did expect them to try and pan off something anything just not a triple A game,but seems they would severely tarnish what little reputation they have left if trying to sell rubbish.

People can still disagree with me,idc but there never was a NEXT,Landmark is Next,they just had some brainy idea that Landmark could make them a ton of money to pay for finishing up the game over several years.

Smedley got insanely lucky with H1Z1 but this Landmark idea failed.
I also mentioned PS2,that game imo is in maintenance mode,expect a closure soon,likely by end of 2016.

Where does DBG goes from here,idk but i think they are seriously thinking this whole purchase was a bad idea.I know they rushed out those two xpacks but i doubt they sold many at all,likely not making nearly enough money fro many of their games,not even H1Z1 anymore.That s iwhy they tried this incredibly cheap ass idea to split H1Z1 up to trry and reinvigorate sales but DBG is just going to continue sailing on Smedley's sinking ship.

The sad reality of it all; is that Smedley became popular back when there was no competition,now that the market is flooded he is lost,he is not a good enough developer.

Rusque · March 2016

A mile away? How about saw it coming a million miles away. This thing was dead the day they were acquired and became Daybreak Games. They got purchased by a chop shop who wanted to squeeze out assets and IP, Columbus Nova never cared about EQN lol. So many delusional fanboys can finally accept the truth.

Leiloni · March 2016

DMKano said:

I heard about it last week - it's been dead internally for a while apparently.

That sounds about right. They haven't done anything in so long and even years ago when they showed "ideas" for a new game, they had been "developing" the game for several years at that point, when clearly they had done nothing. I get the impression they've spent, what, 7 or 8 years on this game and accomplished truly nothing at all? I just have no idea how that is even possible.

Zukape · March 2016

I havent shocked for a simple fact, even If it was released we all know the story. When development takes that long usually it puts off the hype and it looses anticipation. There are a lot of examples on the market now.

Also it doesnt necessarily mean EQ1-2 was good and Next will be awesome.

AngryElf · March 2016

I'm glad they finally admitted it. All the signs were there, but I guess they just weren't ready to come out.
They have to know that the franchise will eventually fade into nothing now. Landmark will be little more than minecraft for old EQ fans.

Gdemami · March 2016

It was expected they went overly ambitious but it is a pity they couldn't downscale the project

BrokenSilence · March 2016

It's definitely not something I wanted but I saw it coming..

I wonder if they are going to kill off Landmark.. or use the tech from EQN and apply it to Landmark.

CrazKanuk · March 2016

Shocked on a couple levels.

Level 1: I assumed that SOE wasn't cheap to buy, soooooo what other assets did they have, really? Maybe they were uber cheap?

Level 2: Why not sell the rights to finish the product, along with shared rights to the source code? I mean something that had come so far, with a good brand name would have some value, wouldn't it? Then again, Project Copernicus was apparently 10 yards from the goal and they still haven't found a home for it, the last I checked.

So can we make that assumption, then? That SOE was bought cheap, cheap, cheap? Like bargain basement level cheap? Like below market value?

Methos12 · March 2016

Not in the slightest considering it was a whole load of dead silence basically interspersed with "here's some fluff and concept art" here and there.

Volgore · March 2016

I guess this news only shocks you if you have been burried under a mountain of rose-tinted glasses.

Even Ray saw this coming from miles away and is now laughing about those who didn't.

Image: https://raycharles.wikispaces.com/file/view/raycharles1.jpg/48502633/raycharles1.jpg

Gdemami · March 2016

CrazKanuk said:

Shocked on a couple levels.

Level 1: I assumed that SOE wasn't cheap to buy, soooooo what other assets did they have, really? Maybe they were uber cheap?

Level 2: Why not sell the rights to finish the product, along with shared rights to the source code? I mean something that had come so far, with a good brand name would have some value, wouldn't it? Then again, Project Copernicus was apparently 10 yards from the goal and they still haven't found a home for it, the last I checked.

So can we make that assumption, then? That SOE was bought cheap, cheap, cheap? Like bargain basement level cheap? Like below market value?

I am not sure if you have some programming backgroud but buying half done project isn't usually a good bargain...

Hint: SWTOR and unfinished Hero engine skyrocketing their development costs.

Also, your conclusion is truly odd, in no way it implies that SOE must have been cheap to buy, it could have been just overpriced as well.

simsalabim77 · March 2016

It's been canceled since SOE became Daybreak, IMO. Shame though... it looked interesting.

CrazKanuk · March 2016

Gdemami said:

CrazKanuk said:

Shocked on a couple levels.

Level 1: I assumed that SOE wasn't cheap to buy, soooooo what other assets did they have, really? Maybe they were uber cheap?

Level 2: Why not sell the rights to finish the product, along with shared rights to the source code? I mean something that had come so far, with a good brand name would have some value, wouldn't it? Then again, Project Copernicus was apparently 10 yards from the goal and they still haven't found a home for it, the last I checked.

So can we make that assumption, then? That SOE was bought cheap, cheap, cheap? Like bargain basement level cheap? Like below market value?

I am not sure if you have some programming backgroud but buying half done project isn't usually a good bargain...

Hint: SWTOR and unfinished Hero engine skyrocketing their development costs.

Also, your conclusion is truly odd, in no way it implies that SOE must have been cheap to buy, it could have been just overpriced as well.

Sorry, I'm just saying that I couldn't see a venture cap firm buying it at or above market cap if they aren't planning on continuing to develop their flagship franchise.

Mendel · March 2016

While I expected the demise of EQ:N, I did feel that DBG would attempt to mollify the franchise's die hard fans and attempt to purchase Pantheon and re-brand it. Maybe that is something that happened behind the scenes, maybe not. I am sad at the demise of another game, but I can totally understand the decision.

If I had the chance to ask Russell Shanks 1 question, I would ask if he felt if the expectations of the community was mishandled or mismanaged in any way.

EQ:N may now take the place of UO2 as my most anticipated failed games.

Hatefull · March 2016

danwest58 said:

I called this out as soon as SOE became Daybreak.

I thought the same thing as well. I sort of got my hopes up when Smed left Daybreak but not much.

All in all after having read the interview I like the reasons, I also like that the doors are not closed as far as EQ(?) is concerned. So there is hope for the future.

But really without Smed dragging Daybreak down, they have no where to go but up, lets hope they do.

Derros · March 2016

CrazKanuk said:

Shocked on a couple levels.

Level 1: I assumed that SOE wasn't cheap to buy, soooooo what other assets did they have, really? Maybe they were uber cheap?

Level 2: Why not sell the rights to finish the product, along with shared rights to the source code? I mean something that had come so far, with a good brand name would have some value, wouldn't it? Then again, Project Copernicus was apparently 10 yards from the goal and they still haven't found a home for it, the last I checked.

So can we make that assumption, then? That SOE was bought cheap, cheap, cheap? Like bargain basement level cheap? Like below market value?

I heard it said when 38 studios went under, that trying to start up the game again with half finished code, and none of the original staff who actually knew what the code did would take years just to figure out, much less start to finish it.

Sony was hurting for cash at the time of the sale, I wouldnt be surprised if they sold off SOE fairly cheaply to raise and free up capital, especially when they were sold to a venture capitalist group with no game industry holdings.

freegames · March 2016

Not that shocked and liked polls so it was a given

Kopogero · March 2016

The only "next" thing for SOE/Daybreak is back to the drawing board. SWG was the last product that took my $ from them and that was back in 2003 until their perma ban year after, cuz I simply "threatened" somebody on forum once for using exploit then to brag on forum with ss how he killed me. Karma is a beautiful thing.

Nanfoodle · March 2016

Sad as this is the only MMO I know about that was coming out I was excited about. A MMO that was not a cookie cutter of everything around it. I see hints on the forums that other options are coming soon. So I hold hope for now. Thanks DGC for trying to push MMOs in a new direction. I am sorry to see you fail at making this become a reality. This EQ nerd hopes one day to see a new Norath.

Mendel · March 2016

Somehow my vote got posted as Sad. I am a bit sad, but I intended to vote 'Not Shocked'.

Anyway, maybe I won't have to hear more discussions of art style versus graphics. So much for the Disney-inspired art style that turned lion men into really hated lion men.

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