As I said at the time of the takeover and subsequently EQN got a chance; it was given some money and CN didn't cut it on day 1.
My "best guess" was that the team were told to "get it released" in 2015 (hence the year of EQN) with (in my view) funding through to the end of February as contingency.
It didn't release; a "root and branch" review has been conduted - as envisaged - and - also as envisaged - CN were not prepared to spend more money like Sony.
And you can't blame CN imo. The future now is simply to make as much money as possible from the already released games. And when they stop making money close them.
It could make it harder for the existing games as well. My assumption was that staff will have been assigned to games - shared staff eliminated as far as possible. Some will have remained however and these will have to be funded by one "game" less.
P.S The rest of the interview says basically nothing as well. What else can the poor guy say after all: our focus is in making fun games (really, you mean you are not aiming to produce crap) but we are going to wait on discussing anything else (i.e. not enough money coming in yet to start on a new title.)
EQN wasn't really given a chance or even expected to release by end of 2015 as you speculate. Just looking at the things that were not done yet in EQN it was clear to see it wasn't anywhere close to a release in 2015. Just for a point of reference, they didn't even have starting cities or races. The game was internally cancelled for some time.
Landmark was really the bulk of what was done for EQN. There really wasn't some other build of the game somewhere else that had more stuff. Not going to say more beyond that right now.
The last time this game was anything close to exciting was when SMED was announcing it at E3 iw/ Clint Worley. Before Georgeson got his hands on it and ruined it.
"Everquest" is a franchise. The name and trademark hold significant value. They will release a new title one day or they will sell it.
I did not consider the possibility to sell EQ to another company. You are right.
They may not own the brand.
At the time of the takeover Storybricks suggested that a) Sony wanted more money than Storybricks were offering and b) Sony accepted a lower offer from CN than Storybricks was offering. Odd yes?
A price on the revenue potential of existing games - check; H1Z1 - which had just launched - something could have been worked out based on sales; EQN - a venture project, set a not to exceed budget and it becomes a known risk; severance pay - known quantity. The big unknown: how much was - is - the EQ brand worth. Sony would not want to "do a Star Wars" and sell it for peanuts just in case; CN wouldn't want to pay a huge amount.
Possible solution: licence it from Sony with an option to buy downstream - when CN "worked their magic" - or not.
"Everquest" is a franchise. The name and trademark hold significant value. They will release a new title one day or they will sell it.
I'm wondering what value you think it might hold. What do you think someone might pay to own the rights to make all future EQ games? I'm assuming Daybreak isn't going to start a new game based on EQ, but who knows.
I have great memories of EQ and still play, but I just don't think there is a large segment of players interested in the EQ name anymore. Lets face it, SOE was for sale for some time and no gaming company bought it. Storybricks ( a startup of less than 10 people with no customers other than SOE) was able to secure funding to buy SOE, so I doubt the whole valu of SOE was very much.
What I really hope is they license out the name to other developers. IMO that is the only real shot a getting a decent EQ game.
Really stupid decision... no one wants to play Landmark nor the zombie game. I own Landmark and it's a ghost town and it isn't fun. It's a game of all the worst parts of MMO's, the grind. I just hope they sell of the franchise to a company that can take it further. the MMO genre is slowly dying and turning Asian. I was hoping this game would help save it... guess that hope is dashed.
I called this more than a year ago, when CN bought out SOE.
Venture capital firms, will act like venture capital firms... they are not MMO companies that have the patience to run development on a product for 3-5 years and forking over full funding for the same.
I predicted that everything that the former SOE had going would either released (in whatever form) or be canceled within a year or so.
CN is in it for the short term to short-mid term return, and that is it.
And CN got most of what they wanted with the "development" of H1Z1, with the staff cuts, slow development rate and game split, all while charging for a game in "early access".
This was no surprise, to anyone who actually knows how things work.
Expect DBG to start selling off individual MMOs to other publishers, or see DBG sold as a whole, again.
CN has made its money, now look for them to get out.
Not surprised, definitely really upset....I hope they sell the EQ franchise to a competent company that can do it justice and actually deliver on new Everquest games.
"Everquest" is a franchise. The name and trademark hold significant value. They will release a new title one day or they will sell it.
I did not consider the possibility to sell EQ to another company. You are right.
They may not own the brand.
At the time of the takeover Storybricks suggested that a) Sony wanted more money than Storybricks were offering and b) Sony accepted a lower offer from CN than Storybricks was offering. Odd yes?
There were some fairly consistent rumors (from the Storybricks people themselves) that Storybricks offered more for SOE than did CN, but that Smed was not offered a job if Storybricks took over.
Add to that, the fact that by some accounts Smed was an equity partner/owner in SOE, and that SOE was not a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony. More like Sony brought Veriant under the Sony umbrella, for a percentage of the profits and access to financing.
I guarantee, the IP for Everquest was part of what CN bought, it was one of the few things that made SOE worth anything.
Hopefully the PvE and RPG elements of Landmark become much more robust now. Currently, if you aren't an avid builder the game is not very fun for long.
this is the beginning of the end for everquest, I have tried so many times to get into EQ2 so many times! but I'm just put off by the terrible old fashioned graphics and poor animation, I was really looking forward to the last AAA mmo everquest next, but I don't think daybreak have the staff left to pull off a game so big and thats why it turned into vapour ware, plus columbus nova are just on a cash grab.
Playing: FFXIV Future: wishing for SWG 2, World of Warcraft Classic Played: Most current and extinct MMO's - 18 Years in....
I guarantee, the IP for Everquest was part of what CN bought, it was one of the few things that made SOE worth anything.
Why? What do you think makes the Everquest IP so valuable?
Curious what people think that Daybreak/Columbus Nova might do with that property to make it so valuable? It doest look lik ethey are going to develop a game based on EQ, so what then?
Great reporting. Could you follow up with an interview about the different ways they tried to get it to work? Right now it sounds like they don't have much love for EQ, even tho he says they do, it just doesn't feel like it. so i would like to know more about what they tried. Like maybe they could leave out Storybricks or dumb down the AI aspect a little. the Voxel engine thing id keep but maybe only on the surface level, but not allow people to dig deep into the ground. Parts of buildings could be destroyed but not the whole thing to the point it collapses. Changing the art style to be more inline with the original EQ's would probably get most people back on board.
I mean no one is angry about this, so that tells you no one really cared much for EQn at this point. We all seen a cancellation coming, but my hope was for a direction change. seems like a waste of money, didn't think it was time to quit.
It sucks, but I'm not surprised much. It was pretty much my last hope at a sandbox PVE (screw that PVP gankfest crap) non-asian MMO. I don't see anything in development or in early *scam* access. Which means MMOs, by and large, are done for me until someone does come out with a decent, non-indie scamware early access buy our clunky crap game we won't ever really finish, product. AKA probably not for another decade.
People can spin it all they want, we're in a dark ages of MMO innovation and quality. EQN might have been good, but as soon as SOE nuked, that was the end of any real hope for the game. This isn't shocking news, it's just the other shoe finally dropping.
Your dark age is my golden age. It has been a MMORPG dark age for me over the past decade. For the first time in a long time, I see nothing but hope on the horizon.
Congratulations! You gave a 'Best of Show' award to a product which you never gave your readers any real information on, and as of now doesn't even exist anymore. Good job!
Dey-break-games can go screw themselves. Why do they even exist? Just shut it down already, at this point it's like watching a cat play with a mouse. Everyone knows what's coming, just get it the hell over with.
AN' DERE AIN'T NO SUCH FING AS ENUFF DAKKA, YA GROT! Enuff'z more than ya got an' less than too much an' there ain't no such fing as too much dakka. Say dere is, and me Squiggoff'z eatin' tonight!
We are born of the blood. Made men by the blood. Undone by the blood. Our eyes are yet to open. FEAR THE OLD BLOOD.
Sad, but not entirely unsurprising given the long period of silence.
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Comments
EQN wasn't really given a chance or even expected to release by end of 2015 as you speculate. Just looking at the things that were not done yet in EQN it was clear to see it wasn't anywhere close to a release in 2015. Just for a point of reference, they didn't even have starting cities or races. The game was internally cancelled for some time.
Landmark was really the bulk of what was done for EQN. There really wasn't some other build of the game somewhere else that had more stuff. Not going to say more beyond that right now.
At the time of the takeover Storybricks suggested that a) Sony wanted more money than Storybricks were offering and b) Sony accepted a lower offer from CN than Storybricks was offering. Odd yes?
A price on the revenue potential of existing games - check; H1Z1 - which had just launched - something could have been worked out based on sales; EQN - a venture project, set a not to exceed budget and it becomes a known risk; severance pay - known quantity. The big unknown: how much was - is - the EQ brand worth. Sony would not want to "do a Star Wars" and sell it for peanuts just in case; CN wouldn't want to pay a huge amount.
Possible solution: licence it from Sony with an option to buy downstream - when CN "worked their magic" - or not.
I'm wondering what value you think it might hold. What do you think someone might pay to own the rights to make all future EQ games? I'm assuming Daybreak isn't going to start a new game based on EQ, but who knows.
I have great memories of EQ and still play, but I just don't think there is a large segment of players interested in the EQ name anymore. Lets face it, SOE was for sale for some time and no gaming company bought it. Storybricks ( a startup of less than 10 people with no customers other than SOE) was able to secure funding to buy SOE, so I doubt the whole valu of SOE was very much.
What I really hope is they license out the name to other developers. IMO that is the only real shot a getting a decent EQ game.
Venture capital firms, will act like venture capital firms... they are not MMO companies that have the patience to run development on a product for 3-5 years and forking over full funding for the same.
I predicted that everything that the former SOE had going would either released (in whatever form) or be canceled within a year or so.
CN is in it for the short term to short-mid term return, and that is it.
And CN got most of what they wanted with the "development" of H1Z1, with the staff cuts, slow development rate and game split, all while charging for a game in "early access".
This was no surprise, to anyone who actually knows how things work.
Expect DBG to start selling off individual MMOs to other publishers, or see DBG sold as a whole, again.
CN has made its money, now look for them to get out.
Add to that, the fact that by some accounts Smed was an equity partner/owner in SOE, and that SOE was not a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony. More like Sony brought Veriant under the Sony umbrella, for a percentage of the profits and access to financing.
I guarantee, the IP for Everquest was part of what CN bought, it was one of the few things that made SOE worth anything.
Playing: FFXIV
Future: wishing for SWG 2, World of Warcraft Classic
Played: Most current and extinct MMO's - 18 Years in....
Interesting Fact - I own 27 Tarantula's
Why? What do you think makes the Everquest IP so valuable?
Curious what people think that Daybreak/Columbus Nova might do with that property to make it so valuable? It doest look lik ethey are going to develop a game based on EQ, so what then?
It's a really sad day, the last game I was holding out for was EQN, after Wildstar failed to pull it's *^$% together. Sad day for gaming in general.
I mean no one is angry about this, so that tells you no one really cared much for EQn at this point. We all seen a cancellation coming, but my hope was for a direction change. seems like a waste of money, didn't think it was time to quit.
거북이는 목을 내밀 때 안 움직입니다
Dey-break-games can go screw themselves. Why do they even exist? Just shut it down already, at this point it's like watching a cat play with a mouse. Everyone knows what's coming, just get it the hell over with.
AN' DERE AIN'T NO SUCH FING AS ENUFF DAKKA, YA GROT! Enuff'z more than ya got an' less than too much an' there ain't no such fing as too much dakka. Say dere is, and me Squiggoff'z eatin' tonight!
We are born of the blood. Made men by the blood. Undone by the blood. Our eyes are yet to open. FEAR THE OLD BLOOD.
#IStandWithVic
My SWTOR referral link for those wanting to give the game a try. (Newbies get a welcome package while returning players get a few account upgrades to help with their preferred status.)
https://www.ashesofcreation.com/ref/Callaron/