New efforts!

[slickriptide]

Hey, EA did right by Space and Beyond. We could do worse.

That's pretty funny. You know how CoH players feel about NCSoft? Yeah. That's how Earth and Beyond players feel about Electronic Arts.

The reason EA may have "done right" by the emulator people is that they never wanted E&B. They wanted Westwood Studios and E&B was part of the baggage that came with it.

[CoyoteSeven]

EA are the Borg. NCSoft feel more like the Ferengi.

[Tyger42]

EA are the Borg. NCSoft feel more like the Ferengi.

And Blizzard are the Sith Empire.  ;D

[Solitaire]

Another weekend without CoH *sigh*  :(

[switch]

so has the  meeting been set yet a date ?

[wyldhunt]

EA are the Borg. NCSoft feel more like the Ferengi.

+1 CoyoteSeven! I definitely agree! Best belly laugh I've had all week!!!

[downix]

And Blizzard are the Sith Empire.  ;D

don't cross the streams.

[The Fifth Horseman]

EA are the Borg. NCSoft feel more like the Ferengi.

Unexpectedly insightful.

[LaughingAlex]

And Blizzard are the Sith Empire.  ;D

The funniest thing that they seem to be slowly taking a more intelligent approach with diablo 3 to, which is funny.  Granted, game is still a grind but it's now more of a "Well your a demon hunter, so we'll give you stuff you need rather then stuff for some other class and if your underperforming, the game will drop stuff to catch you up".  I've only been level 70 for a short while on my DH and now she's already taking on torment mode, when I was expecting to need to hit paragon level 70 or so before I could even enter just due to not getting good enough gear, well, got that gear before I even hit paragon level 20.  So thats what i'd been doing while looking at this thread.  Still hate diablo 3's many demonic spiders though.

[MWRuger]

That's pretty funny. You know how CoH players feel about NCSoft? Yeah. That's how Earth and Beyond players feel about Electronic Arts.

The reason EA may have "done right" by the emulator people is that they never wanted E&B. They wanted Westwood Studios and E&B was part of the baggage that came with it.

All I meant is that at least those who still want to are playing their game. We have exactly what?


Apparently from this thread, no publisher is worth anything. It is not always a black&white situation. But the I sometimes forget that the internet is not fueled by many hamsters running on wheels but the hatred of fans for everything and everyone.

Both Blizzard and EA have made games I really enjoyed. I would also remind you that Ultima Online is still being played by those who chose to do so. You can also play Diablo on Battle.net if you want to. City of Heroes?  No.

I repeat, we could do worse (and have) than EA or Blizzard.

[MWRuger]

I hates that Westwood was bought by EA, but Westwood did agree and they could have turned down the money. So why is that no one ever takes the "beloved" small company to task for saying "Yes!" to big bad EA?

I also hate having to defend EA, so thanks for that!  >:(

[TonyV]

So why is that no one ever takes the "beloved" small company to task for saying "Yes!" to big bad EA?

I can't answer this for this specific company, but I can answer for companies in general.

Unfortunately, this is just the way the industry works.  If you ever want your game to reach a wider audience than people who play "indie" games, you're going to have to sell out to a big publisher.  The bigger, the better, because the bigger the publisher, the more (in theory) funding they can provide and the wider audience they can reach through marketing and distribution.  So if EA comes knocking at your door, generally speaking, you'd be pretty foolish to turn them down.

Generally speaking.  Because really, it depends on your end goals.  The downside to big publishers is that you're pretty much handing over the keys to your kingdom to them.  (What, you thought my choice of words, "sell out", was accidental?)  Almost always, part of the deal is that you transfer all of your intellectual property in your game to the publisher, and the publisher basically retains the right at any given time to do whatever they want to the game, include kill it.

So it's sort of a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't situation.  But if you're a game developer who wants a chance at your game becoming popular and widely sold (and thus you become moderately famous and get a chance to develop more games), you have to take the chance.

However, I'm really happy to see these days a third option that is becoming more and more popular: crowdfunded games.  While you might not get as much money for development as you would from a publisher, you do get to retain all of the rights to your game, and there's no one who can come along and say, "Your game is DEAD!"  That's why I'm pretty stoked about City of Titans.  If it works well, it could show other developers who haven't sold out to a publisher yet the way to get their game out there without selling their soul.

But in the meantime, I can't really blame development studios who still pursue publishers.  I can just feel sorry for them when those downsides start kicking in and some of them get axed.

[MWRuger]

I don't blame them either, I just was trying to point out that it isn't a one-sided deal.

To me, it isn't black and white. EA has done some things i dislike and some things I like. I understand why Westwood sold out to EA, but the same time I wish they hadn't. Lands and Lore got killed and I never thought that C&C was as good. I won't even mention how much the 3rd Eye of the Beholder game bit because of the sale.

[Brigadine]

don't cross the streams.

Blizzard is the romulan empire...

[chuckv3]

I think at this point Blizzard is the Q Collective.

[Remaugen]

Are we there yet?  ;D

[LaughingAlex]

Are we there yet?  ;D

I second this post.  If only for comedic value.

[Triage IV]

EA are the Borg. NCSoft feel more like the Ferengi.

HA!  LOVE IT!!!

[chuckv3]

Are we there yet?  ;D

oh, please, oh, please, OH PLEASE, c'mon, c'mon, C'MON, oh please pleez, plz, plz plz plz plz plz... C'MON!!! Please? Pretty Please?

[I'm perfectly happy playing the unashamed dork younger brother. um. obviously.]

[Scendera]

I won't even mention how much the 3rd Eye of the Beholder game bit because of the sale.

That bad? I never could get it to run, no matter what voodoo I tried.