Comments on: Blood on the carpet http://www.bruceongames.com/2008/07/15/blood-on-the-carpet/ A veteran's view on marketing games Fri, 23 Sep 2011 19:01:38 +0000 hourly 1 By: BC http://www.bruceongames.com/2008/07/15/blood-on-the-carpet/comment-page-1/#comment-2776 BC Wed, 16 Jul 2008 06:37:08 +0000 http://www.bruceongames.com/?p=614#comment-2776 I think anything that covered its losses and is still making money should be counted as a success. It's not all about making an absolute WoW-like fortune, which is a stupid target to aim for... but having a steady income, happy customers and therefore happy staff are pretty important. I think anything that covered its losses and is still making money should be counted as a success.

It’s not all about making an absolute WoW-like fortune, which is a stupid target to aim for… but having a steady income, happy customers and therefore happy staff are pretty important.

]]> By: Bruce http://www.bruceongames.com/2008/07/15/blood-on-the-carpet/comment-page-1/#comment-2775 Bruce Wed, 16 Jul 2008 06:17:00 +0000 http://www.bruceongames.com/?p=614#comment-2775 Ultima Online has collapsed from quarter of a million subscribers to around 20,000 outside Japan and 50,000 there so is probably still profitable but not going anywhere. Does Anarchy Online even have 10,000 now? And Asheron's Call a little over this. In a market where there are quite a few games with subscriptions in the millions I would count these as failiures. Ultima Online has collapsed from quarter of a million subscribers to around 20,000 outside Japan and 50,000 there so is probably still profitable but not going anywhere.

Does Anarchy Online even have 10,000 now? And Asheron’s Call a little over this.

In a market where there are quite a few games with subscriptions in the millions I would count these as failiures.

]]> By: Illandril http://www.bruceongames.com/2008/07/15/blood-on-the-carpet/comment-page-1/#comment-2774 Illandril Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:12:41 +0000 http://www.bruceongames.com/?p=614#comment-2774 Ultima Online, Asheron’s Call, and Anarchy Online haven't failed... they're all still making a profit today. Ultima Online, Asheron’s Call, and Anarchy Online haven’t failed… they’re all still making a profit today.

]]> By: Snipehunter http://www.bruceongames.com/2008/07/15/blood-on-the-carpet/comment-page-1/#comment-2773 Snipehunter Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:02:50 +0000 http://www.bruceongames.com/?p=614#comment-2773 Eh. The numbers aren't as bad as they look and in some cases the losses attributed to one project are in the fact the losses incurred in another. Many MMOs in recent years were canned not because they weren't printing money, but because they weren't printing money fast enough for the people involved. Doesn't change the fact that they were still cancelled of course -- I'm just pointing out that a big part of the risk involved in the MMO space is the immaturity of the market and the business itself. It's not for the faint of heart, but many investors and publishers (EA, I'm thinking of you) seem to forget that. That being said - more MMOs achieve some level of success than don't these days. MMOs have come a long way from the Realms and that has a lot to do with the money pouring into the space, right now. More importantly, the developers who are players in the space now are a lot more mature than they were. No more wacky schemes for games no one will play... well, *almost* no more wacky schemes, at any rate. ;) MMOs are taking over PC gaming at this point and they may single handedly save PC gaming... but I wonder if there won't be some sort of "MMO bubble" bursting before that happens... - Snipehunter Eh. The numbers aren’t as bad as they look and in some cases the losses attributed to one project are in the fact the losses incurred in another. Many MMOs in recent years were canned not because they weren’t printing money, but because they weren’t printing money fast enough for the people involved.

Doesn’t change the fact that they were still cancelled of course — I’m just pointing out that a big part of the risk involved in the MMO space is the immaturity of the market and the business itself. It’s not for the faint of heart, but many investors and publishers (EA, I’m thinking of you) seem to forget that.

That being said – more MMOs achieve some level of success than don’t these days. MMOs have come a long way from the Realms and that has a lot to do with the money pouring into the space, right now. More importantly, the developers who are players in the space now are a lot more mature than they were. No more wacky schemes for games no one will play… well, *almost* no more wacky schemes, at any rate. ;)

MMOs are taking over PC gaming at this point and they may single handedly save PC gaming… but I wonder if there won’t be some sort of “MMO bubble” bursting before that happens…

- Snipehunter

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