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Smilegate Stops SkySaga: Infinite Islands Development - MMORPG.com News

SBFordSBFord Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
edited August 2017 in News & Features Discussion

imageSmilegate Stops SkySaga: Infinite Islands Development - MMORPG.com News

It looks like developer Radiant Worlds is in for a massive round of layoffs after publisher Smilegate Entertainment made the decision to stop development of SkySaga: Infinite Isles for an indeterminate amount of time. Radiant Worlds clarified that the failure to renew the contract with Smilegate causing the inevitable shutdown of production on SkySaga. "All positions at Radiant Worlds are now under threat and we expect to shortly enter a period of consultation with all staff."

Read the full story here



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Comments

  • k61977k61977 Member EpicPosts: 1,503
    Had just posted a discussion about this right before this popped up. This is a really sad thing as it was a great game. Great devs that actually listened and took part in their creation with testers. Hope someone else will step in as the base game is already pretty much done. Was suppose to go into beta soon.
  • LobotomistLobotomist Member EpicPosts: 5,965
    This is completely unexpected.The game was in forever beta, although it was in better shape than most released games.

    Than few month ago they did final wipe and announced short break before the game returns as release version.

    And now this ?

    Crazy really



  • Panther2103Panther2103 Member EpicPosts: 5,768
    Wonder if they just couldn't generate enough hype for it, or not enough users interested?
  • KyleranKyleran Member LegendaryPosts: 43,505

    Panther2103 said:

    Wonder if they just couldn't generate enough hype for it, or not enough users interested?



    Considering I've never heard of it you might just have nailed the answer.
    postlarvalTsiyaOctagon7711Keller

    "True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde 

    "I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant

    Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm

    Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV

    Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™

    "This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon






  • k61977k61977 Member EpicPosts: 1,503

    Lobotomist said:

    This is completely unexpected.The game was in forever beta, although it was in better shape than most released games.



    Than few month ago they did final wipe and announced short break before the game returns as release version.



    And now this ?



    Crazy really



    Actually it wasn't even in beta yet. It was still in alpha, just ended a couple months ago. Beta was suppose to start soon.
  • SpottyGekkoSpottyGekko Member EpicPosts: 6,916
    I'd never heard of this game either, but superficially it seems to be a somewhat similar concept to Worlds Adrift.

    Could it be that there were concerns regarding competing for the same audience ?
  • LobotomistLobotomist Member EpicPosts: 5,965
    SpottyGekko said:
    I'd never heard of this game either, but superficially it seems to be a somewhat similar concept to Worlds Adrift.

    Could it be that there were concerns regarding competing for the same audience ?
    The game was in longest beta (alpha) for years. And for no reason whatsoever, it was better than most released games. Yet for some reason they just went from closed beta to closed beta ???

    Shame really

    It was like mix between TROVE and Minecraft. But much better.




  • LobotomistLobotomist Member EpicPosts: 5,965
    k61977 said:




    Actually it wasn't even in beta yet. It was still in alpha, just ended a couple months ago. Beta was suppose to start soon.
    In F2P games "Beta" = release
    Keller



  • flizzerflizzer Member RarePosts: 2,454
    I've been watching this game for so long now and waiting for it to launch.  Defintely looked like fun. 
  • k61977k61977 Member EpicPosts: 1,503
    Lobotomist said:
    k61977 said:




    Actually it wasn't even in beta yet. It was still in alpha, just ended a couple months ago. Beta was suppose to start soon.
    In F2P games "Beta" = release
    Then the game would never have had a beta because I was a alpha tester and just got an email last week about forum updates.  Beta does not mean release either, sorry.  Release means all things are worked out and the game is going into a stable state where you don't make major design changes.  They were still making design changes.   The game was going into an open beta next.  It has been in a closed alpha that you had to apply to.  They pretty much would let anyone in but you had to apply.
    Keller
  • SpottyGekkoSpottyGekko Member EpicPosts: 6,916
    "Smilegate Entertainment"

    The gate that stops the smiles ?
    TsiyaRidelynn
  • SpottyGekkoSpottyGekko Member EpicPosts: 6,916

    Kyleran said:



    Panther2103 said:


    Wonder if they just couldn't generate enough hype for it, or not enough users interested?






    Considering I've never heard of it you might just have nailed the answer.



    I suspect that may be it.

    Smilegate own the Crossfire IP, which is one of the most lucrative games in the world iirc. Their 2016 annual financial report reads like an ode to Crossfire. They even have a Hollywood studio contracted to produce a Crossfire movie.

    They also publish Lost Ark and Soulworker.

    I'd guess the revenue projections for Skysaga did not meet their expectations, so they canned it.

    They've "achieved an operating profit rate of over 50% for 8 consecutive years", so they'd no doubt be looking at extending that streak...
    Kyleran
  • BruceYeeBruceYee Member EpicPosts: 2,556
    I thought this game was already completed and just had to release? I was waiting for launch to play it.
  • KyleranKyleran Member LegendaryPosts: 43,505
    SpottyGekko said:

    Kyleran said:



    Panther2103 said:


    Wonder if they just couldn't generate enough hype for it, or not enough users interested?






    Considering I've never heard of it you might just have nailed the answer.



    I suspect that may be it.

    Smilegate own the Crossfire IP, which is one of the most lucrative games in the world iirc. Their 2016 annual financial report reads like an ode to Crossfire. They even have a Hollywood studio contracted to produce a Crossfire movie.

    They also publish Lost Ark and Soulworker.

    I'd guess the revenue projections for Skysaga did not meet their expectations, so they canned it.

    They've "achieved an operating profit rate of over 50% for 8 consecutive years", so they'd no doubt be looking at extending that streak...
    Crossfire is the most popular and profitable online game in history...

    That I've never heard of and had to Google just now.

    Weird.
    Grunty

    "True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde 

    "I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant

    Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm

    Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV

    Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™

    "This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon






  • Nickhead420Nickhead420 Member UncommonPosts: 251
    I enjoyed 2+ years of alpha testing, but I get why Smilegate did it. 4+ years of paying for development and 2+ years of paying to run test servers, and RW couldn't figure out how to monetize. It was turning into a money pit for Smilegate.
  • esc-joconnoresc-joconnor Member RarePosts: 1,097

    Lobotomist said:


    SpottyGekko said:

    I'd never heard of this game either, but superficially it seems to be a somewhat similar concept to Worlds Adrift.

    Could it be that there were concerns regarding competing for the same audience ?


    The game was in longest beta (alpha) for years. And for no reason whatsoever, it was better than most released games. Yet for some reason they just went from closed beta to closed beta ???

    Shame really

    It was like mix between TROVE and Minecraft. But much better.





    I think it was miss management. Hopefully it will get picked up by someone else, and hopefully someone with better business sense.
    Esc Realities - A project to create the next generation MMORPG
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