Funcom has all of the pieces in place to be a great company, they just lack the marketing and stay power of their games. The original ideas all are a breath of fresh air in this genre, they just need someone that can get their ideas out there and publish a game that can stay relevant in this day and age. Maybe hiring some new artists to come up with an original look for their game.
However, would it be wise to invest in Funcom?
/played-mmorpgs
Total time played:9125 Days, 21 Hours, 29 Minutes, 27 Seconds Time played this level: 39 Days, 1 Hour, 24 Minutes, 5 Seconds
Funcom did it to themselves. Arrogance lead them to where they are now. Never listening to a games community is the biggest downfall in any mmorpg. The communities pay the bills, and time after time Funcom ignored us. Well I guess they are learning the hard way, that without growing healthy communities, it cuts the chances of a games survival by 90%.
They could've done 2 simple things to save Aoc, and many people posted countless times. They ignored the advice because, hey , they are funcom and they know everything. I will not shed a tear when this comapny closes, and it will be a hallmark for all mmorpgs to take their communities with genuine sincerity.
Is it really as easy as just not listening to the community, or could it be possible that they just couldn't execute what was really needed?
There is a difference and trust me, the community is not always correct.
/played-mmorpgs
Total time played:9125 Days, 21 Hours, 29 Minutes, 27 Seconds Time played this level: 39 Days, 1 Hour, 24 Minutes, 5 Seconds
i feel that in fact fc has some of the best game desginers and story tellers and art designers in the business...all they need is some guys that are more experienced and have routine in delivering on time and free of bugs...they have the creative part down - they need operational exerpience
AO was great. I had tons of fun in AoC, didnt connect to TSW (skill wheel & pvp) but that game has the best quests in existance. I dont understand the hate. People need their crusades? "They lied" "bad lauch" "bugs" ... Come on...
Funcom has all of the pieces in place to be a great company, they just lack the marketing and stay power of their games. The original ideas all are a breath of fresh air in this genre, they just need someone that can get their ideas out there and publish a game that can stay relevant in this day and age. Maybe hiring some new artists to come up with an original look for their game.
However, would it be wise to invest in Funcom?
Funcom's single largest failing as a company is marketing.
They just don't get their name or their games out there. In the age of viral marketing campaigns riding on the back of a half dozen different social media outlets, that's just a damn tragedy. Whoever is their marketing VP needs to be fired and working a register at McDonalds cause they know nothing.
AO was great. I had tons of fun in AoC, didnt connect to TSW (skill wheel & pvp) but that game has the best quests in existance. I dont understand the hate. People need their crusades? "They lied" "bad lauch" "bugs" ... Come on...
Yeah I remember TSW being a fairly smooth game. Every game these days have their issues at launch, even non-mmo games; but TSW was a fairly well played game at launch.
/played-mmorpgs
Total time played:9125 Days, 21 Hours, 29 Minutes, 27 Seconds Time played this level: 39 Days, 1 Hour, 24 Minutes, 5 Seconds
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Somebody, somewhere has better skills as you have, more experience as you have, is smarter than you, has more friends as you do and can stay online longer. Just pray he's not out to get you.
And look what happens when the community is "wrong".. they leave. So ignorance and arrogance is more important then having success of a healthy community. It seems to really be working for Funcom.
They leave, yes. It's not all because the developers did not listen; mostly because the player has outgrown that game or just need an entirely new experience. A game is created and people flock to that game because it interest them. They stick with the game because they like what the game offers or how unique and different it is compared to the rest. The one that leave because they are upset with a patch or whatever reason, are not the type of players that would stick around. They are fair weather fans and this genre has a lot of them.
Sure I can understand leaving because they completely changed the experience, such as Galaxies or maybe the recent WoW 6.X that super casualed the game. Then yes, maybe you should listen to your fan (Blizzard sounds like it has btw), but Funcom never went and completely changed their games dramatically. They have a packaged deal and players like them.
I just don't agree with listening to the community all of the time because most of the time the players do not even know what they want, hence how we got the 6.0 WoW that we have. Now people are screaming for more of a challenge!
If you have an idea and it is executed into a great game, leave it at that and keep adding great content. The issue with Funcom is that they couldn't market the game, so they never really had the income that they needed for their expensive games.
/played-mmorpgs
Total time played:9125 Days, 21 Hours, 29 Minutes, 27 Seconds Time played this level: 39 Days, 1 Hour, 24 Minutes, 5 Seconds
And look what happens when the community is "wrong".. they leave. So ignorance and arrogance is more important then having success of a healthy community. It seems to really be working for Funcom.
I just don't agree with listening to the community all of the time because most of the time the players do not even know what they want
thats the most ridiculous thing I've ever read. You know why LotrO was a success ? They listened tot he community genuinely with sincerity and made changes to the game to make it what is now. The developer is making a game for the people, not for themselves. If the developer is going to be so closed minded in excepting what the community desires, then they deserver to be in a state of dissary. I'm not playing and paying for what a developers want to play, I'm paying for what I find fun. If a game can make changes that the community as whole feel are going to improve the game, make them and reap the benefits of not having to always be right.
Look at SWG:CU ... community never asked for those changes and look at what happened.... Look at Vanguard SOH, anthoer arrognat selfish developer ignoring ciommunity requests.. game died... if one does not see the pattern , specially if they are a developer, they will ultimatly learn the hard way, no matte rhow long they have in the game industry, hence Funcom.
There is a huge difference between having a great product and continuing with that product, versus changing it completely or not even starting off great. Your examples, with what I agree were horrible, did not go bad because they didn't listen to the players. Both of these games were launched way too early and were not going to succeed.
SW Galaxies was a mess and the developers knew it. So they desperately wanted to go after numbers, completely did a 180 on their game which I am sure cost them a lot of money and instead of reverting and blaming their mistakes on themselves; they carried on knowing they messed up. It was costly for them financially and player base-wise. Vanguard was a bust from the start. It didn't fail because they didn't listen to their players; they failed because they had a horrible product and a non-existing leader on their team. They were way above their heads.
Sure listening to the players works for LoTRO, but that doesn't mean it works for all game which is why I was giving the example of WoW. People wanted easy all the time and they got it. Not they want hard and Blizzard is trying to recapture that now.
What I am saying is that little changes such as merging all of the servers and changing some combat issues will not draw in players. They need to market their game to get more players.
Post edited by MaeEye on
/played-mmorpgs
Total time played:9125 Days, 21 Hours, 29 Minutes, 27 Seconds Time played this level: 39 Days, 1 Hour, 24 Minutes, 5 Seconds
What I am saying is that little changes such as merging all of the servers and changing some combat issues will not draw in players. They need to market their game to get more players.
Are you kidding me right now, do you even play Age of Conan ? The merger created an exudos of over 2000 North American ... you know what, I'm done trying to make a point to someone who obviously doesn't play the games and thnks the developer is the one who pays the bills.
Good luck with your theory, my theory has been proven over the length of the mmorpg genre.
It sounds like you and I obviously have different opinions about the subject matter, which is fine. I wouldn't go as far as saying your 'theory' is proven. In fact, a proven theory is an oxymoron.
To close this on my end, some games fail and some live on. UO didn't listen to their players, yet they still are going strong after 17 years is it? They have new vets now that have played the game since the fallout. Some games age better than others and I believe it has way more to do with the marketing than we think.
/played-mmorpgs
Total time played:9125 Days, 21 Hours, 29 Minutes, 27 Seconds Time played this level: 39 Days, 1 Hour, 24 Minutes, 5 Seconds
How can you market trash ? How do you sell people on the most ignorant community in world ? How do you mark America bashing player base ? How do you market cheating and exploitation ? How does one sell the idea of shit ? I guess that is what marketing is for, who cares about the content, even if it's complete utter decayed trash, just market in some more suckers instead of fixing the core issues of the game...
Trash, really? Seems excessive. I enjoy my times on TSW and AoC.
/played-mmorpgs
Total time played:9125 Days, 21 Hours, 29 Minutes, 27 Seconds Time played this level: 39 Days, 1 Hour, 24 Minutes, 5 Seconds
I honestly don't see Funcom being saved. None of their games have had a good track record. That's not to say they're "bad" or didn't make a profit at one point or another. But each one that was considered successful at launch, fizzled out quickly (AoC and Defiance). Anarchy Online is a long-running sci-fi MMO. But when it launched it was profitable, but not widely successful. After like, six years or so. They finally finished a tiny pass-over on the graphics to update the game....it's still archaic looking. Huge waste of time and resources there, and the failed investments with Defiance as well and more drastically, Age of Conan. As someone who does small investments....I would never risk my money on saving Funcom. Unless I was doing a buyout, stripping their workforce, and taking their IP's and either re-launching them after a rework (like FFXIV) or creating sequels within those IP's. In either case, I'd be using new programmers and management. I just don't think any of their IP's are worth all the time and investment.
Defiance is not Funcom what are you talking about.
My apologies, responded to this after a triple shift and was clearly too tired to think coherently. Thanks for catching that though.
How can you market trash ? How do you sell people on the most ignorant community in world ? How do you mark America bashing player base ? How do you market cheating and exploitation ? How does one sell the idea of shit ? I guess that is what marketing is for, who cares about the content, even if it's complete utter decayed trash, just market in some more suckers instead of fixing the core issues of the game...
Trash, really? Seems excessive. I enjoy my times on TSW and AoC.
Do you pvp ?
AoC had the best open world pvp i ever had. I am not that into warzones but they were ok. Open world pvp ftw!
I'm stunned FUNCOM has lasted this long. The list of negative adjective I'm tempted to use to dscribe them and their business practices and inneptitude is exceptionally long. So...just a few : GOOD RIDDANCE ,THEY SHOULD HAVE LEFT THE MMOG INDUSTRY MUCH SOONER.
To be honest age of conan and combat system was basically the best combat system which was ever introduced in mmorpg.
Tera and dc universe come close and some new game slike wildstar and asian games introducing some fun into combat system again.
The problem is that if you ever played age of conan then suddenly all that games like lotro, wow etc was boring as hell.
At the beginning it was also mainly about skill and basically no equip matter at all and then they changes that and make that very equip dependant but even then you was still able to get people easily eventhough they had significantly better equip.
I remember that times when i enjoyed a games with one of the best pvp...(just fun pvp) then they introduced that funny pvp zones where you need to just dig to get pvp level:-(((
Secret world... Other amazing game where they removed the biggest advantage of aoc... The introduced great theory crafting, story etc...and also introduced one of the worst combat system?
I just wonder how you get out the best thing from their previous game.
people always complain that there are no innovators in the mmo space, but then, all the innovators are not succesfull....shame
The trick is, ofc, to be both innovative AND be seen to be honest AND deliver a solid product at launch.
I don't think it's innovation that's failed here.
As an older gamer, I guess I have considered myself hard core at times but the raiding days of Wow are long gone and many of times I have really enjoyed my running through of Wizard101 and Pirates 101. The game play is fun and the community is everything you would hope for unlike the communities of current WOW,ESO, or Skyforge. Its a community of people just enjoying the game and no one really cares how great you think you are, just whether or not your having fun and how they can help. Its too bad we cant get more of that in new and upcoming MMO's..
There are several small reasons but imo Funcom has one big problem,their games are like FAKE MMO's,they play far too much like single player games.Also imo they cannot compete in that market because it is flooded with thousands of f2p games the operate under smaller budgets.
I hear a lot about TSW and it's uniqueness but imo it is not unique at all,it is very predictable and that is a problem.l
The several small problems are hand holding,markers,locked areas,predictable scripted content that MUST be defeated to move on,often feeling like your in an instance rather than a mmo.
Other important factor is gear/stats longevity designs.When you look at it all ,there is a lot of work there and that means subscription model,so can Funcom really compete in a subscription market?Imo no they will be forced into the f2p market making budget games and hoping to get lucky.
If you have to PAY to play pvp in P101 then stay far away from the game,big mistake they did in W101 and why very few took part in it.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
Comments
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Total time played: 9125 Days, 21 Hours, 29 Minutes, 27 Seconds
Time played this level: 39 Days, 1 Hour, 24 Minutes, 5 Seconds
Total time played: 9125 Days, 21 Hours, 29 Minutes, 27 Seconds
Time played this level: 39 Days, 1 Hour, 24 Minutes, 5 Seconds
They just don't get their name or their games out there. In the age of viral marketing campaigns riding on the back of a half dozen different social media outlets, that's just a damn tragedy. Whoever is their marketing VP needs to be fired and working a register at McDonalds cause they know nothing.
Total time played: 9125 Days, 21 Hours, 29 Minutes, 27 Seconds
Time played this level: 39 Days, 1 Hour, 24 Minutes, 5 Seconds
Somebody, somewhere has better skills as you have, more experience as you have, is smarter than you, has more friends as you do and can stay online longer. Just pray he's not out to get you.
Sure I can understand leaving because they completely changed the experience, such as Galaxies or maybe the recent WoW 6.X that super casualed the game. Then yes, maybe you should listen to your fan (Blizzard sounds like it has btw), but Funcom never went and completely changed their games dramatically. They have a packaged deal and players like them.
I just don't agree with listening to the community all of the time because most of the time the players do not even know what they want, hence how we got the 6.0 WoW that we have. Now people are screaming for more of a challenge!
If you have an idea and it is executed into a great game, leave it at that and keep adding great content. The issue with Funcom is that they couldn't market the game, so they never really had the income that they needed for their expensive games.
Total time played: 9125 Days, 21 Hours, 29 Minutes, 27 Seconds
Time played this level: 39 Days, 1 Hour, 24 Minutes, 5 Seconds
SW Galaxies was a mess and the developers knew it. So they desperately wanted to go after numbers, completely did a 180 on their game which I am sure cost them a lot of money and instead of reverting and blaming their mistakes on themselves; they carried on knowing they messed up. It was costly for them financially and player base-wise. Vanguard was a bust from the start. It didn't fail because they didn't listen to their players; they failed because they had a horrible product and a non-existing leader on their team. They were way above their heads.
Sure listening to the players works for LoTRO, but that doesn't mean it works for all game which is why I was giving the example of WoW. People wanted easy all the time and they got it. Not they want hard and Blizzard is trying to recapture that now.
What I am saying is that little changes such as merging all of the servers and changing some combat issues will not draw in players. They need to market their game to get more players.
Total time played: 9125 Days, 21 Hours, 29 Minutes, 27 Seconds
Time played this level: 39 Days, 1 Hour, 24 Minutes, 5 Seconds
To close this on my end, some games fail and some live on. UO didn't listen to their players, yet they still are going strong after 17 years is it? They have new vets now that have played the game since the fallout. Some games age better than others and I believe it has way more to do with the marketing than we think.
Total time played: 9125 Days, 21 Hours, 29 Minutes, 27 Seconds
Time played this level: 39 Days, 1 Hour, 24 Minutes, 5 Seconds
Total time played: 9125 Days, 21 Hours, 29 Minutes, 27 Seconds
Time played this level: 39 Days, 1 Hour, 24 Minutes, 5 Seconds
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.