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Perfect World Entertainment Statement Regarding Runic Games & Motiga Studio Closures - MMORPG.com N

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

imagePerfect World Entertainment Statement Regarding Runic Games & Motiga Studio Closures - MMORPG.com News

Earlier today we reported on the closure of Motiga, creators of Gigantic. Later, we learned that Runic Games, creators of the Torchlight series and the recently released Hob, was also closing. Perfect World Entertainment has sent a statement regarding the studios' closures. You can read it after the jump.

Read the full story here



¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 


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Comments

  • AlbatroesAlbatroes Member LegendaryPosts: 7,671
    I still play Torchlight 2 from time to time. Definitely a steal of a game if you buy it.
    GorweIRandomIselingearchin13
  • AeanderAeander Member LegendaryPosts: 7,836
    It's a shame to see some of the only developers with actual talent and vision at Perfect World get canned.

    Alas, Gigantic was two years too late and Runic Games just doesn't have the resources to make Torchlight the ARPG juggernaut it deserves to be.
    XingbairongGorweOzmodaninfomatz
  • rojoArcueidrojoArcueid Member EpicPosts: 10,722

    Gorwe said:

    Oh and also, NO MORE Torchlight! Because PWE holds the IP now!



    Good lord, I hate the industry right now.



    "...online games as a service" fml



    agreed. This is the best time to vote with our wallets. Games as a service? my wallet is closed for the time being.
    GorweGdemamiSamhaelgearchin13infomatz




  • LililuneLililune Member UncommonPosts: 81
    It's a shame...
    I never liked Perfect World but now I just wish them to disappear in a wormhole /:
    TokkenOzmodanSamhael
  • FlyByKnightFlyByKnight Member EpicPosts: 3,967
    I'm very angry about Runic. Torchlight 1 & 2 were awesome games. I still play TL2 every once in a while.
    I'm adding executives form Perfect World to my punch face on sight list.
    Tokken
    "As far as the forum code of conduct, I would think it's a bit outdated and in need of a refre *CLOSED*" 

    ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
  • elveoneelveone Member RarePosts: 426
    Sad but not surprising. Hob and Gigantic are both selling relatively poorly although being great games while Neverwinter and STO are still keeping up their numbers despite being quite old and riddled with lockboxes.
    BaronCalrenegeedOzmodan
  • BaronCalBaronCal Member UncommonPosts: 2
    Another zinger from PWE
  • Syphin_BSyphin_B Member UncommonPosts: 340
    I knew when Runic decided to make some corny puzzle game after making TL 1/2 , I had a feeling they were gonna take a loss on it.

    Should of made Torchlight 3 but expanded it and while i thought TL1 was better then TL2, i think it would of been a smarter move to make a third game. Nobody wanted Hob, that's for damn sure...
  • Quizar1973Quizar1973 Member UncommonPosts: 251
    Wonder whats gonna happen to Champions Online...I'm actually surprised that game still exists...LOL
    No one shall Rent space in my head!!!!!  B)
  • AeanderAeander Member LegendaryPosts: 7,836
    DMKano said:
    Runic has a lot of talented devs - other game studios - please hire these folks! TL1 and 2 are amazing games. Hob was good just not popular. Thats the issue - popualrity is what MMO studios are after.
    I'm hoping that Supergiant Games picks some of these devs up. That would be a great match.
  • Maxstone1Maxstone1 Member UncommonPosts: 54
    Well, I actually was very excited for Hob because they did need a break from just making ARPGs and it's pretty fun. Perfect World is just following the money, no surprise there.
  • ManestreamManestream Member UncommonPosts: 941
    i have both TL and TL2 on steam. Will i still be able to play these or are they going to join the now growing list of dead and unplayable games
  • k61977k61977 Member EpicPosts: 1,503
    Really sad about Runic, but in the end gaming is a business and that is what keeps the lights on. Their last game didn't bring in the money unfortunately. I was really hoping to see another torchlight in the future as it was and is a great series. I loved both of them myself. Hell the modding community for those games is unbelievable at adding things. Glad to hear that the MP support will still be a thing for those that use it. That in itself is something to think about, not many games that keep their servers up after the studio closes it's doors.
  • NitemareMMONitemareMMO Member UncommonPosts: 239

    Manestream said:

    i have both TL and TL2 on steam. Will i still be able to play these or are they going to join the now growing list of dead and unplayable games



    For a very little effort by reading the article you will have your answers. Very little effort.
  • KnightFalzKnightFalz Member EpicPosts: 4,166

    Quizar1973 said:

    Wonder whats gonna happen to Champions Online...I'm actually surprised that game still exists...LOL



    It's had a lot of work done it lately, actually.

    Seeing as there is little in the way of direct competition at the moment I don't see much reason to be surprised it is still around and getting more attention than it has for some time.

    DCUO plays quite differently as does Marvel Heroes (which appears to be on the ropes anyway, at least on PC). Currently CO is the closest thing to CoH around.

    Things may change if any of the spiritual successors in the works pans out upon release but that is by no means certain. We'll see.... eventually.
    sschrupp
  • Po_ggPo_gg Member EpicPosts: 5,749
    edited November 2017
    Yep, I am following CO (*) since they (somewhat) renewed their attention on the game about 2 years ago, and my bet would go on "it will stay". They haven't closed it during the years when their focus was on Neverwinter and CO was on maintenance, and now they're even updating the game quite frequently.


    As for the actual topic, at first it was a bit surprising, since PWE rarely close down games, they kept RaiderZ open even after its own development team left it behind :smiley:
    But with this statement it fits much more into their MO. It's still the same unfortunate move to the actual people (hope they will find a new place soon), but at least the games will remain open and available.

    Since I don't play diablo clones and moba-esque stuff, personally I'm not much affected, but Hob is really good. I'm kinda the inverse of @Syphin_B , that "corny puzzle game" was much better than their previous two diablo clones and I have a buddy with the same opininon, so make that "Nobody wanted Hob, that's for damn sure... " into nobody but 2 (at least)  :wink:


    (*) edit: I play CO since the start, with that following I just mean I posted quite a lot about it in the last two years, and kept Suzie spammed with the CO news :smiley:
    FlyByKnight
  • shavashava Member UncommonPosts: 324
    Perfect World, the Electronic Arts of the far east.

    Bag 'em and kill 'em.

    No doubt their shares (listed on NASDAQ) will still go up, because they'll frame the cuts as efficiencies, and their shareholders have no clue what makes for value in this business.

    sigh. /facepalm

    Here's what's at risk:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_World_(company) (parent Asian company)
    -- information includes listings for PW EU B.V., their European group
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_World_Entertainment (NA subsidiary)

    A lot of good folks in there who might be getting nervous, which means difficulties with retention and attracting new talent for everyone involved, including people using them for publishing/licensing in major markets.

    Torchlight (I on my old netbook, and II on my PC) are like the kid's books I used to read over and over again when I would get sick in grade school and get stuck in bed. The Hobbit, or The Phantom Toll Booth. Old familiar friends I could always go back to, never got tired of or bored with.

    Thank God the code is solid, at least for this generation.

    If you have them on Steam, I wonder if they'll stay? In the future you might have to get them on GOG etc., lol.
    Gdemami
  • gervaise1gervaise1 Member EpicPosts: 6,919
    shava said:
    Perfect World, the Electronic Arts of the far east.

    Bag 'em and kill 'em.
    <snip>
    As I said yesterday if PW had not "bagged" Mortiga then they would almost certainly have closed by now - based on what they said back then and how things have panned out.

    If people only "play their games occasionally" this should come as no surprise. 
  • cheyanecheyane Member LegendaryPosts: 9,100
    Wasn't Hob featured on Gamespot recently ? I thought they spoke well of it.
    Chamber of Chains
  • ForgrimmForgrimm Member EpicPosts: 3,059
    cheyane said:
    Wasn't Hob featured on Gamespot recently ? I thought they spoke well of it.
    It has 88% positive reviews on Steam.
    Thupli
  • ShaighShaigh Member EpicPosts: 2,142
    Forgrimm said:
    cheyane said:
    Wasn't Hob featured on Gamespot recently ? I thought they spoke well of it.
    It has 88% positive reviews on Steam.
    It still sold poorly.
    [Deleted User]
    Iselin: And the next person who says "but it's a business, they need to make money" can just go fuck yourself.
  • immoralthangimmoralthang Member RarePosts: 300
    Nooooooo! I loved Torchlight 2 and always held on to a glimmer of hope there would be a third.
  • GdemamiGdemami Member EpicPosts: 12,342
    DMKano said:
    Ask any game studio - if they would rather have a great game that isnt popular or a wildly popular game that is pretty average, which one would they pick?
    ...is that even a choice?
  • ThupliThupli Member RarePosts: 1,318
    Max Schaefer left a while back to start a new studio. I think it is called Echtra or something like that. He is working with the old Diablo founders again, so should be cool to see what they cool up!

  • kishekishe Member UncommonPosts: 2,012
    I guess perfect world is looking to adopt EA's business model.

    1) find a moderately successful developer team and buy it
    2) milk the teams fame till there is nothing left
    3) sack the dried up husk of a team and return to step 1
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