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Pirates of the Burning Sea Signs With SOE For Publishing
Flying Lab Software has been keeping its upcoming piratical Massively Multiplayer Game, Pirates of the Burning Sea, somewhat close to the chest. There's a Beta running, but outside of the forums and official website information has been thin on the ground. That changed last week with a flurry of posting to the Flying Lab Software site about a number of topics. This week there is big news: the game finally has a publisher. Flying Labs has partnered with SOE's Platform Publishing brand to put out Pirates of the Burning Sea. To clarify, if you're unfamiliar with Platform Publishing, Sony Online Entertainment will only be publishing the game; they will have nothing to do with development. "We had two other paths to launching this fall: going it alone and working with another independent outfit we've been spending time with. Both of these were good options in general (especially the partnership approach, as we really like those guys). But for either of those approaches to work for a fall launch, everything would have to go right the first time and we'd still need some luck. By working with SOE we know it'll just happen."
This sounds oddly familiar...
Waiting for Warhammer Online.
Pretty much like Sigil, SOE and Vanguard...
ok, bad example.
2 Years later: Welcome to Everquest at Sea.
Want to quickly head off some of the more reactionary comments that are sure to appear here.
First, Flying Labs (the devs) maintain complete creative control. SOE is literally just publishing it. This won't be a SW:G repeat.
Second, Flying Labs is self financed. They have plenty of cash, and aren't going to have the problems Vanguard did.
SOE has a really bad -- and justly earned -- reputation these days, but it seems like Flying Labs got the deal they needed from them, so I'm thrilled. I've been following this game for like four years now, and they've always been adament about maintaining complete control of their game, and I was starting to get nervous they couldn't find any publisher who'd let them do that.
I've enjoyed Talk Like A Pirate Day as much as the next guy, but enough already! The pirate thing needs a few years of rest before it becomes fun again.
What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
Granted that Vanguard was partially bankrolled by SOE, and was developed by a man who spent more time taking visual stock of the insides of his colon than actually developing, but SOE does have a richly deserved reputation as the publisher where MMO titles go to die.
Apparently, neither you or the person who modded you up could even be bothered to read the entire summary:
"Sony Online Entertainment will only be publishing the game; they will have nothing to do with development."
Nothing to do with development. As in, no hand in what or when things get patched or upgraded.
"Gold still represents the ultimate form of payment in the world." - Alan Greenspan, 1999
Another MMO bites the dust.
I work on an MMO which is also being published by SOE Platform Publishing. They are not involved at all in game design or implementation--they will be doing publishing only, i.e. box sales, marketing. In my opinion they're a very good choice for publishing MMOs.
If the game is good or bad, it's the developer's fault, not the publisher's. Don't lump games that are published by SOE in with games that are developed by SOE.
That's about the same deal the Sigil Games signed for Vanguard.
And golly, look what happened next. The game did poorly, Brad couldn't keep up his payments to the Sony Family so Guido and Nunzio had to drop by and break his knees. Suddenly the boys from Sony are running the show and starts taking a whole lot of hand in when things get patched, upgraded, or accidentally stuffed into a meat grinder.
It's fine to wave around a piece of paper and crow about "a publisher in our time", but history shows that it doesn't always work out that way.
Was looking forward to playing PotBS--not now though. Been burned by SOE too many times. It will be a cold day in Hell before I ever give SOE a credit card number,
Lots of people trying to calm everybody down by explaining how distant the relationship between Flying Labs and SOE will be. Those people are missing the point.
People choose what games to play based on more than just the quality of the game. I quit Everquest vowing never to give SOE (or any company with Brad McQuaid) another dime, no matter how good their future games might be. And I will avoid this Pirates game, not because I think SOE will somehow screw it up, but because part of its revenue would go to fund SOE. I choose not to fund incompetant and unethical companies.
Flying Labs just struck a deal with the devil, from many gamers' points of view. They shouldn't be surprised if people quietly cross themselves and scurry away from them, no matter how good their product may be.
Genocide Man -- Life is funny. Death is funnier. Mass murder can be hilarious.
Now when a concept of a game is announced, before any code is even written, SOE will release it. No more putting out release candidates, or betas or even alphas before they're finished. They will release the game on the same day it's conceived!
"Leo Fender was in a 'state of grace' when he designed the Stratocaster." -- Paul Reed Smith
The nerfings ... will ... now ... Commence!
Glonoinha the MebiByte Slayer
Nope, I read it. I believe that in the end Sony will purchase FL either cheaply when the product fails, or for more if it succeeds. I may be wrong, but I believe that will be the eventuality, as Sony loves nothing more than flogging to death a good franchise.
That prospect alone is enough to keep me away from the game.
I wish there was a fscking blue pill
To me, SOE makes quality games, but then again I'm a console gamer.
But like some of their PC cousins, SOE still maintains servers for their PS2 titles: EQOA and the two SOE PS2 Diablo clones, Champions of Norrath and Champions Return to Arms.
It's probably for the best. It's one of the few MMORPGs that interested me. I guess I don't have to worry about falling in that trap now.
For a minute I thought this was about "Pirates of the Great Salt Lake".
http://www.piratesofthegreatsaltlake.com/
amen man..
everquest was phen till exploited..
Kill your TV
Oh no! You'll get food poisoning if you eat at Jack in the Box!
Oh no! Apple is dead!
I don't think SOE can afford to burn money; companies that fail over and over again don't last unless they change dramatically. I kind of wonder what SOE's current expected lifespan is if they screw things up this time; Sony has other game divisions.
Change has to start somewhere.
You said nothing in your comment to explain your stance, so either your being irrational in your anti-SOE views or just FUDing for karma (which unfortunately works here)
Hell I know people who will not touch a Blizzard game. When pressed they eventually fall back on the problems with B-Net and Diablo. Fine, thats their choice. But if your going to FUD something at least tell us why.
FWIW, unless it personally affects you get over it. Too many people like to make themselves out to be victims to feel as if they are part of something. I was never a victim of SWG's problems (SOE publish), or Vangard, or B-Net, or the browser wars. They were just things I read and at most I noticed them, but hell they had no real effect on my life. Do not assume a problem that isn't yours, it will make your life easier.
* Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
after swg, whenever i see soe anywhere, i get irked. Its good that they were wise only to let them do publishing.
Read radical news here
People really need to give SOE a chance: Yes they did mess up everquest. Lucas Arts forced them to change SWG... however, they have turned around EQ2 in the past 2 years, and made it more fun. As long as the developers of this game do not go bankrupt, then they should be fine. In an interveiw with an X employee of sigil, the xemployee said that SOE did not touch vanguard at all during that time. Granted that SWG people will be mad, but we all must remember that SOE does not have full control over SWG and was forced to make changes that they regret. RIP PRE-NGE