Zarriya said:
Today, we are pleased to announce that we have been acquired by Columbus Nova, an investment management firm well known for its success with its existing portfolio of technology, media and entertainment focused companies. This means that effective immediately SOE will operate as an independent game development studio where we will continue to focus on creating exceptional online games for players around the world, and now as a multi-platform gaming company. Yes, that means PlayStation and Xbox, mobile and more!
As part of this transition, SOE will now become Daybreak Game Company. This name embodies who we are as an organization, and is a nod to the passion and dedication of our employees and players. It is also representative of our vision to approach each new day as an opportunity to move gaming forward.
Wut? So are all their games going to be free to play as before and what happens to our old accounts...I guess Sony Japan divested themselves of SOE? An investment company? Do they know what they're getting into. lol Sorry I think I just went into shock. hehehe
The thing to keep in mind about this change is that the only thing that changed was the owner of the company. Sony sold SoE to Columbus Nova (think that was the name).
The company called Sony Online Entertainment was renamed to Daybreak Games. Smedley is the president of Daybreak Games, previous employees are still employees, games are still in development, etc. Nothing changed in SoE other than the name of the company.
Brasse stated all of this on Facebook just yesterday. I'm at work, or I would find the post and paste it here.
In other words, the world is not ending. The sky is not falling.
Pharonethegnome said:
Why do these forums always take all of my carriage returns out, and make my replies look like a moron wrote them with out any spacing?!?!?!
This has been an issue for quite some time. If you use double spacing though it should show up properly.
Ex. This was double spaced.
Pharonethegnome said:
The thing to keep in mind about this change is that the only thing that changed was the owner of the company. Sony sold SoE to Columbus Nova (think that was the name).
The company called Sony Online Entertainment was renamed to Daybreak Games. Smedley is the president of Daybreak Games, previous employees are still employees, games are still in development, etc. Nothing changed in SoE other than the name of the company.
Brasse stated all of this on Facebook just yesterday. I'm at work, or I would find the post and paste it here.
In other words, the world is not ending. The sky is not falling.
That is true but CN will allow Daybreak more freedom to a degree as they won't be under the narrow minded rule of Sony any longer and CN will give them a certain amount of cash and tell them to make money with it but if they should fail to deliver the numbers that CN are expecting, there will be big changes.
We already know that they are now going multi platform (PC + Console + Mobile gaming) and anything that doesn't perform or make money that is on PC currently will be sunsetted.
While it may sound like just a name change, I assure you there is a lot more going on than you realise. CN don't play games or care about our industry, they are a multi billion dollar investment company and they want to make money, they see a chance to make money via SOE/Daybreak and we will see how that turns out for SOE/Daybreak and their games, which are already very money hungry.
It is too early to pass judgement until we see what road they take but multi platform has already soured my interest in seeing what they do with this new found freedom.
Well SOE's business model for MMO's is just terrible. They need to go all or nothing and get rid of all the micro-transaction bullshit. Nothing is more frustrating than having an account with almost 3700 days on it and every little thing about my character is picked apart and limited. No grandmaster abilities, platinum limit etc etc. For a long term customer such as myself it really burns my ass when they basically make the game just playable enough to were you have to pay to get anything you really want done towards the end. That is not a FTP game at all!
Just from my initial observations it is an absolute hook line and sinker. Their real intention is to get you to pay by luring you in by saying "Hey look I'm free come play me!!" and then you log in and get several levels in and all of a sudden it is a giant bummer. Then you are more or less obligated to pay real money if you want to continue any further in the game. THEN it is branded as FTP your way! PFFFT Ahahaha good one...The only terms there are is by what SOE provides...If it were my terms it would either be all free subscription or cough up the 50 cents a month that is required for the monthly subscription.
*sigh*
If I'm not mistaken CN doesn't own Daybreak. SOE went independent from Sony as Daybreak, and CN is investing in the venture. See previous posts in the thread concerning Investment Firms.
The "nothing has changed" argument is always made when a buyout happens. It's a myopic view. It's true nothing has changed if you ignore the parent company and the investors that it represents - investors who want to see returns and who have ultimate authority.
If SoE is very profitable from this point on then the investors will be happy and they will not change anything. If they are not profitable then bad things will happen.
The usual outcome is that the acquisition is squeezed for returns at the expense of the product.
Jitai said:
If I'm not mistaken CN doesn't own Daybreak. SOE went independent from Sony as Daybreak, and CN is investing in the venture. See previous posts in the thread concerning Investment Firms.
Same thing really, it all comes down to the Golden Rule = He who has the Gold makes the Rules and in this case CN has the Gold
Sad day for the new studio, it appears that Linda "Brasse" Carlson and Dave Georgeson have been laid off with some more positions being eliminated: http://kotaku.com/big-layoffs-at-everquest-studio-today-1685243961
Aye I saw that too, My heart goes out to all of the employees at Daybreak games.
Zarriya said:
Aye I saw that too, My heart goes out to all of the employees at Daybreak games.
Hmm. That could be good or bad. EQN is/was vaporware that was inappropriately monetized. A new producer might mean a new direction which is good.
But I suspect the parent company is laying people off for purely financial reasons. That is the typical MO for investors... fire people, more profit. Investors don't usually contribute value from companies they acquire. Rather they withdraw value until there is nothing left.
Jakeman said:
Zarriya said:
Aye I saw that too, My heart goes out to all of the employees at Daybreak games.
Hmm. That could be good or bad. EQN is/was vaporware that was inappropriately monetized. A new producer might mean a new direction which is good.
But I suspect the parent company is laying people off for purely financial reasons. That is the typical MO for investors... fire people, more profit. Investors don't usually contribute value from companies they acquire. Rather they withdraw value until there is nothing left.
Bean counters are the bane of game companies, they dictate what's good for the bottom line, not what's good for the game development.
CanadinaXegony said:
Jakeman said:
Zarriya said:
Aye I saw that too, My heart goes out to all of the employees at Daybreak games.
Hmm. That could be good or bad. EQN is/was vaporware that was inappropriately monetized. A new producer might mean a new direction which is good.
But I suspect the parent company is laying people off for purely financial reasons. That is the typical MO for investors... fire people, more profit. Investors don't usually contribute value from companies they acquire. Rather they withdraw value until there is nothing left.
Bean counters are the bane of game companies, they dictate what's good for the bottom line, not what's good for the game development.
Just remember one important fact: With out a bottom line, there is no development.
We all whine about game compoanies "only worried about making money", well DUH! That what companies are for, regardless of what they actually do. Also remember with out companies making money, people are not employed, salaries not paid.
I do not disagree with your sentiment, but it must be kept in context.
Exmortis said:
CanadinaXegony said:
Jakeman said:
Zarriya said:
Aye I saw that too, My heart goes out to all of the employees at Daybreak games.
Hmm. That could be good or bad. EQN is/was vaporware that was inappropriately monetized. A new producer might mean a new direction which is good.
But I suspect the parent company is laying people off for purely financial reasons. That is the typical MO for investors... fire people, more profit. Investors don't usually contribute value from companies they acquire. Rather they withdraw value until there is nothing left.
Bean counters are the bane of game companies, they dictate what's good for the bottom line, not what's good for the game development.
Just remember one important fact: With out a bottom line, there is no development.
We all whine about game compoanies "only worried about making money", well DUH! That what companies are for, regardless of what they actually do. Also remember with out companies making money, people are not employed, salaries not paid.
I do not disagree with your sentiment, but it must be kept in context.
To all of you who quoted me, I will expand on what I meant. You see it is always sad when one loses a co-worker due to layoffs. Some of those people have been there many years and they have bonded- friendships were forged. What I said expressed my sadness over their loss, and not looking at what means for the future of Daybreak.
Zarriya said:
Exmortis said:
CanadinaXegony said:
Jakeman said:
Zarriya said:
Aye I saw that too, My heart goes out to all of the employees at Daybreak games.
Hmm. That could be good or bad. EQN is/was vaporware that was inappropriately monetized. A new producer might mean a new direction which is good.
But I suspect the parent company is laying people off for purely financial reasons. That is the typical MO for investors... fire people, more profit. Investors don't usually contribute value from companies they acquire. Rather they withdraw value until there is nothing left.
Bean counters are the bane of game companies, they dictate what's good for the bottom line, not what's good for the game development.
Just remember one important fact: With out a bottom line, there is no development.
We all whine about game compoanies "only worried about making money", well DUH! That what companies are for, regardless of what they actually do. Also remember with out companies making money, people are not employed, salaries not paid.
I do not disagree with your sentiment, but it must be kept in context.
To all of you who quoted me, I will expand on what I meant. You see it is always sad when one loses a co-worker due to layoffs. Some of those people have been there many years and they have bonded- friendships were forged. What I said expressed my sadness over their loss, and not looking at what means for the future of Daybreak.
I fully understand, and I hate few things as much as hearing about people losing their job through no fault of their own. I have been through no less than six layoffs myself , lost 2 won 4, if staying behind is winning, sometimes you can wonder.
However, I am of the belief SoE NEEDED a shake down, they have stagnated. Regardless of CN, and the future of the investment, this could be a good thing long term. I also think once the dust settles its time for Smed to walk away as well, I don't hate or love the man, but I think its the right time, and the right thing to do.
The layoff afterSoE Live 2013 was much harder for me, so many of the VG Devs I got to meet and connect with were turfed, and it signalled the end of VG, we just did not know it. I was so pumped for Live 2014, but with VG closure I bailed and just sulked LOL.
End of the day, it is what it is, and time is the judge of all things.