Is UO development being strategically neglected?

[copycon]

I've started to ask myself this question and it is beginning to make more sense with the announcements of the newer MMO projects being developed by EA and their partners.

Does it make sense for EA to allow UO to slowly decline in order to draw the attention of past UO subscribers to their newer games (SWTOR and/or The Secret World)?

One goal of many would be to reallocate development resources to newer IPs to generate more profit from the hours invested. Another would be to stop trying to rewrite history by attempting to modernize a game platform that is over a decade old. A third, and more obvious is the fact that there are MANY different generations of UO players that have left the game for one reason or another, and instead of trying to satisfy all of them through endless effort, the goal could simply be to allow the issue to fade away through attrition.

 

[Vyal]

EA games (aka the Gestapo)

 

[Dicimiie]

I've started to ask myself this question and it is beginning to make more sense with the announcements of the newer MMO projects being developed by EA and their partners.

Does it make sense for EA to allow UO to slowly decline in order to draw the attention of past UO subscribers to their newer games (SWTOR and/or The Secret World)?

One goal of many would be to reallocate development resources to newer IPs to generate more profit from the hours invested. Another would be to stop trying to rewrite history by attempting to modernize a game platform that is over a decade old. A third, and more obvious is the fact that there are MANY different generations of UO players that have left the game for one reason or another, and instead of trying to satisfy all of them through endless effort, the goal could simply be to allow the issue to fade away through attrition.

It would be a shame if this was the thought process, although it wouldn't be surprising. One would think that they would want to keep what most would deem the "grandfather of MMORPGs" alive as long as possible. It's the one thing EA can say they've accomplished when it comes to this style of game.

 

[Uvtha]

You know, if they wanted to draw players away from UO, they could just close it.

I mean it follows the logic that if they are willing to sabotage -what I have to assume you believe is- a game that could have an equal or greater player base as other modern games (had it not been undermined by those who created it) that they would be just willing to lose the money and cancel it in order to promote other games.

I mean it would make more sense wouldn't it? To cancel the game and lose the money, than to make the game lose money on purpose, but let it keep going at a fraction of the money it could be (in theory) bringing in to give the spotlight to other games?

 

[Uvtha]

It would be a shame if this was the thought process, although it wouldn't be surprising. One would think that they would want to keep what most would deem the "grandfather of MMORPGs" alive as long as possible. It's the one thing EA can say they've accomplished when it comes to this style of game.

Yeah except the only people who know or care that UO was the "grandfather" of mmos are people who play UO. Just like how very few UO players know or care about Meridian 59 (which predates UO and is still running). Barley anyone modern gamers knows it exists or ever did. Most people think of Everquest when they think of Old School.

UO doesn't have the cache you think it does, in fact I think its unanimously viewed to have been a throughly broken game design from the get go.

 

[copycon]

You know, if they wanted to draw players away from UO, they could just close it.

I mean it follows the logic that if they are willing to sabotage -what I have to assume you believe is- a game that could have an equal or greater player base as other modern games (had it not been undermined by those who created it) that they would be just willing to lose the money and cancel it in order to promote other games.

I mean it would make more sense wouldn't it? To cancel the game and lose the money, than to make the game lose money on purpose, but let it keep going at a fraction of the money it could be (in theory) bringing in to give the spotlight to other games?

You are right. They could just close it, but that wouldn't exactly be a means of showing good faith to UO subscribers, and they would certainly attract a lot of bad press coverage and outrage from former customers for doing something like that. Conversely, neglecting development is a much easier thing to mask than abruptly canceling service, but regardless it is within their power to do either. It is smarter from a business perspective though to continue to show a positive bottom line with subscription revenues while cutting costs internally, even if that revenue is dwindling.

 

[kelmo]

Are you kidding me? You think EA wants to drop a "hall of fame" game?

They may very well want to develop other MMOs... But to get a Hall of Fame nod and then drop it?

UO is a trump card for EA and all of the umbrella companies.

 

[copycon]

Are you kidding me? You think EA wants to drop a "hall of fame" game?

They may very well want to develop other MMOs... But to get a Hall of Fame nod and then drop it?

UO is a trump card for EA and all of the umbrella companies.

I don't consider the fact that UO is a "hall of fame" game to make it any more marketable in its current state. Maybe others do, but what I think of is how horribly broken it is and a long running history of "copy catting" and being botched.

Just for a fun comparison, if I were to compare a classic car to a modern car and tell you that the classic car is better because it has won an award in a magazine, that doesn't mean it was well maintained, and it still doesn't have GPS or AC or any of those other fancy toys.

 

[Ender]

90% refuse to abandon a 15 year old client, EA knows they won't go play another MMO.

 

[kelmo]

90% refuse to abandon a 15 year old client, EA knows they won't go play another MMO.

Why is that?

 

[Ox AO]

EA games has hit ecconomic bad times. Which means they will cut expenses and spend less on development just the oposiste of what the government does.
They are a real business not the government.

They will retire non-profitable games and sell assests. Meaning EA could sell Ultima and UO to someone else.

personally I believe that could be a good thing for this game.

 

[Ox AO]

One thing for sure if they ever do close the public shards i will be upset for a few months then reluctantly move to a "free" shard. Hopefully one of them will take the lead in new development.

I don't like 3D games I really don't.

 

[Skrag]

This is the stupidest thing I've ever read. The OP should feel ashamed for having posted it. Stratics should feel ashamed for having it sitting on their forum.

Cluebat time:

1) UO doesn't get the resources it used to because it's a 13+ year old game that doesn't have that many players any more.

2) Nevertheless, it's still one of the healthiest games in the MMO Old Folks Home. It still has active development and even a Live Events team. By comparison, Dark Age of Camelot hasn't had an expansion since 2006, and Star Wars Galaxies hasn't had one since 2005. Imagine how the people still playing those games feel.

3) SWTOR has spent well into the nine-digits on development and will probably need millions of players just to break even. Nobody over there is spending their time thinking of how to steal a couple thousand people from old-as-hell UO.

What a terrible thread.

 

[Dicimiie]

This is the stupidest thing I've ever read. The OP should feel ashamed for having posted it. Stratics should feel ashamed for having it sitting on their forum.

Cluebat time:

1) UO doesn't get the resources it used to because it's a 13+ year old game that doesn't have that many players any more.

2) Nevertheless, it's still one of the healthiest games in the MMO Old Folks Home. It still has active development and even a Live Events team. By comparison, Dark Age of Camelot hasn't had an expansion since 2006, and Star Wars Galaxies hasn't had one since 2005. Imagine how the people still playing those games feel.

3) SWTOR has spent well into the nine-digits on development and will probably need millions of players just to break even. Nobody over there is spending their time thinking of how to steal a couple thousand people from old-as-hell UO.

What a terrible thread.

They have spent over 100 million dollars developing SW:TOR?

 

[copycon]

1) UO doesn't get the resources it used to because it's a 13+ year old game that doesn't have that many players any more.

2) Nevertheless, it's still one of the healthiest games in the MMO Old Folks Home. It still has active development and even a Live Events team. By comparison, Dark Age of Camelot hasn't had an expansion since 2006, and Star Wars Galaxies hasn't had one since 2005. Imagine how the people still playing those games feel.

3) SWTOR has spent well into the nine-digits on development and will probably need millions of players just to break even. Nobody over there is spending their time thinking of how to steal a couple thousand people from old-as-hell UO.

I won't get into debating facts with you, because there are none. You claim to have some knowledge about how successful certain MMOs are, and we all know that you are full of it. That said, this is pure speculation based on an idea that I had, so you don't have to try to defend yourself.

EA is spending large amounts of money to develop new MMOs, and my thought was that they would decide not to have 2 new race horses and 1 old donkey in their portfolio. If you think differently, then that is your opinion.

 

[Skrag]

They have spent over 100 million dollars developing SW:TOR?

Every single thing in the game is voice-acted and all the classes have separate quests/stories. The last rumor that broke said the budget was more on the order of THREE hundred million. Even if we assume that's a grusome lie, the budget being over at least one hundred mil isn't hard to believe at all.

Trust me, they're not thinking about thousands of players and millions of dollars over there. They're hoping for millions of players and billions of dollars. If someone walked into their office with a plan for a secret conspiracy to steal a few thousand players from ancient UO, they'd be laughed out of the building.

I won't get into debating facts with you, because there are none. You claim to have some knowledge about how successful certain MMOs are, and we all know that you are full of it. That said, this is pure speculation based on an idea that I had, so you don't have to try to defend yourself.

EA is spending large amounts of money to develop new MMOs, and my thought was that they would decide not to have 2 new race horses and 1 old donkey in their portfolio. If you think differently, then that is your opinion.

Just shut up and go back to being embarassed for posting this ignorant tinfoil-hat garbage. SWTOR trying to steal players from UO, haha, Jesus Christ. You have NO IDEA how ANYTHING in this industry works. I mean not even the very first most basic layman's clue.

 

[HD2300]

Would you rather invest $1 to make $20 or invest $1 to make $2? There is your answer.

As UO still makes money, you would just spend the least amount of money possible to keep it running to maximize profit from it.

 

[claudia-fjp]

90% refuse to abandon a 15 year old client, EA knows they won't go play another MMO.

I'm one of those who refuse to abandon the original client. I've also played DAoC, Shadowbane, SW:Galaxies, currently play WoW, and tried out EVE and LOTRO. When I play UO though I want it to look and feel like the UO I've played for a decade.

 

[Petra Fyde]

I think we'll call a halt.
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