Hi,
Quote:
Originally Posted by timmmers
Calypso will no longer be the hub of the virtual universe, that's what worries me most. The focus of the company may change from gaming to commercial exploitation of the universe ...and where will we fit into that?
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That's exactly what I'm fearing - have read somewhere (
don't remember where, wouldn't be allowed to provide link anyway because of rule #4.711) that the CRD planet(s), the Chinese ones, will focus mainly on Real World Business; this way a completely new use of the
EU platform seems to be planned.
There are quotes of Marco where, asked who might be able to get planets, he said "
anyone that can present a business case can get a partnership contract"; and that it might be possible that "
the partner prefers it to be sandboxed and closed to the wider audience". *1)
Reading this in the context of
- the recent change of avatar & armor appearance (IMHO a drastic mainstreaming and conformation to a by far better known RCE game whose name is not allowed to be mentioned because of rule #12.756, at least to simple folks, see rule #9.475) that did a hard hit to the previous unique SciFi atmosphere of the old PE
- and the coming introduction of CryEngine2 that might be dramatically overpowered to run a simple MMORPG-like "non-game" like EU and might exclude a lot of the current players because of abstruse hardware requirements, but for sure will allow most beautiful screen shots for marketing purposes,
I'm more and more convinced that the current "non-game" soon will be reduced to some kind of "holiday park".
MA might have utilized it to develop a platform, to prove security and stability, having the "early adaptors" pay for the development with their deposits.
MA regularly emphasizes
EU to be "
one of the most secure, financially dynamic and immersive virtual platforms available", and they never forget to mention that it's online since 2003.
We know what to think of such statements, but will the marketing managers of big company's know, too? No, I guess. Some of them have sunk nice amounts of money in this by far better known RCE game (
that I'm not allowed to name because of rule - Baahhhh, see above ...) and have been f***ed seriously because of a banking crash and a following loss in media hype.
Now
MA comes in and advertises "proved security", "long-time experience" and a ridiculously high-blown number of players that would turn around insane sums each year. Well, the insane sums are turned around, from our pockets to
MA ones ...
Anyway, the markedroids will love it. I'm sure
MA has hired some PowerPoint wizzards ;-) What I have read about Brazil deal and current South Korea activities would perfectly fit in -
MA might plan to make EU a global Virtual RL Business Centre, and this even hadn't bad chance to succeed, IMHO.
But:
What will this mean to us?
Until now we have been the ones that feeded
MA, that payed for the development, and for the office Ferrari's. When investors like Chinese government etc. come in, when decent amounts of $$ come in via IPO,
what positional value will remain to us? How much need for
MA will remain to care for our needs when most of their income is generated from "partners" doing RL deals in the
EU?
We all know
MA's strategy - first they come with "
Hands up, gimmi all you carry! Now!". Then, after community outcry, they reduce to "
OK, you may keep your underwear - aren't we nice and caring people?".
May we be able to keep our underwear in the future, when MA isn't dependant from us anymore?
My fear is that we might have done our job, being testers in the open beta and having paid for it, but soon will get in fact kicked.
There are signs about yet, see the skill progression nerf - no new player ever will reach Uberness anymore without spending abstruse sums to chip up; might be that all players below the few Ubers aren't needed anymore (these are needed as role models for the "holiday park"), there might be enough rich ppl in my scenario more then happy to deposit 3 or 5 of my years wages just to get started ...
Well, I don't know. As clearly visible this all is speculation. Might happen, might not - don't know, as I said. But, for sure, I'm yet skilling anything that gives skills fast - when the rich ppl come in I'll have something to sell ;-)
Again, all above is speculation. Don't beat me up for it, think for yourself. Might be true, might not.
Have fun all, and best loots!
*1) Quotes are taken from another forum about RCE Universes, "News and Articles", about "WVF" and "The Planet's Suite by Mindark", first post. It's a shame it's not allowed to link here, but I hope you'll find it. Hope I'll not get banned again for giving too much subversive info ... (screenshotted ready design anyway)