Batman
Well-known member
First and foremost. DDO is NEVER going away and I'm not just saying that as a fangirl. I've only been playing just shy of a couple years and if I walked away from DDO it wouldn't be much of a loss (in terms of time/$$ investment). DDO is simply UNIQUE and BETTER than most modern MMOs. Also, we have our "new" Dungeons & Dragons MMO, Neverwinter, and well it's terribad compared to DDO as well as a giant cash grab.
Furthermore, the movie was perfect for us. I mean perfect as in it did just enough in the box office to garner us a nice cache of players but did not hit that critical mass to spark another cultural movement in cinema (aka the Marvel effect). Therefore, it was absolutely perfect... for us. Not sure how Paramount and WoTC took the results of the movie.
With that being said. I'am concerned about SSG's other game. Lord of the Rings Online. Last year, Middle-Earth Enterprises sold itself to Embracer Group:
Embracer Group/MEE has licensed the Video Game license to Amazon Studios for development of a brand new MMO:
So, now. I've played Amazon Studio's 'New World' MMO. Apart from minor gameplay/style/grind problems with that game, the core engine/graphics/and action RPG aspect is good. Really good. Like I imagined often times playing 'New World' if Amazon just chalked 'New World' up as a prototype and take the lessons learned there and then create a better and improved MMO and then put on top of it a AAA intellectual property like 'Lord of the Rings' (I specifically thought about LoTR) then Amazon could potentially tap a new WoW-like game.
Although I'm not 100% certain, Middle-Earth Enterprises probably does an at-will non-exclusive license to all it's games including LOTRO. If that were the case, I don't see LOTRO being 'forced' to shutdown through MEE taking away the license. But I do see Amazon launching their massive billion dollar shiny game and soundly taking away a large chunk of players from LOTRO (at a minimum) or using their infinite-wealth and 'bullying' Enad7 to shutting it down, up to and including acquisition.
There can be only ONE Lord of the Rings after all.
If either of those scenarios come to pass or something in the middle, my concern is how that affects SSG's and more importantly Enad7's strategic decision making on what to do with the SSG gaming studio. Namely,
1.) Can SSG run off just DDO?
2.) If LOTRO revenues come down, what does that mean for development in DDO?
3.) Is the revenue from both games pooled and then after EBITDA and profit taking, is the remaining $ allocated by need or by how much a particular game brings in?
4.) Do you think DDO in some kind of sick and twisted way get a boost in development? Such as some LOTRO devs turning into full-time DDO devs?
5.) Will there be a player influx into DDO? A lot of players play both games, and well, maybe those players will spend more time in DDO than LOTRO?
Overall, my primary concern if for DDO. I played LOTRO, it's a decent enough game, but unless you REALLY like the story of LOTR it's kinda generic. DDO is well you guys know why this game is awesome. So overall, I'm hyper-concerned about what could potentially affect it, including it's sister game.
What do you all think will come of this? Remember, it's a nothing-burger until... it isn't.
Furthermore, the movie was perfect for us. I mean perfect as in it did just enough in the box office to garner us a nice cache of players but did not hit that critical mass to spark another cultural movement in cinema (aka the Marvel effect). Therefore, it was absolutely perfect... for us. Not sure how Paramount and WoTC took the results of the movie.
With that being said. I'am concerned about SSG's other game. Lord of the Rings Online. Last year, Middle-Earth Enterprises sold itself to Embracer Group:
Embracer Group/MEE has licensed the Video Game license to Amazon Studios for development of a brand new MMO:
So, now. I've played Amazon Studio's 'New World' MMO. Apart from minor gameplay/style/grind problems with that game, the core engine/graphics/and action RPG aspect is good. Really good. Like I imagined often times playing 'New World' if Amazon just chalked 'New World' up as a prototype and take the lessons learned there and then create a better and improved MMO and then put on top of it a AAA intellectual property like 'Lord of the Rings' (I specifically thought about LoTR) then Amazon could potentially tap a new WoW-like game.
Although I'm not 100% certain, Middle-Earth Enterprises probably does an at-will non-exclusive license to all it's games including LOTRO. If that were the case, I don't see LOTRO being 'forced' to shutdown through MEE taking away the license. But I do see Amazon launching their massive billion dollar shiny game and soundly taking away a large chunk of players from LOTRO (at a minimum) or using their infinite-wealth and 'bullying' Enad7 to shutting it down, up to and including acquisition.
There can be only ONE Lord of the Rings after all.
If either of those scenarios come to pass or something in the middle, my concern is how that affects SSG's and more importantly Enad7's strategic decision making on what to do with the SSG gaming studio. Namely,
1.) Can SSG run off just DDO?
2.) If LOTRO revenues come down, what does that mean for development in DDO?
3.) Is the revenue from both games pooled and then after EBITDA and profit taking, is the remaining $ allocated by need or by how much a particular game brings in?
4.) Do you think DDO in some kind of sick and twisted way get a boost in development? Such as some LOTRO devs turning into full-time DDO devs?
5.) Will there be a player influx into DDO? A lot of players play both games, and well, maybe those players will spend more time in DDO than LOTRO?
Overall, my primary concern if for DDO. I played LOTRO, it's a decent enough game, but unless you REALLY like the story of LOTR it's kinda generic. DDO is well you guys know why this game is awesome. So overall, I'm hyper-concerned about what could potentially affect it, including it's sister game.
What do you all think will come of this? Remember, it's a nothing-burger until... it isn't.
