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Is STO on the way out

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  • jonsillsjonsills Member Posts: 10,469 Arc User
    edited July 2014
    rtk142 wrote: »
    WHO TOLD YOU THAT WAS COMING? Now their plans have to be stepped up.
    I see what you did there... ;)
    Lorna-Wing-sig.png
  • starkaosstarkaos Member Posts: 11,556 Arc User
    edited July 2014
    ask4spock1 wrote: »
    Typical political response. Take everything out of context. Only read what you want.


    He stated the game is doing WELL, NO reduction in staff and NEW content is in the works.



    Being said that whether it is games or television series (STTNG 8 seasons) nothing lasts forever.


    I am hopful for a long run.

    I believe you quoted the wrong person.
  • sfc#5932 sfc Member Posts: 992 Bug Hunter
    edited July 2014
    starkaos wrote: »
    I believe you quoted the wrong person.
    I do believe he is picking on the wrong Borg cub. :P
  • iconiansiconians Member Posts: 6,987 Arc User
    edited July 2014
  • evilspokevilspok Member Posts: 59 Arc User
    edited July 2014
    I'll add my 2 cents since this is my favorite game.

    I've wandered about the past few months playing about 6 games in 6 months and that equals 6 games that all the players think that the end is nigh.

    I really don't understand why people always create these threads unless there is some indication from the company involved that they are closing. I guess people are just terrified that they create a character and then they can't complete it because they wen't out of business. I mean....c'mon.

    Last I checked PWE is making somewhere in the neighborhood of a quarter BILLION dollars a year. Doesn't sound like they are about to close up shop.

    Tanurus from Sony comes to mind...that damn game started in 1997 and was closed down only a couple years ago or less as I recall.
  • cody0893cody0893 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited July 2014
    See i agree this year i seen a up take in the money i have spent on game. All accounts tallied so far this year i spent over 900 and the year isnt up.........This year is on par compared to last year and i still see more and more lobi ships in pvp zones this is a sighn of that moeny still flowing.
    So on that note i dont see sto going ne where ne time soon.

    I allso want to add ths Star trek has allways had a some what of a cult fallowing. You find that in this game as well with that being siad some the hard core trekkers wouldnt let the game die... I am still introduceing the game to friends. And find they didnt now the game was here f2p... i recruited 4 more this week to the sto fam i allso incourage all of you to do so as well.....I love this game and saddly it does bring me some zen in away..... Sitting in kerrat poping fleet nerds all day is worth the moeny i spent and will spend..... So my answer in a short story is this sto has its own cult fallowing thats why sales is so regulated and growing.
    They killed your Alt's now they want your main
  • therealmttherealmt Member Posts: 428 Arc User
    edited July 2014
    STO is on the virge to be squeezed out by PWE for another few years before nobody takes it anymore. PWE == profit, and once profit goes down rapidly they simply put STO for sale again.

    Though this time nobody would want it back, Chinese companies dont see any future profits by a game thats already been milked like PWE did, let alone any american company what so,ever. For them its ruined beyond repair.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • mustrumridcully0mustrumridcully0 Member Posts: 12,963 Arc User
    edited July 2014
    tacofangs wrote: »
    Two things:

    1) No one (no, not even PWE executives) knows the future. The world could be invaded by sentient flip-flops tomorrow, for all we know. So, where this game will be in 10 years is anyone's guess.

    2) Video Games are like living beings. We are all dying from the moment we are born. Any video game is going to have it's best sales, and do it's best business right out of the gate. From there, if they're lucky, it's a long, slow trudge toward eventual death. If they are not lucky, it is a short, quick leap into the abyss. MMOs are no different. The most subscribers and interest you will have is when you first launch.


    For the moment, STO is doing well. Our team size is still pretty much the same as a year ago. We're working on new stuff all the time. And our playerbase seems pretty stable. So, barring the Flip-Flopocolypse, I think we'll be around for a while yet.

    So. . . yes. STO is dying. Albeit very, very slowly. Just as I am. (I hope)
    I never trusted these flip-flops. But I didn't do anything about it. And now we're doomed.
    Star Trek Online Advancement: You start with lowbie gear, you end with Lobi gear.
  • pottsey5gpottsey5g Member Posts: 4,252 Arc User
    edited July 2014
    tacofangs wrote: »
    Two things:

    1) No one (no, not even PWE executives) knows the future. The world could be invaded by sentient flip-flops tomorrow, for all we know. So, where this game will be in 10 years is anyone's guess.

    2) Video Games are like living beings. We are all dying from the moment we are born. Any video game is going to have it's best sales, and do it's best business right out of the gate. From there, if they're lucky, it's a long, slow trudge toward eventual death. If they are not lucky, it is a short, quick leap into the abyss. MMOs are no different. The most subscribers and interest you will have is when you first launch.


    For the moment, STO is doing well. Our team size is still pretty much the same as a year ago. We're working on new stuff all the time. And our playerbase seems pretty stable. So, barring the Flip-Flopocolypse, I think we'll be around for a while yet.

    So. . . yes. STO is dying. Albeit very, very slowly. Just as I am. (I hope)
    That’s not really true. Lots of games and MMO’s do better over time. Eve online for example had poor sales for years and only took off after 4 years. There is no set rules a game has to have its best sales right out the door. Mindcraft another game that has more sales years after it came out.
  • ashlotteashlotte Member Posts: 316 Arc User
    edited July 2014
    Well done, OP. Well done.


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  • crypticarmsmancrypticarmsman Member Posts: 4,115 Arc User
    edited July 2014
    pottsey5g wrote: »
    That’s not really true. Lots of games and MMO’s do better over time. Eve online for example had poor sales for years and only took off after 4 years. There is no set rules a game has to have its best sales right out the door. Mindcraft another game that has more sales years after it came out.

    EvE Online is making enough to survive, but honestly 500K players <-- And that's being generous (with a number of multiple accounts under the same player) after 10 years isn't much to point to. Hell, the whole Monocle Gate/JITA Riot situation in 2011 - where a LOT of players unsubbed for a few months; followed by the dismal failure that was/is DUST 514 - hit CCP hard enough that they had to layoff 20% of their staff; and Hillmar finally saw that to keep CCP going they couldn't just neglect EVE to focus on other projects, EVE was their bread and butter.

    Generally, it's true with 99% of MMOs that you get your highest number of players in the first one to two months, and it's all downhill from there (and hopefully you see a period of general stabilization close to the high point for a few years; and in the end, whatever your general player stabilization is; it's good enough to keep development continuing and returning enough profit to keep the investors/shareholders/suits happy enough to keep things going.

    The only MMO that was the exception to what Taco posted (and it's the outliner exception when it comes to anything regarding MMOs in terms of player subscription/retention) is WoW.
    Formerly known as Armsman from June 2008 to June 20, 2012
    TOS_Connie_Sig_final9550Pop.jpg
    PWE ARC Drone says: "Your STO forum community as you have known it is ended...Display names are irrelevant...Any further sense of community is irrelevant...Resistance is futile...You will be assimilated..."
  • ashlotteashlotte Member Posts: 316 Arc User
    edited July 2014
  • xaosmg123xaosmg123 Member Posts: 70 Arc User
    edited July 2014
    Poor quality?

    And lack of content???


    Ive been playing STO for over 3 years and only play three characters - one for each faction. And while I do not play 10hrs a day every day like some people, I do play quite a bit. That being said, I have NEVER been logged into STO and said to myself "I'm bored" or "theres nothing to do" or "I wish there was more to do". There is soooooo much content in this game its nuts!!!

    Think about it. You have over 100 missions, betwen 60-90 Episodes, depending on your faction, over 100 "system patrol" missions, enemy signal contact/deep space battles, red alert battles, and so on. And thats just for adventuring to max level and beyond. Then you can still do every episode again at max level on two other difficulty levels for a challenge! Dont want to? Ok no worries! You have several types of PVP matches and numerous space and ground maps, now including shuttle pvp. There is Kerrat and Otho, PvPvE warzones. There is a ton to craft with more missions at the crafting hub. Plus theres a ton more to craft when 9.5 releases soon! You also have OVER 40 queued events/stfs- many with two difficulties, six separate reputations to work on and five HUGE rep areas. The Defera/Borg zone, Nukara Prime/Tholian zone, New Romulus, Dyson/Voth zone (space and ground) and the Undine Space Warzone. Each of these zones have multiple missions to do, zones like Defera Invasion and New Romulus have DOZENS of missions and special episodes/group content and new zones like Dyson/Voth has 50-60+ missions and both ground + space content in one area! Epic battles and fights in the new Undine zone and you get a TON of stuff to do when you log in. And of course there are Fleets with lots to unlock, exploration clusters(going away - but will return i believe) and all the foundry missions(though i dont consider foundry stuff "real" content)

    I STILL havent done every mission in the Dyson Sphere zone, Defera Invasion and New Romulus. LOL

    You can try to do everything at least once and get all accolades, doffs, doff missions and all reps and projects complete too. Plus you can roleplay if you have an imagination and that will make things 10x more epic. Its your choice.


    The SAD truth is that most people who complain about "lack of content" either play WAYY TOO MUCH or they dont understand how to play an mmo correctly(or the right way). You should be taking your time to enjoy all of the game. Rushing to max level and then repeating the same instances over and over and over every time you login will do nothing but make you bored and youll be sabotaging your own fun! Try running each queued instance only ONCE per week, or once per month. You wont get reps filled as fast, but you wont go out of your mind from repeating the same stuff.

    If I EVER feel bored or believe there is a lack of content, I will just take a break from the game, take a break from mmos altogether or just find another game. Sooo many amazing mmos out there! Lifes too short! Everyone deserves to be playing at least one mmo they love ALL of. Then again, if someone is a negative, bitter, jaded, burnt out on life type of player - they will blame the game when its the players fault. STO didnt create reputations so you could run the same exact mission over and over again 10x a day every day. Thats why there is a variety!

    Oh and try out the other factions! STO is like three games in one! If you get bored, take a break and play another character for a while. Or create a character of same faction and start from scratch. Playing from beginning might help you find the reasons why you loved STO in the first place - before reputation and gear and xp mattered so much.

    The fun in an mmo is 50% the game and 50% your imagination. So just HAVE FUN! Be positive. No need for negativity in a game! Its a GAME! lol
  • anazondaanazonda Member Posts: 8,399 Arc User
    edited July 2014
    ashlotte wrote: »
    My new sig~

    Yea... change that... Otherwise I am going to confuse you with Iconian all the time...
    Don't look silly... Don't call it the "Z-Store/Zen Store"...
    Let me put the rumors to rest: it's definitely still the C-Store (Cryptic Store) It just takes ZEN.
    Like Duty Officers? Support effords to gather ideas
  • kirksplatkirksplat Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited July 2014
    tacofangs wrote: »
    STO is dying.

    *waits for a third-party gaming site to quote this out of context.

    I did it just for fun.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • thlaylierahthlaylierah Member Posts: 2,987 Arc User
    edited July 2014
    To answer the OP's question:

    STO has always been "on the way out." Despite some observed passion among the devs, the business plan has always been, "ride this horse into the ground."

    With the acquisition by PWE, STO has entered a more stable business environment. As long as it makes them money, it will still be around as one of their stable of games.

    That said, it is important that people, I'm looking at you forum whiners, leave well enough alone and only criticize the worst of the problems.

    As Cryptic retains creative control of STO, we are at their whims and Cryptic responds to criticisms like someone overcompensating for a skid, badly.

    The most vocal of forum critics will simply cause Cryptic to over specialize the game to the critic's likes. Sadly, this is in inverse proportion to the quality of the suggestions.

    What will happen is that the game will become perfect for the people who scream the most, for a brief time, as everyone else leaves and the servers go dark.

    So my advise for everyone: just play the game, don't worry about what anybody else is doing, mind your own business and if you don't like it leave rather than ruin the game for others.
  • hyefatherhyefather Member Posts: 1,286 Arc User
    edited July 2014
    hippiejon wrote: »
    2nd Major Expansion on the way at the end of the year.

    Major revamp of the games most populated social zone very recently.

    Increased size of Dev Team, in a studio that has been hiring.

    Increased frequency of updates.

    Whether people want to admit it or not, continual fixing of bugs and issues within the game.

    Not the signs of a game on it's way out by any means.

    All MMOs die eventually, but I see nothing indicating that STO is on it's way out anytime soon.



    What you posted seems like a Fantasy? Just saying. Would you post your source. I want to see a increase in Dev team in writeing. It would make my day.
  • ddplattddplatt Member Posts: 83 Arc User
    edited July 2014
    Always negativity, be positive the game is only getting bigger at the moment, while its not prefect it's being worked on, I hope it's a around for years to come.
  • zeuxidemus001zeuxidemus001 Member Posts: 3,357 Arc User
    edited July 2014
    tacofangs wrote: »
    For the moment, STO is doing well. Our team size is still pretty much the same as a year ago. We're working on new stuff all the time. And our playerbase seems pretty stable.

    Funny being most of the player base right now is people who have been playing less than a year. When and if I do any group stuff these days there are no familiar faces/names like it used to be lol.
  • spacebaronlinespacebaronline Member Posts: 1,103 Arc User
    edited July 2014
    Funny being most of the player base right now is people who have been playing less than a year. When and if I do any group stuff these days there are no familiar faces/names like it used to be lol.

    This is the kind of turn over that has produced them the most money - new players that come in for 6 months spend a lot more making impulse purchases on new shinnies - most of the longer/older players already have the stuff or grind it out.

    So look for more and more turnover - that is the STO business model - it's just how things are.
  • duncanidaho11duncanidaho11 Member Posts: 7,980 Arc User
    edited July 2014
    This is the kind of turn over that has produced them the most money - new players that come in for 6 months spend a lot more making impulse purchases on new shinnies - most of the longer/older players already have the stuff or grind it out.

    So look for more and more turnover - that is the STO business model - it's just how things are.

    Isn't that how things are for most games? You play, you get bored, you move onto something else. If the population is stable you invariably have a situation where you are relying on new people coming in to pick up the losses, but that said that's how any healthy population works in ANY BIOLOGICAL SYSTEM.
    Bipedal mammal and senior Foundry author.
    Notable missions: Apex [AEI], Gemini [SSF], Trident [AEI], Evolution's Smile [SSF], Transcendence
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  • rwscissorsrwscissors Member Posts: 24 Arc User
    edited July 2014
    The only MMO that was the exception to what Taco posted (and it's the outliner exception when it comes to anything regarding MMOs in terms of player subscription/retention) is WoW.

    With respect, I would disagree on this point. WoW is is only unique in the size of the numbers. Their sub numbers have been in decline for the last few years (since Wrath), the new expansion looks to continue the trend.
  • khamseenairkhamseenair Member Posts: 2,640 Bug Hunter
    edited July 2014
    tacofangs wrote: »
    Two things:

    1) No one (no, not even PWE executives) knows the future. The world could be invaded by sentient flip-flops tomorrow, for all we know. So, where this game will be in 10 years is anyone's guess.

    2) Video Games are like living beings. We are all dying from the moment we are born. Any video game is going to have it's best sales, and do it's best business right out of the gate. From there, if they're lucky, it's a long, slow trudge toward eventual death. If they are not lucky, it is a short, quick leap into the abyss. MMOs are no different. The most subscribers and interest you will have is when you first launch.


    For the moment, STO is doing well. Our team size is still pretty much the same as a year ago. We're working on new stuff all the time. And our playerbase seems pretty stable. So, barring the Flip-Flopocolypse, I think we'll be around for a while yet.

    So. . . yes. STO is dying. Albeit very, very slowly. Just as I am. (I hope)

    I've always said that flip-flops were the worst thing to happen to the world.
    Join date is wrong, I've actually been around since STO Beta.
    True alters don't have a "main". Account wide unlocks for all unique event rewards!!
  • pottsey5gpottsey5g Member Posts: 4,252 Arc User
    edited July 2014
    EvE Online is making enough to survive, but honestly 500K players <-- And that's being generous (with a number of multiple accounts under the same player) after 10 years isn't much to point to. Hell, the whole Monocle Gate/JITA Riot situation in 2011 - where a LOT of players unsubbed for a few months; followed by the dismal failure that was/is DUST 514 - hit CCP hard enough that they had to layoff 20% of their staff; and Hillmar finally saw that to keep CCP going they couldn't just neglect EVE to focus on other projects, EVE was their bread and butter.

    Generally, it's true with 99% of MMOs that you get your highest number of players in the first one to two months, and it's all downhill from there (and hopefully you see a period of general stabilization close to the high point for a few years; and in the end, whatever your general player stabilization is; it's good enough to keep development continuing and returning enough profit to keep the investors/shareholders/suits happy enough to keep things going.

    The only MMO that was the exception to what Taco posted (and it's the outliner exception when it comes to anything regarding MMOs in terms of player subscription/retention) is WoW.
    Wow isn't the only MMO and no its not generally true 99% of MMO's get your highest number of players in the first one to two months. Lots of them follow the same trend in gaining numbers. Eve has over 12+ years of rising numbers. Second Life 6+ years of rising numbers, EQ 7 +years, Dofus 6+years, Rune scape 6+years of rising numbers and well the list goes on and on and on. Yes some of them fall over time but there is more then enough data to show a large amount of MMO's do not follow the trend Taco talked about. Even STO has not followed that tend with the numbers going up and up year after year. I might not have the latest number but I have the numbers for the first years.

    Eve went from 10k in 2002/2003 and after 10 years was around 750k. Last time I looked it was at 850k and fully recovered from the 2011 problems. I have not looked at the 2014 numbers but in 2012/2013 Eve was more then healthy.
  • tekehdtekehd Member Posts: 2,032 Arc User
    edited July 2014
    you are going to get trolled over this for no reason or someone coming along for post count. how would any of us know, only the executives of pwe know and they are not likely to state anything to ep or devs until that fateful day.


    DOOOOOMM!!! :D:D

    [The Bobs] It will be on a friday....we always find it's best to fire or lay people off on Friday.[/The Bobs]
  • macroniusmacronius Member Posts: 2,526
    edited July 2014
    It is not doomed but it failed to break out from the obscurity and niche status. Cryptic's plan seems to be to turn into a zynga game. Exhibit A: new doff UI
    "With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."

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  • crypticarmsmancrypticarmsman Member Posts: 4,115 Arc User
    edited July 2014
    pottsey5g wrote: »
    Wow isn't the only MMO and no its not generally true 99% of MMO's get your highest number of players in the first one to two months. Lots of them follow the same trend in gaining numbers. Eve has over 12+ years of rising numbers. Second Life 6+ years of rising numbers, EQ 7 +years, Dofus 6+years, Rune scape 6+years of rising numbers and well the list goes on and on and on. Yes some of them fall over time but there is more then enough data to show a large amount of MMO's do not follow the trend Taco talked about. Even STO has not followed that tend with the numbers going up and up year after year. I might not have the latest number but I have the numbers for the first years.

    Eve went from 10k in 2002/2003 and after 10 years was around 750k. Last time I looked it was at 850k and fully recovered from the 2011 problems. I have not looked at the 2014 numbers but in 2012/2013 Eve was more then healthy.

    750K - 850K for Eve? What are you somking? CCP themselves through out the 500K of late.
    Formerly known as Armsman from June 2008 to June 20, 2012
    TOS_Connie_Sig_final9550Pop.jpg
    PWE ARC Drone says: "Your STO forum community as you have known it is ended...Display names are irrelevant...Any further sense of community is irrelevant...Resistance is futile...You will be assimilated..."
  • dracounguisdracounguis Member Posts: 5,358 Arc User
    edited July 2014
    Just grabbing a number from thin air.. I say 2-3 yrs. By then it will be graphically dated and I don't think PWE would pony up the cash needed to update it. They will put Borg uber-cubes in the C-store, make a ton of cash from them and then after a couple months pull the plug.
  • hiveman5hiveman5 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited July 2014
    With all the 'doom and gloom' threads going on here, how many people are planning on jumping the ship and going to SW:TOR? How many plan on staying until the bitter end whenever that might be?
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  • dracounguisdracounguis Member Posts: 5,358 Arc User
    edited July 2014
    hiveman5 wrote: »
    With all the 'doom and gloom' threads going on here, how many people are planning on jumping the ship and going to SW:TOR? How many plan on staying until the bitter end whenever that might be?

    I have 2 possible jumps: Next WoW expansion or Star Citizen. :D In either case, I have a LTS so I will be here for the heat death of the STO universe... even if it's just to log on the last day to see how big my Zen pile is from my monthly stipend before it gets deleted along w/ the game.
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