Not to sound alarmist, but I've noticed a few things lately that have me concerned, and I wondered what others thought.
Keep in mind, what follows is purely speculation.
The question in my mind is, is Cryptic in trouble?
The evidence came to me after spending some time in City of Heroes. The game seems almost deserted. I spent two weeks across several servers and saw a grand total of 24 other people - 20 of whom were in a costume contest on the most populated server.
This wouldn't bother me, but I also noted that Champions is going Free to Play, often a sign of a dying game. Add to this that I've heard nothing particularly good about the game, and I'm forced to wonder if that game is also in jeopardy.
Finally, I come to STO, and I see a game in crisis. There often seems to be a lack of coherent direction, and there is a lot left unfinished in the game. In addition, the constant addition of content to the C-Store looks like a desperate cash grab. I've also noted a sizable turnover of employees, both in STO and CoH. I heard Back Alley Brawler was actually let go from CoH!
All of this raises my eyebrows. Is something dire going on, or am I misreading the signs?
This isnt another doom thread is it? If it is i just couldn't cope....<searches for the prozac in a nervous fit>
Yea, Cryptic hasn't has their hands on COH for a LONG time....CO you ask? Well......its been there for a while.
STO? aint goin nowhere....cause I say so......
Pfffft... Prozac is for babies. *whispers in ear "Dooooooooooooom"*
On a sidenote... I'm still going to sub to CO once it goes F2P.
Mainly because of the loincloth but thats a minor detail.
F2P seems to be a way for games in trouble to get out of trouble these days. So I wouldn't worry. In the end, it's not like we can do anything about it. Well, it can make you pause considering a lifetime membership, but that's pretty much all. Whether you stop playing now because you're worried the game is doomed or keep playing until the Crypacolypse doesn't really make a difference. Seems better to bet on the game lasting for a while more.
As others have stated, Cryptic has no part in CoH, and the last time I checked (admittedly it was a couple weeks ago) the top two most populated servers were "red" (high pop) and the rest were yellow (middle of the road). And even once Going Rogue does wear off, there's still enough dedicated CoHers, like myself, to keep the game alive. At least until CoH2.
I'm not concerned with STO however, despite CO's going F2P. While both games had bad launches, STO seems to have weathered that storm much better than CO did. Partially cause I think it was a bigger game (Star Trek vs. Obscure Hero PnP RPG), but it also seems our content updates and bug fixes have come faster and with better quality. For example, I think I've bug reported the "capes randomly disappearing" issue at least 3 times over a 6 month period (basically everytime I've reactivated my sub). I would imagine that problem has been there since Day 1....over a year ago.
Do we still have 9 month old bugs? Yes, but we also know there's a fix coming in the very near future for most, if not all of them. I can't say the same for CO.
It is not uncommon to encounter bugs well after a year into any given MMO.........code is a forever evolving piece of the computer puzzle.....if it doesn't like a alteration of its orginal base, it will bug out.
Not much you can do but write more code to counteract that code....next you know theres code everywhere...........watching...waiting for you to walk to your car at midnite from the movie theater...stalking your very essence...beckoning......play....play.......play....
Yea...what can you do, its a good game that constantly surprises me......I'll keep playing long after its gone....staring at a blank screen.....pretending.........
ok so we have cleared up the CoH bit but there are a few other points;
free to play is not what it sounds. its not going free to play, its turning into a giant demo where if you want any of the really good stuff you have to pay for it. you can still pay a monthly fee and get everything you had before. DDO does this and they are becoming more successful with it. because some games have died and gone true free to play is not the same thing as F2P hybrids that have been turned on purpose to make more money.
the whole point of this change is too make it more successful and make more money and to keep with the changing trend of MMO's not because its in trouble. Also most of the reviews and feedback I hear is generally quite positive. if every game that becomes a hybrid model makes more money its stupid to keep using a sub only model.
with sto, i dont see a game in crisis or lacking direction, they have more direction now than they had at launch. when they release the best mission in the game 3 days ago and have UGC and a massive season update a month off that does not fill me with fear about the future.
we have had the argument about the c-store being a money grab for the last 10 months. we will have the argument in 5 years. its nota sign or doom or gloom.
there have been some people who have moved on or changed positions within the company but id hardly call it a high turn over, not to mention they have gotten new people in recently. do you know the staff turnover at your local supermarket, or at your local bank or any other business in the world. i doubt it. its only because damn near every single one of them talks to us that we see when people move on.
There's a big difference between COH/CO and STO - I've played STO and there are a LOT of people flying around :rolleyes: on the weekend I get lag issues and signing in is a PAIN with everyone signing in to play the Saturday eps STO - like TOR - will survive no matter WHAT happens to it because it has one thing that will keep businesses going for eons
Trekkies
Even if TOR comes out with glitchy ground combat and the rail-shooter space-sim it will be a best-seller - just like STO was - because these games have names that EVERYONE wants to play and fans that treat these things like religious concepts
PS: not trying to turn this into a TOR-rant-or-praise thread, just using it as an example
I like it when some alarmist starts a gloom and doom thread about Cryptic while we're getting constant updates from Cryptic about new STO content releases and features with absolutely no end in sight. Really adds weight to their "sky may be falling soon" warning.
ok so we have cleared up the CoH bit but there are a few other points;
free to play is not what it sounds. its not going free to play, its turning into a giant demo where if you want any of the really good stuff you have to pay for it. you can still pay a monthly fee and get everything you had before. DDO does this and they are becoming more successful with it. because some games have died and gone true free to play is not the same thing as F2P hybrids that have been turned on purpose to make more money.
the whole point of this change is too make it more successful and make more money and to keep with the changing trend of MMO's not because its in trouble. Also most of the reviews and feedback I hear is generally quite positive. if every game that becomes a hybrid model makes more money its stupid to keep using a sub only model.
with sto, i dont see a game in crisis or lacking direction, they have more direction now than they had at launch. when they release the best mission in the game 3 days ago and have UGC and a massive season update a month off that does not fill me with fear about the future.
we have had the argument about the c-store being a money grab for the last 10 months. we will have the argument in 5 years. its nota sign or doom or gloom.
there have been some people who have moved on or changed positions within the company but id hardly call it a high turn over, not to mention they have gotten new people in recently. do you know the staff turnover at your local supermarket, or at your local bank or any other business in the world. i doubt it. its only because damn near every single one of them talks to us that we see when people move on.
exactly this.......oh revo your my rock of interstellar logic.......
In short,CO (along with STO, should they decide to follow suit) will not die just because they adopted a hybrid model like Turbine did. In fact, it could potentially be a good thing. Read the thread I linked and comment there. There's a reason that it's stickyed.
Comments
Cryptic has nothing to do with it for quite some time.
And CO... Is not STO.
Oh and DDO and LoTR are also dying games. Yes indeed they are.
Yea, Cryptic hasn't has their hands on COH for a LONG time....CO you ask? Well......its been there for a while.
STO? aint goin nowhere....cause I say so......
*whispers in ear "Dooooooooooooom"*
On a sidenote... I'm still going to sub to CO once it goes F2P.
Mainly because of the loincloth but thats a minor detail.
The allotted time has yet to expire, an arrangement we can live with!
---
I'm not concerned with STO however, despite CO's going F2P. While both games had bad launches, STO seems to have weathered that storm much better than CO did. Partially cause I think it was a bigger game (Star Trek vs. Obscure Hero PnP RPG), but it also seems our content updates and bug fixes have come faster and with better quality. For example, I think I've bug reported the "capes randomly disappearing" issue at least 3 times over a 6 month period (basically everytime I've reactivated my sub). I would imagine that problem has been there since Day 1....over a year ago.
Do we still have 9 month old bugs? Yes, but we also know there's a fix coming in the very near future for most, if not all of them. I can't say the same for CO.
Not a doom thread, just to clarify. I was puzzled and concerned by something that was evidently off base.
Not much you can do but write more code to counteract that code....next you know theres code everywhere...........watching...waiting for you to walk to your car at midnite from the movie theater...stalking your very essence...beckoning......play....play.......play....
Yea...what can you do, its a good game that constantly surprises me......I'll keep playing long after its gone....staring at a blank screen.....pretending.........
Ok time for the meds.......
free to play is not what it sounds. its not going free to play, its turning into a giant demo where if you want any of the really good stuff you have to pay for it. you can still pay a monthly fee and get everything you had before. DDO does this and they are becoming more successful with it. because some games have died and gone true free to play is not the same thing as F2P hybrids that have been turned on purpose to make more money.
the whole point of this change is too make it more successful and make more money and to keep with the changing trend of MMO's not because its in trouble. Also most of the reviews and feedback I hear is generally quite positive. if every game that becomes a hybrid model makes more money its stupid to keep using a sub only model.
with sto, i dont see a game in crisis or lacking direction, they have more direction now than they had at launch. when they release the best mission in the game 3 days ago and have UGC and a massive season update a month off that does not fill me with fear about the future.
we have had the argument about the c-store being a money grab for the last 10 months. we will have the argument in 5 years. its nota sign or doom or gloom.
there have been some people who have moved on or changed positions within the company but id hardly call it a high turn over, not to mention they have gotten new people in recently. do you know the staff turnover at your local supermarket, or at your local bank or any other business in the world. i doubt it. its only because damn near every single one of them talks to us that we see when people move on.
Trekkies
Even if TOR comes out with glitchy ground combat and the rail-shooter space-sim it will be a best-seller - just like STO was - because these games have names that EVERYONE wants to play and fans that treat these things like religious concepts
PS: not trying to turn this into a TOR-rant-or-praise thread, just using it as an example
exactly this.......oh revo your my rock of interstellar logic.......
http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=185819
In short,CO (along with STO, should they decide to follow suit) will not die just because they adopted a hybrid model like Turbine did. In fact, it could potentially be a good thing. Read the thread I linked and comment there. There's a reason that it's stickyed.