NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Steel_Wind" data-source="post: 5736596" data-attributes="member: 20741">Well, Mark Kalmes has been around a bit. He was at NCSoft, Cryptic and he met Dancey at CCP. I would point out that WoD is still stuck in development hell, nothwithstanding the fact that it was being worked on by an existing MMO company with experience should tell you something. These things are NOT easy to do well.  (Mind you, Iceland has had more than its own share of economic problems since 2008, but be that as it may...) CCP has clearly dropped the ball on WoD for reasons that none of us really know. Dancey and Kalmes each have their own view on why that happened. Hopefully, they can avoid those issues with PF:O, but that should be a grim reminder to everyone that these things can go off the rails despite the best of intentions.Pathfinder has a niche enough appeal that it provides an MMO with an important bit of IP to build upon and draws upon and creates expectations among a core group of users. It's not enough to be WoW or SW:ToR in terms of appeal -- but the kinds of people it may appeal to ARE large enough to perhaps form a core group of players. I'm guessing that they are aiming for a smaller MMO community a la EVE Online.  The 30,000 feet overview of WoW+Eve in terms of endgame seems to strongly suggest this and that has kept a small game like EVE profitable for a long time. There's nothing wrong to shoot for that model of success. It is achievable and it is profitable.  If it ends up being bigger -- so much the better. If not? You hopefully make some money (or at least, didn't lose too much), had fun and broadened the exposure of a LOT of people to your core IP. Nothing wrong with that in terms or brand enhancement. On the plus side, I respect the business sense of Lisa and Vic, and the ability to develop characters and settings that resonate with gamers is top notch at Paizo. They don't have to take a back seat to anybody in that regard -- in Computer Game development or out of it.That's not small and it really does count. So that's all good.That said (and I know a little more than most people on this score), computer game development is in most respects an entirely different beast and draws upon entirely different skillsets. It looks similar, sure, but for the most part, that similarity can be a very beguiling heresy.  Still, programming and design talent can be hired.  If you got enough money and enough cachet to make a few believers out of a core team of devs -- that can be enough.But what a game like this needs most is time and money. And you don't get the former without oodles of the latter.Given that there is an investors link on Goblin Works webpage? Out of everything I've seen -- that's what troubles me the most. If their money isn't solid and their pockets deep, this thing's chances of getting off the ground successfully are significantly reduced.I'm not sure that they have enough money without having to commit more of their fortune than is wise. As risky as these things are, I would hate for Lisa and Vic to be put in a position where they need to bet the farm on this. That said, they are both grownups and know what they are doing when it comes to business so.... break a leg.I do sincerely hope that they enjoy this experience and wish them every possible success.As for the rest? We'll see.</blockquote>

Verification