Information is spreading all around, including on the various SOE message boards:
EQ Message boards
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The logic train ran off the tracks when Mightion Defensor said:
Any bets on how long it is before SOE announced a "Combat Upgrade" for Vanguard?
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SOE is NOT funding the game -- we are. We are getting funding and buying the publishing rights from Microsoft. SOE is a co-publisher/distributor, with Sigil as the publisher as well. They can focus on what they do well (mentioned above -- someone quoted one of my posts from the official boards) and we can now focus with even more authority on making Vanguard into the game we want it to be and believe our audience is looking for.
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Sigil retains their Vision on what Vanguard will be.
SOE is helping to distribute and market the title.These are the key points:
1. We found an incredible opportunity: the opportunity to purchase the publishing rights from Microsoft and become our own publisher.
2. We now own both the IP (the intellectual property) of Vanguard and the publishing rights.
3. This gives us more control and autonomy than we have ever had before. We are no longer just a developer.
4. Microsoft was TOTALLY cool with this. They are still very happy about Vanguard and looking forward to it bolstering their Windows platform. Vanguard will be an XP game, but also a Vista game, offering both 32 bit and 64 bit clients. We will continue to work closely with them and with Vista's focus on entertainment/games/graphics, as well as online, Vanguard is key.
5. SOE was TOTALLY cool with this. They are excited to have the people who designed and worked on the original EQ and EQ expansions provide a game for them. They need a game like Vanguard next year -- it gives them a variety of games from which players can choose from, or players can just play Vanguard.
6. We continue to have total control over the game's design, how it is marketed, the community, customer service -- everything that is important to us and I think important to all of you.
7. Things like running game servers, getting ads (that we design and/or approve) into magazines, getting boxes into stores, etc., all of which SOE is great at doing, they can do while we focus on finishing up the game and on beta.
8. This also gives us more time to launch the game when it is truly ready.
9. edit: Also, Vanguard will *NOT* be part of SOE's 'buy and sell items for real world money'. Our hard line position against this for a game like Vanguard remains as strong as ever.
If there are any other concerns or questions about this -- that's what I'm here for. I know this is a big change and it takes a moment to wrap one's head around it, but bottom line is that it's the best thing for Vanguard, for Sigil, and for you, our future players.
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Asha'man enlisted the help of an infinite number of monkeys to write:
Would you rather they have a stab at making a decent game, or be forced by Microsoft to do a shitty as hell one like Bungie have been?
Did Vanguard ever have a chance at being a decent game, rather than just a downtime-laden grindfest whose design was centered around anachronisms that the genre has long since left behind?
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Nobody really understood why Sakkra wrote:
Did Vanguard ever have a chance at being a decent game, rather than just a downtime-laden grindfest whose design was centered around anachronisms that the genre has long since left behind?
I doubt it. Everyone cites SoE as ruining EQ. Frankly, I think McQuaid and his idea that people LOVE grinding, downtime and camping and the whole "vision" are the true villains here.
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Mooj had this to say about dark elf butts:
That's so cute! And the fact that you believe it!
Funny, I don't remember saying I believed or didn't believe it Jing fucked around with this message on 05-06-2006 at 05:38 AM.
