Tabula Rasa is Shutting down Feb '09: What this will mean for SGW

[Utopian Hok'taur]

For the full article of what is happening with Tabula Rasa, click here: http://kotaku.com/5095941/tabula-ras...it-by-lay-offs

Well, Tabula Rasa is shutting down February 28, 2009 while players, starting January 10, '09, can play for free in the last few months. Servers will be closed down March 1st and we congratulate the TR team for trying to make something different in the MMO community and market but sadly, they did not get the numbers they were hoping for to support the game.

Now, what does this mean to SGW?

Well, it frees up the Sci-Fi MMORPG market a bit more, even though Star Trek Online is planned to be released Fall of next year and the Star Wars: The Old Republic won't be coming out for a couple of years, there will be gamers that will keep watching those games. But for those who want a Sci-Fi MMO, Stargate Worlds will a big contender in that respect, especially since there is a large SG community to spread the news of such an MMO that is different from World of Warcraft, Everquest, Final Fantasy XI, etc, along with CME's marketing team.

Another thing this does is since there are no more players playing TR, it is essentially erased from memory except for the fact that people just disliked the system; little by little, the players will forget what exactly was the problem except that they remember not liking it and stop comparing SGW to TR (Not in the near future but later on down the line). Also, with the fall of TR, CME can see what TR did wrong, did right, and adjust the game accordingly since much of the game is completed and what can be changed is how the gameplay works.

What does everyone else think about TR going under and its effect on SGW?

(^'.'-)^ ^(-'.'^)

[Alexander007]

This means I still can't wait for sgw! Im gonna play sgw and it dosen't matter what anyone thinks about the game or says im gonna play and already know im going to like it. Because it's diffrent from alot of mmo's

[Capt. Crunch]

Star trek online? bye.

JK im staying right here

[angelus]

As said before, I hope that SGW picks up what TR did wrong, right, so-so, etc, and just accordingly while bringing out a game that will be true to Stargate.

But at the same time, this goes to show that the economy is starting to affect MMOs as well. I would say that probably in the next year we will see other MMOs shut down due to lack of number and lay off teams.

[meeber]

Originally Posted by Alexander007

This means I still can't wait for sgw! Im gonna play sgw and it dosen't matter what anyone thinks about the game or says im gonna play and already know im going to like it. Because it's diffrent from alot of mmo's

If I had a penny for every time I see this comment for a MMO that has not released yet I would be rich. You have no idea if SGW will be good or bad until you actully play it. Remember the failurs in the past that also sounded good until they are actully played, Vanguard, AOC, TR, Horizons, and several others. Just remember don't believe the hype the devs dish out about the game until you actully play it.

[ColonelJax]

Originally Posted by meeber

If I had a penny for every time I see this comment for a MMO that has not released yet I would be rich. You have no idea if SGW will be good or bad until you actully play it. Remember the failurs in the past that also sounded good until they are actully played, Vanguard, AOC, TR, Horizons, and several others. Just remember don't believe the hype the devs dish out about the game until you actully play it.

Sadly I agree with this because I was just the same with TR. I thought it was different, being one of the best Sci Fis I had read about to hit the MMO genre. But low and behold as time passed so did I come to realize my appreciation was faltering. Guess I'm doing my best not to dive too deep into speculation that I end up being blinded but I am hoping SGW not only delivers the feeling TR gave but also stays in the game longer but we'll see.


As for WoW I've said many many times that WoW was nothing but an EQ-like clone that did everything right that SoE was doing wrong. That's why WoW is the top of the line, because it took a design to base productions on and built onto that thinking, "How can we do what they do but better?" I don't like WoW myself and most of my knowledge is from other people who played it. But even I accept the success the monolith has gained. Blizzard entered a new mode of gameplay they had no idea about so they did studying. Pretty good example of successful competition.

[laika]

Hi,

For me there is no such of failure of a game. I mean it all depends on what you like. As example i like Nina Hagen while other peeps like Santana. Does it mean that one of them make bad music. I dont think so. This is the same as with games. The point is that dev,s are making to mutch clones today. Maby i,m thinking wrong but how do you explain that some peesp like TR or turnbase games etc. The point is that game dev,s mostly put in a jacket and dont want to try something different. Plz i dont want to speculate about SGW. I will try it and when i like it i,m full in. I saw alot of game genres fade away over the past years.
some examples:
Battlezone, Tribes(good old tribes=**** i,m missing that one), Uprising, Auto Assault, Messiah, Planetside(messed up and made a mech game out of it) and ofcourse some more i talked about in other post. The point is that peeps over the world like these games also. Ofcourse not as many as the peeps that like wow or cod but even if the fanbase is very low we also need some games we like and want to play. But i think i,m stuped because its all bussiness in the gaming world now and maby i,m getting to old.
And my realy concern is that alot of games get the tag MMo today, but if the fanbase is low it wil be closed and you cant play the game anymore you like. I think companies need to realize when to tag a game as MMo where you need to pay every month. Maby its because i saw to mutch games to be closed/or totally changed that i liked and cant play anymore. Maby the way like Guild Wars is a great option for alot of companies.

Once again sorry for my bad Uk

[varis2000]

Originally Posted by laika

For me there is no such of failure of a game. I mean it all depends on what you like. As example i like Nina Hagen while other peeps like Santana. Does it mean that one of them make bad music. I dont think so. This is the same as with games. The point is that dev,s are making to mutch clones today. Maby i,m thinking wrong but how do you explain that some peesp like TR or turnbase games etc. The point is that game dev,s mostly put in a jacket and dont want to try something different. Plz i dont want to speculate about SGW. I will try it and when i like it i,m full in. I saw alot of game genres fade away over the past years.

some examples:
Battlezone, Tribes(good old tribes=**** i,m missing that one), Uprising, Auto Assault, Messiah, Planetside(messed up and made a mech game out of it) and ofcourse some more i talked about in other post. The point is that peeps over the world like these games also. Ofcourse not as many as the peeps that like wow or cod but even if the fanbase is very low we also need some games we like and want to play. But i think i,m stuped because its all bussiness in the gaming world now and maby i,m getting to old.

I think a main reason for the clones is feature creep, if you can call it that. Today's games have to really do a run for their money to be competitive: you need 3d graphics, class choices, factions, compelling gameplay, the right pace of action, versatiles missions, carefully balanced tactical options, community support... the list goes on. You have less chance for creativity because actually making the game takes all your resources. Just making a clone is a tremendous task by itself, and most studios would be struggling to do just that. Now if you take a game concept that is fairly similar to something already existing, you have a suitable role model, a string of foot steps to follow and a battered pioneer from whose mistakes you can learn.

It is just so much easier to copy a previous success because the company knows what to expect, would you journey into the unknown you'd have no standards to go by, and a good success would be unlikely, because you have just a vague idea what to really aim for. Not to mention unique games tend to be unique in the respect what kind of gamers they attract, being a splintered niche market.

Liked Tribes 2 and Battlezone as well - Battlezone in particular was awesome and quite original! What genre do you think Tribes belongs to - I'd say there's been a fair amount of sci-fi shooters around in the recent years... take a look at Quake Wars: Enemy Territory for example, and you can see many familiar Tribes 2 themes. Battlezone is a different story - first-person strategy shooters are a rare breed, the other major examples I can recall were in the very late 80's on Amiga. All the examples were great games, and I personally think this game concept can be one of the most entertaining, and the examples have proved it can be made to work quite easily. But as I said they're not common, so there never really was a genre to fade away in the first place.

[varis2000]

If only SGW could be released by March 1st, or at least generate a good hype at that point, it could siphon in many ex-TR players. Saw that happen when I joined Eve, they closed down another space MMO and Eve's number of subscribers jumped by a few thousands in a short span of time.

[Aszrayel]

Well didn't see TR going down so fast. Saying that, on the positive side (thank god I didn't buy it), and it means we could have a big influx of members

[Tinman52]

Originally Posted by Aszrayel

Well didn't see TR going down so fast. Saying that, on the positive side (thank god I didn't buy it), and it means we could have a big influx of members

I think it was pretty clear from OB that Garriot's and Starr's talking points didn't represent the actual gameplay. I'm still bitter since I had high hopes for the game based on the previews. TR was a pretty poor game.

Hopefully SGW doesn't let me down.

[Utopian Hok'taur]

Many people thought that the gaming industry wouldn't be hit so hard in the current state of the economy but in this case you have various factors: gameplay, low player population feeding money back into the company, the economy, the fact that the game is sold on amazon for 99 cents.

Originally Posted by varis2000

If only SGW could be released by March 1st, or at least generate a good hype at that point, it could siphon in many ex-TR players. Saw that happen when I joined Eve, they closed down another space MMO and Eve's number of subscribers jumped by a few thousands in a short span of time.

Really? Interesting.... CME! Get on this!

[Chalky]

This shouldn't really shock anyone, TR dramatically failed to live up to it's projections, making back just 10% of it's development cost in the first year, projected to make only half that the following year.

[Fumbles]

Yeah no suprise for me to read, Although I thought they would try to keep it alive a bit longer then they will.

[Symbiote]

Originally Posted by varis2000

If only SGW could be released by March 1st, or at least generate a good hype at that point, it could siphon in many ex-TR players. Saw that happen when I joined Eve, they closed down another space MMO and Eve's number of subscribers jumped by a few thousands in a short span of time.

If it had "many" they wouldn't be shutting down.

[Aszrayel]

I wasn't surprised at all. It was my dry humor

[Nehu]

Dam n!. Very bad year for the game industry...
Maybe a good news for Stargate Worlds...
Maybe a bad news...


But over 2.5 millions of WoW Extension: Wrath of the Lich King have been sold in 24h...

[Captain Underpants]

Originally Posted by Symbiote

If it had "many" they wouldn't be shutting down.

That's a valid point, and one I was thinking of making myself. However, if you think about it, we're talking about making use of the influx of players in a different way.

I think what the OP is suggesting is that Tabula Rasa closing down is going to potentially provide Stargate Worlds with extra players, to top up the existing player pool. While TR may not have had "many" in terms of what is needed keep an MMO afloat, that same number can be construed as many in the context of augmenting what you already have.

$10,000 may not be "many" dollars if you're trying to build a house, but it's quite a lot if you're trying to build a new kitchen on top of the property you already own.

I can see Tabula Rasa potentially giving us some new casual gamers; people who are in it for the gameplay rather than the franchise. However, because SGW is associated so strongly with an existing franchise, I'm not sure how many of the TR players would come to Worlds in particular, rather than going somewhere else. Whether it's accurate or not, the fact that the Stargate name is attatched to the game might give the impression that it isn't necessarily suitable for people who haven't watched the show before. That might drive potential players into other games, where they don't necessarily feel that they need to know about Stargate to play.

Obviously, that impression is false, but unless you read up on the game you won't necessarily know that.

[Raekwon]

Originally Posted by Captain Underpants

Whether it's accurate or not, the fact that the Stargate name is attatched to the game might give the impression that it isn't necessarily suitable for people who haven't watched the show before.

I thought that myself when i first saw this game, thats why I went out and bought every episode and movie on ### and watched it from beginning to end!

[buckmana]

I thought they were making it so even if you knew nothing about Stargate, you could still play.

Basically, I was expecting a preparatory document about the stuff you really need to know, then you play the game, read the manual, get tips from other players, etc.

The impression I'm getting is an indepth knowledge of Stargate is not necessary.

Mind you, it'll give us fan (or should that be fanatics?) some inside knowledge.

I can imagine the chat channel, it'll be full of Stargate discussions. Crikey! Now that I think about it, that's not a good idea. They should make a special channel for Stargate discussion and another for gameplay discussion.

[Guan Thwei]

Originally Posted by Utopian Hok'taur

For the full article of what is happening with Tabula Rasa, click here: http://kotaku.com/5095941/tabula-ras...it-by-lay-offs

Well, Tabula Rasa is shutting down February 28, 2009 while players, starting January 10, '09, can play for free in the last few months. Servers will be closed down March 1st and we congratulate the TR team for trying to make something different in the MMO community and market but sadly, they did not get the numbers they were hoping for to support the game.

Now, what does this mean to SGW?

Well, it frees up the Sci-Fi MMORPG market a bit more, even though Star Trek Online is planned to be released Fall of next year and the Star Wars: The Old Republic won't be coming out for a couple of years, there will be gamers that will keep watching those games. But for those who want a Sci-Fi MMO, Stargate Worlds will a big contender in that respect, especially since there is a large SG community to spread the news of such an MMO that is different from World of Warcraft, Everquest, Final Fantasy XI, etc, along with CME's marketing team.

Another thing this does is since there are no more players playing TR, it is essentially erased from memory except for the fact that people just disliked the system; little by little, the players will forget what exactly was the problem except that they remember not liking it and stop comparing SGW to TR (Not in the near future but later on down the line). Also, with the fall of TR, CME can see what TR did wrong, did right, and adjust the game accordingly since much of the game is completed and what can be changed is how the gameplay works.

What does everyone else think about TR going under and its effect on SGW?

(^'.'-)^ ^(-'.'^)

You forgot Earthrise.
That's coming out next year aswell.
It's a post apocalyptical Scifi MMO, skill based, top graphics.

SGW is more for the fans.
While earthrise is made for a, let me say, general scifi fanbase.

But I certainly hope that with tr's end, sgw will get more players =).

[dead_man316]

The thing you need to remember with SGW is you won't only get MMO fans, (which i am not mind you), but you will also get Stargate fans playing this. There isn't an official stargate game on the market, this is the first and there are plenty of stargate fans out there who will buy this game purely because it is stargate and not because it's an MMO. I personally dont like MMO's, but i dont care, it's stargate, i will buy it, and i will pay to play, and i will like it.

[Sapranos]

whats tabula rusa????????????????????????

[ColonelJax]

I've said it since probably February, TR was about the main competition that SGW would of faced. It's death was foreseen however, me having played it for some time, been in beta, and played a couple months after launch. That game was going down hill about a month after it's release, slowly but surly so it's not surprising. I am surprised at how quick it's being shut down since that announcements, even Ashren's Call had a good 2 years going after it was announced it would be shut down; that just goes to show how much money DG accumulated.

So without it's competition, I think as long as CME aims for doing right where TR went wrong, it should be a fairly good launch. Take the time, mind what mistakes TR did and try not to follow those problems; I'm sure this could be a great opportunity.

Originally Posted by Guan Thwei

You forgot Earthrise.
That's coming out next year aswell.
It's a post apocalyptical Scifi MMO, skill based, top graphics.

There's still not enough info on Earthrise to actually be concerned about. I mean it sounds neat but sounds like a totally different mechanic based MMO. At this moment it sounds more like Anarchy Online, which is a sci-fi version of EQ. At the moment it's just way too much speculation for what Earthrise could be and not what it's going to be.

[Sapranos]

it would be a better launch if the economy wasnt in the crap hole, but hopfully obama would fix the world's problems by then