SWTOR underperforming; EA earnings revised DOWN; Bioware should listen to players

[Tiresias]

What makes you think Bioware isn't listening to the players?

 

They made many changes in Beta based upon tester feedback. I know since I was there.

 

They are making many changes going forward based upon player feedback as well.

 

News flash: this stuff doesn't happen overnight.

 

And no, I don't think they should have delayed the game longer. I'm glad that I can play it now instead of waiting another six months over UI issues (which would include the Dungeon Finder, which I hope never gets implemented).

[iheartnyc]

The sad fact is that Bioware has failed utterly in its efforts to create another blockbuster MMO. Whilst EA maintain that 1,000,000 subscribers would be the "sweet spot" for profitability, analysts are now trending EAs 2013 profits down by quite a margin. This isn't just because of the general failure by EA to take the fight to Activision, but largely due to SWTORs failure to live up to expectations.

 

Oh please. "Analysts?" You mean, ONE research analyst at a small boutique bank?

 

I actually work at a wallstreet firm, and I will tell you right now: 50% of analysts are wrong 100% of the time. That's the reason why they get paid to give advice, rather than actually going out there and trading with their own money on their glorious "insight."

[indelible]

you're the reason we can't have nice things.

 

We CAN have nice things, they'll just require patching for 3 months before they work properly.

[Miothan]

Why the hell are they even messing with the UI? They can't possibly please everybody - and all other MMO's don't try to with their UI... they allow the USERS, who know what they want to make their own versions. That development time could be used to, well, dunno.. fix current issues like ability delay?

 

Open up the API and allow addons - would solve a plethora of issues.

 

I would be happy with UI being allowed to have addons for, then i would be able to put abilities/buffs/debuffs wherever i want, not stare at the same point, with the small *** **** buff-squares that pops up when i proc something.

[Malefactor]

Can someone actually prove that this game is under performing? (with sales and stuff...not from BS analysts)

 

i'll be waitin...

 

Going to be a long, long wait.

[indelible]

What makes you think Bioware isn't listening to the players?

 

They made many changes in Beta based upon tester feedback. I know since I was there.

 

They are making many changes going forward based upon player feedback as well.

 

News flash: this stuff doesn't happen overnight.

 

And no, I don't think they should have delayed the game longer. I'm glad that I can play it now instead of waiting another six months over UI issues (which would include the Dungeon Finder, which I hope never gets implemented).

 

I was in the beta as well.

 

A major complaint, the major complaint, was the ability delay.

 

It didn't get fixed. It still hasn't been fixed.

[face_hindu]

Revered?

 

With in-depth analysis like "casual observation of early play", it's easy to see why...

 

people lose so much money in the market.

 

EA's stock price has fallen by almost 20% in the past 2 weeks. SWTOR's "record breaking" success doesn't seem to be helping EA's stock price so far, probably because traders listen more to people like Todd Mitchell than they do to people like James Ohlen.

 

 

Don't look down

[Grope]

Actually I think you'll find this thread is distinctly different as it specifically reports news concerning EA and Bioware, as well as SWTOR. The rhetoric about changes required is, as I quite clearly state, my own opinion.

 

A mod is unlikely to be able to justify that, and anyway I have the thread C+Pd into Google and will simply post it again.

 

It's new information, a new approach that covers some of the same issues.

 

Deal with it, post constructively, or take your hate elsewhere. Apart from that... ignored ;D

 

Sir I did post constructively yet you didn't respond. I asked what the stock price and revenue of activisionblizzard for the last three years... Based on all these cool features I would expect insane profitability and fantastic share price.

 

Assuming that is the basis of your argument, shares have dropped due to lack of features you think are important.

 

You apparently would like to ignore that the LFG tool killed any sort of community. Yes, yelling in ironforge about needing 4 more for a 40 man raid was a little annoying, but at least I got to know a few people on my server by doing so. Tell me how many people you grouped with by using LFG that you actually talked to after that run... Sometimes the easy route isn't always the best route. I have about 80 people on my friends list and run with them all the time, maybe if you weren't a childish *** hat you would have friends too.

[Thandronen]

What they should have done from the jump is make it less like WoW.

 

People who like the WoW playstyle are... (wait for it.)

 

 

 

 

Playing WoW!

 

 

I don;t like wow playstyle...i love wow playstyle and guess what...i bought this game cause i believed in these guys efforts(not saying that they didnt put any) and i loved it from day 1 despite it's bugs and all these annoying things that are known to all of us.

But....no serious Game director would have claimed what (mr.)James Ohl..whatever said that the performance issue is about 5% of the players and that was cause of their pc's....srsly?L2optimize.I cancelled my sub at the very same time i got a loading screen in the middle of a fight in a wz while i was playing with around 16-18 fps...and yes i have a decent pc that can play every single game that has been out on max performance.

[Schnerf]

Funny how still after seeing this there are comments like "go back to wow". Yes, it is obviously what the player base should do, because you're so thriving with people in this game.

[Vankris]

so much can be done in a day or in a month

 

i understand people want some feature to improve their gaming experience, they will certainly come, but it's.not magic, coding and testing need to be done.

 

 

 

i think sometimes nothing will ever satisfy the haters. somehow even titan will get the same treatment all other mmo receive. why didn't you make it more like wow?

 

 

though not perfect i find the game enjoyable and looking forward for month playing it

vanguard level 38

 

 

ps: i also am a hand of adal, light of dawn, firelord type of raider

Edited January 20, 2012 by Vankris

[Darth_YaMama]

*ahem* I am enjoying this game.

 

I don't why I posted this....

[Rynra]

I find it incredibly laughable that you are going to use a FINANCIAL ANALYST forecast for ONE company in the entirety of a multi-trillion dollar international economic system to justify your rant.

 

You do realize that we are about to witness the collapse of 30 years of growth predicated upon not one single ounce of actual productive capitalism?

 

Yeah, one MONTH after release in what just so happens to be the most severe economic contraction known to man is about to unleash (see Europe for details) and we get this.

 

People will pull anything out of their *** to justify themselves.

 

Having blown away your ridiculous justification for why they are going to fail...

 

They aren't listening to the playerbase? Let's see your data concerning how many complains they get; how many CS reps they have addressing forum concerns; the amount of project managers they have in place specifically to deal with fixing bugs... this list could go on for quite some time and you still wouldn't be able to pull enough data to back up your opinion.

 

2 WEEKS? To implement everything YOU want to see fixed? You are smoking crack and have absolutely NO clue whatsoever how project management works, let alone software development from cradle to grave. Your ignorance is astounding and can only be justified in your cognitive bias to want to not like this game.

 

You'll be gone in a month and I'm glad. Your lack of patience isn't going to allow you to survive past the next month with the ludicrous demands you are making on this company's project timeline.

 

Simply put, your rant isn't going to derail their 3 and 5 year plans. No way, no how. Come back in 6 months when you've learned something about software development.

 

Thank god i don't have to type it up myself. A big +1.

 

Also, it is retarded to whine for an LFG function. Once it will get implemented you will start whining about it not finding you a group in 5 seconds. I remember the lfg tool from wow (from after the release of the latest expansion), and if you were a dps, you'd better have been ready for sitting in a queue for at least 40 minutes, up to over an hour... so stop your pointless whining bout that.

 

Once you find a group suitable, and you enjoy playing with them, then for the love of god USE THE FRIEND FUNCTION! Join their guild, or make your own. I never ever had to pug since level 1, i've always ran instances with my guildmates.

[Schnerf]

"I am impatient and don't know what playing a game from launch means"

 

-You

 

"I am very patient and understand why I should fund a turd while it's being polished, until a point in the future it becomes something I enjoy while I pay with my own money throughout the process, because I, unlike everyone else know what playing a game from launch means."

 

-You

[Seraphical]

Spend one week at http://www.zerohedge.com and if you can understand what is going on you'll start whistling a different tune FAST. There is nothing ironic here because the simple matter is you are making an assertion using no facts whatsoever to back them up. You want mine? I'll start by sending you my research papers on the eurozone and why it is doomed to failure or the ones concerning Socialist Greece. Then we can move on to http://www.zerohedge.com and any plethora of articles there with facts and figure. Then we can move on to Austrian economics. I can keep going but you are way in over your head on this one. I don't expect you to understand nor do I require you to. My point is that your justification for your rant has absolutely no foundation other than wishful thinking. You may as well have left it out entirely.

 

The world would be a better place if consumers were more patient. As it goes, they aren't. And as it goes... they won't wait. And if they don't wait, those of you with patience will find that everyone else without patience is off doing something else. THEN - ala AoC, STO, CO, FFXIV, etc - YOU'LL start having a go at developers for failing to retain players by failing to release content fast enough and failing to fix those issues that have ruined the game. Furthermore... I purchased SWTOR on an assurance from Bioware, an assurance they failed to live up to. They failed in their duty of service, not me. I paid. I paid for an experience. I'm not getting it. At this point, setting a deadline for my patience is more than fair If they fail again, I leave. And as you say... you can carry on playing that broken game of yours ;D

You admit you have a problem but refuse to fix it. Sounds like the one-way street you want to travel is actually a divided highway - search for a median before you get lost and hurt someone.

 

I'm sorry the game isn't living up to your unrealistic expectations. Leave and come back when it does because that's incredibly easier than developing patience. I'm also not saying you don't have any valid points. I'm pointing out the flaws in your thought process because you are ignorant, not because you don't have critical thinking skills. The former can be changed by reading facts; the latter requires much more effort.

 

And regarding my "couple of weeks" comment: see last paragraph. I specifically states it's my opinion, and you're entitled to think whatever you want about it, and the game. That's fine. I think that 2 weeks is more than enough for content that should have been working and/or in the game a month ago... not counting the time required to beta test it

It isn't enough time. Your demand is so completely unrealistic that anyone with a modicum of experience with these things [read, someone who works in a data center and works with software developers on a daily basis] can immediately recognize the folly of them. In other words, you will be gone in 30 days hopefully having realized some things and will come back with a fresh perspective.

 

Furthermore... I WANT to love this game, hence why I've given it a month of my time and am willing to give it a month more.

60 days is testing your willpower. Good luck with that in the real world sir.

 

I WANT to play this game for ages, but only if it's good... which I don't think it is (and many, many others don't think it is either). I loved KotoR. I loved Mass Effect. I even loved Mass Effect 2, despite the lacklustre story. Dragon Age was a brilliant game. Neverwinter Nights, Baldur's Gate (and 2)... even MDK 2... They are some of my favourite games of all time, and I love Bioware for them. They're getting more out of me than Rift got, than AoC got, than LotRo got, BECAUSE they're Bioware and BECAUSE I want to love this game. And certainly there is potential for the game to be really good, but right now IT'S JUST POTENTIAL and it's being stifled by persistent and game breaking problems.

It's curious how my perspective on this is so completely different than yours. Problems exist and they will get fixed and EA's current stock price has very little to do with it in the grand scheme of things unless it's actually causing C-level executives to put pressure on middle management to get their act together.

 

There are other people who know far more about finance than I do, I will readily admit that. I readily admit you have valid points. I am also pointing out where you fall flat on your face.

Edited January 20, 2012 by Arzhanin
Quoted removed content

[Liberate]

"I am impatient and don't know what playing a game from launch means"

 

-You

 

Acts like he is a staunch supporter of the game, signs up in Dec 2011.

 

-You

[Rasstavad]

I would be happy with UI being allowed to have addons for, then i would be able to put abilities/buffs/debuffs wherever i want, not stare at the same point, with the small *** **** buff-squares that pops up when i proc something.

 

The thing I miss the most is PowerAuras....

 

Hell, Blizzard even put their own limited version of it into their game. Watching for procs and conditionals in this game is lol.

 

I don't understand why (besides all the super casual phobia) they seem so reluctant to allow addon support.

Edited January 20, 2012 by Rasstavad

[Xugos]

OP, you nailed it.

 

 

 

You are absolutely correctly and I am surprised to say that I disagree with nothing that you stated.

[mdkelemen]

Bioware has been attempting some pretty ridiculous tactics of late in an effort to retain the dwindling and dying Level 50 end game player base. One thing that Bioware failed to realise when developing SWTOR was that the majority of its "hype" and lasting appeal would be built upon the comments and feedback coming out of level 50s at endgame and, again as we all know, these comments are most often NOT positive.

 

The sad fact is that Bioware has failed utterly in its efforts to create another blockbuster MMO. Whilst EA maintain that 1,000,000 subscribers would be the "sweet spot" for profitability, analysts are now trending EAs 2013 profits down by quite a margin. This isn't just because of the general failure by EA to take the fight to Activision, but largely due to SWTORs failure to live up to expectations.

 

It's also worth noting that EA shares have fallen amid concerns that SWTOR is failing.

 

 

So what can Bioware do to alleviate this problem?

 

The reality is that James Ohlen and company need to start LISTENING to their players. Flippant remarks about how they are doing just that aren't going to cut it if they wish to retain EAs favour (or conversely avoid EA shutting down Bioware Austin, which is inevitable if the current failure continues). It is unlikely that cheap tactics like dropping a patch before renewal day and/or offering Founder achievements for those who remain until March is going to sedate or please the players base.

 

Anything short of a total overhaul to the many end game systems that are broken - ideally before March - will inevitably result in further player decline.

 

Some things that I personally believe need to be solved in the next COUPLE OF WEEKS ;D:

 

1 - A dungeon finder needs to be added to allow easy access to flash points and hard modes.

2 - The UI needs a near-total overhaul. It's rubbish.

3 - End game story mode needs to be added as soon as is possible. People wish to continue their characters stories, and most find the idea of levelling alts a hinderance at best as some of the post-35 levelling content was just awful.

4 - More warzones need to be added. Launching with 3 warzones, one that pops constantly, was just unacceptable.

5 - Problems with Ilum persist, and Bioware are being lethargic in their dealings with them. Base camping is still a problem, and it would be ideal if bases were nothing more than launching platforms for the fight. (I have an idea: make it so that within a radius of X of each base, kills do not award you anything, and move the cannons into mid-field, between central and southern, and northern and central. In addition, add a buff that stacks with other valor buffs as a radial buff around control points. Also make a "planet wide" ops group that EVERY person who goes to Ilum is in by default)

5 - PvP loot distribution needs to be totally rethought. Apply a "band aid" to Battlemaster gear just doesn't cut it. Champion's Bags are a poor idea, and were always going to be a poor idea.

6 - SORT OUT THE FPS ISSUES, AND DON'T FOB US OFF WITH AN "IT'S ONLY 5% OF PLAYERS" RUBBISH EXCUSE. It's a prevalent issue that will drive players away, and you have to solve it or suffer for it.

7 - FIX THE ABILITY DELAY AS A PRIORITY. Seriously. This single issue will cost you a GREAT deal of players, and they AREN'T going to be willing to wait for you to "get round to it", regardless of how complicated you'd like us all to think it is. This should be your TOP priority on the systems side of things. You should be moving coders from other, non-critical projects onto this issue. It needs to be fixed.

 

These are just a few issues that I have with the game, but there are a plethora more waiting in the wings to come to the fore. People would like to believe that it ends here, that once these issues are solved the game will be amazing. The truth is that below these issues, there are a hundred more issues waiting to kick us in the teeth.

 

EA charged a premium price for SWTOR. They are asking me for £8.99 a month. If they want that, they really should consider working for that money. Bioware really should re-prioritise their plan of action with Star Wars, and start listening to what us players have to say. I'm not suggesting that I have the answers. Sadly however we do know what we DON'T like, and Bioware should be dealing with those issues first before adding in any content on top of that flawed foundation.

 

I personally am going to give you guys one more month. If by the end of February things aren't resolve, me and my guildies have already decided to unsubscribe. We can barely tolerate logging in now to run pathetic PvP sessions that end up punishing us for our time.

 

This post (outside of the start) is just my opinion of the game. I realise there is a group of people that think it's amazing. That means nothing to me. There was a group of people that thought Warhammer was amazing.. all 100k of them. Same goes for AoC... all 75k of them. SWTOR does not deserve to end up like that after the amount of effort Bioware claimed to be putting into it.

 

Oh how the mighty have fallen.

 

A million times this. Why won't you listen, Bioware?

[indelible]

"I am impatient and don't know what playing a game from launch means"

 

-You

 

"I suffer from cognitive dissonance."

 

-You

[face_hindu]

Sir I did post constructively yet you didn't respond. I asked what the stock price and revenue of activisionblizzard for the last three years... Based on all these cool features I would expect insane profitability and fantastic share price.

 

Assuming that is the basis of your argument, shares have dropped due to lack of features you think are important.

 

You apparently would like to ignore that the LFG tool killed any sort of community. Yes, yelling in ironforge about needing 4 more for a 40 man raid was a little annoying, but at least I got to know a few people on my server by doing so. Tell me how many people you grouped with by using LFG that you actually talked to after that run... Sometimes the easy route isn't always the best route. I have about 80 people on my friends list and run with them all the time, maybe if you weren't a childish *** hat you would have friends too.

 

Activision Blizzard, Inc. has done quite well over the past 3 years, which you would know if you had Google's search engine software close at hand. But that's neither here nor there, as they say.

 

 

Don't look down

[RedFox]

As a representative sample:

 

In the UK it peaked at #10 in the sales charts in the first week...

 

Then plummeted to #38.

 

Don't think it's on there now. Think it's too low to rank.

 

alright, not doing too well in the UK...but then again, it's a PC game, PC games never sell incredibly well compared to console games

 

and anyway i thought only PS3 games sells in UK

 

how about NA charts?

[DarkoDon]

Actually I think you'll find this thread is distinctly different as it specifically reports news concerning EA and Bioware, as well as SWTOR. The rhetoric about changes required is, as I quite clearly state, my own opinion.

 

A mod is unlikely to be able to justify that, and anyway I have the thread C+Pd into Google and will simply post it again.

 

It's new information, a new approach that covers some of the same issues.

 

Deal with it, post constructively, or take your hate elsewhere. Apart from that... ignored ;D

 

You obviously skipped my post and went straight to this one. I agree with you, on your OP. I disagree that the info is new, even the stuff you claim to be new news, is old news bro. Read the forums...it's already there. You can state 'your own opinion" is existing threads. But no, everyone wants to be the thread starter of info that's already been posted enough. Deal with it. You asked to be flamed, I have already posted once in this thread on topic, I won't be doing it again, from now on it's trolololo....just keep asking for it, sir.

[Speral]

Very well written post.

 

Was searching if someone had touched on all of this that NEEDS TO BE ADRESSED WAY BEFORE MARCH, if Bioware/EA wants to keep at least half of the subscribers they have now.

 

Action must be done quickly. People won't wait for another month to be able to actually play the game as they should be able to, are paying to. The game stopped being enjoyable to play afterr this 1.1 patch, PvP queues are horrendous, loadings inside loadings, FPS got worse, ability delay is STILL HERE (HOW?!?!) premades going against solo queuers.

 

Please Bioware make this into the masterpiece it should/can be, do NOT wait until March, or you'll be left with 100k-300k subscribers.

 

Signed.

[Thandronen]

You dont get it do you...thing is not if some dissapointed people being called ''haters''...thing is that the game is NOT playable atm!How is it playable when most of the people have like 10 fps in areas with more than 10-15 ppl....how is it playable when there are bosses in operations that are still bugged...how is it playable since pvp is a joke...