Well, I guess Kotaku gave us their own Producer's Note. SWTOR could Shut Down

[MandFlurry]

EA/Bioware has never been in possession of the intellectual property rights of the Star Wars franchise.

That has, and remains, with Disney. What EA/Bioware has is a license to market products based on that IP, just like Hasbro or Mattel would have a license to make little plastic figures. At no time do any of those companies "own" the intellectual property.

 

I wouldn't say EA could license Action figures, because they still have to get permission from LucasFilm, from what i have heard. They have to get LucasFilms permission.

 

Otherwise, Yes, you pretty much nailed it. EA owns All of the Hardware, Software, the Source code, and other Technical and Physical property like our Servers that has had anything that has had to do with making the game. What EA Bioware doesn't own is the SW license IP and characters ans Space stuff, like fighters and even the storylines like Revan and such.

[translucentwolf]

The way I see it, EA has no more bullets in the Star Wars chamber. Unless Disney is completely inept company that doesn't give a crap about this IP they paid billions for, the only shot EA has at saving the license is SWTOR.

 

They don't have the time to develop a full game from scratch in time. SWTOR is already there, a framework already built, and enough good there that perhaps by throwing an absurd amount of resources at it and reworking the game, you can market the snot out of it and save your license deal.

 

Unless Respawn can somehow release the next KOTOR by 2019. Because unless this thing is THAT good, I look at all the mismanagement if I am Disney and tell EA to take a hike.

 

EA is pushing Anthem, an IP EA will own and control, and not pay some Mouse for. Good on them. I'm looking forward to Anthem, which will have some proper Sci Fi.

[aerockyul]

I don't know how Disney can be impressed with EA.

 

Barely any games whatsoever since they got the license, and the ones they did get have been surrounded by controversy.

 

I don't know anything about the actual numbers, but generally I don't think Disney would give a rat's A about the controversy or what Internet tough guys say if the games still sold millions of copies. This seems to be something a lot of people don't really get about EA/Disney. They're less concerned about the quality or how happy we are collectively (within reason) if it simply makes tons of money.

 

It's why I kind of laugh at all the criticism people have for the new Star Wars movies. Did they make billions of dollars through tickets and merchandising? Then Disney doesn't care that an Internet tough guy hated it because it didn't conform to his pet theories or "it just wasn't a good movie." (He still paid for it!) The Transformer movies aren't good, yet they make billions of dollars. Those execs at NBC/Comcast/Universal don't care you don't think they're good--it makes them tons and tons and tons and tons of money.

 

Maybe EA isn't pulling the plug quite yet because the sparse staff at SWTOR is still meeting revenue goals through the CM. EA does. not. care. if the revenue goals are met through the CM, or adding 27 Ops, or making 19 new PvP maps, or Pulitzer-level writing for the story content, or that 7 million dollars is used for a trailer.

 

EA/Disney does not care if you think the quality doesn't meet your personal standards. They're interested in their investor's being happy and money flowing to that end.

 

(I'm not dumping on anyone's personal standards. The story content since 4.0 has been a big negative for me, but again, EA does not care that I think that, and they don't care that someone else has the exact opposite feeling. I just think it's laughable that people think Disney is "unhappy" with EA as long as they're meeting whatever goals were outlined in their contract--just like EA isn't necessarily "unhappy" with Bioware as long as they do the same)

Edited January 25, 2018 by aerockyul

[Lunafox]

Luna, in case you've missed it, check out the open source thread.

You've been re-assigned.

 

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=942956

 

So I see now Works for me! Also you have my thanks about Theron's hair. <3

[spectreclees]

Welp, sub runs out in 2 months. Glad this came about, with the information being presented if you still think SWTOR is going to continue to get regular updates that are meaningful in anyway you are a bit delusional at this point. I'll finish off my class story on imp side that I've been working on and hang it up until sometimes tempts my interest again.

 

EDIT: I'd also like to point out that Keith still has not released his roadmap. Other MMOs have already announced expansions, roadmaps, or updates coming throughout 2018 and here we are almost a month into 2018 and still nothing. Silence speaks volumes at this point.

Edited January 25, 2018 by spectreclees

[Lunafox]

Frostbite? Outdated? Ooook then?

 

Sure it sounds like it was a pain in the *** and then some to get working with different styles of games but it sure isn't outdated.

 

Well, I'd heard it's been in development since 2012 or something and then by the time they roll it out maybe in 2019...who knows what will be more awesome by then.

[jimmorrisson]

This information can not be just handwaved away because of the platform i.e. Kotaku/Gizmodo/Gawker/Kinja

Please note below:

Also, the author of the article broke a lot of the news for the ME:Andromeda debacle and has written other accurate articles about by BioWare as well.

 

 

Disney does not care about gaming. Look at what Disney did to Lucasarts, Star Wars 1313, and Darth Maul: The Game. Then look at Battlefront 2017's rollout.

 

Disney is interested in Star Wars directed to kids and those who are interested in identity politics hoping that the "brand" is enough to lure in adult fans with deep pockets.

 

When it comes to subscribers, EABioware has wrote off the entire part of the world known as APAC when it merged all of it's American servers into two East Coast servers, which also saw Role Players forced to play alongside with those who don't.

 

This is the state of the game: Two east coast servers serving two hemispheres.

Edited January 25, 2018 by jimmorrisson

[Costello]

Sad to see that rather than deal with this and show what the future holds through the roadmap the issue is once again being ignored and they seem happy for people to read the article and take it that the game is going to be heading into maintenance mode.

 

Even if the source was wrong or no decision had been made the state of the game for the last year and the lack of a winter roadmap as we head into February makes it seem as if there are no plans or interest to keep it going.

[Lunafox]

Welp, sub runs out in 2 months. Glad this came about, with the information being presented if you still think SWTOR is going to continue to get regular updates that are meaningful in anyway you are a bit delusional at this point. I'll finish off my class story on imp side that I've been working on and hang it up until sometimes tempts my interest again.

 

EDIT: I'd also like to point out that Keith still has not released his roadmap. Other MMOs have already announced expansions, roadmaps, or updates coming throughout 2018 and here we are almost a month into 2018 and still nothing. Silence speaks volumes at this point.

 

Sometimes you have to fight for what you want. People are quick to give up. I'm not one of those people. Keith's roadmap was mentioned by Eric, as being on it's way in a couple of months. I'd look for it hopefully around March or May. Info has always been lean here over the winter months.

[syahaiyub]

im not to trust kotaku until keith/eric spout from their mouth themselves

[spectreclees]

Sometimes you have to fight for what you want. People are quick to give up. I'm not one of those people. Keith's roadmap was mentioned by Eric, as being on it's way in a couple of months. I'd look for it hopefully around March or May. Info has always been lean here over the winter months.

 

I appreciate that awful optimism you have there, but really.. you would wait until May for a road map that should be announced before the new year or at least a month or so into the new year. I'm an avid Bioware fan, I loved the KOTOR series and Mass Effect but let's be honest, it's not the same company at this point. You have to realize at this point that the 'road map' we are supposedly getting is most likely an announcement that content will be ceasing after the traitor story line concludes. The inside source from that journalist has been on point with every announcement that has come from his mouth. I wouldn't get your hopes up. Hope eventually runs out when it isn't nurtured and cared for, much like this game hasn't been for the past year.

Edited January 25, 2018 by spectreclees

[Quraswren]

So you are actually rooting for the game's closure because obviously there will be a new mutiplayer online Star Wars game? Obviously....s/

 

I'd wager there is a real good chance that a SW online game will always come back around. New tech, new fans, new ideas. I don't think Disney has any plans to let a playable multiplayer SW online game just vanish.

 

I just think next time they will make a better deal with whoever they make the deal with. Disney didn't have anything much to do with the EA deal. I bet the next time it will be different.

[xordevoreaux]

I'd wager there is a real good chance that a SW online game will always come back around. New tech, new fans, new ideas. I don't think Disney has any plans to let a playable multiplayer SW online game just vanish.

 

I just think next time they will make a better deal with whoever they make the deal with. Disney didn't have anything much to do with the EA deal. I bet the next time it will be different.

 

New money.

That's what you need.

[Costello]

I'd wager there is a real good chance that a SW online game will always come back around. New tech, new fans, new ideas. I don't think Disney has any plans to let a playable multiplayer SW online game just vanish.

 

I just think next time they will make a better deal with whoever they make the deal with. Disney didn't have anything much to do with the EA deal. I bet the next time it will be different.

 

What they could do with is having Disney make the game, with a restaffed Lucasarts team.

 

Given how many people say I'm playing this game because its Star Wars I suspect the Star Wars game licence and the royalties paid each year is not insignificant. Which has to lead to a certain percentage of your operating budget going on paying for the licence, which is no doubt why Anthem has become such a big thing, they own the IP. Its better for EA if thats a success than swtor as they don't have to pay any money to Disney to use the name.

 

So in that way the best people to make the game would be people that own the IP and keeps more of the revenue in house.

[Quraswren]

I don't know, whatever or whoever is left.

 

I think at this point it's mainly the cartel market staff.

 

Lately the cash shop has been like a going out of business sale. EVERYTHING MUST GO!

 

So it seems those few are still around.

 

New money.

That's what you need.

 

I don't think that would hurt this game at all. Along with some new development and design teams or at least people actually working on swtor and not reassigned to something else wile working at the only company that is supposed to create swtor content.

 

Kinda hurts knowing your $15 a month to swtor is being sent to work on anthem.

 

What they could do with is having Disney make the game, with a restaffed Lucasarts team.

 

Given how many people say I'm playing this game because its Star Wars I suspect the Star Wars game licence and the royalties paid each year is not insignificant. Which has to lead to a certain percentage of your operating budget going on paying for the licence, which is no doubt why Anthem has become such a big thing, they own the IP. Its better for EA if thats a success than swtor as they don't have to pay any money to Disney to use the name.

 

So in that way the best people to make the game would be people that own the IP and keeps more of the revenue in house.

 

You know what. I kinda like that idea.

Edited January 25, 2018 by Quraswren

[juliushorst]

I'd wager there is a real good chance that a SW online game will always come back around. New tech, new fans, new ideas. I don't think Disney has any plans to let a playable multiplayer SW online game just vanish.

 

Well, they tried mmo-ish, rpg-ish game (Uprising) after Disney took over and it barely lasted a year, going down without even ending the story.

I'm here for pre-reboot universe. Whatever they do in the post-reboot universe, I'm not joining.

[Quraswren]

Well, they tried mmo-ish, rpg-ish game (Uprising) after Disney took over and it barely lasted a year, going down without even ending the story.

 

We know from an old post from bioware that they work 6 months to a year out (last we heard anyway).

The content you mention was well into being designed before disney had anything to do with SW. You might can blame Disney for a lot of things but not with how SWTOR has been tanking.

 

Thats all on ea/bioware.

 

I'm here for pre-reboot universe. Whatever they do in the post-reboot universe, I'm not joining.

 

Depending on the content I might be swayed to go either way.

[MandFlurry]

I don't know anything about the actual numbers, but generally I don't think Disney would give a rat's A about the controversy or what Internet tough guys say if the games still sold millions of copies. This seems to be something a lot of people don't really get about EA/Disney. They're less concerned about the quality or how happy we are collectively (within reason) if it simply makes tons of money.

 

It's why I kind of laugh at all the criticism people have for the new Star Wars movies. Did they make billions of dollars through tickets and merchandising? Then Disney doesn't care that an Internet tough guy hated it because it didn't conform to his pet theories or "it just wasn't a good movie." (He still paid for it!) The Transformer movies aren't good, yet they make billions of dollars. Those execs at NBC/Comcast/Universal don't care you don't think they're good--it makes them tons and tons and tons and tons of money.

 

Maybe EA isn't pulling the plug quite yet because the sparse staff at SWTOR is still meeting revenue goals through the CM. EA does. not. care. if the revenue goals are met through the CM, or adding 27 Ops, or making 19 new PvP maps, or Pulitzer-level writing for the story content, or that 7 million dollars is used for a trailer.

 

EA/Disney does not care if you think the quality doesn't meet your personal standards. They're interested in their investor's being happy and money flowing to that end.

 

(I'm not dumping on anyone's personal standards. The story content since 4.0 has been a big negative for me, but again, EA does not care that I think that, and they don't care that someone else has the exact opposite feeling. I just think it's laughable that people think Disney is "unhappy" with EA as long as they're meeting whatever goals were outlined in their contract--just like EA isn't necessarily "unhappy" with Bioware as long as they do the same)

 

 

You Hit it Right On the Nose, and maybe we both should be careful what we say, there are some gaming companies i would work for, and some that i could never do stuff for again, unless their Leadership changed, and unfortunately for about 14 years for a few gaming companies and Movie Corporations have not changed. When Eisner took over Disney he was at first an awesome wizard, but then he got greedy and all he thought about was making money, even out of socks. Later on the Disney family even went on TV telling Americans how bad Eisner and the other new Leadership had gotten'. It's bad now that Disney isn't Disney, i remember the 1950's when we All loved Disney and the park opened in '54 i believe, and all the major leaders including Kruschev i believe went to Disneyland.

 

Who would have that Disney and EA from back in the 80's would end up among the most hated Companies, Not me.

 

SWG i left in the NGE part, i played a bit but every one of my friends had left because SOE was a very Spitefull company and would suspend all of us posters posting stuff like this even. Hell people got banned for a complaint, and if people protested in-game Sony would send in Battledroids to kill any protests. True, very True. So i was happy to see SOE's SWG go.

 

This game is a Lot different, and we can complain here, where we weren't back at Sony(SOE). I would hope, and i say "Hope", is the word, that Disney would get it's act together and have LucasFilm open up a Gaming Company and Hopefully be able to buy just Bioware alone, or the Austin part that does SWTOR.

[juliushorst]

We know from an old post from bioware that they work 6 months to a year out (last we heard anyway).

The content you mention was well into being designed before disney had anything to do with SW. You might can blame Disney for a lot of things but not with how SWTOR has been tanking.

 

Thats all on ea/bioware.

 

I'm not blaming Disney on this one, just pointing out you can have SW IP, interesting setting (it was one of the first post-Endor stories in the new canon), funcional game with plenty of content updates and still fail shortly after release.

[casirabit]

Sometimes you have to fight for what you want. People are quick to give up. I'm not one of those people. Keith's roadmap was mentioned by Eric, as being on it's way in a couple of months. I'd look for it hopefully around March or May. Info has always been lean here over the winter months.

 

My friends and I tried that once. We kept fighting for a game that we loved, SWG and it didn't work for us. I do wish you the best Luna and I hope that it is not going to happen but having been through this once already with a game we loved doesn't give us much hope.

[ZionHalcyon]

I still would love to see what bethseda could do with the Star Wars IP.

 

If EA ever does lose the license, I hope Disney gives it to a group that tells very strong stories.

[Lunafox]

My friends and I tried that once. We kept fighting for a game that we loved, SWG and it didn't work for us. I do wish you the best Luna and I hope that it is not going to happen but having been through this once already with a game we loved doesn't give us much hope.

 

I understand and appreciate the support none the less. I hope the writing is not on the wall, and I'm standing by with my handy chalk board eraser to keep it from being on the wall.

 

I joined SWG near the end on Chilastra and had a great time playing it. I was sad that I discovered it as late as I did, but I managed to grind through two accounts worth of toons and played with my son, which was really fun. Good memories. It's a shame they didn't take it, give it better graphics, companions and stories and it would've been the perfect game.

[Aeneas_Falco]

I knew it.

 

I've been saying for months on this forum that the reason why SWTOR is in a content drought is likely due to much of Austin working on Anthem.

 

Anthem killed Mass Effect and now may do the same to SWTOR.

[translucentwolf]

I knew it.

 

I've been saying for months on this forum that the reason why SWTOR is in a content drought is likely due to much of Austin working on Anthem.

 

Anthem killed Mass Effect and now may do the same to SWTOR.

 

About time too. I'm psyched for a new Bioware game. I'll ride this dying horse till my Anthem armor suit is ready to go.

[kodrac]

About time too. I'm psyched for a new Bioware game. I'll ride this dying horse till my Anthem armor suit is ready to go.

 

It's going to be white and shiney too I bet.