Crowfall aka Play2Crush aka Shadowbane II aka Nostalgia Online

[Hutch]

Funny this topic came up, they made a post about financing today.

http://community.crowfall.com/index.php?/topic/1717-020415-update-from-the-founders/

And a link to the company bio's (this one might be behind their login):
http://crowfall.com/#/team

[Falconeer]

We've invested our savings and went without salaries for over a year to get this venture started. We took this risk, and our families supported us in doing it, because we fundamentally believe that there is an audience for this vision.

Horrible echoes of McQuaid!
Anyway, statistically in the USA how many times does that usually pay out, and how many times leaves you bankrupt and everyone you hired unemployed?

[sam, an eggplant]

Most startups fail.

But where would we be without entrepreneurs?

[Paelos]

We've invested our savings and went without salaries for over a year to get this venture started. We took this risk, and our families supported us in doing it, because we fundamentally believe that there is an audience for this vision.

Horrible echoes of McQuaid!
Anyway, statistically in the USA how many times does that usually pay out, and how many times leaves you bankrupt and everyone you hired unemployed?

Some estimate that 90% of them fail across the board. So, yeah.

[Pennilenko]

Eh, I'll throw some money at the crowdfunding, not because I think it's going to be a hit or anything, but because I think some of the names involved should have a shot at making their game.

I mean hell, I spent like $45 bucks on Star Citizen, clearly I have no common sense.

[Threash]

I threw 20 bucks at some mechwarrior browser game that doesn't even exist anymore, no shame.

[schild]

In other news, can someone dig up who the fuck is funding this thing? If it's being funded by I don't know, Massive Gamer magazine's #1 Most Influential Game Developer in the World, that's one thing. If there's like, actual American Dollars behind it, I want to know who it is.

I want to know who still falls for the video game long con.

SEC Filings say the thing was created in June of last year, had 10 investors on the listing with Todd as the filing principle, and posted $2,354,921 of equity in the startup.

List the 10 investors? Need to know who is addicted to gambling and making risky bets in gaming.

[Paelos]

SEC filings don't list investors. It's privately held, not public. Two of them are disclosed, the rest are probably friends or venture capital people they know.

[Hutch]

In other news, can someone dig up who the fuck is funding this thing? If it's being funded by I don't know, Massive Gamer magazine's #1 Most Influential Game Developer in the World, that's one thing. If there's like, actual American Dollars behind it, I want to know who it is.

I want to know who still falls for the video game long con.

SEC Filings say the thing was created in June of last year, had 10 investors on the listing with Todd as the filing principle, and posted $2,354,921 of equity in the startup.

List the 10 investors? Need to know who is addicted to gambling and making risky bets in gaming.

Getting ready to unload a bridge?

[WayAbvPar]

Back to (potential) gameplay- how are solo players handled? What is in it for them? If all the big picture stuff is solely guild v guild that is not going to go over so well with the casual solo crowd. Sure, not the prime audience, but the more of them you can attract the better chance the game has of not flopping.

[Threash]

Yeah, i think its just not the game for them.

[Paelos]

Back to (potential) gameplay- how are solo players handled? What is in it for them? If all the big picture stuff is solely guild v guild that is not going to go over so well with the casual solo crowd. Sure, not the prime audience, but the more of them you can attract the better chance the game has of not flopping.

Solo players get gang-banged until they join a guild.

[Malakili]

Back to (potential) gameplay- how are solo players handled? What is in it for them? If all the big picture stuff is solely guild v guild that is not going to go over so well with the casual solo crowd. Sure, not the prime audience, but the more of them you can attract the better chance the game has of not flopping.

Solo players get gang-banged until they join a guild.

Like their ancestors did.

[Bzalthek]

Man, voip totally ruined the mangina free loot scene.

[Triforcer]

Newest archetype is man-hating cabal of ultra-feminists.  Read the biography, I am not projecting here 

[Hutch]

Here's the link. The Assassin is depicted as a winged elf aka "Fae".
http://crowfall.com/#/archetype/assassin

BACKSTORY

I had a brother, once… for a few minutes. I think I was born first?

The Farewell Kiss is swift and painless. We are not monsters, after all. No one needs to suffer.

Some mothers cry. Some plead for assistance. My mother did neither.

For generations, this has been our practice. For generations, we have known peace.

Men do not belong in the Riverlands…. not even the breeders. They are captured, they serve their purpose, and they are killed. Many treat their enemies less kindly, I think.

Think of the worst tyrant in history. How many lives could have been saved – how many wars averted – by a sharp blade, at the moment of his birth?

Why did I say HIS birth?

You know why. When I asked you to think of a tyrant, no woman crossed your mind. One life, for many. Quite the bargain, yes?

I say to you: the Hunger is not your enemy. Your enemy walks among you, charming and handsome, with a tongue full of lies.

[Merusk]

Hate the trope already as I know several female tyrants & murderers.

[Threash]

Goddam gender locked classes, fucking hell.

[Draegan]

I kind of view it more like Mobas or fighting games where you get a hero to play rather than your own class. I honestly don't care about gender locking or whatever. It's just ammunition for people who care way too much about small details.

[Malakili]

I'm going to just be honest here, I don't care what the flavor or gender of the classes is if they play well.

[Paelos]

I'll never play that type of character, so whatevs.

[Falconeer]

New stuff for today is nothing but a mob concept (The Hellcat, going through the 4 stages of Corruption) and a short animation video.

[Paelos]

It's going to come down to combat videos, crafting specs, and some actual insight on the pvp systems for me. The art and theme isn't enough to scare me off (like TERA) which is basically all I ask from an art team. Don't suck so hard I feel dirty playing your shit.

[tazelbain]

Since I believe that a game like this is too expensive to built for a niche market, it will come down what mass appeal I think it has. Without a newbie/causual friendly campaigns, the games mass appeal will be near 0.

[Paelos]

Well if they have $2.5M in capital and they can raise $20M in additional funding I think they can do it. My concern is if they are going to crowdfund the game, don't do it just to secure other investors. Those are the worst kickstarters where people lose the most money.

If you can get 200,000 subs for $10 each, you've recovered your outlay within a year. Then you can switch models or transition to whatever you like in terms of revenue.

[Falconeer]

I am going to be a supporter of this game if it gets even close to what they are promising. But...

If you can get 200,000 subs for $10 each

 

C'mon.

[Paelos]

That shouldn't be that hard.

[Threash]

Come on...

[Malakili]

That shouldn't be that hard.

Wait, is this green? Tell me it's green.

[Viin]

How many people play MMOs?

Is this known to be any good? http://users.telenet.be/mmodata/Charts/TotalSubs.png

[Paelos]

OK so what's reasonable for you people? 100k? 50k?

I mean you realize the market expanded right? This isn't EQ of 2001.

[Nija]

The market hasn't expanded for punching-yourself-in-the-crotch games like this one.

[shiznitz]

PS2 gets a few thousand a night across a few servers and 90% of those people don't pay a dime.  Crowfall might get the attention of 50,000 people is they are brilliant but only a minority of that will pay to play.  Hard to see how the business model works.

[Malakili]

OK so what's reasonable for you people? 100k? 50k?

I mean you realize the market expanded right? This isn't EQ of 2001.

The market has expanded, but subscription based games aren't the hotness anymore.  200,000 subscribers at 10 bucks a month sustained for an entire year would strike me as an absolutely HUGE success story for this game.

[Threash]

Mass appeal games with loads of funding can't get 200k subs anymore, it would be ridiculous to expect this to.