Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium Online

[Trippy]

That would be fraud.

[Arthur_Parker]

Layoffs At THQ's uDraw Division

This year the company expanded the uDraw line with new tablets and games for both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The new lineup debuted on American shelves on November 15, but sales have been far lower than projected -- so low, in fact, that the company has reduced its financial outlook for this crucial holiday quarter by around 25 percent.

Recent statements by financial analysts, however, suggest that there could be more problems at THQ than the company is letting on: according to Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter, the downfall in revenue would account for nearly every uDraw unit the company is estimated to have shipped, suggesting that sales were either fiercely lower than anyone had anticipated or the company has problems it has not yet disclosed to investors.

I bought the udraw tablet for the Wii for my daughter for Christmas, if I'd researched it first and noticed the lack of games I wouldn't.  I think it's a pretty good product for very young kids on the Wii but seems like a terrible decision to expect it to be popular on the xbox and playstation.

Hope DMO is eventually cancelled, it was going to be shit anyway.  Releasing the license means it will let someone else try it.

[Speedy Cerviche]

I would love to see it as a FPS/RTS MMO hybrid, something new. Just another low budget WAR/WoW in space will fail.

[Azazel]

This review is pretty amusing in context...

http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/games/udraw-the-worst-gaming-peripheral-ever-20110526-1f50f.html

[Azazel]

THQ's been on the skids for years.
Space Marine's launch was a disaster on every platform except the 360,

How so?

[UnSub]

Reputedly it sold poorly. Reviews of it were okay, but 2011 was a fantastic year for games so "okay" didn't cut it.

[koro]

THQ's been on the skids for years.
Space Marine's launch was a disaster on every platform except the 360,

How so?

Multiplayer, mainly. The PC version had a bunch of problems with it and the PS3 version's didn't work, period. "Disaster" may have been a bit of hyperbole, but the game did not do well at retail at all.

At any rate, even if THQ isn't (publicly) aligning themselves for a buyout, they still haven't been doing as well, financially, as they make themselves seem.

[Azazel]

Yeah, I have it on PC and it does indeed have serious issues - particularly with Multiplayer. Didn't know that about PS3. Definitely a disappointment overall. I looked for sales figures awhile back but couldn't find anything at all.

[UnSub]

THQ may have let go another 14 people from the Australian office and may be shuttering the Japan studio.

They have an shareholder conference call on Feb 2 where apparently they'll elaborate what is going on.

[koro]

"What is going on" is apparently the laying off of 240 employees and the CEO getting a massive pay cut. Their Japanese studio is also being shuttered, and they're ending their children's game product line. So no more Spongebob shovelware dollars.

I'm kind of surprised that the CEO was making under $1m a year, but what's less surprising is that THQ's on the verge of being delisted on NASDAQ.

[UnSub]

I wonder if THQ's Australian PR guys who denied the rumours still have their jobs?  

EDIT: THQ looking for help to fund W40K: DM. I'm sure the line of suitors for a struggling MMO that's years out from completion from a struggling publisher is long and varied. 

[HaemishM]

That sounds like just the sort of thing SOE specializes in. 

[koro]

Well, I guess this is no longer an MMO now:

AGOURA HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar. 29, 2012-- THQ Inc. (NASDAQ:THQI) today announced that it has refocused Warhammer® 40,000®: Dark Millennium™ from a Massively Multiplayer Online game to an immersive single player and online multiplayer experience with robust digital content, and engaging community features. Further product details, platforms and release timing will be announced at a later date.

“As previously announced, we have been actively looking for a business partner for the game as an MMO. However, based on changing market dynamics and the additional investment required to complete the game as an MMO, we believe the right direction for us is to shift the title from an MMO to a premium experience with single and multiplayer gameplay, robust digital content and community features,” said Brian Farrell, President and CEO of THQ Inc. “Because we believe strongly in the high-quality and vast creative work that is in production, this is the right decision for both our portfolio and for gamers devoted to this powerful property.”

“We are genuinely excited about the new direction that THQ is taking with Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium, and we are sure that this will be a great addition to the ever growing stable of authentic and engaging Warhammer 40,000 video games,” said Jon Gillard, Head of Licensing for Games Workshop.

As a result of this change, team sizes at two THQ internal studios will be reduced by 79 full-time employees at Vigil Games in Austin, Texas, and 39 employees at Relic Entertainment in Vancouver, B.C.

Vigil Games will continue to focus on both this game and the critically-acclaimed new title, Darksiders® II, scheduled for release this summer. Relic Entertainment continues to focus its development expertise on THQ’s franchises including Company of Heroes® and Warhammer® 40,000®: Dawn of War®.

So basically the questing portion of the game is now the single-player component and we'll probably be getting some kind of coop, Horde Mode, or deathmatch to replace the "MMO" part.

[Mrbloodworth]

poop.

[Nonentity]

Huh. I'm actually MORE interested in the game now that it's not an MMO.

[Cadaverine]

Huh. I'm actually MORE interested in the game now that it's not an MMO.

This.  Now if they'd just make it more like Blood Bowl.

[Teleku]

Not I.  There are plenty of 40K games out, wanted to see what a new Space Battle MMO could do.

[Arthur_Parker]

I'd guess if they are cost cutting they might now have a slightly different/cheaper license deal with GW.  If so somebody else can pick this up once Blizzard release world of starcraft, so we'll get a WOS clone instead of a WoW clone.  Lot of if's but better than killing the online license dead for 10 years like Mythic did with WAR.

[Ghambit]

They realized their original dev. plan was borked from the start (because they went diku-questy instead of wargamey action FPS) so now they're backpeddling.  Smart move actually.

[Rasix]

There was no way vajuras was going to pull off a MMO.   

[Speedy Cerviche]

ooo, a new dawn of war game

[Shatter]

Wonder if this change is a set back or a set forward for release. 

[UnSub]

They realized their original dev. plan was borked from the start (because they went diku-questy instead of wargamey action FPS) so now they're backpeddling.  Smart move actually.

No, this is THQ cutting costs as rapidly as possible and trying to get something out ASAP. They're firing 100 staff and the remainder are there to get the game to a place that it can ship. 

[Soukyan]

They realized their original dev. plan was borked from the start (because they went diku-questy instead of wargamey action FPS) so now they're backpeddling.  Smart move actually.

No, this is THQ cutting costs as rapidly as possible and trying to get something out ASAP. They're firing 100 staff and the remainder are there to get the game to a place that it can ship. 

Maybe they'll just make a sequel to Space Marine. Or a DLC expansion, called Space Marine: Dark Millennium. Matter of fact, I'd put money on that happening.

[Azazel]

As much as I would have liked a 40k MMO, this probably would have been all kinds of fucked up, so it's probably for the best. I have no faith in anyone but Blizzard to do MMOs anymore, and even with them I'm skeptical.

[Speedy Cerviche]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-04-10-thq-explains-dark-milleniums-new-direction

Sounds like they are turning it into a more actionish game, a kind of Space Marine++ with more depth and better multiplayer scene. Not necessarily a bad thing, probably going to be a better game than another WoW in space clone.

I like the way the guy tries to play it off with the "we didn't want a MMO anyways, they are so uncool now" explanation, pretending it wasn't a near-bankruptcy that forced the change and requiring them to rush out a less complicated game that could bring in desperately needed revenue.

[HaemishM]

Wow, that article sounded like complete and utter bullshit from word one. "MMOG DEVS THOUGHT IT WAS TEH AWESOME!!!!"

If it was that fucking awesome, it wouldn't have had trouble finding dollars, dipshit, especially on the heels of a successful entry from the franchise fresh in people's minds (Space Marine). Nobody wants to invest in a subscription-only MMOG because they'd be competing against the behemoth of World of Warcraft AND the mildly successful Star Wars Old Republic.

[Falconeer]

Not even sure I am necroing the right thread, the game is possibly a different one, but it's still a MMORPG and it's still Warhammer 40k. And it's also STILL not a real game, but you can send 450$ their way if you want some shit cherry on top of your Chris Roberts dream cake.

https://www.eternalcrusade.com/founder-store

Here's a video from the alpha. Don't forget to hold space to bleed faster. 

[Ingmar]

I'm not sure we have a thread for this actual game. From what I understand this is more of a Planetside type game than anything else?

[Modern Angel]

My best friend is working on it. It's real, I don't know many details (he respects his employee NDAs and shit), and it's ambitious. As in maybe actually groundbreaking ambitious. It's a small team, though, so it's all going down to if their ambition is within their grasp. Team is mostly made up of the best line rank and file from Funcom.

Think Space Marine (the video game) cross with Planetside 2 and you're on the right track, I think

[rk47]

Space Marine?!
What, this is an action RPG?

[Megrim]

My best friend is working on it. It's real, I don't know many details (he respects his employee NDAs and shit), and it's ambitious. As in maybe actually groundbreaking ambitious. It's a small team, though, so it's all going down to if their ambition is within their grasp. Team is mostly made up of the best line rank and file from Funcom.

Think Space Marine (the video game) cross with Planetside 2 and you're on the right track, I think

Tell him, that if they just re-skin Planetside with Warhams, they'll make a mint.

[5150]

I'm not sure if it's been announced as such but the Founder packs scream 'retail-box-F2P-with-micro-transactions'

I can get behind the lowest tier package but looking at the others they just don't seem to offer any value _unless_ you plan to/are able to play all 4 factions (as you get each factions paid-for ranged weapon). Other than that you just seem to get more 'rogue trader money' which you can already purchase as separate bundles.

The question that needs to be asked though is will you be able to obtain these items (or better) by playing (like PS2) and are just paying for immediate/early access to them or if these are pay-to-win (at least at the start of the game)?

Odd that the loyalist marines have the least items for sale currently, I'd have expected the reverse (I was going to play Chaos but Legion Of The Damned skin!)

[Merusk]

My best friend is working on it. It's real, I don't know many details (he respects his employee NDAs and shit), and it's ambitious. As in maybe actually groundbreaking ambitious. It's a small team, though, so it's all going down to if their ambition is within their grasp. Team is mostly made up of the best line rank and file from Funcom.

Not to beat-up your friend, but I've highlighted a few red flags.

[Modern Angel]

No, I know. It's not beating up on anyone. It feels a little different, I think, in that there's not a lot of obvious cretins on the team that I'm aware of. It's very lean but very talented. Sometimes very lean is the toughest mountain to climb with a big MMO.

I'm reasonably confident it'll at least be playable. That said, I'm not actually paying any more attention to it right now than I am in any other MMO at a comparable stage of development. I just don't do alpha/beta hype much anymore.