SOE loses Star Wars MMOG license and Chief Creative Officer. Allegedly.

Itzena · 03-23-2006, 11:37 AM

http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/sony/sh...ent-162338.php

Quote:

It’s no secret that things at Sony Online Entertainment haven’t been gumdrops and lollypops. While EverQuest has been a bonafide success, Star Wars Galaxies has been an enormous screw up. The massively-multiplayer online version of the popular George Lucas films has been a fiasco, costing SOE players and money.

A mole sends us word that Raph Koster has left SOE to start up a new games studio. Cindy Armstrong, head of Business Development, has taken an offer to become the new USA honcho for Webzen. Moreover, Lucas Arts is not extending their Star Wars license. Yikes.

The rot has started to set in, and the mole implies that it’s only a matter of time before SOE’s prez. John Smedley is sent packing. “Place has been falling apart for a while,” writes our mole. “Smedley is not long in his job.” May the force be with you, John.

Take with a shovelful of salt, though. Kotaku has been wrong before, and will be wrong again.

leane · 03-23-2006, 11:52 AM

Ya, sounds like rumor mill there.

I know Ralph Kosher is off at GDC at the moment, If he did part ways with sony I really doubt they would send him to an event like that on their bill.

Plus we've heard from Gal on another thread a bit about the corp culture and his experiances were pretty positive.

Cantatus · 03-23-2006, 11:57 AM

Lots of rumors flying around about SWG and SOE.

Someone saying SOE has recalled all boxes of SWG. According to him, something new is coming out in June, that only refers to LucasArts as working on SWG as opposed to SOE.

There is also a "I heard from my friends at SOE" post that publish 28 will be the last one and that Bioware has been given the rights to the next Star Wars MMOG. Note that Bioware's Austin team has two longtime SOE SWG people working on it.

Of course, Bioware can neither confirm nor deny.

Kolle · 03-23-2006, 12:00 PM

Ok so...SWG will be closed down sometime in the near future and another Star Wars mmo will come out in the next few years?

Jooka · 03-23-2006, 12:02 PM

Quote:

A mole sends us word that Raph Koster has left SOE to start up a new games studio.

Mother fucker. if he's the one starting up the Bioware in Austin studio you already know whatever idea they use for the MMO will be a craptastic game.

Kuro · 03-23-2006, 12:06 PM

First Thought: Thank god that horrible zombie game is being shot in the head.
Second Thought: The "sources" say Bioware is just working with the existing code, which seems to imply that this will be Zombie Game Mach 2.

Third Thought: Koster should be sent out to pasture.

Mkopec1 · 03-23-2006, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kolle

Ok so...SWG will be closed down sometime in the near future and another Star Wars mmo will come out in the next few years?

I doubt that they would just close it. If this is true, im sure theer is a way to "patch the SW out of SWG" basically renaming shit etc. But then again I might be wrong.

It seem silly for a dev house like SoE or Blizzard or whomever tho even take on a license aggrement like that in the future if the owner of the license can just pull the plug at anytime.

Imagine you spend $10-$20 mill on a project like SWG, then a year later they pull the license on it, it just does not make sense. And I highly doubt dev houses would even sign up for any name brand titles like SW or DC Comix, etc.... in the future if this was the case.

Dyscord · 03-23-2006, 12:11 PM

If by 'working with existing code' means 'use a flamethrower to purge it from this earth' I'm all for it. Every single god damn thing about that game needs to go.

Just give it to EA and let them make Battlefront 3: ONLINE or something.

redav · 03-23-2006, 12:12 PM

this sounds too good to be true

masteen · 03-23-2006, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mkopec1

I doubt that they would just close it. If this is true, im sure theer is a way to "patch the SW out of SWG" basically renaming shit etc. But then again I might be wrong.

It seem silly for a dev house like SoE or Blizzard or whomever tho even take on a license aggrement like that in the future if the owner of the license can just pull the plug at anytime.

Imagine you spend $10-$20 mill on a project like SWG, then a year later they pull the license on it, it just does not make sense. And I highly doubt dev houses would even sign up for any name brand titles like SW or DC Comix, etc....

It's not like LA is pulling the license after 6 months and one fuckup.

leane · 03-23-2006, 12:14 PM

More than likely they've long since recouped their costs.

These companies are usually so embroiled in legalities that unless there was a serious breech of contract they can't just yank it. Plus Lucas Arts has a lot of other stuff they have to go through sony for, would be immpossible to yank out.

Mkopec1 · 03-23-2006, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by masteen

It's not like LA is pulling the license after 6 months and one fuckup.

Still I dont buy it. Im sure Lucas had their paws all over that fucking game, and if not they sure as hell had to approve the shit. and im sure there is a contract somwhere, and its highly unlikely it says "Lucas reserves the right to pull the license anytime." Because then SoE would of never signed on.

SoE lawyers would be all over this motherfucker if this was true.

Soygen · 03-23-2006, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mkopec1

Still I dont buy it. Im sure Lucas had their paws all over that fucking game, and if not they sure as hell had to approve the shit. and im sure there is a contract somwhere, and its highly unlikely it says "Lucas reserves the right to pull the license anytime." Because then SoE would of never signed on.

SoE lawyers would be all over this motherfucker if this was true.

I dunno. Lucas is notorious for having a very controlling hand in all things Star Wars. Honestly, they need to just pull the plug on this game. I'm so tired of hearing about how big of a fuckup it is.

Duppin · 03-23-2006, 12:22 PM

Cue Utnayan in 3...2...1...

leane · 03-23-2006, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soygen

I dunno. Lucas is notorious for having a very controlling hand in all things Star Wars. Honestly, they need to just pull the plug on this game. I'm so tired of hearing about how big of a fuckup it is.

ya... SWG should just be left on its own to waste away. I remember playing KOTOR and telling my brother "This is what SWG should've been"

03-23-2006, 11:52 AM	#2 (permalink)
leane Noob Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: State of Confusion Posts: 889 +1 Internets	Ya, sounds like rumor mill there. I know Ralph Kosher is off at GDC at the moment, If he did part ways with sony I really doubt they would send him to an event like that on their bill. Plus we've heard from Gal on another thread a bit about the corp culture and his experiances were pretty positive. __________________ Murder! meyhem! kitties!

03-23-2006, 12:14 PM	#11 (permalink)
leane Noob Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: State of Confusion Posts: 889 +1 Internets	More than likely they've long since recouped their costs. These companies are usually so embroiled in legalities that unless there was a serious breech of contract they can't just yank it. Plus Lucas Arts has a lot of other stuff they have to go through sony for, would be immpossible to yank out. __________________ Murder! meyhem! kitties!

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A bit of news arround the SOE rumors and SWG - Game Play Discussion - Star Wars Galaxies Official Forums	This thread	Refback	11-22-2006 12:45 PM

03-23-2006, 11:57 AM	#3 (permalink)
Cantatus Registered User Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 867 +0 Internets	Lots of rumors flying around about SWG and SOE. Someone saying SOE has recalled all boxes of SWG. According to him, something new is coming out in June, that only refers to LucasArts as working on SWG as opposed to SOE. There is also a "I heard from my friends at SOE" post that publish 28 will be the last one and that Bioware has been given the rights to the next Star Wars MMOG. Note that Bioware's Austin team has two longtime SOE SWG people working on it. Of course, Bioware can neither confirm nor deny.

03-23-2006, 12:00 PM	#4 (permalink)
Kolle Registered User Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 4,879 -25 Internets	Ok so...SWG will be closed down sometime in the near future and another Star Wars mmo will come out in the next few years?

03-23-2006, 12:06 PM	#6 (permalink)
Kuro Support Beam Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 1,819 +37 Internets	First Thought: Thank god that horrible zombie game is being shot in the head. Second Thought: The "sources" say Bioware is just working with the existing code, which seems to imply that this will be Zombie Game Mach 2. Third Thought: Koster should be sent out to pasture.

03-23-2006, 12:11 PM	#8 (permalink)
Dyscord Harvey Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: The Command Carrier Posts: 2,058 +11 Internets	If by 'working with existing code' means 'use a flamethrower to purge it from this earth' I'm all for it. Every single god damn thing about that game needs to go. Just give it to EA and let them make Battlefront 3: ONLINE or something.

03-23-2006, 12:12 PM	#9 (permalink)
redav Registered User Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 532 +0 Internets	this sounds too good to be true

03-23-2006, 12:22 PM	#14 (permalink)
Duppin Registered User Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 4,632	Cue Utnayan in 3...2...1...