APB shutdown: This what happens when you make an MMO

[Kaftan Barlast]

Only 79 days after it's release, online multiplayer game APB shuts down for good.

 

http://pc.ign.com/articles/112/1121714p1.html

 

 

 

When will people learn that trying to steal a piece of blizzards pie, is like trying to wrestle a great white shark with your hands tied to your ankles. Hopefully, this is the last nail in the coffin of the MMO boom.

[Volourn]

No.

 

Plenty of MMOs are successful. You do NOT need WOW numbers to be successful.

 

You say MMOs shoulds top being made because oen failed? But should games stop being made because a game (AP0 failed? No, of course not, don't be silly.

[sorophx]

I don't have anything against MMOs, South Korea is showing us how it's done every day making a game subscription-based - that's what kills MMOs

[Hurlshort]

That's what I always tell my students, you should all just give up now because there are already successful people out there, and there just isn't enough room left for anyone else to succeed.

 

A lot of my students want to work with computers, and I'm like "There is already Microsoft, Apple, and Google, there isn't any room left for more companies. There are start ups that fail all the time!"

Edited September 18, 2010 by Hurlshot

[Calax]

One thing that somebody smart once said is that the most successful mmo will be one that is almost nothing like WoW in any way shape or form.

[Niten_Ryu]

APB = 100 million wasted and only thing they made right was awesome character look customation system

[Orogun01]

That's what I always tell my students, you should all just give up now because there are already successful people out there, and there just isn't enough room left for anyone else to succeed.

 

A lot of my students want to work with computers, and I'm like "There is already Microsoft, Apple, and Google, there isn't any room left for more companies. There are start ups that fail all the time!"

Normally and with any other case I would agree with you, consolidation has made any new business enterprise impossible. But in the case of technology there are no such limitations some kid with a good idea can break into the scene and make Facebook. Because the market of technology and electronic entertainment shift constantly there is always room for innovation.

[Thorton_AP]

Hurlshot was being sarcastic.

[Morgoth]

APB failed because it sucked, not because it was a MMO.

[LostStraw]

I question APB's status as an MMO in the first place. It wasn't competing against WoW, it was competing against every other FPS on the market.. except it had monthly fees.

[Nightshape]

APB = 100 million wasted and only thing they made right was awesome character look customation system

 

So true, I actually bought it aswell... *shruggs* Wasn't that expensive though.

Edited September 18, 2010 by Nightshape

[Nightshape]

APB failed because it sucked, not because it was a MMO.

 

So true, it hurts.

[Hurlshort]

The whole WoW argument is tired, because there are plenty of successful MMO's on the market. I think it is safe to say that MMO's are one of the hardest genres to develop a title for, but it is far from impossible.

[sorophx]

that's the whole point. WoW changed how developers understand "success". it used to be: wow, we have 200000 subscribers, we're a hit! and now it's: we need at least a million subscribers to break even, because we dumped 100 million dollars on this game already.

[Hurlshort]

Except Sony and Turbine have a stable of successful MMO's that continue to progress. It's like saying every movie needs to pull in Titanic money.

[Calax]

Except Sony and Turbine have a stable of successful MMO's that continue to progress. It's like saying every movie needs to pull in Titanic money.

Hell, NCsoft just released an expansion to City of Heroes, which most people have written off but still makes money.

[sorophx]

keep in mind, that Turbine switched from subscription to free-to-play. that's the only thing that kept DDO and LOTRO alive. they failed at attracting WoW players and making them change their attention from WoW, which is the whole point: devs should try less to take WoW's money in subscriptions, because that won't ever happen. instead they should keep trying to make the second best MMO game, which can be a substitute for WoW, whenever the servers are down, or people get tired of their guilds and raids. because there's not a lot of people who'd be willing to pay for 2 games.

[Zoraptor]

DDO possibly, but LOTRO was not heading for a shutdown any time soon even before the switch to f2p.

[Purkake]

APB failed because it sucked, not because it was a MMO.

.

[Hurlshort]

DDO possibly, but LOTRO was not heading for a shutdown any time soon even before the switch to f2p.

 

Exactly. DDO wasn't doing good, but apparently the f2p model was super effective and rejuvenated that title. They also still run servers for Asheron's Call, believe it or not.

 

LotRO has been very successful, they have stated time and again that they are happy with the subscription numbers. They have been successful enough to sign new deals for the content rights and they entered into a partnership with Warner Bros. Since DDO had success, they implemented a semi-f2p model. I've kept my subscription, as the high end stuff is only available that way.

[Kaftan Barlast]

No.

 

Plenty of MMOs are successful. You do NOT need WOW numbers to be successful.

 

You say MMOs shoulds top being made because oen failed? But should games stop being made because a game (AP0 failed? No, of course not, don't be silly.

 

 

The thing is, WoW has a +90% market share and is showing no signs of losing players to others games. The other MMO's like Eve online are making money, but only about enough to cover their costs. The asian MMO's might be an exception, but they're not exactly reaping gold over there.

[Thorton_AP]

Where do you read that games like Eve only make enough to cover their costs?

[Hurlshort]

Where do you read that games like Eve only make enough to cover their costs?

 

He's just making stuff up, no worries.

[Walsingham]

like trying to wrestle a great white shark with your hands tied to your ankles.

 

Actually, that's what it's like making love to Shryke.

[Gorth]

Never heard of APB

 

I go back and revisit WAR once or twice a month after it became free to play. Thats the depth of my knowledge of MMO's