Star Wars: The Old Republic is one of the most anticipated games coming down the pike and during Gamescom 2011, MMORPG.com's John Milburn had the opportunity to sit down for a brief chat with Bioware Associate Lead Designer Emmanuel Lusinchi. Check out our exclusive interview and then leave us a couple of comments!
MMORPG.com: What do you feel is the most exciting aspect of the game?
Emmanuel Lusinchi: We wanted to make the game feel more like a story then just another level grinder, we wanted you to care about your character, so that you aren't just playing to get more experience instead you are playing because of the feel that your character is immersed into the story. For example there is a Star Wars scroll that is constantly being updated with your personal story every time you finish a quest to help remind you what is going on, the idea is to get you so involved in the story that you would forget what level your character even was.
MMORPG.com: Where do you see SWTOR 2 years from now?
Emmanuel Lusinchi: There is tons of future features that we want to put into the game but we don't have a ton of time right now to fit it all in, if we tried the game would be released as a huge buggy mess and we don't want that, so our goal is to slowly add these features as time permits, such as more customization for characters, more things for guilds(Giant guild ships etc), and a lot more social stuff as well. Hopefully in 2 years alot of it, if not all of it, will be live.
MMORPG.com: Are there any more mini-games that will come out with SWTOR?
Emmanuel Lusinchi: There are more mini-games that won't make it for launch point but there is definitely more to come.
MMORPG.com: What do you feel is the most annoying monster in SWTOR?
Emmanuel Lusinchi: As far as game play goes that is kind of hard to answer, but for designing I would have to say the droids with 3 legs just because the animation was a nightmare trying to figure out how we were going to move the legs.
MMORPG.com: What do you feel will be the most annoying encounter?
Emmanuel Lusinchi: You are just going to have to wait to play and answer that on your own.
MMORPG.com: What kind of cool updates might you have in the future for the game?
Emmanuel Lusinchi: Well there is a lot we have in mind but if I say most of them I will probably get fired so hmm what can I tell you... Mini-games! There will be a lot of new mini-games coming out in the future.
MMORPG.com: So what can you tell us about boss mechanics?
Emmanuel Lusinchi: Well the final fight in Eternity Vault is really cool and has a very interesting mechanic; we can't wait to release it. However we do expect people will die and die and die trying to figure it out. There is also another fight that is an actual puzzle that you need to solve well you are constantly getting attacked that should prove to be interesting as well.
MMORPG.com: Will there be epic quests or epic items?
Emmanuel Lusinchi: There has been a lot of talk about it and it's an idea that is very likely in the far future. We will try to make it something that hopefully you will need to visit every planet. But at this point there is nothing like that implemented.
MMORPG.com: So is there anything you would like to say about character customization?
Emmanuel Lusinchi: Character customization is going to be tweaked a bit still.
MMORPG.com: So can you tell us something that no one else knows this far?
Emmanuel Lusinchi: There is no appearance tab for SWTOR, but there is something that is not unlike it in concept in what it will allow, we are hoping that everyone will like it. It serves the same purpose, and is built right into the game. It just makes sense to have because we understand the concept of everyone looking the same and nobody wanting to have a twin just because they have the same gear.
MMORPG.com: So what do you feel has been the biggest milestone for you this far?
Emmanuel Lusinchi: For me the most exciting thing was when we were finally able to log in and play the game, it really gave the feeling of "Oh wow we are actually here, we've made an MMO." As our first, that was pretty special.
We tried to get as much information out of the SWTOR team as possible but they wouldn’t let us in on the juicy information because they said even though they have great ideas on paper they didn’t want to be that company to say one thing and then never be able to follow through with it due to unforeseen issues down the road.
They did say they understand that end game is extremely important and they hope to have an amazing one set up. SWTOR team has been dying to talk about the end game raiding, and were extremely relieved to finally be able to show some of it at the show. The end game will be extremely difficult, according to Emmanuel; the version shown was nerfed and people were still wiping.
“The 1st time you encounter any of this stuff it will be extremely harder then what was shown at the Gamescom demos,” said Emmanuel. “It was nerfed at the show due to the fact we didn’t want everyone dying all the time for the presentation.” Let’s just hope we’re all prepared to die.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Beta Test Weekends this September
As anticipation grows, BioWare also proudly announced today that Star Wars: The Old Republic will open "Beta Test Weekends" starting this September. These weekend play sessions will be open to selected players worldwide and create an opportunity for fans to get a sneak peek of the epic stories, worlds, quests, battles and characters in the game.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
The Secret World's Beta Signup Postponed
Due to technical difficulties we have decided to postpone the first phase of the Secret War experience and the beta registration until further notice.
We are deeply sorry for the inconvenience this may have caused those of you who had taken time to visit our website on August 26th to sign up for the beta and take part in the first phase of The Secret War. We will be working relentlessly to make sure the experience and the beta registration are up as soon as possible.
We appreciate your patience and understanding.
Sincerely,
Funcom
We are deeply sorry for the inconvenience this may have caused those of you who had taken time to visit our website on August 26th to sign up for the beta and take part in the first phase of The Secret War. We will be working relentlessly to make sure the experience and the beta registration are up as soon as possible.
We appreciate your patience and understanding.
Sincerely,
Funcom
World PVP to Be Revealed at PAX Panel
Each year the Penny Arcade Expo attracts tens of thousands of gamers to Seattle, Washington to preview some of the latest upcoming titles. Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ will have a big presence at this year’s PAX Prime with BioWare and LucasArts in attendance to reveal new information while letting attendees score some hands-on time with the game.
Throughout the weekend of PAX those who visit us at Booth 914 will be able to play through content from each of the four Origin Worlds. Attendees will also have the opportunity to get some experience with Player-vs-Player combat in the Alderaan Warzone, where Republic and Imperial teams clash in an effort to control and hold three different points on the battlefield.
Star Wars: The Old Republic Panel
Starting at 2PM on Sunday, August 28th, BioWare and LucasArts will be holding a Star Wars: The Old Republic panel at the Paramount Theatre, where fans will have the opportunity to be among the first to hear new reveals, take part in a Q&A session with developers and see a live demonstration of the opening minutes of the Eternity Vault, a high-level Operation taking place on the planet of Belsavis.
Community Meet & Greet
On Saturday, August 27th we will be holding a Community Meet and Greet at the Grand Hyatt Seattle hotel, located less than half a mile from the Washington State Convention Center. We’ll be starting at 7PM, so be sure to stop by to meet other fans of The Old Republic community as well as spend time with members of the BioWare team.
We haven’t forgotten about those of you who are unable to make it to PAX Prime. Be sure to check www.StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com throughout the expo, as well as our Community Forums, Twitter feed and our official Facebook page for all the latest news and information from the PAX showfloor!
Throughout the weekend of PAX those who visit us at Booth 914 will be able to play through content from each of the four Origin Worlds. Attendees will also have the opportunity to get some experience with Player-vs-Player combat in the Alderaan Warzone, where Republic and Imperial teams clash in an effort to control and hold three different points on the battlefield.
Star Wars: The Old Republic Panel
Starting at 2PM on Sunday, August 28th, BioWare and LucasArts will be holding a Star Wars: The Old Republic panel at the Paramount Theatre, where fans will have the opportunity to be among the first to hear new reveals, take part in a Q&A session with developers and see a live demonstration of the opening minutes of the Eternity Vault, a high-level Operation taking place on the planet of Belsavis.
Community Meet & Greet
On Saturday, August 27th we will be holding a Community Meet and Greet at the Grand Hyatt Seattle hotel, located less than half a mile from the Washington State Convention Center. We’ll be starting at 7PM, so be sure to stop by to meet other fans of The Old Republic community as well as spend time with members of the BioWare team.
We haven’t forgotten about those of you who are unable to make it to PAX Prime. Be sure to check www.StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com throughout the expo, as well as our Community Forums, Twitter feed and our official Facebook page for all the latest news and information from the PAX showfloor!
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Updated Crew Skills
"When BioWare introduced us to the system a long while back, only eight crew skills were revealed. However, on Friday, the Community Team gave us a stealth update to the Crew Skills page, revealing all the categories. For example, Archaeology is now listed under gathering skills. Crafting skills will apparently grant players Armstech, Cybertech, and Synthweaving. And finally, we will be able to send our companions on Investigation and Underworld Trading missions."The Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ galaxy is rich with valuable resources, high-tech schematics, and intriguing opportunities, but what hero has time to devote themselves personally to so many pursuits? That’s where your crew comes in. The Crew Skills system allows you to take advantage of everything the galaxy has to offer without getting in the way of your adventure! You’ll assign your crew of companions to gather resources, craft useful and valuable items, and even to undertake their own missions, bringing you and the rest of the crew a variety of benefits and rewards. Crew skills keep you in the action while you take advantage of all the galaxy has to offer!
Your Starship is home base for you and your crew. While you’re exploring the galaxy and progressing through your storyline, you can relay orders back to the ship. You’ll be able to assign tasks to your companions to gather resources, to craft items at the ship’s workstation, or to embark on special missions. Based on their personal backgrounds, some companions will be more proficient with certain skills, and the higher their opinion of you, the better they’ll perform across the board.
You will be able to select three Crew Skills for your team to train in from among these main categories:
Gathering Skills
As you explore planets in the galaxy, you’ll discover a variety of exotic resources and valuable pieces of information. With the right training, you and your crew will be able to scavenge for raw materials, slice computer systems, and track down valuable artifacts. The resources and information you gather can be sold on the open market for a profit, or your crew can use them to craft useful and valuable items. If you like, you can select Gathering skills for all three of the Crew Skill slots available to your team.
Gathering Skills include:
- Archaeology – the ability to seek out imbued items like Lightsaber crystals and ancient artifacts
- Bioanalysis – the practice of collecting genetic material from creatures and plants
- Scavenging – the art of recovering useful materials and parts from old or damaged technology
- Slicing – a skill in accessing secured computer systems and lockboxes to acquire valuable data and rare schematics
Crafting Skills
Whether your team gathers resources or you acquire them through other means, they’ll be the cornerstone of crafting. Depending on how you choose to specialize, your crew will be able to construct armor, weapons, implants, or other types of useful items and gear. You can use these items yourself or put them up on the open market for profit. You’ll receive Crew Skill reports even while you’re away from the ship, and if one of your companions returns with the schematics for a valuable item, you can assign someone else to start crafting the item right away on the ship’s workstation without having to return to the ship! Crafting skills are very specialized disciplines; for your three Crew Skills slots, you’ll be able to select one Crafting skill for your crew to master.
Crafting Skills include:
- Armormech – the ability to work with hard metals and electronic shielding to construct all types of personal armor
- Armstech – the skill of constructing blasters, blaster rifles and upgrades
- Artifice – the delicate work of constructing Jedi and Sith artifacts
- Biochem –the engineering of performance-enhancing chemical serums and biological implants
- Cybertech – the technical expertise to construct gadgets and components for Droids and high-tech armors
- Synthweaving – the art of creating lighter outfits and armors that are imbued with supernatural qualities
Mission Skills
Mission skills are a unique addition to the Crew Skills system. With these skills, you send companions from your crew across the galaxy on various missions to recover information, hunt down loot, or complete other goals to bring you rewards. When you use a mission skill, you’ll select a companion, choose a mission from an
ever-changing pool, and send that companion out after the prize. You can choose from a variety of mission skills – is your crew into conducting research? Participating in diplomatic missions? Trading in illicit goods? There are many options, each with their own set of benefits and rewards. Some can even earn you light or dark side points. As with the other skills, your companions complete these missions on their own time and bring the rewards back when they’re done. Any number of your Crew Skills can be a Mission skill, so get ready to put your team to work!
Mission Skills include:
- Diplomacy – the art of conducting and managing negotiations
- Investigation – the skill of examining evidence and following clues to discover valuable secrets
- Treasure Hunting – the ability to track down and recover valuable items by investigating a series of clues
- Underworld Trading – expertise in the trading of illegal goods and services
Firelands Cleared!
Sorry for the late post, wanted a kill-shot before posting!
On August 11th we defeated Ragnaros, the last boss of Firelands. Rag took a couple weeks to get the mechanics down and what a painful process it was. There was some heartbreaking wipes, or people dying early when we were progressing well through each phase. Ragnaros is a lengthy encounter and probably has the most abilities out of any boss, and the most situational awareness is needed. We are the 11th on the server for clearing Firelands, and we were only an hour too late from the top 10 spot!
Phase one took some getting used to - dodging flame waves, popping traps at the right time, and keeping the tanks alive.
Intermissions were probably the hardest to do. Sons of Flame were giving us headaches and heart attacks for a while. We used everyone to dps, stun and use every ability in the book to do this.
Phase two with engulfing flames and seeds had it's own challenges. We ended up tweaking this part a few times to get it right.
Phase three is probably the most hectic and heart-pounding. Not only do you have to deal with the mechanics from phase one, but we get to kill 2 more adds AND dodge flaming meteors of death.
On August 11th we defeated Ragnaros, the last boss of Firelands. Rag took a couple weeks to get the mechanics down and what a painful process it was. There was some heartbreaking wipes, or people dying early when we were progressing well through each phase. Ragnaros is a lengthy encounter and probably has the most abilities out of any boss, and the most situational awareness is needed. We are the 11th on the server for clearing Firelands, and we were only an hour too late from the top 10 spot!
Phase one took some getting used to - dodging flame waves, popping traps at the right time, and keeping the tanks alive.
Intermissions were probably the hardest to do. Sons of Flame were giving us headaches and heart attacks for a while. We used everyone to dps, stun and use every ability in the book to do this.
Phase two with engulfing flames and seeds had it's own challenges. We ended up tweaking this part a few times to get it right.
Phase three is probably the most hectic and heart-pounding. Not only do you have to deal with the mechanics from phase one, but we get to kill 2 more adds AND dodge flaming meteors of death.
Well done everyone! Heroics are soon to follow.
The Old Republic at PAX 2011
Each year the Penny Arcade Expo attracts tens of thousands of gamers to Seattle, Washington to preview some of the latest upcoming titles. Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ will have a big presence at this year’s PAX Prime with BioWare and LucasArts in attendance to reveal new information while letting attendees score some hands-on time with the game.
Throughout the weekend of PAX those who visit us at Booth 914 will be able to play through content from each of the four Origin Worlds. Attendees will also have the opportunity to get some experience with Player-vs-Player combat in the Alderaan Warzone, where Republic and Imperial teams clash in an effort to control and hold three different points on the battlefield.
Star Wars: The Old Republic Panel
Starting at 2PM on Sunday, August 28th, BioWare and LucasArts will be holding a Star Wars: The Old Republic panel at the Paramount Theatre, where fans will have the opportunity to be among the first to hear new reveals, take part in a Q&A session with developers and see a live demonstration of the opening minutes of the Eternity Vault, a high-level Operation taking place on the planet of Belsavis.
Community Meet & Greet
On Saturday, August 27th we will be holding a Community Meet and Greet at the Grand Hyatt Seattle hotel, located less than half a mile from the Washington State Convention Center. We’ll be starting at 7PM, so be sure to stop by to meet other fans of The Old Republic community as well as spend time with members of the BioWare team.
We haven’t forgotten about those of you who are unable to make it to PAX Prime. Be sure to check www.StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com throughout the expo, as well as our Community Forums, Twitter feed and our official Facebook page for all the latest news and information from the PAX showfloor!
Throughout the weekend of PAX those who visit us at Booth 914 will be able to play through content from each of the four Origin Worlds. Attendees will also have the opportunity to get some experience with Player-vs-Player combat in the Alderaan Warzone, where Republic and Imperial teams clash in an effort to control and hold three different points on the battlefield.
Star Wars: The Old Republic Panel
Starting at 2PM on Sunday, August 28th, BioWare and LucasArts will be holding a Star Wars: The Old Republic panel at the Paramount Theatre, where fans will have the opportunity to be among the first to hear new reveals, take part in a Q&A session with developers and see a live demonstration of the opening minutes of the Eternity Vault, a high-level Operation taking place on the planet of Belsavis.
Community Meet & Greet
On Saturday, August 27th we will be holding a Community Meet and Greet at the Grand Hyatt Seattle hotel, located less than half a mile from the Washington State Convention Center. We’ll be starting at 7PM, so be sure to stop by to meet other fans of The Old Republic community as well as spend time with members of the BioWare team.
We haven’t forgotten about those of you who are unable to make it to PAX Prime. Be sure to check www.StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com throughout the expo, as well as our Community Forums, Twitter feed and our official Facebook page for all the latest news and information from the PAX showfloor!
Huttball
A new event has captured the hearts and minds of the citizens on the Smuggler’s Moon of Nar Shaddaa. Known as “Huttball,” two teams clash for the amusement of the masses and to win favor with the famed Giradda the Hutt in this new video that highlights just one of the Player-vs-Player (PvP) Warzones in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
The Secret World launching April 2012
The secret is out: Funcom announced today at Gamescom that it will launch The Secret World in April 2012.
Funcom hereby announces that the modern-day, Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMO), 'The Secret World' will launch on the PC-platform in April, 2012.
Starting August 26th, gamers can also register to join the upcoming stages of beta, through an interactive social media campaign that will be made available on www.thesecretworld.com.
For more information, visit the official website at www.thesecretworld.com.
Zürich, 16 August, 2011
Funcom N.V.
This information is subject of the disclosure requirements acc. to § 5-12 vphl (Norwegian
Securities Trading Act)
Guild Testing Program Details
We are very pleased to announce the start of Guild Testing for STAR WARS: The Old Republic! This program will allow guilds to be considered as a whole for inclusion in the Game Testing Program, allowing us to gather important data regarding how guilds play The Old Republic, as well as how organized groups deal with various mechanics and systems in the game. The program is already underway, as we’ve invited the first wave of guilds into testing, however we’ll be adding more over the coming weeks alongside the general Game Testing invites.
How do I sign my guild up for Guild Testing?
All you need to do in order to have your guild considered for Guild Testing is to have an active guild with at least 10 members registered in our Guild Headquarters. We also recommend creating a recruitment thread on our forums, but please make sure you are following the Recruitment Guidelines we’ve set forward. Guilds that spam recruitment messages after multiple warnings, for example, will not be considered for Guild Testing.
How are guilds selected for Guild Testing?
In general, guild testing is done randomly from all eligible guilds (that is, those with at least 10 registered members in the Guild Headquarters). Throughout the program, we will be looking to let in both large and small guilds, so as long as your guild meets the minimum requirement, you have an equal chance of being invited to testing. In addition, we may, at our discretion, choose a few select guilds that are active and helpful in the community, since we could use that sort of helpfulness in-game and on the Testing Forums. Note that this will be done in rare circumstances, in order to reward our dedicated community members. Please do not contact any BioWare staff requesting access to Guild Testing, or else your guild may be removed from consideration.
How do I know if my guild has been selected for Guild Testing?
Guild leaders will be contacted directly with detailed instructions when their guild gets selected for testing. It'll be their job to pass the appropriate information to the rest of their guild in order for everyone to be sent testing invites.
What is involved in Guild Testing?
Guild Testing works the same way as Game Testing does, however by being invited as a guild, you gain the advantage of being in the same testing group and being on the same server, allowing for more coordination amongst the guild for testing group content. You’ll still be a part of the general Game Testing population as well, and will have access to the general testing forums as everyone else does.
Are European guilds eligible for Guild Testing?
European Guild Testing will begin at the same time the European Testing Program begins in the near future.
How do I sign my guild up for Guild Testing?
All you need to do in order to have your guild considered for Guild Testing is to have an active guild with at least 10 members registered in our Guild Headquarters. We also recommend creating a recruitment thread on our forums, but please make sure you are following the Recruitment Guidelines we’ve set forward. Guilds that spam recruitment messages after multiple warnings, for example, will not be considered for Guild Testing.
How are guilds selected for Guild Testing?
In general, guild testing is done randomly from all eligible guilds (that is, those with at least 10 registered members in the Guild Headquarters). Throughout the program, we will be looking to let in both large and small guilds, so as long as your guild meets the minimum requirement, you have an equal chance of being invited to testing. In addition, we may, at our discretion, choose a few select guilds that are active and helpful in the community, since we could use that sort of helpfulness in-game and on the Testing Forums. Note that this will be done in rare circumstances, in order to reward our dedicated community members. Please do not contact any BioWare staff requesting access to Guild Testing, or else your guild may be removed from consideration.
How do I know if my guild has been selected for Guild Testing?
Guild leaders will be contacted directly with detailed instructions when their guild gets selected for testing. It'll be their job to pass the appropriate information to the rest of their guild in order for everyone to be sent testing invites.
What is involved in Guild Testing?
Guild Testing works the same way as Game Testing does, however by being invited as a guild, you gain the advantage of being in the same testing group and being on the same server, allowing for more coordination amongst the guild for testing group content. You’ll still be a part of the general Game Testing population as well, and will have access to the general testing forums as everyone else does.
Are European guilds eligible for Guild Testing?
European Guild Testing will begin at the same time the European Testing Program begins in the near future.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
The Secret World at GamesCom
GamesCom 2011 is just around the corner and Funcom is gearing up to head over. Together with our co-publisher EA Partners, Funcom will showcase The Secret World to the public on the showfloor, as well as conduct press demonstrations behind closed doors.
In Hall 6 we are building a closed theater (you need to be 16+ to enter) where we will be doing a 20 minute live demo of The Polaris, one of the game's many dungeons. Five developers will be playing the game while our Senior Community Manager Oliver Kunz and our German Community Manager Johannes Rebhan explain all the details about dungeon crawling in The Secret World. Well, some of them, at least. We'll be showing combat, progression, the skill wheel, boss fights and more in this exciting live demo of the game.
Outside the auditorium there will be pods available where you can take the initiation test to determine what secret society you are most suited for.
Behind closed doors, press will be treated to a demonstration of The Secret World's secret society gameplay, including the first-ever reveal of the game's large-scale PvP where over a hundred players compete in massive, persistent battles. If you want to learn more, keep your eyes peeled for media coverage to hit during and after the show!
Both our Communications team and our Community team will do their best to keep you updated through the site, the forum, Facebook, and Twitter for the duration of the show.
GamesCom runs from August 17th until August 21st and is held in Cologne, Germany. You can find out more by visiting the official website.
Sunday, August 07, 2011
Friday, August 05, 2011
Mists of Pandaria - Next Expansion?
This isn't a book or anything like that. It appears incredibly likely based on previous trademarks obtained by Blizzard that this is the next expansion.
Thursday, August 04, 2011
WoW Subs Continue to Decline
While Blizzard has slowed down its World of Warcraft subscription churn, it hasn't stopped the bleeding yet: according to the company, the subscription count dropped slightly to 11.1 million worldwide during the quarter ending June 30.
Speaking to Activision Blizzard investors during a Gamasutra-attended conference call Wednesday, Blizzard president Michael Morhaime said that the decline -- now in its second quarter -- is to be expected after the release of a major expansion like December's Cataclysm, saying that "what we have seen is that subscribership tends to be seasonal and driven by content updates."
"So as we're heading further away from an expansion launch, it's normal to see some declines," he continued.
But that churn, while normal, is increasing with each new expansion as Morhaime explained back in May.
"As our players have become more experienced playing World of Warcraft over many years, they have become much better and much faster at consuming content," he said at the time. "And so I think with Cataclysm they were able to consume the content faster than with previous expansions, but that's why we're working on developing more content."
That new content, Morhaime said today, will include "major new raid and dungeon content."
"We believe that this new in-game content will keep the game fresh for current players, and provide compelling reasons for lapsed players to come back," he said.
Also helping to slow down the bleeding is the game's new trial system: in late June, the company changed its trial system: rather than its traditional timed trial, players can now play for an unlimited amount of time for free, though their characters stop leveling up at 20 (the current cap for players with all available content is 85).
The move, said Morhaime, has resulted in a "significant increase" in new account creations. While Morhaime says it's "still too early to tell" how often these new players become subscribers, the company believes that it is "an important direction for us to continue lowering that barrier to trial and reaching new players around the world."
Morhaime also says that the game's international expansion will help the churn: the company still sees big opportunities in China (where partner NetEase recently launched the latest expansion, Cataclysm), the country that claims the most broadband users of any nation in the world. He also said that the game has seen "great success" in Russia, and that the game's upcoming Portuguese localization should attract new players.
"Their economy has performed very well compared to the rest of the world during the recession," he said, speaking of Brazil. "We already have some Brazilians playing in English, but we think the market can be a lot bigger in Portuguese."
"There are other countries that we're looking at beyond these as well, but I don't have anything that I can talk about."
Despite the churn, overall revenues were up for the quarter ending June 30, at $313 million versus $299 million from a year ago, thanks to Cataclysm sales and its growth in China. Its operating margins were down, however, which Morhaime says is because the company is investing more into the development of new projects "that haven't necessarily been announced."
Speaking to Activision Blizzard investors during a Gamasutra-attended conference call Wednesday, Blizzard president Michael Morhaime said that the decline -- now in its second quarter -- is to be expected after the release of a major expansion like December's Cataclysm, saying that "what we have seen is that subscribership tends to be seasonal and driven by content updates."
"So as we're heading further away from an expansion launch, it's normal to see some declines," he continued.
But that churn, while normal, is increasing with each new expansion as Morhaime explained back in May.
"As our players have become more experienced playing World of Warcraft over many years, they have become much better and much faster at consuming content," he said at the time. "And so I think with Cataclysm they were able to consume the content faster than with previous expansions, but that's why we're working on developing more content."
That new content, Morhaime said today, will include "major new raid and dungeon content."
"We believe that this new in-game content will keep the game fresh for current players, and provide compelling reasons for lapsed players to come back," he said.
Also helping to slow down the bleeding is the game's new trial system: in late June, the company changed its trial system: rather than its traditional timed trial, players can now play for an unlimited amount of time for free, though their characters stop leveling up at 20 (the current cap for players with all available content is 85).
The move, said Morhaime, has resulted in a "significant increase" in new account creations. While Morhaime says it's "still too early to tell" how often these new players become subscribers, the company believes that it is "an important direction for us to continue lowering that barrier to trial and reaching new players around the world."
Morhaime also says that the game's international expansion will help the churn: the company still sees big opportunities in China (where partner NetEase recently launched the latest expansion, Cataclysm), the country that claims the most broadband users of any nation in the world. He also said that the game has seen "great success" in Russia, and that the game's upcoming Portuguese localization should attract new players.
"Their economy has performed very well compared to the rest of the world during the recession," he said, speaking of Brazil. "We already have some Brazilians playing in English, but we think the market can be a lot bigger in Portuguese."
"There are other countries that we're looking at beyond these as well, but I don't have anything that I can talk about."
Despite the churn, overall revenues were up for the quarter ending June 30, at $313 million versus $299 million from a year ago, thanks to Cataclysm sales and its growth in China. Its operating margins were down, however, which Morhaime says is because the company is investing more into the development of new projects "that haven't necessarily been announced."
Monday, August 01, 2011
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