Smed on PlanetSide Next Delay

Hamma · 2011-04-04, 11:30 AM

http://www.planetside-universe.com/n...delay-2465.htm

GarbageGnome · 2011-04-04, 11:45 AM

So, SOE saves a bunch of money axing The Agency and some studios, and as a result more resources go to PSN and EQN, right? Sounds awesome.
But, why haven't we seen more media coverage of the development? I'd feel much more comfortable if there were more than concept screen shots to pin my hopes on.

**Smed** · 2011-04-04, 02:36 PM

Originally Posted by GarbageGnome

So, SOE saves a bunch of money axing The Agency and some studios, and as a result more resources go to PSN and EQN, right? Sounds awesome.
But, why haven't we seen more media coverage of the development? I'd feel much more comfortable if there were more than concept screen shots to pin my hopes on.

What I have been trying to do is to keep the folks at PSU updated because you guys are the most loyal Planetside fans. Ive released stuff ahead of any marketing or PR push. Recently ( a few weeks ago actually) we made the call to update the game to a new internally developed engine. Doing that meant delaying the game, but we thought it was in the best interests of Planetside Next. It also means delaying releasing further info for a little while. I will let you all know more when we firm up the schedule. The likely next step is a larger scale release of information and the beta signups going up. As I've said previously current Planetside subs will be included automatically.

Normally when we do game announcements we do a much bigger concerted information push all at once and these kind of one off posts don't happen. In this case I feel like the Planetside audience has hung in with us for a long time and I really want to involve you all more in advance of the official info. However what happens is everything gets carried across the net and the actual info gets changed. I'm sorry for that happening. We will do our best to keep you informed early. But that necessarily means that sometimes when things change you have to be ready for that too.

Smed

Snakie · 2011-04-04, 03:12 PM

Originally Posted by Smed

What I have been trying to do is to keep the folks at PSU updated because you guys are the most loyal Planetside fans. Ive released stuff ahead of any marketing or PR push. Recently ( a few weeks ago actually) we made the call to update the game to a new internally developed engine. Doing that meant delaying the game, but we thought it was in the best interests of Planetside Next. It also means delaying releasing further info for a little while. I will let you all know more when we firm up the schedule. The likely next step is a larger scale release of information and the beta signups going up. As I've said previously current Planetside subs will be included automatically.

Normally when we do game announcements we do a much bigger concerted information push all at once and these kind of one off posts don't happen. In this case I feel like the Planetside audience has hung in with us for a long time and I really want to involve you all more in advance of the official info. However what happens is everything gets carried across the net and the actual info gets changed. I'm sorry for that happening. We will do our best to keep you informed early. But that necessarily means that sometimes when things change you have to be ready for that too.

Smed

Thank you for taking the time to inform us of this and ease many peoples minds in the process

Straws · 2011-04-04, 06:51 PM

Originally Posted by Smed

What I have been trying to do is to keep the folks at PSU updated because you guys are the most loyal Planetside fans. Ive released stuff ahead of any marketing or PR push. Recently ( a few weeks ago actually) we made the call to update the game to a new internally developed engine. Doing that meant delaying the game, but we thought it was in the best interests of Planetside Next. It also means delaying releasing further info for a little while. I will let you all know more when we firm up the schedule. The likely next step is a larger scale release of information and the beta signups going up. As I've said previously current Planetside subs will be included automatically.

Normally when we do game announcements we do a much bigger concerted information push all at once and these kind of one off posts don't happen. In this case I feel like the Planetside audience has hung in with us for a long time and I really want to involve you all more in advance of the official info. However what happens is everything gets carried across the net and the actual info gets changed. I'm sorry for that happening. We will do our best to keep you informed early. But that necessarily means that sometimes when things change you have to be ready for that too.

Smed

In regards to keeping existing players informed, yes, you're doing an appropriate job. Not too sure I'm happy about your official SOE and Planetside websites not easily or obviously directing people to this site, but there is a clear sign that you're not ignoring the existing playerbase is good.

However, as someone who stopped playing and has almost no incentive to return to the original product, I must express my concerns about getting the people that haven't experienced the product before into PS:N. At the end of the day, I stopped playing because logging on and only having one continent being actively played on was frustrating. Without a way to continually bring in new players through means other than gimmicky promotions, I will remain very dubeous about SOE's PR gameplan.

PS:N HAS to succeed on it's own merits. You can't rely on this site to promote and drum up excitement. The people that visit this site already know the product. It's mere existance is enough to excite us, but at the end of the day, people aren't coming here if they don't know the product, and this is where a lot of the "left in the dark" sentiments are coming from.

A lot of people "called it" regarding to the March release date being missed, mostly because all scheduling seemed off. We received an e-mail asking for design ideas just over a year ago.

Savvy players that study MMO trends will tell you that this gave an indication that the core gameplay mechanics and functionality hadn't been finalised, and to not have it finalised 1 year before an estimated ETA is just....well, it's scary. It promotes an "ignorance is bliss" mentality from anyone that was skeptical about this project in the first place.

Then there was the announcement in December that it would be released in 3 months, before any solid plans for the public closed beta was announced. Again, another sign that things aren't following the industry standard. Again, very very scary.

Granted, not everyone will think like this. For their own sakes I hope they don't because it is draining, but things haven't been on track for this product yet in my eyes, and action need to be taken to get it there. Without even showing any video footage of the game, I can't even see the game being ready for NDA closed beta testing, let alone the open testing that needs to occur 1-3 months minimum to make sure the release is stable.

I don't know, guess things are different now. Maybe betas aren't important PR tools anymore, let alone a means to properly test the game prior to release. It's an existing IP, so the existing fanbase guarantees somethign regardless of the products merits, but it saddens me that the only good news I have seen other than the screenshots is people losing their jobs. It leaves a horrible taste in my mouth.

Please John, kick your marketing and testing departments into gear, otherwise this game is going to struggle to see Summer.

Firefly · 2011-04-04, 07:02 PM

Originally Posted by Straws

Again, another sign that things are following the industry standard.

You know what else is an industry standard? An MMO having its launch date pushed back. Judging from the rather informed post you made, I can't fathom why this particular standard passed you by.

Originally Posted by Straws

Please John, kick your marketing and testing departments into gear, otherwise this game is going to struggle to see Summer.

I will wholeheartedly echo this, and champion it with my dying breath. Marketing for Planetside was utter shit. I've been a very vocal critic of this since forever. Market the crap out of this game. So Everquest was a flagship game. That's fine, but now there's WAR, Rift, WoW, need I go on and on and on? Elves and half-naked chicks? Old and busted. MMO-FPS? Still the new hotness.

MISTER GORBACHEV, MARKET THIS GAME.

Straws · 2011-04-05, 05:51 PM

Originally Posted by Firefly

You know what else is an industry standard? An MMO having its launch date pushed back. Judging from the rather informed post you made, I can't fathom why this particular standard passed you by.

We "discussed" this in another thread previously, but I'll reiterate so my ealier comments in this thread reach an appropriate level of context.

The date of March being missed is not a significant issue here for me. It's a completely unrealistic release date being given in a very short timeframe that is my issue.

If the date announce in December was just "Q2" or "Summer", then it becomes "Q3" or "Autumn", that's understandable IF we are advised that this was going to happen BEFORE Q2.

We just had to wait until the very end of the proposed (aka "promiseomg") release date to be advised of it's delay. THIS is the issue regarding the date.

Yes, regardless, an announcement regarding a delay will be taken poorly by a lot of people that are waiting, but that passes. Look at GoW3's delay. April to Autumn, but they announced the delay back in, what? September 2010?

Now, I want to avoid getting bitchy on the subject like I did previously, but the video games market operates like most manufacturing and supply-based industries, and there's one thing that they all have in common, a missed date is far far worse than a delayed one. What is the difference? When you are told. People make plans based on these dates, and when those dates aren't met, it costs money.

The issue for consumers within the video game industry isn't a huge cost, because let's face it, the plans we would make would be limited to planning time off work. Anyone doing that before they have the product in their hands have a priority issue in real life. However, imagine the cost for a wholesaler that chose to promote the product this month only to have it amount to nothing and the product isn't released for 6 more months. Suddenly the announce date goes from minor one time cost to being unprofessional.

I find it hard to believe that the decision to update the hardware behind PS:N began and ended in the last week of March, but I'm not naive enough to say it's impossible, but I am brazen enough to declare it as a very poorly made, if not executed decision. (please note, that doesn't mean the decision itself is a wrong one, just made at the wrong time and handled in the wrong way).

BicOfMarkov · 2011-04-06, 08:51 AM

Originally Posted by Straws

Then there was the announcement in December that it would be released in 3 months, before any solid plans for the public closed beta was announced. Again, another sign that things aren't following the industry standard. Again, very very scary.

There was a statement there would be an announcement in the first quarter.

Not which first quarter. 2011? 2012? SOE fiscal 2011?

People read way too much into a vague statement.

Lonehunter · 2011-04-04, 07:34 PM

Originally Posted by Smed

I imagine the haters as Vanu.

Smed

Made my night

Smed, thank you for posting here.

From what I've read it seems like you do have good intentions, especially concerning PSU. But I still have to express my "Bad Idea" vote at giving exclusives ahead of schedule/before mass-marketing. When you combine that with telling subscribers they get access to beta it seems very greedy since we still have no dates yet. I'm sure many disagree with me though lol

Is it just me or are games announcing themselves earlier and earlier in their development the past few years? In a perfect world I wouldn't know about a game until I can beta test it. Or at least until there is some solid info about the game.

But Smed's PR is GREAT! Posting here calling us the most loyal is an honor. If it was his game, his schedule, and his info to give, I think we'd all be much happier.

Furret · 2011-04-04, 07:54 PM

Whoo go smed

You're my hero by the way, I'm a junior in high school looking into a career in game design and planetside has been my motivation for years. Just wanted to say thanks and gl making PS:N(?) the best game ever.

otomotopia · 2011-04-05, 06:16 AM

If people think that Smed will screw the Vanu because he imagined the trolls as Barnies, all I can say is...

LASHER SPAM '09! WAHOO!

**Smed** · 2011-04-04, 08:55 PM

Originally Posted by Lonehunter187

Made my night

Smed, thank you for posting here.

From what I've read it seems like you do have good intentions, especially concerning PSU. But I still have to express my "Bad Idea" vote at giving exclusives ahead of schedule/before mass-marketing. When you combine that with telling subscribers they get access to beta it seems very greedy since we still have no dates yet. I'm sure many disagree with me though lol

Is it just me or are games announcing themselves earlier and earlier in their development the past few years? In a perfect world I wouldn't know about a game until I can beta test it. Or at least until there is some solid info about the game.

But Smed's PR is GREAT! Posting here calling us the most loyal is an honor. If it was his game, his schedule, and his info to give, I think we'd all be much happier.

Hmm. Well in this case I feel pretty strongly that our loyal subscribers should know that they are first in line. That's not greedy. That's simply good business and it's the right thing to do.

Second - I'm choosing to come here to talk largely because this is where the Planetside community chose to make their home. Where else would I want to go? That's why my preference is to keep it low key here and answer questions when I can and tell you when I can't.

Smed

MuNrOe · 2011-04-06, 06:38 AM

Will the see the mighty Ant make a return in PS Next ?

Ant001 · 2011-04-06, 06:44 AM

Well from what I can gather from the information given and the company news ..SOE is indeed in a bad way.

I am pretty sure they will be making sure PS:N is a hit because it has to be.

Free realms may work on the ps2 but will it be enough?

I am really interested about this letter that is coming out this week, what exactly is the informtion we are getting. I would guess it's not details anout the game but more along the line of " ps:n is a working title and we are working hard to bring you a great game blah de blah" In other words you will be told its still in development but no information as to exactly what it will look like.

But at least we know it is in development. But then so was the agency for nearly 2 years. Now it's vapourware.

Impen · 2011-04-04, 11:57 AM

I find it's an interesting coincidence that a new version of UDK was released in March, one that supports DirectX 11