Massive layoffs at Turbine, studio transitioning to F2P mobile

[Infinitron]

Bye Turbine: http://www.gamebanshee.com/news/117...io-to-become-a-f2p-mobile-game-developer.html

Turbine has accomplished a great deal since the company's founding in 1994 (then CyberSpace) - they not only brought us two Asheron's Call titles, Dungeons & Dragons Online, The Lords of the Rings Online, the MOBA Infinite Crisis, and a handful of expansion packs, but they also proved that a transition to a free-to-play business model could be very lucrative and substantially change the company's outlook

However, since their acquisition by Warner Bros. in 2010, they've been hit by multiple rounds of layoffs, with the latest one apparently happening today. And that's not even the worst of the news - according to an official statement from Warner Bros., they intend to turn the studio into a mobile game developer, which would be in stark contrast to what their core audience has come to know from them:

Turbine is transitioning into a free-to-play, mobile development studio, and as a result we are eliminating some positions. The Lord of the Rings Online and Dungeons and Dragons online games will continue to operate as they do now. Re-focusing and reducing the studio size was a difficult decision for the company, and we are grateful to all of the Turbine staff for their considerable contributions.​

A strange move, if I've ever seen one. Furthermore, if this thread is to be believed, "the programming staff has been cut down to three people on LoTRO and three people on DDO", which doesn't bode well for those of us who are fans of either (or both) games.

 

[Angthoron]

Oh look, Turbine continues being braindead. Such a surprise.

 

[Rahdulan]

Pretty much. Turbine has been going though death rattles for years now. I can't wait to see if they'll renew the license for LotRO in 2017.

 

[LESS T_T]

More potential hires for OtherSide, I guess.

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

and i should care because...?

 

[Severian Silk]

Because Infinitron says so. He's the boss.

 

[Stokowski]

Because the studio that brought out one of the earliest and greatest MMORPGs, the magnificent and unique Asheron's Call, deserves a better death than mobile-cancer.

 

[Mangoose]

Because the studio that brought out one of the earliest and greatest MMORPGs, the magnificent and unique Asheron's Call, deserves a better death than mobile-cancer.

It died slowly with as LOTRO died slowly

 

[Night Goat]

Sometimes dead is better.

 

[KevinV12000]

Everything these big corporations touch turns to shit. The changes WB made to LoTRO were laughably bad. When will these big-money men realize that while dumbass games are the big sellers, there is a strong niche market for games with complexity? Instead, they want to turn everything into whatever tablet game is the fad of the week.

It's like trying to run a Jazz label and studio with management that keeps on insisting that only Top 40-style hits make money.

 

[Roqua]

This sucks. I was hoping Hasbro would let them make a new DDO with the 5e system. DDO now is a masterpiece of how to do character development right. Also, the lead developer/producer whatever his title is, is a really good guy who has made some great updates in the last couple years and he should be in charge of a big studio making tons of money instead of these mindless, children hipster MOBA no content games raking in the dough like H1Z1 and whatever the new blizzard kids game fps is called.

 

[belowmecoldhands]

Because the studio that brought out one of the earliest and greatest MMORPGs, the magnificent and unique Asheron's Call, deserves a better death than mobile-cancer.

Why the hell can't I brofist you.

EDIT: Nvm I was able to I think. God I hate the way they changed that.

 

[belowmecoldhands]

Everything these big corporations touch turns to shit. The changes WB made to LoTRO were laughably bad. When will these big-money men realize that while dumbass games are the big sellers, there is a strong niche market for games with complexity? Instead, they want to turn everything into whatever tablet game is the fad of the week.

It's like trying to run a Jazz label and studio with management that keeps on insisting that only Top 40-style hits make money.

Shut up and drink the kool-aid.

 

[J1M]

This sucks. I was hoping Hasbro would let them make a new DDO with the 5e system. DDO now is a masterpiece of how to do character development right. Also, the lead developer/producer whatever his title is, is a really good guy who has made some great updates in the last couple years and he should be in charge of a big studio making tons of money instead of these mindless, children hipster MOBA no content games raking in the dough like H1Z1 and whatever the new blizzard kids game fps is called.

I don't really know what happened to DDO, but I remember that the narration of the low level dungeons did a good job of setting the tone for an adventure.

If you really want a new D&D MMO, the death of DDO is a prerequisite, so stop playing it.

 

[Zetor]

Aren't some of the OG Asheron's Call people working on some super-interactive / simulationist indie MMO? fake edit: yeah, Project Gorgon. It's using Unity too... why am I not surprised?!

 

[Roqua]

This sucks. I was hoping Hasbro would let them make a new DDO with the 5e system. DDO now is a masterpiece of how to do character development right. Also, the lead developer/producer whatever his title is, is a really good guy who has made some great updates in the last couple years and he should be in charge of a big studio making tons of money instead of these mindless, children hipster MOBA no content games raking in the dough like H1Z1 and whatever the new blizzard kids game fps is called.

I don't really know what happened to DDO, but I remember that the narration of the low level dungeons did a good job of setting the tone for an adventure.

If you really want a new D&D MMO, the death of DDO is a prerequisite, so stop playing it.

How does that explain Neverwinter Online? And DDO is about character building so the early levels only give a taste of what is available.

 

[J1M]

This sucks. I was hoping Hasbro would let them make a new DDO with the 5e system. DDO now is a masterpiece of how to do character development right. Also, the lead developer/producer whatever his title is, is a really good guy who has made some great updates in the last couple years and he should be in charge of a big studio making tons of money instead of these mindless, children hipster MOBA no content games raking in the dough like H1Z1 and whatever the new blizzard kids game fps is called.

I don't really know what happened to DDO, but I remember that the narration of the low level dungeons did a good job of setting the tone for an adventure.

If you really want a new D&D MMO, the death of DDO is a prerequisite, so stop playing it.

How does that explain Neverwinter Online? And DDO is about character building so the early levels only give a taste of what is available.

Valid point, but if I recall correctly Neverwinter was not green-lit as an MMO. That's a transition that happened after the initial plans started to fall through.

But surely you can agree that none of the executives at Hasbro think the D&D brand can support 3 MMOs? Look at the limited scope of Sword Coast Legends.

 

[Roqua]

This sucks. I was hoping Hasbro would let them make a new DDO with the 5e system. DDO now is a masterpiece of how to do character development right. Also, the lead developer/producer whatever his title is, is a really good guy who has made some great updates in the last couple years and he should be in charge of a big studio making tons of money instead of these mindless, children hipster MOBA no content games raking in the dough like H1Z1 and whatever the new blizzard kids game fps is called.

I don't really know what happened to DDO, but I remember that the narration of the low level dungeons did a good job of setting the tone for an adventure.

If you really want a new D&D MMO, the death of DDO is a prerequisite, so stop playing it.

How does that explain Neverwinter Online? And DDO is about character building so the early levels only give a taste of what is available.

Valid point, but if I recall correctly Neverwinter was not green-lit as an MMO. That's a transition that happened after the initial plans started to fall through.

But surely you can agree that none of the executives at Hasbro think the D&D brand can support 3 MMOs? Look at the limited scope of Sword Coast Legends.

Sword Coast Legend was just a bad idea and wasn't D&D, just a made up console system for a shitty console game for monkey idiots. Neverwinter Online was always a F2P MMO, with the aim of cashing in on the F2P young crowd with console in mind from the start, just like DIablo 3. That is why it isn't D&D and has no meaningful systems to speak of or anything remotely resembling D&D other than setting.

DDO gives people with quality taste what they want from a D&D mmo, and it took years and years to get there. I hated it at first, and didn't go back until the second expansion, and the game had such good chardev I stayed. It is the only real D&D MMO. Any new one will never have 1/10th of the depth as DDO has now.

 

[Wayward Son]

So, honestly, how is DDO? I've gotten recommendations from my brother and his friends, but I'm still unsure...

 

[Hobo Elf]

And I was gonna get the pack that lets you play AC1/2 without a monthly sub. What's going to happen to that? I miss AC2, man. One of the most influential games of modern MMOs that no one played.

 

[Roqua]

And I was gonna get the pack that lets you play AC1/2 without a monthly sub. What's going to happen to that? I miss AC2, man. One of the most influential games of modern MMOs that no one played.

I didn't even know AC 2 had servers running. I thought they all closed soon after the game died down?

 

[Hobo Elf]

And I was gonna get the pack that lets you play AC1/2 without a monthly sub. What's going to happen to that? I miss AC2, man. One of the most influential games of modern MMOs that no one played.

I didn't even know AC 2 had servers running. I thought they all closed soon after the game died down?

They did, but apparently they brought them back up once they had stabilized their money flow between LotrO and DDO. They've been up and running for some time now. If you look at their forums you'll see that they are active with pretty recent posts.

 

[Andhaira]

So, honestly, how is DDO? I've gotten recommendations from my brother and his friends, but I'm still unsure...

LOTRO was pretty fun for a MMO for a while. Only real MMO I ever played for a bit. Fun to explore Middle Earth.

 

[Lythandra]

I played EQ when it came out but it didn't catch me. AC however got me good. I played it for quite a while even tho it was super unbalanced. LOTRO is a great game. The Epic storyline makes it worth playing alone. DDO while good isn't solo friendly so I never got to far in that one. I'm gonna miss Turbine, they made good games.

 

[Roqua]

I played EQ when it came out but it didn't catch me. AC however got me good. I played it for quite a while even tho it was super unbalanced. LOTRO is a great game. The Epic storyline makes it worth playing alone. DDO while good isn't solo friendly so I never got to far in that one. I'm gonna miss Turbine, they made good games.

DDO is very solo friendly now. In fact, the late game is about either seeing if you can make a build that can solo difficult content and push the boundaries, or reincarnate and quickly solo all quests (even group quests with triggers you can use hirelings to open) to get to cap and reincarnate again to get all the possible power imaginable.

I've barely grouped in DDO, though there is a ton of grouping, I just dislike people slowing me down or talking or wanting me to pay attention to what they are saying.