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Daybreak Game Company to Be Acquired by EG7 for $300 Million

Discussion in 'EverQuest II General Discussion' started by Feldon, Dec 1, 2020.

  1. Widem

    Widem New Member

    Not sure if this was mentioned, but 80% of subs were matured 3+ years.

    It just shows they were looking for established cash flow, and not some pie in the sky growth.

    It also appears the total average compensation (including SS, Insurance, etc.) is $76k, the national average is $82. I don't live in SoCal, but that looks rough.
     
  2. Fuli

    Fuli Well-Known Member

    Eq2 (and the others from DBG) may be able to hang on a bit by reaping the benefits of better scaling and cost restructuring that the new owner provides.

    Realistically, even if every one of those 21k subscribers is unique to eq2 and if all that sub revenue goes to eq2 alone, we're looking at what, just under $4MM in gross revenue from subs?

    We all know actual sub revenue is nowhere near that. Heck, for all we know, and because of the way All Access works, sub revenue might be a parent level income line item and not even show up on the books of each individual title.

    Gotta be that the lions share (perhaps even all) the revenue eq2 has to work with originates from expansion sales and the shop.

    P2W is here to stay, which might be palatable IF the quality was there and IF the game design was fun, but neither of those two characteristics exist.

    Jen Chan had already begun working on remedying deceit problem, but if there is a way for the new owner to save the franchise, they're going to have to fix quality and design also.
     
    Last edited: Dec 6, 2020
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  3. Pixistik

    Pixistik Member

    Kinda sad to see a once flagship title reduced to the shape its in.
     
    • Agree Agree x 7
  4. fizzledizzle

    fizzledizzle New Member

    Seems like there is a lot of hate for a game this site has in its name, or maybe just strong criticism from disenfranchised fans? Sorry, I am new to this site after looking for news on the new buyer, and I am seeing a lot of mixed messages. I happened upon this site, and was surprised by some of the opinions. Do you think this is the end of the series?
     
    Last edited: Dec 6, 2020
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  5. Arazons

    Arazons Member

    upload_2020-12-7_12-57-53.png
     
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  6. Julesholland

    Julesholland New Member

    I wonder how many are like me, got millions of plat so keeping buying krono and so a member, but have no interest in buying the expac or paying for a months play...
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  7. Pale Rider

    Pale Rider New Member

    How many lifetime subs did Daybreak sell? Those won't be generating monthly revenue
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  8. Pixistik

    Pixistik Member

    Raises hand
     
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  9. Cheggers

    Cheggers New Member

    Don't think of it as hate so much as tough love. People here don't hate the game per se, but rather hate the decisions that have been made over the years which have caused most of us to quit. Many of us are long-time players who have simply become exasperated and disillusioned by the direction the game has taken, a direction many of us believe has changed things for the worse. The reason you will see more negativity here is because this has traditionally been a "safe space" (boy I hate that phrase) where you can feel free to criticize things without any risk of being censored or banned (so long as you're not being a complete ass). The official forums, certainly up until Dreamweaver took over, and even a little bit since than, had a reputation of being pretty liberal with the ban hammer at any sign of a perceived criticism. Feldon's been on the receiving end of several "time outs" due to his having the audacity to confront them with uncomfortable truths and refusal to sugar coat things.

    Personally, I'd love to see the new ownership invest in the franchise, and I have absolutely no desire to see it fail.
     
    Last edited: Dec 8, 2020
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  10. Glasscannon

    Glasscannon Member

    Many of us have a long history with the EQ franchise. Several started at launch and have played the game for thousands upon thousands of hours. Even as design decisions began to erode the gameplay, people complained but continued to play. After that, people hit their limits at various points and stopped playing (though many here still do play) but continue to follow the franchise based on what it means to them personally. In my opinion there's never been a better gaming experience than early EverQuest 2.

    I wouldn't say that anyone who posts here 'hates' the game. We may hate certain design and implementation decisions but frankly I think those opinions are well justified. I won't speak for others beyond that. I'll be happy to talk specifics of opinions if you are curious. Personally I would love to see a re-invigoration of the franchise, whether it be new assets put into EQ2 or an entirely new sequel. But the pragmatic, business-oriented side of me can see that it's not likely for a 16 year-old game with barely 20,000 accounts to get a huge investment. It's far more likely that the game is sunset in favor of other titles. Do I think it's the end of the series? I hope not. I think there's a market for a good high-fantasy EQ3 MMO and I'll continue to hold out hope that one will be announced until it definitely won't be.
     
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  11. Fuli

    Fuli Well-Known Member


    Welcome!

    Not going to presume I can speak for others, but I'll share why I post here.

    There are three undeniable characteristics of the eq2 franchise that exist today, and since Jason Epstein bought the portfolio from SOE:

    (1) A p2w revenue model.
    (2) Absolutely atrocious product quality.
    (3) A black hole of uninspiring game design that's more focused a manipulating money out of people than earning it with a focus on positive customer experience.

    Now, those characteristics I just listed are certainly subjective. To each their own, and if folks like the game as it is, well, go for it.

    My beef (until Jen Chan took over earlier this year) lays mostly with clearly deceptive and generally dishonest business practices that were fully and aggressively employed under the management of Holly Longdale.

    Posts critical of design decisions or product quality were scrubbed from the official forums. In addition and claiming efficiency, devs moved customer interaction from the OF to Discord where any question that is beyond praise or bug identification is usually punished with an instant account ban - Identification of bugs is allowed, questions about design decisions are labeled "unconstructive" and not tolerated. Customer feedback seems to be perceived as threatening.

    So for me, this environment became a place where people could speak freely about the state of the game, and hopefully provide folks like you with a more honest picture of what they can expect for their money.

    Longdale left for WoW Classic early this year, and since Jen Chan took over as the Executive Producer, the deceptive practices have been reigned in considerably. I'm really pleased about that.

    Regarding the company's recent sale, I wouldn't characterize those discussions as negative, but more along the lines of hope tempered by reality. The eq2 franchise is an absolute mess, and it probably won't recover under its new owner (imo).

    Hopefully, folks will compile decision-making information from the OF, here, and other gaming sites so that they're better informed about what they can expect for their money. But at the end if the day, the only way you can know for sure is to try the game and decide for yourself :)

    Edit:
    I want to clarify something important: EQ2 used to be an amazing game, and there are still a lot of really good and talented people building it

    As far those dev's interacting with customers, Ttobey, Kaitheel, Chrol, Gninja..... awesome peeps who DO care about the game and its customers.

    Unfortunately, there are a few bad apples who are absolutely trashing customer relationships, and sadly, they've got way too much control over the decisions being made.
     
    Last edited: Dec 8, 2020
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  12. Clementine

    Clementine Active Member

    I don't hate the game, but I do dislike the direction the devs have taken the game recently. There was a point in my life where I would've said that EQ2 was my favorite game, and 2010 EQ2 may still very well be, but 2020 EQ2 is not.

    I don't think so. They're still doing plenty well enough to figure a sequel out, but I do think the future of EQ2 isn't looking too bright. Both EQ1 and EQ2 are going to slowly bleed players, I think the future of EverQuest depends entirely on a sequel being good.
     
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  13. Zynt

    Zynt Active Member

    I beta tested both EQ1 and 2. I've been playing one or the other continuously since 1998 (including beta for 1). I have a dozen real life friends from the game and, unfortunately I am the only one who still plays. I love the franchise, both games for different reasons, and I want it to continue on for years to come. I am also a Cubs fan. I hate decisions that have been made in both franchises but I keep hoping.
     
    • Agree Agree x 3
  14. fizzledizzle

    fizzledizzle New Member

    Thanks for the replies everyone. I will provide some quick background on myself below as well as my ideal experience. Finally, I just have some additional questions now that I have a better understanding of why this message board is how it is due to a lot that has happened over the years.

    Background:
    I am mainly an Everquest player, but I have really good memories of EQ2 starting around launch and enjoying the sense of adventure and the, at the time, breathtaking graphics. I purchased the platinum-colored tin set with the cloth map, coin, and other trinkets. I was pretty mesmerized just looking at the material in the package just imagining the adventures that awaited. Anyways, I installed it, it ran like crap, but I loved every second. I distinctly remember Willow Wood and getting killed stepping into Antonica.

    I am playing EQ and trying EQ2 again after some time away. I am playing on the TLE server, Kaladim, on EQ2 because there are some things I am not too fond of on retail. I really like what I am playing, but understandably I am little disappointed that the neighborhoods aren't really a thing any more--they were a lot of fun!

    An Ideal EQ2 Experience for Me:
    Ideally all players would start out in the outlying areas of their city and do citizenship quests and really struggle fighting mobs, which would encourage the risk factor of playing alone and encourage more grouping. The TLE is server is kind of like that, minus the neighborhoods, but not quite. There's also the option to start out in New Halas, which I refuse to do because I want the classic experience to relive the early days. Others would rather get gear quickly and enjoy their idea of QoL improvements (not for me).

    For current content, I would love to see the world expanding in a more meaningful way towards new players. Bring in new races and starting areas where every start is different from the others and not just new content at end game. Yeah, I know they don't have the staff for that and virtually every MMO neglects the starting experience to focus on new content at end game to satisfy long-time players with nothing left to do.

    Additional:
    I can see that a good portion of you don't like how they have steered the ship recently so to speak, and I totally get that. I read through and found myself agreeing what a lot of what you have said, especially the P2W focus which I hate. Initially, I think, I was just flabbergasted at what looked like players wanting the game to go down. After reading through your replies, it looks like that's not so much the case as there is a lot of disappointment in a once-great franchise that you can see fading away due to certain directions of the game and current/future state.

    I can definitely tell that EQ2 has a small player base and agree that it will go away before EQ1. I actually think EQ1 is doing pretty well all things considered after 21 years, and I can see it lasting a while yet. EQ2, not so much unless they find a way to bring in new, interested players or the old player base who wishes they could go back to the early days. Hell, I love the art style and the fact that they are making new content for EQ2, like at all, but I too fear what will happen. I kind of keep hoping the game can get bigger and better. It just really feels like there is something still there that can be salvaged to bring the game back and make it more exciting, but I just don't know. It's frustrating.
     
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  15. Zynt

    Zynt Active Member

    You sound a lot like me and how I play. Honestly the only reason I play EQ2 is the crafting and things like Lore and Legend. I love the old book quests for house items etc. EQ1 I will play until I die, it dies, or I go full mountain man. The latter will most likely happen before EQ1 dies and well, if I die it doesn't matter. It's not really hate around here. It's a deep love for community and friendship. Nostalgia too, to a degree. Most of us miss our old friends and old guilds that no longer exist because of choices made and directions taken by the franchises. That's what we "hate" about things. We're just a bunch of old tanks, healers, and scouts bitching about the price of a movie and how we used to get two tickets, popcorn, and drinks for a price that would allow us to carry our best girl, or guy, out on a date very Saturday.
     
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  16. Anaogi

    Anaogi Active Member

    The thing to keep in mind is that if we didn't still love the game and Norrath, we wouldn't still be here. We wouldn't waste our time and energy on it; we simply wouldn't care. Even those of us who walked away and will probably never go back would love to see it someday be returned to something like its former glory, even though we know that's as likely as the sun rising in the north.

    I think of this place as a support group of sorts nowadays. And you know what, that's not a bad thing to be, all in all. Though I'm sure Feldon would rightly like it to also be something that brings in a bit more revenue... ;)
     
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  17. Feldon

    Feldon Administrator Staff Member

    Fortunately my other endeavours are paying financial dividends. EQ2U and the other websites running on my server pay the bills.
     
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  18. Dorothea987

    Dorothea987 WhysperWynde alt

    "Alexander is more wanted than usual." = Found that statement kinda funny in Alexander Albedj's information page, translated from the Swedish. I guess that's the way to say 'he is popular' in Swedish but kinda made him sound like a wanted man in English .. as in wanted poster in sheriff's office. LOL

    As per EG7 purchasing Daybreak Game Company for $300M .. I see nice flowery words about:
    expanding portfolio from Jason Epstein, Executive Chairman of Daybreak Games
    growing dev teams and player communities from Ji Ham, CEO DayBreak
    bold plans and making dreams a reality from Robin Flodin, CEO EG7

    ~ ~ ~ But what exactly are any of them @ EG7 or those staying on from Daybreak Game Company going to do to improve the quality, playing experience and continuing wonderment of Everquest II Online? Honestly the last couple/few expansions have been unimaginative and from what I can tell, this last update expansion has actually put many players up in arms about 1.) Mercenaries 2.) Healing Skills 3.) Content not showing on maps 4.)You name it!

    SO WHAT is EG7 going to give us to #1 correct the presently caused problems mentioned above from latest expansion & more importantly even #2 give us in future expansions and even updates to whet our imaginative whistles again?!?
     
  19. Fuli

    Fuli Well-Known Member

    • Agree Agree x 3
  20. Mermut

    Mermut Well-Known Member

    Last edited: Dec 25, 2020
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