215 replies to this topic

[FoXabre]

I think most of the biggest questions have been asked already. So here is my main question. (This is assuming that this is a new game and not related to MWO, but that question has already been asked)

What will make this new game successful?

First off, we have some great space sim games in development now (Elite: Dangerous and Star Citizen). These games already offer many great features and seem hard to compete with. What will your game offer that will set it apart from the others?

The next thing we need to look at is funding. So far it seems your current audience is the MechWarrior Online community. I would think that most people here are looking for Mech Combat and not a Space sim. Sure there can be overlapping interest but this brings me to my next point, reputation.

Most MechWarriors know of the funding and development patterns of MWO. I believe that most people will be very wary about buying into any kind of Founders package that may be presented with this game.

We also have to worry about the speed and quality of development. We know that you have a small team. How can development of this new game keep up against the teams behind Elite and Star Citizen? Even if amazing features could be developed, would it even get developed in time to earn recognition before Elite or Star Citizen release something new and great.

I guess what I am trying to say with all this, is that I believe MechWarrior is the game that will be successful for you. I think a lot of potential spenders on MWO left during the beginning growing pains. However there still seem to be a bunch that will spend. If the team for this new game was used to supplement the MWO team, I think that the increased speed and quality of development could really help. CW, more maps, more game modes and some of the popular Mechs released would really help this game.

MWO is different. We need MWO. We don't need another space sim. Especially if it will be lesser quality than others.

Thanks for reading and I look forward to your responses on Monday.

Edited by FoXabre, 06 September 2014 - 11:30 AM.

[Wu Jen]

When can we expect to see more clan mechs i.e. Vulture etc in a package form to help support your new venture?

[Fut]

FoXabre, on 06 September 2014 - 11:28 AM, said:

I think most of the biggest questions have been asked already. So here is my main question. (This is assuming that this is a new game and not related to MWO, but that question has already been asked)

What will make this new game successful?

First off, we have some great space sim games in development now (Elite: Dangerous and Star Citizen). These games already offer many great features and seem hard to compete with. What will your game offer that will set it apart from the others?

The next thing we need to look at is funding. So far it seems your current audience is the MechWarrior Online community. I would think that most people here are looking for Mech Combat and not a Space sim. Sure there can be overlapping interest but this brings me to my next point, reputation.

Most MechWarriors know of the funding and development patterns of MWO. I believe that most people will be very wary about buying into any kind of Founders package that may be presented with this game.

We also have to worry about the speed and quality of development. We know that you have a small team. How can development of this new game keep up against the teams behind Elite and Star Citizen? Even if amazing features could be developed, would it even get developed in time to earn recognition before Elite or Star Citizen release something new and great.

I guess what I am trying to say with all this, is that I believe MechWarrior is the game that will be successful for you. I think a lot of potential spenders on MWO left during the beginning growing pains. However there still seem to be a bunch that will spend. If the team for this new game was used to supplement the MWO team, I think that the increased speed and quality of development could really help. CW, more maps, more game modes and some of the popular Mechs released would really help this game.

MWO is different. We need MWO. We don't need another space sim. Especially if it will be lesser quality than others.

Thanks for reading and I look forward to your responses on Monday.

Seriously, this. 100% this.

Edited by Fut, 06 September 2014 - 11:54 AM.

[Raghnall]

Since it seems PGI now has a willingness to branch into other projects:

Will you now consider releasing a single player side to Mechwarrior? Such as a feature rich campaign with plot, characters and combined arms of the battletech/mechwarrior universe? Deathmatch is ok, but I always enjoyed that universe...

[White Panther]

When you write to the community about what this new game will be all about, do you actually plan to follow through on it or will it just be your "position at that time"?

In the the details you will give about the new game, will you include "position at that time" anywhere in the message? Just so people know that what you say isnt the truth?

[Gut]

Dear PGI:

If this was funded by an outside developer, why didn't you convince that developer to fund engineers to better this game instead? If the answer is you need money, then we will not be happy.

If this was funded by the current MWO players, why didn't you hire engineers to make this game better instead? Almost any answer to this one will make us not happy.

The bottleneck for this game has never been the art department, it has always been who can code what. You knew this and decided to use additional resources from *whatever* source to create something new.

And as has been stated, the space flight sim world is overcrowded. Unless this is a continuation of the Battletech IP, this game is an affront to MWO players.

If it is a Battletech IP, there are too many things to fix in MWO to go down this route.

Please make an incredible product that is *actually* successful, rather than just "called" successful, to show your investors. Make that product MWO. It is not there yet.

P.S. Please reduce the grind on leveling mechs 80%, please make each mech cost only $5-$8, and please fix your netcode in addition to CW.

Edit: If this game is to be crowd-sourced, why did you choose to take on this project instead of investing more into MWO? Again, almost any answer will not make us happy.

Edited by Gut, 06 September 2014 - 12:54 PM.

[Gyrok]

So, why can 10 vs 12 not be done because "manpower" if you have enough "manpower" to start a new project that is "the biggest project you have ever undertaken"?

[Scromboid]

Let me start by introducing myself. My name is Bryan Ekman, Creative Director and Co-Founder of Piranha Games. 14 years ago I founded Piranha Games with my business partner Russ Bullock to build exciting and engaging games that we love to play. Piranha is best known for our latest endeavor — MechWarrior Online, an online free-to-play giant robot combat game. MechWarrior Online's incredibly successful Founder's Program proved that we can work directly with our backers to help build a game for the community.

On Sep 9th, 2014 at 12:00PM PDT we invite you to join us for the reveal of our next project. It's a big one, it's going to be the largest production ever undertaken here at Piranha, and we want YOU to be part of it.

It's epic, it's online, it's sci-fi.

Just below you will find a registration form. Filling out this form will register you for our new game and grant you an exclusive in-game item when the finished product goes live. By registering now, you can also name your Pilot – yes that's right, pilot. Ok, no more spoilers…

I look forward to the future, and our journey to the stars.

Sincerely,

Bryan Ekman


Creative Director/Co-Founder
Piranha Games

@bryanekman / #AUniverseToExplore

Edited by Scromboid, 06 September 2014 - 12:21 PM.

[Jonny Taco]

I have two main question...

q1 : How long is it going to take you to crop/silence the large amounts of negative feedback to give the false impression that the "public opinion" is actually positive about this?

q2: Will this thread be deleted as well if the overwhelming CUSTOMER opinions posted are negative like the last one?

Thanks in advance for the answers Bryan

Edited by lartfor, 06 September 2014 - 12:31 PM.

[Joseph Mallan]

Bryan Ekman, on 06 September 2014 - 10:56 AM, said:

Read OP. Monday

Here or on Twitter?

[Reno Blade]

1. How do you intent to handle a community with a lot of mistrus like we see here without the need to delete 90% of the posts, because they don't follow a simple format (like in this thread)?

2. Could/can you use your experience of community communication, development, management and so on from MWO in the new project?

3. Does the management/development livecycle differ from the model/use in the MWO project?

4. What would be the team composition and how does it compare to MWO teams? (say, two team managers with 10 developers, 2 artists and so on...)

[Lyoto Machida]

Can't wait for the 9th.

Edited by Nikolai Lubkiewicz, 06 September 2014 - 01:11 PM.
Images aren't questions. Feel free to edit and add some though!

[Homeless Bill]

Can you give us some sort of proof that funding from MWO was not channeled into this project?

Coming from a company that has lied willingly, knowingly, and repeatedly, a flat denial just doesn't mean anything to me anymore. I need proof. I need a publisher name, a real source, or something. I refuse to take your word at face value any longer. And if I end up being wrong for assuming that you've channeled MWO funds into this game, so be it; your own track record of lying outright to your community has driven me to believe it is the logical conclusion until I see otherwise.

You've cried wolf too many times; show me something solid.

[Pht]

I, for one, have a comment, and a question.

The comment: While everyone's freaking out, they should also remember that PGI secured the rights to hold onto their license until 2020. They're not going to leave it sitting.

The question:

Have you hired anyone to work on the new game?

[Zolaz]

Let me see ... if past performance is an indicator of future performance, then I think I will say good luck. PGI is going to need it.

[NocturnalBeast]

Bryan, as a supporter of MWO since the beginning, I have a question for you. For years, we have been told that the reason community warfare has been delayed so many times,was mostly due to a lack of development resources. Now, with community warfare less than halfway implemented, how are you able to spare development resources for a new game and still be able to fully implement community warfare as you have promised in a timely manner?

Edited by Ed Steele, 06 September 2014 - 01:50 PM.

[n r g]

Ghost Rider LSOV, on 06 September 2014 - 06:57 AM, said:

What guarantees us that MWO will continue to have improved development after Community Warfare and not be thrown into the backburner?

We have seen in the past, other companies doing the same thing and we are very alarmed now.

what GUARANTEES that MWO was not simply a "test run" FOR this #auniversetoexplore game?

[Wieland]

What does different gameplay than the upcoming big guys of space sim(Elite:Dangerous, Star Citizen)mean?
Those games have most of the stuff a spacesim should have. So why do you think you can be a success without it?

[Lonestar1771]

Will CW be in your new game from the start or will it take approximately 90 days to implement?

[xJohnWolf]

Where are you finding the people, time, and monetary resources to work on this project in addition to MWO and MWT?