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5.5 million in founder's money, etc.
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I don't mean to denigrate the IP here, and I fully agree that the amazing BT fanbase can and has made amazing things happen. Let me blow up what I meant, and clarify that I am making several admittedly large logical leaps in making my statement.</div>
A. The last major commercial Battletech videogame title to be released was MechAssault: Phantom War in 2006. I don't have access to sales figures for any game in the series, but it is a fair assumption that the first one did decent as the series got 2 more games. However, either Microsoft has not had any interest in publishing more between now and then, or no developer has wanted to make any more "Assault" games. Certainly doesn't seem like the kind of thing rational companies would do if there were a decent margin on the table, especially with Microsoft or Nintendo's hardware install bases.</div>
- MechWarrior 4 Mercs came out in 2002, MechCommander 2 in 2001. Both fairly well regarded by fans from what I can tell, and previous games in the series had a rough 3-4 year cycle between games. Yet it took 10+ years for the next spiritual successors, MWO and MechWarrior Tactical Command, to be released publicly. Both sought funding through avenues not yet in existence in the time of their predecessors, crowdfunding in MWO's case and the mobile app space for Tactical command. This implies to me that for more than a decade, there was not a development margin that was appealing to publishers/deveopers.</div>
-WHAT I DO NOT KNOW HERE, is whether the appeal was lacking due to perceived ability to profit on the IP in general, or if the various copyrights for the IP, which are notoriously difficult to navigate, even for company and industry insiders, made the IP inaccessible. Now here is another point where opinion will vary widely; in my mind part of a powerful IP is actually having a meaningful way to get licensing done for said IP. If the copyright is so inaccessible that is stalls new developments in previously successful game series for over a decade, that is not very compelling.</div>
B. While MWO and fans certainly pulled off an impressive feat of crowd source funding in their initial drive, I think it important to keep 2 key issues in mind. First, that curve is going to be heavily, heavily front-loaded. Core fans of the IP basically paid in advance for a high concept, and like me were glad to have a part in jump-starting a new BT game. As the realities of development have set in, many have noted that some players have gone, and some are watching and waiting. It is highly unlikely that the game is generating $5.5 million annually now. Now that may or may not be a problem, and that will all depend on the next 2 years or so
Second, $5.5 million, while impressive for fans to raise, is quite a modest budget for a modern triple A game title. If we assume that has doubled over the last two years to about $11 million, that would put MWO in the ballpark of some of the major game titles whose budgets have been publicly disclosed, but certainly not even in the high end.
In the end, I feel a bit silly even arguing the point. I love Battletech, even most of the bad stuff. MWO to me, has the potential to be something awesome, and I still find it mostly pleasing even currently. I hope MWO gets huge, and re-ignites lots of other things, whether PGI is at the helm or someone else. Just that my hopes and reality kinda have a habit of being completely different is all.
Edit: Sorry for the wall of text.
Edited by Doc Sav, 10 February 2015 - 05:47 PM.