171 replies to this topic

[Green Mamba]

How long do you think before a another developer could pick it up and start working on a new MW Sim title?

Edited by Green Mamba, 20 October 2016 - 09:16 PM.

[BLOOD WOLF]

Green Mamba, on 20 October 2016 - 09:15 PM, said:

How long do you think before a another developer could pick it up and start working on a new MW Sim title?

good question. How long was it since MW4 to MWO?

Also PGI is not going to relinquish the rights, and if another dev where to pick it up they would just do their best to replicate the work PGI did

Edited by BLOOD WOLF, 20 October 2016 - 09:17 PM.

[Mcgral18]

Within the Decade


Sean Tracy (of Cloud Imperium Games) has expressed interest in a BattleTech game using the Star Engine
But, as above, probably a decade away before work would even start

Edited by Mcgral18, 20 October 2016 - 09:17 PM.

[Green Mamba]

about 7 years till the Smith and Tinker Video but now its proven that there still is a viable market for MW sim type games

[RestosIII]

If they relinquished it, HOPEFULLY Mechwarrior mods like Living Legends would be able to start up work again without getting slapped down, so it wouldn't take long for us to have something else to play. A proper dev company though? No clue. Niche IP, so it would have to be either someone's pet project, or pitched REALLY well to be picked up again, especially after all the bad press MW:O has generated in its lifetime.

[Green Mamba]

I think much quicker than a decade due to a solid nostalgic fanbase that would come back.There are people I gamed with in early 2013 that just dropped this game like a hot potato early on and never came back

Would love the LL guys to get a hold of it

Edited by Green Mamba, 20 October 2016 - 09:21 PM.

[Bombast]

A decade, probably. Whether it's PGI's fault or not, them relinquishing or losing the rights to Mechwarrior is an advertisement that the franchise isn't worth serious consideration, or at least not a multi-million dollar investment.

I'd question whether it would make a come back at all, really. While the fanbase is fairly dedicated, it's not large, and another giant gap would only serve to dilute it further. And giant mecha games in general don't seem to be doing so hot - Front Mission has taken a beating, Armored Core is in a position where I think people wished it was dead, and Gundum, while still being pushed out at an alarming rate, isn't as impressive as it once was.

[Snowbluff]

RestosIII, on 20 October 2016 - 09:19 PM, said:

If they relinquished it, HOPEFULLY Mechwarrior mods like Living Legends would be able to start up work again without getting slapped down, so it wouldn't take long for us to have something else to play. A proper dev company though? No clue. Niche IP, so it would have to be either someone's pet project, or pitched REALLY well to be picked up again, especially after all the bad press MW:O has generated in its lifetime.

The best part of this for me is knowing that adherence to the lore and title denied people of another mechwarrior title.

Call it sadism, but a new title would have been interesting. I appreciate the art of video game development, and we really lack IP.

Edited by Snowbluff, 20 October 2016 - 09:27 PM.

[Green Mamba]

The HBS game was started fairly quickly after the MW tactics collapse so I think only a couple years

[Vellron2005]

And they called my MWO2 idea mad

I think not long.. since it's clear there's a market out there.. and if done properly, a new MW game would attract new fans, cose' the MW / BT setting is so different from anything out there right now.

If MWO delivered on it's potential, players would number in the hundreds of thousands or even millions, but since it's BT stripped to the bone, and the game got a bunch of bad reviews, its just a niche game.

If MWO was developed by saaaay, Black Isle, or Blizzard, or even Bethesda, it would have been a smash hit.

But.. PGI.

Not intended on trashing PGI, it's just a simple fact they've not used Battletech's potential as a setting.

[Ghogiel]

Green Mamba, on 20 October 2016 - 09:15 PM, said:

How long do you think before a another developer could pick it up and start working on a new MW Sim title?

Possibly another 10-12 years.

[Kotzi]

Its all about the dough. Wouldnt know that an IP can only be licensed once. If you got the money go for it. Ask MS. But Mechwarrior and Battletech games were no financial success afaik. So the interest is low i guess.

[Johnny Z]

Vellron2005, on 20 October 2016 - 11:35 PM, said:

And they called my MWO2 idea mad

I think not long.. since it's clear there's a market out there.. and if done properly, a new MW game would attract new fans, cose' the MW / BT setting is so different from anything out there right now.

If MWO delivered on it's potential, players would number in the hundreds of thousands or even millions, but since it's BT stripped to the bone, and the game got a bunch of bad reviews, its just a niche game.

If MWO was developed by saaaay, Black Isle, or Blizzard, or even Bethesda, it would have been a smash hit.

But.. PGI.

Not intended on trashing PGI, it's just a simple fact they've not used Battletech's potential as a setting.

Its a good idea if its an upgrade of this game, or version 2.0.

[El Bandito]

I'm pretty sure the IP will be grabbed up by another developer, for more kickstarter campaign. When that happens I would help fund it.

I hoped for 3 years for PGI to gather their **** together. I wouldn't be too sad if the servers are shut down tomorrow.

[Dogstar]

25 years, so enjoy the wait OP

[Bud Crue]

This IP is now and for the foreseeable future linked to PGI. PGI has made this IP an arena shooter based exclusively on pokemech and power creep of same. I can't imagine the effort and cost in marketing it would take to eliminate that association in the gaming community and convince those same people (or new players) that some new version of this game, from whatever company, is somehow not going to be the same damn thing.

That said, if PGI's books show that they have made a fortune, and they or more likely microsoft share that info with prospective future licensees, then yeah, someone will pick it up and make another go of it fairly quickly. But I doubt that the books show such a windfall opportunity; in which case I think this will be the last MechWarrior (FPS) style game for a very long time (after it goes dark).

[Davers]

1. PGI would never just relinquish the rights, unless it wasn't profitable. Seeing how they aren't closing servers, I can only assume they are making money.

2. I doubt any company creating a f2p model game will be much different than this. I don't think any big company will acquire the rights, as they can more easily make their own ip and have a dedicated fab base of the company to buy the game.

3. A game designed around the standard MW single person campaign will most likely be unbalanced for multiplayer. I would expect the usual need to acquire heavier and heavier mechs, capped off with the end game using Clan tech almost exclusively.

[TLBFestus]

You never know. A better Developer might look at this and think to themselves, "Well the clowns that ran this game actually made it work despite being serially incompetent, we can do better than that", and pick it up soon after.

It would be interesting to see how a different developer designed the game.

[Johnny Z]

TLBFestus, on 21 October 2016 - 08:58 AM, said:

You never know. A better Developer might look at this and think to themselves, "Well the clowns that ran this game actually made it work despite being serially incompetent, we can do better than that", and pick it up soon after.

It would be interesting to see how a different developer designed the game.

It could change hands but the price tag would be crazy. I don't mind guessing about almost anything, but I wouldn't hazard a guess about how much trying to buy MechWarrior Online would cost.

Its in the realm of the Star Wars title. Not equal value of course, but its in that realm. In my opinion the Battletech/Mechwarrior title is worth more than the Star Trek title for example, not even close. I always think of Battletech as having Aerotech though.

Star Wars has mechs in every one of its trailers lately. Heres the newest one.

Edited by Johnny Z, 21 October 2016 - 09:13 AM.

[Ghogiel]

El Bandito, on 21 October 2016 - 02:02 AM, said:

I'm pretty sure the IP will be grabbed up by another developer, for more kickstarter campaign. When that happens I would help fund it. I hoped for 3 years for PGI to gather their **** together. I wouldn't be too sad if the servers are shut down tomorrow.

If you are thinking it would be anything but F2P and MWOesque it's possible. Anyone else trying to do a B2P with mirco transactions or stand alone release based around single player campaigns like previous MW games, like nope.