58 replies to this topic

[G o a t]

Per Russ Bullock: "if certain criteria is met will have until mid-2020 to continue to develop MechWarrior products including MWO".

"On Nov 8th 2013 PGI and Microsoft finalized negotiations on an extension to PGI’s MechWarrior license. Whereas before our license ran out mid 2015 we are now ensured rights until mid-2018 and also if certain criteria is met will have until mid-2020 to continue to develop MechWarrior products including MWO. Needless to say this was something I had been working on for a very long time, Microsoft is very happy about how the MechWarrior brand is being re-invigorated with the new art work and gameplay advances. This extended license deal gives PGI many of the assurances we were looking for to justify continuing to spend large amounts of development funds on the game, we know we now have the runway to make the investment logical".

Meaning that by mid-2020 PGI gonna have been milking developing tinkering with the MechWarrior franchise for over 10 years.

No other developer previously has had anything even remotely similar to a monopoly like the one PGI strives to achieve. There's a legitimate question whether any one developer should be granted IP rights for so long. Of course, that's for Microsoft to decide.

As fan of MicroProse/Fasa works (more so than Dynamix and Activision), I'd like to see MechWarrior franchise being able to evolve through the years and build upon its roots and its legacy.

With PGI's wannabuymechpacking it for the last 5 years the monetisation of PC "MechWarrior products" has gone through the roof compared to the previous developers.

I hope that in the proverbial "mid-2018" the state of MWO and MW5 will be judged accordingly and Microsoft makes the right decision with regards to the real development and not incessant milking of MechWarrior.

The way things going as of now I find a lot in common with Terminator franchise, for one. There is a certain risk that MechWarrior under the current developer morphs into a faceless WarRobots project.

That way some more money will have been made but the franchise will be hollowed out.

There's a sh load of robots FPS around. We don't need another nonidentifiable robots game.

MechWarrior "in mid-2020s" deserves a proper MechWarrior BattleTech sim, not a hollowed out metaquadbot something.

I hope, I hope...

Edited by G o a t, 07 June 2017 - 01:14 PM.

[RestosIII]

G o a t, on 07 June 2017 - 01:11 PM, said:

MechWarrior "in mid-2020s" deserves a proper MechWarrior BattleTech sim, not a hollowed out metaquadbot something..

Remember that they are going to release MW5 in the future.

Also, I think we have ONE forum warrior that would enjoy having a "quad" in a Mechwarrior game...

[KharnZor]

I've come back for a look after a couple of years and i see some things havent changed around here..
The OP's are still terrible.

[TKSax]

I doubt PGI would be wasting money on Developing Mechwarrior 5 if they had not talked with Microsoft about the 2018 license, I am sure PGI already has assurances that it will be extend to mid 2020. Also while you me and other may not like what PGI has done with the Mechwarrior Online the game has been a success and has made MS money so why would they not renew the license with PGI.

Edited by TKSax, 07 June 2017 - 01:20 PM.

[Metus regem]

TKSax, on 07 June 2017 - 01:20 PM, said:

I doubt PGI would be wasting money on Developing Mechwarrior 5 if they had not talked with Microsoft about the 2018 license, I am sure PGI already has assurances that it will be extend to mid 2020. Also while you me and other may not like what PGI has done with the Mechwarrior Online the game has been a success and has made MS money so why would they not renew the license with PGI.

Especially since Microsoft has been reluctant to do anything with it post Mech Assault....

[MoonUnitBeta]

RestosIII, on 07 June 2017 - 01:14 PM, said:

Also, I think we have ONE forum warrior that would enjoy having a "quad" in a Mechwarrior game...

two!

[Ruar]

On the one hand, PGI brought MWO to reality. Having it be FTP has introduced the franchise to players who had never heard of BT.

On the other hand, PGI is pretty much just milking the cash cow by focusing their efforts on releasing new mechs as the way to bring in money. Maps, mechanics, balance, and other aspects of BT (tanks/aerospace/individual campaigns) have all been ignored in the main. Yet month after month a new mech is kicked out the door to bring in more money.

I think the problem is that PGI's vision is too small. Or perhaps they just don't have the capital to invest in building a real BT FPS. Either way I doubt we get what we want from PGI. It will take a bigger studio willing to put up some serious money to build a better game. I think such a game would be very successful given how many people enjoy the franchise and are willing to spend money on a product that feels like BT.

[CJ Daxion]

No mech games for over 10 years..


PGI Gave us back Mechwarrior games, and the first online updated game that i never have an issue getting a match any time of day..

Single player game is coming soon,

as IS battle tech TB game..



Such an awful thing PGI has done..


:::Shakes head:::

[Ruar]

CJ Daxion, on 07 June 2017 - 01:29 PM, said:

No mech games for over 10 years..


PGI Gave us back Mechwarrior games, and the first online updated game that i never have an issue getting a match any time of day..

Single player game is coming soon,

as IS battle tech TB game..



Such an awful thing PGI has done..


:::Shakes head:::

That"s kind of like saying PGI bought a cow and then turned it all into hamburger. They are getting another cow and this time you'll get cube steak while someone else is serving up the livers and tongue.

PGI could have served up steaks, prime rib, and filet mignon, but somehow they managed to turn it all into hamburger. Sure, hamburger is better than nothing, but look at what could have been on the menu.

[Scyther]

The last PC MechWarrior/BattleTech game (prior to MWO) was MW4-Mercs, released in 2002, iirc.

So, all those studios who didn't bother to develop a game from a fairly successful, well-known and saleable franchise in the 10 years it took for PGI to give it a go, probably won't develop anything if the license becomes available.

While I think PGI could be/should be putting a little more effort into developing more than the next mechpack and an occasional game update, they at least are putting some effort in.

Edited by MadBadger, 07 June 2017 - 01:34 PM.

[Felicitatem Parco]

In the mean time, all we have is a small independent company who put their own livelihood on the line to make a Mechwarrior game. This is a company with many battletech fans in staff, and you'd know if you have ever read the developer interviews, etc.

To say they are milking this like a Cash Cow is to say that charging money for a videogame is unethical. How juvenile​. Milking a Cash cow is what you say when someone is effortlessly generating secondary income from side projects and follow-ups to an already highly profitable main product. Accusing PGI of milking a Cash cow by charging for MechPacks shows that you are either a.) Unaware that staff, rent, servers, etc. all cost money, or b.) Just mad, bro.

If you think this game needs a new developer, then please tell me which companies approached Microsoft for official licensing rights to make a Mechwarrior game since MW4. Let's start a list, shall we.

Here is a list of all the companies who wanted to make an official licensed Mechwarrior game in the last 13 years:

1.) Smith and Tinker in conjunction with PGI.
2.) PGI.

So, there ya go. Let's all bash the only company that actually stands for Mechwarrior, and hope it falls into the hands of someone who doesn't give a crap about BT or MW since they never showed any interest in it at all.

You think PGI is just "in it for the money?". If it's such a lucious cash cow waiting to be milked, THEN WHY DIDN'T ANY OTHER FIRMS JUMP ON IT AMD MILK IT?

Edited by Prosperity Park, 07 June 2017 - 01:37 PM.

[Metus regem]

Prosperity Park, on 07 June 2017 - 01:35 PM, said:

In the mean time, all we have is a small independent company who put their own livelihood on the line to make a Mechwarrior game. This is a company with many battletech fans in staff, and you'd know if you have ever read the developer interviews, etc.

To say they are milking this like a Cash Cow is to say that charging money for a videogame is unethical. How juvenile​. Milking a Cash cow is what you say when someone is effortlessly generating secondary income from side projects and follow-ups to an already highly profitable main product. Accusing PGI of milking a Cash cow by charging for MechPacks shows that you are either a.) Unaware that staff, rent, servers, etc. all cost money, or b.) Just mad, bro.

If you think this game needs a new developer, then please tell me which companies approached Microsoft for official licensing rights to make a Mechwarrior game since MW4. Let's start a list, shall we.

Here is a list of all the companies who wanted to make an official licensed Mechwarrior game in the last 13 years:

1.) Smith and Tinker in conjunction with PGI.
2.) PGI.

So, there ya go. Let's all bash the only company that actually stands for Mechwarrior, and hope it falls into the hands of someone who doesn't give a crap about BT or MW since they never showed any interest in it at all.

You think PGI is just "in it for the money?". If it's such a lucious cash cow waiting to be milked, THEN WHY DIDN'T ANY OTHER FIRMS JUMP ON IT AMD MILK IT?

To be blunt, the mercurial mood swings of the aging fan base of BT.... Microsoft got bit hard by the BT fan base, with Mech Assault series (would've been a fantastic series if they didn't try to make it fit Battle Tech and made it it's own new IP) and the poorly received MW4 by the older fans.

Has PGI done a good job making Mech Warrior come back from the dead, yes.
Is there room for improvement, yes.
Does PGI have the capabilities to do those improvements, questionable at best.
Am I thankful for what PGI has put-forth thus far, yes.
Would I have liked more sim with less arcade, HELL YES!

[razenWing]

LOL at OP. It's year 2017 and there are still people that think charging people 50 dollars for one game one time is a work-able business model. Jesus christ, do you not live through the past 10 years? Open your eyes man, micro-transaction is the future, if you aren't putting money into MWO, you'll be putting money to buy a new electronic rifle, a fictional dinosaur, or 5 extra lives to crush candies.

Get with the time... buy only the mechpack that you like. At least the mechpacks reaffirms the fact that PGI is still making development, and that's always good.

Did you HONESTLY BELIEVE that another developer is just going to go back to the old ways, 60 dollars and infinite play? No server maintenance cost, no continuous improvement, no new contents... 60 dollars one flat game. Yea, no thanks.

[CJ Daxion]

Ruar, on 07 June 2017 - 01:33 PM, said:

That"s kind of like saying PGI bought a cow and then turned it all into hamburger. They are getting another cow and this time you'll get cube steak while someone else is serving up the livers and tongue.

PGI could have served up steaks, prime rib, and filet mignon, but somehow they managed to turn it all into hamburger. Sure, hamburger is better than nothing, but look at what could have been on the menu.

When i first heard about this game in 2012 i joined up and made a post. My first question was, Would there be PVE, because typically i don't play PVP games, and the only shooter i've ever played before this was mechwarrior, and a handful of arcade games. I never liked quake, or unreal, or those sort of things because i found them very boring.


The responce i got was basically, we would love to make a single player game, and do tons of stuff, But right now we are making an arena based pvp game that is basically pvp mech warrior. I was sad, but i decided to play anyway. In the years i've been playing which was april of the next year, (a few months before the first aniversery when the game was very young) I Just loved it.

I have enjoyed the clan invasion, i enjoyed the balance swings, i enjoyed the back and forth and what IMO has only gotten better and after closing in on the 5 year aniversery i think there is a very solid game, that is looking forward to it's best days.


I also have a single player game coming, along with Battletech, which both i am super excited for. Basically the way my Q's were answered and what we got, i am very satisfied. I was not expecting a AAA game, yet i am playing one i enjoy more than tons of them. No thanks overwatch, planetside, CS-go or what ever other FPS is out there. I enjoy this one.


While i guess you may like Prime-rib, I'll take me a nice juicy hamburger any day of that.. And now, its got Bacon and cheese, with desert coming soon.

[AdrenaHawk]

CJ Daxion, on 07 June 2017 - 01:29 PM, said:

Single player game is coming soon,

as IS battle tech TB game..

That is not PGI, do not give them credit for the hard work of others.

[Metus regem]

CJ Daxion, on 07 June 2017 - 02:07 PM, said:

While i guess you may like Prime-rib, I'll take me a nice juicy hamburger any day of that.. And now, its got Bacon and cheese, with desert coming soon.

damn now I want a good bacon cheese burger for dinner....

[Baulven]

Is it sad that I expect PGIs long term goal is to release MW5, shortly after release MWO2 (same engine and all the art assets will be moved over, on top of built maps and such) and immediately start charging everyone for everything again from the ground up?

[cazidin]

I, for one, would like PGI to re-release MW3 and MW4.

[Metus regem]

Baulven, on 07 June 2017 - 02:21 PM, said:

Is it sad that I expect PGIs long term goal is to release MW5, shortly after release MWO2 (same engine and all the art assets will be moved over, on top of built maps and such) and immediately start charging everyone for everything again from the ground up?

No, you just understand that they are a for profit company and need to keep everything working and running... I would like to think that they would reward legacy customers, but I have no expectations that they would.

cazidin, on 07 June 2017 - 02:24 PM, said:

I, for one, would like PGI to re-release MW3 and MW4.

I'd like MW2 (with all versions 31st/GBL/Mercs) and 3...4 I could take or leave....

I'm serious, MW2; Mercs was the best one to date.... also an easy formula to copy for MW5... start in the 3025 era end during the Invasion era....

[Valdarion Silarius]

RestosIII, on 07 June 2017 - 01:14 PM, said:

Remember that they are going to release MW5 in the future.

Also, I think we have ONE forum warrior that would enjoy having a "quad" in a Mechwarrior game...

MoonUnitBeta, on 07 June 2017 - 01:22 PM, said:

two!

I made a thread explaining DakTek which has quad mech support. Go head on over to Gmod if you want to make a quad in the battletech universe. Only other option is the PSX port of MW:2 that features the Tarantula I suppose.