Bud Crue, on 12 October 2017 - 06:55 AM, said:
It depends on the definition of flop...
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As to the second point it depends on what you think of as our “best interest”...
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As for the first part. What sort of numbers the game needs to sell to cross over from flop to success is probably something that won't be shared with us. I agree that development costs are high and that just appealing to MWO's player base and maybe even core MW4 fans are probably not going to do it. Despite that though, it is a start and everything needs a start.
I think BattleTech will help generate buzz and attention when it launches earlier. I also think that this game will get adequate media coverage as well. This was a franchise that used to own the PC gaming market in the mid to late 90's. Although that itself wouldn't guarantee coverage in the current gaming environment, HBS's BattleTech coming out before MW5:Mercs with Paradox's grunt promoting the game will help get MW5:Mercs onto the gaming radar.
Like I said before, I believe this is a good 2-puch approach to getting things going.
As for the second part...
I can't really see any way that less products and less success is in the BattleTech fan's best interest.
You mention that PGI may feel more inclined to move away from MWO or introduce a MWO2 that would mean that everything spent is now lost. That may be the case, but that is sort of the natural order of things. We know that this product can not last forever. We know when we buy these packs and content, it comes with an expiration date. Eventually one day MWO will shut down, and all that was paid content (Hero mechs, camos, colors, etc...) will be lost, but that is a WHEN and not an IF.
Therefore the question that should be asked is, when it happens, what shape do you want the franchise to be in when it does? Do you want alternatives to enjoy, or do you want a bleak landscape for another 10+ years? If games show that there isn't a large scale appeal for the franchise, it may shelve any interest from developers or publishers for a very long time.
Ultimately I don't think we will get that bleak landscape. I also don't think we will have MWO shut immediately down with a Successful MW5:Mercs. If success does motivate a sequel to happen, it definitely won't happen overnight.
Even if it is a big success, it is only Single Player. If it brings new players to the franchise, and they are looking for more play and multiplayer competition, they will likely try out MWO. This game will probably see a boost as a result. With that boost, it will serve as motivation to extend MWO as it now makes more money than it had before MW5:Merc's launch.
Lastly, if this game is a big success, and it does convince PGI that they could try to make a sequel to MWO, it wouldn't be ready for prime time for at least 2 years after they make the decision to go through with it, and that wouldn't be until after MW5:Mercs comes out (which is probably a year away). That is an additional 3 years on top of the 5+ years we are into the game now. That would be 8+ years of MWO total. Even then, there might be a small overlap as well.
That is one heck of a run.
All this is even if they don't have plans to create a sequel anyway once MW5:Mercs is done regardless of it's performance.
Overall I wouldn't worry about the success of MW5:Mercs having a direct impact on MWO. Success for a franchise means fans get more games to enjoy. The span between MW4 (or even MechAssault 2) and MWO was a long one. I would like a more steady stream of games myself and success in the franchise is what will make that happen
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