Game News NWN must DIE

[Saint_Proverbius]

Tags: Neverwinter Nights

Per this <A href="http://www.sorcerers.net/index.php#001803">news item</a> on <a href="http://www.sorcerers.net/">Sorcerer's Place</a>, it appears that <a href="http://nwn.bioware.com">Neverwinter Nights</a> is dead as far as <A href="http://www.atari.com">Atari</a> is concerned. So, here's the first quote of the IRC crap:
<br>
<blockquote><i>May 26 02:55:16 <[DLA]Steel_Wind> Atari called to tell BioWare they were stopping the premium mod program and not authorizing any further patches for NWN1
<br>
May 26 02:55:22 Ouch.
<br>
May 26 02:55:23 * Cygnata points to Lisa. Is.
<br>
May 26 02:55:24 <[DLA]Steel_Wind> They did not want any talk of free horses at E3
<br>
May 26 02:55:25 Yikes!
<br>
May 26 02:55:33 <[DLA]Steel_Wind> NWN1 is dead. Atari killed it.
<br>
May 26 02:55:35 lol
<br>
May 26 02:55:37 SW: WHY?
<br>
May 26 02:55:42 <[DLA]Lisa> the live team was disbanded</i></blockquote>
<br>
There's also some clarafication that the live team hasn't been disbanded in <a href="http://nwn.bioware.com/forums/viewtopic.html?topic=482695&forum=42">this thread</a> on the subject.
<br>
<br>
So, finally, it's DOOMED! DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED! Mwuhahahahahha! DOOM!
<br>
<br>
Thanks, <b>Taluntain</b>!
<br>

 

[Elwro]

I wonder if Atari will in mid-June tell Obsidian that NWN2 has to go gold in two weeks.

 

[Jason]

I'll never r00fles again.

But really, if NWN dies it'll be because people just moved on to NWN2, not because of Atari withdrawing support. I seriously doubt the NWN community lasted this long because of the live team or premium mods. It's been all about the player-made mods.

 

[Voss]

Wow. They want to stop spending money on the first one before the sequel comes out? Shocking.

Next you'll tell me that Paramount isn't paying for new Star Trek TNG episodes.

 

[Volourn]

"Wow. They want to stop spending money on the first one before the sequel comes out? Shocking."

It's too bad that Atari wasn't spending money on it.



We all should keep in mind this isn't official yet; but some stuff to be aware of as well:

Atari hasn't been spending any money at all. It's been BIo supporting the game finanically through the DD. They're just stopping BIO from supporting it. Also, they've canclelled 3 more DD PM scheduled for tis summer.

Supposedly, the next PM was going to include rideable horses, and Atari didn't want Bioware to announce free rediable horses for NWN just after Obsidian annoucned they wouldn't be in NWN2.

Also, accoridng to one of the people who worked on the last PM, BIO had planned to make PM for NWN2 as well; but that's been kiboshed by them 'cause they no longer want to dela with Atari after this mess.

NEWSFLASH; 2006 Sequel Fears 2002 Original.

LOLOLOLOLLIPOP


Seriously, NWN2 was gonna sell 1 mil+ copies no matter what... yet, Atari is so fearful...


P.S. Accoridng to BIO, one more NWN patch is in the offing and that's it.



D R A M A

 

[Elwro]

It's not "stopping spending money on the first game" becuase Bioware patched it themselves, it's also forbidding Bioware to release modules that could be sold with no revenue for Atari. For some reasons I don't understand it's also supposed to have some influence on the big DLA mod that is to come out.

 

[aboyd]

Also, accoridng to one of the people who worked on the last PM, BIO had planned to make PM for NWN2 as well; but that's been kiboshed by them 'cause they no longer want to dela with Atari after this mess.

Wait. Doesn't everything Bioware does go through Atari? If they no longer want to deal with Atari, that's kind of a huge sea-change. It means new publishers have a chance to get in on the franchises. It means new deals to negotiate. It could mean new publishers would change around all of the ship dates.

Hell, it could mean Bethesda distributes Bioware product.

Are you sure? Did you hear that first hand? That's kind of a big deal.

-Tony

 

[gromit]

Everything D&D goes through Atari, Bio's only tied to publishers for their licenses or consoles.

KotOR - Lucasarts, ME & JE - Microsoft, MDK / All pre-NWN D&D - Interplay

 

[Volourn]

"Wait. Doesn't everything Bioware does go through Atari?"

No. Just D&D products.

" If they no longer want to deal with Atari, that's kind of a huge sea-change. It means new publishers have a chance to get in on the franchises. It means new deals to negotiate. It could mean new publishers would change around all of the ship dates."

It only effects D&D stuff.

BIO is an independent develoepr so they choose who their publisher is. It's why they had MS publish JE yet thye have no publsiher (as of yet) for the PC version.


"Hell, it could mean Bethesda distributes Bioware product."

They could always do that depending on the game IP. Since BIO owns the DA IP; if BIO wnated to they could ask Betehsda to do the publishing. same with JE PC... If Bethesda wanted to as well.


"ME & JE - Microsoft"

Not quite troll. MS publsihed JE for x-box; but BIO owns the license which means currently (since the exclusivity deal is over) they cna get anyone they want to publish JE PC. I preusme they have the same sort of exclusivity for ME as well.

Other than that, your post is cool.

 

[Thrawn05]

Hell, it could mean Bethesda distributes Bioware product.

hmmmm.... I can see that happening if Bio dumps Atari.

Todd hands over the ES franchise to Bioware so they he can concentrate more on FALLOUT 3 OMFG R00FLES!!!!!!!!!! and declare to the masses "Bioware will make ES 5 even better!!! TRUST US!!!!!" Meanwhile Ken learns the ways of Winchester and goes on a murderous rampage in Bethesda HQ and sends VD an e-mail that reads: "Am I cool now?"


Sorry, rambling on there.

 

[Atrokkus]

That's not shocking.

NWN 2 is out soon, the interest in NWN1 fades quickly.

ANd as Baby arm rightly noted, it's all about fan communities, modules and online shards -- that's where the life is, and that's what actually made NWN a decent game project. NWN2 is going to be even better, but they can't really coexist together. Just like a prince can't be a king before his father dies, or his father can't share the throne with his scion.

 

[Greatatlantic]

Everything D&D goes through Atari, Bio's only tied to publishers for their licenses or consoles.

KotOR - Lucasarts, ME & JE - Microsoft, MDK / All pre-NWN D&D - Interplay

Actually, Jade Empire and Mass Effect are original IPs developed by Bioware. I'm pretty sure Bioware self funded, so that means they'd have no reason to sign away the rights to those IPs. The best evidence of this is that Microsoft apparently won't be publishing the PC port of Jade Empire. I'm sure the publisher has some input, but certainly no final say on creative control.

DnD, on ther other hand, is Hasbro's property which they lisenced to Atari to make video games. Bioware has to clear everything they do with the lisence through Atari, which probably then has to go through Habro. Obviously with a sequel to sell coming, Atari doesn't want to canablize its sales by continuing to support the previous one.

 

[Volourn]

Oh please. This idea that continued NWN will somehow stop people from buying NWN2 is ludicrous. Only a company on its way to death like Atari apparantly is would think so illogically.

Atari doesn't even 'support' NWN anymore.

If anything, continued support of NWN1 could on;y be seen as good publicity for NWN2 'cause it would feed the belief that NWN2 would see such support. The cancellation only makes people doubt that NWN2 will enjoy the same type of support.

Ah well. Sucks to be Atari. I used tod efend them; but can't anymore. What a bunch of jokers!

That is a *bad* sign for NWN2. Not a good a sign.

 

[LlamaGod]

It's irritating when a company drops 'support' for something because when news of it gets out everyone instantly seems to cut off whatever stop getting support just because it stopped getting support.

Win98 isnt supported by microsoft, so everyone likes to axe it as an option for games with the only reason being 'microsoft stopped support it'. so fucking what.

I bet if they dropped it without even saying anything, people would still be including it. All announcing the stop of support does is making everyone get in this 'SPRING CLEANING!@!11' mood for no real reason.

Wouldnt be surprised if a website or two kill all their NWN mod databases just because of the silly news.

 

[Volourn]

P.S. is this actually news... because it has not been confirmed yet one way or the other? Silly codex and their 'news' section.

 

[LlamaGod]

P.S. is this actually news... because it has not been confirmed yet one way or the other? Silly codex and their 'news' section.

I hate when you say this, but I agree to a degree.

Saint's been channeling the spirit of Rex Exitium for his song and IRC log news posts D:

 

[bryce777]

When the fuck will atari lose DnD? They have basically killed it as it stands now.

 

[Drakron]

Never.

Atari is partly owned by Hasbro that in turn owns WotC so Hasbro get more of its hand on the cookie jar.

 

[aboyd]

If anything, continued support of NWN1 could on;y be seen as good publicity for NWN2 'cause it would feed the belief that NWN2 would see such support. The cancellation only makes people doubt that NWN2 will enjoy the same type of support.

Hmm. I actually agree with you, you're making sense. I remember when the new Tribes came out, they started giving away the original Tribes. You would think that would cannibalize sales, but in their thinking, it was drumming up interest. And it worked for me at least, I bought the new game. I don't know what that game's overall sales were like.

I can see the positive side of keeping NWN1 in play -- the modders stay happy, and maybe they can transistion their work over to NWN2. I can't really see the good side of killing it -- there are some pissed modders now who are swearing they'll skip NWN2 and do DA instead. I don't think that's viable, as DA comes out long after NWN. Those modders aren't just going to sit around waiting (I don't think). But I do see the ill-will that Atari is fostering. That's only going to hurt their finances more, especially if people think "oh crap, the game can get killed by random Atari decisions, that's not stable."

-Tony

 

[Sarvis]

P.S. is this actually news... because it has not been confirmed yet one way or the other? Silly codex and their 'news' section.

From everything the Bio Devs are saying in their forum, it sounds pretty confirmed.

Bleh... was still hoping Witch's Wake 2 would come out...

 

[Volourn]

"From everything the Bio Devs are saying in their forum, it sounds pretty confirmed."

Yeah, now that's true. But, it wasn't when this 'news' thread was posted.

Anyways, i stated above, this is only bad news for NWN2. I don't know anyone can see how continued support of NWN1 would hurt NWN2? It's friggin' illogical.

 

[Azarkon]

There is absolutely an incentive for Atari to stop Bioware's continued *premium module support* of NWN. If you'll notice, Atari is not stopping people from making custom content for NWN (they can't do that). They're stopping *Bioware* from officially supporting the game, because Bioware isn't turning to them a single cent of the profits from the premium modules. In effect, Bioware is making a profit off of Atari's license (D&D) and not cutting them a share. In that sense, Bioware *is* most definitely competition, especially if their premium module support trump what Obsidian can offer for NWN 2 (and that's entirely possible, given that Atari is in dire financial straits and Bioware has vast resources).

However, in customary mismanagement Atari went about it all wrong. The way to beguile modders onto NWN 2 is not through coercion, but temptation. Stopping Bioware's premium module development must still be a goal, but that goal should be to make an offer the modders cannot refuse - for example, exclusive access to NWN 2 toolsets, software, etc. The way to promote NWN 2's community is to lure those who are working on NWN to NWN 2 - willingly. Instead, they've practically pulled the rug from under people who spent years of work on custom content. That's not going to look good to future modders.

So my opinion on this is that yes, there is an incentive to stop Bioware from selling more NWN premium modules. Coercion, however, is not the way to go about doing this. The way to force diehard NWN'ers to buy NWN 2 is to work behind the scenes and make each significant NWN modding team a NWN 2 modding team by their own choices. Once that's been done, NWN players would have no reason to continue playing their game, and would thus be forced to - but with no one to blame but their own gaming habbits - buy NWN 2. Mission accomplished.

 

[bryce777]

They have to use coercion because atari is a walking zombie and they are going to obliterate anything good in NWN2 to get that fucker out the door and making them money to grasp onto the edge of the cliff another year.

 

[Voss]

Except, unlike you, Atari isn't overestimating the size of the actual modding community. (In terms of fractions of actual sales) They're well aware that enough will simple move to NWN2 and enough new ones will start screwing with the NWN2 set that there won't be any real loss.

The frenzied hordes of compulsive new game buyers and undiscriminating casual gamers make any long term support of a title completely meaningless. Especially when a sequel hits.

 

[roguefrog]

It makes sense if you consider Obsidian being Black Isle 2, Atari is Interplay 2.