Information Kingdoms of Amalur IP Heads to Auction

[Oesophagus]

The setting and lore were probably the most dull thing about KOA, why on earth would you buy the IP instead of making a new one? I'm sure Salvatore has got time on his hands

 

[tuluse]

Because the average gamer couldn't give two shits about setting and lore, but KoA sold 3 million copies, so people are familiar with the name.

 

[crawlkill]

The world's only state-funded RPG IP (or at least I assume so - correct me if I'm wrong)

no way. the Stasi was the world's first government LARP.

 

[Gerrard]

It was so shit that even EA can't find a way to milk it.

 

[thesheeep]

Actually... I didn't find the game to be shit. It just wasn't good either. And it failed to be "good for what it is", as it tried to be far too much.So... yeah, it probably is the Codex definition of shit.
But the setting (and the horribly name of it) really is not worth much.

 

[mikaelis]

I was just thinking about this game today, thinking about the art at least, about the only good thing in that game really. Wouldn't mind seeing the art assets of that game made into an RPG that doesn't suck.

Can't get anything better .

Also, somebody direct him to the picture with meat tenderizer.

 

[Onholyservicebound]

It looked just like wow

No.

low poly/heavy fx cartoonish stylised

Yes.

crap.

No.

Also, somebody direct him to the picture with meat tenderizer.

If it's another picture of a hammer I wouldn't bother.

 

[Leimreу]

I feel kinda bad for these guys. I mean, Amalur wasn't really any worse than the average Bioware RPG which never fails to garner critical and commercial success.

It being government-funded probably explains why everything about the game was so toothless and dull.

The "average Bioware RPG" is not a grindfest. At least not on the level of Amalur.

 

[mikaelis]

Funny what you cut out from this image (yes, another tenderiser!)

Honestly, I don't know what is so appealing to you with these pictures art-wise. Some of the facial features and clothing of gnome-like NPCs are nice in terms of general design, but the rest?

 

[Onholyservicebound]

Funny what you cut out from this image (yes, another tenderiser!)

Honestly, I don't know what is so appealing to you with these pictures art-wise. Some of the facial features and clothing of gnome-like NPCs are nice in terms of general design, but the rest?

I didn't crop this image, nor would it change anything, the image was a direct comparison of WoW and KOA trolls, the PC is inconsequential. As you've said, the facial features and clothing of gnome-like NPCs, and the PC, I like the aesthetics of the hair and facial hair, and the general head meshes Compared to other AAA rpgs

(Using custom shephard because default is not adjustable and is a direct port of a model's face and hardly art.)

etc etc

I also like the body meshes and most of the monsters, the animal enemies, animal enemies in RPGs tend to be the least interesting to encounter, generic boring real world wolves, bears, etc(Skyrim, Oblivion-so on and so forth) they are definitely "cartoony" and "stylized", but I don't really find realistic graphics all that appealing. I prefer the monsters to those in Fable, Elder Scrolls, and Dragon Age. Despite your fixation on the "tenderizer", I like the weapons in this game, even the first weapon you get in game is good looking, the chakrams and faeblades are awesome. The elemental effects on weapons and spells are good as well.

I simply like the art style, there's probably better, but not in the last few RPGs I've played, and the comparison to WoW is clearly bullshit. You can agree or disagree, but comparing it to games that have much worse graphics and posting pictures of hammers isn't going to change my opinion.

 

[Metro]

Uh... you're using character/npc models from alpha/beta and vanilla WoW as comparison. Granted Amalur is slightly advanced in terms of engine and textures but... yes... it closely resembles WoW.

Some more recent WoW models:

And while the original races have yet to have character model updates, 90% or more of them are covered with armor which has been steadily updated since launch:

Pandarens, being the most recent addition, are a good example of WoW style graphics with Amalur levels of tech/textures:

So, yeah, looks like WoW.

 

[Average Manatee]

I assume Duraframe means it's probably not for sale. Which...it probably isn't.

It's not like Activision is doing anything with the IP. I don't see why they wouldn't sell it given a fair price.

10k is probably not what they would consider a fair price though.

You don't understand corporations.

To them even the rights to the shittiest IP would cost you $5 million.

 

[Metro]

Not really. Some of the THQ IP's went for under a million.

 

[Average Manatee]

Not really. Some of the THQ IP's went for under a million.

That's what they think other IPs are worth. They aren't willing to take the gamble at buying something that turns out to be worthless. But they always value their own IPs much more, because what if it's the one IP that slipped away and became the next Fallout 3? Cognitive dissonance at work. When you get people thinking about abstract things like IP things go haywire (see: companies claiming that Piracy costs more than the GDP of the entire world).

 

[Chaotic_Heretic]

Publishers are greedy selfish fucks. They would rather sit on hundreds of dead IPs than sell most of it, on the off chance that one of them could be a goldmine. Atleast ubi appears to be slightly better in this regard (MMX) than EA (ulrima 4 EVA). EA still owns wl ip right? Yet fargo is making wl2. It might take another decade, but hopefully something similar for Arcanum.

The other alternative is Activision going down the shitter financially and sell their ips like thq. Then codexia and the watch could unite or perhaps convince obsidian and inxile to bid for it.

I really hope obsidians secret project is arcanum2. But from what I heard... it seems to be astoryfag popamole. if it is that I aint complaining much...but Arcanum is Arcanum

 

[Onholyservicebound]

Uh... you're using character/npc models from alpha/beta and vanilla WoW as comparison. Granted Amalur is slightly advanced in terms of engine and textures but... yes... it closely resembles WoW.

Some more recent WoW models:


And while the original races have yet to have character model updates, 90% or more of them are covered with armor which has been steadily updated since launch:


Pandarens, being the most recent addition, are a good example of WoW style graphics with Amalur levels of tech/textures:


So, yeah, looks like WoW.

That first monster is a boss, I was comparing the generic ogre to the generic ogre, although the first one I picked is definitely an older model, this is a better comparison.

My opinion is that although Warcraft has seen some art updates in the 8 years it's been around, it's STILL inferior. And that boss looks like absolute shit,(That eyeball LMAO) it's actually worse looking than anything I used as a comparison, and serves as a better example of how stupid Wow's art is better than any of my examples. Compare bosses to bosses to be fair.

I also think you missed the point by the fact that you referenced tech/textures, that was not the focus. The point was that direct comparison of the same creatures between the two games shows Amalur's as being generally better looking, less idiotic, better proportioned, and more aesthetic.(My opinion of course.)

That isn't a generic bear, that is a Tauren druid, and it still looks like shit.

Although I'm not a fan of Amalur's generic and minimalistic armor, I still vastly prefer it to whatever THAT is. And even more so what the gnomes are wearing in my Amalur shot.

Actually looks pretty decent for WoW, style is still different, typical WoW popeye arms and wristless forearms; A very shiny polished turd to be sure.

No, but good effort.

 

[Metro]

All of that is trumped by the fact the games were developed almost a decade apart and during a time in which there was a pretty significant leap in graphics capability. So, yes, giving WoW the necessary handicap to adequately compare them... it looks like WoW. Especially when you compare the pandaren models... keeping in mind they were done in a ten plus year old game unlike Amalur's models.

 

[Metro]

On that note I'm thinking the only possible buyer (outside of a lowball bid by a publisher who wants to take a gamble on Steam Sales > their investment) would be some crappy Asian F2P company like Perfect World. Buy the generic assets and repackage them into another shitty F2P MMO.

Fake/real edit -- Would also be hilarious if Valve bought it.

 

[Onholyservicebound]

All of that is trumped by the fact the games were developed almost a decade apart and during a time in which there was a pretty significant leap in graphics capability. So, yes, giving WoW the necessary handicap to adequately compare them... it looks like WoW. Especially when you compare the pandaren models... keeping in mind they were done in a ten plus year old game unlike Amalur's models.

No not really, and still missing the point tremendously, the tech and graphics quality are irrelevant. The HD ogre you posted still looks like shit compared to something in say, Warhammer online:

I don't really know how it is that I can communicate to you that the problem isn't in graphics capabilities. That ogre you posted is high poly and well textured, and looks like shit, It's mind numbingly stupid, I hold the same opinion towards the bear and the armoured gnome. And again, I have no idea the assertion you're trying to make, is it that if WoW was made in 2012 all of the models would look great? That's nice and all, but it wasn't, and most of the art assets look shitty, a handful of polished turds don't change anything.(As even the newer art you've posted here is inferior imo.) We're not comparing what the artists at Blizzard are capable of at their best with new technology, We're talking about what is in the game and how it compares to Amalur, so let's not talk about handicaps and what ifs and instead look at the facts, it's 2013 and this is a playable race in WoW:

It doesn't look like Amalur, nor does anything you've posted, and yes, it looks much worse, in both design and quality.(But emphasis on design as that was the original point.) And very likely when it is all updated, they will still have WoW's signature ugly style and stupid popeye arms, maybe if we're lucky there'll be some superfluous eyes added on the nipples or something. When and if WoW's art gets the "great" updates that the Pandaren has, along with different designs on pretty much everything, I'll be glad to say it's like Amalur.

 

[Metro]

No not really, and still missing the point tremendously...

No, I'm not. The effort is irrelevant. The capability is what counts.

 

[VentilatorOfDoom]

I'll give 'em ten bucks for it.

Do I hear $11?

$20 is my offer.

 

[theSavant]

If I'm going to get all Art assets, models, textures etc. I'm paying 1000 $

 

[Onholyservicebound]

No not really, and still missing the point tremendously...

No, I'm not. The effort is irrelevant. The capability is what counts.

Right I have no idea what argument you're having, so I'm just going to say this again: It doesn't look like WoW, and we have a page of art showing that comparison, both old and new, and no matter how high poly these new models are, they STILL do not look like Amalur. They could resize the textures of eyeball man up there all they want, I still prefer the Jottun. And if you think my argument was ever that Amalur was simply higher end graphics than WoW then you clearly have no idea what you're talking about.

It looked just like wow

No.

low poly/heavy fx cartoonish stylised

Yes.

crap.

No.

If you honestly can't tell the difference then that's fine, but your attempt to convince me that they're the same has fallen pretty flat.

 

[Metro]

Ah well, guess I can live without the respect of a shitposter who is probably someone's alt.

 

[Onholyservicebound]

Ah well, guess I can live without the respect of a shitposter who is probably someone's alt.

I never said I didn't respect you, I said your attempt to convince me fell flat, it has less to do with your argument and more to do with my working vision. We can still be friends, you can go on thinking I'm a shitposting alt, and I can go on thinking you're partially blind and lack in basic reading comprehension.