Perfect Worlds buying Cryptic is just a complete mess

Perfect Worlds buying the entirety of Cryptic is like a double edged sword for me.  I think Cryptic deserves every bit of it but I hate everything about Perfect Worlds.  Perfect Worlds is notorious for cash shops and websites that make me want to scrub my eyes and my computer clean.  The Cryptic fanboys and I are already at odds and somehow the Free to Play fans fit into this whole picture so this should be a perfect opportunity to settle both scores or fuel the flames some more.   Not that Cryptic’s games have far to fall since they’re just a step above free to play quality to begin with, but when Perfect Worlds is done with them we can have a great case study for what Free to Play does to games.

What really baffles me is how anyone can possibly spin this as a good thing for Cryptic.  Read some of the comments on Massively and people are actually praising the outcome of this sale.  What the heck are these people on?!  Don’t try and spin me the “look at how much money PW makes” line because I know better that more money does not in any way guarantee better games.  Maybe it’s a cultural thing because I can’t believe it’s a personal preference thing that people actually, truly, think Perfect Worlds makes quality games.   This is more of an aside to the whole discussion, but it really doesn’t make any sense that people are praising the sale of Cryptic to a chop shop.

As for Neverwinter, I need clarification.  Does this Dungeons and Dragons property go with them?  If so, adios to that game.  Write it off immediately, burn the memory and bury the ashes after soaking them in acid.  Why would Atari let it go?   Cryptic is the small fish in the very big ocean of corporations and well-known entities that have a hand in this property.  Wizards of the Coast, Hasbro, and Atari all have their logos on the page.  Why would it go with Cryptic?  Makes no sense to me.  Can someone please link me to a REAL release that says Neverwinter goes with Cryptic to Perfect World?

Now I’m feeling sorry for Cryptic.  What a complete mess.

 

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  • While I have never played any of Cryptic’s games, I can’t see how this is good for Champions & STO players. I am glad I didn’t pick up STO for $3.75 on Steam the other day.

  • I think it’s match made in MMO Hell. Craptic was on border of F2P anyway. So might as well be one, instead of trying to disguise as Subscriptino base.

    It’s going to be great for F2P people, but for Subs people like us. I’ve written them off. (although I’m actually playing Allods for few days now..since I’m in between MMO again)

    Just until SWTOR, GW2, ArcheAge, TERA or Blade&Soul comes out..

  • I like the Cryptic sale to PW, take all the crap, ball ’em all up, and let ’em go down together. Cryptic hasn’t made even 1 design decision I’ve agreed with so the faster they drop off the radar, the better.

  • Massively is essentially a collection of the twitter generation mindsets coupled with facebook quality content.

    Good to see these welfare games getting the treatement they deserve: Going F2P.

    Next up, Fallen Earth!

  • And it’s rather amusing what telling the hard truth does to some people. The only games going F2P are the ones too mediocre to justify paying a subscription for.

    F2P games use the scatter shot approach to revenue generation, and pretty much attract / prey on the clueless gaming population because “hey I can play for free!”. That’s kind of a double edged sword for me, because it tends to segment that gaming population away from the games I have played (which I’m thankful for). On the other hand it has become a cop out to cover up failed developers, because everything these days is just about making as much money as possible short term.

    The best counter is name one game that can be considered great, that has a F2P revenue model. LotR:O does not count, because pre-F2P it was actually a decent title, Post-F2P it has been tuned down to the mouth breather level, and really is just a shadow of the former. Most of the pro F2P crowd will struggle to answer that, because there is no answer.

  • Heyo. Noticed your site was down with a Suspended notice around 24 hours ago. What happened? Is everything okay?

    Anyway, glad to know you guys are back. 🙂

  • @Keen: People are happy because there’s a fairly large number of players that like Perfect World. That’s why they have some of the largest F2P games on the market in terms of population. They’re honestly not that bad of a company, and you could do a lot worse. At least GPotato isn’t snagging them.

  • @Victor Stillwater: Host’s server was under heavy strain for some reason and apparently our site was taking up 50% of that load. When I called to find out what was up, they apologized and fixed it immediately.

  • And in related news, GamersFirst have bought Fallen Earth. The F2P model is a lot more forgiving to MMOs that don’t grab a huge audience from day 1 and keep / grow them.

    Which, post-WoW, is pretty much all of them.

  • by the gods i hope Nevewrinter nights gose to ANYONE. I would rather see Neverwinter in the trash then with Cryptic or Perfect world. And who says that STO gose with Cryptic? thats not really “there” Ip… how can they sell it? I think thats stays with atari just like Neverwinter will…

    Look at it this way. Bioware did neverwinter night 1, Obsidian did 2, but both are owned by Atari

  • STO is going to goto PW/Crytic, no brainer. Star Trek fans shouldn’t really be upset tho’, Cryptic did for Star Trek Online like Star Trek IV did for Star Trek.

  • The big problem with most F2P games is that the designers make a whole game and then are tasked to purposely break it in ways that require cash shop purchases to patch them back together often in Byzantine fashion. It is not surprising that gameplay feels exploitive and impedes suspension of disbelief. I still will not rule out the possibility that a F2P model could be esthetically pleasing to “hardcore” gaming aficionados in the West, but I think the mindset of the have nots playing on the dime of the haves Battlefield Masters will have to be changed. Traveling in Asia demonstrates how this model works with internet gaming shops continually full charging next to nothing for the service, but of course someone has to pay; if a minority will be providing the majority of the revenue they will expect more privilege than extra bag slots or power leveling potions. The greater availability of disposable income in the West (where the poor are overweight) will allow for less of a gaming caste system that can be supported by items that don’t directly impact gamplay. The F2P market is undergoing a process of evolution and although most changes will likely initially be detrimental, eventually something better will likely rise out of the muck. On that note I think I will give Allods another shot (remember how much hope we had for that game initially?) and see if they have unbroken the cash shop as they claim; anyone who has tried it since their recent announcement please feel free to stop me if this is not actually the case (http://en.forum.gpotato.eu/?CD=ALLODS_EN_F004&TC=0000000000&MD=VT&US=Y&AS=Y&TNO=1204725&LREFF=http%3A%2F%2Fen.forum.gpotato.eu%2FIndex.aspx%3FCD%3DALLODS_EN_F004)…

    The hateboy comment is more meta-analyzing your post than disagreeing with your main points. I usually see the word fanboy evoked either by those within or trying to instigate flame wars as a means of dismissing another’s viewpoint on the basis of fanatical devotion as opposed to well grounded argument. It struck me as a defensive reflex statement in anticipation of opposing viewpoints.

  • I think the F2P model mostly irks long time MMO players. We’ve seen how the genre is flipping to absolute trash that in the past would just outright fail, but now gets turned into a money grabbing pile of mediocrity. It essentially rewards the lowest common denominator of developer, and the entire industry starts to suffer because of it. But hey, we’re totally attracting millions of new players to the MMO genre, that must be good – right? 😉

    Everyone rags on cryptic but they’re pretty much a stellar example of how mediocrity breeds mediocrity, only they somehow managed to survive under a subscription model all these years (and I’ll still never understand why).

  • Yes Darkstryke – LOTRO is soooo much worse since it went FTP. It went from EQ-like theme park mmo…to EQ-like themepark mmo with even more theme park content.

    PWI brings tons of potential to games like STO because not only do they make decent games, but it adds dozens of employees potentially bringing even more content to games that have maintenance level dev teams as it stands.

    And hey, if you don’t like the games they make, don’t play them. They are FTP after all…

  • I completely-wrote Cryptic off after playing demos of their last couple of copy/paste games (a Superhero one and STO).
    So this announcement just pairs terrible games development with a terrible financial model (though one that’s clearly successful for them).

    I pity those who are into these games and are now at risk of the dreaded Micro Transaction goblins.

  • who ever things Cryptic Made a good Star Trek Game is a Massive Trecky… but a terrible judge of a MMO. STO is a failing piece of crap that should be shut down or given to a company that actually have talent and wont just grab a engen from another game to pout out and OVERCHARGE for the little work they did…

    If anyone disagrees go play one of the many land base levels and try NOT to find clipping errors. missions you cant finish or some random bug. Or the fact that you can complete sto in less then a week (do all the quests available)

    If thats not clue enough. how about you go buy the lifetime sub and then go to the C store and buy 80+ dollars worth of “extras” and still pay your monthly fees.

    Yes, only a obsessed treky would still play STO, No one else could afford to fight for that cause

  • @Darkstryke Did you actually compare Fallen Earth to STO and Champions Online?

  • Yes I did, mediocre is mediocre. Varying shades perhaps, but they’re all under the same umbrella.

  • Fallen Earth was indeed mediocre. Champions Online was absolute trash, though, and STO was mediocre at best. I use past tense now because all three are dead to me given that they were bought by chop shops.

  • Fallen Earth could of been great. The framework was there.

    That’s what makes it so sad. Poor execution.

  • Yes, Fallen Earth was a great idea that fizzled out for me when I spent most of my time sorting through trash bags like a homeless person of the FUTURE!!! I also disliked that anyone could potentially craft everything, which undermined my sense of individuality and purpose.

    I think my biggest disappointment was Tabula Rasa, whose frenetic gameplay and building kill meter was extremely adrenaline driven; unfortunately I played a bio-type which was never completely fixed, so I lost interest. Another game with a great initial reception that tanked and was then slated to go F2P, but I don’t know if that ever happened…

  • We’re being hammered by spam today. If your comment does not go through I will be attempting to find the ones that aren’t spam and approve them by hand.