xXDenizeNXx - 5/17/2006 5:35 PM
http://www.nwn2news.net/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=44
Brings up some interesting debate about the three aspects of NWN. Although I disagree that an Offical Campaign drives the sales of a product.
Multi-Player and Massive community support is what drove Sales for Bioware. What disturbs me is that it is my hope that Obsidion don't cave into pressure from folks to make the OC some wonder of creation and neglect the multi-player aspects of DM Client and Builders Toolset because what you'll be left with is a couple hundred thousand WoW'ers Or Eq'ers going 'wow that was a nice 40 hour diversion, now back to the persistancy of my beloved WoW or EQ.
Peace
Den
Here is some food for thought I read somewhere: "Those that play persistent worlds typically own more than one copy of the game and invest exponentially more time and devotion to the game to customize it for long term play"... that is true... I believe this arguement.
However, I also believe that Obsidian is just like any other company and they need to make the most profit, meaning the demand for an Official Campaign (OC) is going to sell more copies than the very small portion of us that play the game for real years on persistent worlds (PW)s.
So it is natural for Obsidian to cater directly with their limited resources to add what content will sell the most copies of the game and hence make them the most money. The most copies will be sold to people that play the single player game and work through the OC. I think I read a report that about 75% to 80% of the buyers of NWN never played online (i.e. through Gamespy, etc).
Also, the cynical side of me says that a game company wants most players to buy, to become bored with the game in a year or two and to place the game on a shelf... in that way the company has a newly released game or expansion timed just when folks are looking for a new game... and players have to dip into their wallet once again.
Did you ever talk to your grandparents about the good old days when a water heater lasted 30 years? Why do you think they stopped making them last 30 years where you only had to replace the electrical elements? Because noone was buying a new water heater. Now adays, you can buy one that lasts as little as 1 year with most lasting 5 years. This is a business decision that a product fails at 5 years and you have to replace it... hence the company can count on people buying one every five years.
Just like a car manufacturer would never sell a car that can last 30 years, you will never see sold a game or a computer that won't need to be upgraded or somehow have money spent on it in a period of 5 to 7 years... otherwise the company selling the product made too much of a durable good and goes out of business because folks are not repeat buyers.
