Pirates of the Burning Sea dev details SOE publishing deal
by Ludwig Kietzmann 
{ Jun 27th 2007 at 9:50PM }
Williams specifies the responsibilities carried by each party in the deal and is quick to point out that Flying Lab Software retains complete ownership of Pirates of the Burning Sea and remains independent. "Platform Publishing is a channel for independent developers to compete on the same level as a big publisher – without selling their soul," says Williams. He goes on to stress that the deal will ultimately allow Flying Lab to focus on development of the game and deliver it on time this Fall. "I've put my money where my mouth is. And I want more developers to do the same."
Aye, Mr. Williams! Aye!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Michelle @ Jun 27th 2007 11:40PM
well they just lost a large amount of potential customers including myself.
Newton @ Jun 28th 2007 12:12AM
Michelle, I would say they have gained far more then they have lost. If they hadn't gotten a publisher, they would have been confined to downloadable software, while SOE provides them access to a huge market in Best Buy, Walmart, ect. ect.
Besides, SOE doesn't make the game, the publisher does. If you are basing your purchase singularly on SOE, then sadly, you are probably going to miss a great game.
Me, I'll just wait until it comes out to judge. You may end up being right in the end, but I don't think it will be because SOE if the game sucks.
Michelle @ Jun 28th 2007 12:29AM
Newton,
Feel free to play the game and make your decision, that is of course your right. My decision is based on the Ethics of SOE and not if the game sux or not.
It could be the best game in the world and I will not play it because I was once a loyal customer of SOE and they pulled an unethical bait and switch on me, and told me if I didn't like it then they didn't care. They basically kicked their loyal fan base to the curb overnight with no warning.
Realize this happened days after they released an expansion promising their customers content we never received and had paid for.
They did return our money only because they legally had to.. bait and switch is against the law.
They kicked their customers to the curb to go after an audience they thought they could get that ended up not existing.
SOE treated it's customers unfairly and I find no reason to give them money ever again. Even if they are just publishers they still make money off the deal and not even a dime of it is going to be mine.
There must be other publishers out there that Flying Lab Software could have considered, then I would have given the game a chance.
Andir3.0 @ Jun 28th 2007 7:21AM
Michelle: "Game experience may change during online play."
You bought it with the box.
Rishard Chapoteau @ Jun 28th 2007 9:00AM
Many people that were intersted in this game had come on board because of the major changes SOE made to Star Wars Galaxies. We lost faith in SOE and flocked to this game. Now that SOE is taking over it just feels frustrating.
I might still give the game a chance, but I'm really sad about this.
Michelle @ Jun 28th 2007 9:00AM
that still doesn't count for promises that you will receive "these items" with the expansion.. Then you spend the money on a brand new expansion and days later they remove everything the expansion promised... Sorry that's unethical business practices and bait and switch.
JJ @ Jun 28th 2007 9:04AM
I have no problems with SOE more than I have with any other MMO publishing company, its not a big deal to me really and i'll still play this game.
AFter all SWG was also handled by lucasarts and anything SoE did in terms of developing had to be Ok'd by LA,s o SWG is as much an SOE debacle as it is a LA debacle...yet no one ever cites LA for that.
outside of SWG... i've never had any qualms with SoE or LA about anything and i still play SOE and LA games. I mean after all each companies portfolio is bigger than that ONE game
JJ @ Jun 28th 2007 9:05AM
oh and michelle... for you last post... what game are you referring to that SoE removed everything the expansion included?
All i remember them doing is revamping the game from the ground up really, everything with the expansion was STILL there... it was just...different and even then they at least gave us 2 weeks warning =p heh.
Knight Marquise @ Jun 28th 2007 12:01PM
andir-
It's time to start weaning yourself from the tit of Sony. Then you're comments won't come off as fanboy defending his favorite mega corporation.
KillerJimmy @ Jun 28th 2007 3:20PM
"Michelle: "Game experience may change during online play."
You bought it with the box."
Are people seriously *that* stupid?! That isn't a disclaimer by the game developer, it is an addition required by the ESRB for online games. You know what it really means genius? It means that the game that you bought that is rated "Teen" might *not* be so teen when you start playing online. It means people might say naughty words and even create maps/mods that have "adult" content in them.
Michael @ Jun 28th 2007 4:01PM
Andir3.0 is the kind of person that keeps SOE in business.
For Andir - http://www.esrb.org/ratings/ratings_guide.jsp
In case you can't figure out how to navigate to that site yourself it says;
"Online Rating Notice
Online games that include user-generated content (e.g., chat, maps, skins) carry the notice "Game Experience May Change During Online Play" to warn consumers that content created by players of the game has not been rated by the ESRB."
Andir3.0 @ Jun 28th 2007 7:22PM
MMOs include many more provisions in their EULA that state you agree that they can change the game at any point in time. Just because your pissed off at that arrangement, don't put it on me. I'm just stating what you agree to every time you sign in. the game will and can change at a moments notice. Point blank.
Quit being so ignorant about a game.