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Thread: Musings about the Lego Game & Funcom's Fate

  1. #1

    Default Musings about the Lego Game & Funcom's Fate

    I've thought about it,seen the videos, researched it, and came to a chilling conclusion. The Lego minifigures game will fail.

    Why?

    1.) Its just another generic mmo with a Lego skin over it.
    -originally I thought the idea was for kids to buy "lego sets" in the real world(really a plastic card) that will let you access the set in the virtual world and build the set in the mmo with all the custom modifications that people love to do in the real world. Then you can take it into the lego world and interact with other "builders" in virtual lego worlds. People will try to build the coolest custom whatever (think minecraft) and the prized possessions/gear will be building blocks (the special pivoting block that's crucial to building the door hinges on your spaceship for example.) But no, its just another 6man/raid BS with lego figures instead of half naked chicks.

    2.) Its been done. There already was a Lego MMO.. this was its fate.
    http://universe.lego.com/en-us/help/faq.aspx?id=359551

    3.) Bad MMO environment. These types of stale,over-done, generic MMOs will quickly die in an ultra-compeititive deeply saturated MMO scene. It's not that the MMO industry is dying (it's not but it's not growing either) but rather people are digging in (their first love mmo) or gravitating toward the next "it" MMO. So, unless you're EverQuest big or a really darn good F2P game(AoC is not true F2P, not the way they have it setup) chances of survival are slim to none.

    Impact: This is where things get tricky. As you well know if Funcom goes down AoC may die as well (or hope we get sold to another company). But I'm not certain how important financially this Lego game is to FC's survival. I'm looking at their companies financial statements and it doesn't look like the Lego budget was too terribly big. But say it totally fails, what kind of impact would that have on the company? Do you believe Conan will take a hit?
    Last edited by Valicard; 27th September 2014 at 11:57.

  2. #2

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    I have not checked the Lego MMO, but I do not think it may interest anyone above five-seven years of age.
    • Remove daily rewards and the raid finder;
    • remove membership bonuses;
    • disable PVE XP for daily challenges;
    • remove WBs forever on Crom;
    • slow down the AA gain;
    • lower the PVP XP gain or remove the streak system;
    • remove AoE looting;
    • add the missing mobs back to Khesh., F. of the Dead, and Eigl. Mount.;
    • fix the 250+ms ping;
    • take the key away from Saddur;
    • revert T3, T3.5 (10.21.15), T4 (10.21.15), and GGG changes;
    • remove energy and add skills (like taunt) back.

  3. #3

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    I played the opening area out of curiosity. I think kids might enjoy it but the game play is too simple for most MMO players. It's a neat concept and should do okay mostly due parents breaking down and buying figures in game for their kids (or subbing). The art style is simple but looks good. The couple starting characters I got did play a little differently but the forest maiden (Think Merida from Pixar's movie Brave) sadly didn't have any moves that resulted in tiny Lego pieces squirting out of the neck of a vanquished enemy.

    Hopefully Lego Minifigures gives some stability to Funcom but I don't anticipate success or failure will really benefit or harm AoC much. AoC, like Anarchy Online, is going to run it's course with a trickle of new/updated content, but no major expansions unless someone gives them a 10+ million dollars to make a large expansion.
    ----
    Kalur - 80 Bear Shaman, Brunstol - 80 Dark Templar, Tallas - 80 Assassin, Gilben - 80 Conquerer, Pangert - 80 Barbarian, Xoltal - 80 Necromancer, Matzui - 80 Herald of Xolti, and a bunch of lower level alts.
    Wiccana -> Set -> Crom

  4. #4

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    I downloaded Legos and played it for about 15 minutes before I grew bored... I will give them credit on this though, the graphics are nice and seamless... and they'll probably make a lot of money off it in the beginning from kids annoying the sh*t out of their parents till they buy the lego sets or sub them. I imagine they'll draw in positive numbers for about.. oh.. 3-4 months before it trickles to a halt and then becomes another funcom game on life support.



    and even if funcom did get a 10mil grant from anyone, they'd just put it into their "lets ignore our faithful gamers on age of conan and anarchy online and develop another game" fund.

  5. #5

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    Lego Grind Online
    40k kills
    [Deathbyheals]: but you'd get face f*cked in 2 seconds if you didnt have all the cheats
    [** a 'The Law' insider**]: actually they(the law) flame u the most[**a The Law' insider**]: the y(the law) say u hack like a bitch
    [Group] [Aoccompanion]: oh no its hacker bowless
    [Hotranger]: i heard you were a cheater
    [Chriscause]: Sinful nice speedhack

  6. #6

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    Rathothis|Tempest of Set || Tigrathes|Dark Templar || Isitnofret|Herald of Xotli
    BS|Sin|Demo|Barb|Conq
    Sudatorius|Noob barb on Rage

  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rathothis View Post
    nice.

    IMO most important stuff:

    Funcom NV has also reviewed the current player and revenue trends for its Live Games - Anarchy Online, Age of Conan and the Secret World. These numbers are continuing to decline naturally due to the age of the games. Whilst each of the Live Games continues to generate a positive net contribution to the business, the company intends to do a partial impairment of USD 1,086k for The Secret World. This is in line with the expected revenue trend for the game over the next three years.

    Based on the above information, the Supervisory Board believes that, at the end of 3Q 2014, the company has the ability to fund its operation in the next twelve months, continue to support and improve its current games as well as start working on the development of a new game in 2015.
    Retired

  8. #8

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Slith View Post
    nice.

    IMO most important stuff:

    Funcom NV has also reviewed the current player and revenue trends for its Live Games - Anarchy Online, Age of Conan and the Secret World. These numbers are continuing to decline naturally due to the age of the games. Whilst each of the Live Games continues to generate a positive net contribution to the business, the company intends to do a partial impairment of USD 1,086k for The Secret World. This is in line with the expected revenue trend for the game over the next three years.

    Based on the above information, the Supervisory Board believes that, at the end of 3Q 2014, the company has the ability to fund its operation in the next twelve months, continue to support and improve its current games as well as start working on the development of a new game in 2015.
    These impairments... do they mean they will give less funding to the game development of TSW by a little over 1 million USD and less funding to the Lego MMO by almost 4 million USD? Because that sounds like a terrible idea: imo, both AOC and TSW would be big successes if they received more support and quicker updates - imagine if AOC had 3 expansions instead of 1. TSW already has a glacial development pace - people waited soo long for Tokyo, and the dungeon and raid doesn't even seem to be close.

    Are these news the cause of the stock changes today?


    And is this the cause of today's stock changes?

  9. #9

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Greyloins View Post
    These impairments... do they mean they will give less funding to the game development of TSW by a little over 1 million USD and less funding to the Lego MMO by almost 4 million USD? Because that sounds like a terrible idea: imo, both AOC and TSW would be big successes if they received more support and quicker updates - imagine if AOC had 3 expansions instead of 1. TSW already has a glacial development pace - people waited soo long for Tokyo, and the dungeon and raid doesn't even seem to be close.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impaired_asset

    Or, as FC put it in their last annual report:

    "An impairment loss in respect of a financial asset measured at amortized cost is calculated as the difference between its carrying amount, and the present value of the estimated future cash flows discounted at the original effective interest rate. "

    I am no accountant, but in simple words the impairments result from the fact that FC had to lower their estimates of the cash flows which their assets are likely to generate in the future. I.e., it is not directly related to investment - but you be the judge whether or not it is wise to invest in a business which continues not to meet its revenue targets.

    What I found interesting is the following passage:

    Quote Originally Posted by Funcom
    Finally, the major creditor KGJ Investments S.A. has agreed to postpone the repayment of the Working Capital Loan amounting to USD 3,977k (including accrued interest) from 31 January 2015 to 31 January 2016.

    Based on the above information, the Supervisory Board believes that, at the end of 3Q 2014, the company has the ability to fund its operation in the next twelve months, continue to support and improve its current games as well as start working on the development of a new game in 2015.
    Kind of sounds like they would not have been able to pay back that loan on the due date...

    Also, if I understand it correctly, TSW's book value in FC's most recent annual report (2013) was USD 2,519k, so an impairment by USD 1,086k is a rather big thing. Note that AoC's book value was only USD 247k, but FC noted in their last annual report that "the impairment test performed at the end of the year demonstrated that the recoverable amount of the cash-generating unit Age of Conan exceeds its carrying amount by USD 2,000 thousands" (which they however did not include in their books).

    Source: Annual Report 2013, p. 63 et seq. http://cdn.funcom.com/investor/2014/...ual_Report.pdf
    Last edited by Rathothis; 17th November 2014 at 15:33.
    Rathothis|Tempest of Set || Tigrathes|Dark Templar || Isitnofret|Herald of Xotli
    BS|Sin|Demo|Barb|Conq
    Sudatorius|Noob barb on Rage

  10. #10

    Default

    Lego game seemed like a super risky move seeing how the previous installment of Lego MMO failed big time. Funcom gave up on AOC way too soon hoping that TSW would be a big winner.
    Retired

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