Sony Online Entertainment Becomes Daybreak Game Company

I guess "more resources" doesn't include developers and staff.

Guess I better dust off my Eve-Online account and remember how to shoot space pixels again...

EverQuest II was very profitable to a point that most game companies would be thrilled to own the property, and at least one company tried to get it, but they couldn't get it without the management baggage.

If you want to chat about today's news, check out the EQ2Wire Chatroom.

I have totally mixed feelings about all these changes, though I know my opinion as an individual doesn't really count for much. I knew this game was already working towards it's sunset at the way SOE was running it, though I know it still has TONS of potential, given the right attention it deserves. I had high hopes that this change would turn out to be for the best, but after the recent announcements of layoffs, I'm not so sure about that.

What I feel is that under the current circumstances, it's probably headed towards an earlier sunset than I had anticipated. As such, I am inclined not to spend more than my monthly sub fee, until we see what really happens here. Unfortunately, I feel that many others feel the same way as I do about this, and the company is going to feel the hurt from the income they would otherwise have raked in. It seems Daybreak is already off to a bad start, making poor decisions and leaving the consumer feeling vulnerable and insecure in the choices they make.

While it is my hope that EQ2 will see many more years of development and such, my worst fear is that it won't be around much longer. It looks like my years as a gamer are coming to an end, as I have no intentions of starting up any new games once EQ2 is gone. :/

That... or... acknowledge that you won the game a hundred times over and use that momentum to win at life!

TY Devfriends for the laughs and faux-fights!


*waves* [scurries off to work on excerpts...]

Wow, ok, looks like I was wrong about what would happen. Sad times indeed.

Maybe the new director will actually push to make actual expansions again instead of these over glorified adventure packs they are calling expansions... It's a sad day when anyone gets laid off, but lets face it as a launch vet I don't think we have been treated right for a very long time now....

Unlikely, given they are firing artists and programmers.

When will the names change from SOE to Daybreak? I am sorry they left smokejumper go. Very sad time. I suspect there will be no EQ Next.

Getting rid of two of the most public and most approachable staff of your signature franchise is NOT business as usual.

This is the first time I regret having an annual membership.

I was taking a wait and see attitude. I see I didn't have to wait long. I'm very sorry about who all has been layed off. I hope you find new jobs very soon!

In regards to the game.... I have no hope left that this will turn out ok.

Afraid not :<

i think this means , server merges for both eq1 and eq2 to save money
Probably 1 expansion more for eq1 to milk what they can , perhaps 2 more for eq2
give the 2 games 2 more years max and then they sunset both.

http:www.twitchtv/porcocorp conversation about latest SOE news. come join in and pass it around.

Can we just trade Smed for everyone that was laid off? I am not very confident in the sale of SoE to this investment company, but I will have to wait and see how long the games last.

Dear Afista,

Hopefully you can still read this. We will miss you !!!! I hope you find a new home soon

Safe travels!!!

Me too, Afista!

The optimist in me would hope that they would be moving internally to other projects (EQN, SWG-N, etc.) now that the core responsibilities of EQ2 has been shifted to a smaller team to match the smaller audience.

The realist in me says it's far easier to get a job if you already have one - once there's a time gap you have to apologize for not already having one due to no direct fault of your own.

I'm quite concerned about the future of Everquest Next... Even Moorgard? Not a good sign...

Awwww, what?! Oh man, that just sucks. So tell me, do we have to dig up each dev individually by their Twitters to slowly find out who lost their jobs? Eesh!

At first I was thinking Smed, Smoke and Holly engineered this whole buyout to save SOE from Sony's end-of-fiscal-year chopping block come March 2015. Now I see that didn't make sense as SOE was wholly owned by Sony. Smed and crew would have no control over anything. Clearly Sony sold them off to butchers instead to make one last buck at the end instead of just shutting them down and declaring the loss.

What a bummer. First City of Heroes goes down and now this. I think I have to stop playing older MMOs and devoting the long-term time to them, because they get shuttered when you least expect it. My two gold subs run out end of April. Sad to say that for the first time ever, I'll be dropping to silver. Wow, I never thought I'd say that!

But Daybreak isn't long for the world. I'll bet the surviving devs are looking for jobs. If they're smart they are. SOE games are going to get chopped up into little pieces and sold off willy-nilly, you watch.

If SOE games get chopped up and sold off, the EQ franchise at least has a chance. There are game studios willing to purchase it.

If SOE games get chopped up and sold off, the EQ franchise at least has a chance. There are game studios willing to purchase it.