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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsEA CEO won't share Old Republic release date because of "principal competitor"
by Mathew McCurley 
Jun 9th 2011 at 9:00PM
Announcing a release date "would be irresponsible for two really good reasons", Riccitiello said. "One, the competitive marketplace. Putting a window out there creates a window of opportunity for our principal competitor to put out an expansion pack or an ad campaign et cetera around our launch window. Bad move at this point in time."Now, while Riccitiello does not name Blizzard specifically, there are only a few potential "principal competitors" in the MMO market. Blizzard is definitely the biggest name at the table. What Riccitiello is saying is that announcing a release date for their MMO would give Blizzard the opportunity to move in on EA's hype, move its own release dates around, or prepare a patch or game release for the same time frame that The Old Republic would launch.
It is interesting to me that Riccitiello would say these things, especially at an event like E3, where everything is about showing games to players through the press and getting games into people's hands. Shouldn't Riccitiello be more concerned with letting the game stand on its own rather than weasel around with a release date? If two products stand side by side and one is better than the other, people will choose the better product.
I understand the concern -- WoW is the 500-pound gorilla. RIFT has proven you can release against WoW and maintain a sizable user base and even continue to grow. Don't blame Blizzard preemptively, and don't be scared of Blizzard. Yes, the MMO market is a volatile one, and yes, the MMO market feels limited, but it's not as bad as you think. Star Wars is going to succeed initially by brand alone, and while it would be nice to release without any competition, this is the competitive sphere we live in. Release a good game, and people will play it.
On the other hand, first-month launches can ruin an MMO. Perfectly good games have released unopposed, but with a little bad press at the start, fallen flat on their backs. Riccitiello isn't a dummy, and it is a smart move to avoid as much unnecessary competition as you can, especially from Blizzard. EA just wants to pull out all of the potential problems when launching.
Filed under: News items
Reader Comments (Page 6 of 7)
Gallant Jun 10th 2011 8:18AM
*3.2, wtb edit button.
CrimsonKing Jun 10th 2011 10:19AM
Hate to burst your bubble but Rift does not have 2 million subs, far from it in fact, they don't even have a million yet.
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/35044/Interview_Trions_Debut_Rift_Closes_In_On_1M_SellThrough.php
That 2 million number is Trion accounts. Trion accounts are like Battle.net accounts, someone can have a Battle.net account and not play WoW the same goes for Trion accounts especially considering the fact that to even participate in the Rift beta people had to make a Trion account, I should know this I participated in the beta for Rift but did not purchase or subscribe to the game so I have an abandoned Trion account, one that got counted in their 2 million number.
Henri Poincaré Jun 10th 2011 7:40AM
Funny thing is, people complain about how WoW has exhausted itself, how they're burnt out, how it's not fun anymore... but here they are in a WoW fan-site, talking about it passionately. Cognitive dissonance, anyone?
Draven Jun 10th 2011 8:22AM
True to an extent - Like me I assume all the people passionately dissing Blizzard here have had time when they have had a lot of fun in WoW - could be because their Class was OP for a season and they had a blast in PvP or otherwise - and are now just unhappy with the state of the game.
As for me personally, I really enjoyed Wrath and was terribly disappointed with the direction the game took in Cataclysm - Me and another 8-9 casuals are among the 600K who left soon after Cata launch
I have tried Rift to sate my MMO craving's....Rift has not been as much fun as Wrath was for me - not by a long shot - so I'm hopeful on SWOTR perhaps being engaging.
I guess my memories of all the fun I had in Wrath with my gang of casual frnds doing Raids etc is what keeps me coming back to Wowinsider to see whats happening in WoW still.
Preacherman23 Jun 10th 2011 7:50AM
It may seem odd for them to talk about their release date at E3 but EVERYBODY is asking them about their release date. It is only right for them to tell people why they are not saying one right now. Also, SWTOR is not Rift or LOTRO, this is set in the Star Wars Universe, the place most of us cut our nerd baby teeth. This is something for WoW to be worried about IMO.
Ant Jun 10th 2011 9:37AM
People grossly over estimate how large and popular the Star Wars IP is.
CrimsonKing Jun 10th 2011 10:31AM
I don't think WoW has much to worry about from Star Wars. Yes WoW will lose people to Star Wars but Star Wars is not going to demolish WoW. It's not going to kill WoW but it could knock WoW down more in line with the other sub based MMOs meaning instead of having double digits in the millions WoW could drop down to the single digit millions or even drop down into the thousands range essentially sharing the top spot with multiple MMOs at the same time.
Also the MMO market will most likely expand thanks to Star Wars instead of cannibalizing itself, I'm sure there are thousands of people who have never thought about playing MMOs before who would pick up TOR just because it's Star Wars.
jwragnarocket Jun 10th 2011 9:08AM
Sounds completely logical, Blizzard has a nice little history of patches and expansions coming around the same time as other MMOs (whether a threat or not) release dates. Sounds to me like EA did their history homework here.
ashtin Jun 10th 2011 9:40AM
I'm really kinda glad that there isn't no open beta actually. That keeps the wow kids that hate any other mmos other than wow from going to the game and just trolling it and trashing it then going to the wow forums and saying how bad the game sucks or going onto any other forum across the internet making as many posts as they can to try and do what they can to make sure the game fails.
ashtin Jun 10th 2011 9:53AM
probably because you went to star trek online thinking it was going to be just like world of warcraft. I love star trek online and one of the simple facts is unlike wow I don't have to ask anyone for help on anything in that game. I can do everything myself. I can choose to group with people if I want. Its not like wow forced grouping.
Bossy Jun 10th 2011 9:57AM
Hi, I follow this industry for years and I was always right on top of predicting things.
From WOW, to Lotro, to AOC, WAR, TR, Aion, Rift, you name it.
I could predict the sub numbers on every one of them a few weeks prior or just after launch. WHY ?
I think I know very well what is a success or not by beta testing and watching the industry on the net.
But I also watch trends and marketing in advance and so ...
----
... instead of talking fanboys and haters here; let us see the FACTS.
The fact is ... EA boss declaring things right now. So Bioware is no longer in command of the strategic marketing decisions: bad thing.
Second fact is that the game was first (officialy) projected in 1st Q 2011, then it was certain to launch in 2nd Q 2011, now it is being ... scheduled to launch at the very late 2011 or very early 2012.
Around 6 months ago I already said EA is walking a thin rope here. This as .... launching window.
------
The only right time to launch anything at WOW these days is ... launch something 2 to 5 months AFTER a new WOW expansion. If you do it before you get trampled, if you do it after that period you get even more trampled by the Blizzard hype machine.
So EA ... HAS a very small launching window now that they didn't meet the first scheduled launch (Apr 2011) and that's between Nov 15 and Jan 15.
Before that date, it is too soon as ... there isn't even a Beta yet (so the game is not 99% ready).
After that date it is becoming very problematic because ... the new WOW expansion was scheduled (remember leaked internet docs) to go in 2nd Q 2012. For those doubting those internal docs: the Chinese director of WOW was fired and in the 3rd Q of 2011 there was scheduled ... a Brasilian WOW ... and ... in that doc : surprise : they are preparing a Brasil launch.
--->
So ... with this out of the way: anything that launches after January is faced with a build up marketing campaign of a new WOW expansion with (of course) a complete new vast continent to conquer. Make that April to launch. Ask what a new WOW expansion with a new continent did to Warhammer back in 2008 just 2/3 months after WAR launched ...
-----BUT ----
Unfortunately there are even more problems for good old EA.
In July Call of Duty Elite : ELITE will launch. Just ignore the whining on the web: this COD Elite will dwarf ANYTHING (even WOW) on the web/internet.
Each COD franchize is bought by ... 20.000.000 people and probably everyone will be on the "free paid" Elite network.
COD is simply a MMORPG with EVERYTHING in it except a persistent world, but the kids won't care: you have weapons to upgrade, stats to upgrade, your character to advance , your 'guild" to play with, your esport at your door Sir 24/7/365 independant of those nasty small problems of server pops etc ... because a few dozen million will be ON it.
Second blow will come from Diablo 3: ALSO an MMORPG without a persitent world, but this time a ... dungeon crawling playing with ... surprise ... REAL ID friends on ... BATTLENET. See it all coming already ?
So WOW expansions fill out this trio up and until Titan will launch.
2013: Titan will have ALL these advantages of WOW, COD, D3, Facebook,; Ipad add ons ... combined. Expect extreme hardcore and extreme casual gameplay but this time in a "world" created again by good old Jeff Kaplan.
So take my advice: SW: TOR isn't going anywhere against these projects. Yep, I KNOW you all hate Bobby Kotick, but the man has it already all in his pocket for 17 years now.
... And I didn't even mention Bungy or that new secret Blizzard on line card game they will launch in 2012/2013.
ALL MMO games, and ALL belonging to the same stable.
Crystal clear, I would suggest to relax and see it unfold in the next 36 months.
Astalnar Jun 10th 2011 12:44PM
WoW, nice post, care to make predictions about Guild Wars 2. I'm interested If I was right about the game hitting the shelves in november 2011.
Link Jun 10th 2011 1:47PM
It's amazing how fanboy-ish your comments on this article have been, but it is even more amazing to see how delusional you are. "I'm always watching the industry and I always know how things will turn out." Isn't it amazing how easy it is to make claims on the internet of superior intelligence with no backing of any kind of factual basis or even current claims? Tell me, oh great and wise leader of all things bullshiate, what do you foresee sub numbers for mmo's coming out in the next couple months? Let's make some predictions so we can cut down your over-inflated ego.
Let's talk some FACTS:
You have no idea what you're talking about when it comes to EA's "strategic marketing decisions" (that's a nice wikipedia lookup though; you must be either late in high school or early in college with such an astounding knowledge of how things work). Bioware retains control over when they decide to let things out. If you were actually following the industry, you would have already known this. You're probably confused that John Riccitiello did most of the announcements at E3. Perhaps if you were half the industry intellectual that you claim to be, you would understand why.
Second, your memory of SWTOR is already starting to show its cracks. SWTOR was initially projected for release Q2 2010 and then was pushed back an indefinite amount of time. In fact, there was no official projection for early 2011. In fact, Riccitiello himself said that they had no intentions of launching in the first half of 2011. The quote that you're referring to about "or early 2012" was a pre-E3 investor call statement where he was only covering the possibility of a setback that would push the game to 2012 as an "outside possibility", meaning very unlikely (but I'm sure an industry pro like yourself would know what that means). The developers themselves said that they are definitely looking at a Q3-Q4 2011 release time frame. If you had even read this article, you'd know why they don't shorten the time frame.
Next, if you really think that WotLK's release was what killed WHO, you are quite sadly mistaken. That would be like blaming Rift for killing FFXIV. Bad games die. WHO didn't need any help.
What's even funnier is that you don't even know that SWTOR has been in beta for MONTHS now. But, I'm sure an industry pro like yourself would have known this, amirite? Also, an industry pro like yourself would have also known that they aren't planning on doing an open beta.
If you're going by the supposed "leaked" Blizzard schedule, you're neglecting to note the fact that Q2 goes from April to June. Knowing Blizzard, if they do have an expansion in the works for that time frame, it will likely get pushed into late May or June. The likelyhood of an April release, AHEAD of time, is astoundingly low. If SWTOR comes out in November (let's say), that gives it a 6-7 month head start. Not to mention the fact that many WOW fans will be growing bored by the increasingly stale content that Blizzard will be putting out during the mid-expansion time.
Claiming COD Elite is an mmo is just ridiculous. Next you're going to say that Farmville is an mmo. Single/multiplayer games with social aspects tacked on does not an mmo make. That would be like claiming Diablo 2 was an mmo. And, really? You're claiming Diablo 3 is an mmo? Your "industry intellectual" framework is starting to show more cracks than Deathwing's posterior.
The funniest thing about everything you said is that you could have just as easily claimed that any other pre-WoW mmo would have had no problems. I know it's scary for you, but the kingdom of WoW is coming to an end, and when it does, this puta is going to come crashing down like the friggin Twin Towers.
@Astalnar: It was confirmed months ago that GW2 is moving back to 2012. Jaeho Lee said during a conference call that they wouldn't see GW2 profits until 2012.
Bossy Jun 10th 2011 2:43PM
@ Link
I am not here to start name calling unless you want to question the quality and success of a game that was the most succesful video game in the last 30 years of history, .... money wise.
Then I would say you're blinded by standard "hate".
As it stands : this is the exact problem WOW haters have had with themselves and the analysis of this on line industry.
The "haters" don't see the obvious success of that game and so "reason through hate" and "analysis through hate" will not lead you to anything.
People like you are not capable to see things objectively without much emotions.
They were the same guys who wrote on every forum that AOC would blow Blizzard to its stomach and WAR would give a blow to its chin.
The end result we saw 6 months later.
Just like you see the 90% empty servers in Rift after a mere 3 months.
btw Rift sold exactly 378.136 copies up to this very week (after 14 weeks).
Reference
http://gamrreview.vgchartz.com/sales/49494/rift/
Was anyone objectively following these games really .... surprised ? Of course not.
I just showed you above the logical flow of things coming in the next 36 months.
But I guess a guy talking about fallen Twin Towers towards 2 franchizes that had together more than 3 BILLION dollars revenue in just ... one year 2010 is funny.
Oh BTW: The way COD Elite and Diablo3 will be played : they ARE MMO's, meaning Massively Multi Player On line games.
They just don't have a world behind it, but the youngsters will not even mind.
Don't count on the next hope to take Blizzard down: start realising the next bunch of Activision Blizzard games is what ANY "WOW opponent" could NEVER deliver.
Fresh on line play with new angles. SW TOR is just an ordinary WOW clone based on an old and worn out franchize with the exact same quest systems, but with ... sound and prerendered videos....
COD Elite and D3 are at least other forms of on line play.
Anteia Jun 10th 2011 4:07PM
@Bossy
Your arguments against Wow "Haters" would be much more valid if you weren't so blatant in your EA Hate and fanboyism of Blizzard. It's fine you love WoW. Guess what? I love WoW too! What a coincidence. :) But you're being a bit blind, and I don't mean that in the way people go "NYAAAH. You're just blind!!!!!1111oneone", if you think SW:TOR is going to be just another Star Wars game. I hate Star Wars. I loved Bioware's SW:KOTOR. Bioware is against taking the helm. It's really, really not comparable to the Star Wars games we have seen as yet, and that is why people are betting much higher on it. Maybe you're right. Maybe it'll sink. But someone could have easily said the same thing about an RTS company deciding to make an MMO out of Warcraft. Bioware isn't new to the sandbox. They're just new to MMOs, and the company on a whole has a shown habit of watching the mistake other creators make and not making them themselves. Now, have they had a few "What were you thinking?" moments? Of course. What company hasn't?
I don't think SW:TOR is going to bring WoW down. I think anyone who does is being silly. But I do think it's going to hurt WoW's subscribers... and considering I've never even CONSIDERED playing Call of Duty or Diablo...but I will be playing TOR, I still argue there's not a comparative debate here.
Also, incidentally, Felicia Day even tweeted a study recently where the industry has found out females make up 42% of the gaming market right now, and there are MORE females 17 and older in the market than there are males 17 and younger. In other words, the game that manages to appeal to the female gamer is going to get a rather huge boost. Right now, Bioware is quite intelligently marketing their game with females who are strong (Sith Inquisitor, or the female Jedi we see) but not scantily clad. One can call them sexy, but they're not going excessively fanservice Princess in a metal bikini clothing. The men want the fighting, and Bioware's delivering that too. But from what I've seen, they're creating yet another one of their many games where the female can kick butt and she doesn't have to dress like a slut to do so. As a female, that's going to attract me much more than seeing more outfits like Alexstrasza's.
Anteia Jun 10th 2011 4:14PM
That should read Bioware is AGAIN taking the helm. I want an edit button. -_-
Bossy Jun 10th 2011 10:06AM
Short version;
July 2011 Beta launch of Call of Duty Elite (forget wow numbers: this is going to pass it). Massive on line shooter with EVERYTHING mmorpg's have to advance your characters in gear, progression, guild play, sports and prices and awards. 24/7/365.
Dec/Jan 2012: Diablo; Massive on line dungeon crawler with REAL ID play and 24/7/365.
2nd Q 2012 the scheduled (leaked doc) new expansion for WOW. Real ID play with dungeon crawling as an option. Combo this with of course a new continent.
2013: New huge Bungie MMO
2014 : new Ttian Blizzard MMO through BattleNet with combo subs of D3, WOW on Real ID play.
In view of this I only see SW: TOR as a very short blimp on the map projected by (yet again) a failing EA as we've come to know it in these past 4 years.
"At least it will have good sound."
ashtin Jun 10th 2011 10:20AM
wow you really are sucking blizzard's sack huh? If your such a fanboy why don't you go work for them?
Link Jun 10th 2011 1:51PM
While I normally don't like mudslinging, I do agree with ashtin. You really are just a raging, flaming fanboy. Your anti-EA angst and pro-Blizzard insanity seems to know no bounds.
Oh, and I love your post right below this one calling everyone who dislikes wow blind and tasteless. Fanboys strike again!
supracom Jun 10th 2011 10:08AM
Corporate pvp!