El Patron's Sword on Open over 24 hours...now what?

[Captain Sureshot]

Originally Posted by ex8404

Or do we just need to accept the fact that we are playing a kid's game and deal with it?

It seems to me that Disney continues to re-focus (and narrow) development of POTCO towards younger players. So, yes: we are playing a kids' game and expectations of additional "deep" content may be somewhat unreasonable.

For most of us on these forums, Pirates Online is a game we are passionate about. For Disney, POTCO is a product, which needs to have a clear business model and have a position complimentary to the other products in the Disney portfolio.

Edward Edgemenace, while I don't agree with everything you said (every variation of "speed" de-stabilizes the servers? I'll make sure to tell the developers to remove the Full Sail and Ramming Speed sailing skills lol), the tone of your posts reads like the way I feel about the game. But it's not going our way mate. We are relics. To properly tighten up the game play experience of POTCO and make it more compelling for mature players simply would require too many development resources. At this point in the product cycle it's all about ROI.

Now what...? You already know: mini-games, instant gratification, child-like body forms, etc.

[Edward Edgemenace]

Originally Posted by Captain Sureshot

...Edward Edgemenace, while I don't agree with everything you said (every variation of "speed" de-stabilizes the servers? I'll make sure to tell the developers to remove the Full Sail and Ramming Speed sailing skills lol)...

I was specifically talking about glitches. The original double-speed glitch being the prime example. Of note: the latest video out there (from Disney) shows them giving up on trying to fix it, instead, offering special potions that allow other people to match the glitchers in speed...thereby destabilizing the servers further.

...the tone of your posts reads like the way I feel about the game. But it's not going our way mate. We are relics. To properly tighten up the game play experience of POTCO and make it more compelling for mature players simply would require too many development resources. At this point in the product cycle it's all about ROI.

I will not ever condone the current programming/management team's approach, of destroying the family game so as to remake it as a too-young children's game. Just accept that it is becoming a lame infant's game? Not I. It has too much untapped potential, still.

And no, it is not about return on investment. The entire game is supposed to be a loss-leader promotion tool for the movie(s). Will the Pirates 4 movie have Jack Sparrow playing mini-fishing-games in outer space?

[Captain Sureshot]

Originally Posted by Dan_OB

... I've always seen POTCO not so much of a kids game but more of a family game where Kids and parents could play together. I know of several cases where parents and their children do just that. The game, like the movies, has always appealed to adults and kids alike. Hate to see that go away, there are not many things out there that can do that.

Yeah, I feel a little sad that the focus of the game seems to be moving toward the younger player, at the expense of satisfying the more mature player. My son and I used to play POTCO together during beta. Good times for sure.

Originally Posted by Edward Edgemenace

I was specifically talking about glitches. The original double-speed glitch being the prime example.

Aye, I understood that EE.

Originally Posted by Edward Edgemenace

Special tonics to re-enable the speed glitch since they never trapped the 3rd party applications on the server side? (Which completely ignores the fact that every variation of "speed" de-stabilizes the servers.)

I believe you may be a bit presumptuous that the developers are simply programming a "glitch" into the game, which was my point about sailing speed skills. I've watched the Get Connected video more than once. I am not sure how adding a potion to the game that temporarily speeds up your character is any indication that the programming team has giving up on trying to fix weaknesses in the game build and exploits of such.

And no, it is not about return on investment. The entire game is supposed to be a loss-leader promotion tool for the movie(s).

I have never heard that the POTC MMOG was designed or positioned as a loss-leader. Even if it were, it would still be all about ROI, so you may have misspoke there. Where did you get the information that it is supposed to be a loss-leader for the movies?

[Edward Edgemenace]

Originally Posted by Captain Sureshot

I have never heard that the POTC MMOG was designed or positioned as a loss-leader. Even if it were, it would still be all about ROI, so you may have misspoke there. Where did you get the information that it is supposed to be a loss-leader for the movies?

http://disney.go.com/pirates/online/...agreement.html

"...Disney reserves the right to provide the Service at no charge for promotional reasons..."

There was another section that specifically stated the purpose of the game was explicitly to promote the movie(s), but I'm having trouble finding that section at the moment.

If your point is that they like money and do want to eke out every last cent they can from the game, well, ok, I can agree with that. But it doesn't change Disney's stated reason for creating, owning, maintaining and providing the game.

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And now, since you didn't ask :-) I'll add that the family-game business model is obviously superior to the child-only business model. Put yourself in the Mouse's shoes and ask yourself, "who is paying for this, the kids or their parents?" That's the same reason there is subtle adult humor in every movie...

So perhaps they are moving away from that concept. That's their choice, but sad to watch (also with predictable affects on their ROI.) To me, it is obviously the wrong approach in this genre.


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addendum:

Interestingly, http://disney.go.com/legal/conditions_of_use.html now redirects to a more generic page. Both pages seem to have been revamped (or perhaps rewritten) since I last saw them.

[Captain Sureshot]

Originally Posted by Edward Edgemenace

http://disney.go.com/pirates/online/...agreement.html

"...Disney reserves the right to provide the Service at no charge for promotional reasons..."

There was another section that specifically stated the purpose of the game was explicitly to promote the movie(s), but I'm having trouble finding that section at the moment.

Not sure how in the world you get that POTCO is a loss-leader out of anything in the POTCO Member Services Agreement. And the section of the MSA you partial quote from is specifically talking about promotional uses of the game, and relieving Disney of having to extend said promotions to everybody who uses the product. It most certainly is not talking about any business model. Disney is pretty tight-lipped about how they run the company. Not much to glean from their Annual Reports, either.

And now, since you didn't ask :-) I'll add that the family-game business model is obviously superior to the child-only business model. Put yourself in the Mouse's shoes and ask yourself, "who is paying for this, the kids or their parents?" That's the same reason there is subtle adult humor in every movie...

So perhaps they are moving away from that concept. That's their choice, but sad to watch (also with predictable affects on their ROI.) To me, it is obviously the wrong approach in this genre.

There is no superiority if the business model is failing. I'll take a marginally successful child user business model over any type of failing business model any day of the week. Pretty sure Disney and its stockholders would too.

As always, excellent points and thought provoking posts EE. Thanks.