Lolwut?

[-Tutu-]

But... what is Aeria games?

[Khaletohep]

Apparently, it's something like Steam. They provide games you can play on their servers.

The idea is a bit weird. AoC is a MMO run on various (virtual) servers, i. e. with a separated community. In theory, it's not important who runs the server for a particular community. If the EU server Aries would have been run by Funcom, the US server Set by Vavle and so on, it wouldn't have felt much different in the beginning. That might be business model - one company develops the game, other companies run servers, do customer support and so on.

However, that might create serious rifts in the player base. Will there be a common forum? Will the customer support deal with issues the same way (imagine GMs on one server helping to fix quest/issue/whatever X, wheres GMs on another server deny that)? Will there even be customer service at all on some servers? Character transfers? Will patches be applied on the same dates? What if one company doesn't want to continue to buy patches, but continues to run the game with the old version? Or doesn't agree with a new patch, fearing to loose customers?

Those issues could be solved, though, I assume. So.. why not? One company could offer - for example - a server without GM support, but at half price. And another one could promise to delay all patchers for two weeks, so that there will be less downtime due to hotfixes / updating problems. The developer would loose direct income from the players, but earn money in licensing fees.

The decision to do this at this particular moment with AoC, is, however, weird. Communities on Funcom servers are merged, and there's another one, a really separated one created elsewhere. Let's hope that marketing did the numbers right, and let Aeria pay enough to compensate for possible subscriptions lost.

[Misiuggah]

Apparently, it's something like Steam.

Not even close.

Just look at their app - Ignite has almost no functions, it's just a launcher that launches other launchers :xzibit: and has forums/account links. Crapware like Uplay at least has some kind of achievement/unlocks system, friends tab and a some primitive communicator. Then there's Steam.

[Suctum]

What is the purpose or relevance to creating a stand alone PvE only server for some fringe provider most people have not heard of?

Do people on this server:

1. Have a F2P system and sub system, and is it the same as ours?
2. Does Funcom receive any compensation for this, or was it just a one time paid lump sum for rights.
3. Do these servers get updated with the same fixes and updates regular servers do?
4. Is there any special incentive to play on this server?
5. Is the store available on this server, which is so would answer question #2.

Why they would go to some obscure provider instead of putting more money into steam (which created noticeable and lasting results) is a question only they can answer. Why would you alienate new players from the general population and not want them as your own customers...very obtuse decision from what we all know as an almost silent marketing department.

[-Tutu-]

Why they would go to some obscure provider instead of putting more money into steam (which created noticeable and lasting results) is a question only they can answer. Why would you alienate new players from the general population and not want them as your own customers...very obtuse decision from what we all know as an almost silent marketing department.

Just because they would have to pump money for Steam while here they get paid, simple math ;-) In the end who cares about some odd provider. From my perspective it doesn't really matter.

[zujilin]

What is the purpose or relevance to creating a stand alone PvE only server for some fringe provider most people have not heard of?

Do people on this server:

1. Have a F2P system and sub system, and is it the same as ours?
2. Does Funcom receive any compensation for this, or was it just a one time paid lump sum for rights.
3. Do these servers get updated with the same fixes and updates regular servers do?
4. Is there any special incentive to play on this server?
5. Is the store available on this server, which is so would answer question #2.

Why they would go to some obscure provider instead of putting more money into steam (which created noticeable and lasting results) is a question only they can answer. Why would you alienate new players from the general population and not want them as your own customers...very obtuse decision from what we all know as an almost silent marketing department.

1. yes
2. we cannot know
3. probably
4. no, it's a perfect copy of Crom/Set.
5. not be so sure, there is a store, but you not but with Funcom Points but with Aeria Games points. Aeria is popolar for have to much f2p MMO all with personal shop with Aeria points, also subscriptions for its games are buyed in the shop (you buy subscription as it is a simple item), so subscriptions moneys arent for funcom!

so I'm at the end of this analysis, I continue to believe that this phenomenon is more harmful than helpful and also not be underestimated.
As I have always said on this forum aoc simply needs more promotion service, many people simply do not know it.
I have visited their forums and there are a lot (really many) people who have seen aoc for the first time, they speak well, I'm ecstatic and you are literally immersed. Now for me even though many of these probably will not pay or even leave the game, they are all potential lost customers who did not know aoc for a less aggressive policy for non-existent promotion of this fantastic game, while these people are abducted by Aeria massacres that instead of banner ads.
Whatever the reason why Funcom does this and its earnings I can not figure it out, I see more negative than positive points, the computing history testifies that the forks are always negative (see Ubuntu and its millions of forks and people who do not understand a **** for that matter)

[Marlekin]

On Aeria:

As of July 2012,[... the Aeria] community has over 40 million registered members.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeria_G..._Entertainment

As of December 2012, there are nearly 2000 games available through Steam,[5] and 54 million active user accounts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_%28software%29


If it's going to be top title on that Aeria platform, it might generate some nice cash for Funcom, and given the Q2 2013 report they can well use it until LEGO minifigure game is out. Also, some of those might switch onto the real servers later, e.g. for PvP reasons?

[zujilin]

On Aeria:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeria_G..._Entertainment




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_%28software%29


If it's going to be top title on that Aeria platform, it might generate some nice cash for Funcom, and given the Q2 2013 report they can well use it until LEGO minifigure game is out. Also, some of those might switch onto the real servers later, e.g. for PvP reasons?

It's a bit differnt. Steam is only a download platform, when peoples download game from steam, the client is the some us, they join in funcom comunity, we see them, we play with them, they pay (if they pay) the funcom, and we are all happy.
Aeria is independent with personal server, we dont see them, they not pay funcom subscription, most of them discover AOC now for the first time and they not have idea that is old funcom games with other servers (with possibilities to choise pvp)!

[Twopay]

I played up to 20 on that server, Players are logging and and lvling. I requested gm support about a item I couldnt find in item store and a funcom gm came on just like on reg servers but all he did was link me to there game support website.

[Khaletohep]

Any sign of the guy in the dog suit?