Investors nervous of Starcraft 2 delays
Investors in Activision Blizzard have voiced concerns that the game may be delayed until 2010, causing stock value to fall.
According to MarketWatch (via GI.biz) the problems have risen because investors are worried that the public beta for the game has yet to kick off even though the game is supposedly set for an October release.
A number of market analysts have echoed worries that game will soon be delayed until 2010, with analysts claiming that even if a public beta were announced tomorrow then it may still not be possible to ready the game for the planned release date.
"The beta testing for Starcraft hasn't started yet. If it starts in August and takes 5-6 months, then launching the game this year is next to impossible," offered Jess Lubert, videogame analyst with Brean Murray.
Worries about Starcraft 2 shouldn't impact on the company too heavily though - with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 still on-target for a 2009 release (and at an inflated price, no less) investors are confident that Activision will still be able to hit projected targets without Starcraft 2.
"Even without Starcraft, I think Activision should be able to get to their current guidance for the year. But without Starcraft, getting an upside to that number might be challenging."
What do you think of Starcraft 2? Let us know your thoughts in the forums.
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Discuss in the forums ReplyThat is why they have become so big, and that is what people want, game that has not been released before they are ready.
INVESTOR RUSH!!!
I guess all that money from World of Warcraft just isn't enough for those greedy *******s.
This whole mantra of 'It will be done when its done' simply doesnt suite the current economic climate and has no place in business. Blizzard may want to make a perfect product (and rightly so), but constantly slipping schedules in order to deliver it is also known as bad project management, and this needs to be corrected.
So stop encouraging Blizzard to 'keep coding until the last man drops dead'.... and start encouraging 'Better Project Management = Better Products on Time'
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b131/chooch1268/Kyle_Moar.jpg
the formula for projects goes like this:
Cheep
Reliable
Fast
Pick two.
The way investors want everything is fast and cheep. This sacrifices reliability. If you sacrifice reliability you loose customers.
You can do things fast and reliable but it isn't going to be cheep. Adding on more staff, paying tons more overtime, paying more benefits to said staff.
You can get it cheep and reliable (cheep is kinda relative, it does take time and time costs money, but not as much as fast and reliable). This means you give the staff as much time as they need to complete the process. This will ultimately produce the best product. But will not fulfill the desire to have it fast.
Working on something like this does not necessarily relate to bad project management. When you are crating something from the ground up, problems are inevitable. Everything looks great when its on paper, the execution doesn't always go as smoothly, so adjustments need to be made. Time is required for these adjustments.
Investors are whats wrong with any company. because you need to constantly up your game every quarter to please them. Its the reason jobs get sent overseas during periods of record profits. Because the company went "**** there is no way we are topping last quarter, we need to do something so our numbers don't go down next quarter" so they lay off a bunch of people and cut corners.
I understand business. But its impossible to keep increasing revenue, without cutting corners. A company could be steadily profitable, but because they have stopped climbing, they are no longer a good investment. It is a difference of bull and bear investors. but when the CEO's get greedy they start hunting aggressive investors to make their company grow by taking steps backwards.
It's not JUST blizzard anymore.. it's ACTVISION Blizzard...
Seems backwards to me, you need to please your customers in order for them to buy the product to generate the products to turn into dividends for the shareholders.
The problem with investors, however, is they're the ones who effectively subsidise the development, so no investers, no development money, no product, no profit, no company!
Then again, this is Activision Blizzard, so WoW pretty much subsisdised everything else the company does...
however, blizzard has taken 10 years to make this game, and now they intend to split it into 3 parts which ultimately generates money and whether that is a money making investment pressure or the creators decision who knows, but that doesnt matter.
as it is, blizzard has a rediculous amount of capital for investment from its success (of which large percentages will have come from people buying their company shares), and as such shouldnt keep moving deadlines because they have the power to do so. As someone has already said its poor project management and pisses people off. Personally, i'd like to see their share price drop by 50% and then maybe the coders and those in charge will make a more concerted effort to finish the product, not before its ready, just finish the damn thing and let us have it. otherwise its all needless hype and as far as i'm concerned they can f$$k off with their product as the waiting is bollox. give us some news when the game is ready for release please mr CEO blizzard, otherwise, stfu!
peace
fatman
Blizzard is still a company at the end of the day, it needs to make games to survive (or at least, continue supporting WoW :p, but that aside...) and the owners i.e. shareholders have a responsibility to give them a bit of lashing to make them keep the target in their sights - to make great games. I'm not saying they should be rushed - and investors should realise quality of products is paramount - but if they want to be bankrolled by private investors and their life savings etc. then they are going to have to produce something that starts bringing in the moolah.
someone please give that kid a toothbrush
I agree if you've invested in something then you have a certain right to look after your investment, but then if you'd done your homework you should know how Blizzard works and it's track record. If I were an investor I wouldn't be worried.
Thing is, investors are always worried. Particularly the big ones... as the more money you have, the more you want and the more protective you are of it. Out of all my friends, the richest one is the biggest skinflint.
and a slap in the face.. future cop right there
the Starcraft / Warcraft / Diablo Franchise will remain a culture hit & in expansion of Growing to get more product related to those saga Even tough in Blizz coon 2009 they may reveal a detail of what is the 4th Franchise they working on a new Game universe
tough you all know : blizzard as only 3 on-going universe : there will come a 4th and that 4th we dont' know any of it potential and is pretty risked in blizzard domain i think so it sure now it activision-blizzard but i hope it don't affect anything of it Quality in future
Let hope Activision With Call of duty Modern warfare II & w/e else they making and not put blizzard in doom to reduce quality of the game they working hard : I hope the beta to give them lot of information of how to make this game faster
I hope I get in. It would make my life.
Ultimately, great software development outfits focus by providing a product that the customer will be satisfied/pleased with. By doing so, you make money, therefore satisfying stockholder requirements.
All that being said, excessive overun of deadlines can be a sign of poor management and costs money. Only someone who really understands the business of software development and works within Blizzard on this effort can really pass judgement on whether or not this delay is a good thing or a sign of mismanagement.
In the past I've really enjoyed Blizzard games. I own Diablo, D2, LOD, WarCraft (1-3 but not WOW, I don't agree with monthly subscription fees), and the original Starcraft. I'll wait till the product releases and play the game before I draw any further conclusions.
But honestly I think its 100% cow poop anyways... splitting the game into three parts? yeah... its "for the good of the game" or whatever horse s**t they tried to feed us. We're not stupid. Blizzard has become more and more about the money over the years... and if that is not a well known fact, it damn well should be. I understand you are in business to make money... nobody expects any different. But when you start a company that produces video games I would assume you have a certain dedication to your loyal gamers to keep things legit and affordable, and not empty their wallet...
I had a buddy who used to work for them and did Quality Assurance... he worked for them for 7 years, then left to work with Webzen (a company whose MMO is called Mu, not extremely well know or NEARLY as big as WoW but still popular). When I talked to him after he switched companies he told me the difference was unbelievable. He made 3x as much working for a much smaller company, didn't have to do as much work/ break his back for nothing, and was happier doing it.
According to him Blizzard showed lots of favoritism while he was there, which is something that any big company should ALWAYS try to avoid. Personally... I'm not crazy about Blizzard as a company. They DO put out damn good, high quality, original games with entertaining game play... but that does not mean that they are ultimately a "good" company. They might be a high quality company... but I feel like that statement needs to entail ethics and costumer care as well as quality and reliability.
I have no doubt that when SC2 gets released it will kick ass, hell... i pre-ordered 2 days after it was permitted. But since doing so it has been a constant onslaught of disappointments. Firstly we dish out 50+ bucks (in the US at least) for a game we have drooled over since its announcement, which is well deserved. Secondly we have been BEYOND patient with the push back of due dates, thirdly we have coped with the knowledge of the game being split into three separate releases.
But no on top of that news, which to me personally pretty much said "hey this might be to make us more money, but at least you get the game quicker." Yeah... apparently not. So what, now are we going to have to wait another 8 months for only 1/3 of a game? and then pay 50$ a piece for each installment? Excuse me? Baking powder? Thats a load if I've ever heard one...
I just pray Blizzard can get their act together and that the investors put a little more pressure on them to put Starcraft out before gaming is out of style...
now excuse me while I catch my breath. :)
they said one Double-DVD per Race campagn : Terran : Protoss : zerg Which should make a campagn Extremely big and detailed in theory. anyway i know it weird to make 3 DVD instead of 1 Expansion : Wc3 / WC3 TFT it was worth it so much the expansion and costing at start 29.99$$ : and Wc3 : 49.99$ : then : both 30,00$ or Battle-Chest which ad both for 35-40$
Anyway people should see how the First release Before Really judge the Two Expansion incoming to complete Story Line : We hope it high quality as we want of them : beside if it release in 2010 i doubt to be as any later then February the game unit look pretty much all completed all that is need is Balancing / Mission in campagn
But It seem that blizzard said D3 for 2009 Holiday hopefully it True
no i'm not sure, i had said (or meant to say if i didn't put it correctly) that I HOPED it would not be 50$ per race. And honestly based on my personal opinion of Blizzard I would not be surprised if that was the case.
In my mind charging a pre-purchase price of 50 dollars and then after having LOADS of people pre-order... suddenly releasing a statement saying "the game will now be released in three parts..." is screwing the people who have already paid for what they thought was going to be the entire game.
But who knows... maybe they will have some system for those people like myself who have already paid for it, but i kind of doubt it.
WoW game totally re-writen Delayed massively - one of the biggest or Biggest money making game of all time hmm took time to egt it right?
Diablo 1 & 2 and Starcraft all Delayed Massive Sales still sells now years later not just for Christmas
I realy hope they tell the Shareholders where to stick it.....
1/2 a million more sales by Christmas releasing a poor game or 10 million sales more over up to 10 years due to releasing the best games in there class but then hay £1 in my pocket now is better then several million later right?
Battle.net to blame:
Of course! If we have the money to buy gaming capable computers, rather than significantly cheaper consoles... we're made of money! Might as well milk as much as possible out. I was already planning on waiting for a 'Starcraft II Battle Chest" type deal with all three games in it (hopefully for a reduced price) rather than buy each bit individually... but if Battle.net does turn into another XBL I probably won't bother... how many more of these things do we need? Steam, EA Downloader, GfWL, Battle.net, Stardock Impulse... it's going to end up every other developer has their own mechanism.
Honestly, I used to dislike EA and be fairly neutral toward Activision... I'm now beginning to dislike Activision as much as EA.