Funcom Blames MetaCritic For Share Price Drop

[nodlimax]

I played TSW during Open Beta a little bit.

I didn't fall in love with the game. The questsystem was OK, the queststories were good, but the game felt dead. I didn't like my own character. In addition the combat system felt really weak.

From what I had seen during the beta I would've given that game a 6 out of 10. It's ok, but I wouldn' recommend it to others.

 

[glenbruton]

TSW is actually quite a good game in my opinion . I think it may just be a case of MMO exhaustion in the market.

Me and my wife particularly enjoy solving the puzzle quests. No google allowed!

 

[Headdrivehardscrew]

Well, apart from metacritic aggregate and user review amok rage or other, random reviews popping up anywhere else - Dear Funcom, I watched your rendered promo clips and liked what I saw. Yes, I could have bought The Secret World; I didn't. Why, you ask? Well, I really don't feel like investing any time or money in MMOs at this point in time, as I feel I've had enough of that with World Of Warcraft, and I'd really prefer to keep up a healthy, well-balanced gaming habit instead of being enslaved by yet another MMO I might or might not enjoy.

I did take some of those F2P competition titles out for a spin, but life's just too short for wasting it on MMOs. Seen some, liked some, done. Any non-MMO title will get my preference, really. Sorry.

 

[Sis]

From every review that I have seen, the game absolutely deserved such a score. And, it's pretty damn good score FFS. I mean 7/10? In school, a 7 would be the point where you said you actually did a good job on that test. FFS.

 

[Sixcess]

72/100 sounds about right to me. The concept and atmosphere is excellent, but that can only go so far, and the actual gameplay is underwhelming.

Yes, it couldn't possibly have anything to do with releasing a barely advertised MMO based on a new IP right before both Guild Wars 2 and Mists of Pandaria.

Also this. TSW is a niche title (i.e. not fantasy) and whilst that's not a bad thing by any means, this is pretty much the worst possible timing for a new and unknown IP to try to make an impact.

Oh, and...

Spoiler: obligatory comment about F2P within a year

If TOR couldn't hold out no way will TSW. Not with Funcom admitting things aren't going as hoped within one month of release.

This is what happens (again) when (yet another) company releases an MMO with unrealistic expectations.

 

[tehroc]

I'd be checking it out right now but there is no way my computer could handle running it.

 

[Vrach]

how is 7/10 low? #gamerlogic

Erm, if you look at uni grades (1-10, at least where I come from), you need a 6 to pass, 7 is just slightly better and still low, where 8 is good, 9 is excellent and 10 is extraordinary. So to answer your question, very easily.

72/100 sounds about right to me. The concept and atmosphere is excellent, but that can only go so far, and the actual gameplay is underwhelming.

^Pretty much this. The story's nice, but the MMO gameplay really needs to change. Why barely anyone is really trying the more standard combat systems is completely beyond me. We have the tech for it and the MMO crowd is clearly completely sick and tired of the hotkey system, so why does nearly every company stick to it? It's familiar? So is an FPS, action combat and a thousand other systems. I know you're trying to appeal to the MMO crowd, but the ones who play nothing but MMOs (most players play other stuff too) will likely be sticking to one that's already out, they're the hardest converts. Also, there's a pile of other players who'd jump in if it wasn't for those mechanics, the potential market is likely far bigger than the MMO one.

PS
Don't really see the game on Steam...?

 

[Sylveria]

how is 7/10 low? #gamerlogic

More of an issue of publisher logic since scores are skewed so high anymore. Anything below a 9/10 is considered low these days.

 

[DaxStrife]

I don't know Funcom, maybe everyone's just over MMO's now with Warcraft, EVE and SWTOR dominating everything for nearly a decade? Maybe releasing another "currently subscription, soon-to-be free-to-play" game into the current market wasn't a great move?

 

[Covarr]

Just a thought, but if you don't like your MetaCritic score... make a better game.

That being said, 7/10 ain't awful. It's "okay". 6/10 is bad, by stupid game standards. Still, they could've done better.

P.S. Thanks

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

Ive played both WOW and Guild wars and was bored after a few weeks of playing them. Millions of people love them to pieces and play them for years. Im sure the review who gave it 7/10 has played many more MMO than those two and just found it to be so/so compared to other MMO's.

Thing is it will take something special to get people off WOW and GW2, something new and original. Funcom show know this by the many carcasses of failed MMO's. Maybe they should have made an rpg instead. lol

 

[Lunar Templar]

why are developers still using meta critic? its not exactly reliable information.

oh well, least their doing more to fight off the F2P conversion then ToR did

 

[kajinking]

I liked how the secret world looked and wanted to give it a try but sadly I already have a paid account with EVE online that's been active for over a year and I simply cannot afford a second subscription. I really hope Funcom turns things around before this situation goes full on APB on us, mostly since I still do want to play the game at one point.

 

[Iklol]

how is 7/10 low? #gamerlogic

It's the reviewers fault, not the gamers. Think about it; when was the last time you saw a game get a score under 5? Friggen never, and if it did then it means that the game barely worked. In theory the median for game reviews should be 5, in practice it's more like 7. Don't ask me why, it seems that the game reviewers of the world just universally decided that 7 was going to be the new median for game scores.

 

[Something Amyss]

inb4 gamers asking for handouts because their too cheap to pay for good games.

Yes, their (sic) too cheap, which is why the video game industry is experiencing near-exponential growth financially. It all makes sense now.

how is 7/10 low? #gamerlogic

Gotta love score inflation. To be fair, though, the reviews for this game look like it would have merited lower if not for the same score inflation.

I can't believe publishers use Metacritic as hostage to paying the developers for bonuses and now share prices. I thought it was a joke a few years ago, but to see how review scores (something entirely subjective) can directly affect the employees of a game company is a bit disgusting.

What they're saying here is that the price of their shares dropped because the game was "poorly" received. In this instance, the claim is less "we value Metacritic" and more "the shareholders are following metacritic."

TSW takes time and commitment to get the most out of it. Guess what, it's an MMO, they're supposed to work that way.

Then don't complain when it gets trounced by WoW and non-MMO players don't want to touch it.

 

[SajuukKhar]

Shouldn't Funcom be blaming themselves so making a crappy game?

I mean, really, the gameplay of TSW wasn't that great at all.

and as others have pointed out, 72, isn't THAT low of a socre.

 

[Crazy Zaul]

Shouldn't Funcom be blaming themselves so making a crappy game?

I mean, really, the gameplay of TSW wasn't that great at all.

and as others have pointed out, 72, isn't THAT low of a socre.

Indeed, if you want an 85, fix the one thing majorly bad about the game. Everyone has told FC since the 1st beta the combat is really terrible and the animations are almost at 'so bad its good' level.

 

[Treblaine]

how is 7/10 low? #gamerlogic

No, it is sound maths-logic

Average score is 77% so 72% is significantly below average.

Nowhere in any scoring system must 50% always be average. Look, if you are an Olympic diver and you score on 7/10 the you can't declare you are 20% above average when the actual average score in such events is around 8.1/10.

It's a common. Mistake in maths to assume "half is average". As in "well I could win or lose this bet, two outcomes, so the odds are 50-50" he'll no.