Something Witty Like: SOE’s New Daybreak

5 February, 2015. 565 words.

Breaking News! (Not.) SOE is turning into Daybreak.

I don’t read as much doom and gloom into this news as SynCaine does, but if Daybreak intends to take a more cross-platform stance, it could mean EverQuest Next will end up a lot more controller-friendly than we PC MMORPG gamers might like. You can already sense it with Landmark actually. You’ve got a left button ability and a right button ability and that’s about it.

Not that there’s anything wrong with fewer abilities, if done well-Neverwinter comes to mind. Sadly last I checked-a month or so ago? Did I write a post about that? It’s probably still in my Drafts somewhere-Landmark had a long way to go before the quality of its combat came anywhere near the level of fun and polish in Neverwinter.

On the other end of the controller spectrum would be something like FFXIV, which brings all of the hotbar complexity of your PC MMORPG right to your controller buttons, and does it better than you might think. I’d prefer it if they went that direction for EQ Next. (Honestly there isn’t much that could be stolen from FFXIV that wouldn’t be a solid winner.)

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens after Daybreak. Hyuk hyuk.

(I keep wanting to call them Dawnbreak instead of Daybreak for some reason.)

UPDATE, 4/25/2018

Because of recent events with Daybreak Game Company claiming that Columbus Nova never owned them, I am updating this post today with a screenshot of the Reddit link referenced above.

Below is the text of the announcement, so I can search on it later:

Sony Online Entertainment Becomes Daybreak Game Company

<p class="faukuq-10 jmxXXW">
  Dear Players, Partners and Friends,
</p>

<p class="faukuq-10 jmxXXW">
  Today, we are pleased to announce that we have been acquired by Columbus Nova, an investment management firm well known for its success with its existing portfolio of technology, media and entertainment focused companies. This means that effective immediately SOE will operate as an independent game development studio where we will continue to focus on creating exceptional online games for players around the world, and now as a multi-platform gaming company. Yes, that means PlayStation and Xbox, mobile and more!
</p>

<p class="faukuq-10 jmxXXW">
  As part of this transition, SOE will now become Daybreak Game Company. This name embodies who we are as an organization, and is a nod to the passion and dedication of our employees and players. It is also representative of our vision to approach each new day as an opportunity to move gaming forward.
</p>

<p class="faukuq-10 jmxXXW">
  So what exactly does this mean for you? It will be business as usual and all SOE games will continue on their current path of development and operation. In fact, we expect to have even more resources available to us as a result of this acquisition. It also means new exciting developments for our existing IP and games as we can now fully embrace the multi-platform world we are living in.
</p>

<p class="faukuq-10 jmxXXW">
  Our games and players are the heart and soul of our organization, and we are committed to maintaining our portfolio of online games and pushing the limits of where we can take online gaming together.
</p>

<p class="faukuq-10 jmxXXW">
  Thank you for your continued support. See you in game!
</p>

<p class="faukuq-10 jmxXXW">
  The Team at Daybreak
</p>

Archived Comments

Wilhelm Arcturus 2015-02-05T19:20:15Z

I like SOE… and Smed… a lot more than SynCaine, though that might be for nostalgia reasons. But a lot of my own concern about where they will end up relates more to the realities of working for an investment group than any desire on the part of SOE… erm, Daybreak… to make great games on any given platform.

I keep coming up with words to fit their company acronym (DGC). Damn Good Coffee. Doing GuildWars Clones. Devil Got Cash.

Finally, I suddenly wondered the other night if, as an investment company, if Columbus Novocaine might just want to trim them down to profitability and sell them off. Who would buy them? Who is rich, dumb, and makes bad buying decisions?

That’s right! You heard it here first. They will be part of EA within 3 years. Hah!

Murf 2015-02-05T23:03:37Z

I wouldn’t mind the control scheme being akin to FFXIV at all. That game manages to bridge the gap while still being a full MMORPG.

My problem with supporting console platforms, however, is in the way it affects the design. This is just my personal observation, but FFXIV and DCUO - while solid MMOs on consoles - seemed to suffer in their class designs a bit. That isn’t solely to be blamed on consoles; after all, dialing back from the broader interpretation of the Holy Trinity in EQ has long been a hallmark of the genre’s evolution. However, the more action-heavy we go with less CC, less pure Support, etc., the more turned off I am from newer MMOs.

EverQuest Next is already abandoning the Holy Trinity in favor of a more Guild Wars 2 approach (which I hated). The little footage we have seen definitely indicates a strong action vibe to it. I am fairly certain that the final EQN product will be a lot less strategic than I had originally hoped.

That’ll be great for controllers.

UltrViolet 2015-02-07T14:04:04Z I dunno, SOE seems like a risky investment if all they wanted to do is flip it, but I know nothing about these things.

UltrViolet 2015-02-07T14:08:27Z Ugh GW2 group combat is pure chaos. I really hope that doesn’t end up in EQN.

Sorry, new comments are disabled on older posts. This helps reduce spam. Active commenting almost always occurs within a day or two of new posts.

UPDATE, 4/25/2018

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Archived Comments