General Discussion

SOE needs help because it thinks like a corporation and not a business.

Line Extension

EQ III Will Not Work

SOE's record is notorious, but not nearly as bad as EA's.  The problem with SOE is that it thinks the right brand will sell itself.  E.g., SOE should not have extended the Everquest line.  Similar to the failure of Coke II, you cannot just slap the name Everquest on a product and expect it to be successful.  In fact, Everquest II diluted the original Everquest as well as Everquest II. 

Unfortunately, Everquest II is a great game and has always been diminished because of its title.  Even more, it competes with itself against Everquest.  The company needs to compete externally, not internally. 

Line Reduction

Focus On a Single Game to Compete with WoW (and EA's WAR)

SOE must sell or discontinue all games that it is not either the top #1 or #2 in sales (subscriptions). 

SOE then must focus on a single game, using all resources and savings, to create a game that can be #1 or #2 in the market, to

• Reduce costs of multiple titles
• Increase sales of a single great game instead of 4 or 5 mediocre games
• Focus marketing on a single product
• Improve quality on a single product

Under Jack Welch, GE sold any product or service that it was not either the best in or second best and generated more profits and acquired more market share.

SOE needs to do the same in order to compete with Blizzard and EA in the MMORPG industry.  SOE has shown it can produce great games (Everquest, SWG, and Everquest II). 

• Everquest was destroyed by focusing on raiding gear and tiers and not the group base
• SWG was destroyed by not listening to customers and radically changing the game from class customization to progress
• Everquest II is hampered by its unfortunate title and lore

Conclusion

One Game to Rule Them All

The only way for SOE to remain competitive is to focus on a single title that is innovative, creative, new, and different from the other market leaders.  To do this, SOE needs to sell-off its other titles to focus its resources on a single product (game). 

A Sci-Fi To Compete:  As Big As Elvis

Unless the rumors are true, I suggest a sci-fi such as KOTOR, using the brilliant features of world immersion, character customization, travel, audio, visuals, and everything else from SWG.  KOTOR is not just another Star Wars; its lore, concepts, and themes make it different enough from a SWG II, obviously.  SWG is, in my view, the most brilliant MMORPG ever created.  If SOE would have enhanced world immersion, customization, and so forth instead of reducing it, SWG could have been the sci-fi WoW.  Bigger, or at least as big, as Elvis.  The opportunity is still there for a sci-fi MMORPG to compete with WoW and anything that EA can produce. 

1) SOE needs to get rid of Smedley or put him in charge of the water fountain.

2) SOE needs to focus on the PS3 since it seems to be the way Sony proper wants to go with SOE anyways and not waste capital on other ventures like their card games.

3) Don't listen to forum posters like me because I love being absurd.

4) #1 was serious: Smedley has to go.

-- Brede

I'm not sure on this, but didn't $oE buy those games and them send them down the toilet? Not Everquest I think, but the others were developed by competant companies.

I don't know or care enough about SoE to check. I think they're not cut out for MMOs. Also, I hope EA changes its ways with WAR

Originally posted by Ascension08

I'm not sure on this, but didn't $oE buy those games and them send them down the toilet? Not Everquest I think, but the others were developed by competant companies.

I don't know or care enough about SoE to check. I think they're not cut out for MMOs. Also, I hope EA changes its ways with WAR

The history is well documented.  SOE started off as a division within Sony Interactive, and developed Everquest but before it was released they were spun off into a semi independent company called Verant.  Sony remained the major shareholder.  When Everquest was a hit Sony reabsorbed Verant and renamed them SOE. 

EQ was already on the market, SWG was in the pipe and I think EQ2 was already in the planning stages.  Smed was in charge from the start, and Brad McQuaid was in charge of development until he left to start Sigil.  (The SWG and Planetside teams reported to Brad, and he also drew up the original design documents for EQ2, though it changed greatly after he left.)

The only games SoE bought were the Matrix Online, which had already failed but SoE apparently wanted some licenses that came with it, and Vanguard, again a game that had already flopped.  I haven’t gone back to check personally but I understand Vanguard is actually developing into an ok game. 

Similar to the failure of Coke II,

Actually Coke II (Ie. "new" coke) did not fail, it worked exactly like how Coke wanted it to. In the late 70s early 80's the cost of Cane sugar started rising and the cost of Corn sugar were very low.  Coke decided to move to a "New" Coke campaign had a huge fall out with the "New" coke, which honestly no one could really tell the difference in taste.

Then to appease the "old" coke drinkers Coke brought back Coke Classic, but didn't tell anyone that the "coke classic" was not really the old coke it had the same ingredients as the old coke, but had corn sugar instead of the cane sugar that the old coke actually had.

With the cost of corn sky rocketing right now, Coke is thinking of going back to the true old coke with cane sugars.

Sorry, when i saw the reference to coke's failure i had to set that straight.

PS SOE sucks Monkey nutz, i'll never buy another game from those f* tards

SOE has left a sour taste in about every American and European MMO gamer's mouth. So now they're being forced to develop for the ps3.

Originally posted by Southern_man

Similar to the failure of Coke II,

 

Actually Coke II (Ie. "new" coke) did not fail, it worked exactly like how Coke wanted it to. In the late 70s early 80's the cost of Cane sugar started rising and the cost of Corn sugar were very low.  Coke decided to move to a "New" Coke campaign had a huge fall out with the "New" coke, which honestly no one could really tell the difference in taste.

Then to appease the "old" coke drinkers Coke brought back Coke Classic, but didn't tell anyone that the "coke classic" was not really the old coke it had the same ingredients as the old coke, but had corn sugar instead of the cane sugar that the old coke actually had.

With the cost of corn sky rocketing right now, Coke is thinking of going back to the true old coke with cane sugars.

 

Sorry, when i saw the reference to coke's failure i had to set that straight.

PS SOE sucks Monkey nutz, i'll never buy another game from those f* tards

To be honest, I do not know what you are talking about.

Coke II, in blind taste surveys lead by Coca Cola, tasted better than classic.  It is a harvard business school case study used in business schools in most marketing classes. 

You can find case studies here:  www.hbsp.harvard.edu/hbsp/case_studies.jsp

Oh, by the way, the most important book on marketing, in my opinion, is by two professors at Northwestern University, 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries and Jack Trout:  www.amazon.com/22-Immutable-Laws-Marketing-Violate/dp/0887306667

I do not know much about Smedley, and I do not know if he is the problem or the solution.

The point is that SOE's brand, line extension strategy is not working:  EQ 1, EQ 2, Matrix, Planetside, Pirates of the Carribean, etc. 

SOE's line extension strategy needs to be a line reduction strategy to focus on a single title to compete with Blizzard and EA.  It can reduce costs, acquire more market share, and increase profits.