Ryzom: Good News! by Marjo

[soulsnatcher]

The news you were all waiting for is finally here. The new owner of Ryzom was revealed: we are happy to welcome Gameforge who will take on the saga that is Ryzom tonight at midnight (GMT+1).

As a result, the billing system will reopen shortly so that you can subscribe again or give someone a Ryzom account for Christmas. :) Free Trial account owners will be happy to hear that they will be able to convert into a paying account and move to the mainland.

We will provide you more information in the upcoming weeks as things settle down.

Merry Christmas to all and enjoy your stay on Atys!

[peekay]

How will this affect players in the short term? Has Gameforge announced any immediate changes they will be making? I mean in regards to changing prices and so on, rather than just re-enabling subscriptions.

[gendriks]

I'm glad that it appears that a new player has bought Ryzom, instead of another MMO developer that would be likely to just shut it down.

Here's to hoping that Gameforge will get some advertising out in NA to get more paying clients from a market that is starting to get sick of the traditional MMOs available to them.

[ldjaggy]

Congratulations Gameforge!!!

[demmagog]

Gameforge GmbH is located in Karlsruhe, Germany. The young business develops and publishes favourite and popular online games. Gameforge is Europe’s market leader in browser based online-games with a portfolio of 27 products.

[grimjim]

*happy dance*

Not a pipedream and not an established group with preconcieved ideas. Plus they're still European. This could be good :)

[flume641]

yes, yes, YES! Take that Marbod, in ya Face! we are still alive!
(Marbod was our guild leader, who left it to Buckwheat and went to EQ2)

[nephy13]

Great to hear - especially that subscriptions will be restarting so promptly.

Good luck GameForge...erm, whoever you are! Hehe!

[grahambr]

Great news, at least we can now think about getting to the mainland. It seems very heartening that the company taking over Ryzom is going to be European and hopefully raise the games profile.

[mithur]

*happy dance*

Not a pipedream and not an established group with preconcieved ideas. Plus they're still European. This could be good :)


Totally agree with you. We have to wait to see their plans, but, at least, this will be a continuation, and no a radical change.

[betonmi]

Excellent news!! I am allready a subscriber, but I am happy for all the folks that can finally go to ML! I am also happy to see Gameforge is the new owner.
Congratulations to Gameforge!! (((Applause)))

I am hopefull that Gameforge will keep the CSR's, and await news from them as to their intentions and ideas for the future of SoR.

[ajsuk]

Welcome, Gameforge!

Wishing the staff a Merry Xmas and hoping for a bright future with you in the new year. :)

[qurzo]

Gameforge GmbH is located in Karlsruhe, Germany. The young business develops and publishes favourite and popular online games. Gameforge is Europe’s market leader in browser based online-games with a portfolio of 27 products.

Most of them are crappy games, other are just derivates of Ogame.

Im glad Ryzom is saved for now.......

[jennaelf]

The Company Page for GameForge (http://www.gameforge.de/company/7,0,0,0,2.html)

That link is to GameForge's basic page. Took me a little while to find it. Their major accomplisment is their Sci-Fi browser game OGame which they state as having 2.5 million players.

I'll be very pleased if Ryzom continues on as it has been.

[ashling]

It's great to finaly know who is taking over. I'm looking forward to seeing what Gameforge intend for Ryzom.

[ajsuk]

It's great to finaly know who is taking over. I'm looking forward to seeing what Gameforge intend for Ryzom.

*nods*

/chant
Speech, Speech, Speech!!

[peach]

Good news!

But, I'd like to hear from some people that have had dealings with Gameforge AG, as to what sort of company they are, not just whats been put on their website.

As I for one have never heard of them, ever! Have they only been active in Germany or farther aboard? I how someone can provide me and others more detailed info on the new owner of our fav. game.

I'm not being negative about the take over just like to know more of who I'm going to be dealing with!

[ashling]

Good news!

But, I'd like to hear from some people that have had dealings with Gameforge AG, as to what sort of company they are, not just whats been put on their website.

As I for one have never heard of them, ever! Have they only been active in Germany or farther aboard? I how someone can provide me and others more detailed info on the new owner of our fav. game.

I'm not being negative about the take over just like to know more of who I'm going to be dealing with!

No worries Peach, wanting to know more seem a perfectly fair reaction to me :)

[pahya]

Glad to see it -not- go to SOE I must say. Given that I've never heard of Gameforge until today, and it's obviously their first honest MMO I'm gonna cross my fingers and pray.

[0balgus0]

Would any of our German-speaking friends kindly translate Gameforge's Ryzom acquisition news article (http://www.gameforge.de/news/9,33,0,1,1.html) from their website? I'm sure it's some cookie-cutter general company statement, but would still be glad for any assistance.

Also, I do hope Gameforge will actively advertise Ryzom in North America. It's a shame to visit Ryzom's listing on Amazon dot com and see it having 4*+ ranking, and yet be 12,000th + on sales. (Btw, very nice review (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/B0002DOXJ4/ref=cm_cr_dp_2_1/105-2929917-2054830?ie=UTF8&customer-reviews.sort%5Fby=-SubmissionDate&n=468642)there by Arispotle's very own Faa, among others). :)

[katriell]

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gameforge.de%2Fnews%2 F9%2C33%2C0%2C1%2C1.html&langpair=de%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools

Sounds like they are acquiring the people in Nevrax as well as the game itself. :)

[grimjim]

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gameforge.de%2Fnews%2 F9%2C33%2C0%2C1%2C1.html&langpair=de%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools

Sounds like they are acquiring the people in Nevrax as well as the game itself. :)

Slavery!

"Back to the code mines with you peon!" *cracks whip*

[seawe]

wooohoo yay to the nice resolution of this crisis! I don't know much about gameforge other than reading their name on various gaming sites, but they look creative, global, already experienced with large games AND they're keeping the currrent devs. Which i think is great and hopefully they will add alot more to the team. :D :cheers:

(does anyone else think that the girls/women on their website's company page banner, if dressed up and glamored could pass as Jena? ;P (they got that 'look' in thier eyes ;) )

[slay13]

My 2 cents...;)

I'm pretty happy with this so far (they've only owned the game for a few hours now...but so far SO GOOD!! lol)...but they've already done two very important things that win them some good community browny points as well as prove that they at least have some gaming savvy coming into this....

----------------

1) They've decided to keep many(so far) of the current nevrax devs. Whether you agree or disagree with the upkeep nevrax has done of the game, they did make the thing, and are probably the best guys to continue the job as well as anyone if given resourses, which gameforge seems to be giving them. From how i look at it, most of their past problems were due to lack of money to progress any farther with their original plans post launch, now is the real start that the game deserved...hopefully! ;)

2) Jolt. Anytime you read a review about ryzom, or someones thoughts on the game, the first thing that sticks out is the grade A service. This is all Jolt(the company that runs the servers and provides customer support for those that don't know), and is not to be confused with Nevrax, as they are two seperate entities.

It'd be a shame if they kicked them out to host a possibly cheaper way...or with new CsR's, this was a very important first move in my eyes, and also to their credit. The CsR's we have kick so much @$$ it'd be pointless to even go into it. Everyone who's played ryzom knows em, and has had em come to their aid at least once (in my case many times), and i sure hope they decide to work out a deal with them past january to keep them onboard.
-------------------------

As far as them making "crappy web games" as many have stated, i disagree. Dofus' and Maplestory are other success stories of net games, and are proof that people make a bundle on these things. Hell, i still have copies of X-com and Master of Orion on my comp, 2 of the best games i've ever played, both have sub par graphics by todays standards, yet both are priceless additions to anyones library. Graphics aren't anything, and say squat about anyones ability to produce quality gameplay.

Any company that can have 2.5 million people subscribe to something is not producing a crappy product...and at the very least, is making a steady income off of the consistent cashflow. They've managed to do SOMETHING right here with their own company it seems, so where you see crap, i see a potential goldmine for Ryzom. Since i would guess these games dont take as much to update/upkeep as more graphically intensive games, that means they probably have more money to invest in this project then you'd be guessing.

I think they seem more like an eager company looking to broaden its gaming catalog to include different genres than any of the "conspiracy theory" type scenarios regarding ports and what not i've been reading about. They saw potential in ryzom, and took the initiative, and are probably as capable as anyone to take the lead here.

Best of luck to both Gameforge and jolt in the future, and i hope this is the start of a glorious rebirth of a game that never quite got the chance it deserved. Here's to second chances....

[bluefve]

Well put, Slay13. Well put.

[norvic]

Good Luck to Gameforge and the ongoing future of Ryzom, but also thanks and best wishes to Nevrax also a sincere good luck and thank you to any staff displaced by the transition.

And Happy Crimble to all :)

[puregold]

I can't wait to se what Gameforge will do within the first 3 months. I think by the end of the first 3 weeks they will feel comfortable to start making changes that they would like to see in the game.

Personally I wish outpost owners would get more credit for the land the outpost is on. Not sure how this could happen. Maybe it could be dapper related, like an income tax if on the land a trade area resides. Maybe a small part of the sale could go to the owner.

I think there would be more outpost battles, and more guilds forming, to stake their flags if something like this happened.

Are you for it?
Are you against it?

[dlice]

Im just very happy the game did not went to one of those big evil braindead MMO companies :)

I hope Gameforge will take up Ryzom the way Nevrax used to run it. Means the game hopefully will further improve.

There are a lot of ways i could think of to improve it, so i hope they manage to do just that :)

Thumbs up

[arty1972]

Congratz Gameforge. Im so happy Ryzom is still alive.

Now, you know that this MMORPG has something special. And actual players stay because of its wonderful gameplay, lore...

So lesson to devs (so much awaited for weeks,..), tell them what you want to change (if any), brainstorm, and please, PLEASE, don't change the game to recruit kids...

[khyle]

Here is the completely inofficial translation of the acquisition news article:

The Karlsruhe based game forge Gameforge AG acquires the game "The Saga of Ryzom" and the french developer studio Nevrax. The business will be transformed into new-founded Gameforge SARL located in Paris and will be 100% subsidiary of Gameforge AG.
With "The Saga of Ryzom" Nevrax develops and delivers the first client based, third generation MMOG whose innovative game concept and innovative world make it stand out from the competition. With its large player base in german, english, and french language versions the fantasy game is a constant of the MMOG scene.
""The Saga of Ryzom" is a fantastic game with a high potential. We saw the chance to obtain a first-class product together with qualified staff and set up a base in France, one of our most important markets. We just had to act." says Klaas Kersting, CEO and Founder of Gameforge AG.
With an established base of over 4.5 Million active players world wide, Gameforge AG provides a solid base for "The Saga of Ryzom", with Gameforge subsidiary Gameforge 4D simultaneously acting as MMOG publisher.
Concludes Kersting, "Along with our future colleagues we will continue improving the title and offer our players a really fantastic product. Of course our competence in community management, marketing, and publishing will greatly benefit this project."
With their french subsidiary in Paris, Gameforge AG opens their first branch abroad.

[kaarina1]

Congrats and well done

We just joined (paid) and are thrilled to get to continue playing this game. We think the Orginal creators have done an outstanding job and excited to see what new things will be coming out in the future


Thank you again

[puregold]

Well i tried a Gameforge game, their new one Metin2. I was able to create an account and choose my character and Guild, however when I went to run the game I kept getting froze up on the entry.

Oh well, time to get back to Ryzom. Merry Christmas everyone.

[pahya]

Meitin2 is a korean game, originally. Gameforge translates and runs it