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EA was in the process of developing a Harry Potter MMO, but scrapped it because they didn't think HP had longevity
- Thread starter IbizaPocholo
- Start date
- Opinion Game Dev
hybrid_birth
Gold Member
EDMIX
Member
Trust? I don't know about that.
You show me a publisher that is cancelling nothing and I'd say that is the publisher to worry about. Any major publisher will cancel a few projects that don't work out, don't make sense etc Its part of a business and quality control etc. Gamers get caught up too much in the "what if' and ignore that maybe they see it wasn't going to work in the first place and decided not to greenlight, I have nothing against that as any publisher who is smart will do that and focus on what they believe can work.
If it didn't work out, it just didn't work out and I think too many times we just imagine what we wanted vs what was really going with those projects. For all we know they would have been massive flops or something.
PerfectDark
Banned
Thank god. No game is better than every EA game.
John Wick
Member
Typical shit EA decision making. They probably would have ruined it anyway with MTX etc
Rentahamster
Rodent Whores
Dumb foresight, but EA probably would have made a shitty game that gets shut down in a year anyway.
Nobody_Important
“Aww, it’s so...average,” she said to him in a cold brick of passion
They are probably right. World of Warcraft is the most financially successful MMO that has ever existed and even it is struggling to find a footing at this point and that was before all of their PR fiascos of the last year. And that is a game that has an established player base, an established system, and an established economy.
Creating an MMO after something that is as shallow as Harry Potter is lore wise at this point would likely be a financial catastrophe if it was put in to any large scale practice.
Creating an MMO after something that is as shallow as Harry Potter is lore wise at this point would likely be a financial catastrophe if it was put in to any large scale practice.
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Yoboman
Member
WOW came out in 2004. What is that if not longevity?
Kagey K
Banned
To be fair EAs HP games weren't that great towards the end. The first couple were pretty good but then they transformed into almost a 3rd person cover shooter.
If the MMO played like those later games, it would have been terrible.
jakinov
Member
Even if they did make it, who knows if it would have eveen been good. Lots of MMOs failed. Lots of MMO never got that popular and basically just became F2P games that people who can't afford games play. We've had a bunch of IP based MMOs like Star Trek, DC, Marvel, Star Wars, etc.
somebody who didn't have a crystal ball to know that it would be one of the best selling books and biggest movie properties of all time.
Yoboman
Member
EA were making Harry Potter games until 2011. They didn't need a crystal ball
jakinov
Member
Back then big publishers were making a lot of games based on movies (doesn't really happen anymore). Either way it doens't matter if they kept making games until 2011. Because it was 2000-2003 when this happened.
ManaByte
Gold Member
UO2 became SWG.Of course they have to legally deny it and say SWG used no UO2 code, but SWG shipped with an identical bug that was in UO1 for years. In UO when you crossed a server boundary the stats on your helm would be wiped to 0 and you’d have to unequip it and reequip it to fix it. That bug was in SWG at launch.
Soodanim
Gold Member
You’re right about the hype not being quite as strong as it was when the movies where still in active release mode, but don’t underestimate the strength of Harry Potter as a brand. It’s still got a strong following and picks up new (younger) fans as soon as they get to an age where they are ready to watch/read it.
I have a feeling that the new game will prove that the Harry Potter universe has enough going for it to support games if not an MMO. There’s a lot there to explore, and a fun but out of logical timeline spin-off movie series won’t change there being a lot to explore in that world.
Really, if they weren’t afraid of the audience split and marketing issues, there’s some darker/adult stuff they could get into. The books lightly touch on madness inducing torture, spells that slash open wounds into your enemy like you had cut them with a knife 50 times and various other not very child friendly parts, so if someone did it properly it could be a very different look at that universe. When you get into murder to make Horcruxes, that starts taking you into interesting lore/mechanics that could be very well fleshed out and explored in a game.
Von Hugh
Member
Meanwhile Harry Potter merchandise, toys etc. are still sold 10 years after the movies. That's not being dead.
RJMacready73
Simps for Amouranth
Anyone doubting the brand "Harry Potter" obvs don't have young kids, tried for years to get mine into it but I was trying to early and now at 10 & 9 they are devouring the books with my youngest about to finish book5, we regularly stick the movies on and have done a few back to back marathons not to mention Santa is bringing them a shit ton of Lego and other assorted HP merch, this is an i.p. that'll never die, it'll just constantly get new fans and as a fan myself it's great that I can now enjoy it with my kids... Not to mention I can't wait to build the Lego Hogwarts castle series with them Xmas day
blacktout
Member
You have to remember that at the time many people were still under the false impression that late millennials would eventually grow up.
cireza
Banned
The IP is super strong. A ton of merchandise and toys is being sold nowadays.
akaFullmetal
Member
Probably a good thing, I mean it's EA.....
Basil King
Member
That would have been cool. I'm playing a damn mobile game right now of Harry Potter that's interesting. I realized I just want more stories in that universe. Potter doesn't need to be in it
Edgelord79
Gold Member
Easy to play armchair quarterback to decisions made years ago, especially when it involved predicting future popularity.
I feel as this franchise would be a nightmare to work with, from the licencing to the author. So maybe it was a good call. Who knows.
I feel as this franchise would be a nightmare to work with, from the licencing to the author. So maybe it was a good call. Who knows.
Kacho
Gold Member
As a non-fan of the series, a Harry Potter MMO sounds like a horrible idea. I think they made the right call here. Plus MMOs in general are kinda dead.
Is Harry Potter even deep enough to warrant a massive project like that? The only people I know who care about that franchise are women and they don’t play games. Is the world as fleshed out and interesting as something like LotR or Star Wars?
Is Harry Potter even deep enough to warrant a massive project like that? The only people I know who care about that franchise are women and they don’t play games. Is the world as fleshed out and interesting as something like LotR or Star Wars?
NecrosaroIII
Ask me about my terrible takes on Star Trek characters
I don't know about an MMO, but a Bully-styoed Harry Potter game would be all kinds of awesome
Evil Calvin
Afraid of Boobs
EA, since you are doing nothing, how about you release a compilation of all of your EA Genesis games :
Madden, NHL, Road Rash, Populous, Power Monger, Desert Strike, Jungle Strike, Immortal, PGA Golf, Rings of Power, Mutant League games, General Chaos, Blades of Vengeance, F22, LHX, Lotus, Might and Magic, King's Bounty, James Pond, Sword of Sodan........
Madden, NHL, Road Rash, Populous, Power Monger, Desert Strike, Jungle Strike, Immortal, PGA Golf, Rings of Power, Mutant League games, General Chaos, Blades of Vengeance, F22, LHX, Lotus, Might and Magic, King's Bounty, James Pond, Sword of Sodan........
DeceptiveAlarm
Gold Member
Also Shadowlands was the fastest selling wow exspansion ever with 3.7 million sold in one day. Lol. Now it has definitely went down hill with delays and the sex scandal.
EverydayBeast
thinks Halo Infinite is a new graphical benchmark
Harry Potter gives you spells, magic and summoning beasts, I don’t see the mmo appeal here.
Kokoloko85
Member
Oh EA? Making stupid decisions? I dont believe you
Fox Mulder
Member
People are trying to cancel it and Rowling regardless.
