Turbine bought by megacorp, what does it mean for the games?

[lupi]

WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT GROUP ACQUIRES TURBINE, INC.
NORTH AMERICA'S LARGEST PRIVATELY-HELD ONLINE GAMING STUDIO
BURBANK, Calif., April 20, 2010 – Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group announced today the acquisition of Turbine, Inc., the largest privately-held online gaming studio in North America, further strengthening Warner Bros.’ position as one of the industry’s fastest growing, full-scale games publishers.

“Turbine is a leader in online entertainment and a strong strategic fit for Warner Bros. as we continue to broaden our games portfolio and development capabilities,” said Kevin Tsujihara, president, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group. “Turbine’s renowned online game development and publishing expertise will help us develop additional online product offerings, while also providing us with new and innovative ways to market and communicate with our consumers.”

Founded in 1994 and operating primarily in Boston, Turbine has created some of the most popular and exciting gaming worlds on the Internet, including Dungeons & Dragons Online®: Eberron Unlimited™, the world’s best free-to-play massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) and The Lord of the Rings Online™, the first and only MMORPG based on the books of J.R.R. Tolkien. Previously, Warner Bros. held all The Lord of the Rings (LOTR) games rights, with the exception of the literary MMO (massively multiplayer online game) rights. Now all games rights for the LOTR franchise will be unified under the Warner Bros. shield.

“We have been looking to expand access to our online worlds to more players and more markets,” said Jim Crowley, president and CEO, Turbine, Inc. “This acquisition is very exciting because it allows us to expand globally while continuing to focus on creating spectacular online games that our loyal fans and players have come to expect.”

Additionally, the acquisition of Turbine provides Warner Bros. with access to a proprietary digital publishing platform that enables dynamic direct-to-consumer relationships, robust online merchandising opportunities and vibrant e-commerce functionality for online games. Turbine has also developed a social networking platform that can integrate their self-developed online communities with popular third-party social networks. Outside of the games arena, these platforms present unique opportunities for Warner’s other home entertainment businesses.

“Turbine is recognized globally for its industry-leading technology, groundbreaking graphics and its unique ability to create and operate massive and persistent online worlds which greatly enhance players’ social gaming experiences,” said Martin Tremblay, president, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “The Lord of the Rings Online and Dungeons & Dragons Online have both been an enormous success for Turbine and we look forward to working with their talented development team to continue creating award-winning online games.”

In 2007, Warner Bros. acquired TT Games, developer of the hit LEGO-based game franchises, including LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Indiana Jones and LEGO Batman, which have wide appeal with players of all ages. Early in 2009, Warner Bros. acquired Snowblind Studios to develop its The Lord of the Rings games franchise, with the first title The Lord of the Rings: War in the North expected to be released in 2011. Also in 2009, the Studio purchased the primary assets of Midway Games. Midway published the Mortal Kombat franchise, which has sold over 26 million units worldwide. Most recently, Warner Bros. acquired a majority stake in Rocksteady Studios, a privately held developer of interactive entertainment targeted at teens and adults.

Warner Bros. continues to grow its games business through key acquisitions, building internal development capabilities, leveraging its global video distribution infrastructure, and focusing on developing major games franchises such as Batman, F.E.A.R., Mortal Kombat, The Lord of the Rings and LEGO.

About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group (WBHEG) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment's home video, digital distribution, interactive entertainment, technical operations and anti-piracy businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHEG oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels, and is a significant developer and publisher for console and online video game titles worldwide. WBHEG distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees, as well as directly to consumers through WBShop.com.

About Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, is a premier worldwide publisher, developer, licensor and distributor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all current and future platforms, including console, handheld and PC-based gaming for both internal and third party game titles.

About Turbine
Turbine, Inc. is the premier creator and operator of massive, persistent online worlds that foster powerful social gaming communities. Turbine is the largest privately-held online gaming studio in North America and has created some of the world’s most popular and award-winning online games, including The Lord of the Rings Online™, Dungeons & Dragons Online®: Eberron Unlimited™, and Asheron's Call®. For more information on Turbine, its products and services please visit www.turbine.com.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Yeah, I was just coming here to post that after I logged into LotRO and saw the announcement. Interesting, to say the least.

 

[Scouzer]

Nothing. Turbine sucks.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

LotRO is a decent game.

 

[Scouzer]

LotRO is a decent game.

I won't forgive them for the disaster that was Asheron's Call 2. What a way to destroy an excellent franchise.

 

[lupi]

I won't forgive them for the disaster that was Asheron's Call 2. What a way to destroy an excellent franchise.

they're still running what's probably the second best NA MMO behind WoW.

 

[bactiman]

Warner buys Turbine for micro-payment push

By Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson in New York

Published: April 20 2010 23:55 | Last updated: April 20 2010 23:55

Warner Bros is buying North America’s largest independent online gaming studio in an effort to spread its social networking and micro-payments technology across its video games and home video business.

The acquisition of Turbine, the group behind Dungeons & Dragons Online and the hit multiplayer online game based on Warner’s Lord of the Rings film franchise, brings technology capable of charging small sums for swords and spells as players progress through a game, chatting with friends or posting scores to social networking sites.

The Time Warner-owned film studio said it increasingly sees personal computers and games consoles, such as Sony’s PlayStation 3, as alternative routes into customers’ living rooms alongside the televisions and DVD players on which it has traditionally depended.

“Where the trends are dragging us towards is looking at 3D opportunities and going direct to the consumer. The connected consoles are really a path to the home in a way that could become a meaningful distribution platform for us,” said Kevin Tsujihara, president of Warner’s home entertainment group.

Although Turbine’s games are online, and some are free to download, its technology would allow Warner to add “connectivity, micro-transactions and community” features to all its console games. “These online games are almost an excuse to keep in touch. People will make appointments to get on a game at a certain time,” he said.

Mr Tsujihara said Warner saw opportunities to use such technologies to boost home entertainment revenues for its core film business. “Ultimately it has the potential to be the engine for B2C [business to consumer] relations for all of Warner Bros,” he said.

Warner could charge players to update film-themed games with more content once a new film is released, helping to tackle the threat of the second-hand market by persuading consumers to hold on to each game for longer.

Such franchise games also create a deeper relationship with consumers, helping Warner’s sales of DVDs and other merchandise, Mr Tsujihara said.

Mr Tsujihara refused to disclose the value of the Turbine acquisition, but said it was of a similar size to other recent deals by Warner, which has invested in Rocksteady Studios, TT Games, Snowblind Studios and others. “This is a much more strategic investment than all the others,” he said: “This cuts across all the games we have.”

It was fun while it lasted.

 

[Schadenfroh]

LotRO is a decent game.

Indeed, it actually worked on release as well.

 

[rivan]

AC was groundbreaking and I still say had the best launch story arc of any MMO. Super immersive and progressed every month.

AC2 was an embarrassment.

LoTRO is excellent, a highly polished product, but feels a bit like you're on rails for me.

 

[Feneant2]

I won't forgive them for the disaster that was Asheron's Call 2. What a way to destroy an excellent franchise.

Agree 100%. Turbine lost any and all credibility it ever had with Asheron's Call 2. I have never run into a company so poorly run. It was as if they wanted the game to fail (which they probably did).

 

[Genx87]

Agree 100%. Turbine lost any and all credibility it ever had with Asheron's Call 2. I have never run into a company so poorly run. It was as if they wanted the game to fail (which they probably did).

EA-Mythic?

And anybody remember this game?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_and_Light

There were many communication problems between the developers and the community. The developer spokesman, nicknamed Vuuar, spoke poor English and made many statements that alienated players that were already unhappy with the game state, he also kept ruining GMs' events (i.e. by killing all attendees). The game's forum was extremely heavily moderated and had a high turn around of staff leading to many "Gung-Ho" moderators that blocked any criticisms of the game.

lmao

 

[CurseTheSky]

Asheron's Call 2 was a mistake, but there have been worse examples in history.

Asheron's Call is a classic in the MMO world, similar to UO and Everquest. Despite the population now scraping the bottom (considering they're still running on nearly 10 year old graphics and other technology...), it's still chugging along.

As another said, LOTRO is probably the best North American MMO behind WoW.

Every dealing I've had with Turbine has been excellent. They're certainly not up to the standards of Valve or Blizzard, but all companies have their hiccups from time to time.

 

[tk149]

The next raid boss in Dungeons & Dragons Online had better not be Bugs Bunny!

They did start offering lucky Easter rabbit helmets for sale in the online store...

 

[KeithTalent]

EA-Mythic?

And anybody remember this game?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_and_Light



lmao

Lol, that is hilarious. I never knew any of that.

KT

 

[lupi]

I had a nice run in game last night. Was doing the angmar area and getting the kills for my L50 quest gear and kept getting killed by that damn shadow statue line. Didn't know you had to do the quest to cross till I did three times.

 

[Deinonych]

I won't forgive them for the disaster that was Asheron's Call 2. What a way to destroy an excellent franchise.

This.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

EA-Mythic?

And anybody remember this game?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_and_Light


lmao

Ah yes, Dark and Light. After the NGE hit SWG, many of the players on my old server thought D&L was going to be the next big thing and fled to it. Fortunately I stayed away.

 

[GoodRevrnd]

I didn't realize D&L actually ever released. I recall one of my friends asked during a dev interview on Stratics "Will there be fetupults?" (as in fetus catapults) to which they replied "Yes! There will be fetupults!" Kind of embodied their ridiculous promise everything nature.

 

[paperfist]

Ah looks like Curt Schilling now has a chance with his game company out in Boston now that Turbine is out

 

[alpha88]

I still play Asheron's Call

 

[Wreckem]

Agree 100%. Turbine lost any and all credibility it ever had with Asheron's Call 2. I have never run into a company so poorly run. It was as if they wanted the game to fail (which they probably did).

Microsoft had more input on AC2 than Turbine did. AC2 failed. Turbine bought the franchise back from Micosoft on the cheap. Turbine was profitible even with the failings of AC2.

This move by WB isn't suprising as they have given/invested in Turbine over the past two years. Turbine has 2 studios as well. They are up to something, two of something, and have been for a few years but nothings been heard yet.

 

[Wreckem]

Ah looks like Curt Schilling now has a chance with his game company out in Boston now that Turbine is out

To my knowledge they wont be relocating either the Westwood, MA HQ or the California based studio.