Windows was going to force Vanguard to be Vista only!?!?

[RichardE]

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Was Microsoft's vision for Vanguard Vista exclusive? [Update 1]
Posted May 16th 2006 1:30PM by Conrad Quilty-Harper
Filed under: PC, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Online

Sigil Games, developers of the upcoming MMORPG Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, shocked quite a few people by announcing that they were buying the publishing rights from Microsoft so that they could co-publish the title with Sony Online Entertainment. We've already provided some speculation about what the "varying visions and direction for the title's development" between Microsoft and Sigil were, but a tipster (who asked to remain unnamed) from E3 provides another possible reason for the split.

Our tipster claims to have spoken to several developers working at Sigil and at another development company that has Microsoft as a publisher -- we'd say the meat of the tip is on the same level of credibility as someone saying that the Government is tapping your phone (yes, I made a political joke -- the first comment to judge my political affiliation wins my apathy!).

According to our tipster, Microsoft intended to make Vanguard a Vista-exclusive title and Sigil didn't like it. The fact that XP users wouldn't have been able to play the game (limiting the user base quite drastically) and Windows Vista's notoriously slippery release date being the obvious disadvantages of such a move on the part of Sigil. If true, the motivation for Microsoft would have been that the title would be the first MMO to take advantage of Live Anywhere, Microsoft's online games platform which blends Xbox 360, PC and mobile phone devices: more Vista sales = profit!

It's credible that Microsoft wanted to use Vanguard as the first MMO to work with Live Anywhere but that Sigil didn't want its game to be Microsoft's guinea pig and therefore bought the publishing rights. With Vista around the corner, Microsoft wants to provide as much incentive for gamers to upgrade and by making big name games playable exclusively on Vista it can gain that incentive. At the very least we get a kick out of discussing the vague PR explanations of the reasons behind leaving a game's publisher during the beta stage. It's impossible for us to believe that simple, meaningless "varying visions" caused this massive, late in the game move.

Wow.. I mean, I love windows, stability and all, but this is a pretty low blow. Wouldn't it have been smarter for Windows to release the game, than offer special content features ect that worked only with Vista?

 

[Zugzwang152]

I don't think Microsoft suffers any. Vanguard will still be a Windows game, so they lose nothing by letting SOE take over.

 

[Rangoric]

Originally posted by: Zugzwang152
I don't think Microsoft suffers any. Vanguard will still be a Windows game, so they lose nothing by letting SOE take over.

Yes they do. Look at the hoops people have been going through to Play Oblivion.

 

[Zugzwang152]

Originally posted by: Rangoric

Originally posted by: Zugzwang152
I don't think Microsoft suffers any. Vanguard will still be a Windows game, so they lose nothing by letting SOE take over.

Yes they do. Look at the hoops people have been going through to Play Oblivion.

You think they're going to see a significant loss of sales to a single game?

 

[Rangoric]

Originally posted by: Zugzwang152

Originally posted by: Rangoric

Originally posted by: Zugzwang152
I don't think Microsoft suffers any. Vanguard will still be a Windows game, so they lose nothing by letting SOE take over.

Yes they do. Look at the hoops people have been going through to Play Oblivion.

You think they're going to see a significant loss of sales to a single game?

Loss of sales? Who said anything about loss of sales.
I was saying it'd be an easy way to GET sales.

Just like Oblivion got alot of people to upgrade their computers, just to play it better.

Without Oblivion, there would not have been a loss of sales, just fewer sales.

Microsoft saw the effect that good games tends to have on Video Cards and Game Systems and wanted to put that to work for their new OS. Just another source of sales.

Its called good marketing and placement.

 

[xit2nowhere]

Hahaha, Vandguard sucks bad. No reason to buy either Vista or Vanguard.

 

[Looney]

That's bull. Vista isn't even due to be released until winter, and it's probably going to be late. And it's well known that Microsoft wanted the game released much earlier than that. The first thing Sigil did when they went with SOE, is finally announced a release date of winter.

 

[Litchfield285]

CAD has a funny comic about this.

 

[Feneant2]

Originally posted by: xit2nowhere
Hahaha, Vandguard sucks bad. No reason to buy either Vista or Vanguard.

Quick, someone send this to all major media outlets, xit2nowhere has spoken so it MUST be true.

 

[Dumac]

Originally posted by: Feneant2

Originally posted by: xit2nowhere
Hahaha, Vandguard sucks bad. No reason to buy either Vista or Vanguard.

Quick, someone send this to all major media outlets, xit2nowhere has spoken so it MUST be true.

Rofl :thumbsup:

 

[CKent]

Originally posted by: Zugzwang152
I don't think Microsoft suffers any. Vanguard will still be a Windows game, so they lose nothing by letting SOE take over.

Yep, only MMORPG fans lose out x_x

 

[Rangoric]

Originally posted by: RBachman

Originally posted by: Zugzwang152
I don't think Microsoft suffers any. Vanguard will still be a Windows game, so they lose nothing by letting SOE take over.

Yep, only MMORPG fans lose out x_x

Because, funny enough, many people who looked forward to it, had turned their backs on SOE.

I laughed rather hard when I heard that SOE would be the new publisher for Vanguard.

I know, I know, its not going to be EQ all over again. But I mean really... Doesn't that just tweak your funny bone in terms of coincidence

 

[xit2nowhere]

But Vanguard really does suck at this stage.

 

[tuteja1986]

Nothing on Offical Website making it a Vista only. well i think people will upgrade to Windows Vista anyways :!

Like DX10 Crysis Island/Jungle Demo vs DX9 Aircraft carrier Demo

Also when people start to upgrade to G80 and R600 then people will upgrade to vista to use DX10.

 

[CKent]

Originally posted by: Rangoric

Originally posted by: RBachman

Originally posted by: Zugzwang152
I don't think Microsoft suffers any. Vanguard will still be a Windows game, so they lose nothing by letting SOE take over.

Yep, only MMORPG fans lose out x_x

Because, funny enough, many people who looked forward to it, had turned their backs on SOE.

I laughed rather hard when I heard that SOE would be the new publisher for Vanguard.

I know, I know, its not going to be EQ all over again. But I mean really... Doesn't that just tweak your funny bone in terms of coincidence

I find it saddening actually, nary a chuckle here.

Originally posted by: xit2nowhere
But Vanguard really does suck at this stage.

Doesn't matter, it could be as great as EQ once was, Sony will ruin it.

 

[tiarnachutch]

This was in a couple of my favorite web comics.

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/05/10
http://cad-comic.com/comic.php?d=20060517

 

[Oakenfold]

Originally posted by: xit2nowhere
But Vanguard really does suck at this stage.

Fraps or shens.

 

[Deinonych]

Originally posted by: xit2nowhere
But Vanguard really does suck at this stage.

Last I checked, it was still in beta. Who cares if it sucks "at this stage." Sigil's not making money off of it "at this stage."

All that matters is how it plays at release.

 

[fierydemise]

I'm not an MMORPG fan but I've been following Vanguard for over a year now, if this is true I'm pissed (although not that surprised).

 

[Jel2h]

I agree that this news does suck and I probably won't be playing Vanguard because SOE is publishing it. They should have just stuck it out with Microsoft, and as the game looks right now they could have used the extra couple of months waiting for Vista to tune the game further.