What do you do when a million-dollar project just won’t get off the ground? A reboot. We take a look at how this played out for WildStar, The Elder Scrolls Online, Paragon, and other games.
Reboot, relaunch, course correction – no matter how publishers spin it: MMOs often face a severe turning point. The game encounters problems after release, sales stagnate, and all trends point downward – drastic actions must be taken. The game disappears for a few months, then reemerges as a “new, improved, now much better game” and earns serious money. At least, that’s the plan.
It’s often said: This is how we wanted it all along! Now we are here. Have fun!
We analyze games that have undergone such changes and see if the second chance worked.
Final Fantasy XIV – The Rebirth, the wet dream of every flop MMORPG
What was the situation?
Disheartening. Final Fantasy XIV was released in September 2010 and was a flop. The game had been in development since 2005 and was released for PC and PS3.
The overall quality of Final Fantasy XIV was simply too low. Critics praised the world and its potential. But the actual game was poor – that has to be said bluntly. Performance problems. Interface issues. Final Fantasy XIV was called an unfinished, broken disaster.
What happened then?
Square Enix didn’t want to accept that such a game bore the name “Final Fantasy,” so they organized a reboot. They tasked Naoki Yoshida with this, handing him the reins as Director and Producer. The servers of Final Fantasy XIV went offline in November 2012.
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Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn was released in August 2013 as a “new version of FF14.” Significant improvements were made compared to the original version. The game was now much more seamless.
How did it turn out?
Very well. Final Fantasy XIV is now considered one of the best MMORPGs ever. It had a successful expansion with Heavensward, and Stormblood is scheduled to launch in June 2017. The MMORPG was also released for the PS4. Globally, it has millions of fans.
All in all, it’s a success story. Yoshida is celebrated as the savior of the game and a hero. Final Fantasy XIV became the “model” for every publisher looking to give their game a second chance. Everyone sitting on a failed expensive online game dreams of a situation like Final Fantasy XIV.
Final Fantasy XIV has developed into one of the largest subscription-based MMORPGs on the market since the reboot 'A Realm Reborn' over 8 years ago. It offers p...
