The MMORPG Shroud of the Avatar (SotA) had a rocky start and has not been able to recover even after switching to a Free2Play model. Now the development studio Portalarium has left the office, but they present it as a great thing.
A development studio without a “studio”
Why are the developers leaving their office? Chris Spears, technical director, and Starr Long, producer of the MMORPG SotA, announced in the last livestream that the entire team is now working from home. It is an experiment and actually a good thing.
The landlord apparently raised the rent significantly just a few months after the last move last year and wanted to bind the company to the new lease for four years. Since the team was not satisfied with the office anyway, they moved out.
How are the developers working now? Everyone is now working from home and logging into the system, which has been outsourced to a data center. The team communicates with each other via emails and Skype. According to Starr Long and Chris Spears, working doesn’t really feel any different than before. It’s just that they no longer share an office.
The work continues
Why does Portalarium think this is a good thing? Portalarium explains that they are now saving between $8,000 and $10,000 a month in rent. This money is now flowing into the development and marketing of the MMORPG Shroud of the Avatar. Additionally, some developers are saving commuting costs and time.
Does this affect the MMORPG? According to the developers, work on SotA is continuing as usual. Every month, updates with new content, bug fixes, and other changes are released. Additionally, the release of Episode 2 with the continuation of the story and a new landmass is planned for the end of 2019.
Is SotA on the decline?
How is SotA doing? The Free2Play MMORPG Shroud of the Avatar has an average of about 134 concurrent players according to Steamcharts, peaking at 234. However, this only represents about 35 percent of the total population in the game, as many play through their own launcher and not through Steam. Per month, Portalarium earns just under $100,000 from sales of in-game items and player donations.
How are players reacting? SotA has a deeply divided community. Those disappointed with the game mock the work from home situation and see it as the final nail in the coffin for the online game.
However, there are still loyal fans who are willing to spend money each month for further development. They believe that the move was the right one and that working from home offers many advantages.
