As the developer studio Portalarium announced during the Summer Telethon, they are currently looking for investors to finance the completion of the MMORPG Shroud of the Avatar. A Shroud of the Avatar release, at least of the story, is expected in July 2017.
Through the website Seed Invest, anyone can participate in the investment, hoping that eventually there will be a profit. However, the website also reveals some interesting insights into the game and equally interesting information about the title.
Thus, the description of SotA now refers to a sandbox MMORPG, where there are real decisions that the player can make that are supposed to impact the world. It is also mentioned that players can open trade routes and conquer cities.
Curious, as none of this exists in the game yet.
Financial Problems at Portalarium?
Equally interesting is the current financial situation of the company. For as of May 17, Seed Invest states that the company had around $528,000 in its accounts. That may sound like a lot, but as you read further, you discover the sentence that Portalarium needs around $230,000 a month to remain operational. This does not paint a very rosy financial picture for the company. With the Summer Telethon held on May 31, another $115,000 in donations was raised. This clarifies why the company is seeking investors.
The telethons take place every three months. Apparently, the frequency is now being increased, as there was talk of a Summer Telethon Part 1. Additionally, there are revenues from the sale of the game as well as from in-game items like houses, decor, and player towns.
Portalarium hopes that with the launch of the game, revenues will significantly increase. But when will this launch take place? According to the Seed Invest website, the “software” is set to be released in July. However, there has already been a denial of this in the official forum. The community manager intervened and caused confusion.
“Launch” is not the same as “Launch”
According to him, in July, only the story of Episode 1 will start. The “real” launch is planned for later this year. The “launch,” as referred to on the Seed Invest page, is therefore not the “actual” launch, but only the launch of the story of Episode 1. Confused? So are we, just like many in the official forum of the game. In the forum, no questions about investments are allowed; the developers refer to the official Seed Invest website.
The game Shroud of the Avatar continues to make progress every month. Only with version R42, released at the end of May, did the developers once again overhaul the combat system and want to align the card system with the regular hotbar system to ensure fairness. In addition, there were expansions to the story and many other new features.
Lord British Clarifies
Richard Garriott has since explained to Kotaku that no one needs to worry about the game. The company’s monthly expenses are covered by revenues from game sales and the in-game shop, as well as from the telethons. The new crowdfunding is meant to transform Portalarium from a developer studio into a publisher to be able to distribute other games as well.
The wording on the Seed Invest page has, however, been poorly chosen. Both regarding the description of the game and the launch date. They had to choose a description that is understandable to outsiders who are not well-versed in the game. However, Garriott understands that this is confusing, for instance, the sentence stating that players can conquer cities, which is not the case at all. Meanwhile, there have also been adjustments on the page; the release of the “software” is now indicated as “between July and November.”
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