Funcom Lied About AoC Sales

[Minjie]

First, let me clarify a few things.  Since I still play the game I think I can respond to certain claims and assertions with a modicum of authority.

But once you leave Tortage (aka "the newbie zone"), the rest of the game falls flat on its face.

Well, a matter of opinion, perhaps.  I first played when my step-son bought me the game back in June 06.  I played for a few months then shelved it.  For some odd reason, however, I kept my subscription running.

I came back to the game in October last year, and have played a considerable amount since.  Oddly enough, I deleted all but one of my original characters - Dancer who is the subject of my forum avatar.  I have 2 80's and 5 60+ characters.  3 of the 60's are new Khitan toons, that is, created and leveled since the expansion.

So, I have to say that while leveling after Tortage is more difficult, as it should be, it is certainly possible to do.  Yes, I think there are zones where a gap seems to exist in the quests for your level, but experience has shown me that this is not actually true.  The player unfamiliar with AoC in its present form could be forgiven for thinking this way, but it is an issue resolved with the knowledge of the best zone to move to for any given level of your toon.  And some toons need to move through this at a different point in their development.  For example, an Assassin, played well, can manage in a zone intended for toons 3 or 4 levels higher if the player avoids large mobs.  Necros handle mobs with ease until they get a few levels higher then the pets can't keep the mobs occupied and the Necro goes down.  A DT can stand and fight 3 or 4 times longer than the aforementioned clothies, but struggles against single, higher-level bosses for example.

All of these things mean that different classes can most easily progress in differing ways - and I think that's a good thing.  Back to the original point then, this path is available to any toon, it just takes finding out the right choice of zone for your toon's class and level at any given stage.

...they are once again merging what is left of their servers:

They sure did.  US servers down to 4.  2 PvE, one PvP, and one PvP/RP.  This also leads to...

SUMMARY: Funcom is threatening to delete inactive characters, unless the owners of those characters give Funcom their money.

My apologies Tessera, but while it might be argued that this is correct, I would argue it is misleading and deliberately inflammatory.  You know, I don't read the AoC forums a great deal, and my information is mostly from what I see when I load the "updater" and read the notes there while it checks for updates.

In truth, Funcom told the community that they could not ensure the continuance of characters lower than 20 on inactive accounts.

You know, if I was in their shoes, I truly think I'd have a policy that would delete any character after some period of non-subscription.  Probably at least 1 year, but just the same I think some limit is a good idea.

The way you present this Tessera is not balanced.  I understand you hate them, but you do yourself a disservice but utilizing their tactics.

That said, your predictions are bearing out, and it is certainly not a good sign that they have dwindled so extensively.  Hell, if they go under, I guess that means ALL characters get deleted, right?

First of all, this "expansion" is not really an expansion at all. I've looked over the list of "new content" that will be included... and guess what..? About 90 percent of this so-called "expansion" consists of repairs to the literally HUNDREDS of things which are broken, unfinished or missing from the plain vanilla game. For example, there was always a problem in leveling from 20 to 40, due to a serious lack of quests. So, all of us who were there back on launch day ended up doing a crapload of grinding throughout those levels. Well, the upcoming expansion promises to add "an exciting new zone" to AoC and guess what..? It's a 20 to 40 zone. Gee... what a coincidence.

Um, incorrect. 

Yes, the Gateway to Khitai is a new region designed for 20-40 leveling.  Khitan toons will go here when they leave Tortage, and others can journey here through Stygia if they wish.  This is to keep the concept that each character returns to his/her homeland once they "escape" Tortage.  Your "seer" is also here, and must be revisited for each destiny quest as is true for the original three races.

Yes, there are patches and other changes to the existing game content - you will find Khitan quest-givers in several places, and there are other additions that weave Khitan content into the original game content.

No, this is by far NOT the entirety of the expansion.  From the Gateway to Khitai, you can delve into Khitai itself beginning with the Grasslands.  Here begins the new Factions-based content, and several zones branch off from here.  There is most assuredly additional content - where you had Aquilonia, Stygia, and Cimmeria, now you also have Khitai - a quite extensive area and certainly qualifying as new content.

And then there is Offline Leveling.

And guess what you will find, when you come back several months later..? Yup, you guessed it: your new toons... characters that you have never actually played... will have magically leveled up all by themselves.

Well, not quite so fantastic as you make it sound, but a bad idea all the same I think.  Someone else has already corrected this somewhat, but to put the whole thing in one place...

You get 1 offline level every 4 days.  This is per account, not per toon.  Your toon has to be at least level 30.  You can accrue these levels and whenever you wish "spend them" on one or more toons.  That is, you can put all your levels into one toon, or split them up however you wish.

I'm not a fan of this, but there it is.

They have also introduced AA (Alternate Advancement).  It is a kind of supplement to your feat tree if you ask me, rather than an alternate, since the feat tree still functions.  Anyway, you very, very slowly earn points toward Mastery which one day you can spend in this AA tree.

OR

Once you hit level 80, you can choose to level using TIME.  You hit that radio button, then you can select ONE feat you wish to develop, and voila!  Online or off, you will learn that feat over time.  First level of a given feat takes 18 hours.  Next one jumps up something like 70-odd (don't remember - haven't been paying that much attention to it), 3rd one goes up towards 200 hours...  Well, there it is.

LET ME BE CLEAR.  I am not defending Funcom, but I think we need not stoop to their tactics of exaggeration to make solid criticisms.   I really don't know why I keep playing, other than for the company of friends I've made there, the guild I've helped build, and the familiarity of something I've been doing for many months.

The new expansion content is buggy, a massive drain on resources and a lag-fest much of the time.  My wife's favorite toon cannot play there because the game throws her out every few seconds with an Out of Memory error.  Great huh?  Her very first 80 toon cannot be used in Khitai.  Oh, and this did not happen immediately, but after a patch Funcom put out for the ExPac.  They broke something for a small percentage of players.  I've tried the various "fixes", and they helped but not enough to make Khitai playable for her primary toon.

See, one need not get inflammatory to criticize the game - it has plenty of legitimate issues to complain about...

[Tessera]

The way you present this Tessera is not balanced.  

Minjie,

I was involved in the AoC beta six years ago. I was there on launch day, too. And I had no less than five level 80 characters within two months of the game going "live." In fact, I had so many lvl 80's that I began routinely deleting them and then starting a new one... because there was absolutely nothing whatsoever to do post-80 in AoC. Three raids -- that was it. And all of them sucked, I might add. It got to the point where the leveling process (which is beastly fast with a Demonologist) was the only thing that was fun to do in that game.

I didn't just fall off the turnip truck, in other words. My opinions about Funcom and AoC are well-grounded in first-hand experience.

And my opinions are hardly mine alone... which explains why you folks are down to only three or four servers for a game that began with something like TWENTY-SEVEN servers in May of 2008.

In short: I know what I am talking about, because I was there. Through ALL of it. From the days of early development, on through closed and open beta and then, I was right there on Day One when the game officially launched.

Incidentally, my comments about Tortage have nothing to do with how difficult the game is. It is NOT more difficult after you leave Tortage, it is simply BORING. The polished look and feel that you are hit over the head with in Tortage gives way to an endless expanse of uninspired landscapes, uninspired quests, repetitive level grinding, a complete absence of mature content, extremely poor performance on most systems (aka "lag"), and a virtual absence of high-end raiding. Hence, the entire AoC experience (Tortage excluded) plays out like a single-player grind, for the most part. And golly gee... it only took them TWO YEARS before they finally added enough quests to fill out the mid-levels.  

I don't think my comments are unfairly biased. But then again.... I'm not the one who is still paying every month to play that miserably mismanaged MMO. With all due respect, if anybody would have any kind of agenda here, then wouldn't you suspect that it would be someone who is still trying to rationalize and justify why he or she is still paying real money to play AoC..? Nobody likes to think that they are paying top dollar for broken merchandise... hence people tend to defend their choice to keep paying for it -- even when they know deep down that they are being taken advantage of.

The purpose of this thread is not simply for me to bitch at Funcom. I am not that childish. My reason for publicly bitching is quite altruistic on my part, I assure you. If 5,000 people read this thread and out of those numbers, a small handful of them decide that they agree and then cancel their AoC subscriptions, then I have accomplished my goal. I am trying to save others from wasting time and money the way *I* did. I truly have no other agenda than that.

[Minjie]

I was involved in the AoC beta six years ago...

I could say, "Exactly".  I could argue that your opinion about some things regarding AoC are out of date.

Your criticism of the expansion containing no new content other than the level 20-40 area is outright wrong.

There is an undertone in your reply which is tentatively identifying me with the "enemy" camp.

I am beginning to think you are far too emotional about this subject to debate it.  I offered some opinions and insights, and I made a few factual corrections based on my personal, first-hand observations as a current player, yet I am getting the sense that if I continue to gainsay you on this topic that things are going to get personal.  Ergo, I might find myself unable to access this resource which would be a shame.

I am not wet behind the ears either, and the opinions and information I bring are from current, personal experience.

And again I feel you are not taking the full meaning of what I have said, but focusing only on a few "hot points" and taking them somewhat out of context.  I am not a big fan of Funcom.  I merely wished to make the point that you have plenty of ammunition without invention, omission, or exaggeration.

I didn't mean to offend you, nor even to appear to be against you.  I'm sorry if either is the way my critiques were received.

[Tessera]

No, I am not offended.  

Nor do I believe that AoC has had a sudden infusion of brilliance, simply because of a single expansion which does little or nothing to fix the deeply ingrained problems with that game.

Minjie, please consider this rationally. AoC is a game which is visually beautiful. It also has girls with sexy bare breasts. So then, why is its community so absolutely dead right now..? Why has Funcom cut the number of AoC servers down from 27 to ONLY FOUR in the space of two years..? Why is Funcom going bankrupt as we speak (and they are). Why is AoC continuing to LOSE customers -- not gain any new ones..? For every new person who decides to try out AoC, three more leave in disgust.

So what exactly is there to debate..? You are talking from the perspective of someone who is trying to justify his choice to continue paying for it. But I am talking from the perspective of someone who has not paid a penny to Funcom for about 16 months (that's when I quit for good -- about 16 months ago). And you are claiming that a single expansion pack has resurrected a hopelessly broken and mismanaged MMO. But I am being as skeptical about that claim as most other people would be, especially if they had actually played the game.

And Minjie, I know exactly what AoC looks like these days, because I played it only three months ago. When Funcom was ready to launch their crappy expansion pack, they offered "founding players" like myself a deal: we could come back and play AoC totally free for 30 days, with no strings attached. Well sure, I said to myself. Play again for free..? Why not..? Because I knew damned well that after that 30-day trial was over, I would not be renewing my sub.

And when I popped my head in to see how things had shaped up during the time that I had been away, do you know what I found..? THE SAME MESS. Nothing had been fixed. None of the performance issues had been remedied, aside from a minor increase in framerates. There were still no high-end raids to speak of. The mid-levels, despite the new expansion zones, were still a very boring and uninspired rehash of what we had already seen in all of the other zones. The armor and clothing was still drab, ugly and unimaginative. There was no new mature content... in fact, some of the mature content which WAS in the game back when I quit had been removed.

None of that strikes me as being an improvement. It strikes me as being a last gasp attempt by Funcom to lure people to what is, quite clearly, a dying game.

Minjie, I think you are worried that people like me are going to contribute towards AoC's demise. Something which you obviously do not want to happen. Let me remind you that AoC is not dying because people like Tessera badmouth it. No, AoC is dying because the game itself is mediocre crap and the company who administers it are incompetent buffoons. If you disagree, then that's perfectly okay by me. But the numbers are all on my side... and none of them look good.

[alphachimera]

You both go in very deep into the AoC / FunCom Thing ... Everything I read from both of you makes perfectly sense to me and certainly to most "gone, stay, go away and come back, and the rest" players. I kept my head and my voice down now for some times because I did not want to argue and maybe offend/anoy anyone ... but I see now that there is no problem to speak out and share my point of view without being smashed down without any reason.
Now to my points ... and I will stay 100% objective and neutral in my post !

I don't want to seem like a smart ass but I want to bring in some facts ... AoC has 8 Servers up and all 8 of them have a medium to high population (High means ... so crowded that there are too many players on this Server) Population is growing again on every Server at the moment (I point out ... AT THE MOMENT).
[is a fact]
The Company FunCom "as Company", is not doing that bad on the Market, FunCom "the Company" is far from going bankrupt if you look at its "real" financial figures. Now that I opened this discussion I will of course let anyone show me the figures for the last three years and the actual figures for this year ( Bloomberg, Reuters, etc ) and let them compare against our Top 100 Index, Top 100 Companies, etc ... (I am happy to give details, proofs, figures, whatever you like as sources as long as it is legal)
[is a fact]
The Fun Factor in FunCom has raised again since the launch of the "Wathever, Addon, Patch, Expansion, DLC" I DO NOT  CARE HOW IT IS CALLED,
I Relike to play AoC again,
I do still miss a lot of adult content, I hate FUNCOM in what they did in the Past and most of all what they did to you Tessmage ...
But I have come to a clear and convinced situation ... I will stay proud in AoC before I will switch ot WoW, Aion, EvE, GW, LotR, RoM, etc ............

[Tessera]

The Company FunCom "as Company", is not doing that bad on the Market, FunCom "the Company" is far from going bankrupt if you look at its "real" financial figures.

FUNCOM GOING BROKE:
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=Funcom+going+broke&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=CI_lnMPIjTKXHA6PuzATv7fXRCgAAAKoEBU_QAhvl&fp=d2eda4910a7445ea

FUNCOM STOCK PRICES FALLING RAPIDLY:
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=Funcom+stock+price+falling&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&fp=d2eda4910a7445ea

FUNCOM -- LAYOFFS:
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=Funcom+layoffs&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&fp=d2eda4910a7445ea

FUNCOM FINANCIAL STATEMENT 2010:
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=Funcom+financial+statement+2010&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&fp=d2eda4910a7445ea

Facts. 

[Cat]

The Company FunCom "as Company", is not doing that bad on the Market, FunCom "the Company" is far from going bankrupt

Financial news is full of shit.

[Tessera]

Well, let's just look at the facts without being overly emotional. If you check out those Google links that I posted, then you will find listing after listing of different reports about Funcom's financial status. And those reports are coming from all sorts of different web sites... and all of them have different allegiances and agendas.

But nearly all of those references share something in common: they are saying that Funcom is on the skids, financially speaking.

I can understand that Chimera feels loyal to the game that he enjoys with his wife. But loyalty can not replace facts. AoC is dying because of its horrible mismanagement and lack of foresight. They tried to play both ends of the field at the same time and they seriously fumbled the ball. If they had paid more attention to people like myself and others during the AoC beta, then their game most certainly would have turned out to be more successful than it is right now. Would it have been the monumental smash hit that Funcom was hoping for..? No... but they're not enjoying that status now, either. But if they had listened to us, then they at least would have had a solid game with a devoted adult player base.

Instead, they have created an abortion which alienates both kids and adults alike.

I said all of these things and more to the devs during the beta phase of AoC, and my reward was to be temporarily banned from the AoC beta board for two months. And when they reneged and allowed me back in, the problems and conflicts between Funcom and the beta community had gotten even worse. WE KNEW THAT THE GAME WAS GOING TO FAIL AT BEING A HIT AND WE SAID WHY. And we were 100% correct in every assertion that we made back then. The history of AoC proves it. That is the bottom line.

The defense of mediocrity will accomplish only one thing: to help inspire even more mediocrity.  

[alphachimera]

FUNCOM GOING BROKE:
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=Funcom+going+broke&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=CI_lnMPIjTKXHA6PuzATv7fXRCgAAAKoEBU_QAhvl&fp=d2eda4910a7445ea
FUNCOM STOCK PRICES FALLING RAPIDLY:
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=Funcom+stock+price+falling&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&fp=d2eda4910a7445ea
FUNCOM -- LAYOFFS:
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=Funcom+layoffs&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&fp=d2eda4910a7445ea

These Links I do not really like as a neutral proof   ... and this is why I mentioned Bloomberg, Reuters or any other "official" Data Vendor that know the Business a littel more in depth.
And I also asked to compare the FunCom figures to Top 100 listed and Top 100 unlisted Companies in order to have a more general overview.
The easiest would maybe be to compare FunCom to several other Gameforges (except Blizzard and Vivendi) over the last 3 years (it is very important to look over 3 years and not 6 or 12 months only!)
If done that the Financial Statement of 2010 isn't that bad if you know how to read it correctly

I don't say now that AoC will survive the next 3 years but nothing shows at the moment that FunCom will go bankrupt this, next or any next 3 coming years.

Of course I invite anyone to "Ha Ha!" me if it comes up that I'm wrong ... but then I would seriously need to reconsider my Job and get out of Finance

[Tessera]

If done that the Financial Statement of 2010 isn't that bad if you know how to read it correctly

I know how to read it correctly, and it says that Funcom has been dipping into their own bank account for the past two years in order to keep their company afloat.

Which means, obviously, that their profit margin is well below their development and operating costs.

Which in turn means... this way lies bankruptcy.

[Minjie]

You are talking from the perspective of someone who is trying to justify his choice to continue paying for it.

See, I have absolutely no clue where you are getting that from.

I corrected one error/omission in a statement, and I offered the opinion that you need not be inflammatory to make your points (actually supportive of your position when you consider my words calmly).

The first was a factual issue.  The second, a personal observation that certain approaches to things in this world are not wise - you know, a "catch more flies with honey" type of thing.  I just can't follow how you get to your position from the things I said.

I give up.

[Tessera]

I give up.

Minjie,

Perhaps you should give up... because you are tossing off all sorts of tangent issues that have essentially no impact upon the main point of this thread.

If you will take another look at the thread title, it says "Funcom LIED About AoC Sales."

And this is in fact the truth. The overly-hyped claims made by Funcom, back when the game was first released, were dishonestly put forth. They no doubt did so to keep their shareholders in the dark about the actual truth... which was that most of the 700,000+ units which had been distributed to retailers had NOT been sold.

As for your comments, you are understandably upset with my negative statements about AoC, Funcom and so forth. You enjoy the game, therefore you do not like it when someone puts it down. But your personal feelings do not negate any of the actual facts... which you seem to be filtering out according to what does or does not suit your own personal notions about Funcom.

In short, you like the game... so you disregard any of its problems. But liking it will not change the value of Funcom's plummeting stock (it is currently selling for roughly one-tenth what it was worth prior to the launch of AoC). Nor will it add thousands of new subscribers to Funcom's dying servers. Nor will it negate the layoffs of so many unsuspecting Funcom employees. Nor will it explain the sudden dismissal of Gaute Godager as AoC's game director (and they replaced him with one of their nitwit AoC forum moderators, no less). Nor will it negate the obvious deceptions from Funcom that have been occurring ever since the game was in its beta stage. Nor will it negate the ongoing censorship that has been taking place in AoC ever since its final days of open beta. Nor will it negate the absolute disregard shown by Funcom for the integrity of Robert E. Howard's brilliant fantasy constructs. Nor will it negate any of the other VERY REAL ISSUES that have plagued Age Of Conan ever since its inception.

I am citing real issues and I have consistently backed my assertions with evidence. And like most people who suffer from... and I am sorry, but I have to say this... who suffer from fanboy-ism, you are side-stepping my evidence and doing your best to pretend that it is either incorrect, or else insignificant. Well my friend, that sort of diversionary nonsense might go over well in Washington D.C., but I can assure you that it will not fly AT ALL on tessmage.com. You can say whatever you wish, of course... but you had better expect to get nailed if you keep consciously avoiding the truth.

Facts are facts. They don't stop being facts, just because someone does not like them.

Peace.  

[alphachimera]

First of all, please accept my apologies if I can't put my posts in such delicate and sophisticated English as you do so many times here in this Forum ... I am impressed and I do learn a lot in reading some Posts but by far not all of them though !  ... In defense I can say proudly that I speak, write 3 languages in Mothertongue level (German, French and Luxemburgish) and well, English good enough but not in your very high levels sometimes    
Back to the Topic ...
I will come back on the below points Q2 2010 at the latest

I know how to read it correctly, and it says that Funcom has been dipping into their own bank account for the past two years in order to keep their company afloat.
Which means, obviously, that their profit margin is well below their development and operating costs.
Which in turn means... this way lies bankruptcy.

The way you argue here is absolutely true ! ... Point 1&2 leads to result 3
But if Markets and Finance would always work that way 9 of 10 Companies should die every year or would have died some years ago
So now we are talking about an European Company and not a US Company which certainly will lead to some confusion now when I start talking about the Equity Ratios (The US always talk about Debt to Equity Ratio while we Europeans only talk about Equity Ratios pure
Just to remember on some big names that had Equity Ratios under 50% and are today again very sain Companies considered as being unsinkable and some Big Ones traded traded as safe Stocks today have ER of 70 or below    ... but I will not start to enter to far into the actual Global Market Situations.
FunCum runs an 83% Equity Ratio with a Capital that is "still" very sain and will without problem be sufficient for more than 5+ years ... ...
Now I look into the figures that are in deed Minus (I know exactly which are the ones that you are pointing out)
Hmm, what do those (negative figures) losses have as an impact on the actual Investors of FunCom ?
Well pretty much the same as on every Investor in the Global Market today :laugh: ...
Sooo, Is FunCom a big looser since 2008 because the share price dropped and did not recover since?
No, and absolutely no !
I say (own opinion) FunCom now is safer than they were before ... (Proof, they even received more money from Private Equity, which means investing will bring a positive turn on a long time Investment ...)
I would have really liked to present you this in a Greenspan English ... I am sure you would open at least one ear more

P.S. I love to discuss things and I am not afraid if someone has proof that I am wrong ! I will learn and be even better in my next discussion 

[Tessera]

Let's talk about this again in six months.

I have a feeling that you will possess an entirely different set of opinions by that time.

In the meantime, I have posted plenty of references... more than enough to justify my assertions about AoC and Funcom. At the present time, you are apparently of the opinion that none of those references are important. That is your prerogative.

[anariel]

If I may say something, AoC was launched as an alternative to WoW, and its greatest competition. Blizzard even launched Wrath of the Lich King a little early to their previsions (and a little bugged, as the first months of lage every time there was a world PvP battle in Wintergrasp proved in several servers). However, AoC was done only until the end of the "newbie zone" (Tortage) and the rest of the way 'til max level was a neverending grinding.
That, coupled with the tons of bugs, the scandals with the GM's, the lack of new content (aside from max level pvp and more grinding and farming for materials to improve your alliance...) and some troubles with the breasts of the female characters leaded to a inmense banish of players. AoC had to merge servers about what, four, five times?
Oh, and AoC required a really powerfull computer the day of its launching.

You say there are right now 8 servers with medium population, but... How much players per server is that? Because I can say I have 8 bottles half-full with water, and my neighbour might just laugh with his couple of swimming pools... Also, how many players are active? Because I can see thousands of accounts... but if only 10% of those are logging in even weekly...

I think FunCom bet a lot in AoC... and it's currently keeping itself alive by promising a new product in the inmediate future. If that product wares the same way AoC (high inversion, marginal short-term revenue, near nil long term revenue...), I don't think the company will survive. These are my thoughts... and after being awake and thinking, studying and frankly working non-stop for nearly 16 hours I'm not completely at my peak, so sorry if something has been just suggested or not enough explained.

[alphachimera]

I will always consider and respect your opinion and all your analysis on any company Every Critic on a Company will lead me to go further in depth and open much more my ears and eyes  
But I am bound to Market Rules/Practice and before all Market Laws :police:  :laugh:
These are my only options how to analyze how a company is doing and FunCom is a "No Risk" quoted Company at the moment in Europe
None of my lines were meant to argue against you or say that you are wrong ! ... Far from it ...
It's just that I would like to be honest with my arguments in a forum that I consider to be very tolerant and open to any discussion  

And yes I would be really happy to continue this discussion in 6 months and 12 months ... Let us have the figures  

P.S. We are not talking about AoC here ! We are talking about FunCom the Company  

P.P.S. I feel like I have to out myself because many of you did and this is only fair if I do as well ...
So, I graduated in Economics in Germany, worked then for Clearstream, Credit Suisse, ABN AMRO Bank, Bank of America, Mellon Bank, Bank of New York Mellon, and today for Price Waterhouse Coopers Academy ...

[Tessera]

P.P.S. I feel like I have to out myself because many of you did and this is only fair if I do as well ...
So, I graduated in Economics in Germany, worked then for Clearstream, Credit Suisse, ABN AMRO Bank, Bank of America, Mellon Bank, Bank of New York Mellon, and today for Price Waterhouse Coopers Academy ...

If economists are so knowledgable, then why is the entire world economy on the verge of a massive collapse..?  

Greed is what ruined Funcom. And before too much longer, I expect that AoC will be totally shut down. And I am also expecting that afterward, Funcom will be sold off to whomever is stupid enough to buy whatever is left of that miserable company.

I know that you think I am wrong. Just let me defend myself by stating that over the course of the past four years, I have made numerous predictions of this nature about the PC gaming industry... and about nine out of ten of those predictions have ultimately come true. Anyone can simply scan through all of the various topics and posts on this board and when you find any predictions from yours truly, just check out the date that I posted whatever prediction you happen to be looking at. You will find that in quite a large number of cases, I predicted something months or even a year before it actually came true. Not because I have any mystical powers, but because I am an intelligent man who possesses a great deal of natural insight and "street sense." So I guess we'll have to wait and see whether or not I am correct regarding these predictions about AoC and Funcom, too.

Time will tell.  

[alphachimera]

[/quote]
If economists are so knowledgable, then why is the entire world economy on the verge of a massive collapse..?  
[/quote]
True, "unfortunately" but so true

And yes ... Let time show what will happen