KSP Acquired by Take-Two Interactive

[LordFerret]

7 hours ago, Kerbart said:

...snip...

TT will get the most money out of KSP DLC if they sell a lot of them and that will only happen if it's high quality. I don't have a problem with high quality DLC.

In my experience with KSP, historically, updates tend to break saves/games and require some manner of adjustment/rewrite of nearly every mod out there. Backward compatibility will be an issue TTWO will have to face if they're to keep the masses from picking up their pitchforks and torches.

 

5 hours ago, Vanamonde said:

Some posts have been removed from this thread for being off-topic. 

Which sucks, because I started it. 

A moderator moderating himself... everything in moderation, including moderation. I give you points for this. lol

[Nothalogh]

On 5/31/2017 at 9:55 AM, Spartwo said:

If someone made a mission builder mod I wouldn't blame KSP if they told them to stop.

I understand C&D-ing somebody who uses your assets in a mod, but for mere function, absolutely not.

That is beyond cancerous and would merit uninstalling the game and never doing business with the company again.

[Spartwo]

You're directly competing with them using their own game but I can see where you're coming from.

Edited June 3, 2017 by Spartwo

[Joduwei]

There is nothing to worry about... I created a backup of my Version 1.2.2 with all it's mods. TT can't take it from me. I hope the best for KSP, but the future is uncertain.

Btw the mod developers are still able to maintain their mods. Even for an older version!

[RockyTV]

That's what you get when the actual KSP dev team (the ones that made KSP what it is today) get hired by Valve.

[Ty Tan Tu]

I think some thanks have to be given to Adrian Goya and Ezequiel Ayarza. Squad was, and probably still is, a guerrilla marketing company (hence the monkey wearing a helmet). They were not game producers, but they gave Felipe Falanghe the green light, time, and funding to allow him to develop a space game. It was not what they did. They were making interactive services for Coca-Cola, Hewlett-Packard, Sony, Samsung and Nissan. Has your boss ever, not only given you the time, but the resources to pursue your dream?

If I understand it, Ezequiel Ayarza loves music, and Felipe and Ezequiel use to jam out in is home. I forget who was playing piano, and who was playing guitar, but I would have loved to be at those early parties. Adrian Goya loves movies. The point being, neither Adrian or Ezequiel were game producers. That was not their passion - but they gave Felipe a chance- and it paid off.

We all thanked Felipe when he left in June of 2016; but then pillared Squad in October when programmers quit in mass in October.

I say, let's thank Adrian, Ezequiel and of course Felipe (that goes without saying) - not to mention Mu, Taniwha, NathanKell, Sarbian, Romfarer, Arsonide, Porkjet, and Claw.

[Mynar Moonshadow]

Shame you didn't mention Roverdude in that list.  While I admit to being biased, I sincerely hope it was just an oversight considering how much Roverdude has contributed to the community as a mod author before becoming a NDA Developer.

Personally, I have a negative experience with anything TTI has done with its' previous acquisitions, so I do not hold out much hope for the future of KSP.

If it doesn't make money for them within 6 months, they drop resource allocation to something resembling absolute zero, then officially kill it citing "lack of demand".

It would be fanFRIGGINtastic if my prognostications are proven wrong.  Only time will tell.

~M~

[Alshain]

@Mynar Moonshadow I think he was specifically referring to the old team.  RoverDude is part of the new team.

 

I'm really more interested in what Valve is doing right now than Take 2.  Typically when Valve hires a team, they put them to work on a similar but enhanced project.  I feel there is a high degree of likelihood they are developing a KSP competitor.

Edited June 3, 2017 by Alshain

[Lupi]

3 minutes ago, Alshain said:

@Mynar Moonshadow I think he was specifically referring to the old team.  RoverDude is part of the new team.

 

I'm really more interested in what Valve is doing right now than Take 2.  Typically when Valve hires a team, they put them to work on a similar but enhanced project.  I feel there is a high degree of likelihood they are developing a KSP competitor.

They're really into VR right now, and Unity is -the- engine for VR development right now. It makes sense that valve would go gaga over some experienced unity developers. I bet Squad was likely to have them sign a non-compete clause or whatever so they couldn't just go make their own KSP, and I'm sure Valve doesn't want to step on toes, so VR's my theory

Edited June 3, 2017 by Lupi

[Alshain]

3 minutes ago, Lupi said:

They're really into VR right now, and Unity is -the- engine for VR development right now. It makes sense that valve would go gaga over some experienced unity developers.

Maybe, time will tell.  I hope it's something more than that fad though.

The only thing is, why would they do it on Unity when they have their own engine, and Source 2 is still being improved.

Edited June 3, 2017 by Alshain

[Lupi]

2 minutes ago, Alshain said:

Maybe, time will tell.  I hope it's something more than that fad though.

I mean, BahamutoD of BDArmory is working on a VR Combat Flight Sim which looks awesome, called VTOL VR. 

He's just doing that on his own; Valve is totally after VR on a massive scale, makes sense for them to want Unity devs as such. Kerbal's an example of Unity being stretched to do crazy things, so Valve knows the old KSP team has the skills for it.

 

Edited June 3, 2017 by Lupi

[Alshain]

Just now, Lupi said:

I mean, BahamutoD of BDArmory is working on a VR Combat Flight Sim which looks awesome, called VTOL VR.

I still don't see them using a competing engine when they have a brand spanking new one fresh out of development last month.

[Lupi]

Just now, Alshain said:

I still don't see them using a competing engine when they have a brand spanking new one fresh out of development last month.

The Lab, their big VR demo, was done in Unity. I think so far the most VR they've done in Source 2 is just proof of concept stuff, if that's the engine you're talking about. 

[Alshain]

1 minute ago, Lupi said:

The Lab, their big VR demo, was done in Unity. I think so far the most VR they've done in Source 2 is just proof of concept stuff, if that's the engine you're talking about. 

That was a year ago, and it was a proof of concept more than anything.  Source 2 has had a year of development since then.

[regex]

20 minutes ago, Alshain said:

Typically when Valve hires a team, they put them to work on a similar but enhanced project.  I feel there is a high degree of likelihood they are developing a KSP competitor.

Not that I doubt you, but [citations]? Because that sounds much more exciting than this upcoming DLC.

[Alshain]

7 minutes ago, regex said:

Not that I doubt you, but [citations]? Because that sounds much more exciting than this upcoming DLC.

The citation is my memory.

• They hired the Defense of the Ancients team (a mod developed on Blizzards Warcraft 3) and the result was DOTA 2.
• They hired the team behind Counter Strike (a half-life mod) and released it as a game franchise
• They hired the team behind Day of Defeat (a half-life mod) and the result was full release of a game called Day of Defeat, later Day of Defeat: Source
• They hired the team behind a game called Narbacular Drop and the result was Portal.

It's just what they do.  I think Left 4 Dead was a mod or something too, not sure though.

Edited June 3, 2017 by Alshain

[regex]

1 minute ago, Alshain said:

The citation is my memory.

That's good enough, some quick Googling confirmed.

Thanks, that's all I need to know.

[evileye.x]

Half Life 3  KSP 2 confirmed! 

[John FX]

15 hours ago, Xeiki said:

Lets start with TES II: Daggerfall. Came out in 1996.

I will stop you there. If we are comparing KSP then that would be TES I.

This means the best game will be KSP 2, like it was TES 2. Still a niche product, is the game TES (KSP) should have been, then after they get interest going for this amazing niche game they have to widen the audience and dumb down to get more sales.

KSP 2 : What KSP should have been, actually feel in charge of a space program. The most interesting, challenging solar system, the most complex tech tree, the most ability to mod the game.

KSP 3 : will have a story, autopilot etc etc slightly smaller, easier solar system

KSP 7 : Jeb's lost puppy : Search for the lost puppy in your rover (more rovers available through microtransactions)

The destination you describe is valid but you are a step ahead of where we are.

[Lupi]

1 minute ago, John FX said:

I will stop you there. If we are comparing KSP then that would be TES I.

This means the best game will be KSP 2, like it was TES 2. Still a niche product, is the game TES (KSP) should have been, then after they get interest going for this amazing niche game they have to widen the audience and dumb down to get more sales.

KSP 2 : What KSP should have been, actually feel in charge of a space program. The most interesting, challenging solar system, the most complex tech tree, the most ability to mod the game.

KSP 3 : will have a story, autopilot etc etc slightly smaller, easier solar system

KSP 7 : Jeb's lost puppy : Search for the lost puppy in your rover (more rovers available through microtransactions)

The destination you describe is valid but you are a step ahead of where we are.

You're forgetting about the KSP where they search for Bob, and the one where they have to time travel to find the whales. Then that weird crossover one where they bring the original Jeb back, because he got trapped in a parallel dimension or something and they team up to defeat something.

[John FX]

8 minutes ago, Lupi said:

You're forgetting about the KSP where they search for Bob, and the one where they have to time travel to find the whales. Then that weird crossover one where they bring the original Jeb back, because he got trapped in a parallel dimension or something and they team up to defeat something.

They are 4,5 and 6

[John FX]

7 hours ago, RockyTV said:

That's what you get when the actual KSP dev team (the ones that made KSP what it is today) get hired by Valve.

This is the most interesting news, 4-6 months ago (just after 1.2.2) so we know who THAT was and why some people think Valve hired a team of modders...

If they did that before and we got DoD, Portal etc I have great hopes. Of course this means competition for KSP.

But like the Space Race and the cold war gave us some of our greatest achievements, hopefully this software arms race will also make people have to step up and produce very good work.

Game on, @SQUAD show us what you got...

 

EDIT : Oops, doubleposted

Edited June 3, 2017 by John FX

[Yakuzi]

9 hours ago, StupidAndy said:

what I don't get is why they didn't say anything hinting about this earlier...

I don't think exposing the community to those kinds of hypotheticals would have been wise.

Also, I wouldn't be surprised if SQUAD management evaluated the additional sales the localisation update brought *, decided someone else might do a better job getting new players in and/or getting money out of existing players, and accordingly exchanged the KSP IP for a lavish bag o' kredits.

* According to SteamSpy for instance, there has been no substantial increase in sales after 1.3 went live (25th of May).

[RoverDude]

6 hours ago, Alshain said:

RoverDude is part of the new team.

With all due respect, I had the same or more tenure than half of the names described as the 'old' team

[Xeiki]

1 hour ago, John FX said:

I will stop you there. If we are comparing KSP then that would be TES I.

This means the best game will be KSP 2, like it was TES 2. Still a niche product, is the game TES (KSP) should have been, then after they get interest going for this amazing niche game they have to widen the audience and dumb down to get more sales.

KSP 2 : What KSP should have been, actually feel in charge of a space program. The most interesting, challenging solar system, the most complex tech tree, the most ability to mod the game.

KSP 3 : will have a story, autopilot etc etc slightly smaller, easier solar system

KSP 7 : Jeb's lost puppy : Search for the lost puppy in your rover (more rovers available through microtransactions)

The destination you describe is valid but you are a step ahead of where we are.

Hi!

I started with Daggerfall because Arena was basically the Beta for Daggerfall. They used the same engine, and so forth, and came out in the space of 2 years, basically the same timespan as KSP Early Access/Release. About the same improvement has been made between the two games in both cases. I originally wanted to compare only TES III, IV and V because they are all 3D, but decided to include Daggerfall because it was the most ambitious, and decided to lump IV and V together, because, imho, they show the same trend while not being improvements over Morrowind. In the end, all comparisons are bad in one way or another anyways

@Regex: Granted, most game mechanics got changed in some way, but the improvement part is debatable, that depends on personal preference and standpoint. They basically moved away from sandbox-gameplay to themepark gameplay. And of course you could make ridiculous characters in Daggerfall and Morrowind - in Skyrim you get ridiculous by default, or to put it differently, since almost everything is leveled, stay at the same level of "one step ahead" the whole game. Or as Todd Howard, the lead designer, would put it: "The player feels awesome all the time". Except he doesn't, but thats getting quite off-topic right now. And the "Running around in circles & casting the same spell over and over" - thats basically training, isn't it? Thats what athletes do, after all.

And since you are bringing up Minecraft - it sold 122 million copies. Of course nobody changes that. KSP sold 2 million. That is quite the difference if you take into account the developement requirements of both games.

I think I will stop now, I don't want to clutter the thread with my long responses, guess what I want to get at is this: KSP is reasonably successfull, and as I understand it, it recovered its developement cost and turned out a small profit. I don't know what plans TakeTwo has for the games future, but since they said they want to expand the franchise, in my mind that means expanding the mass market appeal. And that, in turn, means, easier accessability, which in turn means watered down core concepts, or at least shortcuts to circumnavigate those hurdles for the player. I think that thats the most likely path to take with future KSP products. Maybe I am completely wrong about all that, and I sure do hope so, but that depends on market research done by TakeTwo. The only way that I can see that KSP stays as it is, is if TakeTwo is content with small profits and a relatively small player-base. If they decide to keep the franchise as a niche product, then everything is fine. I guess I was just more comfortable when KSP was in the hands of a small studio.