As many of you may have heard already, CCP has cancelled and/or shelved the World of Darkness MMO and laid off the remaining MMO team. Some team members, I hear, have been given a chance to stay with CCP working on EVE. Because I was once part of that team (you can see me wearing one of my WoD Dev Team shirts in the photo above), and like many of you was looking forward to the game coming out, I understand some folks are having mixed emotions right now. I certainly am. But mostly, I’m trying to support those talented MMO team members who brought the project this far and now need to find work, and get their heads around where things wound up. This isn’t about us, here on the sidelines, it’s about our friends who were right there to the end. Official press release here: http://www.ccpgames.com/en/public-relations/press-releases/article/77171/ccp-games-halts-development-of-world-of-darkness-mmo/
Meanwhile, to head things off at the pass a bit. Onyx Path‘s license with CCP is still the same. I have been told by a CCP rep that they are very happy with how things are right now. In my chat with Eddy today, he mentioned both that he was one of those laid off, but also that the intention is that he act as a license consultant for CCP. So, for now, we are functioning as normal- well, normal for us. We will continue to create new projects for cWoD, nWoD, and Exalted as long as they’ll let us, and love every minute of it!
And of course, in true Onyx Path transparency-style, I’ll let you know if things change.
Remember, we’re on a path through the darkness. Finding our way. With only the glints off the black stone path at our feet to guide us. The Onyx Path.
Things we love that we’re working on:
– Mummy the Curse – Cursed Necropolis DC is in layout and almost ready for approval proofing once all the art gets in.
– Exalted 3rd Edition: From Holden: The final knot of Solar Charms are still being wrestled into submission, and playtest information is being collated for final-pass touch-ups to the combat Charms (particularly Melee). Chapter Four (Traits), encompassing the Great Curse, the Castes, Attributes and Abilities, Merits, Health, Willpower, Essence, anima powers, and character advancement, is DONE. Flaws, a feature that people have long been asking for, are implemented and finished. Righteous Devil Style is getting some revisions to line up with one of the Evocation cascades that is expected to heavily synergize with it.
Zub’s EX3 Comic is in approvals at CCP and both EX3 novels are being worked on. Starting to get one of the EX3 Music Suites to a finished state, the Dragon Blooded theme but our composer got caught in a time crunch with another project which is why we haven’t gotten much done lately.
– V20 Hunters Hunted 2: US/Canadian missing packages being gone through case by case- at this point I should have messaged all of you back. Posted an Update asking for missing International packages last week, and starting to review each one as per the US ones.
– V20 Anarchs Unbound : The extra text on the added Free State is in editing- plus an added Free State that Justin was so passionate about that we’re including as a bonus.
– Deluxe Werewolf 20th Anniversary Edition: As with HH2, US/Canadian missing packages being gone through case by case- at this point I should have messaged all of you back. Posted an Update asking for missing International packages last week, and starting to review each one as per the US ones. The Heavy Metal Deluxe W20 is done with assemblage and being packed to send to the shipper. Mike Lee has a new batch of chapters of the W20 “Houses of the Moon” novel for Bill to review. Jess Hartley has the White Howlers Tribe Book in second drafts. W20 Wyld West is in layout and art is coming in.
– Mage the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition- going to review the M20 schedule this week and chart out the various Rewards and new projects coming out of the Stretch Goals.
– Mage 20 Quickstart: To press- proofs OK’d after some tweaks.
– W20 Changing Breeds PDF and PoD versions are on sale at DTRPG! Deluxe files are printing, and embossing. The Changing Breeds Fiction Anthology is ready for layout.
– W20 Book of the Wyrm is in layout. This will be the next Kickstarter project in a week or two if everything times out as expected. We think this book should appeal to W20 and W20 Changing Breeds fans alike. Getting this KS together, bit of a delay with the stuff happening mentioned above which just cut into prep time
– V20 Rites of the Blood: is ready for layout, but layout is not yet ready for it, waiting on one artist for finals.
– Trinity Continuum: New System ideas continue being hammered out. Had a big meeting yesterday with lots of excitement-looking for combat examples before the whole document is ready for the community.
– Scion: New Systems discussion continue. Both Scion and the TC above are now moving into active mode for 2014. Contracts and art notes out for the Scion: Origins cover.
– Demon: The Descent: Demon is now available in PDF/PoD/PDF&PoD combo versions. The Demon: Ready Made Characters PDF link has been sent to backers- getting ready to set the PDF and PoD versions for sale on DTRPG. Demon Seed Collection is in first drafts. DtD Seattle is in first redlines. Heirs to Hell is in final development. Demon Translation Guide is being written.
– Hunter: Mortal Remains: Is in post editing development, almost in layout.
– Book of the Deceived (MtC): Redlines. The loss of a writer means their section has to be given to a new writer, CAS is on top of it.
– nWoD: Dark Eras: Second drafts coming in.
– V20 Dark Ages: Scribes are scribing 2nd Drafts. David Hill is working on some art notes.
– DtD Players Guide: Flowers Of Hell: In layout and waiting for art.
– V20: Ghouls: In redlines.
– V20 Red List: In final draft stage.
– The Making of the Art of Children of the Revolution: Out to backers who pledged for it. Creating PoD files to go with PDF for sale on DTRPG.
– W20: The Umbra: In redlines.
– WtF: The Idigam Chronicle: First drafts coming in. Keep an eye on the blogs and forums here- lots of good discussion happening right now: https://theonyxpath.com/category/projects/werewolftheforsaken/
– GtSE: Geist Ready Made Characters: In redlines.
– Also: nWoD Skull and Scion Pantheon shirts now on the RedBubble T-shirt site.
Reason to Drink: To those who tried to create an MMO worthy of WoD.
Comments
118 responses to “WoD MMO News and Views”
Sad to hear about the layoffs. Hopefully everyone finds another good/fun job soon.
Agreed. Thanks.
This is such terrible news on so many levels. First and foremost, a lot of talented people have lost their jobs. Second, I dont play a lot of video games but the trailer for the WoD looked absolutely gorgeous. It’s a shame for all that hard work and effort to be shelved. Finally, what happens if ccp goes under? I shudder to think…
Hopefully, a renewed focus on EVE gets things rolling along as CCP wants them to.
No mixed emotions here. Onyx Path would be much better off without CCP. Said it before. Saying it again. They’re a blight. And they’ve lied many times before. Keep up the great work, Rich.
Also, I know Eddy and the rest of the crew will be back on their feet in no time. In the meantime: beer. And I’m so excited for Mortal Remains I can taste it.
Couldn’t agree more. Heck, how 1984 is the name of ccp itself! This is not news to me…this was an inevitability from the start. Pray OPP can remain solid for some more years still.
Looking forward to all the great products that Onyx Path will produce in the future. Not happy with CCP at all.
Thanks, personally.
Sorry to hear about the layoffs. Hope everyone lands on their feet.
On a side note, dagnabbit. I’m miffed about the cancellation considering the resources being poured into something as lackluster Dust.
As usual, resource allocation for projects is a tough call. Can’t really say that Dust pulled much support from WoD from my POV.
I wasn’t interested in the WoD MMO, but I do hope everything works out for the team involved. Unless CCP is desperate for a quick infusion of cash, keeping the oWoD/cWoD/Exalted properties is probably the best move they can make. At the very least, it’ll guarantee regular income for them, so it should reassure investors.
Still excited about Exalted, Dark Eras, Scion and… whatever Mummy and Demon stretch goals I’m waiting on. I lost track a while ago.
We’re pretty excited too.
Unsilent Majority: Business reality is, CCP still owns the WoD properties and will be involved. Even with the MMO cancelled, the IP is still worth money to them, almost certainly more than Onyx Path could afford to pay to buy it out.
As is often the case, that giant Mohawk speaks sense.
I know. And like I said, it sucks. Onyx Path would be better off without them. I know Onyx Path couldn’t afford to pay to buy it out. No one is saying otherwise, nor are they disputing anything you said.
Like I said, the World of Darkness would simply be better off if they were in the hands of Onyx Path. The end.
The properties that I know and love would be in far more loving hands.
Fact is, CCP has done absolutely jack shit in terms of doing the White Wolf properties any sort of merit. As far as I know, they’ve done nothing but lay off employee after employee and act as a stop gap towards getting more products out.
The smartest thing they’ve done was allow Rich and friends to carry the torch.
Which, is extremely smart, yes. But to think of everything else they’ve royally ****** up on. I’m pissed. I’m pissed for Eddy. I’m pissed for the other employees in Atlanta that had to suffer today, and in the months passed.
I’m pissed that all that hard work went for naught.
And trust me, a CCP employee would not want to be in my way at this moment.
yup – again, couldn’t agree more. I’m KNOW I’m in no position to judge jack or his friend sh**.
But I really never was happy with the move to CCP, Never believed a word about the justifications, and always felt hurt that the best RPG developers I’ve ever known, with the most heartfelt products and most inspiring talent to ever be had – we’re forced by the nature of our modern world and the realities of RPG development to sellout to them as it were.
Thank god for Kickstarter and OPP.
And thanks for Rich and the crew (Naming only one of many whose names deserve positive mention) and Eddy!!!!!!!!! Nooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Best wishes to all!
Condolences to the talented people that have lost their jobs.
I take solace that Onyx Path is at least doing well (they made a profit last financial year!) and that CCP are happy with them.
Good to know Eddie is still going to be around. Would not be the same without him.
On a more positive note: Curse Necropolis DC is nearly ready for approvals! Awesome.
Yes, and the rest are all good things to be glad of today.
I’m very sorry to hear that so many people lost their jobs after working so hard on such an ambitious project. I can’t even imagine how difficult this is for them.
Justin used to say at the poker table that you need to “bet big to win big”, and while that advice is really awful for,and why he was usually out really early at, poker- it does seem the case with MMOs. So the disappointment when you can’t get to launch must be correspondingly rougher.
Can’t say I’m particularly surprised, but I wish the laid-off developers all the best. Honestly, I was hoping that CCP would have lost interest in the franchises of the old White Wolf machine, but as long as the brand has marketability and recognition, it’s worth it for CCP to hang on to them.
Can’t really comment, but so long as they have interest in us doing this thing we do, we’re doing it.
It feels like the last vestiges of White Wolf at CCP are now gone. I really hope everyone whose lively hood is affected by this lands on their feet. The Classic World of Darkness games have given me some of my all time favorite gaming experiences over the years. They have deeply affected how I approach gaming. Those games and the dear friends I have made though them helped me get through some dark times. I can’t thank the White Wolf folks enough for everything they have created.
While I’m happy the World of Darkness and Exalted continue on, it does highlight how precarious their position is. I really do wish it could be possible for Onyx Path to buy the rights outright instead of relying on a license agreement.
I thought the same thing as PookaKnight above, that last part of White Wolf that was is now gone. Kinda sad. Of course I feel badly for those laid off, especially Eddy Webb, his passion for the work he does is obvious.
I hope Onyx Path is aloud to create World of Darkness games for a long, long time. But I can’t help but worry sometimes.
These days, Onyx is producing the best World of Darkness content that’s ever been done. The 20th Anniversary editions, Demon: The Descent, The God Machine Chronicles…It’s the golden era for the World of Darkness. I hope that is not lost upon the WOD fans, gamers who buy the books and the higher ups at CCP.
Out here in California will keep the WOD flag flying high and we look forward to running some great World of Darkness games at Gen Con this Summer.
-Louis Garcia,
Dead Gamers Society, The So Cal World of Darkness meetup
Thanks for the great support, Louis!
In terms of the WW that made books and settings, well, Onyx has been that for years now.
Oh, I know. Onyx Path has been fantastic, and it’s so wonderful seeing the classic World of Darkness supported again!
It’s just a bit of psychological blow that the wolf’s den in Atlanta is no more.
I agree with every point
If there’s ever some sort of Kickstarter equivalent thing going on for buying the licenses, although I wouldn’t know how that would work, then I would sure back it.
It’s such a shame for the fans, and the developers that lost their jobs. I’m hoping that they can all get work again soon.
*by licenses, I mean the IP outright
I haven’t been as bothered by the uproar as many of my friends, because I get that people don’t usually understand the damage their words… and subjective feelings have. Today is not a day of vindication or celebration, but one of loss and well-wishing.
CCP still owns World of Darkness. Wishing any ill will towards them does nothing, but fuel some childish notion that being angry somehow turns back the hands of time and changes legal rights to the IP.
CCP is still the reason why Onyx Path is allowed to publish the World of Darkness. And we as dreamers, fans and friends… are still the reason they let Onyx do it.
TLDR in VTM Format: Let’s not bite the Contacts, that continues to let us have a safe haven, despite having no obligation to do so.
A very fine way to look at things.
Indeed. While I understand the frustration, CCP is not a person. It is a corporation. It has different goals and objectives from us. But for now, those are aligned or at least they do not conflict. As a result, we get OPP. Wishing them ill can only affect this status quo negatively.
Besides. As mentioned. CCP is a corp. A thing. Raging against your blue pen will not make it write in red.
Well said, and I concur. Thanks to CCP for licensing Onyx Path to create great WoD products (very long term WW fan here, WW20 is glorious). It’s a shame they couldn’t funnel dev skills into making computer versions of the WW TCG games. Condolences to the abruptly let go. Time to fire up the .movs of “Heart of Gaia” in respect.
Still bummed about “Hear of Gaia”… and now this.
But most upset about the layoffs.
At this point, we’ll never have a Werewolf video game. This decision has a City of Heroes vibe to it that just leaves everything sour.
I really think there’s no reason to say “never”. But as for CoH, I dunno what you’re referring to since it was a launched and active MMO for years.
Man. That Vampire game was soo good. I always wished the devs who made it had taken a shot at Werewolf. They knew the world, they knew the clans. The jokes. Everything. It would have been glorious.
As for the MMO, that would have been truly glorious too. I had been eagerly awaiting it since its annoucement. I sincerely wish the best to those who had the misfortune to be laid off. Remember. You are talented. You’ll be fine. Hang in there guys!
I’m saying of how CoH was a successful MMO that was dumped without a moment’s notice. WoD is a very popular RPG, being the Silver medal to the Gold medal that is D&D and its spinoffs. An MMO dealing with the supernatural horror would make it contend with The Secret World.
And the reason why I say “never” is that I remember when White Wolf promoted the Heart of Gaia video game based on the Werewolf the Apocalypse game-line. That was cancelled after a while as well. And the MMO would’ve been a chance for fans of Apocalypse to probably play as one if they made Werewolf as an expansion to the MMO. But now, that’s a no go and it seems like that CCP is not vying to create a WoD video game in the future. Just like the now defunct LucasArts motto of “If it’s not Star Wars, It’s not worth it,” it seems like if it’s not EVE Online, then it’s not worth it.
Gotcha with CoH. I was thinking more along the lines of unreleased game cancelled vs ongoing successfully released game dropped suddenly being two very different things. And I’d still suggest never saying never in both the tabletop and computer game arenas- none of us know where things might wind up in general, and specifically we don’t know what CCP may do in the future with WoD.
Raising a beer to those who are finding themselves misplaced today in this whole thing. I however do not want to look forward, but rather backward. These people put their hearts and souls into this genre and these games, some of them for years and years. My hearts and thoughts go out to them, and I wish them nothing but the best! We have had some great times with them, and we wish them more good times ahead, past this very large bump in the road!
Hear, hear!
Any chance that, in the future, Onyx Path might take a risk on making a MMO based on the Exalted or Scion franchises?
We have one full-time employee (Rich) and our plates are full with tabletop publishing. Making an MMO ourselves is several orders of magnitude more than we can handle. We’re not stepping into that arena.
Besides which, CCP still owns Exalted, and I doubt they’d give us the license to make an MMO.
Sad news for all of those affected. I hope everyone lands on their feet sooner rather than later, and look forward to staying on the Path with you fine folks for a long time to come.
Is there any update regarding the printing status of the Demon prestige editions? I am quite content with my PDF and PoD coupon, but look forward to their arrival as well. Also very much looking forward to the other Mummy and Demon material and Dark Eras. So much good gaming coming up, and that’s what it’s all about.
Demon Prestige Editions are at press.
What about DigitalWeb3.0 ?
and oh please wait for a little time for Book of the Wyrm, let us recover economically after M20. Please pretty please?
From Anadolu with love…
That’s part of trying to figure out the M20 schedule.
Time’s a-wastin’.
Sorry to hear about the layoffs. I hope that everyone is able to find work quickly.
On the positive side – did I see the words “Righteous,” “Devil,” and “Style” all together in that order under the Exalted update? Because if I did I may be cheering as hard as I was last night for the ending of Game of Thrones (and if you watched it, you know what I mean).
Thanks- uh, I think you read it right…
The end of the WoDMMO and the loss of jobs is a terrible thing. At least it didn’t happen just before Christmas again, though no time is a good time to lose a job.
#?PawPrintsAcrossFacebook? #RIPWoDMMO
I’m glad to hear that your license is unaffected by the developments though.
Can any of the unfortunate folks who lost their jobs program Android apps?… getting that official OPP dice-roller app up and running (for Android too) would be nice, and maybe cover a few bills. 🙂
Looking forward to the W20BotW! 1-2 weeks? *rubs hands together* Excellent.
I can’t wait to unlock the Tshirts from that one… without Gen Con last year, my new black gaming shirt-collection is getting a bit worn-out. 😉
Also, great news that the HMEs are getting shipped to be shipped… Will they be extra-well packaged? *crosses fingers*
I’d feel a lot less afraid for the future of Onyx Path and their licensing of cWOD if CCP hadn’t a habit of going “everything is alright” and “everything is just fine and how dare you claim the game is not coming out”.
I am just so worried that they’ll keep telling Rich\us that the tabletop line is not in danger only to yank the rug from under our feet.
Exactly.
Time will tell, but honestly, that call could have been made at any point in the last two years too. Like from Blade Runner: “We don’t know how long we’ll have together, but then again, who does?”
I think this is the only proper response to that very valid comment. Keep on, OPP. 🙂
A real shame about the layoffs, even though as a game journalist I’m not surprised about the fate of the mmo. But it makes me think of when other game companies have had huge layoffs… like when Grin collapsed. Got a lot new awesome smaller game companies like Fatshark and others that has created some really cool products. Hopefully this will be the beginning of something new and exciting for everyone who lost their jobs here.
Good to know the license is still in good hands though. You guys at OPP are doing a great job with it so far.
Thanks!
Well, at this point in time, I don’t think there’s many people who wouldn’t prefer to see the IP safe in your hands. Other comments here kinda prove that.
After all, from now on it’s you guys as well as Justin, Eddy and Bill and others that carry the real legacy from what once was White Wolf… And you have the full support of us fans.
Well, that’s it, goodbye to any chance to play a vampire mmorpg or a mage mmorpg :_(
Again, never say never.
I hate this layoff happening. Smells of another company biting off more than it chew and others will suffer for it. It bothers me because it feels off. Feels that is. We don’t know what has gone down behind the scenes.
THANKFULLY! Eddy is still on the team in the role he has played for Rich and all of us that are spending money, voting with our wallets, wanting to see Onyx Path succeed and flourish. If he was just gone, my faith would have wavered (too much change too quick).
I have faith the OP team will succeed and personally I one day hope, as some random fan who honestly doesn’t have impact on big companies, that the IP of WoD will be once more solely in the hands of people it will be safe with, which these days, is Onyx Path.
Thanks for the kind words!
Right now my heart only says: “F()CK YOU CCP”.
I’m so pissed…
Here is my vote (and hope) that the IP is sold (and purchased by the fine folks at OPP) and that Rich et al. continue their outstanding job delivering the best table top rpg ever made.
Im not stunned at the news of the MMO, a few months back an article circulated from an “insider” that speculated that CCP sold the MMO, now this ‘rumour’ seems not too far fetched.
To all those affected by the loss of employment my condolences, but with every end there is always a new begining, my thoughts and hopes go to you.
Thanks!
I hate to hear that Eddy and his crew got screwed…again.
Let’s be honest, CCP has never shown any real interest in the White Wolf properties. I know they’re telling Rich and OPP that they’re safe, but that won’t last forever. Sooner or later, they’ll decide that selling the IP will somehow benefit EVE.
I’d start squirreling away cash and considering a Kickstarter for OPP to buy the WOD and Exalted outright, because the idea of it ending up in the hands of someone like EA or Activision actually makes me a little nauseous.
Like I always say, and even have said here: never say never. But- the chances of a KS to raise enough money to buy out WW from CCP are very, very slim. The amount needed would be very high.
I find myself wondering how high….and then thinking and wondering if it would be doable….
You ever need the cash to purchase the full rights to White Wolf you just come see us, y’know? We’ll get you set up nice and proper.
/clicheMobster
Not much left to say. Best of luck to the awesome people laid off who will, no doubt, move on to do the great things they are capable of. Your work, even if unpublished, means the world to us!
To the Onyx Path people, you keep the dream alive. Your Worlds of Darkness and Light shine brighter than ever… Do remember that the community will be there in case things go wrong. (Kickstarter, wink wink)
Thanks! All of our creators have work really hard to revitalize the WW IPs, and it’s great to hear that you appreciate it!
CCP are not fools and they have a ton of Vampire related assets just collecting dust now. Maybe Eddie should prompt someone that Vampire Bloodlines is still getting player made support after how many years…? A new Vampire pc rpg written by many of the people that made the paper/dice Vampire rpg might sell pretty well. I hear alot of folks turned out for big assed book called V20. Maybe they would like a new video game too…?
Very different skill sets to do a game book and a computer game. Even with the knowledge base Onyx Path now has, moving into that business would be ultra hard on our resources. A lot of current book projects would have to be postponed to do it.
Terrible news. I’m truly crestfallen not only for the fans like myself, but for the people who lost their jobs. Is there any chance any of the artists or writers who were let go to find work with Onyx Path? Also have you considered asking CCP if you can use any of the assets from the MMO (art, stories, concepts) for future projects? I really hope CCP values the WoD universe enough to do something meaningful with it in the future. I certainly wouldn’t mind another single-player game like Redemption and Bloodlines.
All in all, I’m still very hopeful for the future of the WoD. I can’t tell you how happy I am that V20 Dark Ages and Wraith 20th Anniversary are in the pipeline. For years I honestly thought I would never see another Wraith or Dark Ages product in my lifetime. Thank you, and best of luck to all talented people keeping the WoD alive!
There weren’t that many folks still there that could write, etc for what we do, but if they aren’t already on projects with us they soon will be. Thanks!
It sucks about the MMO and especially about the people who lost their jobs. I hope they can get back on their feet quickly and find new employment.
I wonder what will happen to all the work done so far on the MMO now that the project is cancelled. Will any of it see the light of day (slash our eyes?).
Well whatever happens I’m praying for the best for everyone effected.
That’s up to CCP, but I can’t imagine a scenario where releasing anything would be to their benefit right now. If folks like it, then they feel cheated out of what might have been, and if they don’t like it the backlash would be equally nasty.
I’m sad to say that this isn’t a big surprise. Hopefully the people affected will bounce back quickly. Best of luck to everyone.
Now, I love CCP. I think EVE is one of the greatest human accomplishments in gaming. I have no axes to grind on their account. But I really have to agree when people say they fear White Wolf IPs will at some point encounter this same “it’s fine, it’s fine, it’s dead” pattern. I hope The Onyx Path will work of diversifying their portfolio, because I would quite like it if you guys could continue to exist if it ever happens that White Wolf IPs are taken from you.
Well, Scion and the Trinity Continuum to start, so yes, we’re looking to continue to expand our range of game worlds.
I’m sad to see this, especially for all those who lost their jobs. I’ve gotten to know many of those who were working at WW, and it pains me to see basically the loss of everyone from the halcyon days of WW. I am happy that OPP will continue to keep the games so many of us love going, that’s at least one positive thing. Sign me up for a kickstarter for OPP to buy the IPs, you’ve done amazing work with everything that’s been released and I know that will continue. I’ll raise a glass to all my friends and everyone else that lost their jobs, and I hope they all find work again soon.
Thanks- appreciate the support.
Same to hear about the mmo. Was looking forward to it.
Maybe it help for the people that are laid of. The guy’s that are making Star Citizen. Are still looking for people http://cloudimperiumgames.com/jobs.
Thanks for the tip, I’ll pass it on.
Any info on who will be shipping W20 HME? will we get tracking numbers for this?
We’re finalizing the shipping arrangements now.
Just a quick note: I cannot (and will not) talk about CCP or the decisions they made regarding World of Darkness. I will say that while this is a scary phase of things, my wife and I are in a good place at the moment, and we are already looking at a lot of opportunities all over the globe. If anyone hears anything that you think would be a good fit for me, feel free to email it to me at eddy.webb@gmail.com.
And thank you all, most sincerely, for your personal support. It means the world to me, and is really helping me through a rough time.
I’m glad to hear that, Eddy. I was more concerned about your situation than anything else, as I assumed OP would chug along, and CCP would fold in at least some tech people back to Eve. I can only hope this winds up being an opening to better things for you and yours personally.
Be well.
Best of luck to you.
Indeed, best of luck! You did great while it lasted! I hope we’ll see you around.
Well, best hopes for OPPs future, may it be a long and profitable one.
As for those who lost their jobs I wish them luck and hope they can get something new soon enough.
Thank you for the sentiments. And agreed!
I am very sad to hear the news and I wish the best of luck to everyone that was laid off, and most of all to Eddy Webb, who has been the soul of White Wolf for quite a long time. I am glad that Eddy is well and doesn’t have any pressing needs, and I wish he could find a new job that would be as satisfying as his time at White Wolf.
I also wish Onyx Path to earn enough in order to be able to get the licence for all White Wolf game lines. It may take a year, it may take two, it may take even ten, but I really hope it will happen one day. At least to me, Onyx Path is the true successor of White Wolf, and has carried the torch with pride. I admit I have most of my love for the New World of Darkness series, and I can say that from what I’ve seen so far, Onyx Path is doing it justice.
Thanks so much- and I think Eddy is pretty OK too.
[…] “I don’t know what this means for the larger WOD brand, or what happens to the ragged tatters of the company that has been frayed and shredded over the years since the EVE Online developer bought the pen-and-paper company. I know it means layoffs, so, fuck. I also know that, at present, Onyx Path continues to roll out its gleaming obsidian walkway of horror-fantasy gaming delights, acting as the spiritual and also literal successor to the White Wolf voodoo — and according to Rich at Onyx Path, everything shall continue apace.“ […]
Sad to hear about the layoffs. I sincerely hope everyone affected gets a new job soon.
But I am also a bit worried about the license. What will happen, if for some reason or another, OPP looses the license before all rewards from completed Kickstarters are fulfilled?
There is no way to predict the future or to guess at all that might happen in such a case. We have some contractual procedures, though, that would cover most of those sorts of issues.
[…] I guess I don’t share quite their outlook. I’m heavily involved in writing and developing World of Darkness games for Onyx Path. I’ve got both Werewolf games to my name. I’m working on the system for the new edition of Trinity and Scion (which Onyx Path own outright). I’ve got my name on Vampire books – something I was sure would never happen when I started. We’ve been publishing what people think of as White Wolf tabletop RPGs for a couple of years now and that’s continuing apace. […]
I remember when the announcement of the MERGER of White Wolf and CCP was announced. White Wolf was to provide its tabletop RPG know-how to make an Eve RPG, and CCP was going to make the WoD MMO. What ever happened to the Eve RPG? It was never made that I know of, so, White Wolf’s Table Top game experience was, effectively, left to die. And now, CCP ends the WoD MMO.
I am saddened by the losses of jobs, especially in this economy, but I am also saddened by the loss of so much potential for both sides of the merged company. And I am glad that, for now, we still have Onyx Path, and hope that CCP will let OPP continue doing what they do so well for a long time to come.
Right now, we’re going good. Thanks!
Clearly calling it a “merger” was not true.
These layoffs make me angry, especially so soon after the previous round of layoffs, and in a terrible economy. And yes, I will get angry, because CCP is run by people and people made the decision to throw out a bunch of people.
profound sadness
Understood.
I won’t say that I’m surprised by this announcement of the MMO’s demise, but I know in my (unbeating, accursed) heart that the games I love are in good hands between Onyx Path and By Night Studios (who are doing the live-action ones). Back in 1991 when I first picked up a copy of Vampire: the Masquerade, I knew that I’d found something special. The little tag of White Wolf as ‘A Renaissance in Gaming’ really did prove true, and it’s still true! Sad news for sure, but every story that begins must end, and every end is another beginning [insert sappy kitten picture here!].
Keep up the great work, and know that WE know White Wolf won’t ever rest in peace… Not if the vampires, werewolves, zombies, wizards, mummies, demons, and the rest have anything to say about it!
Thanks. Considering that I’m working with the same games I helped create and a lot of the same creators- it’s real hard for me to feel like WW is dead. In a lot of ways it feels more like the early WW days than I’ve felt like for years.
Great attitude, my man!
Also, when I went on DriveThruRPG to pick up a discounted PDF of The God-Machine Chronicle (yeah, I only had the free rules update… but I’ve rectified that situation!), I saw that Onyx Path appears as a publisher along with White Wolf! Dunno how I missed this advent, but it’s a great move to really show that White Wolf and the World(s) of Darkness are still kicking along the Onyx Path!
The choice CCP has made is disgraceful. They’ve done their own company a huge disservice here, and left themselves with an (over) ten-year-old product as their main cash-cow. With newer, better ideas by other companies already on the rails, they’re simply not going to be able to compete to remain the preeminent sci-fi (or even space) MMO…regardless of how many updates and/or expansions they throw at it. The product is simply dated, and without a new franchise to mitigate the losses from competition which uses newer technology, things look grim for CCP.
If they needed it, they could have easily done a Kickstarter to help with WoDO funding. I feel like CCP’s pride has begun their slow fade into MMO obscurity…betraying the fan base (multiple times, now) is never a great idea, particularly when there’s soon to be other options open to them. People are spiteful. CCP should remember that.
As for you folks at OPP, I’m glad you can continue what you’re doing – it’s something I was certainly worried about. I hope you all can always keep doing what you love. It’s tragic what the developers of WoDO have had to go through…to invest so much time, effort, and passion into something only to have the company throw it out…what a blow. I really feel for you all. I hope things go as smoothly as possible for those who’ve lost the most in this ordeal. It wasn’t fair to the fans, but most of all, it wasn’t fair to those who spent a part of their lives working on it (~8 years of development, right?)
Good luck to all of you at OPP, and for those laid off from CCP, I hope you don’t just find work, but find something that inspires you.
As one of the people who had spent a few years, and a fair bit of personal sacrifice, on the WoDMMO, I truly feel for the crew who lasted the longest. I think we all had little bits of our design and content that we had hoped to one day see active online. It was just not to be, but the good part, as I expressed to ex-WoDMMO team members over the years, is that we all learned an amazing amount of things during our times on the project. It was so huge, there was no way not to pick up lessons in how, or how not to, create computer games. And those lessons will pay off for them.
Sad to hear about the MMO and even more so about the lay offs.
That being said I still have to say in doing a happy dance over the new work being done on Trinity/Aberrant and Scion! If there is anything ya guys need for help there let us or me know!!!
Of which will you be looking for additional writers for those projects?
Thank you guys for all the hard work!
We’re pretty excited about getting both the Scion and Trinity Continuum projects really rolling. I’m sure once the lines are hopping the Devs will be willing to review writers.
Please, I have a question. In the Monday meeting’s texts and the schedule I can find information about DtD Core book, ready-made characters, Seattle PDF, Seed collection, Heirs of Hell, Flower’s of Hell and Storyteller’s Handbook … but if I remember correctly, there was something called DtD Anthology + Interface with five stories too. We received it as a Kickstarter stretch goal. But it is not showing up in the schedule or anywhere else, is it?
So sorry for the confusion, but what happened to it? Was it fused with the Seed Collection, was it cancelled, or did maybe somebody forget to add it to the list?
Absence from the Updates just means there no strong start that was noted to me. Once that happens those projects will show up, never fear.
The simple fact is, a genuinely successful MMORPG is incredibly lucrative, but also vanishingly rare. Whilst I’m sure the WoD MMO had great potential and amazing people working on it, neither do I have any doubt that this is perhaps the most likely fate of such a project. Games design is hard and many great ideas never make it to release, and I suspect that is doubly so when it comes to the MMO scene.
When it comes to WoD games, we should probably look less to the Onyx Path staff and more to the Onyx path model if we ever want to see something actually release. A kickstarter style project with fan involvement, put together by a small team of passionate people with an eye on realistic design goals and budgetary concerns and a tight, focused game concept at it’s core has much, much better chance of making it all the way through the full dev cycle.
Best case scenario could be that the staff who found a home working on eve are given a shot at something like that, some way down the road.
Who knows, could be. I do remember that right when I joined the WoDMMO project, I was told by an industry veteran the one true thing about MMOs: they are hard. Really hard. So far, everything I’ve learned suggests he was right.
That I am sorry to hear about people being laid off, that goes without saying, it’s a terrible injustice considering all their years of hard work. I really do hope the lot of them takes atleast some good memories and experience with them, all the best.
Now to what really makes me wonder: Why on earth did CCP do this? I know this question have been asked a multitude of times but honestly, rarely have I seen a company of MMO developers shoot themselves this much in the foot.
For whatever money issues they have now, it will be nothing compared to the loss of playerbase the release of the ‘multitude’ of sci fi space MMOs will lead to.
Eve will no longer be a niche game, it will no longer be unique in setting or game play. Its outdated graphics, mechanics and setting will be powerless compared to releases like Star citizen and the like.
My point being this; With World of Darknes online they had a really unique game concept here, there is no real game out there with the concept or setting they’ve got. Secret world might grace it, but hardly any competition there as it is much les Sandbox as WoDO was planned to be.
Aschazel made a really good point, that a Kickstarter would have likely been a success, and the fact that they didn’t just seems to support the theory of their arrogance and blindness to the frailty of Eve.
One last thing; Thanks goes to Richt and his team, a terribly talented bunch keep up the extreme good work and remember the community is here for you should CCP decide to stiff you too. All the best!
((Please excuse my english, I am a dane so it is not my first language.))
I can’t say why. No idea. But obviously, it couldn’t have been an easy decision, so we can start our thinking there. I do know that all involved were absolutely dedicated to WoD and well aware of the unique opportunity it represented.
Im probably going to be far too blunt here.
The World of Darkness for me is a place of darkness, grief, sometimes redemption and loss. Whilist I enjoyed the demo videos , I just never felt that WOD was a good fit for a mmo. A mmo where you have people rushing around named HOT4UBABE. That breaks atmosphere.
Sure its an extreme example but its not an uncommon one in many an mmo. They start off big with paid accounts and after on average 5months to 12 they turn into this free for all style mmo and the quality goes downhill..
Do I feel sorry for the guys who were laid off? Most definetly. Ive felt the pain of that myself recently.
So sad to hear this news, and especially when I had little time to respond to it b/c of finals at school. My dream job was to work on the MMO with you guys at some point, now it may be an unattainable one. Sorry to hear this, and hopefully you guys get the rights back and find a more suitable partner to continue work on the MMO with in the future. As a lot of others have said, it never quite sat right with me that CCP had partnered, and was making the MMO out of nowhere, but then as the years went by showed no progress aside from the animatic trailer I dug up on Youtube. I still think it’s shitty that they laid you all off yet retain the rights to your IP, but hey, hopefully some good can come of this, somehow.
I put the paw up as soon as I heard, in support, not sure if that matters but am always willing to help out with my favorite rpg company.
Regards,
Ian W.
Ian: In 2006, White Wolf and CCP merged. While the resulting company was still called CCP, it was very much a merger of the two companies. The WoD MMO was a big project, to be sure, and it’s unfortunate for a lot of different reasons that it’s been cancelled, but the IP rests with CCP because it’s always been theirs.
Onyx Path has only been around since 2012. While many of us have a history with White Wolf, the World of Darkness IP has never been “ours.”