Announcement fully explained Part II

[kokane]

There’s a lot to like in this news, and I would say that this is a big win for MMORPG players if not for a few glaring issues that erase the goodwill it might have engendered, chief among them the fact that it’s almost half a year away, not launching until October 15th. The long wait is very, very bad for the game, and I’m going to get into that. But first I want to recap what this update actually is and the many good things it does offer, if only to counter the disinfo floating in the currently mostly negative Steam reviews claiming that PC players are getting nothing.

In players’ defense, Amazon’s messaging around the Aeternum update has been more than a bit confusing, so let me clarify a few things. This is not a complete redo of the game. This is not a shift away from being an MMORPG, even if Amazon is obviously going out of its way to avoid the term in literally every communication, even on Discord. It’s still the same game, and those of us already playing on PC will be able to continue on as we have with our same characters and everything we’ve earned up to date. Rebranding aside, this is simply a large patch coupled with a console launch.

There’s also been some confusion around the original Amazon PR statements that PC players will need Rise of the Angry Earth to enjoy the Aeternum update. This has some people worried they’ll be locked out of their account if they didn’t buy the expansion, but it has been confirmed by the studio that it just means you won’t be able to do the new content unless you own the last expansion, same as all other recent patches. (I still think it’s not a great look considering that newcomers on console get that expansion bundled into their purchase, however, but at least you’re not paying twice or getting locked out of the game, which was the fear.)

And obviously, there’s the console release itself. In isolation I see this as a massive positive, even though I’m a PC player. More ways for people to play is always a benefit for players and developers alike, and there aren’t as many MMOs on console, so New World might have a better chance to prosper with that crowd, which means more revenue and security for the game and its fans overall.

Even more impressive, there’s going to be full cross-play, something I don’t think anyone anticipated. That means PC players can reap the full benefits of any bump in population the console release provides.

The scale of the update is also a lot less acceptable when it comes after so long a wait. This would be a very respectable patch if the release date were in July, but if you’re going to make us wait this long, it needs to include a lot more – like the new zone we all thought we were getting this year and now probably won’t see until 2025.

There’s also the bugs to consider. After very slowly getting the game’s tech issues at least partially under control since launch, the release of Slayer Script unleashed a whole host of new bugs, and many have been left unfixed for a totally unacceptable length of time. My main character has had the wrong face for two months.

Add all this together and people are left with the feeling that existing PC players are being thrown under the bus to chase the console crowd, and whatever chance New World might have had to become a hit on console is likely to be ruined by the terrible word of mouth this is going to create.

To me, this looks like an act of desperation. The current PC population must not be big enough to support the game; it’s the only reason Amazon would attempt a rebrand this drastic. But it still didn’t need to be this way. The team should have been able to pursue a console launch without signaling to the PC and MMORPG playerbase that its presence and loyalty are no longer needed.

I think one of the saddest things about this is that the developers are going to get all of the hate for this, but I’m sure they know just as well as we do how bad this looks. How could they not?

The only possible explanation for this is that the higher-ups in the Amazon hierarchy are not giving the New World team the resources it needs. This isn’t some shoestring indie company; it absolutely have the ability to continue supporting PC players properly as it prepares for a console launch. Someone decided not to do so, and having seen time and again over the last few years how passionate Scot Lane and his team are about this game, I’m sure it wasn’t them.

I do see a narrow path for the devs to pull out of this tailspin, at least partially. If they announce that there is meaningful content coming between now and October, that would help a lot, but given the lack of mention so far, I fear there is no such content. I think it would also be a good olive branch if they offered Rise of the Angry Earth free to every PC player who doesn’t currently own it; that console players get it bundled into their base purchase feels pretty galling in the face of everything else. That, at least, seems like something that could plausibly happen if feedback is strong enough.

The PR damage is already so great that I don’t think anything can repair the game’s reputation entirely, at least in the near term. New World is going to lose players over this, full stop. But if they go all hands on deck in damage control, it might not be a fatal blow to the game. I fear that’s not going to happen, but I can hope.

I do understand the desire for the chance to make a second first impression. New World really has made amazing strides since launch, but because the improvements happened in bits and pieces, it never made the splash of a Final Fantasy XIV style relaunch, despite being almost as big in scope.

But then Season of the Guardian got delayed by weeks, the Slayer Script update that was supposed to make things smoother made the bugs worse than ever, the game languished for weeks without news or even basic bug fixes, and now the Aeternum update debacle has the remaining loyalist community going nuclear. Things have crashed and burned in an incredibly short span of time.

I love New World, and I’ll keep playing. But my belief in a promising future for the game has been shattered along with the community’s trust. The Aeternum relaunch is going to have an incredibly hard time finding any success with so little goodwill left among longtime players. I want this rebrand to succeed, but I’m deeply afraid it won’t.

[mayhem523]

I don't believe for one second this team can pull off adding consoles and crossplay and managing this mmo worth a ♥♥♥♥. I say that because they have never managed it worth a ♥♥♥♥ when it was just pc, and I imgine this will just further complicate things.

When I thought it was just going to be a coop rpg where you play through all the content once and then you're done, that actually made a lot of sense. This sounds like it will just be more of the same problems they've had since launch.

[Laexas]

Waiting for the movie

[Luc1dNightmare]

This needs to be pinned. I saw everyone saying the game is getting replaced, but after 2 MINUTES of FACT checking, realized this is just a ♥♥♥♥♥♥ DLC. Im honestly unsure where everyone even got that idea?? It seems a few people assumed the worst and the sheep followed the flock.

[NotxEevee]

"Even more impressive, there’s going to be full cross-play, something I don’t think anyone anticipated. That means PC players can reap the full benefits of any bump in population the console release provides."

Except for the fact that their servers still can't handle more than 3000 people at once, so the server issues (game being overpopulated with queues then underpopulated with noone to group with for expedition/raids) that NW once had on PC will be repeated again until most people leave and servers merge.

[Nannok]

Originally posted by NotxEevee:

"Even more impressive, there’s going to be full cross-play, something I don’t think anyone anticipated. That means PC players can reap the full benefits of any bump in population the console release provides."

Except for the fact that their servers still can't handle more than 3000 people at once, so the server issues (game being overpopulated with queues then underpopulated with noone to group with for expedition/raids) that NW once had on PC will be repeated again until most people leave and servers merge.

They added shards so they can add and remove resources seamlessly.

[kokane]

Originally posted by Nannok:

They added shards so they can add and remove resources seamlessly.

Yes.

[Wobby]

IF this was a dlc, why not sell a dlc and not a complete new game? Why not make a dlc 2.

No they want u to buy dlc 1 so u can have this update. that is bs if u ask me.

I own the base game, and not dlc 1 so i can not have NW:A,

And if i do not get all the updated stuff in NW:A than w.. are they doing?!

Everyone with base game only, is getting f.... so yeah negative reviews are warented.

[Fairfight]

Been playing since release and also defended and didnt agree with the forum bashing of the game but the june 7TH announcement was a bunch of robot devs pretending there ugly friends dont exist so they can get knew ones. basically trying to trick console players thats its not a mmo and talking as if its a brand new game was a big mistep that has made fans like me lose faith.

[kokane]

Sure, everyone is entitled to his own opinion.

[CirceTheSiren]

found a new video a few minutes ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gfdn9_3DQPs

[kokane]

Looking forward to October the 15th.

[Lollipop33]

ANyone know what happens to current char? will they stay. Will they be on the same servers

[Kenedori]

Originally posted by Lollipop33:

ANyone know what happens to current char? will they stay. Will they be on the same servers

Nothing. It stays where you left it.

[cesar02elmejor]

Before updating, your missions are set, it cannot be that you have missions in dungeons and you are connected for 4 hours and you cannot find 2 people to do them, put a bot or make those missions be 1

[Kissing Fish]

LOL
If you think the remaining real New(ded) World players are toxic, wait till you experience the real meaning of 'toxic' when the console peasants join the servers.
LOL
-source: a former console peasant