Is this game abandoned?

[Zwemke]

Last fall there was some patching and promises from the developers that the "Heroes of Dune" update would release soon. It was even suggested that the update would likely arrive before the end of the year.

It is now halfway through February and, to my knowledge, there has been no communication from the Dev team at all in 2024.

So, I am asking whether Dune: Spice Wars is still being actively developed and if so would it be possible to get an update on the development roadmap? Or, has this game been abandoned by the developers and no further updates are planned?

[Zwemke]

Thanks for the info. Hopefully you are right and they will do more development on this game once the MMO beta comes online.

[SylveonLover]

I think they are waiting for the new movie to be released to have a sales boost while launching the update. Last time they released Conquest mode around the time the time supposedly came. It didn´t :(

[Zac Starfire]

We will have to see if the movie is a factor...that's just 15 more days.

They don't make money off the movie, so it wouldn't make sense to wait for the movie.

If you look at their job page and notice they are hiring the senior staff and a ton of developers. If they are hiring manpower, then that's probably where the problem is, they also need the people that crack the whip ...

https://shirogames.com/jobs/

[mrmolotov07]

If this game get a update it will be the day when Dune 2 is released

[Retrolicious]

Originally posted by 𓂀 𓅂 Zac Starfire 𓅂𓂀:

We will have to see if the movie is a factor...that's just 15 more days.

They don't make money off the movie, so it wouldn't make sense to wait for the movie.

If you look at their job page and notice they are hiring the senior staff and a ton of developers. If they are hiring manpower, then that's probably where the problem is, they also need the people that crack the whip ...

https://shirogames.com/jobs/

I am actually hyped for the Dune Part II movie. And when they bring out Dune spice wars on Gog.com i will definitelly double dip and buy more copies

[Slphapalme]

Originally posted by 𓂀 𓅂 Zac Starfire 𓅂𓂀:

It only been a few months since 1.0 has been released...

I think the development team may be focused on Dune Awakening right and they need to hire more staff to get 2 teams going.

Funcom may also have imposed a deadline to get the MMO beta online, which is a massive task.

This is shiro games. Shiro is not developer of Dune Awakening. Thats funcom. So, shiro does not focus on Dune Awakening cause its not their game lol. Inform yourself

[Opti]

Shiro has nothing to do with Dune Awakening...

[spike2071]

Originally posted by 𓂀 𓅂 Zac Starfire 𓅂𓂀:

According to this they are:

https://strangelyawesomegames.com/dune-spice-wars-awakening-return-to-arrakis/

"We not only get to return to the Dune universe in RTS form, but Shiro Games is also working on an MMO using their unique take on the world of Arrakis; Dune Awakening."

Inform yourself Bro !!!

Also works with Funcom on Dune MMO:
https://www.legendary.com/
https://www.levelinfinite.com/ - The artwork - They also helped with Spice Wars
https://dunenovels.com/ - The writers

All these companies work together with Funcom.

A single article written a year ago with a single line isn't proof. That's just poor journalism.

There's no quote from the devs or publisher themselves. No link to an announcement that Shiro is working on an MMO. Do you see Shiro Games Logo at the bottom on the Dune Awakening site[duneawakening.com]? I see the logos (and links) to all the other companies you listed, but not Shiro Games.

Do you see the Shiro Games logo at the bottom of the Dune: Spice Wars site[dunespicewars.com]? I see it, along with Legendary and LevelInfinite.

Why would Shiro Games not be listed on the Dune Awakening site if they worked on the game? Nor are they listed on the Steam page for Dune Awakening, unlike for Spice Wars. Nor is Awakenings listed as a game on the Shiro Games site, their Youtube channel, etc.

Funcom has a history of developing MMOs. Shiro Games has a history of developing strategy games. Funcom has the rights to Dune, and hired Shiro Games to make a strategy game (or allowed them to use Funcom's Dune rights). Absolutely nothing points to Shiro working on Awakenings.

I could be wrong on all of this. But the simplest explanation is that Shiro isn't working on Awakenings.

[spike2071]

Originally posted by 𓂀 𓅂 Zac Starfire 𓅂𓂀:

Ya, but that's actually the point - all the information out there is out of date, because both Funcom and Shiro are hiring the people in charge of updating that information. So we really do not know what is actually going on ....

That wasn't your point. Your point has been consistently to argue they are working on Awakening:

Originally posted by 𓂀 𓅂 Zac Starfire 𓅂𓂀:

It only been a few months since 1.0 has been released...

I think the development team may be focused on Dune Awakening right and they need to hire more staff to get 2 teams going.

Funcom may also have imposed a deadline to get the MMO beta online, which is a massive task.

Originally posted by 𓂀 𓅂 Zac Starfire 𓅂𓂀:

According to this they are:

https://strangelyawesomegames.com/dune-spice-wars-awakening-return-to-arrakis/

"We not only get to return to the Dune universe in RTS form, but Shiro Games is also working on an MMO using their unique take on the world of Arrakis; Dune Awakening."

I'd also argue that adding a logo on a site doesn't require a new hire. The article you listed as "proof" had the announcement/teaser trailers for both games. The Spice Wars trailer had the Shiro Games logo while the Awakening one did not. Clearly, they had someone knowledgeable enough to create logos a year ago.

Occam's razor and all that.

[spike2071]

Originally posted by 𓂀 𓅂 Zac Starfire 𓅂𓂀:

Originally posted by spike2071:

I'd also argue that adding a logo on a site doesn't require a new hire. The article you listed as "proof" had the announcement/teaser trailers for both games. The Spice Wars trailer had the Shiro Games logo while the Awakening one did not. Clearly, they had someone knowledgeable enough to create logos a year ago.

Occam's razor and all that.

Yes, well on that I can talk about from actual experience because many of the projects I was tasked to work on was the company website and as the engineer of the site, I would place those logos myself, advertising the technologies I used to create the site as placeholders.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3162787524
(I can't give my example site link right now, because it has my personal email :p)

This is a site I use as a template to build company websites with - everything is just a placeholder I can quickly swap-out and replace with what they actually want. But most of the code is done and all I have to do is clone the site and swap out content.

Marketing and Legal then comes around and realizes they need something advertise companies they work with and can do so legally. So, then they yell at me to change those to the companies they have agreements with and don't have to worry getting sued by another company.

Yes, I'm trying to use Occam's razor, but since I also have experience on the subject, I'm trying not to just give a SWAG (Scientific Wild A** Guess) hehe

So your explanation is that the Awakening site, which has been active for at least a year with multiple News updates in that past year, cannot add the Shiro Games logo because they don't have anyone to update and maintain the site? The media page has a link to a YouTube video posted in the last 10 days. Your years of experience in the field points to that as the most logical conclusion?

I'll stick with Occam's razor.

[spike2071]

Lmao. You're admitting that they updated the site 2 days ago, while saying they can't update the site because they're hiring a marketing manager. Do you even read what you write?

WTF does their current job openings have to do with their current capabilities to update a site? Are you saying that no one in the company will handle the duties of the marketing director until they hire one? All departments under the marketing director are just dumbfounded, staring at the walls, and can't update the site because they're looking for a single marketing director?

My only point is refuting your claim that they're working on Awakening. Nothing points to that except for one unsourced article over a year old.

[spike2071]

Originally posted by 𓂀 𓅂 Zac Starfire 𓅂𓂀:

Well, it's a good chance that they are because:
1. Shirio Games did do DSW under Funcom and their licensing of the Dune franchise. (fact)

Shiro Games is also Shiro Unlimited:
https://shiro-unlimited.com/

Which provides:
2. The programming staff (or grunts) to work on game projects. (fact)
3. The contacts to work with Steam to sell Dune Awakening on Steam (fact)
4. Also, they help getting games on other platforms like PS5, which Dune Awaking will also be on. (fact)

So, I am working off of 4 basic facts about the only 2 companies working on Dune projects based on over 30 years of Software Engineering of personal experience and working with and being part of senior staff.

Since Funcom is only hiring senior staff, they need the manpower and grunts to build something a massive as a MMO and they already know who CAN do the job right. (Or at least better than anyone else...) They didn't use their own grunts or programmers, they used Shiro Games.

So using Occam's Razor it is very likely Shiro Games is involved.

"This philosophical razor advocates that when presented with competing hypotheses about the same prediction and both theories have equal explanatory power one should prefer the hypothesis that requires the fewest assumptions[4] and that this is not meant to be a way of choosing between hypotheses that make different predictions."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam%27s_razor

Also, thanks to whom ever is giving me Steam points, apparently I am entertaining SOMEONE and made 600 points so far today !!! :honkhonk: :gearthumbsup:
Keep em coming, I need to upgrade another showcase :tta_smile_very_happy:

Lol, someone will be acting as a marketing director until they hire a new one. If someone says, "add News items about our new game," someone will do it. If legal says, "we need to add X because contractually we need to show they're working on the game" someone will get it done. You keep bringing up your 30 years experience, but it doesn't show in what you write.

Here are some facts you completely ignored.

-Funcom is a publisher in its own right that has been around longer (since 1993) than Shiro (2012). It has published its own games before there was a Steam, and has published games on every major platform, including the original playstation, Sega Genesis, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Windows, Mac, PlayStation 5, etc.

-Funcom has developed their own MMOs previously.

-Dune: Spice Wars has Shiro Games listed as the developer and Funcom/Shiro as the Publisher.

-Dune Awakening has Funcom listed as the developer, and Funcom listed as the publisher.

Based on that, why would Funcom need Shiro's "contacts" to work on Steam or PS5? They've developed and published more games on more platforms than Shiro.

If Shiro Games are working on the Awakening, why wasn't their logo on the announcement trailer? It was on the Spice Wars trailer released at the same time. Why isn't there any information about it on the Shiro site? Or their YouTube channel?

You keep pointing to the job openings as if that's something more than a job opening.

Some more facts:

-The Funcom site shows 25 job openings. WIkipedia states they have about 450 employees. Are you saying in those 400+ jobs that are currently filled, there isn't a single marketing person who can authorize the updating of a site?

-Shiro Games has 60 employees.

Your argument is that Funcom needs Shiro because Funcom needs the "grunts" to do the work?

What sounds more reasonable?

1 - Funcom (a dev and publishing company of 450 people with a history of publishing MMOs on multiple platforms) needs Shiro (a company of 60 people that has never published an MMO) to do the work while not crediting them in any way possible because out of their 450 employees no one can authorize a new logo on a website. In addition, Shiro is working on Awakening but also not stating that they're working on Awakening on their website, Youtube, etc. for whatever reason.

or

2 - Shiro Games isn't working on Awakening.

[spike2071]

Originally posted by 𓂀 𓅂 Zac Starfire 𓅂𓂀:

Originally posted by spike2071:

You keep bringing up your 30 years experience, but it doesn't show in what you write.

Well, I think that's actually what your trying to prove here....so I'm not going to waste time with you anymore, because it doesn't matter anything I say or try to prove.

At least I'm spending time trying to help people, not troll someone :p

Besides, only time will prove who is actually right. Cheers hehe :gearthumbsup:

Besides I got some Dune to play :FateLaugh:

Lol, you're the one that keeps bringing up your experience to prove a point. If you don't want that to be something used in an argument, don't bring it up in an argument. That's not trolling.

And I mentioned it once in the last post. You took that one line and ignored the rest.

Enjoy Dune.

[spike2071]

Originally posted by 𓂀 𓅂 Zac Starfire 𓅂𓂀:

@spike2071 You too, Mr anonymous profile with no proof of work experience or education level :p

Why does any of that matter? I can say I have 40 years experience in IT at various companies, including 2 in the Fortune 500 with over 10,000 employees each. Or I can be a housewife who is pregnant with her first kid, on maternity leave, and bored out of her mind because she's on bed rest.

That doesn't change what I wrote about publishing/dev histories, employee numbers, logic, and occam's razor. :P

[Machine Spirit]

Dune Awakening is being made by the devs that did Conan Exiles.