Has anyone ever considered the reason WB doesn't let SOE do more with MXO is because they saw what a disaster it became and want to prevent it from further damaging the franchise?
Discuss.....
No.
But now that I have, I think that WB have been/are being overprotective of the entire franchise and in doing so suffocate it. But I think the point that Monolith didn't entirely pass any guides etc.. and SOE are content with letting it run in the background also hindered it.
Maybe its WB fault to begin with.
Because from many fans' point of view, the damage was already done with the sequels, EtM, and PoN?
Note that there hasn't been a major Matrix release since what, late 2005 or early 2006? I can't remember if PoN was released before or after The Matrix Comics Volume 2 (which Spencer Lamm claimed there would probably be four volumes of, yet there's been only two for years now).
Edit: And to add further insult to injury, the two artbooks for the sequels which were advertised years ago are non-existent.
This is for the people that think there's a lot of red tape with WB preventing SOE from doing anything with MxO:
The idea that WB would actually prevent SOE from advertising or doing anything with the game is absolutely ludicrous. I don't care what Rarebit, or Virrago, or anyone employed by SOE says. I mean... please take a minute to sit down and really think this one out, will you? WB is really going to give SOE rights to run the game, but not advertise it? Not even put it on their website? Really? Seriously? You actually believe that?
To answer the OP's question, even though I loved the full Matrix trilogy, your average joe only really enjoyed the first movie. Matrix Reloaded was good, especially with the questions we were left with at the end. Revolutions, in many peoples' eyes, was a huge letdown and disappointment. That, coupled with a few bad videogame releases kind of ruined the Matrix image for a lot of folks.
Agreed, Fen, on non-Matrix-related boards, I've gotten picked on for sticking up for Reloaded (my favorite of the three) and Revs.
Fen wrote:
This is for the people that think there's a lot of red tape with WB preventing SOE from doing anything with MxO:The idea that WB would actually prevent SOE from advertising or doing anything with the game is absolutely ludicrous. I don't care what Rarebit, or Virrago, or anyone employed by SOE says. I mean... please take a minute to sit down and really think this one out, will you? WB is really going to give SOE rights to run the game, but not advertise it? Not even put it on their website? Really? Seriously? You actually believe that?To answer the OP's question, even though I loved the full Matrix trilogy, your average joe only really enjoyed the first movie. Matrix Reloaded was good, especially with the questions we were left with at the end. Revolutions, in many peoples' eyes, was a huge letdown and disappointment. That, coupled with a few bad videogame releases kind of ruined the Matrix image for a lot of folks.
I do agree Fen the sequels were pretty bad movies,but still, the idea that WB would still want to preserve the name makes sense...go back to the 80's and look at the superman series third install..horribile,yet the franchise will always be worth a fortune.
Warner Bros.: Hey. We have a really cool franchise going for The Matrix. Since we own your company, we want you to develop a game for it.
Monolith: Cool. Consider it done.
Warner Bros.: Ooooh. We just had an idea. While you're at it... why don't you start working on one for DC Comics, too?
Monolith: Oh... alright.
[Eons of Development Later]
Monolith: So, um... we've got a game for you.
Warner Bros.: Really?! Is it DC Comics Online? It is, isn't it?
Monolith: Actually it's that Matrix game you wanted.
Warner Bros.: Oh. Yeah, gotcha. What's the status on the DC Comics game?
Monolith: Well...
Warner Bros.: Alright. We'll publish MxO and keep waiting for DC Comics Online.
[MxO is published, and run by Monolith]
SOE: This is SOE, can I help you?
Warner Bros.: Yeah... um... we asked Monolith to make DC Comics Online for us, and it's been forever, and they're not really any closer to completion. Do you think you guys could do it? I mean, you do so many games already...
SOE: For sure. We love DC Comics, yo. People would be all over that.
Warner Bros.: Great! Glad to hear you're excited about it. So, um... wait. You guys actually run your games, right? I mean, like, on top of developing them?
SOE: Yep.
Warner Bros.: Cool. See, we like Monolith and everything, but they're known for developing games, not really running them. So, like, would it be possible that we could give you The Matrix Online in a packaged deal with DC Comics Online?
SOE: Um... alright.
Warner Bros.: Sweet! This'll let us cut our expenses!
SOE: ...Okay?
[SOE obtains DCO and MxO, shuts down 6 of the 9 servers, WB lays off countless people associated with MxO, cuts funding, etc.]
MxO Community: ...Um... that did seem a little excessive, but you know what? WE HAVE FAITH! LET'S GIVE SOE TIME!
SOE: Walrus, you ran this before, right? So, like... you and Rarebit and HCFrog can run it now, right? With, like, minimal help from us?
Walrus: ...Sure?
Rarebit: ...
HCFrog: ...I'll do my best.
SOE: Great.
[Months pass by]
SOE: Hey, HCFrog... we've got a new title we're working on called Pirates of the Burning Sea. Aether's over there. You want to come, too? It's better pay...
HCFrog: Not really, but I do have a family to think about...
SOE: Yo, Walrus... great job with keeping MxO afloat, dude. I don't suppose you'd be interested in helping produce The Agency, would you?
Walrus: Sure. More money in my pocket.
Rarebit: Screw this, I'm going home.
The 2nd and 3rd movies that people bash were verysuccessful films, which is very contradictory to people's opinions about them. And if they were so bad then why would WB continue to push out HD and then blueray box sets of it? Just for Japan?
I think WB didn't want to hand everything over to SOE. They said, "You can have all the rights to DC but not to The Matrix. You can't have your cake and eat it too. Now give us our info or we're calling Brewko."
LOL Phrack, that was too funny. It's funny because its true. It's also quite sad /sadface
Good read, Phrack. Some creative license, to be sure, but entertaining all the same.
It all boils down to money, folks. SOE probably wanted to promote MxO. What entertainment company wouldn't want to tout a name brand as big as the Matrix? My guess is that WB, still holding the license for the IP, wanted SOE to pay them for the privilege of using the name, likenesses, etc.
SOE, not even having broke even on the purchase price for the game, said "screw WB, MxO can rot."
You actually believe that?
Yup.
Possibly more than vaguely off topic, but reading the stuff SoE are putting out about DCUO and its approach to storyteling and making the player a part of the DC Universe...... its a severe case of Deja Vue from those promises made for Matrix Online before its release.
Tytanya_MxO wrote:
There was even a rumor floating around that DC Online would use the interlock system. Not sure if that's true or not.
Phrack, that was funny as hell. I lol'd irl. But yeah... kinda sad.
Hydrazine, everyone here is going to agree that all three movies were great. For the most part, we're all Matrix fans which is why we're here. I was talking about the average joe, not the fan that will buy the Ultimate Special Edition HD Blu-Ray Matrix Experience complete with Agent Shades and Neo action figure.
Phrack wrote:
Fen wrote:This is for the people that think there's a lot of red tape with WB preventing SOE from doing anything with MxO:The idea that WB would actually prevent SOE from advertising or doing anything with the game is absolutely ludicrous. I don't care what Rarebit, or Virrago, or anyone employed by SOE says. I mean... please take a minute to sit down and really think this one out, will you? WB is really going to give SOE rights to run the game, but not advertise it? Not even put it on their website? Really? Seriously? You actually believe that?To answer the OP's question, even though I loved the full Matrix trilogy, your average joe only really enjoyed the first movie. Matrix Reloaded was good, especially with the questions we were left with at the end. Revolutions, in many peoples' eyes, was a huge letdown and disappointment. That, coupled with a few bad videogame releases kind of ruined the Matrix image for a lot of folks.Warner Bros.: Hey. We have a really cool franchise going for The Matrix. Since we own your company, we want you to develop a game for it.Monolith: Cool. Consider it done.Warner Bros.: Ooooh. We just had an idea. While you're at it... why don't you start working on one for DC Comics, too?Monolith: Oh... alright.[Eons of Development Later]Monolith: So, um... we've got a game for you.Warner Bros.: Really?! Is it DC Comics Online? It is, isn't it?Monolith: Actually it's that Matrix game you wanted.Warner Bros.: Oh. Yeah, gotcha. What's the status on the DC Comics game?Monolith: Well...Warner Bros.: Alright. We'll publish MxO and keep waiting for DC Comics Online.[MxO is published, and run by Monolith]SOE: This is SOE, can I help you?Warner Bros.: Yeah... um... we asked Monolith to make DC Comics Online for us, and it's been forever, and they're not really any closer to completion. Do you think you guys could do it? I mean, you do so many games already...SOE: For sure. We love DC Comics, yo. People would be all over that.Warner Bros.: Great! Glad to hear you're excited about it. So, um... wait. You guys actually run your games, right? I mean, like, on top of developing them?SOE: Yep.Warner Bros.: Cool. See, we like Monolith and everything, but they're known for developing games, not really running them. So, like, would it be possible that we could give you The Matrix Online in a packaged deal with DC Comics Online?SOE: Um... alright.Warner Bros.: Sweet! This'll let us cut our expenses!SOE: ...Okay?[SOE obtains DCO and MxO, shuts down 6 of the 9 servers, WB lays off countless people associated with MxO, cuts funding, etc.]MxO Community: ...Um... that did seem a little excessive, but you know what? WE HAVE FAITH! LET'S GIVE SOE TIME!SOE: Walrus, you ran this before, right? So, like... you and Rarebit and HCFrog can run it now, right? With, like, minimal help from us?Walrus: ...Sure?Rarebit: ...HCFrog: ...I'll do my best.SOE: Great.[Months pass by]SOE: Hey, HCFrog... we've got a new title we're working on called Pirates of the Burning Sea. Aether's over there. You want to come, too? It's better pay...HCFrog: Not really, but I do have a family to think about...[Months pass by]SOE: Yo, Walrus... great job with keeping MxO afloat, dude. I don't suppose you'd be interested in helping produce The Agency, would you?Walrus: Sure. More money in my pocket.[Months pass by]Rarebit: ...[Months pass by]Rarebit: ...[Months pass by]Rarebit: Screw this, I'm going home.
Simply excellent!
[Months pass by]Rarebit: Screw this, I'm going home.
Sorry I just HAVE to quote Eric Cartman on that:
"Screw you guys.. I'M going home."
