R: [MUD-Dev] BIZ: Who owns my sword?

[Ghilardi Filippo]

From: Crosbie Fitch

> I'm trying to suggest that if the MMOG platform was separated from
> the MMOG content, that perhaps you could also separate out the
> moderation.

> So what you'd have is the game being designed by MMOGs-R-Us (or
> whoever), the platform being provided by IBM/Butterfly, and the
> moderation/policing services being provided by a third party
> specialist 'online creche management' service provider.

>   1) The platform provider, IBM/Butterfly, is just a common
>   carrier (like an ISP or WalMart). Players pay a subscription to
>   them directly to utilise X CPU hours per month (or just a flat
>   rate).

>   2) The game design and content is being provided by MMOGs-R-Us
>   and sold via normal retail channels (or better still, direct to
>   players). The players buy a package with a lifetime access key
>   (not necessarily entitling them to later versions, etc.).

>   3) Moderation is sold to the players as an optional
>   service. Players can opt to play the unmoderated versions of the
>   game, or, if they're 'safety concious', pay a subscription to a
>   moderated version of the game.

> Maybe, separating the various services out will make it a little
> clearer to see the opportunities.

>   The platform provider will be immune from anything except outage
>   complaints.

>   The game developer will be immune from anything except bug
>   complaints.

>   The moderator will be immune from anything except griefer
>   complaints.


Sorry for long quoting.....  Anyway...

Im many cases is already like that, at least behind the scene.

In most cases servers will be kept (except for test servers
eventually) inside a server farm (where is avail 24/24 tech support
to keep all up and running and where there's a good amount of
bandwidth).

Also there's possibility to have more than one data center around
the globe and so everything is handled by third party in behalf of
the MMO owner.

There's even more in some situation like in Italy for DAOC.  Mythic
makes the game, but is published and distributed by an italian
company (CTO). CTO placed servers inside a datacenter (not owned)
and took another company (gamesrevolt) to mage it (forums, website,
GM's etc).

So, in this example, we see different companies doing a piece of
work as you listed. But this works well only because customers see
only 1 company (publisher). This mean seeing all as one service and
one contact point. Everything behind is in behalf of the publisher
(in this case).

As I know in italy none tried to sue CTO (italian publisher) for
DAOC. But that's probably because in italy nobody care to do so.

Ciaooo
Filippo
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