Warner Bros: "...as we increasingly move everything to games as a service"

[Nirolak]

Warner Bros talked a lot about service games in a new interview with VentureBeat, and while we've noticed the following from their job postings and LinkedIn notes, I thought it'd be worth a thread given that they've seemingly confirmed it.

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GamesBeat: Take-Two's Hangar 13 opened an office there too recently.

Haddad: Yeah, we find that there's a pool of development talent there. One of those studios is a sort of studio that helps enable our back end. They're not a content studio in the traditional way. But more than ever, the tech stack, whether it's for publishing or BI or marketing, that you build and serve these games on—as we increasingly move everything to games as a service, the kind of enabling technology you need to keep them hyper-social, to keep them serving well, to keep them engaged, to take the innovations of game makers and deliver them, like the Nemesis system—you'll see a lot of our investment not just in classic development, designers and engineers and artists, but increasingly in the teams that end up serving live games.

A few other snippets:

Haddad: That's true for gaming in general. These great games, mobile and console, are built for long-term engagement. The greatest games continue to be played. Trying to be a new entrant, a new release in that environment, where gamers are so invested already, either with their friends or with a virtual currency or just with their time and expertise—finding a way to grab a share of their time is one of the biggest publishing challenges all companies have today.

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Haddad: Yeah, I guess? Not exactly the words we would use, but—we don't have any annualized franchises in our slate on the console side. What we do focus on, in mobile or console, is just launching a game and then having a long tail of engagement, content that continues to release.

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Haddad: The long horizon games — investing for longer periods to make them great – it's something you have to pay attention to as we invest time and capital. But as I said, the market – having a great game, having a top 10 game, having a long-term relationship with a fanbase, delivering new content on top of that that continues to delight them – it's a very good business.

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Haddad: It may sound too much like an investment theme, but building a great game is a long-term asset. There's lots of ways to be able to have that delighting gamers for years and years in the new delivery systems, the new ecosystems of gaming.

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Source: https://venturebeat.com/2018/06/19/why-warner-bros-keeps-picking-up-new-games-and-studios/view-all/

 

[Soap]

Can't say I am shocked with Warner saying this.

 

[NoKisum]

Is everyone still upset we didn't see MK11 at E3 with WB doing this kind of stuff?

 

[JazzmanZ]

The best games out there are the ones that don't try and suck out everything out of your wallet Haddad

 

[Pandora012]

They make good games, but man they are legit horrible when it comes to gaas.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

Thanks for making it clear I don't have to pay too much attention to your games moving forward, WB. The best games are the ones that don't overstate their importance or overstay their welcome.

 

[Much]

Before everyone gets mad: GaaS is NOT the same as everything being microtransactions and lootboxes. Witcher 3, Bloodborne or whatever game you adore, is probably a GaaS. Most games are now a GaaS, and by that I mean their initial value is extended by DLC.

We should all wait to see what W.B learns from Shadow of War's reaction before jumping to any conclusions.

 

[Terraforce]

Everything? Even Mortal Kombat?

Some of these publishers look like jokes acting as if GaaS with MTX is the only way forward when Sony and Nintendo do the opposite with success after success. I get that it sells, but at least don't force every game to abide by such limitations, or don't make the foundation of your game hinge on them.

 

[Dust]

Not before my Beyond Arkham game.
Then you have my permission to die.

 

[denpanosekai]

Then I will increasingly move away from WB. GaaS is a plague.

 

[Inuhanyou]

it seems like a lot of people dont seem to have a problem with corps doing whatever they want because "its the future"

 

[dancingphlower]

I don't think GaaS is necessarily a bad thing, and can work with the right games. But everything? That just doesn't seem right.

 

[Fatmanp]

Games as a service for AAA publishers is just their version of Early Access but a full charge up front and more money to get the complete experience months later.

 

[Nirolak]

Before everyone gets mad: GaaS is NOT the same as everything being microtransactions and lootboxes. Witcher 3, Bloodborne or whatever game you adore, is probably a GaaS. Most games are now a GaaS, and by that I mean their initial value is extended by DLC.

We should all wait to see what W.B learns from Shadow of War's reaction before jumping to any conclusions.

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Though I should note that the person who designed the microtransasctions for Injustice 2 and Shadow of War got promoted and put in charge of the games as a service setup for Rocksteady's game, which has been hiring multiplayer testers:

 

[Zukkoyaki]

Everything? Even Mortal Kombat?

Some of these publishers look like jokes acting as if GaaS with MTX is the only way forward when Sony and Nintendo do the opposite with success after success. I get that it sells, but at least don't force every game to abide by such limitations, or don't make the foundation of your game hinge on them.

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Mortal Kombat has tons of paid DLC. It's already very much a GaaS.

 

[JazzmanZ]

We should all wait to see what W.B learns from Shadow of War's reaction before jumping to any conclusions.

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What W.B learned? They waited half a year to remove something people told them about day 1.

 

[Deleted member 249]

Guess that's another publisher for me to safely ignore!

 

[Much]

Though I should note that the person who designed the microtransasctions for Injustice 2 and Shadow of War got promoted and put in charge of the games as a service setup for Rocksteady's game, which has been hiring multiplayer testers:

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Okay, that certainly will add fire to the grilling then, and it's not something I can really argue in favour of then if it proves to be true. There is a correct way to do GaaS in its true definition, but yeah, this seems wrong.

What W.B learned? They waited half a year to remove something people told them about day 1.

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Maybe they removed them because sales were stalling or they removed them to improve public perception and encourage further sales. You're probably right that they didn't learn anything though.

 

[Lurkyseas]

it seems like a lot of people dont seem to have a problem with corps doing whatever they want because "its the future"

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Just like with shit such as On-Disc DLC, Season Passes, Microtransactions, paying for online multi-player, etc.

If people had brains & stood up to this shit, a lot of this shit would've stopped a long time ago. Instead, they keep letting these publishers get away with all of this shit by supporting these anti-consumer practices.

 

[Persagen]

the kind of enabling technology you need to keep them hyper-social

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I hate hearing this kind of stuff. More than ever, video games are my nightly escape from a job that requires regular social interaction and communication. I engage with games in order to be left alone, not the opposite.

I'm clearly in the minority (that is seemingly shrinking by the day), but it's still depressing.

 

[SageShinigami]

My problem here is that WB is bad at GaaS, not that they do it at all. Like, if they did it the way Ubisoft does it I wouldn't say anything. But their DLC packs tend to be insubstantial and overpriced, like the Arkham series.

 

[Terraforce]

Mortal Kombat has tons of paid DLC. It's already very much a GaaS.

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It was only limited to free fatalities outside of the usual costumes/characters fighting games offer for DLC. That's perfectly fine, I just hope it doesn't move beyond that.

 

[Kinthey]

Consider my hype for the next rocksteady game lessened.

 

[RedHeat]

I'm fine with this, if it's implemented well.

 

[m43lstr0m]

Ubisoft does it so well, most of my favorite games lately have strong after launch support. I hope WB can pull it off. I'd love an open world Rocksteady DC game that keeps getting content for a year or two afterwards. Not just endless expensive dlc skins.

 

[Deleted member 15948]

Before everyone gets mad: GaaS is NOT the same as everything being microtransactions and lootboxes. Witcher 3, Bloodborne or whatever game you adore, is probably a GaaS. Most games are now a GaaS, and by that I mean their initial value is extended by DLC.

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I assume you mean "free" DLC? Calling something like Revengeance or Horizon Zero Dawn GaaS just because they have DLC would be weird.

 

[Garlador]

WB hasn't earned enough good faith for me to trust them on this yet.

 

[Barrel Cannon]

As someone who will gladly pay for TMNT characters, I can't complain.

 

[Luckett_X]

Kinda worried about Rocksteady now.

 

[Trago]

DOLLA DOLLA BILLS Y'ALL!

 

[Much]

I assume you mean "free" DLC? Calling something like Revengeance or Horizon Zero Dawn GaaS just because they have DLC would be weird.

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I do mean that, and it is weird, but that's what industry classify GaaS as, if I recall correctly.

 

[Radishhead]

Horizon Zero Dawn isn't Games as a Service.

 

[Deleted member 15948]

I do mean that, and it is weird, but that's what industry classify GaaS as, if I recall correctly.

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HZD, a single-player, not-F2P game, on disc, without buying DLC, is GaaS? Man, the term is utterly meaningless then.

 

[BigJeffery]

MKXI as a GaaS would be sick.

Why do people dislike GaaS again? I feel like it's yet to be implemented in a way I find particularly offensive.

 

[Strike]

Oh. (._.)

 

[Dark Ninja]

This would be great for Mortal Kombat on paper maybe it won't get abandoned by the time the next Injustice comes out.

 

[Jiraiya]

Just like with shit such as On-Disc DLC, Season Passes, Microtransactions, paying for online multi-player, etc.

If people had brains & stood up to this shit, a lot of this shit would've stopped a long time ago. Instead, they keep letting these publishers get away with all of this shit by supporting their arachic, anti-consumer practices.

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So people are stupid because they don't spend their money the way you think they should? Good one.

 

[Caiops]

Everyone wants to be the next Destiny.

 

[Sloane Ranger]

I did not buy Shadow of War despite loving Modor because of the GaaS elements. No plans to ever. Now thats some serious GaaS!!

BTW, thats OK, plenty of other games to play WB.

I could see GaaS working for MK - in a good way (BigJeffery's idea)

 

[Zelas]

Is everyone still upset we didn't see MK11 at E3 with WB doing this kind of stuff?

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MK was already GaaS and WB has been the most consistently bad offender for a while now.

Why does this confusion pop up in every GaaS thread?

 

[Darkspineslayer]

Note to self: Ignore WB Entertainment games now

 

[Much]

HZD, a single-player, not-F2P game, on disc, without buying DLC, is GaaS? Man, the term is utterly meaningless then.

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Technically, yes. You can classify it as that, as you could with the W3. The term is useless from a consumer perspective and for that I agree with you, but from an industry standpoint, it can be done very well. Origins is a great example of GaaS for a single-player game done right with FREE content updates every so often.

 

[s y]

Fantastic news . GaaS is the future!

 

[Lackless]

Everyone wants to be the next Fortnite.

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FTFY. Games like LoL and Fortnite (no sequels) are a far superior and more lucrative model for a GaaS.

 

[Jasper]

WB Games has some great studios with a lot of potential...but it's hard to trust them to do GaaS the right way.

 

[Custard]

Good lord that Harry Potter rpg will be full of it won't it? Buy 'magic boosters' or your wand will stop working.

 

[sora87]

No thanks WB.

 

[GameZone]

What the hell is GaaS? Ubisoft talks about it with their upcoming Assassin's Creed, yet doesn't provide much different from previous games.

 

[Much]

Good lord that Harry Potter rpg will be full of it won't it? Buy 'magic boosters' or your wand will stop working.

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Buy yourself some speed boosters for Quidditch!

 

[Lurkyseas]

So people are stupid because they don't spend their money the way you think they should? Good one.

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I'm saying that by supporting these practices, they're contributing to the downfall of gaming.

The reason that publishers do this shit, is to see how much that they can get away with. And right now, it's working. It's working because gullible sheep keeps falling for their acts & keeps believing shit such as "pre-owned games are bad for the gaming industry".

GaaS just happens to be another bad practice to see if they can get away with it.