CCP acquires White Wolf

[Solomon]

Gaming Industry Innovators CCP and White Wolf to Merge
Combined company to deliver next-generation gaming products online and offline

Reykjavik, Iceland and Atlanta, GA, USA – November 11, 2006 - CCP hf. and White Wolf Publishing, Inc. today announced that the companies have entered into a definitive agreement to merge. The creators of the single largest persistent online role-playing world and the world's second-largest developer of offline role-playing, strategy and collectable card games will create the industry's largest independent Virtual World developer. CCP is the publisher and developer of EVE Online, the world's largest virtual gaming universe. White Wolf is the creator of some of the world's most recognized role-playing titles including: World of Darkness (Vampire, Werewolf, Mage) and Exalted. The combined company will introduce new online and offline gaming products across the science-fiction, horror, and fantasy genres.

The merged company will enable CCP to integrate White Wolf's leading expertise in offline gaming development to enhance and create physical products for its MMOG, EVE Online. Products to be introduced in 2007 will include strategy guides, enhanced collectable card games, role-playing systems, and novels all based on EVE Online. White Wolf will leverage CCP's industry-leading technologies to bring its offline role-playing titles online. Conceptualization and early development has begun to bring White Wolf's World of Darkness, one of the world's strongest gaming properties, into the online world.

Full article at the White Wolf site.

Thoughts? What does this bode for the industry?

[L. Marcus]

. . . Liefeld should be shot.

[Narratio]

White Wolf's World of Darkness, one of the world's strongest gaming properties

Really? By 'one' where, roughly is it? More or less that D&D or Warhammer?

[OddHat]

Really? By 'one' where, roughly is it? More or less that D&D or Warhammer?

It sells less than D&D, and probably less than Warhammer if you count miniature sales.

Being one of the world's best selling pen and paper RPGs is a lot like being one of the world's strongest midgets. You might deadlift five times your bodyweight, but you're still four feet tall.

[Vondy]

My thoughts: I don't give a hoot for White Wolf and have no idea who these CCP people are. As a result, my interest can only be measured on a subatomic scale.

As for the industry: it survived TSR going under, it survived GDW going under, it survived FASA jettisoning its RPGs - it will survive White Wolf getting into MORGs.

The industry will simply adapt to market demands and publishing trends, which seem to be opening up to smaller publishers using alternative technologies. That's not necessarily a bad thing, IMO.

[AlHazred]

Did anyone else read this like I did? I originally read this thread title as "CCCP acquires White Wolf" and had visions of time-travelling Soviet spies journeying to our time to take over White Wolf for some nefarious plan so outre we can only see the nonsensical underpinnings right now; later, it will all be dreadfully clear.

Just me, then. Righto!

[Edsel]

I thought the same thing and it made for a much more interesting story. There has got to be another plot idea in there somewhere.

[daeudi_454]

The Virtual Adepts and Glasswalkers have entered into an unholy alliance with Tremere boardmembers of Pentex to put forth enough venture capital to gain control of MMORPG reality.

The Wraiths and Fae could not possibly care less.

[Lord Liaden]

Somehow this gave me a Cybergames flashback.

[Vondy]

Somehow this gave me a Cybergames flashback.

Does that mean DoJ will end up owning WW?

[casualplayer]

Does that mean DoJ will end up owning WW?

Just as soon as they can decide on a definitive way of writing up vampires. In other words, never.

[Spence]

My thoughts: I don't give a hoot for White Wolf and have no idea who these CCP people are. As a result, my interest can only be measured on a subatomic scale.

As for the industry: it survived TSR going under, it survived GDW going under, it survived FASA jettisoning its RPGs - it will survive White Wolf getting into MORGs.

The industry will simply adapt to market demands and publishing trends, which seem to be opening up to smaller publishers using alternative technologies. That's not necessarily a bad thing, IMO.

Ditto, the give a hoot part

[gamerz123]

I'm thinking that CCP wants to compete against WoW by offering a fantasy realm that isn't a Tolkien derivative, and they got their hands on a great property.

How many of those 1990's Goths who no longer playing pen-and-paper are now into computer games?

Underworld had a production budget of $22M and grossed $100M in distribution before DVD sales (A movie has to make at least double it's budget to be considered a non-flop. 5x is pretty much a hit.) Underworld 2 grossed about $111M and probably had a simliar budget. (Information from boxofficemojo.com)

WoD is the most recognized setting in the pen-and-paper market.

While more people play D&D, I would think it safe to say that more people actually game in WoD (One setting for a system that is highly setting-dependent) than in any ONE D&D setting (D&D is much lesss setting-dependent and there are totally usable legacy settings in addition to the current ones: Eberon, Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, Ravenloft, Krynn/Dragonlance, Dark Sun, Birthright -I think it's separate, etc...)

White Wolf probably got a very nice offer, particularly given the state of the industry.

[Funksaw]

Conspiratorially...

This does explain a few of WW's decisions with the NWoD line. First, it cuts out alot of people they'd have to pay royalties to if they kept the old WoD game. The 5x5 race/politics selection seemed particularly grafted on, as did the idea that all supernatural creatures got very limited powers, they were all worked towards making them all mutually compatable, etc...

In short, I shoulda seen it coming.

No matter, like all things White Wolf, I wish them failure in this endeavor.

[BlackSword]

No real strong reaction or opinions. For WW its a good deal as the parent company has steady income through Eve Online. At GenCon this year CCP introduced an Eve Collectible Card Game, so it is good for them to have a company in the RPG market to help market it. Also CCP cannot sit on their laurels and will have to develop more MORPGs, so (as mentioned) its good for them to have soe in-house properties that can be developed (WoD on-line, Exalted on-line).

I did play the 30 day free trial of Eve Online. I thought it was neat universe, I didn't enjoy it enough to subscribe but I thought it would be an interesting RPG property, so from that perspective I look forward to that getting published. IP flowing the other way, I don't play a lot of MMORPGs, so developing a WoD or Exalted on-line doesn't excite me.