State of the Game

Investors and shareholders love proprietary solutions though. Owning IP adds value to a company.
just if it is a sellable product - but who would want to buy cobra? It might have a value in the book, but not really a value, which could actually be realized. It's only value is when it is running games properly and revenue is generated from selling those games - what it has been doing, but if it will as well in the future and if some other commercially available engines wouldn't get them better results, is in question here.

I always think of Elon Musk's take on staff, which is supposed to be innovative - they have to be exceptional, decent staff is not getting you where you want to be. But will exceptional people want to learn a proprietary engine, which will not have any benefits for their future employment somewhere else?- I doubt that, they go for something what is more promising for their future development.
 
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just if it is a sellable product - but who would want to buy cobra? It might have a value in the book, but not really a value, which could actually be realized. It's only value is when it is running games properly and revenue is generated from selling those games - what it has been doing, but if it will as well in the future and if some other commercially available engines wouldn't get them better results, is in question here.
I never said it makes sense that they love IP, only that they do. Truth is, I don't think most financial analysts understand the first thing about software. For them, it's a magical digital asset that represents something that could be sold at some stage in the future. You and I know that it is likely worthless, but look at how overvalued most tech stocks are and tell me that they understand this.
 
just if it is a sellable product - but who would want to buy cobra? It might have a value in the book, but not really a value, which could actually be realized. It's only value is when it is running games properly and revenue is generated from selling those games - what it has been doing, but if it will as well in the future and if some other commercially available engines wouldn't get them better results, is in question here.

I always think of Elon Musk's take on staff, which is supposed to be innovative - they have to be exceptional, decent staff is not getting you where you want to be. But will exceptional people want to learn a proprietary engine, which will not have any benefits for their future employment somewhere else?- I doubt that, they go for something what is more promising for their future development.
The advantage is they can use that engine on as many projects as they want, for free, while adding to the engine with each new project.

If it does its job it makes perfect sense. Beyond that, a game like ED doesn't really work readily on a major 'standard' engine. See Star Citizen for a demonstration.
 
I never said it makes sense that they love IP, only that they do. Truth is, I don't think most financial analysts understand the first thing about software. For them, it's a magical digital asset that represents something that could be sold at some stage in the future. You and I know that it is likely worthless, but look at how overvalued most tech stocks are and tell me that they understand this.
they don't need to - all they need to understand is how the majority of other investors will behave and invest accordingly. Did it make sense that the stock markets are now much better than they were before covid-19?- No, it doesn't, but this is irrelevant, people want to be optimistic after the shock in april last year - I estimated that they might react like this and made quite a fortune last year betting on people's behavior, not on the value of companies or their asset - all what counts in stock markets is how will people act on it.

take Tesla for example - it is incredibly valuable currently - but would it be that as well, if Elon Musk would have a stroke or some other mishap, which would hinder him doing what he does best - selling ideas to the public. Tesla rises and falls with this single person, if he is no longer there, it could collapse.
 
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The advantage is they can use that engine on as many projects as they want, for free, while adding to the engine with each new project.
They can do that with any open source engine, even an commercially available engine - it's not as if the licensing fees are going to break the bank.
If it does its job it makes perfect sense. Beyond that, a game like ED doesn't really work readily on a major 'standard' engine. See Star Citizen for a demonstration.
I don't know if Star Citizen is a good example to use. And anyway, no one ever claimed that using a third party engine is a magic bullet to all development problems and often the wrong engine is chosen. The point is that it would appear, given performance issues, that many of the problems EDO has encountered do come back to the engine.

Either way, the whole point of a game engine is that it can be adapted for different types of games. Otherwise it wouldn't a very good games engine.
they don't need to - all they need to understand is how the majority of other investors will behave and invest accordingly. Did it make sense that the stock markets are now much better than they were before covid-19?- No, it doesn't, but this is irrelevant, people want to be optimistic after the shock in april last year - I estimated that they might react like this and made quite a fortune last year betting on people's behavior, not on the value of companies or their asset - all what counts in stock markets is how will people act on it.
Which is why I said "investors and shareholders".
 
yeah - most of my asset is in pretty conservative investment funds - which invest after the value-added strategy in all markets on the globe and in every sector. This is boring but at the same time proven the best strategy long-term. But I have as well some "gambling" money, to do some risky investments from time to time - playing around with it and I get more often right than wrong. For example, an article in a Perth newspaper said, that electric cars would be more damaging to the environment than diesel cars - I read this and invested in platinum derivatives - just 50,000 dollars - and 4 days later I had enough gain by this to buy a brand new VW Amarok V6 Turbo diesel and 2 e-bikes. Just because I estimated how people will react to such an article. It was a short burst to the platinum price, which didn't last long, but long enough to gave me a free new car.
 
They can do that with any open source engine, even an commercially available engine - it's not as if the licensing fees are going to break the bank.

I don't know if Star Citizen is a good example to use. And anyway, no one ever claimed that using a third party engine is a magic bullet to all development problems and often the wrong engine is chosen. The point is that it would appear, given performance issues, that many of the problems EDO has encountered do come back to the engine.

Either way, the whole point of a game engine is that it can be adapted for different types of games. Otherwise it wouldn't a very good games engine.
It's interesting that all succesful professional studios in the genre consider proprietary engines the best solution, and all online experts argue the opposite. I wonder why that is. ;)

In any case, Cobra already demonstrated to be useful in a variety of different games, and was already used in an FPS. Arguing they should use a different engine considering EDOs performance ignores the obvious fact that other engines cannot deliver the core part of ED anyway. Which comes back to the first point.

I am sure HG, EgoSoft, Frontier and Bethesda would love to hear why they are all making the same mistake and why they should instead follow your advice. ;)
 
yeah - most of my asset is in pretty conservative investment funds - which invest after the value-added strategy in all markets on the globe and in every sector. This is boring but at the same time proven the best strategy long-term. But I have as well some "gambling" money, to do some risky investments from time to time - playing around with it and I get more often right than wrong. For example, an article in a Perth newspaper said, that electric cars would be more damaging to the environment than diesel cars - I read this and invested in platinum derivatives - just 50,000 dollars - and 4 days later I had enough gain by this to buy a brand new VW Amarok V6 Turbo diesel and 2 e-bikes. Just because I estimated how people will react to such an article. It was a short burst to the platinum price, which didn't last long, but long enough to gave me a free new car.
While I am happy for you personally, it's a nice anecdote showing just how far the stock market has deviated from its original purpose, and how fundamentally meaningless if not outright destructive it has become.
 
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It's interesting that all succesful professional studios in the genre consider proprietary engines the best solution, and all online experts argue the opposite. I wonder why that is. ;)

In any case, Cobra already demonstrated to be useful in a variety of different games, and was already used in an FPS. Arguing they should use a different engine considering EDOs performance ignores the obvious fact that other engines cannot deliver the core part of ED anyway. Which comes back to the first point.

I am sure HG, EgoSoft, Frontier and Bethesda would love to hear why they are all making the same mistake and why they should instead follow your advice. ;)
with bethesda is is pretty clear - they are used to the engine and their modders are as well - without modders Bethesda wouldn't be were they are - so to alienate modders would be a bad move, because those make their games exceptional.
 
yeah - most of my asset is in pretty conservative investment funds - which invest after the value-added strategy in all markets on the globe and in every sector. This is boring but at the same time proven the best strategy long-term. But I have as well some "gambling" money, to do some risky investments from time to time - playing around with it and I get more often right than wrong. For example, an article in a Perth newspaper said, that electric cars would be more damaging to the environment than diesel cars - I read this and invested in platinum derivatives - just 50,000 dollars - and 4 days later I had enough gain by this to buy a brand new VW Amarok V6 Turbo diesel and 2 e-bikes. Just because I estimated how people will react to such an article. It was a short burst to the platinum price, which didn't last long, but long enough to gave me a free new car.
Much the same. Boring old ETF's, although I keep aside a small slush fund, like yourself, for little gambles and experiments, such as AAL which I bought just before the Covid vaccines got announced and sold about a month ago, and P2P lending, which has a nice return, but I wouldn't want to put too much money in it.
 
While I am happy for you personally, it's a nice anecdote showing just how far the stock market has deviated from its original purpose, and how fundamentally meaningless if not outright destructive it has become.
you are right - but derivatives are not really part of stock markets, but more a regulated way to bet on future outcomes with 100% risk - but it has an incredible leverage, which grants high yield within a short amount of time - unfortunately it is as well taxed like this - speculation is highly taxed.
 
It's interesting that all succesful professional studios in the genre consider proprietary engines the best solution, and all online experts argue the opposite. I wonder why that is. ;)
I expect it's scale. What size are these successful professional studios, compared to FDev?
I am sure HG, EgoSoft, Frontier and Bethesda would love to hear why they are all making the same mistake and why they should instead follow your advice. ;)
No doubt they should be listening to your advice and years of experience in the industry.
 
cobra as an in-house engine is only part of fdev's problem - since they seem either unwilling or unable to keep it on par with it's competition in terms of features and support applications.

the other part is just in how they develop in general. their process obviously has major holes that become more apparent the more people are working on a project (as evidenced by overwriting fixes in other branches ...etc). And they seem unable or unwilling to move on to better, more modern, organizational processes / structures to deal with that.

if fdev were purchased, i think it would be just for their IP. they would keep maybe a couple people around to maintain existing games due to their engine that nobody else uses and then phase the company out as they create new games of that IP. There's no point in keeping cobra around for new games and no point in keeping people who have been responsible for the current organizational processes around. I think a purchase would mean a total gutting and end to fdev.
 
you are right - but derivatives are not really part of stock markets, but more a regulated way to bet on future outcomes with 100% risk - but it has an incredible leverage, which grants high yield within a short amount of time - unfortunately it is as well taxed like this - speculation is highly taxed.
They serve a purpose where it comes to fixing a price long before you need to actually buy it, which can be very useful for many companies. In theory. But yes, it's little more than a casino at this stage with ridiculous levels of leveraging taking place.

As for taxation, it depends where you live. I'm luckier than most in that regard.
 
..snip... And anyway, no one ever claimed that using a third party engine is a magic bullet to all development problems and often the wrong engine is chosen. ..snip...
ROFLMAO - there are so many people on these forums suggesting that other engines are the magic bullet to all FDevs problems and if only they listened to them and switched...

Edit: Ender being the best example!
 
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