It appears a large game company, Tencent, has offered to buy Funcom for $148 million. If it does, then I see three main possibilities for aoc.
They put people and money into it, actually adding content. They turn it into a super grind p2w. Or they do nothing.
That is a 33.3% chance that aoc gets content, which is better than the 0% right now, yes?
You forgot the option to close the game. But, this is why that probably won’t happen.
Simply because Tencent buys 100% shares in Funcom doesn’t mean they replace the management.
Funcom’s CEO is Rui Casias, and I’ve read nothing about him being replaced.
Secondly, he’s probably the only reason this 12-year old game is online. He began his career at Funcom in 2004 as a junior programmer working on Age of Conan. We’re blessed to have him as CEO and keep our game online, even if it is just for nostalgia.
In the Conan Exiles forums someone posted a recent financial report from Funcom. AoC TSW and AO are just going to be maintained with some very minor updates and community events (probably the usual anniversaries and holiday events that we already have) it said. As long as they stay profitable / maintainable they will keep running but the fact that this Chinese company bought shares of Funcom does not mean anything will come or change.
They are focusing on a new large scale DLC expansion for Conan Exiles as well as on the Dune game they are currently planning.
Edit: Here is the thread
I have read somewhere the date for the Tencent buyout, if approved by shareholders is sometime in April of this year. That I believe would be the start of 2020 financial quarter 2 (Q2). So maybe we will we get more than maintenance after that.
It’s a thin hope, I believe as Guiltyfeet nothing will change in management and the best we can hope for is for a few bucks to come to Funcom and trickle to AoC.