EA shut down Kesmai Studios

[1776]

Started flying AW when it was free on AOL.  Joined the VMF525 there and when AOL decided to Charge $2.00/hr we moved to Gamestorm.  Promises of AWIV kept us going.  Then the rumors stopped and a new rumor of AWMV.  Disappointment set in as AWMV came out and rumbles of moving the squad to WB or AH started.  Connections to AW were only going downhill.  I had found AH in the beta days and am still here.  Unfortunately, the VMF525 decided to join WB as it was only $25/mo.  Some still suffer connect problems.

AH is the primo sim in all areas as HTC doesn't let any part of the business be ignored.

[DoKtor GonZo]

A kill has been recorded.

[lemur]

Looked for this thread (but not in the O club) so I posted this in the GD forum:

Subject: End of an era.
 

More like the end of an epoch, actually.

Sad to say it, but it looks like EA is shutting down Kesmai studios. For those of you who don't know, Kesmai was the company behind the very first Massively multiplayer online sim: Air Warrior.

In fact, many of the great talents behind the current crop of MMP sims are allumni of Kesmai. And certainly a lot of players in here can trace their roots back to AW (Istarted playing DOS AW about 7 years ago)

 While Kesmai isn't officially 'shut down' as of yet, they just laid off a whole slew of the 'old time' talent that had worked on AW for years. And I've been through enough mergers in my time to know this does mean the beginning of the end of Kesmai.

So, a moment of silence and a big <S>

~Lemur

p.s. Westy, if you say "I told you so" I'll hunt you down and vulch you until you cry    


[This message has been edited by lemur (edited 03-22-2001).]

[Maniac]

Ultima Online 2 is down the drain too, cant say im too sad about that tough... the ones who came up with the fantasy/modern age theme for UO2 must have been living too close to the local crack house...

------------------
AH : Maniac
WB : -nr-1-

[Torgo]

It's so weird to see AW talked about as one of the "cheap" games.

Last time I played it it was $6.00 an hour :-)

[Brat]

 

Originally posted by DoKtor GonZo:
A kill has been recorded.

Bet it's the first time you've gotten wood in almost a decade...huh old timer?

As much as they pissed you off...it's still your roots man. You were, and are, as big a part of AW as anyone that ever stepped foot into HQ.

I'm a bit surprised that you're not knocking down EA's door and telling them how far your reach is as you pull their tonsils through their corporate buttocks.

They didn't kill a game...they TRIED to kill a community...a community that far exceeds Airwarrior and reaches into EVERY online flightsim today.

HT...don't ever sell to anyone...no matter what promises they make.

(hangs up his stick)

[Dead Man Flying]

 

Originally posted by Brat:
HT...don't ever sell to anyone...no matter what promises they make.

I think HiTech and company have already learned that lesson firsthand.

-- Todd/DMF/Calamari

[DoKtor GonZo]

The roots of AH go back to AW ... via WB. So seeing AW croak isn't a happy thing. It was never "cheap" when I played either - $6/hr plus a toll call. And it was good thing the host crashed every couple of hours or I'd have never gone to the bathroom on weekends.

But, as a technologist, I have to say that it was long overdue. Not because they were inept, but because they were never given funds to turn AW into what it could be. Look how far WB went in a couple of years. Look how far AH has gone in less. And look how far AW hasn't come.

The bad news is that they're canning these people at a dreadful time in our economy. The good news is that, as they say, The Game Goes On. Grey Eagle, Moggy, and the rest will find other positions. Maybe not as fun - but good jobs seldom last. AW players will come to AH and the cycle will continue.

    -DoK

[Brazos]

I remember,

Getting into a dust-up with GE when they went to AOL. He had just been hired and was bragging about how AW would now have the deep pockets to crush WB. Guess not, huh?  

Braz

[joness]

 

- is there any chance that they'll give up the code to public, so that AW enthusiasts will have an opportunity to carry on under something like GPL

LOL, maybe you should stop and think about making a game with your own code, not someone else's. We all know what you're up to.

[This message has been edited by joness (edited 03-22-2001).]

[SwampRat]

 

Originally posted by Toad:
A free observation, worth what you pay for it.

AW was one of the $9.95 all you can eat sims, right?

Had a huge player base for quite a while, right?

Apparently didn't make it, right?

Go figure.

Toad
  AW goes back many years and was hardly just another 9.95 all you can eat sim.  AW started it all in the online flight-sim dept.  I myself had a few over $300 a month credit card bills back in the early 90's.  Electronic Arts decision to shut down Kesmai is truly sad, and quit honestly insulting and stupid if you ask me.  It "could" be said that were it not for Air Warrior, Aces High, Warbirds, and other's would not be what they are today, if at all.  This is like (at least for me) having a close family member, like Grandad, pass on.
SwampRat

[SwampRat]

 

Originally posted by Moose11:
Wondering if any of that talent let go could be picked up by HTC.

I know that AH is hitech's love child, but a couple more guys on the team could help HTC blow iEN and CRS away in the long run.

Ok, probably a stupid question, but what the hell is CRS?
SwampRat

[SwampRat]

Woops, sorry Toad.  Misread your post earlier and didn't intend to lecture "one in the know"
SwampRat

[Staga]

SwampRat:
Cornered Rats Studios, developer of WWIIOnLine.

[Grumble]

Hello Toad and fellow DoS AW's,

   It truly is sad to see the old bird go  .  So many good memories on Aw as well as some hefty Credit Card bills (grrrrr).
   Was hoping they could last it out, i guess not.
   

   Ivan the Terrible (from AW days)
   aka Norlyn