Is ESO going into "Maintenance" mode soon?

mhurston

A few things that recently concerned me with the state of ESO.
1) Recent expansion was super light on content, maybe the card mini game took too much of the time away from adding story/quest content?
2) Twitch announcements on the site or from email are not listed on the Bethesda Twitch Schedule - see image here: https://imgur.com/Fg4DHN4
3) Zenimax's own website shows Greymoor images and lists Blackwood as the "latest chapter" - see image here: https://imgur.com/62TComw

I noticed this last expansion was very short compared to others. While Morrowind and Greymoor took me a good solid three weeks to play through the main story, side quests and 100% the map content. Blackwood was barely two weeks and now High Isle has taken me less than a week to complete the main story and all side quests and 100% the map.

Reverb

I think they’re tired of working on it, and they can’t wait until everyone is tired of playing it. A few more updates like U35 should do the trick.

WiseSky

Mate

ESO Has been in the 100 Top Sellers by Revenue Game for 401 Weeks on steam.

WEEKLY TOP SELLERS -
Top 100 products by revenue

That means...

For almost 8 years straight its been one of the most Lucrative games around on steam.

401 week straight...

Think about that...

And now it's in the top 20th game on STEAM!

The only Paid game that surpasses it, being more on that chart is GTAV, and only by one week.

So relax, no one is killing their Golden Goose, unless Microsoft Bankrupts or an Oblivion Gate opens

Aelorin

I think the problem lies in the fact that ESO released and they had a roadmap and vision for where to go, which expansion, quest line, etc. Now this is not so clear. Furthermore the fact that they added more side content (card game, companions, scrying) means they have to come up with new content, new story lines, new art, new furniture, new side content, new everything which takes up a lot of their resources.

Not every expansion can be top notch, so looking forward for the next one :-)

alternatelder

Another thread on this...

https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/617732/is-eso-in-maintenance-mode-now/p1

ZOS_Kevin

Hey All, wanted to chime in quickly here. We are not going into maintenance mode. We've got more stuff on the horizon to keep everyone in Tamriel busy for some time. The team is excited to share more when we're ready, but until then, we have Firesong up next.

Danikat

That website image says more about the attention their website gets than the game. Although I suspect the Zenimax website is mainly used by people looking to work for them and they most likely either don't care what the most recent expansion pack is called or will find out from other sources when writing their application.

The games own website, which is the one aimed at players and the public, got overhauled when High Isle was announced, and gets frequent updates with stuff on the latest releases, events etc.

Amottica

Reverb wrote: »

I think they’re tired of working on it, and they can’t wait until everyone is tired of playing it. A few more updates like U35 should do the trick.

odd since most people like to have job security. This goes against the notion of keeping one's job.

While much of the discussion in this thread is subjective to one's perception and perspective, what is not subjective is that Zenimax has been adding content at a much faster pace than most if not all top MMORPGs. That along demonstrates that ESO is nowhere near being in maintenance mode. That and the population is still extremely healthy, which means it would be an absurd business decision to go into maintenance mode now. This is one of the top three AAA MMORPGs, after all.

Another recent thread with a title suggesting or adding the same thing had most people pointing out the premise was far from accurate iirc.

SaffronCitrusflower

mhurston wrote: »

A few things that recently concerned me with the state of ESO.
1) Recent expansion was super light on content, maybe the card mini game took too much of the time away from adding story/quest content?
2) Twitch announcements on the site or from email are not listed on the Bethesda Twitch Schedule - see image here: https://imgur.com/Fg4DHN4
3) Zenimax's own website shows Greymoor images and lists Blackwood as the "latest chapter" - see image here: https://imgur.com/62TComw

I noticed this last expansion was very short compared to others. While Morrowind and Greymoor took me a good solid three weeks to play through the main story, side quests and 100% the map content. Blackwood was barely two weeks and now High Isle has taken me less than a week to complete the main story and all side quests and 100% the map.

To me it seems like ZOS has been steadily divesting from ESO for a couple years now. High Isle is more on par with Southern Elsweyr than it is a chapter release in my opinion. The game didn't need more companions or a card game. The population cap for PvP has been steadily reduced to the point that campaigns are won and lost by a few handful of players on each faction and all we do is fight the same players over and over now.

Kingsindarkness

I spend way too much for Crowns for the game to be in maintenance mode....

FluffWit

These topics are kinda shady, like someone's trying to start a "the game is ending" narrative.

Kingsindarkness

FluffWit wrote: »

These topics are kinda shady, like someone's trying to start a "the game is ending" narrative.

Yeah we get at least two or three a week...they seem to be okay with the mods though...so what can you do?

redlink1979

Maintenance mode?! You must be new around here.

FluffyReachWitch

I would not rely too heavily on the quantity of new content as a predictor of a game's future. I have watched other live service games get giant boosts of new content on a regular basis, with no sign of slowing down, before suddenly entering maintenance mode.

Amottica

oli.j.reillyb16_ESO wrote: »

Amottica wrote: »

This is one of the top three AAA MMORPGs, after all.

Calling anything about this endeavour AAA is just sad.

That would be a matter of opinion because the fact remains ESO is one of the top paid MMORPGs out there.

FluffWit wrote: »

These topics are kinda shady, like someone's trying to start a "the game is ending" narrative.

People have been suggesting such things since the game launched and have yet to be correct.

spartaxoxo

A regular cadence of new content, with a new feature every single chapter. And yes, Tales counts as a new feature. Some people not liking it doesn't make it stop existing.

One of the top grossing games on Steam, and one of the oldest games on that list having never lost a place on the list for hundreds of weeks.

They announced incredibly expensive fixes to the backend that other games have been killed over rather than paying to fix things.

Nope, it's not a reasonable opinion based on the evidence that this game is entering or is in maintenance mode, apart from Cyrodiil which has an announced delay of new content.

Shadesofkin

Of all the things you could do today, you chose to try address imaginary doom?

If I was a betting man, I'd say there's good money on the next few updates being dope [snip]

[Edited for Censor Bypass]

M_Volsung

FluffWit wrote: »

These topics are kinda shady, like someone's trying to start a "the game is ending" narrative.

To me they always sounded like "I'm bored so the game must be dying."

MaraxusTheOrc

I distinctly remember the creative director highlighting efforts to prioritize the team’s wellbeing about a year or so back. Seems like that’s a good thing. As a community we should probably encourage healthy work conditions for our favorite hobby as opposed to crunch and burnout to satisfy our insatiable hunger for content.

Dangranma_Burgrukgad

One of the highlighted features for the new update is "Emperor Scaling in Cyro", a thing no one care about and that should have taken like half an hour to program.
I think this is the answer to your question.

xthrshx

You can argue semantics and debate the definition of “maintenance mode,” but the direction of ESO is clear. The “features” are mostly trash no one asked for. Tales of Tribute is a flop. Almost no one uses or cares about companions. Emperor scaling is not a “feature” by any stretch of the imagination. DLC have been reduced to rushed, poorly written zone quests with boring bosses that die in literally two seconds. More and more, this will define the game. That means scaling back resources from trials and dungeons and pouring everything into voiceovers, $100 houses, and re-skinned mounts.

Up to you if that qualifies as maintenance mode or not.

Kingsindarkness

xthrshx wrote: »

You can argue semantics and debate the definition of “maintenance mode,” but the direction of ESO is clear. The “features” are mostly trash no one asked for. Tales of Tribute is a flop. Almost no one uses or cares about companions. Emperor scaling is not a “feature” by any stretch of the imagination. DLC have been reduced to rushed, poorly written zone quests with boring bosses that die in literally two seconds. More and more, this will define the game. That means scaling back resources from trials and dungeons and pouring everything into voiceovers, $100 houses, and re-skinned mounts.

Up to you if that qualifies as maintenance mode or not.

The two million people the game has picked up in the last year would like to have a word with you....also you realize you don't speak for everyone right?

Dangranma_Burgrukgad

Kingsindarkness wrote: »

The two million people the game has picked up in the last year would like to have a word with you....also you realize you don't speak for everyone right?

Wonder what those 2 million people are doing, cause if you look at steam charts the game is costantly bleeding players.
And before someone says that a lot people don't play from steam, please have a look at what trends in statistic means.
Steam is a large enough pool to have statistic value.

Monte_Cristo

xthrshx wrote: »

Almost no one uses or cares about companions.

The amount of companions I see in the game suggests otherwise.

Katheriah

MrLasagna wrote: »

One of the highlighted features for the new update is "Emperor Scaling in Cyro", a thing no one care about and that should have taken like half an hour to program.
I think this is the answer to your question.

I wonder if anyone even asked for this.

Cazador

MaraxusTheOrc wrote: »

I distinctly remember the creative director highlighting efforts to prioritize the team’s wellbeing about a year or so back. Seems like that’s a good thing. As a community we should probably encourage healthy work conditions for our favorite hobby as opposed to crunch and burnout to satisfy our insatiable hunger for content.

I think that may have even been this year actually. I totally agree, we shouldn't forget that these are still human beings making this game we all enjoy.

Kingsindarkness

MrLasagna wrote: »

Kingsindarkness wrote: »

The two million people the game has picked up in the last year would like to have a word with you....also you realize you don't speak for everyone right?

Wonder what those 2 million people are doing,

Obviously not bickering on the forums...

Athyrium93

Didn't they just upgrade the NA servers and are getting ready to do the EU servers? That doesn't strike me as going into maintenence mode. My guess is they are overwhelmed with the server upgrade and that's why content is slacking.

StormBlade512

"I know we spent millions on new servers but time to pack it up lads, it's run its course"

Sarcasm aside, no it's not. They literally said outright this year would be light on content, so I'm fine with what they've given out this year

Jaraal

It’s maintenance mode until they raise the Cyrodiil population caps to what they once were, and raise the housing item limits. Group sizes are getting smaller, not larger. Companions and dueling are forbidden in some content, due to performance limitations. Effects from others that were visible before are now hidden. Achievements we once enjoyed getting on alternate characters are now denied, due to inadequate data storage capabilities.

Technology is always improving, capabilities are increasing in both hardware and software. If your product can’t keep up with the times, it seems like maintaining the status quo to me.

Kiralyn2000

xthrshx wrote: »

Up to you if that qualifies as maintenance mode or not.

Are they just doing maintenance? No? Then it's not "maintenance mode".

"They aren't doing the content I prefer" is not remotely the same thing as "maintenance mode".

Jaraal wrote: »

It’s maintenance mode until they raise the Cyrodiil population caps to what they once were, and raise the housing item limits.

...for instance. /eyeroll