With the recent termination of partnership between MindArk and SEE, we can imagine you might have some questions. EntropiaPlanets is in direct contact with SEE, who already have given us their official statement on the matter (for clarification's sake, as soon as we heard about the update on MindArk's partner page, we shot off mails to SEE and MindArk. The statement made was done so by Martin Biallas, CEO of SEE, in a response mail), which can be found here: http://www.entropiaplanets.com/forums/threads/calypso-to-ma.5391/page-2#post-34896 Furthermore, we have been promised we can ask questions, which will be answered by SEE. If you have any questions you would like to see answered, please post them here, and we will relay them on your behalf, and supply the answers to them as we receive them. The questions we have asked so far: • What caused SEE to conclude its partnership with MindArk? • You mention the Planet Calypso IP (in your official statement). Could you elaborate on exactly what that IP is, please? • What happens to the SDS employees? Kim from MindArk stated that the employees are not employed by MindArk. Considering SDS is still owned by SEE, does this mean that the resources will no longer be developing or contributing to Planet Calypso? • You mentioned that SDS and Planet Calypso IP remain owned by SEE. Does this include the PlanetCalypsoForum.com site, forum and content on it? • Will there still be a Planet Michael and a Universal Monsters planet (I assume a name change might take place, but the question is more targeted at the games in general)? • If so, what platform will you now be using to build these games on? • Will this mean the release dates of the two games will be pushed back? • If so, what would the updated release dates roughly be? Please add your questions to this thread. We have also attempted to get in touch with MindArk, but have not yet received any reply from their side.
Additional questions asked: By aridash: and whats really interesting about this is the question raised, what did MA sell to SDS? if they think they retain the ownership of the Planet Calypso intelectual property, i can see a nice legal fight ahead. one would have thought thats what MA has retaken control of though, with out the IP you dont own the planet (theres essentially nothing else to own other than a databse of players) By George Skywalker: - Will SEE be paying the remaining $5 million to MindArk? if so by when? - Will Planet Calypso be available on a different platform in the future? - Will Planet Michael and Universal Monsters be developed? - Which platform(s) will you be using in future? - What reasons were there for not continuing with the use of the EU platform? Were there technical reasons?or others? please elaborate...
What does this mean for citizens of Calypso? Are you aware what impact on RCE current events may have? Do you think that withdrawing from Entropia Universe, without any earlier notice to your clients, won't hurt SEE's reputation? Do you know, how MindArk is supposed to take care of Planet Calypso on their platfor id they do not own IP? Was it somehow mentioned in agreement between MA and SEE before your company took over FPC?
i think you already covered my question in 2 and 4 of the OP. the first and obvious question missed so far by everyone: is SDS still operating as a going concern as a company involved in providing online MMO gaming? it might just be hair slpitting on my behalf, but the official statement quoted elsewhere says SEE owns SDS its IP etc, and that SEE is committed to delivering entertainment, nothing about what the SDS entity will do.
I think "IP" in this case stands for "Intellectual Property". I do hope we will not get a fight over the thing between SEE and MA :S
My question is.. Are SEE aiming to create an RCE using a different platform in relation to Planet MJ and Calypso?
As part of your IP claim, are you claiming that you own the accounts of people who made their accounts back in the days when Calypso was the only planet? Are you claiming that you own the IP to the various equipment and items that we would associate with Calypso?
Did your disagreements with MA start due to the controversial issues regarding generic items and mobs?
Is it true that you failed to keep up with the schedule of payments to MA, and if so, how you can claim to own anything related to Planet Calypso at all? Isn't that like claiming ownership of a house after defaulting on mortgage payments?
Is there any chance SEE would work with MA in the future? Will MA be paying SEE now for use of IP? Will there be some matters settled through the courts? Were SEE just taking MA for a ride all along i.e. you never had $6million dollars to pay MA so MA were kind enough to give you a time based payment plan but since you never had $6million that you could pay the relationship was doomed from the start?
At what point after the March 31 press release announcing the Guiness Book record sale was this decision made? SEEms there wouldn't be enough month left after the 31st to make a decision of such gravity.
Have SEE and MindArk considered how capricious this potentialy makes both companies look? How can future business partners of SEE's believe that SEE is willing to be in the relationship for the long term? How can prospective Planet Parters believe that MindArk is capable of meeting their needs as a "partner"?
A simple question. Are SEE pursuing legal procedings vs MA on some matter regarding the current situation?
Nothing yet. Do keep in mind that when we received the original message and sent back the initial questions, it was Saturday, very early in the AM. It currently is morning in the US, so the SEE team might just have gotten into the office. As soon as we receive a reply, it'll be posted here, and I will follow-up with some additional questions voiced here. I might rewrite some of them slightly, and cannot promise everything will get answered, but I'll do my best :)
711 just posted on PCF saying that he retains the databases and PCF will continue. http://www.planetcalypsoforum.com/f...-owned-is-there-any-point-in-it-anymore/page5 Oooh, auto-linking, posh :)
It only took 15 horses, rope and 15 hours of toture to get that lol, jesus it's like getting blood out of a stone with everything lol. Well 1 down anyway and thanks Peter/Lykke for trying to get to grips with all this, good work. :)
Just another reason not to continue using that site IMO, I don't trust that money grubbing <removed by admin> as far as I can throw him