Here's some news:
MMORPG.COM: Shadowbane New Home: Stray Bullet Games
Looks like Shadowbane gets a second chance, at the last minute. Four days after it's scheduled demolition, it seems that most of Wolfpack Studios have been rehired/reformed as this new 'Stray Bullet Games' outfit, and Shadowbane lives on to fight anther day.
As the press release explains, it is now an Independent title, freed from Ubisoft, who clearly didn't think highly of the thing in the first place. It's a mixed blessing - on the one hand, the team now have total creative and financial control over the game, which can only be a good thing, and of course, the game will not now shivel up and go the way of Asheron's Call 2, but on the other hand, the saftey net is now gone, and the continued fate of Shadowbane now really does rest in the fickle pockets of a comparitavely small number of subscribing die-hard fans, now there is no big bucket of publisher money to help oil the wheels.
I tried the thing some time back and didn't really like it, which is odd because from an abstract distance, it shares a huge number of gameplay concepts and elements with EVE Online. But regardless of my own petty whims, I hate the idea of any online game collapsing and dissappearing, purely because for so many, these things are more than just games - they are worlds and lives too. No-one who loves their game deserves to have it pulled out from under them because of RL money issues. While certainly no WoW-beater, Shadowbane, like every other MMO, has it's dedicated following who wouldn't be anywhere else, given the choice, and I like that. Whatever your poison is, just the fact that you have one make you okay in my book!
How long this new golden age will last is another matter though. Already the idea of Shadowbane 2 has been firmly stepped on - will the new and leaner Stray Bullet Games be able to push development of new bits and pieces forward, or is this now a maintenance operation, much like the current state of Planetside; still going strong, but not going anywhere big any time soon? And more importantly, will they be able to convince new players to try and buy, and indeed stay? Time will tell, but for now, Shadowbane has weathered the storm and is here to stay...
(Incidentally: Van Hemlock is a proud supporter of Finland for this year's Eurovision Song Contest. I had no idea Mordor had suceeded in their application for European admission, but having seen them in awe-inspiring action on the semi-finals last night, I found my reaction difficult to express in words, but 'Lordi' were quite definitely the most memorable act all evening. Two thumbs up! Vote Finland!)