Feldon I am relieved to share the news from three weeks ago (not sure how I missed it!) that EQ2Interface, EQ2MAP, and all the other MMOUI sites have been reacquired from ZAM and will now once again be run as independent sites. The idea of losing EQ2Interface (and ProfitUI, DrumsUI, DarkUI, EQ2MAP, and many many other EQ2 mods) was a horrifying but real possibility since the devastating reorganization of ZAM late last year.
From Cairenn on EQ2Interface.com:
Now under new (old) ownership
After a number of months of negotiations, Dolby and I have some very exciting news to share with all of you! Under our new company, Good Game Mods LLC, we have been able to re-acquire complete ownership of the MMOUI network (all of the interface sites and Minion).
What does this mean for the future of the sites? Well, I can tell you about some of the short term things that we already know: The next few weeks will be spent getting the sites transferred over to our own servers. Coming up soon ™ we will be rolling out a new layout for the sites. We’ve also decided that we are going to honour any existing Zam premium memberships for a while. What we will do about a new premium membership in the future has yet to be decided.
We are sure you may have questions for us, so feel free to ask them here. We will answer them as best we may, but please understand that we obviously don’t have all of the answers right now. Where things will go in the long term, well, we’ll just have to see.
The best news of all, at least in our opinions, is that we aren’t going anywhere. Dolby and I are still as dedicated to the UI communities we’ve built today as we were the day we opened the sites. You can’t get rid of us that easily.
Commentary
Years ago, ZAM made a very low offer to purchase EQ2U (and all future sites built on the same tech including what then seemed an inevitable “EQNU” site). If we’d taken the deal, we would now be scrambling to try to re-acquire the site to save it from abandonment or shutdown.
It’s great that they are back to independent ownership!
I was a huge fan of what was then Allakhazam back in 1999ish with EQ. It was run by a couple of guys. They later sold to IGE (for a pretty hefty sum if I remember correctly). There was much sadness, as the owners had previously said they would not sell the site. But you know, money. Can’t say I blame them.
I was torn between love of my game and content that I couldn’t get elsewhere and the disdain for IGE – which was all rolled up with Yantis and plat selling, which was the horror of EQ back in the day (way before F2P, kronos, etc). I grew to forgive what became Zam, as I liked the people on the EQ2 staff and they had good information. But then that all came crashing down and EQ2 was no longer supported and I really felt they did their staff wrong.
So I’m more than happy that another site I love is back to independent ownership. Hopefully they will be around a long time for their fans.
And thank you Feldon for not selling out 🙂
Fortunately the amount offered was less that a car payment. 🙂
If you’re not talking a payment on a Hummer, that must have been a rather insulting offer.
1974 Pinto missing a door. 😉
That’s really great news!
That is great news. Thanks for the update.