[Arcalyn]

Staff = $50/h * 40/hs * 52weeks = 105,000/year *
numbers of employees let guess at 50 = 5,200,000/year/salary
*** And I highly doubt all 50 staff was making 50/h which would allow for more employees.

Initial Server Cost = $50,000 per server (wild guess) *
number of servers(45) = $2,250,000
*** Probably over-kill on server costs but for example it'll do.

Bandwidth = a T1 line is a meager $1,000 dollars a month.....so.....a OC192c/STM64 cannot be TOO expensive =
Lets guess at $1,000,000/month again probably way over-shot!

19,450,000 1st year cost /
following years -( 17,200,000 )- * 3 years = 51,600,000
*we'll keep salary same, even though EQlive staff would be greatly downsized, to cover hidden costs....electricity & misc.

200,000 people * $45/orig EQ software = 9,000,000
250,000 people * $20/Kunark SW = 5,000,000
300,000 people * $20/SoV SW = 6,000,000
350,000 people * $30/Luclin = 10,500,000
350,000 people * $10/month = 3,500,000/42,000,000 per year.

So.................

3 year cost of operations approx......................$51,600,000
3 year income of sources approx......................$72,500,000
___________
NET GAIN for Sony/Verant $20,900,000

This doesn't factor into account stock investors-to-dividends paidout. So believe ME if they can say they had to spend X amount of dollars on company cars & such reducing total NET GAIN so as NOT to look TOO profittable, there-by causing investors to cash in their stocks while prices are high which would be a HUGE expensive, they will do it.

.............Then EQ2 hits the streets........

***New salaries 25/h ----> Few Veterans to guide lower paid new recruits/grunt workers/intern artists/new grad students

***Reduced server costs.

***Any continued EQ players = 100% profittability.

***EVERYONE becomes a NEW customer with EQ2. $45+ SW

***Stage already set for 14/month cost.

***New propietary 3Dengine, which can be re-sold to lessor companies a year after game release.(becomes old tech)

***Bandwidth costs remain same. Infantry helping pay for it.

***Projected DUAL(EQ & EQ2) account holders.....
minimum 28/month from them.

***They will estimate HUGE profits, there by generating more stock investors(more money to play with), using EQs success record to lure investors.

***FRESH meat.....those that had older sibblings playin EQ will now be old enough to play and do well them selves...also...an 8 year old in 1998 will be 14 in 2004. 12-20 optimum addiction age.

==BOWS to the Money Gods at Sony/Verant==

ps. This whole thing shoulda been in another section, sorry guys.