Now to start off this isn't a bashing thread, I was just always curious about what SEGA really does. When I tell people about Spiral Knights I always include SEGA's name but adding afterwards, "but they don't do much" or "but I don't know what they do".
So what is it that they do for Spiral Knights? I only ever hear people bashing Three Rings.
Sega is the publisher, not the developer.
If memory serves...
The developer is the team the builds, programs, and otherwise creates the game.
The publisher is the team that provides resources and funds to create and distribute the game (i.e. providing and maintaining the servers, most likely).
Before the internet, an author needed a publisher to provide the printing presses and negotiate the deals with bookstores-- you couldn't have a bestseller if you had to produce every copy by hand, of which there would have to be millions.
...Though the internet changed everything so that particular example isn't valid and does nothing to explain the relationship between the devs and publishers today...
They provide SOME essential service, and the game couldn't exist without them! But they're not programming, designing or balancing the game.
Who needs memory when you have wikipedia :P nice post Gigafreak.
I also got a feeling they are in charge of the costs to..
I believe nick made it clear, too, that OOO had full creative process over the game and SEGA doesn't have any direct control over it. At least, I believe that is what he said, but I'm having trouble finding the quote.
@Cactus lolwut you mean *SEGA right? I'm pretty sure Sony won't ever touch this game, else we have all hacked accounts!
Oops, you are right. All of this PSN business just has my head filled with Sony. :P
Speaking of which the damn thing is down again, but this time for maintenance, methinks the PSN store is opening up VERY soon, which means FREE STUFF WOOO!
We run our own servers (on Amazon EC2).
Oh, so only advertising and maybe some funds or something then. Dunno.
When I asked a dev some time ago they said they'd rather keep the specifics of the deal private.
We'll never know~
Three Rings is the game's developer.
SEGA is the game's publisher.