Perfect World prepares to buy Warframe developer Digital Extremes

Michael Dunaway
By Michael Dunaway, News Editor Posted:
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Hydroid-Warframe

Perfect World Entertainment has entered into an agreement with Digital Extremes to purchase the majority of the developer's outstanding shares with help from Sumpo Food Holdings. The current non-binding agreement was officially announced on June 30th and is expected to continue while the two purchasing companies conduct due diligence investigations over the affairs of Digital Extremes.

Assuming no issues arise during the investigation and Digital Extremes doesn't opt out, the acquisition will proceed as planned. No word yet on when the acquisition would officially take place, but the press release does state Digital Extremes cannot engage in any other offer opportunities or asset transfers during the agreement for a period of 40 days.

For those wondering why a Chinese chicken product supplier is assisting in the purchase of a video game studio, it's because Sumpo Food Holdings also serves as a holding company, investing in assets to generate additional revenue outside of the poultry industry.

News of the pending purchase has generated a huge response from the Warframe community, who have seemingly come out in droves to voice their concerns in a massive thread found on the game's official forums. Curiously, Warframe developer DERebecca responded in the thread and mentions she was currently awaiting an official comment/info, suggesting that not everyone at DE was prepared for the news either.

In 2011, Perfect World also purchased Cryptic Studios for roughly 50 million after Atari placed the developer up for sale.

What effect do you think the sale to Perfect World will have on Digital Extremes? Let us know.

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About the Author

Michael Dunaway
Michael Dunaway, News Editor

Michael Dunaway has been part of the MMOBomb team for years and has covered practically every major Free-to-Play MMO title since 2009.

More Stories by Michael Dunaway

Discussion (85)

That one guy 10 years ago
I gotta say these comments are the best ive ever seen. If you think PWE f**up games then you obviously have never played any games that have been hosted by Nexon NA.....

Just let that sink in for a moment.
branden 10 years ago
If pwe takes control of this i will hack the game and completely ruin their market. It wouldn't be the first time. All their OP douche addicts will tremble in fear in conclave from a little speed hack or just make it to where i only do max or critical damage. I hope companies like these just start dieing off. No consideration for players and even more so for the games thenselves.

I play because DE had a good idea (will probably fall and die out from Destiny) and are actually taking it in a great direction.

It will be judgement day when PWE takes over.
Batmuegh 10 years ago
PATITION TO STOP PWE FROM BUYING WARFRAME! https://www.change.org/petitions/save-warframe

SIGN NOW PLEASE
Bic Boi 10 years ago
"And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all"

Digital Extremes made the game horribly grindy as is just to get parts to make warframes. Imagine how much worse PWE could make it. It is as Kenshiro says; "You are already dead".
zzz@zzz.cn 10 years ago
I know perfect world enough, i dont remember any good game from them, all generic asian mmos, if business model will change i quit, i not predict anything good from them - baloon like mobs, half naked kids, pay to win stuff , what else they can bring ? Its not asia, perfect world stop make all games similar to each other, ppl hate these faking half naked kids and pokemon faces and baloon like mobs in every game, martial arts stuff etc crap, its maybe fine for asian market only.
r u ok? 10 years ago
Why are you all whinging for? I've never had any issues with PWE and their game because they aren't P2W. Wtf is this bs? Like c'mon do you even play games from PWE? I highly doubt that because I've also never had issues with them and also with most companies I've never had issues with. Heck, PWE gives you a shit ton of free things.
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Razer 10 years ago
I never really liked Warframe, but it deserves so much better than PWE.
V 10 years ago
PWE is buying DE??? Wow i better sell my warframe account then...
buggy 10 years ago
lol all complain complain complain and complain....then what the...PWE last so long and did not bankrupt why?if you all do complain of the game it would be like 10-40% of people that will play they`r games and it will be like 10-15% that will actually buy from shop,so...how do they survive so long and afford to buy another game?because actually people play they`r games and enjoy them,if are like 100 people that complain here about the company,it don`t mean everybody hates the company and they`r games,so if you fking want to play a game not P2W,just make the fking game by yourself and see if you will last at least a month with crap in item shop,so if there will be in shop items that are useless and that can be gain in from the gameplay,how do they will last long?they wont,i`ve seen many games that failed and after 1 week or even a month was closed up because they actually did not make moneys.So the important thing is "YOU DON`T LIKE IT,DON`T PLAY IT,IF YOU LIKE IT,SUPPORT IT AND PLAY IT" that`s the main rule of the games,no one beg you to play a game and no one obligates you to love a company or a game.So if you don`t love a game that don`t mean all hates that game and consider it a trash
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buggy 10 years ago
you guys dont even seen the cash shop model of the game in PWE,i mean on this one not others,and complain of P2W games,if the games are not P2W it wont last long,so they need to do moneys to pay fees and salary of the company workers,so would you like to buy something that dont gives you money back and some extra cash?No you don`t.I really love the casual people that 100% are here and complay on P2W game,this game is most PvE game so why do you call P2W?because its hard to get something without buying from cash shop?yea that`s why you call games P2W because there is something that is very good and you dont get it from in game.One more thing there are like 90% of games that you will consider P2W and there will be another 90% of games that will come out that will be P2W and all the games will be P2W because they need P2W to pay to keep the game alive.So if you cant afford to pay for a game to keep it alive you don`t have the right to play it,so keep saying this company makes P2W because there are many company`s that make P2W with insane shop items.But most of the game are Pay to Progress and not really pay to win,except browser games
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Aryden 10 years ago
I wish they'd be content to just by a less than fourty nine percent of the shares. The game is flourishing and the last thing it needs is a p2w system. It honestly makes more sense to just invest and let the des do what they're doing, there doing it incredibly well. It might not be the instant cash cow they want, but surely it would make more in its lifetime.
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charles 10 years ago
if pwe buys i be quitting totally....at de make it how it is and how good the update do for us.
DtHouse 10 years ago
Try play neverwinter, from PWE/cryptic studios xD Bug, bug, bug, glitch, glitch, hack,bug,bug. Support take 2-3 weak to do a real reply ( because auto reply whit stupid info isn't a real reply -.-). Whenever Pwe goes, the game became pay to win, the support suck and the only thing's they care is take your money out of your wallet. If you don't trusth me, play Neverwinter and you will see it. People using hack in both Pvp and pve, people using bug to kill dungeon boss, gold seller flood the game ( no one is buy zen from that retard of PWE ). If your game will be sold, be ready for a massive invasion of gold seller, hacker and bot, but don't worry, PWE support will reply you in 48 hour whit auto reply ^^ Have fun until the PWE isn't inside ^^ When they come, they simply see player liker wallet ^^
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Razul Darkwood 10 years ago
So far Digital Extremes confirmed that they are still independent. However we all await tomorrows dev stream to learn more. Over 90% of the players stated that they will stop playing if PWE gain control over DE. However in order to do that they must buy more than 49% of DE shares. That probably wont be the case because who would sold more than 49% of their company.
KyuZwei 10 years ago
Good by Warframe... what was one of the best f2p games on the market today. It was nice knowing you. You'll now be known as PayFrame and the updates you used to provide weekly will now be tri-monthly and the free items you used to allow everyone to access will cost everyone 30$ each.... whelp my day is ruined.
Extraxi 10 years ago
My predictions?

PW/PWE will have a strong hold on DE, making the company force more Pay-to-Not-Grind stuff into the game (Because paying $100+ to skip a massive RNG gate all for one prime frame certain does feel rewarding :^) ), widen the amount of grind to get even the good stuff, and give people little to nothing for not paying.

I'm expecting rentals to be a thing too but that's just me after my experience with BL:R, what with almost everything being a rental when it came out of beta.

It'll grow dead sooner or later.
Laurentiu 10 years ago
Well, shit...It was good as much as it lasted.
LordHikaru 10 years ago
*plays a sad violin as the ship breaks in half and sinks and everyone dies in the cold water below, along with Leonardo Decraprio and that chick whom boobs we saw during the movie... wait she lives. nevermind, sucks to be leo.*
Jay 10 years ago
ITS AN ABOMINATION OF WARFRAME
Alad V 10 years ago
Market forces dictate that you need to evolve or die. Which will it be Tenno?
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Malice 10 years ago
Not that it was that great to begin with, but

RIP Warframe
anti perfect waste extrash!t 10 years ago
PWE are one of the worse service MMO developer ever, if warframe sold to them and being control by them more than 95% player will quit in month maximum 2months
unmarked 10 years ago
you were a good game while it lasted warframe
DontAsk 10 years ago
Please do not f**k this game, he is one of the best TPS hack n 'slash I've ever seen.
I repeat do not F**K This game.
NoWAyz 10 years ago
NO don't PLZ Nooooooo!!
A Concerned Player 10 years ago
I think any founder status / kick starter backing should come with shares in the company as you believe in the company and are investing your hard earned money into them - so you should have a say in what that company does in the future.

As a founder I think DE should say NO to the buyout - if you want money as the fans - I would buy shares if the company would remain independent.
H3RR S13B3RT 10 years ago
Let's make it simple, if PWE is in then we (players) are out, and so our wallets.
basil 10 years ago
after what i heard about pwe .. if they buy DE ... im to leave warframe for good ..
Emp 10 years ago
Why would you do this ... why the **** would you do this why give your masterpiece to some shitty company............. like WHY!!!
70calories 10 years ago
well this makes me depressed.... really hope they don't go on with it
kineticfetus 10 years ago
Welp, R.I.P Warframe, you will be missed
Goodjob. NOPE! 10 years ago
To bad, got more then 860 hours on the game and spend over 300 euro's, probably all for nothing? goodjob guys.
asdas 10 years ago
Alad V deals will become a reality!
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Cacalips 10 years ago
And this is why hackers and private servers are gods gift to gamers
PWE suck Pens 10 years ago
PWE is worst and most greediest company out there.They dont care about anything except money.
Anyone with even little piece of brain will stay far away from this scammer company.
Warframe will get P2W,lose 90% player base like most PWEs games.500 people will have fun with their cashed maxed out gears,until few months later when PWE come with new upadate.
(PWEs updates; new content = adding new more op gears people will spend thousands $ on)
and then even more and more people will quit untill there is 200 people left playing (addicts that spent 3000$ +and cant quit after all).Eventually they will quit too and then time to shut down servers/game.

GG
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G 10 years ago
The effect of this will most likely be that the best free to play game with the best free to play model I've ever seen will be driven into the ground.

R.I.P. Warframe, thanks for the last year.
Kestas24 10 years ago
Good bye my love it was fun while it lasted, but its time to move one. *Hangs his warframe and puts a suit on* time to find a job and get a life. *Gamer Died*
xCROOKEDx 10 years ago
I do not want this.

do not want.
DO NOT WANT!!!!!!
DOOOO NOOOOTTT WAAAAAAAAAAAAAANTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
foley2k 10 years ago
Coming from playing Perfect World International for the past few years I can this.
PWE will ruin this game. They are a horrible company that don't know their ass from a hole in the ground. Broken promises. Lies. Constant screwing up, and the worse ticketing/help system around. When you submit any ticket, you are given an automated response. About 10 days later someone actually replies to it, and they tell you to post your problems on the forums. Where you will be told to submit a ticket.
PWE will find a way to suck every last penny from players they can, without giving a rats ass about the content, game stability, or player base. I dont know what type of game Warframe is, if it is good, or what it is about. But I can tell you PWE will rape the hell out of it.
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Rexar 10 years ago
R.I.P Warframe
EpicTony 10 years ago
if PW buys DE i will never play there games again
BOOM! 10 years ago
HELLL NNOOOO! DON'T YOU EVEN DARE BUYING WARFRAME!!! SCREW PWE! HELLL NOOO I REALLY DON'T WANNA SEE DIGITAL EXTREME IN PWE!
eppz 10 years ago
Some company's just want to watch the world burn.
Subz 10 years ago
Warframes player-base will drop by 80%, the forums will be filled with threads saying F**k you PWE, Perfect world will change the cash-shop terribly and add annoying lock boxes, the player-base will drop by another 10% the game will immediately become a sinking ship, veterans will try and sell their account and a few will get banned in the process. so i wonder why would Perfect world entertainment do this?, can they not take a educated guess and see that they will make no money.
GoblinGraph 10 years ago
Its the death of Warframe. It has flaws but it was one of the more unique and definitely evolving games in F2P market.
GeoDP 10 years ago
200+ pages Ultra-thread and more than 4000 replys. The WARFRAME community IS continuing voicing there dissaproval of selling Digital Extremes to PWE.

As a member of said community I SAY: DOWN WITH PWE! BURN THEM!
Kess 10 years ago
RUN AWAY DIGITAL EXTREMES

RUN AWAY
Vry 10 years ago
I have never been scared, someone soothe me D:
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Sedant 10 years ago
The Armathreadon is upon us. 200 Page thread in a number of our voicing the communities lost faith and utter disappointment in what is going on.
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save warframe 10 years ago
The name shall change to Warfarm
The slogan Ninjas pay fees
Weapons and frames will take weeks to craft
Updates and logins will require zen
Rng lockboxes
Op gear weapons
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Nurmetya 10 years ago
We of the Warframe community call it the THREADNAUGHT.

We are currently awaiting a response from Digital Extremes and sincerly hope this turd of a deal dies horribly.
Florea Sorin 10 years ago
So long, DE.
No long ninjas play free.
Ninjas pay fees.
iLogan 10 years ago
What effect do you think the sale to Perfect World will have on Digital Extremes? Let us know.

Warframe Goes P2W. Dies. And @#$% PWE
Kethus 10 years ago
What the @#$%?
Also mounted?

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