# Master of Orion

> ResidualPlay case file: an overlooked Steam game still earning residual revenue. Estimates carry a ±30-50% error range per title.

- Steam appid: 298050
- Developer: NGD Studios
- Publisher: Wargaming Labs
- Released: 2016 · Genre: Strategy · List price: $24.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $1.8k to $2.7k per month (mid $2.3k)
- Opportunity score: $4.8k/month at x2.10 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 475.2k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $2.6M
- Review sentiment: 77% positive across 8173 reviews (7311 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 17.0 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 6.5 years
- Studio inactive: no public activity across 1 tracked titles
- Last build shipped 6.5 years ago

## Where a gross dollar goes (monthly, at current velocity)

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $4.1k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $3.6k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $3.3k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $2.3k |

## Monthly review counts, oldest to newest (24 months)

25, 22, 23, 30, 29, 31, 21, 23, 21, 18, 27, 25, 20, 20, 15, 20, 16, 17, 19, 21, 13, 21, 11, 17

## Estimated acquisition range

$54.8k to $109.6k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $27.4k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

Master of Orion (2016) is a turn-based 4X space strategy game that modernizes the classic 1990s franchise with improved diplomacy, balance, and voice acting.

This 2016 reboot has generated $2.55M lifetime on 475k units and still earns $2,283/mo residually, making it a solid catalog performer. However, it's been inactive for 6.5+ years with zero recent development, a processing bug cited in player reviews, and dormant community sentiment. The opportunity lies in either acquiring the title for catalog diversification or licensing the Master of Orion IP itself if Wargaming Labs retains rights. Revival is unlikely without significant QA investment.

- Most realistic play: licensing
- Licensed IP: the game is built on third-party intellectual property
- Risk (licensed_ip): Master of Orion IP likely owned or controlled by Atari SA or its successors; Wargaming Labs may hold only publishing rights to this 2016 version.
- Risk (tech): Processing Turn soft-lock bug is explicitly flagged by players and unresolved after 78+ months; engine may require significant remediation to address technical debt.
- Risk (market): 4X strategy genre has fragmented since 2016; modern competitors (Crusader Kings III, Civilization VI) command larger audiences and active development.
- Risk (other): Developer NGD Studios appears defunct (studio_status: ghost); no published updates or community engagement in 6.5+ years limits confidence in code quality and maintainability.

What players are asking for:
- Fix the Processing Turn soft-lock that causes game freezes mid-session
- Release Master of Orion 5 or a meaningful new entry in the franchise
- Improve late-game turn speed (noted slowdown after turn 500+)
- Add quality-of-life UI refinements and modern accessibility features

Suggested first moves:
1. Clarify IP ownership: determine whether Wargaming Labs controls the Master of Orion license outright or holds only publishing/distribution rights to the 2016 game; negotiate with Atari SA if necessary.
2. Commission a technical audit of the 2016 codebase to quantify remediation cost for the Processing Turn bug and late-game performance issues; estimate effort to certify stability on current Windows/Steam runtime.
3. Map publishing and revival scenarios: if licensing the IP is feasible, evaluate whether a small content patch (bug fixes + UI polish) could re-engage dormant players cheaply, or whether greenlight of a new MOO6 by an active studio makes better business sense for the franchise.

Generated 2026-08-20 from public signals and player reviews. Directional, not diligence.

## Methodology

Units are estimated from Steam-purchase reviews times a release-cohort multiplier (Boxleiter method, 20-75x by year). Revenue uses an effective price (lifetime discounts and regional pricing) and nets out VAT (~13%), refunds (~9.5%) and Steam's 30% cut: roughly 55% of gross reaches the developer.

Source: https://residualplay.com/game/298050
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.