Stalins Organ Posted May 9, 2001 Share Posted May 9, 2001 Just an idea - what would happen if BTS gave CMBO away in PC-Gamer (& similar mags) a few weeks after CM2 is released? Will it (CMBO) be made officially "obsolete" by CM2? Do you think the publicity would help CM2? Would orders take even longer to get to us? Would a couple of weeks be enough to ensure we all got ours before the rush started?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunnergoz Posted May 10, 2001 Share Posted May 10, 2001 Dream on... Maybe after the release of CMII, but even then I doubt it. I know that, were I Charles and Steve, I wouldn't give it away, ohnooo! I'm happy with their work and line of thinking so far, I just wish they were cloned and could work FASTER! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stalins Organ Posted May 10, 2001 Author Share Posted May 10, 2001 Err....gunner....go read it again - I said AFTER CM2 is released already!! And since I've already got CMBO it wouldn't affect me all that much appart from generating more opponents! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mannheim Tanker Posted May 10, 2001 Share Posted May 10, 2001 Ummmm...maybe you should reread, Mike I think Gunner got your point. Like Gunner, I think BTS should still sell CMBO. CM2 may generate so much interest in the game that they rush out to buy the original. I'm not sure that CM2 will make CMBO obsolete...(especially since there are so many mods out there). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stalins Organ Posted May 10, 2001 Author Share Posted May 10, 2001 Mannheim maybe YOU should read Gunner's post again!! <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Maybe after the release of CMII, but even then I doubt it. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Which was repeating the point that I repeated that you commented on that I didn't need to repeat!! Anyway - I don't see the Mods as making CMBO more saleable - I doubt people who are buying it are doing so because of the ability to improve the graphics. I guess it will come down to BTS's perceptions of their own best interests. Perhaps if sales of CMBO tail off after CM2 comes out then they won't stand to "lose" so much by giving it away, and the potential extra client-capture (ie free publicity!) will more than make up for that. I dunno - but it at least seems like a reasonable possibility to me. [ 05-09-2001: Message edited by: Mike the bike ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfpack Posted May 10, 2001 Share Posted May 10, 2001 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mike the bike: Mannheim maybe YOU should read Gunner's post again!! Which was repeating the point that I repeated that you commented on that I didn't need to repeat!! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Whoa whoa...confusion. :confused: Gunner was referring to CMII the engine rewrite, I think you're referring to CM2 the eastern front...am I correct? Or has someone put down the wrong thing? From Now on, maybe we should refer to the engine rewrite as CM:ER? Or CM:IE? To avoid confusion like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stalins Organ Posted May 10, 2001 Author Share Posted May 10, 2001 Ahh...hadn't hought of that. OK - yes, I'm referring to CM2 "Barbarossa to Berlin", which may have the same "engine" as CMBO, but will still have many different features. If someone want's to refer to a different engine then they neeed to make that crystal clear. [ 05-09-2001: Message edited by: Mike the bike ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maximus Posted May 10, 2001 Share Posted May 10, 2001 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mike the bike: If someone want's to refer to a different engine then they neeed to make that crystal clear. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Ahh, but it 'twas. CM2 and CMII are totally different animals. CM2 has always been known to be the sequal to CMBO. And now it seems to be called CM2: Barbarossa to Berlin. CMII has always be understood to be the engine rewrite after CM4: Blitzkrieg. This engine rewrite, if we all make it that far, that is, will be an engine rewrite as such like Quake II is to Quake III. BTS will attempt to incorporate some of the latest "special effects" that the current video cards will display. Such things and dynamic lighting effects, shading, etc. I'm surprised that you were not aware of the differentiation between the two 'cause your member number is not that much higher than mine. Anyway, I doubt BTS will ever just "giveaway" their games. I foresee that they will drop the price on them as time goes on. But the whole idea that BTS does business over the internet is so that they don't ever have to worry about how long their games can stay out of the bargain bin. Get it? So the more money they can make, the better the future games will be. And that's what we all want, don't we? We don't want BTS to become another Hasbro or Talonsoft, now do we? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Commissar Posted May 10, 2001 Share Posted May 10, 2001 The closest thing BTS would possibly do to "better the sales for CM1" (As if they really need to!), would be to include a CM1 demo on the CM2 disk. I dont think they'll do either, though. Remember, you have to go to battlefront.com to buy CM2, and you KNOW there will be adds everywhere for CM1 as well. Besides, doesnt putting demos on disks of major magazines cost major mula? I should think so, since other then this mags like PCG have no reason not to include the CM demo. Especially with the kind of godawful crap they usually put on their disks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stalins Organ Posted May 10, 2001 Author Share Posted May 10, 2001 I'm not particularly interested in the technical aspects of the game engine, so I've never paid much attenton to threads and posts dealing with it. I'm a history and wargaming buff, and as long as I like the game I couldn't really care how it works!! As to teh cost of putting a game into a mag - I guess that depends on whether the mag thinks having that game will help it's sales or not. When SPWaW was in PCG last year the newsgroups were humming, and there was a huge upsurge in visible interest - many ppl (incl me) bought that 1 issue just for the game, so PCG got extra business from it too. I'd think that a better way of doing the demo thing would be to have the CM2 demo on a give-away CMBO disk - why would people want to buy an oldr version of the game? Lastly, yes, I know that CMBO is never going to be in bargain bins since it's only sold in-house, but at some stage sales might dip to the "why bother?" point, with or without price reductions. And if they've got to the point where CMBO has paid for itself, generated a useful profit, but the future depends on CM2 then it would make sense to use CMBO to help push CM2. Just my 2 kopecks worth! [ 05-09-2001: Message edited by: Mike the bike ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Fox Posted May 10, 2001 Share Posted May 10, 2001 Hey Mike, on yer bike! Trust a dopey kiwi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russellmz Posted May 10, 2001 Share Posted May 10, 2001 the day i see cmbo free is the day i accidentally run into a warez site while looking for hardcore grog porn... [ 05-09-2001: Message edited by: russellmz ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stalins Organ Posted May 10, 2001 Author Share Posted May 10, 2001 Good to see you guys all taking a bit of time out of your busy gaming schedules to think about the subject and make interesting informed comment!! lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mlapanzer Posted May 10, 2001 Share Posted May 10, 2001 CM2 is not a better version of CM1. Different theatres of the war covered there. Just because CM2 comes out I will not stop playing CM1. ------ It's good to be at the top of the food chain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stalins Organ Posted May 10, 2001 Author Share Posted May 10, 2001 CM2 will incorporate a lot of improvements over CM1 Panzer - it might be the same engine, but there will be bug fixes and command and control features that aer not in CMBO and will not be back-incorporated AFAIK. so CM2 will be an improvement over CMBO. Your second comment really has nothing at all to do with the question Panzer! Here it is again: <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Just an idea - what would happen if BTS gave CMBO away in PC-Gamer (& similar mags) a few weeks after CM2 is released?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> No-one has actually bothered to answer it so far - go on, be different, leave the herd, answer what was actually asked!! [ 05-09-2001: Message edited by: Mike the bike ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Commissar Posted May 10, 2001 Share Posted May 10, 2001 Uh, nothing would happen. A few kewl dewdz would look at the demo and the "un-leet graphix" and then download the latest reflex-over-brains demo instead. All in all, the effect would be minimal if anything at all. I mean, the game was advertised and got good reviews. Beyond that is the demo. If you dont like the game by then, the full version won't likely change your mind much. NOTE: By "reflex-over-brain" reference, I was in no way insulting players who like these games. I myself sometimes enjoy a relaxing evening gibbing to my heart's desire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stalins Organ Posted May 10, 2001 Author Share Posted May 10, 2001 Hmmm...so you don't think that there'd be any people who weren't impressed enough by the demo who might none-the-less buy the disc for teh full game and get hooked, or anyone who's relatively new to the hobby who might not have heard of the game before, or someone who just didn't have enough interest to download the demo but doesn't mind having a look at the full game if it's easy to install fom disc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maximus Posted May 10, 2001 Share Posted May 10, 2001 Mike the bike, We are answering your question, you're just not listening. Since when did any game company just give away their game for free in some magazine just because it was old. I see you're comparing BTS to Matrix Games and their W@W release last year. That's not quite the same. It seems like you want something for nothing. Oh I'm sure the price of CM will drop by the time CM2 comes out. I'd say that they still probably charge at least $25 USD for it though. Second of all, you obviously have not read the Battlefront.com Manifesto. For all of our sakes, please do. I keep thelling my uncle that and he continues to ignore me as well. His quam is that CM is not in stores. So I tell him to read the Battlefront.com Manifesto, 'cause it will explain why it isn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Fox Posted May 10, 2001 Share Posted May 10, 2001 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mike the bike: Good to see you guys all taking a bit of time out of your busy gaming schedules to think about the subject and make interesting informed comment!! lol <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>No worries Mike. You just carry on with your interesting discussion of the nuances of the CM numbering system and literary efforts dissecting the meaning of each others posts. We'll keep on barracking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BloodyBucket Posted May 10, 2001 Share Posted May 10, 2001 If you take the money I spent on CMBO and divide it by the hours I've spent playing, thinking about or reading about the game, it is almost free anyway. I can't think of a better entertainment bargain out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stalins Organ Posted May 10, 2001 Author Share Posted May 10, 2001 Did I say anyone had done it before? No, I do't think I did. And that's why I think it might have a major effect. I asked what might be that effect. For the most part all you guys have said is "It'll never happen", or "It won't make any difference to me", or similar irrelevant comments. You are asnswering some of the supplementary questions that I asked, but there's clearly a failure of imagination out there!! Your comment about the manifesto is also irrelevant, and I'm a little insulted that you think that I'm somehow treading on the hallowed toes of BTS's marketing philosophy and "want something for nothing". What would I be getting for nothing? Another copy of CMBO? Well that's going to help me a lot - oh yes, I could run it twice on my machine! duh!! And it wouldn't cost me nothing because I don't subscribe to the mags so I'd have to buy it anyway!! Sheesh! As far as I can make out you're referring to the bit of the manifesto that rails against the lack of shelf space due to stores having to maintain sales figures at teh expense of lesser-selling but wonderful games, such as CMBO? I don't see anything in this idea that goes against the manifesto. I am not suggesting that they stock the game in shops or anything of the sort. I'm suggesting a marketing ploy to make the game more available and pick up extra sales. Perhaps I'm not understanding you properly on this, but I can't see anything else that comes even vaguely close to being relevant in there. Perhaps you could explain it for me more explicitly? I'm not a marketing person, but you guys are certainly not providing any rational reasons why it couldn't happen either. Sure they can drop the price of CMBO. Or they could give it away for free, which is just a larger discount after all. They will have their reasons for whichever they do, but I don't see why you guys are all so dead set against giving it away? I understand why they wouldn't (none of which is news to me), but I don't understand why you think they shouldn't. Do you think it would mean the end of BTS? If so why/how? Do you think it would have some other negative effect? If so what? :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stalins Organ Posted May 10, 2001 Author Share Posted May 10, 2001 Thanx Simon - I will!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pvt. Ryan Posted May 10, 2001 Share Posted May 10, 2001 Someone at General Motors must have read your post, beacause I just heard that Chevrolet is giving away its 2001 model Corvettes for free just after the 2002 models come out. This idea of giving away your products for free might just spread like fire. Whoa, it is catching on! Now I hear that Intel is giving away all PIII chips for free now that the P4 is out!!! [ 05-10-2001: Message edited by: Pvt. Ryan ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stalin's Organ Posted May 10, 2001 Share Posted May 10, 2001 Ahh...Pvt Ryan - good to see you put as much thought into your post as most of hte others in the thread!! lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pvt. Ryan Posted May 10, 2001 Share Posted May 10, 2001 The only thought I put into my post is that it makes no sense for a company to give away one of its products just because a second product is released. CM2 is not an upgraded version of CMBO, it is a totally different game. CMBO will be just as current as CM2 when CM2 is released, although CM2 will have features that are not currently available in CMBO. I suspect that BTS will release a patch for CMBO incorporating all backward compatible features after CM2 is out. I don't see how giving away CMBO will help the sales of CMBO. Volume is a great thing, but not when revenues are nil. There is a demo verion of CMBO that is almost as good as the gold version of most other games. If people want a taste of what Combat Mission is about they can download the demo. Now, I do think putting the CMBO demo on CM2 disks could be a good idea to help sales of CMBO; however, anyone who purchases CM2 will have visited the Battlefront website and will already have had an opportunity to download the demo. Discounting CMBO after CM2 is released is an option for BTS, but that decision would be based on sales of CMBO at that point. There will be people that buy CM2 that did not buy CMBO. Those people may then decide to buy CMBO to play the Western Front version of Combat Mission, as the two games will offer completely different gaming experiences. Why would BTS give up all that revenue? A company (normally) lowers its prices to boost slowing sales of its products. Until BTS feels that sales of CMBO are suffering, they have no reason to lower its price, let alone give it away for free. The (sarcastic) analogies I gave in my previous post may not be perfect, but I think they convey the point. [ 05-10-2001: Message edited by: Pvt. Ryan ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts