J P Wagner Posted May 2, 2004 Share Posted May 2, 2004 I have mentioned this before but it bears repeating...the internet is a blessing and a curse for gaming companies...on the one hand it helps promote a product, but on the other, the forums can generate so much bitching, moaning, and groaning, about when a game will be released, that one wonders if companies push a release ahead of schedule for fear of losing customers..... The pre-release forum for OOTP6 was abundant with all this foolish "when will it be released?" nonsence...When Markus dared to mention that he was hopeful for a release by opening day, and did not deliver, the complaining was both obnoxious and redundant. Potential buyers have complained about the overlong delay for Matrix's Empires in Arms to the point that there were some posts stating that people were no longer going to buy the game because it took so long. To a lesser degree, there were people asking about the release date for Frank Hunter's Campaign on the Danube, and when it was released, while not unplayable, had too many bugs to make it enjoyable... Hearts of Iron also had a glut of release date posts, the end result being that it was a mess when it was released... and while I have read more than once that all the latest patches have improved the game immeasurably, I cannot be bothered with it anymore as I have too many games on my plate right now, with limited time to play them....but, my HOI experience has caused me not to even look at Victoria, so while they received my money for HOI, they lost me as a returning customer.... But saying that, Forums aren't always negative...right here in SC, Hubert may have gathered some good ideas from the likes of JJ, Edwin, Kuniworth, Rambo, and others to help make SC2 the best WWII strategic game on the market... [ May 02, 2004, 02:06 PM: Message edited by: J P Wagner ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les the Sarge 9-1 Posted May 2, 2004 Share Posted May 2, 2004 To me the internet has meant a great opportunity to get real time input on wargames both board game version and computer game version circumventing the need to follow magazines that were never really efficient for more than indepth articles about games that were already "done". I doubt I would have clue one of what had been produced after 1990 without the benefit of my computer. I wouldn't have ANY computer wargames, and I would have likely not known if the hobby had died slumbered or otherwise. I most certainly would still likely just be playing mostly ASL, but likely would have built a few hundred more models as well instead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly's Heroes Posted May 3, 2004 Share Posted May 3, 2004 I agree about people whinning for games to be released. I have had my fill of buggy games to know that companies should release games only when they are ready. If people complain, just tell them to be patient. It'll be done, when it's done. . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheesehead Posted May 3, 2004 Share Posted May 3, 2004 To quote Roger Waters (of Pink Floyd) "This species has amused itself to death!" Western Civilization, that includes you rowdy Canadians, has been inundated with entertainment choices. Everybody's marketshare is suffering. Nielsen ratings for every sport are down and what constitutes a successful rating for TV shows today is only a fraction of what it was 20 years ago. (Remember when everyone watched M*A*S*H?) Even hobbies such as stamp collecting or model railroading have seen their numbers decline. Our society has been saturated with entertainment. I wasn't playing wargames last saturday because I was watching the NFL draft! This wasn't even televised 15 years ago. I believe there will always be wargamers interested in pushing armies around a map (both paper and cyber). We should feel happy to belong to an exclusive club that signifies we have brains and an attention span longer than an episode of "The Bachelor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les the Sarge 9-1 Posted May 3, 2004 Share Posted May 3, 2004 "We should feel happy to belong to an exclusive club that signifies we have brains and an attention span longer than an episode of "The Bachelor." And there in lies the reason why I so hate so much of the RTS scene and the cutsey 3d crowd. Because we ARE a fairly unique hence exclusive crowd we wargamers. And that will always interfere with making our hobby of any value to those that really aren't "us". That's not me being "superior", its me recognizing what makes me what I am, and recognising that what makes me what I am, will not likely matter to someone intrinsically not like me. I have for instance, no interest in understanding "jocks". I could care less for 99% of the world of professional sports. The only time I have ever "watched the game", is when I have been "hanging out" with a mixed bag of friends, some of whom are wargamers, and some not. I am a grognard, I get off on dull boring looking simulations of military history Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Dave Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 As originally posted by Cheesehead: To quote Roger Waters (of Pink Floyd) "This species has amused itself to death!" Hard to argue with this, and especially since Roger Waters ... IMHO, one of the two or three "musical geniuses" of the last 45 years (... along with Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, for one) said it. Sure, any audience, at any time - as with Roman crowds in the early A.D. Coliseum, CAN become so jaded that the product presented, EVEN IF novel and subtle and crafted by a determined Artisan-Artist, might be "lost in the ersatz shuffle." OTOH, something that is "true" and the result of an honest effort to remain faithful to basic principals and understandings of the game genre in question, WILL succeed no matter any momentary market-share confusion. This would surely apply, no doubt, in the case of WW2 GS games. No-one was more disappointed than I at the X-tremely paltry efforts in the case of Third Reich, and Hearts of Iron, and even, a seemingly simple challenge like computerized Axis & Allies. Some may scoff at that last entry, but I will suggest... IF it had had some very rudimentary "editing" capabilities, many players (... perhaps, out of desperation that nothing else was forthcoming UNTIL Hubert had his "furious inspiration," and created SC, the Original. ) might have made their own "roughly workable" game to play around with. Well, forget all those pretenders, the designers - well intending or not, we'll never know, tried and quite famously failed. I have no doubt whatsoever that SC2-Blitzkrieg will finally be that WW2 GS game that will finally break through and establish a long standing worth. And not merely to the old or new "grogs" who can edit this game into some VERY unique and specifically satisfying paradigms... but also due to the "default" game which will allow even relative beginners... to have a lot of old fashioned fun. :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunnergoz Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 Les - what are you playing these days? And what are you looking forward to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reiver Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 hurtzDonut Your game collection sounds like mine - Squad Leader, Pacific War, The Fleet series, Vietnam , great games! I liked the aesthetics of the large map and all the counters but always struggled particularly with Pacific War to leave it set up long enough to play the big campaigns - bloody children/wifes/dusters/hoovers. Reiver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les the Sarge 9-1 Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 "Les - what are you playing these days" Well, sadly, the last hmmm year or so, I have been saddled with the burden of making a resolution of whether to move or not. Major stress load to be sure. But I won't bore you with personal life details. Just suffice it to say, the threat of wanting to move, has really dulled my desire to set up any of my long term board games (as well as work on some models, and fix up the place any). Soooo most of my activity has been on computer (because it's easier to pick up my computer hehe). Last year I was big involved with work on Steel Panthers World at War and the Mega Campaign Screaming Eagles. My summer was a lot of playing Steel Panthers hehe. "Sorry dear, can't do that for ya, busy working" The current situation with Steel Panthers World at War though, is a lot of fuss over trying to get the OOBs finally done juuuuuuuuuust right (never happen). And Sp Cammo is set to release major redos of their SPWW2 and SPMBT files. And I am hoping to secure a buddy's old P2 system clunker to load some old "I WANT DOS and Win 98SE! wargames on it. Thinking of using it as a device to play Steel Panthers 3 and SPWW2 and SPMBT mostly. Seems the bettter solution in my case. I have the Panzer General series (and it all runs un XP which is nice). And the Campaign series. I have TOAW COW, but have not devoted much time to it, Its a big game so to speak. But it fills my need to play those big room eating board games. I also have a few Panzer Campaign series games. My latest thing is Highway to the Reich. I am a devoted ASLer, but have not had time to get into it for a while. I am thinking of actually doing something of a pet project for it though. Plus I have the loonie notion of trying to invent some form of novelization of ASL (hey they do it for all sorts of games already eh). I have a mountain of games of course, but there are only so many hours in the day (even if you have unrestricted use of them, the day is still ONLY 24 hours long hehe). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 problem with consoles are they're one sided. first person shooters, RPG maybe, arcade. Few strategy or wargames Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fischkopf Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 Yeah no kidding. They actually released Age of Empires for PS2. I tried for the better part of 5 minutes to direct my villagers using a joystick. Brutal! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hurtzDonut Posted May 6, 2004 Author Share Posted May 6, 2004 Reiver Cats are the worst offenders!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donnerwetter Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Its not dying... http://www.paradoxplaza.com/news.asp?ArticleID=159&Page=News Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goran Hrvatkovic Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Yes hello. PC gaming very alive. We here not have extra money for crazy American game system. You take north america view but dont wurry we in Europe stay strong with PC game. Strong like BULL! Let all stay together in PC game! Baaayyyyyaam. Good luck to Hubarg - thanks you for great game coming soon again. G.H. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les the Sarge 9-1 Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Hubarg? Who is this Hubarg? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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