Registered: Aug 2000
Location:
Posts: 271

This is partially off-topic, seeing as I wrote it focused on Descent 3, but it applies heavily to FreeSpace 1/2.

Interplay stands beside gamers under all circumstances, never leaving their side, and even hiring a few of them, right? If nothing else, they certainly consider the gamer before they consider their own well-being, right?

So one would think when every box from the 1993 release of Descent 1 to the 1999 release of FreeSpace 2 and PlaneScape Torment says, "By Gamers, For Gamers."

Well, by the time December 1999 rolled around and D3 had been out a few months and gotten all numbers of awards and acolades from every PC gaming magazine on the planet, the sales had not hit what everybody in the community expected. In fact, it seemed like it was practically a flop.

We can all tell that this was most certainly NOT due to poor programming or design though. Outrage did a SPECTACULAR job with the Fusion Engine, story line, campaign missions, multiplayer netcode, etc., etc., etc.! The problem obviously had to lie elsewhere.

Looking then toward FreeSpace 2, a game of equal or greater size and story to Descent 3, the sales did even more poorly. Again, obviously nothing in the game (except the netcode produces more lag), and this was a different programming group too, so reputation of the programmers (despite the fact it's a good one in both cases) is out of the question too.

Then, looking back in time a while, we eventually come to a crap game like Swamp Buggy Racing, and several others. They play about as well as your desire to have diarrhea at any given moment in time, but they sell like McDonald's fries. Heck, I've got a game I'm working on in QBASIC that took more skill to write than the aforementioned game. SBR still sold though. Maybe it wasn't Half-Life sales figures, but it sold, and it sold enough for the programmer and publisher to warrent continued production.

Not so with Descent 3. A great game, a crap sales figure. It just doesn't make sense, right? Yes, unfortunately it does. Before I go into exact reasoning, let's have a history lesson:

Back in 1993, the internet had yet to reach its prime, ESPECIALLY in the gaming department. Most people only really knew the web address for the publisher's website, and that's where most news was to be heard. The general gaming audience would browse their favorite publisher's page on a near-daily basis. Back then, it only took a bit of internet advertising to reach a major audience.

Now, as the internet has evolved and changed, the general audience sticks strangely to hard-copy. Magazines get their attention, and they go onto the community web pages of games they're interested in. Now, publisher sites see fewer hits, and people rely on printed material that comes to their snail-mail box for information on upcoming games.

Back to the present now. Interplay has failed to evolve with the Internet and gaming crowd. Interplay's audience shifted, and Interplay forgot to shift with them. With the chance of attracting new players gone, Interplay only had the hardcore fans of their games to rely on. The new players that may or may not be interested in a Descent 4, didn't have the knowledge that Descent 3 was out, and thus, a great number of sales were gone. The tactics used to market Descent 1 and 2 weren't valid with Descent 3, and probably won't be valid again for at least several years to come.

Financially, Interplay can theoretically recover and live to fight another day, but for not keeping up with the media shift, their reputation is marred permenantly. It is a publisher's DUTY and RESPONCIBILITY to keep up with what the audience reads and is interested in, and Interplay failed two times (three or four if you look beyond the Descent series and FreeSpace series). They are now loosing their programming groups. Volition not only switched publishers from Interplay to THQ, but also allowed themselves to be bought up by THQ. Interplay has lost both Red Faction (ALMOST Descent 4) and Summoner, both of which are shaping up to be great looking games.

Now, if Interplay's 'logic' continues like an AI from a real-time strategy game out of the early 90's, they'll completely betray their audiences due to a common corperate decision. They'll hang on to the Descent and FreeSpace licenses until the day comes that all gamers die and leave no children to keep the business going. Not only have they lost new audiences, but they're working on driving away their old ones.

There IS a way out of this, though I doubt Interplay will hear our pleas. Interplay's one way out of the spiral of doom is simply to jump. They need to sell or give the licenses of the Descent series and FreeSpace series (among others) to their respective programmers and bail out of the industry, possibly for good. If they can't run things, then they shouldn't ruin it for the programmers or the gamers by grinding the licenses into a pulp, but they should give things up and either shape up or ship out.


Thoughts?

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Clearwater, FL
Posts: 302

The driving force in any economic market is money, plain and simple. Most companies can start off as Interplay once did with their "By gamers, for gamers" slogan, but even with things like that you still have the financial obligations to take care of. I'm thinking that somewhere down the line money became more important to Interplay than the games, and it was them trying to save a buck that got them in trouble. I think what Interplay was pulling was trying to get the games to sell themselves so they could save a buck by skimping on marketing. It's all about money, and Interplay in all likelyhood ended up losing money through lack of sales by trying to be greedy. How ironic...

------------------
Newsie
[url="http://www.volitionwatch.com"]Volition Watch[/url]

[This message has been edited by Chucker (edited 09-08-2000).]

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Terrapin Station
Posts: 344

Well, they really [fragrantly fillibustered] themselves up then THose geniuses up at Interplay musta been on space crack or some [holy Pope John Paul wearing FUBU gear, Batman!] like that since they have to be braind dead fools to thin they'll save money by not marketing an excellent block buster game. My god my little brother has more smarts then them.

------------------
Fantomeye
-Head of Operations
-Ground FreeSpace
-g r o u n d f s . c o m

Webmaster of [url="http://techfs.groundfs.com"]Tech Freespace[/url] and [url="http://techfs.groundfs.com/missions"]it's mission walkthroughs[/url]
News poster at [url="http://ross128.telefragged.com"]Ross128[/url]
Mission d00d for [url="http://www.fs2temp-mech.co.uk"]TM[/url] and [url="http://ross128.telefragged.com/sv/index.shtml"]Small Victories[/url]

[Edit: Stop cursing. - Love Plasma]

[This message has been edited by Plasma (edited 09-08-2000).]

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 76

By Lamers. For Lamers!

------------------
Payne < payne@overdrivegaming.com >
Staffer for [url="http://www.overdrivegaming.com/"]OverDrive Gaming[/url] - ph33r!
------------------

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Terrapin Station
Posts: 344

Sorry Plas, I had outside things affecting me. Life sucks at times, this was the place to vent it. Won't happen again

------------------
Fantomeye
-Head of Operations
-Ground FreeSpace
-g r o u n d f s . c o m

Webmaster of [url="http://techfs.groundfs.com"]Tech Freespace[/url] and [url="http://techfs.groundfs.com/missions"]it's mission walkthroughs[/url]
News poster at [url="http://ross128.telefragged.com"]Ross128[/url]
Mission d00d for [url="http://www.fs2temp-mech.co.uk"]TM[/url] and [url="http://ross128.telefragged.com/sv/index.shtml"]Small Victories[/url]

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Who wants to live in a location?
Posts: 146

You took the words outta my mouth, Payne...

Might I remind you all that Descent 1 wasn't released in '93 - it was May '95, with the shareware version released in late '94.

------------------
-Sirius
D2 level design/robot design

"* {WC}Sirius is odd."

[This message has been edited by Sirius (edited 09-09-2000).]

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: England
Posts: 232

quote:

---

Originally posted by Payne:
By Lamers. For Lamers!

---

Um... dude...

V made Freespace
Interplay published Freespace
We bought/playedenjoyed Freespace....

so it was by Lamers... for...us? that makes us lamers



------------------
Alex "Thunder" Avery - alexanderavery@hotmail.com - ICQ: 57179504 - 2nd "I Like Volition" d00d of the VBB
Co-Producer of: [url="http://ross128.telefragged.com/sv/index.shtml"]Small Victories[/url]
Webmaster, Staffer and P1mp: [url="http://ross128.telefragged.com/IkeyaP/index.shtml"]Ikeya Productions[/url] [url="http://ross128.telefragged.com"]Ross128[/url] [url="http://pub4.ezboard.com/bross128.html"]Ross128 Forums[/url]
"If you could see the things I've seen, you wouldn't try to stop me." Justin, Event Horizon.
"Fight? me? many have tried..." Death
Newbies! how do you eat yours?

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: North Pole, Alaska, USA
Posts: 176

*Jaws theme*

Logic strikes again!

------------------
"Where ever you go, there you are!" - Said by *someone*

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: South of Canada, North of Mexico.
Posts: 146

Ok:

By lamers For Gamers.

------------------
Strategic Operations Command
Squadron Leader
GTD Akagi

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Terrapin Station
Posts: 344

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sniper997:
Ok:

By lamers For Gamers.

---

Now that's a good one!

------------------
Fantomeye
-Head of Operations
-Ground FreeSpace
-g r o u n d f s . c o m

Webmaster of [url="http://techfs.groundfs.com"]Tech Freespace[/url] and [url="http://techfs.groundfs.com/missions"]it's mission walkthroughs[/url]
News poster at [url="http://ross128.telefragged.com"]Ross128[/url]
Mission d00d for [url="http://www.fs2temp-mech.co.uk"]TM[/url] and [url="http://ross128.telefragged.com/sv/index.shtml"]Small Victories[/url]

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: North Pole, Alaska, USA
Posts: 176

It is better but lets try not to be offensive, how bout:

By the incredibly inept, for the gamers.

------------------
"Where ever you go, there you are!" - Said by *someone*

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 76

I consider you all l4m0rz. Whacha gonna do about it chumps!?!?

------------------
Payne < payne@overdrivegaming.com >
Staffer for [url="http://www.overdrivegaming.com/"]OverDrive Gaming[/url] - ph33r!
------------------

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: North Pole, Alaska, USA
Posts: 176

Nothing, except laugh behind our backs at such a childish attempt at a put-down. :P

P.S. Just joking

------------------
"Where ever you go, there you are!" - Said by *someone*

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Somewhere in Germany ;)
Posts: 1625

quote:

---

Originally posted by Payne:
I consider you all l4m0rz. Whacha gonna do about it chumps!?!?

---

No, we all know that you are lame, Payne.

What about :"Developed by gods, published by Lamers and played by me!"

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: North Pole, Alaska, USA
Posts: 176

By god i think Slanker is on to something!

------------------
"Where ever you go, there you are!" - Said by *someone*

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: South of Canada, North of Mexico.
Posts: 146

How about the best of all of them:

By "Gods", published by the incredibly unastute, inept, moronic, etc., and played by cool people with wierd names.

------------------
Strategic Operations Command
Squadron Leader
GTD Akagi

[This message has been edited by Sniper997 (edited 09-10-2000).]

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Somewhere in Germany ;)
Posts: 1625

Dravin: Spacecrack...
Sniperwithhighcrazynumber: That´s the best so far... but wait, who has crazy names?

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Aug 2000
Location:
Posts: 16

AAAAAAAAArrrgggghhhhhh!!!!

Too much words, too much words, my word processing unit becomes overloaded!

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Somewhere in Germany ;)
Posts: 1625

Wheee, haha!
That were too many words? Where do you live?!?

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Aug 2000
Location:
Posts: 271

Can we PLEASE stay on topic guys? Even if just for this ONE post? Everything was at least alright until Payne called us all chumps (for which he shall die, but in a different post).

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged