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BCG @ E3


Supreme Cmdr
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Also, congrats on kicking ass at E3. After viewing the screenshots, I have to say, I'm thrilled that it looks like the interface is, more or less, intact from BCM. I have really grown fond of its elegance, even though it took awhile for me to understand all the various aspects.

Good show!

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Guest rtoolooze

Way to go! Congrats on a succesful E3 Derek! Wish I could of been there. Heck, I wish all of us could of been there, the whole BC community. What a party that would of been!!

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Yeah, I had a blast. Here is what I posted on another board earlier today.

quote:


...and this is where I almost (?) commit career Hari Kari.

Quite frankly I usually hate going to E3 simply because, while I've had very good experiences in the past, going to E3 when my game is being shown, has always had a traumatic effect on me due to what happened back in Winter 1993 CES when Tom Frisina (now a GM at EA) of the
failed
Three Sixty Pacific, canned my first game on the first day of the show because
...it wasn't like Wing Commander
. History eventually repeated itself at the 1995 E3 show when the
failed
Intracorp (they were pushing the failed Shatner vehicle, TekWar at the time) canned the project - again - on the last day of the show. And I shortly ended up at Take Two later that year. ****ers.

But this year has been quite surprising and I've never, ever been in a situation where literally everyone who saw the game (gamers, buyers, media etc) said anything negative about it. Even if they were thinking it, their expressions and comments didn't show it. On the contrary, they were more startled than anything else.

Funny thing is (and this is not confidential or anything but if it is, you'll probably be reading about my contract termination very soon) Dreamcatcher informed me, just several days before the show that BCG wasn't going to be on the show floor. But rather that it was going to be in a closed media session in one of the booth offices in order to provide a one-on-one environment with the media and not be subjected to the noise of the show floor. Right, I thought. IMO, they didn't figure that the game was strong enough I think to impress and that it would take too long to demo and give the full impact. They were showing, Pain Killer (12 systems), Arx Fatalis (2 systems), Beach Soccer (4 systems) and BCG (1 system). Yep, BCG was moved to one of the Beach Soccer machines. Go figure.

As I understand it, at the pre-E3 sales meeting, some of the execs don't
...get the game
, which left the frustrated sales and QA team (as well as my capable Product Manager) with very little to go on - even though I know that some in the company didn't even think it was a good idea to sign the game, let alone
two
of them. So, those of this opinion, just helped to make this decision of not showing the game on the show floor and for whatever reason.

.....which all led to my subconsciously missing the first day of the show because, funny enough, I missed my first flight out because I had the flight departure times wrong. Not that I was excited about going - especially not after what I'd been told.

However, once I arrived there, the decision was reversed and the game was to be shown on the show floor (I dunno if my email to the top exec had anything to do with this change) and it went uphill from there. Very quickly, one of the QA guys and I, had the system and game up and running and the BCG poster boards tacked on the booth walls. We were good to go.

Now that I think about it, I wasn't particularly excited about it all at first. If anything, all I was thinking about was how I was going to not only make my game the most highlighted and awe inspring than anything else in that booth, but that I was also going to do a damn good job of it and show these folks [the jaded ones that is] just who the they were fooling around with. I don't think that, in their entire lives, they've ever met anyone with such conviction and resolve. In other words, I was going to make them
pay
by making them realize that there is a place for niche games and that there are people who actually like and play these games. Its not all about mass market drivel.

There I was, literally every minute I was at the booth (which was practically the whole time), trying to cram a game that takes close to a week to get familiar with, into 15 min sessions in order to highlight it without boring anyone. Boy was I surprised. The more stuff I whipped out, the more whoa! and wow! I got - and of course, knowing me, it all went to my head and I proceeded to go overboard with the sensory overload. Right up to the point when maxgameplay.com showed up, complete with camera crew and shoved a camera and mic in my face. Thats probably the last time they do that because I didn't have anything positive to say about how the industry is handling this whole copy protection thing.

There I was, in my element (if you've ever heard or seen me pitch one of my games, then you get the idea), doing my thing, then Cindy Yans shows up for our appointment. Yes, Cindy!! OK, this may not seem like a big deal, but you've got to go back, way back to appreciate just what it means to be sitting and chatting with Cindy or any of the media folks from back in the day talking about a game that, well, few people care about ( especially the publishers themselves). The people you only get to see once in a while, but whom you get to harrass via email (just ask Bauman) every now and then.

E3 for me this year was the highlight of my career I think. I went there disappointed but it got better once I had a plan all worked out and my determination to not allow anyone dampen my spirits or the premise of my game, helped a lot. In fact, I almost didn't go, but I didn't want to get Gladguy into trouble. Thinking about it, I only went because of him. I mean, what is the worst they could've done? Cancel BCG? heh. Been there. Done that. Still get my games shipped. But I'm glad I went because that didn't leave any question nor doubts about the game itself.

The Dreamcatcher sales, QA and media crew exceeded my expectations of what team spirit is about. No, seriously. From the low level QA guy to the top notch media guy, they were just a bunch of really great folks. Off the show floor and on. Having worked with lots of publishers in my time, mingled with a bunch of *******s (most of whom are unemployed as I type this) in the industry, these folks are simply put, the best I've ever had to work with. Must be because they're Canadians and less egotistical and backbiting than their American counterparts?

But by the same token, knowing that some of these people were - behind closed doors - saying and doing things which would lead to my game being shown behind closed doors - or worse - canned, makes me think about whether they're genuine or just good actors or actresses. I just think that they are in fact genuine but simply
scared
.

Frankly, at the time, I didn't give a toss either way. I wasn't there to make friends (though I think I made a few). I was there to, once again,
defend
my game - as I have done most of these 14+ yrs and to ensure that
nobody
made light of - nor discounted - the hard work and dedication we put into making these games.

At any rate, the entire time I was there, it was like I was the highlight of show (which I was, being the only industry figure they've ever had, until Jane Jansen who they recently signed) and their company. Makes you wonder what the suits were thinking, by trying to put my game in a closed session and accidentally treating it like a second class citizen just before the single most important industry event.

The more I think about it, the more I think that, quite frankly, they don't know what to do with my games or how to position them. And I told one of the execs this (as well as my newly appointed Exec. Producer) as my #1 complaint. If you think about it, Dreamcatcher were all about adventure games and one or two other titles, so, one can't blame them for not having much experience in handling the diverse types of games they're going to be coming across now that they've decided to branch off into other areas (and split the company into two divisions, Dreamcatcher Games and The Adventure Company).

.....and then they go and compound the problem by signing not one, but two Battlecruiser titles. If anything, they're brave. And probably too confident in my abilities and that of the games? I dunno, but I think the whole thing with E3 and the initial decision to not show it on the floor is that someone got scared. And like Lemmings, the rest of the crew followed suit. At least up to the point where the guy who signs the checks vetoed the whole bloody thing and left it up to me. Probably to hang (or possibly too much faith in me) myself? Nice one.

It doesn't help either that some of the retailers are down right mean and hostile toward space sims. No seriously - I heard one such story (about BCM Gold in fact) about the troubles one DC sales person had pitching the game to a retailer, that made me so mad, I almost choked on my lobster ravioli. The retailer's buyer, as the story goes, literally tossed the game box across the room and said something like
...no more ****ing space sims!
.

So, is it a surprise that these people [DC] are scared of the ramifications of trying to position a niche title - a space sim no less - at some of the retail stores?

I blame MS (Freelancer), EA (EnB), Infogrammes (both IWar games) and Simon & Schuster (Eve) who spend millions and millions of dollars on space games only to see them languish at retail - but most of all, I blame the gamers. The good thing is, now that no publisher is going to even think of signing up another space game (BCG and the upcoming X2 are the last worthy retail space sims in development I think) we'll see what happens. Like Elite, 10+ years from now, they [gamers] will be thinking
....damn, I wish I had that space sim to play
or they'll be looking for win9x emulators to play the games of today on systems of the future in the same way they today look for DOS emulators to play games like Elite, WC and Privateer on. Thats when they [gamers] will know just how much influence they had in killing the genre. Which is exactly why I'm done with it and I'm sure that my small fan base will keep the MMO version of BCG going as it [bCG] is going to be the very last space sim of its kind. Ever.

...and all of this disheartening stuff about this whole E3 thing, led me to come up with an emergency plan (in the event that I did in fact get canned) and to - for the first time - pitch my WIP XBox (as everyone probably knows by now, DC has first rights of refusal to my next game) game (a space/planetary vehicular and first person combat action game - think XW vs TF meets BF1942 and you'll get the idea) to another publisher and got a hand shake agreement at the end of that E3 breakfast meeting. Unless DC can match the offer (which is up to them at this point), I'm gone once BCG ships in Q3. I'm not in the mood for all this disheartening stuff and political nonsense. All I want to do is develop games and I'm going to keep doing that, no matter what. I don't know what it is that publishers (except maybe Interplay) don't get about this very simple premise that Derek Smart is about, but from where I'm sitting, the space sim genre, as we once knew it, is done

That pretty much covers it for this year's Battlecruiser @ E3 saga.


[ 05-18-2003, 11:38 AM: Message edited by: Supreme Cmdr ]

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Well, Derek, you know we are all behind you as avid fans of the series. I know we can't pay your bills but we can tell you how much enjoyment these games give us.

This series is so absolutely engrossing that no one else is willing to create another like it out of fear, like you said. It's sad that I have to agree with you that people now adays are not going to see the series for what it is.

Then again, while other's may be raking in the cash, whose going to remember all the games in such a saturated market?

The BC series stands out, and thus when people look at space sims, they are going to have difficulty finding anything even close to your titles. Maybe you'll make others see that so much more is possible if people are only willing to invest the time and effort and to not conform to standards. To make the game for the game, and not for the suits or the bucks.

May not make people rich in the bank, but it sure makes for a much richer life. I think we have proof enough in this case to make that statement.

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quote:

...and this is where I almost (?) commit career Hari Kari.


hehe anyway Derek,its called HARA KIRI.

Anyway,geez... u know (if u remember my posts),what were my critics about this game and some other things.but i hope ppl,u never thought that i dont like SC's products (i really like em,since 1996...).

about BCG (tha MONSTA`!!) ... i wont say anything because there are no words to describe my joy

The new interface is cool.Very neon-space-neural-net-kind-of-transparent-plasma-touchscreen-look ,wich is great offcourse

Cya in space.And again,i will be the first one in my country to buy this game,yeah !

[ 05-18-2003, 05:49 PM: Message edited by: MindFever ]

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Bravo SC. They're all going to look funny when it all goes so big they say Never saw this guy coming. Even though you were blowing the Beemers horn loud and clear for miles. Just run them all over, place gear selector in reverse, back up. run them over again. Lather rinse and repeat until all signs of life have ceased in the eyes of those people wearing the glass belt buckles. That should make true beleivers out of every Shirly in the world, then they will realize they have been to a crisp

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That's great, and I have the urge to see what the usenet boys will say on that "the BCG showbox was nowhere in sight" , or "everyone was laughing at derek" and stuff like that", just to see how low they can be (I like to laugh at them) ... but nonetheless this is great news!

quote:

Must be because they're Canadians and less egotistical and backbiting than their American counterparts?

Oooh that's going to hurt when Jaguar reads that

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Oh another thing SC,

I would love to see in BCG this:when u cloack,the shields would go off in a few seconds.

Im sorry,i know this isnt the right thread to post this,just a reminder.anyway,i cant wait to have BCG in my hands.is the pre-order avaiable for Europeans ? please say yes

Epsilon5,hehe ...it will be fun reading@usenet in september.i cant wait to see their faces ,or should i say, chars my social life will be off for quite a while (and because of the BCG playing hours)... i fear my girlfriend .what a sissy! WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT? I am a proud BC PLAYER! ... ooops,sorry,gotta go.my GF is watching...

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Brian Rubin's short E3 take is up. Going to be posting these as I become aware of them. If anyone comes across any, be sure to post them here please.

quote:


Originally posted by Epsilon 5:

That's great, and I have the urge to see what the usenet boys will say on that "the BCG showbox was nowhere in sight" , or "everyone was laughing at derek" and stuff like that", just to see how low they can be (I like to laugh at them) ... but nonetheless this is great news!


Does anyone even pay attention to those morons any more?

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quote:


Originally posted by Supreme Cmdr:

Brian Rubin's
short E3 take
is up. Going to be posting these as I become aware of them. If anyone comes across any, be sure to post them here please.

quote:

Originally posted by Epsilon 5:

That's great, and I have the urge to see what the usenet boys will say on that "the BCG showbox was nowhere in sight" , or "everyone was laughing at derek" and stuff like that", just to see how low they can be (I like to laugh at them) ... but nonetheless this is great news!


Does anyone even pay attention to those morons any more?


Possibly as stand up comedians.
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Looks great all around, really looking forward to getting my hands on a copy ASAP!!

I am rather disturbed, however--it would seem that PC games are now officially 'dying'...?

Not that I have anything against consoles, but if I play one more 'port' without mouse control I think I will scream.

Please keep making computer games....wouldnt want AMD to go out of business.

Smokin Bob

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Wow, all I can say that the new pics for BCG look amazing. I especially like the simplified UI. Wasn't so hot for the icons before, but it looks very clean and professional. The graphics in the game are quite stunning and easily stand up to most games in this genre. Good work Derek.

cpaek

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Bad news... i think the PC will die in few years. I am talking about it as videogames reviewer in Italy. We italian reviewers are practically all sure that consoles will really rule the gaming world in the next years. Piracy on the consoles, also, is nothing, compared to the huge piracy on the PC. It's clear that developers and producers at the end will make games only on the consoles. It's the best way to... well, survive. Games piracy killed the PC.

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Well... the E3 show pic with SC, i mean pic2... it's awesome. SC, you are really cool in that pic! Damn... i wasn't able to come there. I can smell the atmosphere. Only a question... why those stupid little speakers??? i would have brought a 300watt hifi system to boost the ships engines sounds and make the show rumble! hehehe

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Guest Remo Williams

I almost went this year since it was only about a two hour drive from my house. Oh well there's always next time. Sure would like to have been there this time though. That way you could of told me to shutup and siddown in person. When I said something stupid. LOL!

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quote:

Originally posted by Commander Elio Jason:

quote:

Originally posted by rvs:

I am rather disturbed, however--it would seem that PC games are now officially 'dying'...?


we have Half Life 2 and Doom 3 comnig up for the PC. that's more than enoguh to keep it alive.

BTW i like the shots!


I have to say I am more of a flight sim, space sim, racing sim kind of gamer. I dont like shoot em ups that much, and the market seems to be headed strongly in that direction.

BattleCruiser Millenium pretty much knocked me on the floor--I wasnt aware simulators of this depth were still being produced in the space genre.

Half Life 2 looks pretty good, and Doom III is a must have for sure, but other than that, I dont let too many FPS games on my system--many of them lack creativity and I honestly grow weary of nothing but shooting and jump puzzles for 10-40 hours. It is a waste of time and processing speed.

It seems many gamers now want thin or no manuals, no learning curve, and pixel shaded bosses so the game is 'cool'.

Some of the games for my 1981 Timex Sinclair ZX81 were more fun than some current 'must haves' that I will not mention. And that was with 16 kilobytes, total, of RAM.

It is sad to see 5-10 times (or more) the processing power of a console sitting on my desk, knowing that many of the sims I have today must last a long time.

Smokin Bob

[ 05-21-2003, 09:37 PM: Message edited by: rvs ]

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console lack the possibility of complex games, either story-wise or gameplay wise. however, as ironic as it seems, there's less and less people that apparantly like complex games. That's why the eye candy is more important to most than anything else. HL2 looks nicer than anything else, but I'd settle for cheaper graphics as long as the story is as great as in the first game.

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