2 replies to this topic

[Supreme Cmdr]

Turner's exclusive period for the deployment of Galactic Command - Echo Squad on GameTap, ended on 12-06-07. What does this mean exactly?

It means...

You will probably still be able to play/purchase the game via GameTap once they have it on their relevant pages.

We [3000AD, Inc] can now release the title through other mediums (e.g. boxed retail, digital distribution). But I have no plans to do that at this time.

Why?

Because Talon Elite, the second title in the series - and a far more superior one in many aspects - is due out around the end of March 2008. And it is on track. That puts both titles too close together. Especially when you take into account the logistics involved with deploying new titles into retail (like we did with UCCE through Take 2) and even via digital distribution (contracts have to be signed, the title protected using specific DRMs etc).

Also, releasing Echo Squad will, quite possibly impact Talon Elite I think. I don't intend to push Talon Elite into another quarter, unless of course I go ahead and release both the PC and XB360 version at the same time (Holidays 2008). This will give any Echo Squad release, some breathing room.

One idea I had was to (1) upgrade Echo Squad to use the more advanced Talon Elite [space] graphics engine, but not upgrade it to use the all-new 3D assets (2) release it via digital distribution only at a low price point of $19.99.

However, though Echo Squad is 100% completed (since earlier this year), doing the graphics engine upgrade will take upwards of a month, all by itself. Plus, even though Echo Squad is space based and with only three planet based missions (in a scenario storyline), it still uses revised versions of the Planetary Terrain Engine Spec IV (PTE4) which, while slightly more advanced than the version in UCCE, is still nowhere near the all-new-from-the-ground-up PTE5 used in Talon Elite. Does this even matter? It depends.

Anyway, even though sitting on - and not releasing - a multi-million dollar title is enough to make a grown man choke, a final decision has not yet been made. And given the upcoming holidays, I probably won't make any decisions about this until the New Year.

[Supreme Cmdr]

Saw this forum post today in which some tools were talking crap about Echo Squad not being on GameTap. Rick Sanchez (aka rickzilla) VP of content and the exec who signed our games on the service, posted a comment addressing it.

Some people just don't understand how business works but yet, they're quick to start making foolish and unwarranted speculations.

[weegee_101]

Supreme Cmdr, on Jan 17 2008, 05:14 PM, said:

Saw this forum post today in which some tools were talking crap about Echo Squad not being on GameTap. Rick Sanchez (aka rickzilla) VP of content and the exec who signed our games on the service, posted a comment addressing it.

Some people just don't understand how business works but yet, they're quick to start making foolish and unwarranted speculations.

Yeah. At least that Sanchez guy stood by you on their own turf, not like those Dreamcatcher pricks from a couple years back. I'm actually looking forward to the non GameTap release of the first GalCom.