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UC Dev Status - Ship it or give it another month?


Supreme Cmdr
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hmm...DC have clearly been sniffing some mind warping substances. (I presume some publisher bashing can pass now)

This situation has gone crazy! DC know you hold all the keys to UC, you control it.

It seems like they are trying to force you into something you cannot do. They are going to shoot themselves in the foot big time if they release UC as is.

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What reason are DC giving for rushing this out ? They must have at least one (valid or not). I don't see how it can be loss of revenue. The hard core gamers will buy it when it comes out ... and the soft core ones are most probably not gonna buy it over the high profile meg advertised ones anyway. I have no doubt UC will appeal to a wider audience. But I think that audience will still be savvy in the ways of PC Gaming.

Why cause all this aggravation for themselves (and SC) when they don't *seem* to stand to lose anything by shipping later. It's not like they blitzed the media with full page ads promising a date, now is it?

I have been waiting patiently ... I can wait another month or more.

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Heh...this gives me a chuckle.

They're at our Supreme Commander's mercy.

for covering your bases like that.

The way I see it, releasing it now would be pointless; no one wants to shop NOW. The game would only catch the LAST last minute shoppers, and they would go for what's in the big ads in their rushing. Instead of them lumping futile pressure on you, I say they should use this time to advertise ( *waves hand* everyone will agree on this point). Even IF it got out before Christmas --completely bugless, too-- your average shopper is attracted by the big ads. Case-in-point, lots of DX2s under the tree, even though it's rubbish in the DX name. But no matter when UC is released, we will rush out to buy it. In turn, we will spread the word. I've already stored away the cash necessary to purchase this. I'm hard at work on converting my "friends." (bunch o' Counterstrike punks...)

Any "valid" reason any person could give for getting it out now is rubbish; an ill-conceived product of greed. The way I see it, there is more money to be made from a game that WON'T be returned. Geez...common sense, I think.

--RANTY MODE: Disabled---

In short, screw 'em; wait until it's perfect. That's what I do: NEVER let the product out until it is at least 97% perfect.

It seems this whole "Industry's Dance" is move and counter-move. Like chess and poker rolled into one nasty combination.

Just A Thought:I have a feeling that a chess match between you and them would be sorta one-sided.

There ya go, my first post contains valid thoughts, a semi-obscure reference to Star Wars, a couple big words AND some good ol' fashioned boot-licking, to boot...heh.

...there's no rule against being a suck-up that I didn't notice, is there?

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This is a very disappointing situation. Trying to get a game into replication, in the boxes, and on the shelves in 4 days is near impossible. Aside from putting a game that won't work in a few weeks on the shelves will seriously damage DC's rep. I find it somewhat ironic that the SC's sig is amusing, and yet true at the same time. At least the SC has gotten pretty good at navigating said mine-field.

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If DC do release, and you're dragged through the shit because of it, I'll stand up for you where ever I hear u critised. So will everyone else on this forum.

I would personally prefer to have the game asap, and wait for a patch.. as opposed to waiting until it's bug free (as the bugs seem minor)

But reading this thread, DC are totally up themselves. I'm sure all Publishers are similar, but doesn't it just get on your tits?!

Half of me say's 'screw em' the other half says 'life's too short'

Either way, SC, you have my respect. You stand up for what u believe in.. and that's worth something to me.

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quote:

Originally posted by Grizzle:

Please keep us posted on this Derek. I fear I may need to cancel my pre-order if they actually do ship it. I don't want to pay for a piece of useless software.

Universal Combat was the first game I ever pre-ordered over the Net. If it gets here in Beta format, I'll frame it and hang it on the wall as a collector's item. And as a reminder to always do my shopping at Wal-Mart.

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I mean come on!!

Can we get real here?

The game would go into replication on Monday, ship on Tuesday, maybe SOME units would be sold on Wednesday, and then the Christmas rush is over, besides all the returns between Christmas and New Years.

So DC needs to chill out, advertise the F out of the game and then release it first quarter when it is ready.

The amounts of units sold between Christmas eve and New Years will be nil, and all they will end up doing is screwing themselves.

What a pain in the behind, I am so glad that I am NOT you SC,to put up with this crap *snip*

[ 12-21-2003, 06:20 AM: Message edited by: Supreme Cmdr ]

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Frankly i voted "i don't care" 'cause i figured

if Derek's gonna ship it, it probably doesn't have any fatal bugs. They ,Derek and DC agreed, to ship UC that state.

However DC decided that the're gonna release the game and i think the're not the experts on UC.

Why shouldn't they wait a few weeks the're not many games like this anyway. I still remember Hasbro and Gunship! i was really looking forward to this title.

My order still stands but maybe i'll need to buy from 3000AD directly or something.

[ 12-21-2003, 10:29 AM: Message edited by: Mano Faber ]

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For those who cannot read the poll results (you have to be registered), as of now, they are as follows

code:


31% (27) - voted to ship it

62% (53) - voted to give it another month

7% (6) - don't care either way


Bear in mind that most voted before DC made it known that they intended to ship the RC1 build, instead of the RC2 build. I mention this because I'm quite sure that the 27 people who voted OK, probably wouldn't have done so had they known this before hand. It would be like paying $40+ for a crippled demo. Since I have NO intentions of patching it, if they do in fact ship it, thats all its going to be, an expensive demo.

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quote:


Originally posted by Alacard:

I'm kinda tired but....

Does this mean if we pre-ordered we're SOL?


Dunno. But until we know for a fact tomorrow that they did in fact replicate the RC1 build, we won't know for sure.

The way I see it, if they have in fact replicated RC1, since I have no intentions of patching it, the only way they'd be able to remedy it, is to ship out replacement RC2 CDs. And of course, given what has happened now, they're not getting the RC2 build from me until the attorneys sort this mess out. Because if I do it now - after they advised yesterday 1:15PM that they were going to replicated the RC1 build - and they get both RC1 and RC2, they'll probably find a way to make me pay (through royalty deductions) for the replacement CDs. Until this is cleared up in a contractual amendment, I'm not giving them the RC2 build. Period.

So, once I get final word tomorrow, I will let everyone know. You can then make your own decisions from that point on.

I simply cannot understand this and I have no idea what they hope to achieve by shoving the RC1 build into the channel. I simply do not get it.

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I'm one of the 27 who voted yes. But that yes was to a ready to go production GM replica with YOUR approval SC. Not some pre-release DRM'd version, as you say, an expensive demo.

I only said yes becaue as a free software developer in my spare time i'm used to coping with the odd bug or two and know that patches can find practically anything. I like to play around with software ASAP and wait for patches in the meantime.

Peter

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The date change for the various online stores does not have a coralation to the publishers.

Last week Amazon changed the shipping date to 1/30/04, and this was before the DC issue accured.

I think DC realizes they are screwed cause all of there "big games" want to wait until Q1 04 to release (so they'll have a better game) but because of this they are a bad position, and i think unluckily Derek happened to be the last one to notifiy them (as he said Painkiller had already announced that they wouldn't be releasing in time) theat his game would have to be delayed.

Personally i voted for ship now, but that was only when i assumed we would get a full version, and then derek would send out the patch after he returned from vactaion. Not that DC would release a DRM version.

I don't understand why they wouldn't wait until Q1 04, i mean, its after christmas, people ahve money from kids getting it at christmas, to adults getting a christmas bonus, that would be a good time to release. I don't know what they are thinking, now they are just going to be held up even more, and have an unhappy repour.

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I can suppose their attitude is a capitalist blind one like people who don't see what is faraway than their nose end.

They problably think " it's christmas ! this game MUST be released before christmas ! "

All of that without ever thinking at the consequences...pffff, marketing it's pure marketing crap: sell the faster as possible, the game finished or not but before christmas !

I hate this way of thinking it's so primary...

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quote:

Originally posted by netshaman:

I can suppose their attitude is a capitalist blind one like people who don't see what is faraway than their nose end.

They problably think " it's christmas ! this game MUST be released before christmas ! "

All of that without ever thinking at the consequences...pffff, marketing it's pure marketing crap: sell the faster as possible, the game finished or not but before christmas !

I hate this way of thinking it's so primary...

There has always been this antagonism between Puplisher and Developer. It's not unique to the SC and DC issue. Publishers have this magical vision about the holiday season. Where this vision might be valid for say platform style games oozing with jumping puzzles and such, this stance does not apply to this style of game. UC will sell any season. I myself don't buy games based on the season but whenever they are released and are good. What do these publishers think that gamers wait around for the holiday season to buy their games?! Case in point into the Developer and Publisher issue look what

happened to the developer of the new Crimson Sky game in development the microsoft execs fired the entire team because they felt the game was not going in the right direction and most importantly, which I felt was the real reason, because they would not make the 2003 christmas season. So they were punished for this. So what happened a 2004 release date anyway. People have short term memories look at the first half Life that was delayed for a year and look at the big hit it has become that didn't hurt sales one bit. Look at the delay of Doom 3 and Half life 2. Do you think people aren't going to buy these games because of the extended wait and that it's not christmas?

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hehe....right you are about platform games loaded with puzzles. The majority of christmas purchases are going to be by mothers and fathers getting the most talked about (and probably most violent) console and pc games to put under the tree for christmas.

If DC had been hyping UC with a HUGE ad campaign for 6 months with a promised christmas release then they MAY and I mean MAY have some cause for concern. I find it incredulous that they are being this way over a release delay firstly caused by them (the re naming etc) and then by the SC's dedication to releasing a quality product (which is quite right!).

The way I see it DC should be giving the SC a big fat bonus for his efforts in producing a title this quickly, not kicking up a crap storm!

It's total insanity!!

Peter

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quote:

Originally posted by Alacard:

So.... should those of us that have pre-ordered cancel it?

You probably can't answer that question...

I appreciate your honesty and candor.

Is it just me or does it seem that DC want's SC to fail for some strange reason? Just a thought...

Why cancel it? You know it will and I emphasis the will come out just not for the holidays. Big whoop. If I had pre-ordered Half Life 2 or Doom 3, I would not cancel the pre-order just because of the rescheduled release date(s). I know they will come out and I would not have to worry about ordering it. As to your last question, nah, as much as SC is single mindedly concentrating on finishing UC DC is just as single mindedly concentrating on this magical holiday release date. All my bets are always with the developer and not the publisher. Case in point look at the T3 game for the PC or ConsoleT3: War of the machines. If that was ever the case of rushing a product out the door before it was polished graphicaly, AI and game wise just for a holiday release, I don't know what is. Just think of all the suckers that are going to buy that game as christmas presents just because of the T3 name alone and not bothering to check the reviews for the game. Which is a shame because I thought it would be just like Skynet from bethesda which is an excellent game although dated by todays standards. Trust SC he's the one behind the machine of the game and knows more than anyone if it should go out or not. Not DC they are only thinking with their pockets and not the gamer. And no this is not Publisher bashing just the facts on how publishers work.

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