release update from chantz on IGMOO

[drsparnum]

It matters

From Matt: drs: Does it really matter how long it was known? If not for the e-mail campaign, they wouldnt have even "confirmed" the 25th date. So it would seem that it at least had SOME effect.
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Sorry that I don't know how to use the cool quote feature. Does it matter, like will it change my life? Will I be doing something different 10 years from now because I knew the exact release date two weeks earlier? No. The reviews are good and for me that is the most important thing - always better to wait longer for a good game then get a bad one early in my opinion. I'm sure once I get the game I will love it like I loved MOO2.

However, I still think it matters in a way. Kind of like when you are waiting for someone to pick you up and they are late. So, you look out the window for their car every five minutes for like 45 minutes until they get there. The whole time you are getting really annoyed and wonder why they didn't just call so you don't keep looking out the window with your thumb up your a**. Finally, they come and you forget all about it in five minutes.

Same deal. Once IG/QS knew it wouldn't make it until 2/25 (which I think technically means 2/26) then why not just come forward and tell us on the boards so sick people like me who check it 3 times a day don't keep looking for it. It seems like they wouldn't have told us WTHOUT the email campaign, and that is my main complaint. It is just a little annoyance, which when compounded with the ridiculous amount of time to get the game from gold to stores becomes a big annoyance.

It seems like IG/QS put alot of points into research to make a good game but kind of dropped the ball in regards to manufacturing/production. Or they have some conspiracy type deal going on. I normally am the first to discard conspiracy's. I assumed that production was delayed and then they can't start selling it when all major retailers do not have the game yet - which makes sense to be fair to the retailers. I would normally discard conspiracy theories because in my opinon why delay release - I don't think it makes you more money? 1. Why annoy your most loyal fans needlessly?
2. Money now is worth more then money later so get the game out ASAP.
3. Spacing it from Unreal 2 is not that big a deal because I don't think there are as many people who like both those games. They should have beat Command and Conquer out though, but it is too late for that!

But this post in here by Rantz makes me wonder, maybe there is a C-O-N-spiracy going on.....but I still can't see any good reason to delay the release needlessly and I think I am a decently smart guy. Maybe I am wrong about that too. Sorry about a long winded semi-trolling message that just complains and doesn't really discuss.

[rhofman]

Don't be sorry. I have no doubts that it was a marketing decision. If you have any desire to know how a marketing department works read a few Dilbert comic strips. They are quiet accurate.

Seriously, somebody at IG probably decided that they did not want their games to compete with each other. Forget the fact that the markets of first person shooter (Unreal 2) and TBS (MOO3) have little crossover. The other aspect they over looked was releasing the better game first. Everyone raves about MOO3 IG may get some good will even though they have little to do with developing the titles.

My mini conspiracy.

[Magus Flynn]

For most of last year I lurked in the IG forum and one thread that has stuck in my mind is one that had to do with allowing fans in to the game development process.

While this is not new in the gaming world per se, it may have been a new experience for QS. I remember waiting for XCom - Interceptor. I was unemployed that summer and could not afford Internet access. Whether there were pre-release forums I don't know. I do know that I checked in at EB whenever I was in the mall but my eyes were not glued to a forum index hoping that in the next minute a gold announcement would be made.

Replies to that thread, as I recall, indicated that while this may have been the case for QS, by letting fans into the process to such an extent was a beast of their own making.

I, for one, am patient enough to allow others to make mistakes because I know that I have made one or two in my life. A lot of useful information has been shared in these forums over the past year, but there has also been much abuse (of people and the system). It is only now with release date a few days in the future that I have decided to join this forum as I want to participate in the sharing of strategy, game experience, etc. I doubt that I will ever devote so much of my time to a game in development as I did with this one - seems like a petty use of my time and energy given the more critical events happening in our world.

[viciouscycle]

The tech support page for MOO3 is now up at IG.

I visited EB, Best Buy, and Wal-Mart here this afternoon and asked whether or not they had the game in stock, when it was shipping, and when it would be on the shelf. All three merchants said that they did not have the game in stock, the game would probably ship 2/24 or 2/25 and the game would be on the shelves and available for purchase on 2/26.

[drsparnum]

Circuit City

I went to Circuit City and asked. They conceded they had it in the back but the guy still would not sell it to me. He said it would be out on Tuesday. Thats not totally accurate. I asked will it be out on Tuesday and he said yes. Maybe I put words in his mouth and he just agreed. Still I am planning to go there on Tuesday and raise a stink claiming they said it would be out on Tuesday.

Kind of like: What size fries would you like with that?

'stead of: Would you like fries with that?

[drsparnum]

Tech Support

I decided I needed some tech support on MOO3. Here is what I sent 'em:

I went to install the game in my CD Drive but the game wouldn't install. I opened my CDR drive and quickly noticed, I couldn't see a MOO3 disc in there. With the many other games I have installed I was able to see them all, at least when the drive was open (not when it is closed, I don't have x-ray vision or anything). At first I thought the game might just be in there and invisible for some reason. However, I decided to investigate a little further and realized I would at least be able to feel the game if I touched the CD-R drive where the game should be. So that wasn't the problem. I mean in order for the laser in my CD-R drive to read those little bumps and grooves that make up the bits and bytes the disc has to be made of matter (http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/cd.htm). Well, unless the psilons came up with something better. If it was made of matter I would be able to feel it. At least that is how it has worked with me and matter in the past. Maybe this is an exception but I doubt it. I think the most likely possibility for my inability to install the game is that I don't own it yet. The reason I don't own the game is a big mystery to me since it went gold a month ago and I have never heard of a game taking a month to go from shelves to gold. Plus, it is just sitting in the retailers back room instead of on the store shelves were I could buy it. I mean you guys want my $50 right? Maybe the problem isn't the game but that Infogrames doesn't want my $50. Do you want my $50?

[booje]

I aksed my local retailer and he said they didn't have it yet and if they did have it they would put it right out on the shelf for sale. He said they could care less what any company said. Of course, they are a small retailer and have been known not to get shipments on time.

[Cedayon]

Re: Tech Support

Originally posted by drsparnum
I decided I needed some tech support on MOO3. Here is what I sent 'em:

I went to install the game in my CD Drive but the game wouldn't install. I opened my CDR drive and quickly noticed, I couldn't see a MOO3 disc in there. With the many other games I have installed I was able to see them all, at least when the drive was open (not when it is closed, I don't have x-ray vision or anything). At first I thought the game might just be in there and invisible for some reason. However, I decided to investigate a little further and realized I would at least be able to feel the game if I touched the CD-R drive where the game should be. So that wasn't the problem. I mean in order for the laser in my CD-R drive to read those little bumps and grooves that make up the bits and bytes the disc has to be made of matter (http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/cd.htm). Well, unless the psilons came up with something better. If it was made of matter I would be able to feel it. At least that is how it has worked with me and matter in the past. Maybe this is an exception but I doubt it. I think the most likely possibility for my inability to install the game is that I don't own it yet. The reason I don't own the game is a big mystery to me since it went gold a month ago and I have never heard of a game taking a month to go from shelves to gold. Plus, it is just sitting in the retailers back room instead of on the store shelves were I could buy it. I mean you guys want my $50 right? Maybe the problem isn't the game but that Infogrames doesn't want my $50. Do you want my $50?

vindicating, thank you

[kalbear]

That's hilarious. Thanks.