disaster at amazon.com

[PDifolco]

60 people at Amazon, 50 don't like
100 people at the poll just here, (rather a fanboy base !) more than 50 don't like ...
I think there's a problem ....

[booje]

Errr...guys the developers didn't even WANT to call it MOO3. Infrogrames told them to use it for marketing purposes.

[darcy]

UGO: When did you realize Quicksilver would be able to get the rights to and develop the next in the Master of Orion series? How did you feel when it was a fait accompli?

William C. Fisher: Actually, that was the easiest part of the process. I literally bumped into a producer from MicroProse, Michael Mancuso, at E3 in June of 1999. My business development manager stopped to introduce us and then ran off to a meeting. Mike and I talked for a while, realized that we had a lot in common, and the next thing I knew he was flying down to visit us. A few weeks later, they offered us four possible titles, including both Master of Magic and Master of Orion. Since Master of Magic was being done in-house at that time, we were perfectly happy to choose MOO3.

Needless to say, we were thrilled at the opportunity to update a franchise like this, and we immediately launched a vigorous design effort.

http://www.ugo.com/channels/games/features/moo3/interview.asp

[Ray K]

Originally posted by booje
Errr...guys the developers didn't even WANT to call it MOO3. Infrogrames told them to use it for marketing purposes.

Errr... where did you hear that?

[Grumbold]

Originally posted by PDifolco
60 people at Amazon, 50 don't like
100 people at the poll just here, (rather a fanboy base !) more than 50 don't like ...
I think there's a problem ....

We know that it isn't to everyone's taste but 200 votes out of the tens of thousands of units shipped simply isn't a large enough sample to get any kind of serious feeling for the popularity of the game.

The people most likely to vote on all these websites are those who feel bitterly let down so post a minimum score and those who feel obliged to retaliate by voting high. MOO3 isn't deserving of either a minimum or maximum score. Personally I'm not going to vote for it anywhere until the patch/es arrive.

[vee4473]

Originally posted by booje
Errr...guys the developers didn't even WANT to call it MOO3. Infrogrames told them to use it for marketing purposes.

Now that's an interesting comment.




Please explain....

[Ray K]

Originally posted by Grumbold
We know that it isn't to everyone's taste but 200 votes out of the tens of thousands of units shipped simply isn't a large enough sample to get any kind of serious feeling for the popularity of the game.

Are you familiar with the concept of statistical sampling? 200 can certainly by a very relevant sampling.

The people most likely to vote on all these websites are those who feel bitterly let down so post a minimum score and those who feel obliged to retaliate by voting high. MOO3 isn't deserving of either a minimum or maximum score. Personally I'm not going to vote for it anywhere until the patch/es arrive.

This is very true; the amazon ratings could be a biased sample. However this would mean that other games are also skewed negatively for the same reasons...

Fortunately, this is very easy to check. Here are the 10 most recent amazon ratings for new games off the top of my head:

MOO3: 4321112112 = avg 1.8
NWN: 124155555 = avg 3.3
IcewindDale2: 5235525355 = avg 4.0
DungeonSiege: 5545312345 = avg 3.7
WC3: 4555555544 = avg 4.7

I think this disproves your disgruntled gamer theory.

[Arnelos]

NWN nights and certainly Dungeon Siege deserved far worse and WC3 deserved far better...

Oh well...

[Ray K]

Originally posted by Arnelos
NWN nights and certainly Dungeon Siege deserved far worse and WC3 deserved far better...

Oh well...

I just grabbed the 10 most recent votes (for speed). I didn't even look at the overall rating. I was surprised to see 1's for NWN, myself.

[Crostoneman]

I think there some trolls with multiple accounts that blast the game as much as they can. I found one on the Gamespy MoO3 player review and there were around 10 first time posters, all with the same spelling mistakes.

[Ianpolaris]

Crostoneman,

1. That could be true of any game.

2. Those that are rabidly "pro" Moo III could be doing the same thing.

My point is that your explaination for the low numbers seems a trifle far fetched. It might have some impact down (or up! see my second point), but I don't think it is a good overall explaination. A better one, IMHO, is that Moo III as written is sadly substandard (putting it kindly).

-Polaris

[Vince278]

Re: disaster at amazon.com

Originally posted by Ray K
I would especially like to thank QuickSilver for completely screwing up one of the greatest name brands in the PC game history.

Possibly true but still a bit harsh.

[CharlesBHoff]

I like this game as it is realy than groundbreaking game which have some teeching problens. When the first personal
computer came out there some teeching problen with the hardware and operation system. I than talking about the Apple computer (not the MAC but the first they release to the public).

[Kc7mxo]

whats wrong with NWN? I mean besides the lack of cloaks, robes, an interesting single player storyline. . .

oh. forget it.

i still liked it though. . . it let me be a dwarf with a gigantic ax, which is about all i ask from a game.

[moomin]

I'd be very interested in knowing how Moo3 sales develop. Being the principal gamer of my social group, I have personally prevented at least five people from buying this turkey, and I hear similar stories elsewhere.

I put in my hours, I tried, but nothing can make Moo3 fun for me - unless, of course, they release a patch that amounts to a new game. Given how they lied to us about the developement project - honest, we're sitting on the game to fix the last teeny-weeny bugs, because we want it to be perfect: yeah right! - I guess I could say I have absolutely no confidence in the QS or their 25 selected yes men - I guess non of these guys actually noticed the AI doesn't fight back?