alanschu

But isn't that infringing on his free speech? He's just expressing an idea isn't he? (this is a serious question, not poking fun).

It was just that you mention that they have 3 games, but "bet" there's likely another one out there. Well duh, Bioware themselves stated it in the link themselves. Given the response when asked about it shortly after acquiring the Unreal Engine, if I had to predict if it would be a FPS or not I'd choose FPS.

So? I didn't even know it was a D&D game until I played it. I just heard it was a good game. Given the sales of Baldur's Gate compared to other D&D games, I think it appealed to more than just the D&D crowd. Jade Empire was also a game that was actually marketted. It was also on a gaming console, which is a much more proven seller than a PC is for gaming (hence the giant shift of PC developers now making console games). In fact, when you put it like that, the 500k seems less impressive. Bioware was able to make a new game with zero reputation (and a handful of programmers), and successfully sell it on the "dying" PC game platform. Then, after a few multimillion sellers, they release a game that, despite having a near flawless reputation for quality and infinite more name recognition and marketting power (ala Microsoft), they only exceed their first game by 300k? Ouch.

Since I never addressed your first post: The link you specify specifically states that they have 4 development teams. As for the FPS RPG, Bioware's own response was "It's inevitable." As for the Bioware comment, they might be happy. But all that is moot if Microsoft isn't happy. Unfortunately they couldn't be bothered to comment.

I'm not talking about being optimistic that people are happy or whatnot. I guess I should have phrased it more of the lines that you have more belief in free will than I do (as in the entity Free Will, as to the extent at which it exists). I was disappointed you didn't address anything else brought up in my post though.

Baldur's Gate wasn't even Baldur's Gate until Baldur's Gate got released. I don't know how much of a draw games like BG and NWN are for being a D&D world. I don't play D&D but I really liked Baldur's Gate, it's sequel, and Neverwinter Nights. Are you saying that Baldur's Gate sold as much as it did because it was in an "established" (i.e. cult favourite) game setting? If that's the case, then I don't think you give Bioware enough credit then.

Didn't Feargus also say PS:T sold well?

Not knowing where the line specifically should be drawn doesn't mean that one cannot think that there should be one drawn. I don't know where the line should be drawn, but I don't think someone should be allowed to perpetually follow someone around stating their intentions for killing them. Even if he doesn't act out on it, the psychological affects alone can be unnerving to the victim. I also think you're more optimistic about free will than myself, so that could also explain a lot.

Classic baiting. Reported.

I can't think of anything that I'm not allowed to say in Canada. And while I can't draw the line of where free speech should be capped, but is absolute free speech better? If that was the case, is there nothing I can do to stop someone that follows me around annoying the crap out of me? What if I'm being stalked, but not attacked violently? If someone continuously walks up to me telling me that they're going to kill me, under absolute free speech would this be allowed? I dunno. Absolute is a very all encompassing word. Having said that, even in America, if I walk into the White House screaming "I'm going to kill the president!" I doubt that nothing gets done about it.

Why wouldn't they? They've had great sellers before. I doubt they went into the development of Jade Empire thinking they only wanted to release a smaller title. MDK 2 would fit that bill. Enlighten us.

As you say, history is written by the winners of wars.

Where's the proof that the game IS financially successful? It's all just speculation. Harking on sales numbers doesn't mean anything anyways. If I had a billion dollars to burn I could make the most uber-high production value game in the entire world, going 9 digits in cost. If I sell 500,000 units, it's most definitely a failure financially, assuming it sells fo the standard price of a game. Proof is in the pudding anyways.

Wow, I feel smarter having clicked on that link.

I really enjoyed MDK 2.

I think you're the first person I've seen that thinks the PC has a larger installed base of gamers. The reason why PC gaming is "dying" is because they don't generally sell as well. The console market is much larger, as there's no ambiguity about the demographic. People that own a console own it to play games. Just because someone owns a PC doesn't mean they play games. Heck, you don't even know if that PC even CAN play a game like NWN. Sales for consoles (even single platform) tend to outstrip all but the most successful PC games.

My roommate said that there are 78 Oiler games televised this year.

500,000 is probably being considered "bad" because it's a high profile Bioware game. I have no idea if the game did or did not make a profit [yet], but going 500,000 x $50 = $25,000,000 doesn't work either, given that the stores that sell the game make profits as well. I wonder how much of the $50 goes to Bioware and covers development costs. I have heard of game development costs getting as high as $20,000,000 but I don't know if Jade Empire was one of those games. In any case, 500,000 is probably a "failure" like Jim Carrey's Cable Guy was a failure, in that it didn't bring in as much money as the previous work done, and was probably expected to do so. I wonder if it would have done better if it was released for the PC as well....given that there's a lot of PC users that get almost any Bioware game (probably including myself).

I have tons of school preparations, not to mention I've been in huge crunch time with my Research internship. It wasn't that the length of the game got me. In the end I should not have accepted the agreement to shorten the turn length. I did anticipate the game to take weeks. What I did not anticipate was the couple of solid days where I did not even have time to even check my email because of all the running around I was doing. I also quit OBS-5, which hadn't even really started yet.

Smoking is probably one of the few (or maybe only?) deal breaker for me in a relationship. But it's not that I'm passing judgement on the person. Cigarette smoke (and also Marijuana smoke and cigar smoke) make me feel nauseous, and for the most part is just not a pleasant experience for me. As a result, I would not be enjoying myself as much as I could in a relationship, which is a waste of both of our times. And I'm not going to give someone an ultimatum about how they need to quit smoking if they want to be in a relationship with me.

There's a chat recording with Kevin Lowe at the Oilers homepage. Sounds like they have a verbal agreement for a one year deal, in case they can't get the figures down for a multi-year deal by the time training camp starts.

Heh, I wasn't expecting mass abdications! I'll admit that my lack of turn did affect my decision, as I'd be playing the rest of the game going "if only." However, I'd also rather not play the game simply by doing "preliminary moves" at the beginning of every turn, and not getting a chance to get in much discussion or actual diplomacy. I don't mind the game, and it was a joy discussing ideas with jags. Consider yourself lucky Meta. Jags knows why!

I noticed that!

My spot is vacant. No time to play. Sorry guys.

Hah! I had all my moves planned out, and just forgot to submit them, but I'm too busy to continue playing anyways. Sorry guys. Guess I shouldn't have agreed to the shorter turn adjucation time period. Too bad too. I had a triple attack into Venice, with the attacking army from the Adriatic Sea planned too. If it's possible to officially give my land to someone, then I'd give it to Russia I guess. Anyways, see you guys around.