KotOR II Movie/Music Patch Coming Soon

[6 Foot Invisible Rabbit]

No, but it would be nice to see Obsidian and LA support the game they made. If this is the sort of post release support that Obsidian is giving then I am not going to get NWN 2. WHat would be the point?

[Antagonist]

As I understand Obsidian is not in the position to decide whether to to future patches, it must be all green-lighted by LucasArts first. Although such reasons are perfectly understandable Obsidian would earn more sympathy if they wrote that they are really trying hard to get it done and that they would be willing to fund it themselves. I think such a statement would lessen the impression that they just don't care about the product and the fans anymore.

 

At least it seems that they took precauations with NwN by hiring their own QA team.

[Guest MacleodCorp]

Despite my previous posts, I believe the best thing to do is let it go. I wouldn't put too much into anticipating the next patch. Let time pass, and wait and see.

[Mark Havel]

Then the best thing to do is to stop buying LucasArts games, which does not mean stop playing their games.

[Musopticon?]

Do your lives depend on this patch thingie, or why are you moaning after it so precariously?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Precariously?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I love words. They make me feel warm and explody inside.

[6 Foot Invisible Rabbit]

Its their game therefore their responsibility.

[Guest MacleodCorp]

Yeah, someone is responsible, and something should be done. However, I think we shoud move on. If you look at this thread, it has about 15 pages filled with:

 

"Where is the patch?"

"When will the patch be here?"

"Why is the patch not here?"

"ObsidianEnt and Lucas Arts are responsible!"

"I am not going to buy another game from them!"

"I don't think they care!"

"The Patch... The Patch..."

"They don't show support for their products!"

 

When you come to think about it, all it took was one article to stir up the forums. Someone asked, "Wonder why Morgan didn't confirm this on the boards here?". Well, there could be a really good answer:

 

1. They were not expecting to be quoted by GameBanshee.

2. GameBanshee is just trying to start trouble.

3. The article was created to force the patch release.

4. Morgan really did say those things, and Lucas Arts has not come through yet.

 

Yes, I am one of those who complained, but I also recently said, "Lets wait and see!" You never know what is around the corner.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/st...html?from_rss=1

 

http://www.globetechnology.com/servlet/sto...pageRequested=1

 

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/colum...t_id=1000979639

 

http://www.gamebanshee.com/news/static/EEk...EylbOkdFbNo.php

 

http://www.ipetitions.com/campaigns/BioWare_KOTOR_III/

[cal_01]

Troika had the exact same problems with releasing patches for ToEE.

 

We could shift the blame onto the publisher (in this case, Lucasarts), but at least some of the blame must be on Obsidian as a developer. As a developer, the game should have been checked by their own coders before it even went into QA. How can these technical problems been overlooked by their own in-house team? Moreover, as a developer, it is well within their rights to lobby/push their publisher to release patches (or else, move to another publisher). While SW may be the intellectual property of Lucasarts, the code itself should be mostly owned by Obsidian and should give them considerable leverage in any negotiations.

[6 Foot Invisible Rabbit]

They signed with LA therefore it is still their responsibility.

[Mark Havel]

cal_01 said things about the fact Obsidian should have debug a bit their game before sending it to the crappy LucasArts QA.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I do not know much recent games developped in such non realistic 13 months timeframe... They just did not have the time to make real QA nor debug all the game nor finish it fully.

It is sad and the responsability of such waste falls completely to LucasArts who decided to have a sequel in just one year.

[Miltiades]

LA hasn't done a very good job with this game (OE plays a part in this), but mistakes are made. Every company makes mistakes sometimes, and they can learn from there mistakes.

 

Maybe we just expected too much from it, with Kotor being quoted by some "the best SW game ever". It was very difficult to make a game that could be as good, even better than Kotor. They failed, but it wasn't a bad game.

 

LA is trying its best, they're trying to improve themselves, now the only thing left is to improve the community.

 

If LA makes a Kotor III, I will buy it. And I won't hesitate a second. Because the Kotor games are the games that fit with me best.

If LA makes more SW games, I will look at the reviews first before buying it, but I won't keep this "Incident" in mind.

 

Every game has it problems, nothing is perfect

 

LA, stay on the path of light

[Guest MacleodCorp]

LA hasn't done a very good job with this game (OE plays a part in this), but mistakes are made. Every company makes mistakes sometimes, and they can learn from there mistakes.

 

Maybe we just expected too much from it, with Kotor being quoted by some "the best SW game ever". It was very difficult to make a game that could be as good, even better than Kotor. They failed, but it wasn't a bad game.

 

LA is trying its best, they're trying to improve themselves, now the only thing left is to improve the community.

 

If LA makes a Kotor III, I will buy it. And I won't hesitate a second. Because the Kotor games are the games that fit with me best.

If LA makes more SW games, I will look at the reviews first before buying it, but I won't keep this "Incident" in mind.

 

Every game has it problems, nothing is perfect

 

LA, stay on the path of light  

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I don't think we expected too much from Lucas Arts, but I do believe they have given us many new titles over the last year. If you look at their next lineup, and ObsidianEnt's lineups, you have to be impressed. ObsidianEnt. spent twelve months on KotOR II, which is a record breaker. Eventhough the game engine was allready established, they still pulled off leaps and bounds. When I took a course on Electronic Imagining, the students took about four months to pull off a fourty second animation. ObsidianEnt. pulled off an entire game in twelve. Regardless of how the game came out, the animations alone were done in shattering speed. When it comes to the patch, I really think we should turn a blind eye. ObsidianEnt is new to the job, and they have jumped hoops for a publisher. If ObsidianEnt had a little more time, they would have pulled off an awsome glitchless game. Hey, I am waiting for a game patch myself, and ObsidianEnt. has told us its on the way. So, the only other person who could have the patch is Lucas Arts. Plus, the game came out in February, and we got the first patch in March/April. I think that is still some good timing. At that moment, they also said they completed a movie and music patch, but we had to wait on LucasArts. ObsidianEnt knows they are responsible to their fans, and they did something about it. I would be knocking at Lucas Arts' door. ObsidianEnt. has allready heard us, and they have taken steps to answer our call. Our question should be: When is Lucas Arts releasing the game patch?!?!?

[Villain]

This isn't accurate. Obsidian Entertainment may be a new company but many of it's founders are hardly new to game developing. Many are the same guys that did Fallout 2 among other games and Fallout 2 was a great game, but it had game stoping bugs. The final patch released still left the game with many horrible bugs that would render the game unwinable. (Hubologists in San Fransisco anyone?) Then you're talking about this nicely timed first patch LOL, please. The game wasn't even STARTABLE for many people. Go buy a game and it won't even load the first area? Pathetic. But this would be something you could accept if they promptly released a beta patch just for that problem. How long did it take them? Unexceptable. Whoever is to blame.

 

I bought this game because I loved Fallout 2 despite the glitches. It's still my favorite RPG and I have to respect those related. I also loved KOTOR1, but this game, while having HUGE potential is a disgrace. Incomplete ending in addition to the bugs. I've lost some respect for these guys. It's the same technical problems I experienced with Fallout 2. I hope the blame truly is all Lucasart. I would like to think so anyway, but it's hard to anymore when history repeats.

[Guest MacleodCorp]

Since I never played Fall Out, I can't come to their defense on that one. Up until I started to come to this site, I never knew Fall Out existed. If you have any experience in 'Electronic Imaging', then you will know when I say, "Within the time period that they had, they did a fairly decent job." Like I said, I experienced a few 'Electronic Imaging' classes, and the students would take four months to develope 40 seconds of animation. When I heard ObsidianEnt. only took twelve months to create the game, my head started to spin on how fast they worked.

 

As I look back to when the game was released, I have to give them credit for a timely made patch. Some games that need patches never get patches. I am willing to bet that one of the following will occure:

 

1. Release of a patch in the near future.

2. Release of an Expansion Pack. (Since the movies are large, I bet they are working on this one.)

3. Release of a patch right before the announcement of KOTOR III.

 

Some patches are started by a second party, and then they are completed in house. Other words, ObsidianEnt could have started the patch, and Lucas Arts wanted to add more, which then turned it into an 'Expansion Pack'. With the time that has passed, I am willing to bet an 'Expansion Pack' is on its way.

 

Since the movies and sound files are large, the continued list of bugs, and the abscence of a KOTOR III announcement, I think they could be working on an 'Expansion Pack' before they get further along with KotOR III.

[alanschu]

While SW may be the intellectual property of Lucasarts, the code itself should be mostly owned by Obsidian and should give them considerable leverage in any negotiations.

 

Not necessarily. In fact, given the Star Wars name, it's probably not likely.

 

My cousin went to an art school down in Calgary (Southern Alberta), and the classes he was in actually had people from Bioware recruiting new talent for their upcoming game (which was KOTOR). In any case, I guess one of the things mentioned is that the artist had to be willing to part with the rights to their work (which apparently is the only way to get jobs, since they require their portfolio). The reason was that Lucasarts was obtaining the rights to any of the artwork acquired, not Bioware. They also assured that such a thing was unusual, but accepted for the opportunity to work with the SW license.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if the code also is subjected to Lucasarts' domain.

[Miltiades]

Since the movies and sound files are large, the continued list of bugs, and the abscence of a KOTOR III announcement, I think they could be working on an 'Expansion Pack' before they get further along with KotOR III.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Wow, I think that's a little too optimistic. It has to be a wonder that happens. They didn't announce a Expansion Pack, but a Patch.

[BattleCookiee]

In reply to Darth MacLeod:

 

About the 1 year timespan. This isn't true. Let's say some other titles, designed in 1 year, with the old engine and new stuff added in, without a zillion bugs:

GTA III / GTA VC (even a finished storyline!!!)

UT2k3 / UT2k4

 

Timely made patch, eh?

Barely fixed ANY (if it did at all) game-stopping bugs, only a few minors (and mini-game ones)

BUT IT DID INTRODUCE GAME-STOPPING BUGS...

 

How the Hell can LA make stuff for an OE-game? It's not like some people can just add in some stuff without the original designers...,

Ofcourse it is possible, but such thing are HIGLY unlikely...

So NO to the Expension Pack idea

[alanschu]

How the Hell can LA make stuff for an OE-game? It's not like some people can just add in some stuff without the original designers...,

Ofcourse it is possible, but such thing are HIGLY unlikely...

 

Many companies use employees that didn't even work on the initial development for maintenance of software. They do this so the creative talent can move on and work on the next project, rather than wasting time doing maintenance.

 

It's so common, that I would almost say that MOST companies are like this.

 

So NO to the Expension Pack idea

 

If it was an expansion pack, there's literally nothing stopping it from being made from a different developer. Gearbox made the Opposing Force expansion for Valve's Half-Life, and it's even considered one of the best expansions of all time. It's the only expansion I've ever seen get considered for "Game of the Year" given that it's single player story was that in depth and entertaining.

[BattleCookiee]

To alanschu;

 

I am afraid you missed the point I was trying to make.

 

1) Yes, maintance (patches) can be done by other than the designers. I was talking about creating additional content, instead of just fixing the original one...Also for free in a "Bonus Pack"

 

2) Also missed the point here. I was talking about MacLeod's thinking that they the LA QA persons would build themselves a Free Expension pack around the "Movies/Music" patch...

 

Expension packs (sold ones, NOT free) are done often by other companies than the main, some examples:

Yours

Dungeon Siege's Expension pack Legends of Aranna

Return to Castle Wolfenstein Expansion pack Enemy Territory (free, due to scrapped)

[alanschu]

I don't think MacLeod was saying we'd get a free content update.

[BattleCookiee]

Yeah, just found that out by reading the Kotor2 Restoration Project topic...

Isn't very obvious displayed here though.

Anyways, I still don't believe it and explained there why.

 

A Expansion Pack to Fix what should have been in the Original and adds nothing else. Don't make me laugh. If LA dares to bring THAT on the market...

[Musopticon?]

...then what?

[Guest MacleodCorp]

Oh I am sure you will have to pay for the 'Expansion Pack'. $20. I really do think that an 'Expasion Pack' could be n the works. I am going to search around online, and see if I bump into any information.

 

And yeah, I have seen 'Expansion Packs' take six months to a year for release. Not all of them do, but some companies do release an 'Expansion Pack' in a year's time.

[SteveThaiBinh]

An expansion pack would indeed be a good idea, and could be justified by the inclusion of the high-quality movies and music. But:

 

a) Obsidian isn't working on it - they've told us they've passed everything along to LucasArts.

b) LucasArts already quashed the idea of an official 'content patch'.

c) LucasArts has laid off lots of workers, and although it's now hiring again, it probably doesn't have the workforce to do this in-house.

d) It's unusual to leave the announcement of an official expansion pack until so long after a game is published.

e) Kotor 2 sold mainly on the X-Box, and I don't know how you would implement an expansion pack, as the disc was already full with the game proper.

f) There'd be no reason not to announce it, even if it were only in early stages of development.

 

 

The Restoration Project is still our last, best hope.

[reiella]

e) Kotor 2 sold mainly on the X-Box, and I don't know how you would implement an expansion pack, as the disc was already full with the game proper.

f) There'd be no reason not to announce it, even if it were only in early stages of development.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Well, for e, most likly they'd just resell the game bundled with the expansion. As to how to fit... They would probably be forced to dual-layer the disc, which will suck dingos for the thomson drives. However, given how close the 360 is to release, I really doubt we'll see much interest or caring for developers to put significnat funds into a release.

 

We're more likly to see a "Remastered" version come out this holiday season for the 360 with the High Quality movies etacayada.

 

For f, hopefully companies learn eventually not to start the hype machine too soon.