Atari Pulls Plug On Nwn1?

[aries101]

HI

 

As I'm sorry as the next chap to hear about Ataris (and hereby Obsidian's) trouble financially, it does not come as a very big surprise to me.

 

When Infogrames and Atari fusioned and the D&D License went to Infogrames/Atari, I suscpected it could well end this way. Why ? Because, IMHO, infogrames and atari today are more it in for the money than in it (the gaming industri) in order to make decent games.

 

When, and if a company (any company, not just a game company) needs to ship a title at a precise date in order to not go chapter 11 - then something is very wrong. The same can be said for the fact that a company fusions with other companies or lays off loads a peoole in order to get black number on the bottom line. [black numbers meaning a profit].

 

Of course, I'm not blind to the fact that companies, including, gaming companies, shold make money. But the reason (or why) they has to make money, just shouldn't be for the sake of making money - the main reason, should be, IMHO, that the company wants to make good games (or rpgs) for the gaming comminuty.

 

And you what: People are not (that) stupid: They can easily see through all the hype, all the commercialism, all the xx and yy that a game company uses to sell their product (game). And if a game isn't up to their expectations or is too easy or isn't good enough

in playablity - people simply won't buy the product.

 

And this the game companies simply have to realize - people play computergames not to fill the gamecompanys hunger for money - but simply because they ave fun playing them.

And it brings them hope, comfort, joy and they are feeling something when they play i.e. rpgs. They want to suffer with ther main character, feel saddened as the PC does when a

a comrade dies in combat, and they want, at least in their fantasy, to know, that they have helped this world to be a better place - by doing the quests in the game, both the main quest and the side side quests. [i mean, you feel good when you have found a way to release prisoners from slavery etc. etc].

 

This is want I want to see in a good (rpg) game. And ridable horses, compas, fast travel,

etc. etc. aren't something's that bothering me - if they aren't in the game.

 

What I care about is the gameplay, the main quests and the side quests beeing welll done and well written - and maybe not something you haven't seen so far.

 

And just this is what, Bioware, DLA, and Obsidian does.

 

bye

[alanschu]

And you what: People are not (that) stupid: They can easily see through all the hype, all the commercialism, all the xx and yy that a game company uses to sell their product (game). And if a game isn't up to their expectations or is too easy or isn't good enough in playablity - people simply won't buy the product.

 

I disagree.

[Hassat Hunter]

I disagree.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Ahum

 

since people won't buy ****.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Consistent, Alanschu... VERY consistent...

[Dhruin]

And you what: People are not (that) stupid: They can easily see through all the hype, all the commercialism, all the xx and yy that a game company uses to sell their product (game). And if a game isn't up to their expectations or is too easy or isn't good enough in playablity - people simply won't buy the product.

 

Nonsense. People can be swayed to buy by hype, marketing, license...all sorrts of things not related to the quality.

[Llyranor]

HI

 

As I'm sorry as the next chap to hear about Ataris (and hereby Obsidian's) trouble financially, it does not come as a very big surprise to me.

 

When Infogrames and Atari fusioned and the D&D License went to Infogrames/Atari, I suscpected it could well end this way. Why ? Because, IMHO, infogrames and atari today are more it in for the money than in it (the gaming industri) in order to make decent games.

 

When, and if a company (any company, not just a game company) needs to ship a title at a precise date in order to not go chapter 11 - then something is very wrong. The same can be said for the fact that a company fusions with other companies or lays off loads a peoole in order to get black number on the bottom line. [black numbers meaning a profit].

 

Of course, I'm not blind to the fact that companies, including, gaming companies, shold make money. But the reason (or why) they has to make money, just shouldn't be for the sake of making money - the main reason, should be, IMHO, that the company wants to make good games (or rpgs) for the gaming comminuty.

 

And you what: People are not (that) stupid: They can easily see through all the hype, all the commercialism, all the xx and yy that a game company uses to sell their product (game). And if a game isn't up to their expectations or is too easy or isn't good enough

in playablity - people simply won't buy the product.

 

And this the game companies simply have to realize - people play computergames not to fill the gamecompanys hunger for money - but simply because they ave fun playing them.

And it brings them hope, comfort, joy and they are feeling something when they play i.e. rpgs. They want to suffer with ther main character, feel saddened as the PC does when a

a comrade dies in combat, and they want, at least in their fantasy, to know, that they have helped this world to be a better place - by doing the quests in the game, both the main quest and the side side quests. [i mean, you feel good when you have found a way to release prisoners from slavery etc. etc].

 

This is want I want to see in a good (rpg) game. And ridable horses, compas, fast travel,

etc. etc. aren't something's that bothering me - if  they aren't in the game.

 

What I care about is the gameplay, the main quests and the side quests beeing welll done and well written - and maybe not something you haven't seen so far.

 

And just this is what, Bioware, DLA, and Obsidian does.

 

bye

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Though I haven't paying too much attention, has DLA ever released any mod with actual writing in it? All I remember them doing before this was that DL1 mod that's never going to see the light of day. I'm all for sympathy, but credit goes where credit is due.

[Ellester]

First off I haven

[Magnum Opus]

Can't see the big deal, personally. Regardless of the horsie issue in particular, there simply comes a time in any product's life cycle when the company that made it stops supporting it. Circular saws... sure. Happens there, too, and they've typically got a longer shelf life than any piece of software. Go into any Skil repair shop and ask them for an "inner washer", and they'll tell you they don't carry parts for models that old anymore.

 

Atari may or may not be in trouble finanically... doesn't make a difference to me either way, but just exactly how long did you expect them to keep actively backing this product, even if they were rolling in cash? The game itself may be unlimited in scope, but it's ridiculous to assume that the NWN1 party would just keep going ad infinitum from the corporate side. Products simply get deprecated; that's the way it works. Especially in the face of a new version of the same product. They WANT people to buy. They WANT people to buy the NEW version. They don't want people to keep playing the same single game forever. Bad business, that; companies don't turn a profit from that hardcore group of 200 'net geeks who're happy to keep playing the same system year in and year out, and there's nothing to be gained by pouring money into a pit to support them.

 

Frankly, I'm surprised NWN1 was supported for as long as it was. Don't look for more of the same from NWN2.

[Ellester]

from the dla news post

 

Put that all together and there is every reason - *every reason* - to expect that NWN2 will turn out to be ToEE all over again despite Obsidian's best efforts. The stench in the air is palpable.

 

This is such a far stretch of the imagination its funny. BIS released a free game in TotL after the complaints of HoW, and they released the movie upgrade for kotor 2, which LucasArts didn

[Ellester]

Frankly, I'm surprised NWN1 was supported for as long as it was.  Don't look for more of the same from NWN2.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree Obsidian may be doing ok, but they do not have the funds Bioware does, heck not many companies do. To match the support Bioware did would be one heck of a feat. But it still remains to be seen, we have no idea how long NWN2 will get supported by Obsidian/Atari. In 4 years it still might be getting supported, who knows? If NWN2 brings in a ton of money, maybe it

[howling1]

Well...

 

I see Volo's spelling hasn't improved much any... (w00t)

 

I'm not a big fan of nWn1. I will buy NWN2 tho' to support BIS... er... Obsidian.

 

As for Atari,

 

Haven't they been going downhill since Pong???

[Musopticon?]

Atari is just a name now. They are a different company than the one before.

[howling1]

My point exactly... :D

[Volourn]

"Anyway, sorry, but I have no sympathy. NWN has been supported since 2002, and it had its run."

 

It should be pointed out that Atari hasn't been supporting NWN for awhile now other than WOTC/Hasbro oking D&D stuff.

 

"Why should Atari let NWN compete with NWN2?"

 

NWN is not competition for NWN2. That's just people smokin' dope. Atari is simply panaicking because they are *this* close to being in dodo. They can't even pay their bills including it seems money they owe BIO. Check out www.interplay.com to see where that leads.

 

 

"Even if the NWN community is small right now so what? Also if Bioware was planning on releasing premium modules for NWN2 that would have been cool, as I would always take more material from real game developers, but Bioware passed on NWN2. It

Edited May 28, 2006 by Volourn

[metadigital]

Haven't they been going downhill since Pong???

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Everything is downhill since Pong.

[Volourn]

Amen to that.

[Lilandra]

I thought everything went down hill after Pac-Man?

[Hassat Hunter]

Hello. They are the ones who build the franchise.

 

And then they gave it away "

 

Can't own something you no longer have...

 

NWN is not competition for NWN2

 

False untill proven otherwise (which you can't...)

Edited May 28, 2006 by Hassat Hunter

[Volourn]

"False untill proven otherwise (which you can't...)"

 

Actually, I can.

 

NWN1 is a 4 year old game. Games get a really high percentage of their sales in the first 6 months of their existence. the number of copies sold of NWN now in 2006 is so miniscule it's silly.

 

On top of this, as a sequel, a large number of NWN2 buyers are going to be those who bought NWN1 and who wnat the sequel. Afterall, sequels are made to beenfit from the success and popularity of the game they're a sequel to.

 

If NWN is a 'threat' to NWN2 what does that make Atari's DDO?

 

Bottom line, this decision likely cost NWN2 more sales than it gave it.

 

Of course, no matter what, NWN2 is a 1 mil + seller, and it always was going to be.

 

This just shows how desperate, and confused Atari is.

 

 

Now, prove that NWN1 is a threat. guess what? You can't.

 

Oh, SNAP!

 

 

 

"Can't own something you no longer have..."

 

Who said anything about 'owning'? BIO has never owned NWN series. It was Interplay, and then Atari that did. Duh.

Edited May 28, 2006 by Volourn

[Hassat Hunter]

Not proof at all. And infact it CAN be a thread. If there is support for NWN1 that is giving NWN1 more content than NWN2 will have at retail why buy that sequel?

[Volourn]

"If there is support for NWN1 that is giving NWN1 more content than NWN2 will have at retail why buy that sequel?"

 

 

Waita sec! I thoguht the masses only want better graphics? This is one thing that is undisputable that NWN2 offers that NWN1 doesn't.

 

Also, the masses only play the OC which NWN2 also offers - a new OC...

 

The masses don't buy PM.

 

The masses likely dumped NWN1 3+ years ago.

 

 

 

 

Anyways, the last thing that really needs to be said on this issue:

 

The fact that Atari finds a 4 year old game like NWN a threat to a brand new, graphics enhanced sequel like NWN2's financial success is the greatest compliment Atari can give to BIO and NWN1 and the greatest insult they can give to Obsidian and NWN2.

 

What a bunch of yokers they are!

 

Thankfully, I have much more confidence in Obsidian and NWN2 than its own publisher does.

 

 

LOLOLOLOLLIPOP

 

 

R00fles!

 

 

Game over.

Edited May 28, 2006 by Volourn

[Sargallath Abraxium]

...dear Gods; the gully dwarf makin' sense wit' a well thought-out an' dead-on-the-money perspective...ain't this a Sign o' the Apocalypse???...

 

 

...be afraid...

 

 

...WHO LUVS YA, BABY!!...

[Volourn]

No, the real Sign of the Apocalypse is you posting this: "the gully dwarf makin' sense wit' a well thought-out an' dead-on-the-money perspective"

 

:D

[Sargallath Abraxium]

No, the real Sign of the Apocalypse is you posting this: "the gully dwarf makin' sense wit' a well thought-out an' dead-on-the-money perspective"

 

:D

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

...either way, seems we's all doomed...ah, well; we's had a good run...

 

 

...WHO LUVS YA, BABY!!...

[Dhruin]

This is such a far stretch of the imagination its funny.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

It's not quite that big a stretch. I think he is probably wrong but there are signs that could be interpreted as the development struggling - and don't discount Atari's role. A big part of the ToEE debacle was the state at release. Will Atari extend the development time if it is needed? Doesn't seem likely. Has Atari pushed incomplete games out the door in desperation before? You bet. Has this developer had a game forced out incomplete by a publisher before? Arguably. Is the development ahead of schedule? Doesn't seem likely - in fact, there has been a string of PR issues with little good news. Each of them is pretty minor - probably blown way out of proportion by the community - but from Baudoin leaving suddenly, to Sawyer immediately announcing several things had been cut, to arguments about length, to the debacle with the DM client. And what whizz-bang stuff was released at E3 to counter all this? Mmmm...best I can think of is a press release out of France on some NPCs.

 

He may be wrong, but he isn't pulling it entirely out of thin air.

[Sargallath Abraxium]

...Josh an' Feargie should both know better than to give "the community" ammo fer the days ahead; 'member HoW, lads???...'member IWD2???...as I was one o' the few in the BIS camp durin' both o' those fun times at BIS High, I won't go inta details, but Josh an' Feargie was also there in the middle o' the mud waist high, so's ya'd figure theys'd 'ave learned theys lessons...p'rhaps all this be be a few li'll bumps in the road, but that be what I's thought an' held me position fer durin' HoW an' IWD2's production...mebbe it be time I's learned me lesson... "

 

 

...WHO LUVS YA, BABY!!...