So, Is this game delayed or not?

[MacMichael]

I've been waiting for this game for awhile now, and I find myself more and more confused about this possible delay. So, let us begin the scrying, bring forth my tea.

 

The Sega store (Oct 6, 2009), Obsidian (Oct 2009), and the AP site (Oct 2009) are all still listing the game in October. Other sites have a range of dates, Oct 7th at gogamer.com, they just added the game about a month ago, maybe two now, though they don't list a PC version, Oct 27th at Amazon.com, and others that range all the way out until Q3 2010. On Aug 27, 2009 Gamespot posted an interview with Rorie:

 

GS AU: When can we expect to see Alpha Protocol on shelves?

 

MR: We're in the homestretch of development on Alpha Protocol, and we're going to get the game on store shelves in October! Hope you guys enjoy it when it comes out.

 

And in the Sega boards, someone says they heard it was complete:

 

This is really strange...a member of Obsidian said to me at the Gamescom back in august that the game is already finished!

 

Maybe Obsidian wasn't happy with the opinion from Sony in the leak and now wants to change something? Mistery...

 

Then you have the ad put out in, what was it, Game Informer? Why do you pay for ads for a game that you're not releasing for 8 months, if the June 2010 date is true? Then you have Obsidian's viral marketing, the Twitter feed, which they began on Aug 11th. A month and a half to two months before the game is scheduled, makes sense. Nine or so months before a game is scheduled, not so much sense, at least to me, unless it's to introduce an Alternate Reality game, like I Love Bees, but it's not looking like that.

 

I, personally, am willing to give Obsidian the benefit of the doubt that if they felt the game was going to be ready/was ready, that it was. So bug issues probably aren't the hold up, not for that long anyway. And Obsidian clearly seemed to believe that they were aiming for this October considering what they were saying and doing. If we believe that the twitter feed is now being used to vent, it seems that Obsidian is a little annoyed by Sega's silence. But, is it because it's being released and no one is talking about it, or is it because it's delayed and, maybe Obsidian wasn't even informed. Can that happen? Someone mentioned a bus, I think, at a concert saying Summer 2010, when was that?

 

I of course don't know what any of this means, but my ideas are:

1. Not actually delayed. Did Bioware ever announce the DLC they failed to announce when it was released? Maybe stealth releases are the new black in game publishing? I'm starting to lose hope on this one.

2. Delayed until who knows when.

a. Sega made a decision when the market was packed, to move the game to a more open time, only for everyone to delay as well. Maybe forgot to inform Obsidian.

b. Financial reason. I don't know how contracts for games work, but I know in the ones I'm familiar with, a certain amount of the payment is held until completed. Could Sega be pushing the game to a different financial year because the contract says they don't have to pay until it's published, rather than completed? Do they think the economy will be better next year and just want to wait it out for people to have money again?

c. They want drastic changes for one reason or another, which seems strange, as it would suggest they weren't paying attention before.

 

I kind of get the feeling that if it is delayed, its the opposite of the Lucas Arts thing. Rather than the publisher saying, "We want it early, make it happen," we're getting a "we're done," from the developer and a "we'll deal with it when we get around to it," from the publisher. And yes, I had too much time on my hands today, blame the CSU budget cuts.

Edited September 30, 2009 by MacMichael

[mkreku]

I buy my games on steam. I don't need another DRM to crash it to hell and back.

 

Also, I like using mods. GFWL requires disabling in FO3 to use the more advanced ones.

That's my point: you wouldn't even know it was a DRM unless you tampered with it. You type in some serial number ONCE (at installation) and then it's gone. Poof. You won't see it again unless you want to. And this "DRM is crashing my stuff" is getting old. Feel free to provide proof that GfWL crashes your applications. Until then you're just full of it.

 

I use mods. I own Fallout 3. Point me to the ones that won't work with GfWL because I've had no problems so far. I want to try them.

[Masterfade]

I use mods. I own Fallout 3. Point me to the ones that won't work with GfWL because I've had no problems so far. I want to try them.

 

Well, the chances are if you're using Fallout 3 mods you're using FOSE (lots of more advanced mods require it) and FOSE loader automatically disables GfWL.

[AlphaProtocolForever]

FOOK2

 

You can find at http://www.fookunity.com/wiki/Main_Page

 

Also, I got consistent crashes at higher resolutions after being in game for a while until I disabled GFWL.

 

Enjoy.

[Oner]

Actually, everything Killian said appears to make sense to me.

Killian just took what FuZZ said out of context. FuZZ meant he considers changeable race/species to be a character choice, but not gender changing. He never said AP has dwarves or elves.

[Calax]

I'd say that Sega and co know better what's going on with the game than gamestop does. If gamestop changed their date it's because their unsure of the game's arrival. But until Sega changes it's date, I wouldn't go into panic mode.

 

Trust me, gamestops dating system is a capricious creature. Often changing dates with little news, and generating dates for games that don't have them. (Cataclysm is listed as 9/1/10 in the gamestop system currently).

[mksystem74]

Sega is making a bad move on their part. They need to come out and make some kind of statement. I need to know if I'm spending my money on this game cause there are other games coming out soon and I got limited money to spend.

[crakkie]

It should be noted that even in March 2009, Sega's site still listed AP's release date as February 2009, while everyone else had changed it to June (which of course got pushed back again to October).

[Wrath of Dagon]

Sega won't change their site until they've made an official announcement, which obviously they haven't done yet. And obviously it's not releasing on Oct 6.

[Killian Kalthorne]

I still don't get why GFWL is such a problem.

That's because you buy all your games, you dirty non-pirate.

 

I buy my games on steam. I don't need another DRM to crash it to hell and back.

 

Also, I like using mods. GFWL requires disabling in FO3 to use the more advanced ones.

 

Then disable it. It isn't that hard to do.

[Deraldin]

I saw that Bulock! You can't fool me! I saw you there at the bottom watching this thread! Stop tormenting us!

[Mr Nerve Damage]

To add to the speculation... Wouldn't we at least have an achievement list (for console) if it was going to be released any time soon? Not only is it all quiet on the communication front (except for the Twitter incident,) but no more videos, dev diaries or anything.

[Trenitay]

If it is delayed maybe we'll get a demo with a little bit of the time.(although I would much rather have the full game)

[No_Aardvarks_Allowed]

Someone from Obsidian has seen this thread by now, obviously, and the lack of response from them can really only be interpreted in one way. Being tight-lipped about the fact that the game will be out on time, makes no sense what so ever. After all, you want to promote a title just before release, not bury it. What I don't get though, is why different retailers, who have updated their release dates, give such conflicting info. Today for instance I saw a Swedish retailer stating the game will be out March 31st (and they said October '09 last week when I checked). We have also seen a few other proposed dates in a number of other places. Are they just pulling numbers out of their a**es, or what? If the retailers have gotten some sort of official word (why would they change their info if they hadn't?), they must also have been told when the game is supposed to come out, even if in the most uncertain of terms like Q2 2010, H1 2010 or summer 2010, for example. But why do we see such weird inconsistencies? I don't get it.

[Zoraptor]

Actually it can be interpreted in a number of ways, the most likely of which is that Obsidz cannot comment because the release date is Sega's purview and, at this time, Sega does not not have a concrete release date and does not want to make any comment until it does have one. A release towards the end of October still seems most likely, in my most humble opinion, as the game must be very close to complete- it has after all been rated/classified for some time in a number of countries (late July in the UK and Aus, for example and IIRC; and if you want some :tinfoil: the latest twitters could refer to submitting a gold master/ release candidate, which would gel with a late October release).

 

Online retailers make release estimates all the time- at one stage, and not that long ago, a local online retailer had DAO, AP, Ego Draconis, Bioshock2, MW2, Risen and about a dozen other games all coming out on September 30th.

[Slowtrain]

All the dev silence means is that they've been told by Sega to not talk about the game. Why that would be the case cannot yet be determined.

 

However, given the way Sega handled the Aliens crpg, they are obviously very cloak and dagger about this stuff. We all knew, though wished to believe otherwise, that the Aliens game was cancelled long before Sega officially pulled the plug.

[Picollus]

i have maybe too imagination or a too exited to play a spy but... from the twitter feed. i interpret...

 

PDA got confiscated... again. Place should be called Omerta Protocol. Am hacking into Darcy's computer in the interim.

 

PDA = Current build of alpha protocol ( maybe Gold Master ?)

Omerta = Rule of silence

 

They took my PDA to upgrade the software, so I placed a virus on it - when it's hooked up to the mainframe, I'll have full server access.

 

Software Upgrade = Game internal Q/A review process

 

Virus = Acceptation of the current build

 

Should know if the virus worked within the next 24 hours when they return my PDA.

 

If the build is approved for release, the official release date will be known tomorrow !

[alanschu]

Haha that would be hilarious but I wouldn't hold your breath

[Jyros]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Protocol

 

If you don't notice, the "release date" date section says TBD, which used to be (To Be Denounced) but now it says (To Be Delayed).

 

Just some jokester.

Edited October 1, 2009 by Jyros

[Baeus]

To add to the speculation... Wouldn't we at least have an achievement list (for console) if it was going to be released any time soon? Not only is it all quiet on the communication front (except for the Twitter incident,) but no more videos, dev diaries or anything.

 

I recall them mentioning before that they don't want to release the achievement list because it contains spoilers. But you have a point with the rest

Edited October 1, 2009 by Baeus

[Pop]

Gamefly has amended their prospective release date to "TBD", and they supposedly only change such details due to direct communication with the publisher.

[Irx]

Why do customers always learn everything last, I hate such uncertainty.

Especially considering whether to cancel preorder or not.

[mr insomniac]

Gamefly has amended their prospective release date to "TBD", and they supposedly only change such details due to direct communication with the publisher.

That's possibly encouraging. I wasn't aware, before this thread that sega is notoriously bad at updating their website, but perhaps this time the fact that they haven't updated AP's release date, means there's still a chance it'll be out next month.

 

maybe somebody jumped the gun and leaked a "delay til june" message before anything was made official.

[mkreku]

Well, the chances are if you're using Fallout 3 mods you're using FOSE (lots of more advanced mods require it) and FOSE loader automatically disables GfWL.

FOOK2

 

You can find at http://www.fookunity.com/wiki/Main_Page

 

Also, I got consistent crashes at higher resolutions after being in game for a while until I disabled GFWL.

 

Enjoy.

So because one mod (FOSE) disables GfWL (since GfWL is made to detect cheats.. not much point having achievements otherwise) temporarily, you deem GfWL to be a nuisance and a buggy piece of crap..?

 

And how do you know that GfWL is what affects your application's stability "at higher resolutions"? I play Fallout 3 at 1920x1080 on my TV. And yes, Fallout 3 is pretty unstable, but my conclusion was that it had something to do with the sound (since my game crashes most often when I enter a building with one of those humming generators nearby).

[fuZZ]

Actually, everything Killian said appears to make sense to me.

Killian just took what FuZZ said out of context. FuZZ meant he considers changeable race/species to be a character choice, but not gender changing. He never said AP has dwarves or elves.

 

ty at least somone nows what i mean...