2003 Vaporware Awards

RIP, Fallout 3 by frenetic3 · 2004-01-20 05:01 · Score: 5, Interesting

let us have a moment of silence. (seriously).

that was such a kick in the nuts.

-fren

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"Where are we going, and why am I in this handbasket?"

Re:RIP, Fallout 3 by viniosity · 2004-01-20 05:11 · Score: 4, Interesting

I too really enjoyed Fallout 1&2 but had never heard the 3rd one was in progress. I hope that some organization picks up the genre though. It's nice that there are some RPGs that are not set in the medieval universe but none really had the flavor that Fallout did. A follow-up, whether it was called Fallout3 or not, would be welcome by me as long as it:
-retained the ability to name/improve your char
-supported portraits (c'mon guys it's not that hard!
-allowed different weapons and strategies
-had a nice 3D system like NWN
I know that last one might be a little controversial, but after getting used to zooming and panning in the 3D world it's hard to go back to pixels..
Re:RIP, Fallout 3 by ccwaterz · 2004-01-20 05:33 · Score: 1, Interesting

What's this then?
http://www.interplay.com/fbos/
Re:RIP, Fallout 3 by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-20 05:41 · Score: 2, Interesting

A different game. Brotherhood of Steel is not an RPG like F1 and F2, but a squad based tactical combat game. It's sort of like they took the combat system from Fallout and expanded it to become its own sim.

Sort of similar to the old game Breach, if you remember that.

Re:God Bless America by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-20 05:03 · Score: 0, Interesting

And yet, everyone want's to be just like us. Odd...

Re:missed the vote by (startx) · 2004-01-20 05:05 · Score: 4, Interesting

rtfa. SCO "evidence" did get a dishonerable mention

Radio Shark by ilsie · 2004-01-20 05:07 · Score: 2, Interesting

I would love to have radio timeshifting capabilities, especially in my car. Mainly due to being spoiled by my TiVo, I'm always looking for the rewind button when listening to NPR.

Incidentally, TiVo is supposed to be putting in XM capability into one of their new receivers, does anyone know if you'll be able to timeshift it?

Team Fortress 2 by Bender+Unit+22 · 2004-01-20 05:07 · Score: 2, Interesting

I still say Team Fortress 2.

Remember how cool it looked when the first videos surfaced.. it even won "TF (TM) 2 Wins E3.Net Awards " in 1999.

port mozilla to amiga by Dreadlord · 2004-01-20 05:08 · Score: 2, Interesting

Amiga OS 4.0

Hmm, shouldn't Amizilla be on the list too?

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The IT section color scheme sucks.

Story of Duke Nukem Forever? by notcreative · 2004-01-20 05:08 · Score: 4, Interesting

Does anyone here know the story of why Duke Nukem Forever has become vaporware? I'm interested in the seedy underbelly of the gaming industry.

Just A Reminder Everyone by devphaeton · 2004-01-20 05:09 · Score: 5, Interesting

.... of why you shouldn't Pre-Order stuff.

I'm still waiting for Gran Turismo 2000 to hit the shelves.

Software Etc. will listen with empathy about my loud proclamations of GT2K == GT3-Aspec, and the sales weasels will agree with me. But the mgmt. shall not, will not, could not would not refund my money, nor give me a store credit until:

1) A game called Gran Turismo 2000 ships.
2) Official word from Sony arrives that the game is canceled.

bastards.

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do() || do_not(); // try();

SplashPad? by Speare · 2004-01-20 05:14 · Score: 2, Interesting

Where is the SplashPower SplashPad?

Several press articles have promised this for the past year. They're stuck on "looking for partnerships." I want one. Today.

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[ .sig file not found ]

I remember... by eglamkowski · 2004-01-20 05:15 · Score: 3, Interesting

I remember when Battlecruiser 3000 was the vaporware champion.

Original Release Date: April 1993
Actual Release Date: October 1996

And that '96 release date was only because the publisher forced the matter, even though Smart thought it wasn't yet ready for publication.

And bear in mind that the original release date in 1993 meant it was already being worked on MUCH earlier. In fact, it had been in development for 7 years by the time it was pushed onto the shelves in '96. I mean,

And for all that, it probably should have stayed as vaporware :-p

I mean, how long has Duke Nukem been in development anyways? More then 7 years? Or is BC3K still king?

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Government IS the problem.

Re:HL2 should not have been #1... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-20 05:19 · Score: 5, Interesting

from reading/playing with the code (erm, I mean a friend told me, yeah, that's it), the hl2 source was no were near ready in Sept./Oct. HL2 ship date would have been pushed back even if the source had not been stolen, because it simply wasn't done. If anything, having it release was a good thing, because it gave them a public excuse to delay, and causes them to perform a decent code review when it's finally "done."

As for TF2, it's now a mod for HL2, so of course it's delayed.

Vaporware by rogabean · 2004-01-20 05:26 · Score: 3, Interesting

I think Microcode Solution's PowerPC emulator for x86 should be in the running now for Lifetime Achievement Vaporware Award as well at this point.
They however have learned to at least stop updating at all since their last showing and instead have only this to say:
"Microcode Solutions has received what we believe will be the final hardware revision of the PCI based PowerPC card being manufacturered by a well known PowerPC accelerator company. The current board is a high speed G3 board. Other models are being prototyped right now, and these are G4 and dual processor configurations. Microcode Solutions has always been the leader in Macintosh emulation technology, developing the first PowerPC emulation for a non-Macintosh platform. We will continue this tradition by releasing the first Power Macintosh emulation for the PC. Besides having a PCI based hardware solution, Microcode Solutions will also be releasing a completely software based emulation to the public at an amazingly low price (under $50). We know that people have waited an extremely long time for Microcode Solutions to release a new product, and we appreciate your patience. Just like our successful product "FUSION-PC", we feel we should wait to release the product until it is perfected. We are nearing that stage right now."

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"why don't you just slip into something more comfortable...like a coma!"

Re:Phantom at CES? by ashitaka · 2004-01-20 05:41 · Score: 3, Interesting

Gamespot has some hi-res photos.

However, the number and types of ports on the back of this box ring alarm bells with me. How many PC-based consoles have:

Composite and S-Video and component video?

RCA and optical and "coax" audio?

Other little signs:

Power adapter plug has changed from previous regular PC style to circular multi-pin.

There is a coax connector for an optional internal cable modem (according to the proposed specs but an internal ADSL modem is also an option. How do you choose which?

This reminds me of the Moller SkyCar where they produce just enough prototypes to keep the investors happy but never actually produce anything.

If they didn't turn the thing on then this is probably just an empty box with some ports stuck on the back.

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If you don't want to repeat the past, stop living in it.

Back when I played Fallout it was called Wasteland by jmlyle · 2004-01-20 05:43 · Score: 3, Interesting

And hopefully it will be done justice by the original creator

He was even kind enough to ask for input from devoted fans.

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I have misplaced my pants.

Re:probably best left on the drawing board... by C0vardeAn0nim0 · 2004-01-20 06:03 · Score: 3, Interesting

betamax, windows (any version since 1.0), ford pinto,...

but my lifetime achievement for vaporware is: arificial inteligence

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What ? Me, worry ?

Re:HL2 should not have been #1... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-20 06:07 · Score: 1, Interesting

You seem to have failed to understand the purpose of the article. Name one piece of software or hardware last year, that was more anticipated in that year, and even given a specific release date with promises up until 2 weeks before that release date that it would be out by then, and then never saw the light of day? That is the requirement for being on the list.

Certainly there are other examples that I can't think of, but the VAST majority of people think of HL2 first when you give them those criteria because it was so OVER HYPED.

Anyway, code leak or not that game was NOT coming out in 2003. It simply wasn't FINISHED.

Re:My vote... by radish · 2004-01-20 06:26 · Score: 2, Interesting

I think you're talking about digital backs, which are (a) expensive and (b) specific to the particular camera they're designed for. Typically they are also only available for SLRs and medium format. What the original poster was talking about was (I believe) a product which replaced the film without modifying the camera itself. I did see talk of such a thing a long time ago, battery & storage in a 'cannister', and a thin plastic CCD where the film would be. I'm sure if it ever did work it was made redundant by the drop in price of real digital cameras.

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---- Den ene knappen er powerknapp, den andre er Bender voice knapp "Bite My Shiny Metal Ass"

The obvious one is missing by edxwelch · 2004-01-20 06:37 · Score: 2, Interesting

Weren't we promised a secure version of Windows from the so-called Trustworthy Computing inititive that was started 2 years ago?
Where is it?

Psychonauts by Monkelectric · 2004-01-20 06:41 · Score: 3, Interesting

Touted as one of the REASONS to own an XBOX, an exclusive title from the author of Grim Fandango. Trailers released in 2002, still *no* sign of the thing.

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Religion is a gateway psychosis. -- Dave Foley

THIS STUFF IS *NOT* VAPORWARE by popo · 2004-01-20 06:58 · Score: 4, Interesting

Jesus Christ, Half Life II? Doom III?

I for one am extremely stoked that game studios have finally adopted the "Its done when its done" mantra of releasing games.

Let's not forget that 'etched-in-stone' release dates are responsible for most of the really atrocious games inflicted on us over the last decade.

Blizzard, id, & Valve deserve enormous kudos for sticking firm to their convictions, and holding their corporate masters at bay while producing games that are polished and bug free.

Vaporware suggests that these companies have promised something that has not, and will not be delivered. We should keep in mind that at *no* point have any of these companies offered firm release dates. And they should be commended for not doing so.

What's funny is the really guilty party -- that is, the party which has most frequently made false promises of "what's coming down the pipeline" *has* to be Wired Magazine.

My 2 cents.

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------ The best brain training is now totally free : )

One of the two oldest running jokes in retail by Torgen · 2004-01-20 07:01 · Score: 2, Interesting

I worked at an Electronics Boutique while going to college, and the two favorite jokes were when I customer came in asking when NeverWinter Nights was coming out (answer: "Never") and how long until Duke Nukem comes out (answer: "Forever") Then blasted Atari actually shipped NWN. :P

Yea, this is a bad list by rblancarte · 2004-01-20 07:23 · Score: 4, Interesting

I have to agree. Black Island never got people's hopes up. Many knew that Fallout 3 was in the works, but it was under a code name, and never officially announced.

This list they have up is kind of lame actually this year, since many of the things that were on the list were announced ONLY this year. HL2 and Doom 3 both garnered votes (with HL2 making the top spot), but honestly, it is not like this game is really late. They just got the ball rolling for it this year, and all of a sudden it is considered TOP VAPORWARE?!?!?!

How about the HDTiVo? Announced in Jan 2003, and by Dec 2003, it is top 10 vaporware? UGH.

I think that Wired really needs to make put up some limits on what actually is considered "Vaporware." IMnsHO, the first thing is that the product must have been announced at least over a year ago (ie, 2002 for these awards). Just my $.02.

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It is human nature to take shortcuts in thinking.

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