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Delays Hurt Video Game Business
George Bailey writes "Wired.com has an article (No Room for Slacking in Game Biz) dicussing the damage game developers cause themselves via delays in releasing games to market. To quote from the article: 'As the games become more complex and sophisticated, less of them seem to meet release dates that companies initially tout. A few years ago, the fallout was usually just disappointment among fans. But as the video-game industry matures and surpasses Hollywood in size, more is at stake -- like marketing campaigns delayed and intricate positioning against competitors disrupted. What's more, missing a promised release date can bleed buzz, precious in an industry where many young buyers have to take the time to squirrel away $50 for a typical purchase.'"
You mean people aren't holding their breath waiting for DNF to get released? The YEARS of delays have damaged the possibility of sales? Gasp! Say it isn't so!
-Charles
Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.
Need I say more?
fallout was usually just disappointment among fans
No way, the first Fallout was great! The second one was way too buggy, though, and I'm not just talking about the ants and the radscorpions.
Don't blame me, I voted for Durga.
This story has got Dukenukem Forever written all over it. One can learn all the things listed in the article just by reviewing its developemental history. Throw in an analysis of Daikatana ad you've mastered the issue.
There's a growing sense that even if The Future comes,
most of us won't be able to afford it.
-- Lemmy
Or you'll realize that there are *gasp* more importatnt things to do with that $50 like putting gas in the car so you can go to work and earn more gas money...to be used getting to work...HEY something's just not right here!
That's what Bungie is doing with Halo 2.
Of course I bitch to high heaven that I won't buy it when it eventually comes out because they keep delaying it, but we all know I'd sell a kidney to get a copy...
There's no place like
So 100,000 people could complete a game like Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 in an hour! :)
Wow!
Still, everyone involved agrees on one thing -- slips in release dates ultimately matter less than shipping an awesome game.
dur, really? thanks for this insightful article
precious in an industry where many young buyers have to take the time to squirrel away $50 for a typical purchase.
See, this wouldn't be a problem if they were just taking the money out of their mother's purses like they're supposed to.
Dr. Obvious says: games that are in shops make more money than games that aren't.
I can't compete with a 15 year old who can play the game 8 hours a day!
Buddy, your problem is that you've somehow come to believe that 8 hours a day is a lot.
Why sleep when you have so much item-hunting to do?
I take it a step further - ignore the game release dates altogether and buy them after they've been out for a month - the previously priced 50$ video game is now $10.
You're so right : I've just bought Xenon II for the Atari ST (excellent gameplay under the STonX emulator) and they actually payed me to buy it!
"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
Duke Nukem Forever? I'm guessing it'll cost around 300 NuCredits a month after it comes out in 2085..
Should be great though!, I can't wait!
The earth is 98% full, please delete anyone you can!
>>It's fucking ready when it's fucking ready - deal with it.
Which is what the guys from 3D Realms keep saying.
wbs.
Huh?
I am starting a little business that does market research into massively multiplayer online role play games betas. I have the capital but I need a partner in the "know" if you "know" what I mean. I'm sure we can come to a mutually satisfactory agreement on compensation. And because I am a family man myself, I encourage you to discuss this propostion with your wife.
Theres once were some games called Duke Nukem,
With lots of Blood, Gore, Guts, and Pukem.
But the constant delays
For infinite days,
Made us all so damn mad we've rebuked em.
(And just for the sadism's sake, as it is near Valentines day, I'll go ahead and shoot myself in the foot and post this logged in)
There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order- Ed Howdershelt Via Tass
Must...resist...urge....to...make..Duke Nukem Forever post!
You would think with all the xtra time
Yeah, don't you hate it when people half-ass things because they are too lazy to make it presentable to other people?
I've had enough abrasive sigs. Kittens are cute and fuzzy.
What's this "buying" thing you guys keep talking about?
Oh, so you've played Star Wars: Galaxies then?
Kierthos
Mr. Hu is not a ninja.
Cut down on packaging costs, yes, but $10-20 per box??!
How much does cardboard cost where you come from, son?
Around sometime last year, I downloaded a copy of The Thing soon after it came out (I try before I buy) so anyhow- I play through the game, get to the end, kill the end boss monster thing of DOOM, and right as it dies.....*POW* the game crashes. I'm glad that I can download games and try them before paying, if I had paid $50 for The Thing, and it had crashed on me just as I was beating the game, I would have been VERY upset. (Note that this was a very common bug that was soon patched.)
Patch or no, failing to catch bugs like that is simply unacceptable. I pay for games that are worth my money.
Now come on, do you really need an excuse to "polish the helmet"? I'd think you'd just do it when the mood strikes you. At least, that's my tendency.
-- thinkyhead software and media