Might Arcanum2 still be possible ?

[Surlent]

Remember this Bloodlines interview ? On the second page, Leo says how well things are between Troika and Sierra.
http://articles.filefront.com/199;2
It can be just public smooth talk, but if it isn't, could it mean Troika and Sierra could work together again ?

If Valve will leave Sierra/Vivendi and go to another publisher or only STEAM, Sierra would likely want more income elsewhere.
They have been battling in court for some time now.
http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/09/20/news_6107712.html

Chances Arcanum2 gets to see day light are slim, but at least these are good signs.
After all miracles happen, Interplay was already on the edge of death (where it still seems to hang more or less which is miracle in itself), but Bethesda comes from nowhere and buys FO3 license. And they even plan to make a game with that license.
Ofcourse Troika isn't much looking to make sequels though.

 

[Eclecticist]

I doubt it.

 

[Araanor]

Remember this Bloodlines interview ? On the second page, Leo says how well things are between Troika and Sierra.

Are we reading the same thing? Leon only said they're on good terms with a guy that *worked* at Sierra.

 

[Trash]

One can but hope, though I really don't see it happen any time soon. Maybe if bloodlines becomes a succes?

 

[Andyman Messiah]

Well, I hope it's a possibility, but I don't honestly think so. Sierra/Vivendi, whatever, is pulling the strings on that matter aren't they?

 

[dojoteef]

Remeber the four internal projects they are working on. The ones they mentioned when they discussed the post-apocalyptic game that they were trying to find a publisher for. Maybe an Arcanum 2 was one of those games that they were fooling around with?

 

[Volourn]

Well.. Supposedly, Troika wants to make Arcanum 2; but Sierra doesn't want to. I doubt Arcanum 2 is one of the "secret" projects unless Seirra randomly fell in love with Arcanum.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Maybe an Arcanum 2 was one of those games that they were fooling around with?

Seems unlikely. Not only Sierra has the rights to it (and as such a decision for a sequel has to come from them), I don't remember them showing much interest for it.

 

[Dhruin]

The only sales figures I saw for Arcanum were dreadful (unfortunately). Even with huge changes, I just don't see a mainstream publisher being convinced that setting can sell.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

While I would want an Arcanum 2, i doubt it would be made.

 

[Stark]

... unless Seirra randomly fell in love with Arcanum.

randomly? interesting choice of word.

what's with people here. at one moment lamenting the lack of new games (just rehash of sequels and sequels), another moment wanting yet another sequel.

Troika should move on and make new settings for their games. didn't we had a thread about unique settings sometime ago? if nothing else it shows there're plenty of unique settings to use and many are not too wierd to put off mainstream gamers.

 

[Otaku_Hanzo]

It's not so much bitching about sequels but rather bitching about the quality of said sequels. I think I can speak for alot of people here when I say we would love to see an Arcanum 2, but only if it was done well enough.

Sequels are inevitable. They've been a mainstream of the entertainment industry since the sixties and will continue to be so for awhile. If I made a movie or game that did extremely well, I most likely would look into a sequel.

It's how you do that sequel that matters. If you can justifiably pull it off, then so be it. It's just that sequels to games don't have to be handled as tenderly as sequels to movies. For example, you can do a sequel to a game that has nothing to do with the characters from the first one and probably get away with it. Doing that with a movie sequel, while definitely original, would be risky business at best.

Anyways, I don't have a problem with sequels just so long as they are pulled off well and aren't just a rehash of the original with different monsters or phat lewt.

 

[Azael]

Since the sixties? I'd say you would have to look a lot further back than that to see where the trend of sequels started.

 

[Otaku_Hanzo]

That's where they became most common though. That is what I meant. You rarely saw sequels in theaters until then.

 

[axel]

I wouldn't really want them to make an Arcanum 2. Sure I'd like to see some steam punk games being made (or better yet Old West) but I don't think I'd want an Arcanum 2.

 

[Araanor]

Remeber the four internal projects they are working on. The ones they mentioned when they discussed the post-apocalyptic game that they were trying to find a publisher for. Maybe an Arcanum 2 was one of those games that they were fooling around with?

They said they were discussing four different projects with publishers, not that they were working on them. They wouldn't even have the manpower for it. Sheesh, is anyone reading the same stuff as me?

I can't see Vivendi being interested in an Arcanum 2 anytime soon. They haven't been running their business very well from what I've seen and are likely looking for cash-cows above all else.

 

[Stark]

They said they were discussing four different projects with publishers, not that they were working on them. They wouldn't even have the manpower for it. Sheesh, is anyone reading the same stuff as me?

that's what I tot too. it's really a case of reading too much from too little because one is really wishing it to happen. It's similar to me at one time hoping for ToEE 2 and any slightest news is picked up as hint for a sequel.

anyone other than me think Troika is doing a botched job in marketing their game? not marketing as in retail (that's the job of publisher), but in releasing screenshots, videos and art concepts during production. I've always found the Bloodlines screenshots and art concepts released for websites awful and downright ugly, and do harm rather than generate interest. I still hated the video demo of that tall hat black guy walking in LA street (of all things they could have shown using the HL2 engine). Not to mention the rather tasteless box art they're going to use for Bloodlines...

 

[Volourn]

It's not tasteless so stop crying about it.

 

[mathboy]

Maybe Activision could buy it if Bloodlines is a succes?

 

[Stark]

It's not tasteless so stop crying about it.

it is. it tears me inside thinking of all the lost sales due to the lousy box art. they could have just settled for a cool black box with the logo thingy.

Maybe Activision could buy it if Bloodlines is a succes?

see? see what i mean? :D

 

[Volourn]

"it is. it tears me inside thinking of all the lost sales due to the lousy box art. they could have just settled for a cool black box with the logo thingy."

No, it isn't. And, I'm sure the box art well help sell more copies than it will lose.

Next.

 

[dojoteef]

Remeber the four internal projects they are working on. The ones they mentioned when they discussed the post-apocalyptic game that they were trying to find a publisher for. Maybe an Arcanum 2 was one of those games that they were fooling around with?

They said they were discussing four different projects with publishers, not that they were working on them. They wouldn't even have the manpower for it. Sheesh, is anyone reading the same stuff as me?

Talking about lack of reading comprehension. When someone says fooling around with an idea for a game (namely Arcanum 2), that doesn't mean they are creating an entire game. Take a look at this relevant quote from this gamebanshee interview. It's in reference to the Post-apocalyptic game and the other internal projects they are tossing ideas around about.


"GB: Have you been speaking with any publishers about the game yet, or have you decided to keep things to yourselves for the time being?

Leon: We’ve talked to a lot of different publishers about the game, as well as other games using the same engine. We’ve got a few who are really interested in working with us on one of these projects using this tech. We’ll just have to wait to see what happens."

In case you didn't know, when a developer pitches an idea to a publisher they have to have something tangible to show them. In this case Troika has the beginnings of an engine and art assets for the engine. More than likely for any game they pitch they have to have something to show. You can't just say, hey I've got an idea without having something to back it up with. Hence if one of those games they are pitching happens to be Arcanum 2, then they would have to have some art, storyboards, or something to show. And according to the article any game they made would be using the one engine that they are working on. Sheesh

 

[Araanor]

Showing off a concept for a game is a world of difference from "working on it."

 

[almondblight]

That's where they became most common though. That is what I meant. You rarely saw sequels in theaters until then.

You think? It seems to me that there were a number of older sequels. The Thin Man springs immedietly to mind, as well as several monster movies (if you count those) and serials (and those). But I guess it's also your interpretation of what is a sequel - for instance there were often recurring groups in comedies, which might not count as sequels.

I haven't really looked into the matter, though, and it seems like you have, but were they really that rare (as compared to the 60's, not the sequel a second industry there seems to be now)?

 

[Otaku_Hanzo]

I haven't really looked into the matter, though, and it seems like you have, but were they really that rare (as compared to the 60's, not the sequel a second industry there seems to be now)?

Marx Brothers, Laurel & Hardy, Abbot & Costello, The West End Kids.... all comedy groups from back in the day who made countless movies. Oh, can't forget Three Stooges either. Yes, they made quite a few movies each, but none were sequels. At least I don't consider them to be so per the definition of a sequel. They were just new stories involving the same actors.

Now, I did not say there weren't sequels before the sixties, just that they were rare. Yes, there was all those movies about Dracula. Then you had Creature From The Black Lagoon which spawned two more movies. And of course there was Godzilla. But Godzilla sequels didn't start popping up until the sixties which is also when all the other rubber monsters began taking over the world.

As for serials, they are just that, serials. Not sequels. I mean, if you want to get technical, they were sequels in a sense, but to me, that's stretching it. Consider it something like the miniseries' of today. That's basically what they were. And they cost less than actual movies did from the time. Where a movie might have cost a quarter to go see, serials were merely a dime.

Just my thoughts on the matter.