Game News NWN must DIE

[Saint_Proverbius]

Rumours aren't news.

They're good enough for CNN.

 

[Volourn]

Oh, SNAP!

 

[Dreagon]

At least they bothered to support NWN. They pretty much abandoned the RCT3 community right off the bat.

 

[Volourn]

No, the devs of RCT3 did that. The devs of NWN1 did not.

Oh, D0UBLE SNAP!

 

[DemonKing]

Well, while it could have been handled more discretely, I don't think that there would have been a big market for NWN mods once NWN2 was released anyway. Also, it is too simplistic to blame it all on the fact that someone was going to add horses to a NWN mod - I'm pretty sure that wouldn't have figured in any of the decision-making.

Perosnally I don't have a problem with them dropping support on a 4 year old game which has already had more than adequete support, IMO, especially with a sequel just around the corner. Of course, the financial insecurity of Atari and Obsidian (at least in comaprison to Bioware) is a little worrying and I think the fanboys may be disappointed in the NWN2 post-release support.

 

[Volourn]

"I don't think that there would have been a big market for NWN mods once NWN2 was released anyway."

Atari disagrees with you.

You forget that the 3 mods they stopped had already gone through Atari/Hasbro/WOTC's approval stages - that includes the horse skills and feats needed.

If Atari had allowed those mods to eb released as scheudled I'd have agreed with you.


They didn't, and that's why it's onbvious a poor way tod eal with it. On top of this likely cost them more sales then it gained for them. Heh.

NWN is a 4 year old game, and with a sequel on the way promising more, better, and advanced stuff; it would be time to put it to rest.

Heck, BIo agreed as they had alreayd said this would be the last year for NWN support either way. 1.68 (the next scheduled patch) was likely gonna be the last one.

I'm with you. This is ana ction of a fearful, broken down company simplyd esperate for money - so m uch they are withholding funs from those they owe ala www.interplay.com

R00fles!

 

[elander_]

It was a bit naive on the part of NWN fans to think that Bioware or Atari or whatever moneysucker would keep suporting their moding hobies. They don't wan't people having fun for free at their expenses.

NWN2 will be the same think and probably much sooner than NWN.

I would be much better if NWN fans start using their energies on something more useful like a quality and open-source crpg moding tool and a flexible open-source engine.

 

[Volourn]

"It was a bit naive on the part of NWN fans to think that Bioware or Atari or whatever moneysucker would keep suporting their moding hobies. They don't wan't people having fun for free at their expenses."

Wrong again. the premium Modules that the fans bought paid for the support. There was nothing 'free' abou it. Chances ar eif nobody bought the PM; support for the game would have ended years ago.

I say one thing that isn's surprising... it's usually the ones who no longer play or always hated NWN that are somehow 'pro Atari' in this.

Once again, BIO had alreayd satted that this year was likely the last eyar they'd support NWN anyways. That's not the problem - the problem is that Atari spent the last 2 years okaying PM and they just as they were finished decided to stop their release.

Why? fear. For some asanine reason, Atari actually believes that NWN (a game mad ein 2002) is a threat to NWN2 (a game mad ein 2006).

LOLOLOLOLLIPOP

 

[elander_]

Once again, BIO had alreayd satted that this year was likely the last eyar they'd support NWN anyways. That's not the problem - the problem is that Atari spent the last 2 years okaying PM and they just as they were finished decided to stop their release.

Don't see what is so suprising in this. They do it because they can. It's all about profit.

Why? fear. For some asanine reason, Atari actually believes that NWN (a game mad ein 2002) is a threat to NWN2 (a game mad ein 2006).

Usualy the number of moders is only a very small percentage of the people who buy the game. But even considering that it's know the hatring and fear publishers have towards old games. Look at Daggerfall and Bethesda for example. They could have released the game for free like they did with Arena in their 10th aniversary but aparently they fear the game too much to do it.

I think it's more the relation between value/price. Quality mods can keep people entertained or educated casual buyers for good gameplay. And we all know that the more stupid and ignorant the casual buyer is the more happy he will get with the trash they selll today as crpgs.

 

[aboyd]

That's not the problem - the problem is that Atari spent the last 2 years okaying PM and they just as they were finished decided to stop their release.

Don't see what is so suprising in this. They do it because they can. It's all about profit.

Hmm. Well, not to defend Volurn's point (which is often overstated), but well, he has a point. I see it. I've seen comments from the team working on the premium modules. They were weeks or days away from releasing multiple big modules. That team -- not employed by Atari, just regular people like you & me -- had put something like 2 years into the projects. Each person was a fan who had hoped that, by putting in far more time than a hobby normally allows, they would be rewarded. And Atari cut them off, right before the finish line.

Now while you're right that it's all about profit, that doesn't diminish the absolute disappointment that those modders are feeling. And that doesn't diminish our ability to have empathy for those modders. We can understand that what Atari did was very damaging, and each person can react however they wish to that. You might shrug your shoulders. That's cool. But I doubt you'll be able to talk down those who have been stung by this. If they want to feel hurt, I think that's their right. If they want to decide that Atari is no longer worthy of trust or support, I think that's a viable reaction. It's a consequence for Atari's dumb business decisions. It's something Atari should have thought about. But they didn't.

Note that I'm not saying "everyone boycott" -- I intend to buy NWN 2, and maybe even make a small module or two. But if someone else says they're really upset with Atari, I can see that.

-Tony

 

[elander_]

Im only saying they should have been prepared for something like that or worst from a games publisher. The effort of those modders was not totaly in vain. They had fun and they learned something about making games. Next time they will think twice before trusting a games publisher.

 

[bryce777]

That's not the problem - the problem is that Atari spent the last 2 years okaying PM and they just as they were finished decided to stop their release.

Don't see what is so suprising in this. They do it because they can. It's all about profit.

Hmm. Well, not to defend Volurn's point (which is often overstated), but well, he has a point. I see it. I've seen comments from the team working on the premium modules. They were weeks or days away from releasing multiple big modules. That team -- not employed by Atari, just regular people like you & me -- had put something like 2 years into the projects. Each person was a fan who had hoped that, by putting in far more time than a hobby normally allows, they would be rewarded. And Atari cut them off, right before the finish line.

Now while you're right that it's all about profit, that doesn't diminish the absolute disappointment that those modders are feeling. And that doesn't diminish our ability to have empathy for those modders. We can understand that what Atari did was very damaging, and each person can react however they wish to that. You might shrug your shoulders. That's cool. But I doubt you'll be able to talk down those who have been stung by this. If they want to feel hurt, I think that's their right. If they want to decide that Atari is no longer worthy of trust or support, I think that's a viable reaction. It's a consequence for Atari's dumb business decisions. It's something Atari should have thought about. But they didn't.

Note that I'm not saying "everyone boycott" -- I intend to buy NWN 2, and maybe even make a small module or two. But if someone else says they're really upset with Atari, I can see that.

-Tony

Actually I had not realized that was the situation. That's pretty fucking horrible. I was considering picking up nwn2 just because nothing else is on the horizon, but now I won't. For that matter it's just one more reason to never buy another atari product again. would love for those nitwits to finally go out of business and have someone, anyone else get the DnD rights...though by then the DnD name wil pretty much be forever destroyed, just like they have done witht he once illustrious Atari name.

 

[Volourn]

..."though by then the DnD name wil pretty much be forever destroyed,"

It's gonna take a lot more than this to destroy the D&D name.


"just like they have done witht he once illustrious Atari name."

Nonsense. The 'once illustrious Atari name' was destroyed a long time ago when the original Atari self destructed.

 

[crufty]

On one hand, this goes to show how different NWN is as a game. On the other, it shows what happens when you dont think things through. When Quake 1 rolled off into Quake 2, there wasn't a peep to be heard.

More than likely Infogrames was following the usual sequel sales paradigm. sell sell V1, V1+, V1 gold/platnium/diamond, till V2 is near gold, then stop V1 and sell sell sell V2, and not atypically, failed to transition fans properly. Looking back, I think id released the new version of QuakeC (or whatever it was called) before Q2 was released so that folks could adjust.

The question is will infogrames learn from the pr mistake for a nwn3?

Maybe I'll NWN2. Maybe I won't.

If NWN would have had turn based combat and multiple henchmen out of the box I'd still be playing it today. *sigh*