Game News Oblivion will wait for the next holiday season

[ExMonk]

It is getting increasingly difficult to put the best construction on Bethsoft. Over the last year or two I've witnessed their persona morph from being a small, humble company that is truly grateful and RESPONSIVE to their fans, to one that is arrogant, evasive, and ridiculously aloof and guarded about meaningful information release. Where does the blame for this lay? Either the PR department (and meglamaniacal Pete Hines) or the Corporate execs.

What's my point? That it's sad to see this transformation.

Something intelligent out of the mouth of ExMonk? Am I dreaming? :shock:

Let me get this straight. I am now intelligent because I agree with you, right? :wink:

 

[Drakron]

Thats not the point, I like some games that I guess a lot of people never heard of ... like "Mission Critical".

Awards factor in a game production, Morrowind made several awards and Oblivion sould make those awards if its to be "as good" as Morrowind, if it not then the game failed to meet expectations.

 

[ExMonk]

Hey, we finally agree on something.

It was inevitable. Actually we've had much more agreement than you realize. I've just had too much fun pushing your buttons.

 

[Vault Dweller]

@ Ghan

Like I said, awards mean more sales, more sales is a reward for dumbing down and more dumbing down in the future. No awards -> less sales -> more reasons to think about gameplay.

 

[Chefe]

Let me get this straight. I am now intelligent because I agree with you, right? :wink:

No, I never said that you were intelligent. I said that comment of yours was intelligent. It's completely true. In fact, it's one of the truest statements about Bethesda that I have heard.

 

[jiujitsu]

What other reason could there be? What publisher would want to miss the best selling season of the year, especially considering that it would have guaranteed Oblivion numerious Game of the Year awards?

Take2 would start off their next fiscal year with huge sales. The value of their shares would go up. They have nothing lined up for early next year and want the numbers on paper to look good. They benefit greatly from this delay.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Hey, we finally agree on something.

It was inevitable. Actually we've had much more agreement than you realize. I've just had too much fun pushing your buttons.

Being a good host, I was happy to provide the entertainment.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Take2 would start off their next fiscal year with huge sales. The value of their shares would go up.

After they went down after the announcement.

They have nothing lined up for early next year and want the numbers on paper to look good. They benefit greatly from this delay.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't TakeTwo only one of the publishers? Wasn't MW published by Bethesda or Zeni-Max? Do you think Bethesda would delay a ready game on purpose to do TakeTwo a favor?

 

[jiujitsu]

They may not have had a choice due to a contract between them.

And this year is already fucked for Take2. They can make next year good and be all "Look a comeback! Invest!"

 

[Vault Dweller]

They may not have had a choice due to a contract between them.

If the game is ready and Take Two is unwilling to publish it (which is, again, very, very stupid, because nothing beats Christmas sales), then Take Two is breaking that contract and Bethesda is free to release the game. If that was the case.

 

[jiujitsu]

Not if in the contract it states that Take2 has say over when the game is released and in their contract with Microsoft they had up to 14 weeks to release the game after Xbox360 launch. They are still technically in the 14 week window.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6136973.html

 

[GhanBuriGhan]

@ Ghan

Like I said, awards mean more sales, more sales is a reward for dumbing down and more dumbing down in the future. No awards -> less sales -> more reasons to think about gameplay.

I already agreed with that Well, if I think about it again, maybe I don't, but I won't go into that again. I agree with the sentiment that more competition is good. Wether less awards will lead them to the conclusion that they need to concentrate on gameplay is not a given. They could just as well conclude they need to cut even more features so that they meet the deadline next time.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Not if in the contract it states that Take2 has say over when the game is released

Considering that Take Two is a co-publisher, I doubt that.

 

[jiujitsu]

Just how "co" is their relationship? I bet Take2 is paying for most of the developement and Beth is taking up some costs to get a little more freedom to do their own thing. I seriously doubt they have equal say over everything.

 

[HardCode]

BAHAHAHA!!!

Every time I saw another retard start a "When will the game be released?!?!?!one" thread, I posted something stupid and obnoxious like:

"My sister's cousin's brother knows someone who works somewhere and said the game is delayed until March 2006."

AHAHA! Turns out to be true!

EDIT:
http://money.cnn.com/2005/11/01/technol ... _two.reut/

The company also attributed the change in its current-year forecast to reduced catalog sales and softer-than-anticipated initial retail orders of new releases, which also had a negative impact on its distribution business.

Yeah, because fucking retards like Pete Hines won't release fuckall about the game, so of course initial retail orders of new releases are going to be down. I hope he gets fired over it, as I guarantee they banked on Oblivion being a large part of the inital orders.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Just how "co" is their relationship? I bet Take2 is paying for most of the developement and Beth is taking up some costs to get a little more freedom to do their own thing. I seriously doubt they have equal say over everything.

I don't think that Take Two is paying for development, it's not that kind of relationship. The press release mentioned European market and distribution network worlwide. That, I think, is what Take Two brought to the table

 

[jiujitsu]

All we can really do is speculate about their actual relationship.

I tend to want to believe that Take2 is the big bad publisher being a royal douchebag. Which is pretty safe to say because that has happened a lot in the past across the board.

 

[HardCode]

And this year is already fucked for Take2. They can make next year good and be all "Look a comeback! Invest!"

No, because Take2's "next year" starts today, Nov 1. They are starting off very bad, with stock down $2.00 to around $18.00. That is a huge hit. They are probably steaming mad at Bethesda. They just got BOHICA'ed.

 

[Vault Dweller]

But not with a company like Bethesda who was able to self-publish MW. Bethesda has no reason (that we know of) to play the role of a slave developer.

 

[jiujitsu]

All these issues could be cleared right up if SOMEONE would post on the damnable thread!

Well, fed coached answers, but that's still better than nothing.

 

[Gran'pa_Jack]

Whatever the case, its a joke.

Once again, corporate bullshit interferes and pisses off gamers. And if it's a case of the game is so bad it needs another 3-6 months, well, people were mislead by Bethesda bigtime.

Christ, I'm getting too old for this shit. Bring back the days when you walked into the store and found a new game on the shelf you never heard of. No hype, no build up etc. Bought it and stuck it in the tape loader on your C64.....ahh, the memories

 

[Shagnak]

WTF? I've obviously missed something during the night.

I thought the dealio was that it was Take 2's fault, some release schedule shuffling malarky that is beyond my meagre intellect to understand, but now the news is that (according to Take 2 CEO) the game needs more time?

 

[Vault Dweller]

Some fun stuff from the official forums:
http://www.elderscrolls.com/forums/inde ... pic=183296

First of all, has ANYONE of the DEVS or ANYONE at ALL, said that there will be a delay? We are not in the Holidays 05 yet, and Bethesda is problaby working overtime to get it done til christmas. They don't know the release date themselfs yet.

You can't compare Bethesda to Bioware. Bioware's not only HUGE, but also a much-used example on PR in the business. Bethsoft doesn't even seem to have an employee solely responsible for PR, like even smaller companies such as ArenaNet have.

LOL. They don't have to release the game at all.

You guys act like you deserve to own this game. Bethesda makes their games because they want to, they like them, they like the idea of them.

The last one is hilarious.

Btw, can someone still access TES forums? It looks like they are down.

 

[jiujitsu]

Those are some really sad quotes...

 

[Wonder Cheese]

All these issues could be cleared right up if SOMEONE would post on the damnable thread!

Well, fed coached answers, but that's still better than nothing.

MSFD lives! He posted in the ES forums, letting people know that Kameo is not a roleplaying game. Now maybe he can address a more important question.