I'd be willing to wait, but if that's not realistically possible, I'll hold off on playing the game until the first few post-release patches are out and the kinks have been smoothed over...
@Heinrich I don't really think Diablo is a good comparison for BGEE. Even before Diablo, Blizz had some breakout hits like Warcraft 1 and 2, so they had some fiscal flexibility with their games. I don't think Trent and his team have the same advantage.
With such a tight budget, it's doubtful whether a longer wait would produce a better product. Trent and his team decided on (or were handed) Sep 18 for a reason, maybe that's when the money runs out, who knows. But if he's worried about their budget on a daily basis, it seems likely that they don't have much room for futzing past their proposed release.
For everyone that voted to give the team more time, start writing Trent some checks to cover the bills.
Recent tweets from Trent Oster have suggested that they are struggling to meet the September 18th shipping date, but the higher powers are pushing them hard to meet the deadline.
This is why I will never work for a game dev company or any company that turns their employees into pseudo-slave labor again. I worked for a development company that pushed us during a deadline, forcing us to pull 15 hour+ days at at time. You know why? Because they screwed around the office leading up to the deadline, including management.
So the bosses and supervisors set the example of wasting time and then tell you you're going to be pulling 80 hour weeks during the last month. I said, "screw that" and went elsewhere for an hourly, non-salary, wage. Since when did we set the precedent that game development companies have to pull insane hours like this to meet deadlines? Other than the medical field, I can't think of another industry that treats its employees like this.
So, I vote for giving the team more time. Look at history. In most of cases, customers are far more forgiving of late deadlines than they are forgiving of a buggy, half-finished product.
Heh, try teaching - 50-80 hr weeks (then weekends), financing courses out of my salary, teaching multiple classes at once, 1/10th of holidays (no pay) and to top it all off "colleagues" that put my life at risk with high risk learners while stealing 1/3 of their annual salary from government funding per academic year. Best 4 burn-out years of my life.
On topic though; whatever is best for Beamdog. So long as BG:EE isn't cancelled - I'm good.
I would be willing to wait as long as the waiting period is a reasonable amount of time. I'd say anything more than, say another month or two at most would be too long for me.
As someone else pointed out, ToB has been out for 11 years, and so I know even a couple more weeks wouldn't drive me insane (even if I tell myself it would). But I think the best case here is to examine as others have said (serious bug issues) and how many of those are present at release. Games can be patched, and due to the fact that they've already promised regular updates to BGEE the entire team won't be able to go over BG2EE.
Thanks to everyone who has posted their thoughts here... At first I actually figured I would try to get Trent to have a look at the results of this poll and consider presenting the numbers to his overlords to consider an extension on the deadline. I'm thinking that might not be such a great idea now...
The main points I'm getting from this are:
1. Budget -- extending the release deadline would put definite strains on Overhaul's budget, reducing the chances of financial success for BG:EE, in turn diminishing the chances of a BG2:EE, PST:EE, IWD:EE, or BG3. We don't want that to happen. 2. They have clearly stated a release date (at least for PC), and it's bad business to go beyond a publicly announced release date. 3. They have promised to provide post-release updates/patches, and chances are that even a rush job will produce improvements upon the original.
I don't want anything to happen that will present any kind risk to a BG2:EE release and beyond...
@Heinrich I don't really think Diablo is a good comparison for BGEE. Even before Diablo, Blizz had some breakout hits like Warcraft 1 and 2, so they had some fiscal flexibility with their games. I don't think Trent and his team have the same advantage.
I am quite aware of that and was only used as a quick example. My point was to have it as polished as possible if they had the time and the resources and that I wouldn't mind waiting a little bit longer if they could pull it off.
On another note, I guess the DLC features would give them an advantage over Diablo when it comes to content and getting it to the release date more or less.
@GaelicVigil If your looking for some historical information to answer your questions I can tell you that the model you described is an indication that the Development Managers never matured from the very early days of Computer Gaming, the people creating the game sin the 80's were usually tight groups who were all friends and the Long hours and Hard work came from a place of love and comeradery but as the industry became "Corporatized" it went from friends with like minded ideals to Employee abuse. Many Corps today still have not evolved and are using Diploma Mill MBA's as managers with ZERO experience in leadership and no training. This explanation is a generalization and a rather broad brush to paint with but still not too far from the mark.
@GaelicVigil Yeah, I've seen some horrifically burned out husks that used to be game devs. The industry should really stop doing that. I think @immagikman's reasoning is pretty accurate.
Dude, they can launch BG EE in 2013 if they want, just don't screw this legend. But that's my personal opinion.
My advice by experience is (not in dev games but in deadline with the boss), launch the game on the release date, otherwise things can get messy. Public in general isn't too much comprehensive about things like this.
Patchs and fixs can always be launched latter if needed.
I think I could handle it being released later as far as my patience is concerned, but I might end up being more worried about how a delay would affect my grades. September 18 is early in the semester so things probably won't be too hectic but if the game instead comes out around midterms, or worse, finals, I could be in trouble. I'm already pretty bad at getting myself to do homework and often won't study even when I'm bored and have nothing else to do; give me BG:EE right around the time I need to be buckling down and my grades could take a significant turn for the worse.
So much impatience in this topic. *sigh* I could wait for BG:EE for years if needed. I'm in no rush. If waiting longer means a product of higher quality, then no problem. @TrentOster has to decide what's best for him and his team. Whatever they do, I'll support it as the loyal fan I am.
I chose neither, because I want bgee on September 18th, but that is because I know it will continue to get polished even after release. If release was a complete finalization I'd of course want to wait for absolute perfection.
@mch202 - that's why we must study hard in order to create a real life cheat console, so we can cheat in billions of dollars to give at Overhaul's disposal!
I would love to make the developers a question - You are given 1 billion dollars to develop Baldur's Gate 3, and just for that purpose only. What would you do?
I expect that the answer to this will be something along the lines of the duke nukem game that took forever to make, (over 10 years) and when it did finally come out (after all the tinkering and such trying to make the *perfect* game, it was dated and i don't think it sold well because they waited too long. People forgot who made the game and though it was awesome, alot of awesome games came out in between.
On another note, this is a great way to plan BG3. If the first two games sell well, then BG3 will happen. If not, then it's just a lot of people who miss the good old days, but we'll all know that the world has moved on without us. That's a little black and white, but sometimes there's not much of a gray area.
So much impatience in this topic. *sigh* I could wait for BG:EE for years if needed. I'm in no rush. If waiting longer means a product of higher quality, then no problem. @TrentOster has to decide what's best for him and his team. Whatever they do, I'll support it as the loyal fan I am.
I imagine the people who currently have and are playing the original BG game can afford to be patient. But not everyone has the original game anymore and some fans haven't played the game in years and are holding off for the enhanced edition, so you will have to excuse the "impatience".
....snip... I imagine the people who currently have and are playing the original BG game can afford to be patient. But not everyone has the original game anymore ...snip...
....snip... I imagine the people who currently have and are playing the original BG game can afford to be patient. But not everyone has the original game anymore ...snip...
Heh, try teaching - 50-80 hr weeks (then weekends), financing courses out of my salary, teaching multiple classes at once, 1/10th of holidays (no pay) and to top it all off "colleagues" that put my life at risk with high risk learners while stealing 1/3 of their annual salary from government funding per academic year. Best 4 burn-out years of my life.
On topic though; whatever is best for Beamdog. So long as BG:EE isn't cancelled - I'm good.
I realized that during CELTA and pulled out in time. Of course, failing CELTA also contributed but in all honesty I would not have tought anyway. I remained a happy accountant who is developping his first game to be sold on the appstore of apple as a hobby. no dead lines, no budget pressure, no way of getting rich and concerned about remaining rich - pure paradise!
EDIT
Of course, your topic sentence also applies. All I care about is a good and running game. If it has to be released ahead of its prime but playable and patchable I can live with that. I'd choose to wait if I was asked - but he who controls the wallet has the power. I did my part by pre-ordering and now we'll see.
too many potentially great games, have met a way too early deadline, this game in particular got a standard to meet being a retake on a near perfect game.
If a month or two more makes it reasonable. then thats how it is.
....snip... I imagine the people who currently have and are playing the original BG game can afford to be patient. But not everyone has the original game anymore ...snip...
That is why god invented gog.com.
Like I said, I'm holding off for the EE.
You are wiser than I, I bought them on gog and then found out the pre-order for BG:EE was available so lost my desire to play the original version and decided to wait for the Enhanced
Considering the game was already a finished product before Overhaul got their hands on it, it should come out sooner rather than later.
Would someone please elaborate on this? Who initially began the project?
lol @perfectblue, they're refering to the orginal Baldur's gate. it was a finished game, they're just fixing it and adding stuff to it. That's all they were refering to.
I will happily wait until Beamdog decides the game is polished enough to release it. So far, they've said that would be September 18th, so that's what I'm expecting and no later. Frankly, we're not in a position to tell whether or not the deadline can be met. I'm trusting Beamdog's judgement to not to release a game that's much more broken than the original when it's supposed to be an Enhanced Edition.
Patches help but they don't bring up your scores in reviews.
....snip... I imagine the people who currently have and are playing the original BG game can afford to be patient. But not everyone has the original game anymore ...snip...
....snip... I imagine the people who currently have and are playing the original BG game can afford to be patient. But not everyone has the original game anymore ...snip...
That is why god invented gog.com.
Like I said, I'm holding off for the EE.
Err, the game on GoG is super cheap?
It's not about money. It's about the experience. It's been years since I've played the game, and honestly, the only reason I'm getting it now is because of the EE. I want to experience the game with a fresh perspective. Plus, I'm looking forward to that rush of nostalgia when I start up the game and hear the music playing again...So why would I spoil the fun of playing the enhanced game for the first time in probably ten years, by replaying the old game while I wait?
Like I said in my first post in this thread, I don't have a problem with waiting for an extra month or two, but anything longer than that, I feel, is unreasonable.
OK, you might not have talked @purebredcorn into it, but I am downloading BG1 now. I can't wait a freaking month. My discs went by-by years ago and I am ready to play NOW.
I do not mind it either way. If it ends up being a bit rushed, didn't they say they are going to keep working on it after it's out, with updates and DLC? So ... if there's some bad glitches or some afterthoughts, then they add them in that way.
All the crappy developers do that intentionally any way, so if they accidentally had to do a bit of that against their will I don't really see the issue.
Comments
With such a tight budget, it's doubtful whether a longer wait would produce a better product. Trent and his team decided on (or were handed) Sep 18 for a reason, maybe that's when the money runs out, who knows. But if he's worried about their budget on a daily basis, it seems likely that they don't have much room for futzing past their proposed release.
For everyone that voted to give the team more time, start writing Trent some checks to cover the bills.
So the bosses and supervisors set the example of wasting time and then tell you you're going to be pulling 80 hour weeks during the last month. I said, "screw that" and went elsewhere for an hourly, non-salary, wage. Since when did we set the precedent that game development companies have to pull insane hours like this to meet deadlines? Other than the medical field, I can't think of another industry that treats its employees like this.
So, I vote for giving the team more time. Look at history. In most of cases, customers are far more forgiving of late deadlines than they are forgiving of a buggy, half-finished product.
Heh, try teaching - 50-80 hr weeks (then weekends), financing courses out of my salary, teaching multiple classes at once, 1/10th of holidays (no pay) and to top it all off "colleagues" that put my life at risk with high risk learners while stealing 1/3 of their annual salary from government funding per academic year. Best 4 burn-out years of my life.
On topic though; whatever is best for Beamdog. So long as BG:EE isn't cancelled - I'm good.
I have my own reasons for loving the Sept. 18th date, namely that it will coincide with G3's ninth anniversary.
That's just my 2 cents
The main points I'm getting from this are:
1. Budget -- extending the release deadline would put definite strains on Overhaul's budget, reducing the chances of financial success for BG:EE, in turn diminishing the chances of a BG2:EE, PST:EE, IWD:EE, or BG3. We don't want that to happen.
2. They have clearly stated a release date (at least for PC), and it's bad business to go beyond a publicly announced release date.
3. They have promised to provide post-release updates/patches, and chances are that even a rush job will produce improvements upon the original.
I don't want anything to happen that will present any kind risk to a BG2:EE release and beyond...
On another note, I guess the DLC features would give them an advantage over Diablo when it comes to content and getting it to the release date more or less.
If your looking for some historical information to answer your questions I can tell you that the model you described is an indication that the Development Managers never matured from the very early days of Computer Gaming, the people creating the game sin the 80's were usually tight groups who were all friends and the Long hours and Hard work came from a place of love and comeradery but as the industry became "Corporatized" it went from friends with like minded ideals to Employee abuse. Many Corps today still have not evolved and are using Diploma Mill MBA's as managers with ZERO experience in leadership and no training. This explanation is a generalization and a rather broad brush to paint with but still not too far from the mark.
My advice by experience is (not in dev games but in deadline with the boss), launch the game on the release date, otherwise things can get messy. Public in general isn't too much comprehensive about things like this.
Patchs and fixs can always be launched latter if needed.
On another note, this is a great way to plan BG3. If the first two games sell well, then BG3 will happen. If not, then it's just a lot of people who miss the good old days, but we'll all know that the world has moved on without us. That's a little black and white, but sometimes there's not much of a gray area.
I imagine the people who currently have and are playing the original BG game can afford to be patient. But not everyone has the original game anymore and some fans haven't played the game in years and are holding off for the enhanced edition, so you will have to excuse the "impatience".
Like I said, I'm holding off for the EE.
EDIT
Of course, your topic sentence also applies. All I care about is a good and running game. If it has to be released ahead of its prime but playable and patchable I can live with that. I'd choose to wait if I was asked - but he who controls the wallet has the power. I did my part by pre-ordering and now we'll see.
If a month or two more makes it reasonable. then thats how it is.
Patches help but they don't bring up your scores in reviews.
Like I said in my first post in this thread, I don't have a problem with waiting for an extra month or two, but anything longer than that, I feel, is unreasonable.
OK, you might not have talked @purebredcorn into it, but I am downloading BG1 now. I can't wait a freaking month. My discs went by-by years ago and I am ready to play NOW.
All the crappy developers do that intentionally any way, so if they accidentally had to do a bit of that against their will I don't really see the issue.