Why are we assuming that the recent recruitment of beta testers is for a "new" game? Cannot beta testing be for the long-awaited tablet releases of the existing games?
Why are we assuming that the recent recruitment of beta testers is for a "new" game? Cannot beta testing be for the long-awaited tablet releases of the existing games?
If so, I'm not sure there would be such a veil of secrecy about it.
Additionally, the beta announcement post suggests it's not:
Do you want to help test out the latest game from Beamdog? We’re currently looking for adventurers, warriors, rogues, wizards, druids, clerics, rangers, monks and shamans who are interested in testing of our next game. First things first We are not ready to announce the title of this game just yet. What we need are beta testers, and all kind of them: we're looking for tablet testers, we're looking for desktop (Win, Mac, Linux) testers.
Think you can do the thing in 2 weeks? Say you can do it in 8 weeks. Moral of the story is not to make promises if you're not sure you can keep them.
This reminds me of a rule of thumb we use at work: Typically a project takes 2-3 times longer than expected to finish, even after taking into account this rule. So if you think it can be done in 2 weeks, you apply the above rule twice to be safe and say it will be done in 8, it will actually be done in ~16 weeks.
Serious comment. Does Beamdog have the chops, the size chops (employee wise), the credibility (despite some issues I have expressed in the past {most notably DA:O} David Gaider is a prominent writer in the industry), and over all ability to launch a stand alone RPG based on 5e rules? They do seem to have collected a least a fairly impressive list of talent, and lets face it, before the Baldur's Gate games.....not many of those employees were exactly renowned giants of the PC gaming industry. As far as I am aware there is not a single player 5e CRPG that really exists or even hinted at? An MMO is not the same, especially given that this franchise is the godfather of them all. If anything, the last 5-7 years have made it clear that there is an audience for these games still. Not what I am looking for & seems rather quick, but could make a lot of sense. Maybe I will come around on 5e............
I like the idea of Neverwinter MMO allowing players to build modules and in effect running a campaign, but it has not seemed to really take off in that regard (perhaps if I had a group to join or IRL pals that did so). Further & again, nothing really exists as a true single play CRPG for 5e to my knowledge. An ambitious attempt to be sure, but Beamdog has collected some serious talent over time. Not necessarily my wish for their artistic and business pursuits, but given their ties to WoTC......wouldn't that almost make sense? Whichever they go, I hope them the best. I will never suggest that a company specializing in RPGS has anything that my grandest hopes of success and support.
I am a lil older (41) and have yet to join in kick starter programs (not how I see companies should earn money, but hey in my country we build super billionaires' sports stadiums to earn billions more on sporting events and give corporations tax breaks to come to our cities....least this is honest), but this company (and the more I read of Pillars of Eternity Team even if I'm not sure the style of combat is to my liking) may be my first foray in the realm.
So Seth, Dee, Gaider, Trent, and the rest......let's get this party started with some news. I new the new error style is an announcement quickly filed by release. You guys have have always done things a bit differently & have perhaps the best/most open dialog with your fans/community. Don't bow down to much for to long to corporate policy and be who you are. I'll respect you guys if it is for good reason, but.......well its time for a lil more info if possible. This is by far the most loyal, mature, and nicest fan base I have ever seen on a gaming site. Keep that in mind & respect that. I love card games, no time for real MoTG, loved Duels of the Plainswalkers til they changed it.......visited Hearthstone forums (and a few others over time).....appreciate what ya have here!
Hope the Gamer's Gate/anti diversity hate doesn't spoil things though. A big part of what has made me willing to invest and actually JOIN your community rather than lurk is that you guys are just real people doing what ya love. Never lose that!
Well, that spun beyond original intent......but I'm gonna let it stand. Best of luck and can't wait to see what ya have in store.
what could it hurt to tell us what they are working on as Long as they dont give us any Information about when it is out.
Possibilities:
1) Could simply be protecting their interest. Suppose the game is rife with revolutionary ideas, or at least "something new". You do not want those ideas to leak out during any part of the development process, especially if you're a relatively small developer in the shadow of a couple huge ones, even defunct ones.
2) Legal reasons. If it is 5e, Wizards just might insist on keeping it a secret. Or maybe it's 6e and Wizards want the release of the game to coincide with the release of that. Goes for any intellectual property, story as well. Although I doubt they're using an external story, with David Gaider on board.
3) Unlikely: the subject or theme is controversial.
4) Our sheer surprise if it is maybe not revolutionary but still freak-out worthy for die hard fans. Black Hound anyone?
I think the general reason we don't shout project names from the rooftops is because that would start interest too soon.
There have been quite a few games that I've been really interested in, but their announcement came out so far before their release that, while I was pumped for them, by the time they came out I had forgotten that they were in development. Seeing them on a shelf just produced an "Oh yeah, that looked kinda good" response instead of the "I must play this now" one I had on announcement.
I've forgotten about Prey a few times now, for instance.
Unless I'm wrong isn't that Bethesda's strategy with the Elder Scrolls games. IIRC they usually announce and hype their games relatively shortly before they are released.
Unless I'm wrong isn't that Bethesda's strategy with the Elder Scrolls games. IIRC they usually announce and hype their games relatively shortly before they are released.
Bethesda did the same thing with Fallout 4, it was only announced a month before release.
Another good reason not to announce a project is that they may have to give up on it before release for a number of reasons such as:
1) Financial problems. The project may show to be way more expensive than the projected revenue, forcing them to abort and cut losses.
2) NDA with the intellectual property holder.
3) Technical problems. They may hit a bug or other kind of technical problem that would force them to rewrite most of the software. It's often a cause for my first point actually.
You should... We had originally assigned the destruction of Earth to happen 5 seconds BEFORE the release of Half-Life 3 in order to cause maximum frustration to the humans before their extinction...
*checks auto-fire settings just in case the command is still there*
I know WHY they don't, but damn it, the suspense kills me. I have my son til 5pm cst on Sunday (which will be followed by grocery shopping & The Walking Dead) & I better figure out how to add mods to the BG series shortly there after or else I may lose it with out an announcement of some sort soon! No pressure though.....grrrrrr
Comments
Why are we assuming that the recent recruitment of beta testers is for a "new" game? Cannot beta testing be for the long-awaited tablet releases of the existing games?
Additionally, the beta announcement post suggests it's not:
*feels piles of cartridges buried underground trying to surface* Basically yes...
actual picture of the inside of an average Beamdog cubicle since the change
I like the idea of Neverwinter MMO allowing players to build modules and in effect running a campaign, but it has not seemed to really take off in that regard (perhaps if I had a group to join or IRL pals that did so). Further & again, nothing really exists as a true single play CRPG for 5e to my knowledge. An ambitious attempt to be sure, but Beamdog has collected some serious talent over time. Not necessarily my wish for their artistic and business pursuits, but given their ties to WoTC......wouldn't that almost make sense? Whichever they go, I hope them the best. I will never suggest that a company specializing in RPGS has anything that my grandest hopes of success and support.
I am a lil older (41) and have yet to join in kick starter programs (not how I see companies should earn money, but hey in my country we build super billionaires' sports stadiums to earn billions more on sporting events and give corporations tax breaks to come to our cities....least this is honest), but this company (and the more I read of Pillars of Eternity Team even if I'm not sure the style of combat is to my liking) may be my first foray in the realm.
So Seth, Dee, Gaider, Trent, and the rest......let's get this party started with some news. I new the new error style is an announcement quickly filed by release. You guys have have always done things a bit differently & have perhaps the best/most open dialog with your fans/community. Don't bow down to much for to long to corporate policy and be who you are. I'll respect you guys if it is for good reason, but.......well its time for a lil more info if possible. This is by far the most loyal, mature, and nicest fan base I have ever seen on a gaming site. Keep that in mind & respect that. I love card games, no time for real MoTG, loved Duels of the Plainswalkers til they changed it.......visited Hearthstone forums (and a few others over time).....appreciate what ya have here!
Hope the Gamer's Gate/anti diversity hate doesn't spoil things though. A big part of what has made me willing to invest and actually JOIN your
community rather than lurk is that you guys are just real people doing what ya love. Never lose that!
Well, that spun beyond original intent......but I'm gonna let it stand. Best of luck and can't wait to see what ya have in store.
1) Could simply be protecting their interest. Suppose the game is rife with revolutionary ideas, or at least "something new". You do not want those ideas to leak out during any part of the development process, especially if you're a relatively small developer in the shadow of a couple huge ones, even defunct ones.
2) Legal reasons. If it is 5e, Wizards just might insist on keeping it a secret. Or maybe it's 6e and Wizards want the release of the game to coincide with the release of that. Goes for any intellectual property, story as well. Although I doubt they're using an external story, with David Gaider on board.
3) Unlikely: the subject or theme is controversial.
4) Our sheer surprise if it is maybe not revolutionary but still freak-out worthy for die hard fans. Black Hound anyone?
There have been quite a few games that I've been really interested in, but their announcement came out so far before their release that, while I was pumped for them, by the time they came out I had forgotten that they were in development. Seeing them on a shelf just produced an "Oh yeah, that looked kinda good" response instead of the "I must play this now" one I had on announcement.
I've forgotten about Prey a few times now, for instance.
Possibly a lead?
1) Financial problems. The project may show to be way more expensive than the projected revenue, forcing them to abort and cut losses.
2) NDA with the intellectual property holder.
3) Technical problems. They may hit a bug or other kind of technical problem that would force them to rewrite most of the software. It's often a cause for my first point actually.
*checks auto-fire settings just in case the command is still there*
So another EE.... Knew it.....