Yeah, DLC is great for us, but it really only appeals to existing fans, while this move opens the games up to a whole new audience: console-only gamers. Hopefully, Beamdog will make a lot of money off this and then we can finally get some new content.
Yeah, DLC is great for us, but it really only appeals to existing fans, while this move opens the games up to a whole new audience: console-only gamers. Hopefully, Beamdog will make a lot of money off this and then we can finally get some new content.
I'd just say one thing. You can disagree with it, being a bachelor in Business Management.
But to me, making games and creating patches needs money. Business needs money. Why you get the idea of being ignored, I really don't understand. If anything, the console ports will create a situation when there're resources available at "managing" bugs.
There are other ways to raise money. Merchandising is one. A solid DLC is another. Beamdog just needs to listen to its costumers. A quick example from this very thread:
And pray remember Beamdog. I have money for you if you close the soultaker plot - just saying if you forgot
They did listen to their costumers:
(Please take this as a way to lighten the mood, not to troll; I'd be a hypocrite if I pretended I don't make amusing typos myself.)
I'd love to see the soultaker plot closed. I'd love to see more expansions to the games we love. Personally, I'd love to see more fresh D&D games. Merchandise. . . meh (but that's admittedly a personal thing). But if I'm being honest with myself, this move makes more sense for Beamdog's business. If I were in their shoes, the drama from Dragonspear and other BG series changes vs. the response to PST:EE which was left untouched, I wouldn't make any more changes to existing IE games. This is coming from a guy who really wanted (and wants) to see Planescape:Torment expanded upon. It makes poor business sense to continue down that road. But breaking into a new market could be really good for them. Console gaming is big business.
Admittedly, I don't think this will expedite the bug fixing process. If anything, focus might go more on the console gaming side if it is successful. But I don't think there is any hope for them to keep in business if they had stuck with Infinity Engine games on PC which is pretty much tapped out at this point.
There are other ways to raise money. Merchandising is one. A solid DLC is another.
I highly doubt merchandise and/or DLC would raise more money than opening up a new venue (consoles) where you can sell all the games that you have available.
It may generate more, but it will also probably cost more. Porting a game to a new system it was not designed for is not an easy task. In the end, it's not clear that it's a better choice than a DLC.
They will also have to make big changes to the UI for the game to be playable. And looking at the current state of the UI on PC, I don't know if they can do it properly. A bad console port can really hurt them.
I really don't think physical merchandises are the way to go. In fact, I do believe them to be the bane of small to mid sized studios. Either the merchs are too costly to make on a large scale. Or they are produced too cheaply which ultimately leads to faulty quality control and unsatisfied customers. Especially since tariff taxes also enter the picture for overseas customers. All in all it's just not worth it. Similarly, the golden age of physical copies is long past its zenith as well. Last I remember there were still some of the "limited" SOD collectors editions left. Though could be those were given away in some live stream lottery.
Beamdog has to remember that gamers grew rather cautious and weary of spending money on things. Now with things like the Bethesda "scandals" more than ever. They yearn for quality and not quantity.
As for console ports in general... please remember that even back then Bioware tried to release Baldur's Gate on the PS1. Ultimately they decided against it. But then again, it is far easier to realize on modern hardware.
I'm really questioning the motivation here, since we can all play these titles with a very cheap PC/mobile devices. These are not like the Pillars's or Numenera's, which really needs the console hardware supports, besides, I doubt the Joy Stick controller should beat the PC keyboard&mouse on game experiences. What is the market potential by porting these titles to console, I really don't understand. Shouldn't beamdog focus on new titles, after all these classic D&D titles have been enhanced and remastered, I believe everybody is expecting something new.
@kingnight The potential is an entirely new base of customers. Not everyone is a pc gamer. Heck, just three years ago, I was almost exclusively a console gamer, only really playing Starcraft and Baldur's Gate.
I'm really questioning the motivation here, since we can all play these titles with a very cheap PC/mobile devices. These are not like the Pillars's or Numenera's, which really needs the console hardware supports, besides, I doubt the Joy Stick controller should beat the PC keyboard&mouse on game experiences. What is the market potential by porting these titles to console, I really don't understand. Shouldn't beamdog focus on new titles, after all these classic D&D titles have been enhanced and remastered, I believe everybody is expecting something new.
Actually, thanks to Beamdog, I can *not* play BG on my pc, because their 2.0 update makes it sloow.. ;-)
Aside from that, depending on the release date (and price) it could get quite a bit of downloads, since there is quite a number of people who do not use a pc for gaming and thus have simply *missed* the game.
It also gives them experience with console games and economics and thus broadens the audience for future games (If they ever stop remastering old titles that is).
In other words, as long as they break at least even when it comes to revenue, I think it is a good decision to bring it to consoles.
Might annoy Bioware though, since it is a real alternative to Dragon Age
Well I think this is really great. I for one will be buying the console versions. I am looking forward to it. I bet it will be a while before they are released though
For me the only downside when it comes to console version will be the fact that it will be non-moddable. Although it's the major downside, to be honest.
If you can get mods or NWN modules onto the console versions somehow, great. If not, I think they may end up being lackluster to the core fanbase, and i'm skeptical of the appeal to the console market beyond NWN:EE.
I think they'll start releasing them in the summer, maybe around May or June. I think they'll space them out a bit, and have all six released by the end of the year. According to the press release, some of them will be on display at PAX East at the end of March, which tells me that some are nearly finished.
I don't really play on console anymore, but I hope Beamdog succeeds with this, mainly because if they start getting into the console market, they could potentially bring Dark Alliance and Demon Stone into the Beamdog fold easier. That, and more profit from the IE games could potentially bring more demand for more DLC/expansions to the IE games.
For me the only downside when it comes to console version will be the fact that it will be non-moddable. Although it's the major downside, to be honest.
Yeah.. there a lot of little things that I'm used to putting into my games (custom sound sets, picture sets, remove xp cap, infinite item stacks, bag of holding in bg1.. :P) that it'll be interesting (or maybe annoying) to go back to those old restrictions. I am still excited for console releases just because I've always thought they'd be fun on console.
Actually, thanks to Beamdog, I can *not* play BG on my pc, because their 2.0 update makes it sloow.. ;-)
What!? What kind of PC are you hoding, I have my Samsung laptop with a Pentinum 2.0G CPU and 2GB RAM, which definitely been brought 10 years ago, run the BG1- II v2.3 quite of smoothly, thought I wasn't actually play the whole game on such PC, but I test it, trust me.
@Arcanis, have a look here for a possible work around. If it doesn't work, pose the problem in the Troubleshooting section and there are some other ideas we could look at.
@kingnight
I assume it is the old Intel Graphik chip that is at fault..
I have an aged office pc, since I tend to play on the console most of the time
@Raduziel@Gusinda
Tried some stuff, to no avail. Luckily, the game works fine on my notebook (which has better hardware).
But thanks for the advice. :-)
Mods for a game that is entirely designed to support mods are single archive files that are loaded in by the game at runtime, and then apply extra information to the game.
The IE mods are a different beast entirely. They patch the core game files to manipulate the data to change the content to a modded state.
Mods for a game that is entirely designed to support mods are single archive files that are loaded in by the game at runtime, and then apply extra information to the game.
The IE mods are a different beast entirely. They patch the core game files to manipulate the data to change the content to a modded state.
That's already how mobile loads mods, I don't imagine it would be much different for consoles:
Install Mods on PC, transfer archived results to mobile/console.
You can even load premade mods on PC this way.
I'm going to take the opportunity to speak on this, because the main "get" here for Beamdog is the Nintendo Switch, which has quickly become one of the best consoles ever created. For the simple fact is that it is a fully-functional console in handheld mode. Even if the Switch had NO great first-party titles (and it has quite a few of those as well), it would still be a revelation because of the kinds of games that have gotten ports and, frankly, how well they run. I can't begin to tell you (even if you have huge problems with these games) what an experience it is to be able to play something like Skyrim or Diablo 3 in their full, all DLC/expansion included forms, anywhere. The bus, at work, in the bathroom.
Moreover, the Nintendo eshop makes it ABSURDLY easy for indie-game developers to get their products on the platform that is BY FAR the most suited to get them played to their maximum value. I'm talking about things like Hollow Knight, Salt and Sanctuary, Into the Breach, Darkest Dungeon, Dead Cells, and on and on and on. The Switch is without question where these games should be played, because you can pick them up at any moment.
What does this mean for the Infinity Engine games?? Well, dealing with the joycons for a control scheme is going to be a challenge, but the idea that I will be able to play Baldur's Gate 2 on the bus gives me the same kind of joy that playing Skyrim or Breath of the Wild does in the same manner. If you don't own a Switch, it's hard to convey the sense of joy you get from having these massive worlds sitting in the palm of your hand. It's a tangible effect. Sales for Xbox One and PS4 might be there to some degree, but the real money and exposure to be had here is with the Switch, which is going to (when it is all said and done) be the most successful console ever made.
The Nintendo Direct last week revealed just how much meat there is to the games this system is getting. And even though I am personally not a Pokemon player, no company is going to want their games not available on this system once the next gen of that series hits later this year. Everyone realizes it, and Beamdog would be fools not to get these classic titles on the eshop as soon as possible. This is all about the Switch.
i have BG on the bus and in the bathroom: on my tablet with a touch interface (that is second best to mouse, but at least acceptable) ... just saying - nothing against switch per se ...
i have BG on the bus and in the bathroom: on my tablet with a touch interface (that is second best to mouse, but at least acceptable) ... just saying - nothing against switch per se ...
I agree 100%, the beauty of these EE games are that fact that they can be played on a tablet from anywhere and the games play very well with the touch interface. It’s not as good as the mouse, but definitely easy to use and user friendly.
I have serious concerns about how the game would play on a console. The UI is very dependent on the point and click paradigm and I honestly can’t see how you would be able to change that.
I think you’re overstating the pull of the switch a bit @jjstraka34.
Majority of the new releases are either a) kid friendly b) ports of older games or c) rehashes of games Nintendo has already released on past consoles.
They are applying McDonald’s Marketing and have been since the NES. Market to kids to get the brand loyalty at a young age which will carrying them for the next 10-20 years until they have kids and are able to introduce the brand to their kids.
Besides Zelda (and even that’s stretching it) they have no original title marketed towards an older crowd.
They are alienating their old fan base (because they know they will buy anything due to brand), to market to the younger audience and are doing completely nothing to pull older gamers use to Microsoft or Sony to their console.
Granted, the IE games fits b) and they can be marketed to the older Nintendo crowd who may never experienced them, but as you’ve already mentioned, their store already offers a lot of other great indie port titles that is going to compete for sales.
Comments
Great for Business, and company survival.
They did listen to their costumers:
(Please take this as a way to lighten the mood, not to troll; I'd be a hypocrite if I pretended I don't make amusing typos myself.)
I'd love to see the soultaker plot closed. I'd love to see more expansions to the games we love. Personally, I'd love to see more fresh D&D games. Merchandise. . . meh (but that's admittedly a personal thing). But if I'm being honest with myself, this move makes more sense for Beamdog's business. If I were in their shoes, the drama from Dragonspear and other BG series changes vs. the response to PST:EE which was left untouched, I wouldn't make any more changes to existing IE games. This is coming from a guy who really wanted (and wants) to see Planescape:Torment expanded upon. It makes poor business sense to continue down that road. But breaking into a new market could be really good for them. Console gaming is big business.
Admittedly, I don't think this will expedite the bug fixing process. If anything, focus might go more on the console gaming side if it is successful. But I don't think there is any hope for them to keep in business if they had stuck with Infinity Engine games on PC which is pretty much tapped out at this point.
It may generate more, but it will also probably cost more. Porting a game to a new system it was not designed for is not an easy task. In the end, it's not clear that it's a better choice than a DLC.
They will also have to make big changes to the UI for the game to be playable. And looking at the current state of the UI on PC, I don't know if they can do it properly. A bad console port can really hurt them.
Beamdog has to remember that gamers grew rather cautious and weary of spending money on things. Now with things like the Bethesda "scandals" more than ever. They yearn for quality and not quantity.
As for console ports in general... please remember that even back then Bioware tried to release Baldur's Gate on the PS1. Ultimately they decided against it. But then again, it is far easier to realize on modern hardware.
I'm really questioning the motivation here, since we can all play these titles with a very cheap PC/mobile devices. These are not like the Pillars's or Numenera's, which really needs the console hardware supports, besides, I doubt the Joy Stick controller should beat the PC keyboard&mouse on game experiences. What is the market potential by porting these titles to console, I really don't understand. Shouldn't beamdog focus on new titles, after all these classic D&D titles have been enhanced and remastered, I believe everybody is expecting something new.
Actually, thanks to Beamdog, I can *not* play BG on my pc, because their 2.0 update makes it sloow.. ;-)
Aside from that, depending on the release date (and price) it could get quite a bit of downloads, since there is quite a number of people who do not use a pc for gaming and thus have simply *missed* the game.
It also gives them experience with console games and economics and thus broadens the audience for future games (If they ever stop remastering old titles that is).
In other words, as long as they break at least even when it comes to revenue, I think it is a good decision to bring it to consoles.
Might annoy Bioware though, since it is a real alternative to Dragon Age
Tyranny, POE etc are all fine but we'll never see them on IOS or Android - so go Beamdog go !
Yeah.. there a lot of little things that I'm used to putting into my games (custom sound sets, picture sets, remove xp cap, infinite item stacks, bag of holding in bg1.. :P) that it'll be interesting (or maybe annoying) to go back to those old restrictions. I am still excited for console releases just because I've always thought they'd be fun on console.
What!? What kind of PC are you hoding, I have my Samsung laptop with a Pentinum 2.0G CPU and 2GB RAM, which definitely been brought 10 years ago, run the BG1- II v2.3 quite of smoothly, thought I wasn't actually play the whole game on such PC, but I test it, trust me.
Gus
I assume it is the old Intel Graphik chip that is at fault..
I have an aged office pc, since I tend to play on the console most of the time
@Raduziel @Gusinda
Tried some stuff, to no avail. Luckily, the game works fine on my notebook (which has better hardware).
But thanks for the advice. :-)
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/02/microsoft-paradox-allow-open-game-modding-on-xbox-one-for-the-first-time/
I would not hold your hopes up on that one.
Mods for a game that is entirely designed to support mods are single archive files that are loaded in by the game at runtime, and then apply extra information to the game.
The IE mods are a different beast entirely. They patch the core game files to manipulate the data to change the content to a modded state.
Install Mods on PC, transfer archived results to mobile/console.
You can even load premade mods on PC this way.
TR
Moreover, the Nintendo eshop makes it ABSURDLY easy for indie-game developers to get their products on the platform that is BY FAR the most suited to get them played to their maximum value. I'm talking about things like Hollow Knight, Salt and Sanctuary, Into the Breach, Darkest Dungeon, Dead Cells, and on and on and on. The Switch is without question where these games should be played, because you can pick them up at any moment.
What does this mean for the Infinity Engine games?? Well, dealing with the joycons for a control scheme is going to be a challenge, but the idea that I will be able to play Baldur's Gate 2 on the bus gives me the same kind of joy that playing Skyrim or Breath of the Wild does in the same manner. If you don't own a Switch, it's hard to convey the sense of joy you get from having these massive worlds sitting in the palm of your hand. It's a tangible effect. Sales for Xbox One and PS4 might be there to some degree, but the real money and exposure to be had here is with the Switch, which is going to (when it is all said and done) be the most successful console ever made.
The Nintendo Direct last week revealed just how much meat there is to the games this system is getting. And even though I am personally not a Pokemon player, no company is going to want their games not available on this system once the next gen of that series hits later this year. Everyone realizes it, and Beamdog would be fools not to get these classic titles on the eshop as soon as possible. This is all about the Switch.
I agree 100%, the beauty of these EE games are that fact that they can be played on a tablet from anywhere and the games play very well with the touch interface. It’s not as good as the mouse, but definitely easy to use and user friendly.
I have serious concerns about how the game would play on a console. The UI is very dependent on the point and click paradigm and I honestly can’t see how you would be able to change that.
Majority of the new releases are either a) kid friendly b) ports of older games or c) rehashes of games Nintendo has already released on past consoles.
They are applying McDonald’s Marketing and have been since the NES. Market to kids to get the brand loyalty at a young age which will carrying them for the next 10-20 years until they have kids and are able to introduce the brand to their kids.
Besides Zelda (and even that’s stretching it) they have no original title marketed towards an older crowd.
They are alienating their old fan base (because they know they will buy anything due to brand), to market to the younger audience and are doing completely nothing to pull older gamers use to Microsoft or Sony to their console.
Granted, the IE games fits b) and they can be marketed to the older Nintendo crowd who may never experienced them, but as you’ve already mentioned, their store already offers a lot of other great indie port titles that is going to compete for sales.