Whats Matrix release plans for 2012?

[wodin]

The coming soon forum is looking very small these days. At least three of those games have no real release date and are definately not going to arrive this year thats WiF, Lock n Load and Combined Arms, this leaves just two other games. I know we will see Panzer Corps DLC and Battle Academy DLC aswell as Distant Worlds stuff but thats not what I'd call a new release as such.

So Apart from Conflict Of Heroes and Team Assault (which I have no interest in) that we know about but neither have a forum and that but I expect to see them released this year what other games do you have up your sleeve as 2012 is looking pretty damn poor so far on the wargaming front.

Even last year was a slow burner with for myself with only one or two wargames I had any interest in. Matrix really only released one new wargame last year (Unity of Command), all the others where either DLC or re-imaginings of older games (Panzer Corps and the CC series) or Sci Fi X4, Time of Fury really is a remake of Time of Wrath, the game before UoC that can be classed as new was GGWitE which I believe was released in 2010 wasn't it? I really do want to buy some Matrix products to support you but unfortunately for awhile now nothing has been released that takes my fancy. I am looking forward to CoH and I hope that will be my first Matrix purchase in a long time.

Are there any NEW games coming along this year?
Any new developers getting signed up?

[Hanal]

I would like to think that Commander WWI will come out this year........

[wodin]

Yes thats one of the game sin the coming soon forum that and BaB are the only two that are likely to be released this year. So I count four games for release thats Team Assault, Commander WW1, Conflict of heroes and Brother against brother (which I have doubts will be released this year actually). So thats three new games for the whole year, plus I suppose loads of DLC for BA, PC and FoG.

It's the lack of new games that makes me downhearted in respect to my wargaming year.

[Rosseau]

Disheartening, isn't it? Now let's look beyond Matrix for a moment:

No offense, but Shrapnel is dead-in-the-water, BF will be just CM2. And Crusaders 2 isn't my thing. That's why I hope we see some surprises maybe from indie developers. But they won't be WitE material. Maybe 2012 will be a year to catch up on games we haven't played. I just don't know if I can stand seeing another $50 FPS come out [:(]

[wodin]

I'm with you there rosseau....We also have Mr Tiller but we know whats coming with them..then we have HPS who fair enough keep bringing out new types of game and one recent one in particular has so much potential that was sadly by all appearances rushed out the door, no doubt in time it will be great but it doesn't even have historical maps and some of the scenarios supposedly in different parts of Russia use the same GeoMap. I do have faith it will come good though. Abnother game they released was a new concept but was more of a novelty than a fully fledged wargame. GMT games are looking for programmers to convert some of there games but they are mainly for tablets and phones. Though some are coming for the PC at some point like Nightfighter. Who else do we have...no one I can think of, Paradox maybe but again is another game on the same old engine a new wargame?

[ccsdc83]

I wonder if these different companies are trying to bring "watered down" or "lite versions" of wargames to the mobile sector? People are playing on mobile devices a lot these days. Not many wargames out yet though on the Ios app store.

I like playing stuff on my Ipod and tablets now. I mostly read books,email, twitter, etc with light gaming.

[junk2drive]

Look at 5 year chunks of computing. In the 90s I had an Apple IIe then a PC with Win95 and 33Mhz. By 2002 a 1Ghz WinME. 2007 2.8Ghz XP. 2012 I have dual core 3.0.
In 5 years we may be in the minority with desktops. The market for war games may be so small as to not be profitable.

[wodin]

For me the advent of Phones and lite games are the biggest threat to in depth wargames far more so than consoles. As I said GMT are concentrating on phine and tablets for their conversions. It's a damn shame, I hate mobile phones, I hate even answering my normal phone. As for tablets they are expensive and will never feel as right as using a PC plus with a PC we have all the power we need.

I have yet to play a browser based game that can hold my interest longer than a few seconds. All in all I detest lite games and would weep manly tears if all we got was lite games on these devices in the future.

On the other hand I don't buy that about the market being so small it wouldn't be profitable, many wargame developers also work for the military which is where the main money is and games are really a sideline. It will be no smaller in ten years than it is today and most who make wargames it's because they love wargaming and that will be the case in the future aswell. I'd imagine if your expecting to make a great living from making commercial wargames your fooling yourself, they are more a labour of love. It's not that I don't think there will be some kind of wargames around it's what kind of game will they be is my worry lite tower defense style or rock paper scissors style just don't do it for me at all.

Just check to see how many GMT boardgames are up for development on Andriod or IoS..and they are looking for more people willing to develop their catalogue.

[Rosseau]

Yes, the mobile market is a worry. And unfortunately, more old wargamers will be dying off. My nephew didn't even know they fought WWII in Russia. So imagine the next generation. Actually, they'll probably be fighting a real big war in the Middle East with no time to simulate it.

[Alan Sharif]

Dont forget Graviteam have new tiles on the horizon, be it additions to the Achtung Panzer range, which I do enjoy to be fair.

[wodin]

Yes I enjoy the Graviteam games. However I'm thinking more along the lines of less mainstream games. The Achtung Panzer games do an amazing job balancing between the hardcore wargame and the mainstream RTS. They are my modern day Close Combat games.

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: junk2drive
... In 5 years we may be in the minority with desktops. The market for war games may be so small as to not be profitable.

It's getting almost impossible to find any sizeable selection of retail martial computer games that don't start with "Call of Duty" et al.

[IainMcNeil]

I think the issues is the coming soon forum is not that up to date. There is more than needs to get added in as thigns are announced. We're a little behind due to the Christmas rush.

[goodwoodrw]

Well not sure if that's a sound argument Iain the coming soon section has been looking a bit lame for months.
I made comment on it several months ago. However if you're about to update the section soon, I don't think anyone will complain. I guess people are getting bored, coming soon announcements normally generate a bit of chat on the forums, good and bad. Only have to look at Dave's comment on the new HTTR upgrade. People are whinging about the price that hasn't been announced already! any activity is better than no activity [:D][:D]

[IainMcNeil]

I can't promise it will get updated soon - just that not everything that is comig is in there!

Not enough hours in the day to do everything we want to right now

[wodin]

I agree with BASB it has been many months that the coming soon section has looked bare and it's at its worse now.

Who's moaning about what price???[:D][;)]

In explained my worries with regards to that issue on said forum.

[JudgeDredd]

Just to put my two pence in Iain - and I'm not accusing - just wanting to shoot off some issues.

When Slitherine joined Matrix, one can assume (possibly incorrectly) that the staff levels increased...with that we've seen...

1. An increase in spam
2. A seemingly linked decrease in delaing with said spam
3. Posts with general questions going unanswered for some time
4. Posts about issues with games going unanswered (BftB and now Combat Command are recent examples) for quite some time
5. A general lack of forum response
6. Lack of updates for customers re info about existing games/coming games

I'm sorry to say that I hang about here a fraction of the time I used to (some people no doubt love that [;)]) and it's a direct consequence of the above.

I always wondered why you guys didn't have a moderator. An in-between that could sort the chaff and get questions to the staff and answered in a timely manner.

Just saying...I still love you all

Meant to say - at least your forum works! [&o]

[wodin]

I for one JD like your around, though I know you wont get this as you've green buttoned me!

Conflict of Heroes is a typical example. This game has been in BETA for months, and I mean months, yet we still have no forum or even a hint of what it will be like. For me it's the biggest release news Matrix has had in ages, infact not since the collapse of Combat leader have I been more eager with regards to one of your releases.

Yet we have zero news. However we do have forums for Combine Arms and Lock n Load which no matter what anyone from Matrix can now say are classed as Vapourware and if they ever do arrive it won't be in the next two+ years.

[JudgeDredd]

I haven't green buttoned you. I just don't post in response to your posts - you know the reasons why [:D]

[wodin]

Cool. Listen the past is the past and I very much doubt all that will happen again.

Oh and a massive thanks for your thread over at the other website\forum, appreciated it.

Take it easy.