Product Release Date

[Moranga]

Is there a firm or tenetative date for release?

[Batavian]

Electronics Boutique has a ship date of 7-Sep 2004.

http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/product/244249.asp

[VI66_slith]

Don't put to much stock in that date. Wait 'till you here from Matrix.

[Moranga]

From what I read, I think the game is still in alpha format. If so, the game will not be ready Sept 7th. I was thinking 2nd qtr 2005 it might be ready. I have been reading there are still some more bugs to work out from the ongoing pbems, and more testers are needed.

[paullus99]

Don't count your chickens just yet - some major progress has been made recently. Us testers have no idea when Matrix will say the game is ready, but in general - even the Alpha was pretty rock solid. Most of the difficulty with the PBEM has been new updates breaking our saves. Hasn't happened in a while, so progress is being made daily.

[Moranga]

Thanx Paullus. Once the Alpha has been tested, the next step is to test the beta.

[KGrob]

If the beta hasn't started yet, it will be several months before release. Depending on the complexity of the game, it normally takes at least two or three months to run a beta (at least).

Once the game is "complete," it then normally takes several weeks to get it to market. I'm not sure how this will be affected if it is a "download" type game. I would guess that the amount of time needed for distribution would be cut down somewhat.

If they started the beta today, it would still probably be early next year before it went gold. Someone above said they thought it might be "second quarter 2005" before it was released. Right now, that sounds like a pretty good guess to me.

[Joel Billings]

ORIGINAL: KGrob

If the beta hasn't started yet, it will be several months before release. Depending on the complexity of the game, it normally takes at least two or three months to run a beta (at least).

Once the game is "complete," it then normally takes several weeks to get it to market. I'm not sure how this will be affected if it is a "download" type game. I would guess that the amount of time needed for distribution would be cut down somewhat.

If they started the beta today, it would still probably be early next year before it went gold. Someone above said they thought it might be "second quarter 2005" before it was released. Right now, that sounds like a pretty good guess to me.

Although I'm not prepared to discuss a specific release date, it should be before second quarter 2005. I enjoyed reading your analysis but want to point out that SSI routinely published games with a beta to gold master of 4-10 weeks, although 6-8 was most common. Not sure how you got from going beta today meaning a release in 2005 as that's 19 weeks from now, but then we aren't yet at beta so that doesn't really matter.

[Error in 0]

Regarding Betatesters. Does I have to have 30 yrs experience of wargaming, having participated in an actual WW2 battle, being able to program the game to mod it, spend 24-7 on playing it to become one? What exactly are the qualifications?


JT

[Tacoma]

Although I'm not prepared to discuss a specific release date, it should be before second quarter 2005.

Ouch! I was hoping by 4th quarter 2004... [&o]

[]FO[Samurai]

anything that is better to play then the old computer version of axis and allies is worth releasing, as long as anybugs are followed up by patches i think the public is generally happy. In my personal opinion I prefer having a not perfect game with planned patches then a game that takes longer to ship just so it can be near perfect...I followed a few games that just pushin it back and they lost alot of dedicated forum members and potential customers for the games(Starwarsgalaxies lost my $50 + ($10 x month) because of this) but this game is gonna be keen w/e it comes out

[neuromancer]

ORIGINAL: ]FO[Samurai

anything that is better to play then the old computer version of axis and allies is worth releasing, as long as anybugs are followed up by patches i think the public is generally happy. In my personal opinion I prefer having a not perfect game with planned patches then a game that takes longer to ship just so it can be near perfect...I followed a few games that just pushin it back and they lost alot of dedicated forum members and potential customers for the games(Starwarsgalaxies lost my $50 + ($10 x month) because of this) but this game is gonna be keen w/e it comes out

YUCK!!!!!

No way, I hate having a buggy piece of crap land on my computer that takes months or even more than a year <cough>Hearts of Iron<cough> to be patched to a decent level. I would rather the game be actually done when it ships than them sell me a Beta while they (maybe) finish the thing.

And check the forums for basically unfinished games, you'll find a lot more people that share that feeling.

As for SW:G, when I heard how much of an incomplete piece of junk it was on release, there was no way I wanted it.

War in the Pacific I bought right after it came out, but then found the font was too small to read on anything less than a 21" monitor (I could play it at work, but I don't think my bosses would like that) and that there were a bunch of other issues too. Its now sitting waiting for a reasonable patch level before I play it. I'm not exactly thrilled with that.
On the flip side, the game isn't 'broken' per se, it just needs some serious fine tuning. So its better than HoI, but still was released too early (IMnsHO).

Also remember, reviews for games come out shortly after release. If the review basically translates as 'incomplete and buggy piece of garbage', there are going to be many people thinking "oh, never mind then".

We all understand that perfect will never happen, bugs are inevitable with something as complex as modern computer code. But incomplete garbage just released to make a quick buck or satisfy the demands of impatient fanboys - whether patches are released or not - is just insulting.

So no, Matrix should stick with "When its done" and leave it at that.

[]FO[Samurai]

ya your right for most games, bugs just ruin it....some times its play able. IDK if you guys played battlefield1942 when it came out but that was pretty bad but still fun

[tiredoftryingnames]

ORIGINAL: Batavian

Electronics Boutique has a ship date of 7-Sep 2004.

http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/product/244249.asp

EB release dates have no connection to reality in this dimension. I have no clue where they get release dates from. I usually add 6 months to get even in the ballpark of when it's really coming out.

[Wayllander]

EB updated their release date on this game to novemeber 1st... That seems somewhat reasonable to me

--way

[tiredoftryingnames]

Joel stated 2nd qtr 2005 so it's not too reasonable. [:D] Watch EB and you'll see as every release date comes and goes they'll push it back a month until magically they are right.

[Joel Billings]

ORIGINAL: tiredoftryingnames

Joel stated 2nd qtr 2005 so it's not too reasonable. [:D] Watch EB and you'll see as every release date comes and goes they'll push it back a month until magically they are right.

No I didn't. I said "Although I'm not prepared to discuss a specific release date, it should be before second quarter 2005."

[von Murrin]

ORIGINAL: Joel Billings

ORIGINAL: tiredoftryingnames

Joel stated 2nd qtr 2005 so it's not too reasonable. [:D] Watch EB and you'll see as every release date comes and goes they'll push it back a month until magically they are right.

No I didn't. I said "Although I'm not prepared to discuss a specific release date, it should be before second quarter 2005."

HE JUST SAID 2ND QUARTER 2005 AGAIN!!!

(sorry, I couldn't resist. [:D])

[Joel Billings]

ORIGINAL: von Murrin

ORIGINAL: Joel Billings

ORIGINAL: tiredoftryingnames

Joel stated 2nd qtr 2005 so it's not too reasonable. [:D] Watch EB and you'll see as every release date comes and goes they'll push it back a month until magically they are right.

No I didn't. I said "Although I'm not prepared to discuss a specific release date, it should be before second quarter 2005."

HE JUST SAID 2ND QUARTER 2005 AGAIN!!!

(sorry, I couldn't resist. [:D])

You would make a great creator of political advertising. [:)] Wargamers for Truth!

[Wayllander]

Without knowing the dirty details of any true bugs from aar's, it looks like much of the focus is in trying to get the correct balance tweaked. (Hence we saw the additional russian provinces). If that is the case, a november release seems very feasible... Especially considering the desire for companies to release during the holiday buying season. The game testers are already saying they would buy the game today as is and it certainly looks very promising from the outside...

--way