New Sales Package

[06 Maestro]

Not to belabor the product pricing discussions, but will there be a package deal ala PC Kharkov?
It seems to me that there would be a few more sales of BftB with a second title at a reduced price. If CotA was made available as a package deal at say, half price ([;)] ) then sales of CotA might be expected to soar for a few months.

Perhaps it could be a choice of packaging HttR or CotA with BftB. If maps or other items can be imported into BftB, then that could be a good candidate.
Just a thought.

[Arjuna]

06 Maestro,
 
We haven't really canvassed any bundling deals at this stage. Our focus right now is squarely on getting BFTB ready for release. Bundling would depend on what options we choose re expansion packs and future titles and I do not want to make a decision on this till after BFTB is done and dusted. Then we'll review and look at all options.

[06 Maestro]

First things first of course. Pragmatism is a good thing.
I'm glad to hear that some options will be looked at in due time.

[GShock]

Well i suppose this also depends on whether or not the scenarios from httr and cota can be exported to botb, and i guess so. In this case it truly doesn't make sense to retrofit Cota with the discoveries of botb for example and same goes with httr. It would just, eventually, take a patch to keep them on-par if desired.

I think at the time botb is released something will happen, now let's just see what. [8D]

[jmlima]

ORIGINAL: GShock

Well i suppose this also depends on whether or not the scenarios from httr and cota can be exported to botb, and i guess so. In this case it truly doesn't make sense to retrofit Cota with the discoveries of botb for example and same goes with httr. It would just, eventually, take a patch to keep them on-par if desired.

I think at the time botb is released something will happen, now let's just see what. [8D]

I'm actually quite curious to see if the changes will be retro-fitted. It would be interesting to have HttR updated to the latest standards...

[GShock]

Not curious, inconvenient i'd say because peeps would buy less botb. I think the best solution is with the exporting of scenarios, if possible and i think it is possible. Patching and retrofitting i would leave for later on much later on after the release of botb and with a discount on the price u have an old game selling and acting like a new one without hurting your most recent title...that's my personal idea but i'm not the boss of course. [;)]

[jmlima]

ORIGINAL: GShock

Not curious, inconvenient i'd say because peeps would buy less botb. ...

Not sure about that. HPS, for example, do it , and that way manage to keep the entire line updated and to make sales out of older titles. I for one never bought HttR , precisely because it's the old engine. But would do it if it was updated to the latest standards.

[JudgeDredd]

From what I gathered from previous discussions about backwards compatability, it aint happening. Too much work involved to get HTTR up to COTA level and, I suspect, the same will be said for getting COTA up to BftB standards.
 
So it will not be happening any time soon. If you want HTTR or COTA, buy now...it's pointless waiting to see if they are "upgraded"

[06 Maestro]

ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd
So it will not be happening any time soon. If you want HTTR or COTA, buy now...it's pointless waiting to see if they are "upgraded"

True enough. It looks like an investment by PG is not in the works for the foreseeable future. The older games will be played for years to come anyway.

Porting entire scenarios into the new game will not be happening either, but having the older game may be of some help to scenario designers.

The purpose of my suggestion was to boost sales (and pick up another game for myself[:)]). Scenario designers will be a tiny portion of new buyers. Likewise, existing CotA/HttR players will initially be the majority of BftB buyers. So, where is the advantage to a bundled deal? This calls for a little speculation; how many current owners of CotA do not own HttR? How many would buy at the reduced cost? There may be a few hundred purchases in that category-(heavy speculation). More importantly; how many new PG customers will see a value in a packaged deal. With a demo being made available new buyers will be more likely to make a major game purchase as they would feel safe that they will actually like the game-hard to do just by reading about it (although MarkShot's AAR for CotA during development convinced me).

Although there is much speculation involved with this idea, it seems quite reasonable that BftB sales will surpass anything PG has experience yet. Not only are they better known, but the demo will help to convince new players that these are games worth having.

There is a possible negative for the older game in that it may be viewed as a defunct version and package deals will not amount to 20% or less-then clearly a bad financial outcome. Those that have the stats will make the decision. I suppose someone at Matrix Games was already considering the various pros and cons of a packaged deal. Nothing ventured, nothing gained[;)].

[Lieste]

Well, I'm actually a user of RDOA, and have played enough COTA on another machine to know that I'd be interested, but the prospect of a 'more complete' product with ongoing development has me waiting for BFTB - I can't afford to sink two premium title amounts right now whatever I want to do.

COTA is still attractive today, as it is an unusual theatre, and is complete enough to work, but HTTR is by comparison an unsupported product (there are unlikely to be any more patches or added features - and in fact the provision of the Estabs in BFTB confirm that even PG think it is redundant). Without continuing improvement of all theatres as development progresses there will only ever be one theatre that is 'current' and complete and a range of older products that are to some extent or other behind this flagship product.

Which isn't to say that HTTR is a poor product - it is an advance over the title I have spent most time with (RDOA), but it doesn't seem very much advanced over it to justify a full pricepoint update.

I missed the Christmas 'offer' as I don't actually run any Matrix titles - some are interesting and I occassionally dip in to catch up on news but I didn't visit during the sale period. I would have gone for COTA without any hesitation at the offer price.

[elcidce]

There has been discussion that a series of scenario packages will be focused on after BftB has been completed. Those may include older scenarios or may revisit old campaigns. I dont think anyone here will be disappointed.

[Deathtreader]

ORIGINAL: elcidce

There has been discussion that a series of scenario packages will be focused on after BftB has been completed. Those may include older scenarios or may revisit old campaigns. I dont think anyone here will be disappointed.

Yup.......I'm sure there was a comment by Arjuna not to long ago, in one of these threads, to the effect that HTTR scenarios were being updated to BFTB standards and would be made available as an expansion pack down the line. Maybe something similar might done for the COTA scenarios at some point.......
I for one am a guaranteed sale for any and all expansion packs they want to produce!! [&o]

Rob.

[simovitch]

Yes, I don't think it's a secret anymore. Panther has reworked from scratch all 4 of the major historical HTTR scenarios for use with the Command Ops engine, including Arnhem, Nijmegen, Eindhoven and Neerpelt. Also including several map revisions and extensions (for example, Aalst is now included on the Eindhoven Campaign Map.) They are in final playtesting for release as an expansion pack.

[jmlima]

ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd
...
So it will not be happening any time soon. If you want HTTR or COTA, buy now...it's pointless waiting to see if they are "upgraded"

~

ORIGINAL: simovitch

Yes, I don't think it's a secret anymore. Panther has reworked from scratch all 4 of the major historical HTTR scenarios for use with the Command Ops engine, including Arnhem, Nijmegen, Eindhoven and Neerpelt. Also including several map revisions and extensions (for example, Aalst is now included on the Eindhoven Campaign Map.) They are in final playtesting for release as an expansion pack.

Good thing I'm not a compulsive buyer...

[JudgeDredd]

I guess I have been corrected.

First I heard and definitely totally the opposite to what I heard.

[06 Maestro]

Hmm; if there is to be an add on pack with the HttR scenario's, there's not much sense in making that a packaged deal-unless it is a ways down the road.