I am truly glad that they were at least allowed to finish their big game (T2) and patch it a couple of times to take care of the kinks.
At one point, it was suggested to Sierra (by the ItF team) that perhaps they could just let us stay in Oakhurst and finish ItF; deciding what to do with us after it was released (and we knew what that decision would probably be). This suggestion was, of course, ignored in favor of moving what was left of the team to Seattle.
It is very sad to see Dynamix go; but not a surprise. I remember several email exchanges with some of the Dynamix folks when ItF was sacked of the form:
them: "Sorry about ItF."
us: "Thanks. Watch your back."
them: "Yep."
I had hoped that our prophecy would not be fulfilled; it gives no pleasure to see one's predictions realized in cases like this.
They have many talented folks; and the Tribes franchise shows that they are capable of greatness. I'm sure that once the tears stop and the smoke clears that they will land on their feet.
There aren't too many groups who can honestly say "we know what they (both devs. and fans) are going through" but FO is one of them.
I truely feel sorry for any team that currently works with Sierra or has a contract with them. I'd be very scarred if I were them.
How much more trimming of resources can this company take before there's no one left to actually make a game? I thought that Tribes had a large fan base therefore warranting continuing with the franchise. Oh well its their lose really. I some how feel that in a couple of years now Sierra will look back and suddenly realise that they've made one to many mistakes, and poof... they're gone.
------------------
'The future is all around us' G'kar
'I have no surviving enemies! None what so ever!' Galen
Visit my B5 site at: [url="http://www.nialb5.com"]B5 site[/url].
I just got a thought, there are a lot of others fans that are angry at sierra for what they have done...maybe FO should be changed a little....focusing more at Sierra, and lesser at ITF (because that fight I believe is lost...)
------------------
"Babylon 5 was the last of the Babylon stations. There would never be another. It changed the future .. and it changed us. It taught us that we have to create the future .. or others will do it for us. It showed us that we have care for one another, because if we don't, who will? And that true strength sometimes comes from the most unlikely places. Mostly, though, I think it gave us hope .. that there can always be new beginnings .. even for people like us."
Is anybody really suprised by this? The carnage is going to continue until ALL inside development teams are gone. It is clear that Sierra is exiting the development business to focus on publishing. Publishing is where the money is -much less overhead and much less of the cash bleeding that internal development always involves.
My prediction: this sort of thing will continue until Blizzard is the last man standing and then they too will be either canned or spun off.
Another prediction: Contract moneymakers like Valve and Relic will not (and already have to some extent) work for Sierra beyond their contractual obligatiions. Sierra treats their outside developers only slightly better than its own employees.
My hope: Sierra tanks like the bloated collection of no-talent hacks that they are.
One more thing. I can't feel sorry for anyone who is working for Sierra at this point. Their value to the company should be clear to them. Any Sierra employee should know by now that it's not a matter of if but when they will be canned.
I'm with you there, Marc. I'm *certain* that you'll see Relic, and most likely valve, drop off after their three title commitments. Hopefully Valve was as smart as they seem to be, and held rights to the Half-Life franchise as a part of the publishing deal.
It's a bittersweet thing to see Half-Life milked to death-- On the one hand, I'm glad, because I have a few good friends working there that benefit; on the other hand, the vast majority of the funds go to perpetuate the madness that is known as SOL (sic).
For the gamer, it's might be a bad thing, though, as it perpetuates stagnation rather than innovation. Mods are easy. Engines are hard (looks at Dan, Dave, & Vassily).
It's anyone's guess right now just WTF they are up to in Bellevue--all of our Nemesi are gone (Greno et. al.), and now some fellow that used to sell crackers is calling the shots. I guess we'll see just how much he knows about making and selling games here shortly. Apparently he didn't like [b]Johnny Drama[/b], "the most promising Sierra title for the X-box;" because the "project is being reset."
And we all know what that translates to.
I wish i could say this all sounds promising, but I can't. the only thing I see happening is the complete dissolution of SOL in a few years, because no reputable outside developer will dare go near them. Regardless of what deal they struck with Fox.
------------------
[i]"...In the end it would hold because what is built endures. And what is loved endures.
And Babylon 5...Babylon 5 endures."[/i] -- Delenn in the Babylon 5 episode [i]Rising Star[/i]
[This message has been edited by Rick (edited 08-10-2001).]
[soapbox]If you look at Fox's newest summer release "Night Visions" it seems that they've already been infected with the stupid disease. Maybe they deserve each other. Seriously, I've seen better work in first year TV production classes. And who is that guy in-between stories? Some guy they pulled off the street apparently. And I think that he wrote his own stuff.
I think that all of the mergers throughout the entertainment industry mean that MBA's who haven't a clue about what constitutes quality entertainment are starting to call the shots. [/soapbox]
[quote]Originally posted by Mundane:
[b]I just got a thought, there are a lot of others fans that are angry at sierra for what they have done...maybe FO should be changed a little....focusing more at Sierra, and lesser at ITF (because that fight I believe is lost...)
[/b][/quote]
As I stated in SamuelK's thread, I think PA is a good place to start and I've already posted a subtle invite. This idea has merit and it will fair well among those who bought Klingon Academy, Tribes 2, and others who have been disappointed by dumb game publishing conglomerates. HOWEVER, this won't truly gain momentum until Interplay, Microsoft, and Infogrames start rolling around in it the same way Sierra has. When that happens we'll really see who wins 'cause sooner or later people are going to stop paying $60 for a game. BUT, it doesn't mean they won't pay $10 for a burnt CD or $40 for a month's high speed internet bill. At that point the publishers will be hard pressed to sell anything, as when the piracy ball starts rolling people won't cough up the dough unless they are totally compelled by conscience to do so (and most I know don't even have a conscience when it comes to this*).
*Most hardcore gamers I know, nowadays, will only buy a game if they *REALLY* like it or think the contents of the box will some how enrich their experience. Unless you provided one hell of a manual, they'd probably pirate ItF too...
------------------
"Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he eats for a life time. But teach a man to BE a fish, and he can eat himself."
--Dennis Miller, Dennis Miller Live
------------------
"Playing computer and video games doesnt create murderers and terrorists....cancelling computer and video games creates them." -Me-
Join the fight for freedom at [url="http://www.newrepublic.de"]http://www.newrepublic.de[/url] and [url="http://www.isd-imperium.co.uk"]http://www.isd-imperium.co.uk[/url]
[This message has been edited by WORF (edited 08-10-2001).]
Biggles<font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
I have to say that I am completely unsurprised by this. But also very pissed off. These guys just finished making a game that will make Sierra a shit load of money, and this is how they get repayed.
It seems that there is no stopping the madness that is called Sierra.
------------------
[b]Required reading: [url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/[/url][/b]
Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
The Balance provides. The Balance protects.
"Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
The other thing is, the money the team will now never see the money made from the game they created.
It all goes directly to Sierra now.
Worf
------------------
"Playing computer and video games doesnt create murderers and terrorists....cancelling computer and video games creates them." -Me-
Join the fight for freedom at [url="http://www.newrepublic.de"]http://www.newrepublic.de[/url] and [url="http://www.isd-imperium.co.uk"]http://www.isd-imperium.co.uk[/url]
Biggles<font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
Yes, they really are.
------------------
[b]Required reading: [url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/[/url][/b]
Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
The Balance provides. The Balance protects.
"Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
With internet running and the high bandit connections running too and the multiplayer realm going to a main position.
One dev team with a small position may try to sell by www their games, using cd-keys after a successfull payment, with that system great part of publishing may go down (well the old way ..), and making the big companies ...ejemejem...going to the toilet.
Of course all of this is only possible with high bandit connections AND SECURE transactions.
Most of the big dev companies were bought by the big one companies like Sierra and wasted by them,...killed by them.
Blizzard....damn, they will be fired soon.
-------
may i ask something?
why there´s no a link page in the mods area to other homeworld mods?
any kind of cooperation between the older team and the new ones?.
did you though in any kind of mod installer to install the mods easier, or and only some models, with the older ones (swapped) in a directory for an easy change?.
i made some of this questions but the forums went down and i didn´t saw if some1 answer that questions,.....sorry iff.......
and well its important as the mods increase the lifespan of the games toooooo much.
Even if Blizzard gets fired they will have a new home very soon. Damn, they are making games which get lots of money (look at War/Starcraft and Diablo serie).
Sierra is doomed, there is no doubt of it. It's just a matter of time. This is seen when Havas decided to fire the crew responsible of making the ItF (hey Rick and everyone [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif[/img]). Now as they fired Dynamix, there is no way that they are going to survive. Next they will fire the crew who made SWAT 3...
Every road ends in ancient Rome and Rome is a perfect example which happens to Sierra. It gets destroyed...
------------------
Mauri "[url="http://www.crosswinds.net/~darkblade84/Darkblade.htm"]Darkblade[/url] Majanoja
[i]"It's easy to find something worth dying for. Do you have anything worth living for?"[/i]
-Lorien, The First One
[b]Mission designer[/b] for [url="http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/babylon"]Freespace 2:The Babylon Project[/url] and [b]Lead Mission Designer[/b] for [url="http://ross128.telefragged.com/hosted/oa/oa.htm"]Operation Avatar[/url]
[quote]Originally posted by Asturcon:
[b]why there´s no a link page in the mods area to other homeworld mods?[/b][/quote]
This will be rectified shortly on the b5tc page...when I get time that is..
CnlPepper - Link for victory!
------------------
[b]HW:B5TC Dev. Team Member and B5TC Board Moderator.[/b]
[url="http://www.geocities.com/cnlpepper"]CnlPepper's B5 Mod Resources[/url]
Comments
[i]for "mistakes" read "massive blundering errors made by corporate incontinents".[/i]
------------------
Live long and.. um..
Have a Beer!
This may sound bitter, and it is not.
I am truly glad that they were at least allowed to finish their big game (T2) and patch it a couple of times to take care of the kinks.
At one point, it was suggested to Sierra (by the ItF team) that perhaps they could just let us stay in Oakhurst and finish ItF; deciding what to do with us after it was released (and we knew what that decision would probably be). This suggestion was, of course, ignored in favor of moving what was left of the team to Seattle.
It is very sad to see Dynamix go; but not a surprise. I remember several email exchanges with some of the Dynamix folks when ItF was sacked of the form:
them: "Sorry about ItF."
us: "Thanks. Watch your back."
them: "Yep."
I had hoped that our prophecy would not be fulfilled; it gives no pleasure to see one's predictions realized in cases like this.
They have many talented folks; and the Tribes franchise shows that they are capable of greatness. I'm sure that once the tears stop and the smoke clears that they will land on their feet.
There aren't too many groups who can honestly say "we know what they (both devs. and fans) are going through" but FO is one of them.
How much more trimming of resources can this company take before there's no one left to actually make a game? I thought that Tribes had a large fan base therefore warranting continuing with the franchise. Oh well its their lose really. I some how feel that in a couple of years now Sierra will look back and suddenly realise that they've made one to many mistakes, and poof... they're gone.
------------------
'The future is all around us' G'kar
'I have no surviving enemies! None what so ever!' Galen
Visit my B5 site at: [url="http://www.nialb5.com"]B5 site[/url].
------------------
"Babylon 5 was the last of the Babylon stations. There would never be another. It changed the future .. and it changed us. It taught us that we have to create the future .. or others will do it for us. It showed us that we have care for one another, because if we don't, who will? And that true strength sometimes comes from the most unlikely places. Mostly, though, I think it gave us hope .. that there can always be new beginnings .. even for people like us."
My prediction: this sort of thing will continue until Blizzard is the last man standing and then they too will be either canned or spun off.
Another prediction: Contract moneymakers like Valve and Relic will not (and already have to some extent) work for Sierra beyond their contractual obligatiions. Sierra treats their outside developers only slightly better than its own employees.
My hope: Sierra tanks like the bloated collection of no-talent hacks that they are.
One more thing. I can't feel sorry for anyone who is working for Sierra at this point. Their value to the company should be clear to them. Any Sierra employee should know by now that it's not a matter of if but when they will be canned.
your pal Marc
It's a bittersweet thing to see Half-Life milked to death-- On the one hand, I'm glad, because I have a few good friends working there that benefit; on the other hand, the vast majority of the funds go to perpetuate the madness that is known as SOL (sic).
For the gamer, it's might be a bad thing, though, as it perpetuates stagnation rather than innovation. Mods are easy. Engines are hard (looks at Dan, Dave, & Vassily).
It's anyone's guess right now just WTF they are up to in Bellevue--all of our Nemesi are gone (Greno et. al.), and now some fellow that used to sell crackers is calling the shots. I guess we'll see just how much he knows about making and selling games here shortly. Apparently he didn't like [b]Johnny Drama[/b], "the most promising Sierra title for the X-box;" because the "project is being reset."
And we all know what that translates to.
I wish i could say this all sounds promising, but I can't. the only thing I see happening is the complete dissolution of SOL in a few years, because no reputable outside developer will dare go near them. Regardless of what deal they struck with Fox.
------------------
[i]"...In the end it would hold because what is built endures. And what is loved endures.
And Babylon 5...Babylon 5 endures."[/i] -- Delenn in the Babylon 5 episode [i]Rising Star[/i]
[This message has been edited by Rick (edited 08-10-2001).]
I think that all of the mergers throughout the entertainment industry mean that MBA's who haven't a clue about what constitutes quality entertainment are starting to call the shots. [/soapbox]
[b]I just got a thought, there are a lot of others fans that are angry at sierra for what they have done...maybe FO should be changed a little....focusing more at Sierra, and lesser at ITF (because that fight I believe is lost...)
[/b][/quote]
As I stated in SamuelK's thread, I think PA is a good place to start and I've already posted a subtle invite. This idea has merit and it will fair well among those who bought Klingon Academy, Tribes 2, and others who have been disappointed by dumb game publishing conglomerates. HOWEVER, this won't truly gain momentum until Interplay, Microsoft, and Infogrames start rolling around in it the same way Sierra has. When that happens we'll really see who wins 'cause sooner or later people are going to stop paying $60 for a game. BUT, it doesn't mean they won't pay $10 for a burnt CD or $40 for a month's high speed internet bill. At that point the publishers will be hard pressed to sell anything, as when the piracy ball starts rolling people won't cough up the dough unless they are totally compelled by conscience to do so (and most I know don't even have a conscience when it comes to this*).
*Most hardcore gamers I know, nowadays, will only buy a game if they *REALLY* like it or think the contents of the box will some how enrich their experience. Unless you provided one hell of a manual, they'd probably pirate ItF too...
------------------
"Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he eats for a life time. But teach a man to BE a fish, and he can eat himself."
--Dennis Miller, Dennis Miller Live
wipe them out...all of them
and then point to my sig.
Worf
------------------
"Playing computer and video games doesnt create murderers and terrorists....cancelling computer and video games creates them." -Me-
Join the fight for freedom at [url="http://www.newrepublic.de"]http://www.newrepublic.de[/url] and [url="http://www.isd-imperium.co.uk"]http://www.isd-imperium.co.uk[/url]
[This message has been edited by WORF (edited 08-10-2001).]
It seems that there is no stopping the madness that is called Sierra.
------------------
[b]Required reading: [url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/[/url][/b]
Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
The Balance provides. The Balance protects.
"Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
It all goes directly to Sierra now.
Worf
------------------
"Playing computer and video games doesnt create murderers and terrorists....cancelling computer and video games creates them." -Me-
Join the fight for freedom at [url="http://www.newrepublic.de"]http://www.newrepublic.de[/url] and [url="http://www.isd-imperium.co.uk"]http://www.isd-imperium.co.uk[/url]
[img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img]
------------------
[b]Required reading: [url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/[/url][/b]
Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
The Balance provides. The Balance protects.
"Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
With internet running and the high bandit connections running too and the multiplayer realm going to a main position.
One dev team with a small position may try to sell by www their games, using cd-keys after a successfull payment, with that system great part of publishing may go down (well the old way ..), and making the big companies ...ejemejem...going to the toilet.
Of course all of this is only possible with high bandit connections AND SECURE transactions.
Most of the big dev companies were bought by the big one companies like Sierra and wasted by them,...killed by them.
Blizzard....damn, they will be fired soon.
-------
may i ask something?
why there´s no a link page in the mods area to other homeworld mods?
any kind of cooperation between the older team and the new ones?.
did you though in any kind of mod installer to install the mods easier, or and only some models, with the older ones (swapped) in a directory for an easy change?.
i made some of this questions but the forums went down and i didn´t saw if some1 answer that questions,.....sorry iff.......
and well its important as the mods increase the lifespan of the games toooooo much.
good luck for every dev in this forums
Sierra is doomed, there is no doubt of it. It's just a matter of time. This is seen when Havas decided to fire the crew responsible of making the ItF (hey Rick and everyone [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif[/img]). Now as they fired Dynamix, there is no way that they are going to survive. Next they will fire the crew who made SWAT 3...
Every road ends in ancient Rome and Rome is a perfect example which happens to Sierra. It gets destroyed...
------------------
Mauri "[url="http://www.crosswinds.net/~darkblade84/Darkblade.htm"]Darkblade[/url] Majanoja
[i]"It's easy to find something worth dying for. Do you have anything worth living for?"[/i]
-Lorien, The First One
[b]Mission designer[/b] for [url="http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/babylon"]Freespace 2:The Babylon Project[/url] and [b]Lead Mission Designer[/b] for [url="http://ross128.telefragged.com/hosted/oa/oa.htm"]Operation Avatar[/url]
[b]why there´s no a link page in the mods area to other homeworld mods?[/b][/quote]
This will be rectified shortly on the b5tc page...when I get time that is..
CnlPepper - Link for victory!
------------------
[b]HW:B5TC Dev. Team Member and B5TC Board Moderator.[/b]
[url="http://www.geocities.com/cnlpepper"]CnlPepper's B5 Mod Resources[/url]