The Week Ending September 13, 1999

Sovereign

View a screenshot of:  Sovereign

Although San Diego-based developer Verant Interactive only has one game under its belt (EverQuest), the company is aggressively moving into new genres with its recently announced RTS Sovereign.  Billed as the first persistent world RTS that will support up to 500 players on one map, you have to admit the concept of having a massive battle that lasts for weeks on end is appealing.  Although there have been some attempts at massive online RTS titles (Activision's  NetStorm comes to mind), no one has quite been able to figure out how to keep a persistent world running in real-time 24/7 regardless of whether the player is in front of his or her monitor.  Verant plans to combat this problem by allowing players to forge alliances and also by offering an option where players will be paged or e-mail when their base is under attack.  Can you imagine being interrupted at dinner because your kingdom is under siege?

 Sovereign is obviously a very ambitious product and no doubt the first large-scale attempt to meld RTS gameplay with a persistent world environment.  There's no question companies like Westwood and Blizzard will also be making maneuvers into this genre over the next few years, but so far, you've got to give Verant points for such an ambitious concept – I can't wait to see if they pull it off!

The Test Drive Series
Yes, believe it or not last week Infogrames (new owners of Accolade) announced that Test Drive: Cycles is  in production – That's right, another motorcycle game.  Does anyone remember when the Test Drive brand actually had some clout?  The first three test drive games on the IBM PC Jr.  were the best car simulators on the market.   Now, Accolade has sullied the franchise with releases such as Test Drive: Off Road and a multitude of sequels, including the forthcoming Dreamcast release of Test Drive 6.  With the company now announcing a motorcycle game, can we soon expect Test Drive: Unicycle or Test Drive: SoapBox Race?   I think Infogrames has failed to realize that the Test Drive name means nothing to gamers anymore…Now games like Gran Turismo and Need for Speed are the champions of the racing circuit.  Maybe it's time to make a good Test Drive game that lives up to original Test Drive moniker.

You Pick the Box!

View a screenshot of: Homeworld Pharaoh

Are you like me and shake your head at some of the horrible game boxes on store shelves?  Well,  Sierra Studios recently asked gamers to voice their opinions on the game box designs for the 3D RTS Homeworld and the Egyptian RTS Pharaoh.  Although the contests are now over, Sierra presented three different box design options for each game and asked gamers to cast a ballot for their favorite.   After all, what better way to decide on a box than to ask the gamers what image works for them?  Kudos to Sierra Studios for being open to hearing what the gamers think.  Far too often marketing executives think they know what players want, and in many cases they are dead wrong. (Case in point: The latest atrocity that is the 60-second Dreamcast commercial). 

Add-Ons: Need the Original?
Last week I had a chance to sit down with Gearbox Software to discuss their forthcoming Half-Life add-on Opposing Force.  You can read the interview here.  After hearing about the game – and being very excited by the concept of telling the Half-Life story from another character's perspective – it got me thinking about add-on packs.  I don't know about you, but when I buy an add-on pack for any game, I usually have to rummage around on my desk and find the original game's CD and install it just for the sole purpose of "upgrading" to the add-on.    The concept of having the original game installed on your hard drive in order to install an add-on is fundamentally flawed.  If an add-on pack is priced at US $29.95, gamers realize it's not a full-blown game.  But do software executives really think a gamer is going to buy an add-on pack before buying the real game?  I don't think so.  So, my question is this:  Why not just release add-on packs as stand-alone products?   It makes sense to me so long as the add-on includes original new content and doesn't duplicate what's already offered in the full game.  Who knows, maybe someone would buy Opposing Force because its new, enjoy it, and then decide to go back and play Half-Life.  What's wrong with that?

Tiberian Sun: Direct Modem Play!
A few months ago I questioned why so many developers have decided to forgo offering direct modem-to-modem multiplayer gaming options in their products in favor of Internet connectivity.  Although modem-to-modem games only work for head-to-head combat, for users with slower modems (i.e. 56K), the direct connection can be much faster than even the best Internet server.   Well, I am happy to report that Tiberian Sun from Westwood Studios, scheduled to ship this week, includes a direct modem option just in Red Alert.  It's worthy of a check in the Gist List because I think more developers should still consider adding direct modem connections to their multiplayer connectivity.  Sure, it doesn't make sense for large 32+ player games, but I'll gladly take a good 2-player game with no lag over a 32 player game ripe with lag.

Speaking of Tiberian Sun, stay tuned for my Behind the Games story on the Final Hours of Tiberian Sun, available on August 25th (Wednesday) on GameSpot.

Rumor Sites No More?
Almost a year ago the big news in gaming circles involved so-called "rumor" sites which provided anonymous inside scoops on what was really happening at their favorite development houses.   However, it now appears the gaming rumor pages have died a quick death.  Take, for example, a rumor site called Gaming Insider, first on the spot with a lot of inside dirt on Dallas, Texas developer Ion Storm.  Once updated almost daily, the site hasn't been touched since late May.   Is the gaming industry really that dull?  Not likely.  I've always believed that some "insider" sites about the industry are healthy – it often helps keep people honest – but it appears the life of the gaming rumor sites was short-lived.

Your Comments?
Agree or disagree?  I'd love to hear your opinions.

Next week I'll be back with another look at advertising in the industry. 

Thanks for reading!

Geoff Keighley
Editor-in-Chief
GameSlice

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