Should the release date just be dropped?

I don't know why but I find that the current release date feels a bit odd (July 2013), I don't know how this might influence the final quality of the game but it didn't really work too well for Super MNC as it was shipped and developed in one year and it didn't end to well as you can see (unfinished UI, flooded with bugs and poor optimization).

I really think Uber should take the "when it's ready" approach instead of rushing things through, they only have around 7 months left but might that be enough to develop and tweak everything properly? As the engine and the way modding will work might take a lot more than expected to be created.

Or if they really want to keep that release date for sake, keep it as a closed beta until it's really ready (Super MNC dropped the beta when it had features wich were heavily unfinished and heavy balance issues wich made player retention difficult).

Opinions?

Related

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/11 ... -they-now/

I trust them, thats all I can say about. When they need more time, they will take more time, I actually didn't read the risk and challenge section of their kickstarter, but I can asume that they meant that it could take more time too. More important is that they keep giving us updates to their status of the game.

Though giving us updates only in the forums is kinda inneficient.

You've read my mind.
I totaly agree with your opinion.
I hope I never see a game like Magicka again(bugs,bugs,totaly unsynch in mp)

I think they can do it like Notch did it with minecraft, instead of saying that the game is finaly released they could say : Its not released, its in Closed Beta to optimize the game to get an playable and fun to play game.



@UBER: "If you need time to make this game USE IT.Dont give us an unfinished rushed prototype of the game.Think of Christmas release or something like that"

Btw, if they delay it (wouldent mind at all personaly). Please say so as early as possible, i hate it when devs wait until the last second to say "Sry guys, i know we said we would release the game tommorow, but you will have to wait one more year".

All I have to say is give us the game when it's finished not when it's playable.

I do agree with a later release date if required.
Now i don't know it it makes a difference from a business perspective to sell the game by next summer or by christmas 2013.
A good option could be an extended beta until the game is considered as finalized and ready for final delivery.

Yes. Far better to wait an extra year and get something as legendary as TA than rush out something that's nearly great but is destroyed by its flaws.

Personally I love FA, it's my favourite game ever. But it is flawed, and that meant it lost a lot of its audience. If it got to the point that Uber were running out of money with a still unfinished game, I for one would be willing to put more money in.

From a game perspective yes, but from a business perspective, unsure. In the end Uber still needs to make some money from the game, ideally before they run out of money from the Kickstarter. Because there is no publisher to bully them around, they can decide themselves if their game is release worthy next summer, but a game is never really finished (knowing from experience) and it will have to be released at some point.


I was also very worried about Planetside 2 releasing too soon. It indeed had some noticeable bugs at launch, but most of it has been patched out by now and even the beta was quite enjoyable.

Finally, it is possible that Uber will decide that the release date will feature the main game and some of the stretch goals are added post-launch, to help meet the deadline.

Give me the game when it is playable. I really am going to be a vs-AI player heavily anyway.

Releasing it as "finished" is different. However, minecraft let ANYONE get it unfinished.

The trick is, tell people it's unfinished, make a list of bugs and features aimed at, and tell players to bring any new bugs or features to your attention.

RELEASE a good game though. I don't doubt the concept of the game will be so great, that as long as it is playable with as little breaking insta-lose or insta-win or screw-your-brains-out sorta things, it will be fine. Release it as a good game, but give it to anyone who asks for it beforehand.

Kickstarter projects also sometimes don't release updates publicly as much as they should. They give backers a game only backers can play for a long time, make them savage game-playing beasts, and ask anyone else if they want to see the game afterwards, after they don't want to hop into a shark tank. It is like playing Blops2 will become after Christmas. A bunch of christmas babies playing against the men who bought it on release and veteranized it.

Make it available to anyone in beta.

*SIGH*

This is silly, and only illustrates the problems that come with letting the public in early and why most Publishers keep the info lid shut tight until things are more solid.

What a lot of you don't realize;

A] The info you guys are asking for is in total flux, things change week to week, Uber has been trying to share either general vague things or talking about small milestones that have been achieved. They shouldn't/can't talk just about everything every day because not everyone follows them every day and will miss things as they change and that will leave them with an incomplete picture, which is bad.

B] Uber has already shared more 'hard' and 'soft' info than most Games have released until the last month or so prior to release, and it's only been 4-5 months since they've been working on it in earnest.

C] SMNC's release was not typical, if I recall correctly there was a mix up and a small(-ish) scale Beta invite ended up going out to everyone, so Uber Opted to just Release anyways and worked hard to patch it. It was NOT Typical and shouldn't be judged as a "proper" release.

D] Game Development is just an awkward process, the majority of the time you're making sure features(in PA's case things like Planet Generation and Planetoid Smashing) work because if they don't, you end up with a totally different game, so once those things are set things pick up pace as you fill in(units and such) around the bigger elements.

E] Semi-Related post of sharing info.

F] The July 2013 was originally based on the 900k budget, thanks to us the Budget is more then double that, but with that increased budget comes a lot more content as well so it could be that either;
1) Uber thinks they can still make that date(thanks to maybe extra stuff or something)
2) Uber is waiting until they get a good feel for how much extra time is needed and letting us know then, giving us more of solid date as opposed to an "Eventually" type answer.

Mike

I'll get early BETA access aswell as 10000-20000 other backers.
I doubt the difference between late BETA and release will be so different.
I hope Uber will start the beta as soon as possible and keep the servers and everything running until the release with the disclaimer that it is work in progress.
So its a win-win for me with regards to a delayed release or not.

Nah. People here already "bought" the game, so it's not important to make promotional company there.

In post you linked you're arguing about info for outsiders. I don't care about outsiders, I baked with 10+ times greater price for this game just to get solid development info. If I wished just a game, I wouldn't be there and baked to more than some average price for game with that scale.

And info not about crappy planet generator - I'm trust in Uber with that one, they could handle that - but about game itself. Other companies are not afraid to scare the outsiders with releasing incomplete stuff - they releasing only complete stuff or talking about complete vision they got prior starting project on kickstarter (or complete vision of complete vision, if they haven't any. Double Fine did that!). So people at least know after 5 month what type of game it would be, including detailed art-style, game design and so on.

I recall a promise to communicate with the community, which they have been doing. Can you quote where they specified the type of information they'd be sharing?

Mike

nightnord, dude, chill.

Making games is a process that takes time and goes through many different iterations before it is even remotely complete. We are all here to get information, share opinions and give feedback.

An I do find this lump of coal of a game(as it looks now) being pressed, heated, polished to a diamond far more interesting then just buying a finished product.

Well since I am a student of game graphics I have made some games. These games are far from good but I know of the hardships involved. Maybe that is why I find this more interesting then the average consumer.

release date strategies have the tendency to annoy always at least some part of the community, because everyone has a his own preferences on its accuracy .
As a rule, even with good planning its a compromise between early announcement and accuracy.

Some people like to have early on a named date just to give a orientation on the roadmap for the development, even if it might be inaccurate as hell, but it's more about the plan.

Some people want a date to appear, when it is more or less sure to be possible, they might be satisfied if this date is issued just weeks or 1-2 months in advance.

Most are probably somewhere in between, interested in a rough outline where it is going.

In the end it's a matter of taste and realistic expectations, on how far in advance you can expect accuracy.

I for one think, that in the environment of kickstarter it's important to have some info on the planned release, just to see what the people behind the project are thinking about the schedule (that it is no date to nail them down is kind of obvious).

Release dates are simply goals that are driven by a variety of factors. They are always subject to change based on the reality on the ground. No plan survives contact with the enemy etc.

Chill out for sure. Not only do you come across sounding petulant (with poor spelling and grammar, may I add), but you've completely missed the point. They are showing us what they have as it is ready to be shown, and some of it isn't even all that ready. The planet generator was thrown together for viewing that morning.

Games aren't going to look pretty and polished until very shortly before release. That stuff comes after. Its precisely because people like you complain about everything that devs don't like to release anything.

Keep it up Uber - I'm still watching, and excited about everything you show us in the updates.

-Stretch

+1

...is its impossible to have an opinion different than OrangeKnight.

Summer 2013 has been an insanely aggressive date from the start and Ratchet's post brings up a good discussion point.