Small OOTP 9 Update

[Markus Heinsohn]

Originally Posted by The Wolf

And - somebody has to ask it - what about all those great ideas on the suggestion list?

The list I posted is not the complete list

[Sweed]

Originally Posted by Markus Heinsohn

This year we will not add hundreds of bells & whistles, but rather improve what we already have. Feature-wise the game is already lightyears ahead of the competition, so we're focusing on making the game more enjoyable

Many have asked for Markus to take a year and don't worry about adding tons of new things but simply improve what is already there with some minor additions. I think with the features the game has now this is a good way to go.

But hold onto your hats folks as the complaining is just beginning What do you mean no new blockbusting features? I'm not paying for that, why should I?

And it's going to go on, and on, and on, and on,........................

Welcome to spring 2008 and the ootp development forums

[Dagrims]

As WWSM sells many times the amount of copies that OOTP does, it is not quite a fair price comparison. With most of the production/development costs for a computer software title incurred by product release date, profit is significantly higher on a per unit basis for WWSM as a result of the volume difference. They can afford to price the software cheaper. It's why products put out by small companies generally cost more than the competition. The best spaghetti sauce costs $8 a jar at my supermarket; Ragu costs $2.50.

[Doughnuts?]

So, the release, before the All Star break? Just askin'.

[Markus Heinsohn]

Originally Posted by Doughnuts?

So, the release, before the All Star break? Just askin'.

Way before!

[Anisoptera]

I think for the increase in price that they should at the very least fix the financial problems already brought up in this thread and others and at least try an optional redesigned pitching model, which along with an improved interface (already listed in the OP) was tied for the most requested features/fixes in the following thread.

http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...get-ootp9.html

[endgame]

Originally Posted by ctorg

It costs me about $30 to go to the movies with my wife on one occasion (counting concessions). For another $10, I could get a game that I will play alone and uninterrupted...

Sometimes, I like this part the best. (bolded, my add)

[Cooleyvol]

Will we get a demo during the pre-sale time period?

[Dr. P.R. Park III]

Originally Posted by Markus Heinsohn

Just my .02

In a week, that two cents will be .0025 American cents.

For the record, I have my babies Desitin on stand-by for all of the soiled diapers and chapped b-holes that will need some glossing after all of the whinos finally give out.

[Anisoptera]

I should say I'm pretty happy with a number of the features listed (for one: I know next to nobody cares about sound, but I've really missed it), I just think the team should really try to tackle that which has been requested the most.

[zekester91]

Originally Posted by Anisoptera

I think for the increase in price that they should at the very least fix the financial problems already brought up in this thread and others and at least try an optional redesigned pitching model, which along with an improved interface (already listed in the OP) was tied for the most requested features/fixes in the following thread.

http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...get-ootp9.html

Considering that:

Revised financials, including two optional revenue sharing systems

is third on a very incomplete list of things that will be new in the game, it sounds like Markus has spent some time trying to at the very least fix the financial problems.

Sounds like Markus is trying to put the things requested into the game.

[Anisoptera]

Originally Posted by zekester91

Considering that:

Revised financials, including two optional revenue sharing systems

is third on a very incomplete list of things that will be new in the game, it sounds like Markus has spent some time trying to at the very least fix the financial problems.

Sounds like Markus is trying to put the things requested into the game.

When I read that I took it more to mean additions, which I would also very much like to see, but not necessarily fixes. It very well might mean both, but if it doesn't, I think it needs to.

Trying a new pitching model, however, I don't think could be included in any of the announced. It could be something he's holding back on, but if it gets in there I think it will please a lot of people.

[Corsairs]

Obviously we, the users, want as many new features stuffed into the new version of the game as possible, and there's going to be a natural tendency to complain when we see a "what's new" list that doesn't include our personnel pet feature(s). Before you consider withholding your cash, though, it's worth considering the circumstances. The split from SI must have caused a great deal of upheaval for Markus. That's a lot of resources and security going bye-bye right there.

The way I see it, OOTP 9 is a chance for Markus to "get his feet back under him". This is a transition version (unlike OOTP 8, which was a forced rapid response to the split). So this is a big moment for Markus and OOTP. The level of support (in the form of purchases) he gets from the community is likely going to shape OOTP's future (or lack thereof).

Absolutely I'd like to see a feature list that wearies my scroll button-clicking finger. However, I'm not about to withhold my cash. While it can certainly be improved, OOTP is a solid game right now. I want to see the game continue to develop, so I'll vote with my dollars and plunk down for a pre-order. The more people who follow suit, the more likely it is that Markus makes it through this transition period and we keep getting features added in future patches and full versions.

[sixto]

Originally Posted by Markus Heinsohn

The list I posted is not the complete list

What reason could there possibly be for withholding the specifics on a list of features that would generate excitement for a new game? Just curious. Either the features and fixes are known and being kept from potential buyers for a specific purpose, or they are not known well enough to put them in print.

Anyway. $25 is admittedly a small price to pay for a good game, but the reason I'm not clinging to every last $25 in my pocket is that I avoid spending $25 on stuff I don't really want.

Thank you for the small update, Markus, but I will not be pre-ordering without a better sense of what I'd be buying. "Tons of tweaks and improvements" is enough information for some, but not for me. I hope significantly more details are coming before the pre-ordering period ends.

[Raidergoo]

Originally Posted by sixto

What reason could there possibly be for withholding the specifics on a list of features that would generate excitement for a new game?

To make sure they work as expected and designed.

[asurob]

Meh...

Where do I send my money.


I purchased 10 or 12 games last year. I purchased OOTP twice (2007 and 8)

OOTP 8 is the only game that lasted more then a few weeks on my hard drive....

OOTP 9 will be no different....

[Khrog]

Originally Posted by MidnightPyro

$24.90 for a preorder isn't bad at all. Considering how many people cough up $60 for games like Madden each year without any major overhaul, I think OOTP at $25 is a pretty major steal

Amen to that. Madden has been basically static since its inception. Lets be real...who can run flat out at the same speed and never change? In the real world, Hines Ward lost a shoe and still outran DeAngelo Hall, NFL's fastest man 2 seasons ago. In Madden? Hines is caught every single time. Frankly, I can't find too many significant differences between Madden 2003 and Madden 2008. Some of the modes improve and the graphics get slightly better, but the underlying gameplay hasn't changed. Even Madden 1993 to Madden 2003 isn't that earth-shattering a step, they ditched 2D graphics and updated the controls...the inflexible player rating system still exists.

Shift to OOTP...new feature sets, tighter gameplay, with significant improvements in player progression. The path has been a bit rocky at times, but I'd say its paying dividends bigtime especially since my favorite part of the game is fictional play. I'll be pre-ordering when the time comes.

[statfreak]

Markus, thanks for the update and try not to take too much said in this thread to heart. Your explanation of the price increase is very reasonable and has apparently been missed or simply ignored by those that want to say something negative. Given the current economic environment, you should really have raised it more to make the same amount. The fact that you are still making less money even after the increase is proof to me you are still doing this for love of the game (while also trying to make at least a modest profit).

I may still prefer OOTP 4 and 6.5 over the most recent incarnations, but I'll still keep buying the new versions (at the discounted rate, sorry). You've always improved and added enough to make each version distinct.

Thanks for your time and passion. Looking forward to OOTP9 and beyond.

[sixto]

Originally Posted by Raidergoo

To make sure they work as expected and designed.

If you don't know if they work as expected, then they don't really exist as features or improvements yet. It is no more appropriate to try to take credit for them in a vague sort of way than a specific sort of way, if the person writing knows the specifics the vague statement is based on (e.g., "tons of AI tweaks and improvements").

Say I said to you, "The Big Mac is going to be way better next month," and you said, "How?" And I said "I can't tell you til we perfect it." I know that the improvement I'm talking about that would make the Big Mac better is a fat-free bun; but in the month before launch it turns out I can't make the fat-free bun taste good, so I just introduce a slightly creamier special sauce instead.

Maybe you love creaminess, maybe that is just what you were looking for, and maybe it makes no difference to you what my intentions were when I first tried to tempt you with a new Big Mac concept. But me, if I know that McDonald's marketing campaign was based on the introduction of a fat-free bun, I don't feel some sort of gratitude because, at least they gave me something. Anyway, like I said, I won't buy a Big Mac just because McDonald's tells me it will be better. I'd like to be able to judge that for myself.

[ootp3to6]

I will definitely pre-order OOTP 9. Again, thanks for the update and a fantastic game.