*** OOTP joins Sports Interactive! ***

[Marc Duffy]

Originally posted by scooter
This has been a very interesting morning. I've been reading posts in about 4 different text-sim forums to gauge the response to this announcement. Each forum has their own take. The SI forums seem to be complaining about adding another "American" game and not focusing on making FM (therefore ruining "their" game). Here everyone is worried about the loss of customization and MLB licenses and it ruining "their" game. Can't we all just get along!

Some of you have been complaining about the treatment you have received posting in the SI forums. I think some of that is justified, but not all of it. I don't think you have anything to worry about with a movement of the OOTP forums. Ever since EHM was added to the SI product line, I have been following it's development in the EHM forums (I see the future OOTP forums there being quite similar). Aside from the occasional "interloper" coming in and asking why SI would be developing a hockey game, the EHM forums have their own group of dedicated followers. I think the same sort of thing will happen with the OOTP forums.

out of interest. what are the other forums I can follow?

[British Baseballer]

Oh a word of warning for all you newbies to the SI site be prepared to take plenty of banter from the existing SI community refering to Baseball as Rounders!!

[Scott Vibert]

Originally posted by Mike D
I'm going to post this here since I know it won't be seen where it's at...

I don't know if I like this. As it stands now, SI games are only available for purchase on CD. They do not have DL's available, and as much as I love Markus and trust in the game that he puts out, to wait until the end of 2005 for another OOTP title is quite a wait, and as much as I love the current edition, I don't know if it will hold me over until the offseason of next season.

Actually I do believe there was a recent version of Championship (old name of Football Manager) Manager available for purchase via Download.

[Marc Duffy]

Originally posted by British Baseballer
Oh a word of warning for all you newbies to the SI site be prepared to take plenty of banter from the existing SI community refering to Baseball as Rounders!!

They haven't got the baseball bug yet

A lot of people cannot see past Football Manager, we're going to need to educate them

[sixto]

So if Markus were American instead of German, would he have had trouble getting a work permit?

[johnevans66]

I hope OOTP does not die like Eastside has. Been waiting for awhile now for that to come out!
John

[scooter]

Marc, here are the forums I've been monitoring this moring (I think I've seen you are one of your staff in just about every one):

Here
SI Forums
FOFC (seemed to be the most positive)
.400 Studios (not much action there I'm afraid)

I am very excited about this development. I understand that people don't want their favorite things messed with, but I think this can only be good for everyone involved.

[scooter]

johnevans66,

Have you been following the development of EHM over at SI. It is far from dead! The beta demo is coming out later this month and things appear to be coming along nicely, but I'm sure Marc can tell you more about that...

Besides, he said that tomorrow is EHM announcement day so check it out.

[Ben Music]

Originally posted by johnevans66
I hope OOTP does not die like Eastside has. Been waiting for awhile now for that to come out!
John

I believe there is a big announcement about EHM tomorrow!

See here:

Originally posted by Marc Duffy
Yep, it's an unknown but in our dealings with EHM I dont think any additional license is restricting the game at all - in fact any license we can negotiate there will enhance the game (come back to www.sigames.com tomorrow for our EHM announcement day!)

[jnshmoo]

Originally posted by British Baseballer
Oh a word of warning for all you newbies to the SI site be prepared to take plenty of banter from the existing SI community refering to Baseball as Rounders!!

Well, if everyone in England and other countries where football is hugely popular find baseball as boring as most Americans seem to find Soccer, it won't be surprising.

I wonder just how popular baseball might be to people over there since it shares some (very vague) similarities to cricket. I just love some of those cricket terms. Granted, Monty Python helped with that. "Stump through head - Naught"

Joe

[Marc Duffy]

Originally posted by scooter
johnevans66,

Have you been following the development of EHM over at SI. It is far from dead! The beta demo is coming out later this month and things appear to be coming along nicely, but I'm sure Marc can tell you more about that...

Besides, he said that tomorrow is EHM announcement day so check it out.

Yep, check back to sigames.com tomorrow ......

[johnevans66]

Not to sound a little disappointed but this game has been in beta testing for ever. I think SI took over control of this game 2 plus years ago?
John

[chrisj]

This is excellent news. OOTP and EHM will be sure to make SI my favourite gaming company.

[Marc Duffy]

Eastside is very much alive.

Whilst we like to make a fuss about the games we are making, there is always a lull during the development cycle where we simply cant talk about it as there isn't much to say.

Rest assured, with the beta demo on our official magazine and a massive preview we're going great guns.

We released a free preview of the mag last week

http://www.sigames.com/downloads.php?type=view&id=211

So take a look at how EHM is coming along

The full mag with new articles can be pre ordered from

http://www.gameplay.co.uk/cgi-bin/pr...PAGE&s=RM00968

[Marc Duffy]

Originally posted by johnevans66
Not to sound a little disappointed but this game has been in beta testing for ever. I think SI took over control of this game 2 plus years ago?
John

its coming this summer ... but check back to our site tomorrow

[jnshmoo]

Originally posted by johnevans66
Not to sound a little disappointed but this game has been in beta testing for ever. I think SI took over control of this game 2 plus years ago?
John

If SI hadn't hired Riz, there's no telling what would have happened to EHM. He was set to graduate from university and set about getting a 'real' job. That would not have been very conducive to his extra-curricular work on EHM. Now, it IS his 'real' job and the legacy will continue. Just be patient, this is his first version with the new code and will need a lot of polishing.

Joe

[kdawg]

First, I am amazed by the ignorance of the OOTP community. I think Markus has proved time and time again that he wants to make the best product available while trying to please everyone (thought this is impossible). This isnt the merging of two large companies. We are not going to see in the news today that massive layoffs have taken place due to this merger. People need a reality check. Already, members from Sports Interactive have been actively participating in the OOTP board trying to answer everyones question. Is this not a sign they have the same feelings for the consumers as Markus does? This is only a good thing. Before this took place, I constantly saw posted asking for features similar to CM. Now, this will happen. We will all benefit from the two companeis sharirng ideas. The fine details will be worked out. Markus will work hard to try and implement all the features people want plus many features which havent been discussed. And, if I am wrong, the message boards are products of the people who post on them. Just because the message board moves to SI website, it doesnt change the community? Lets all enjoy this announcement and stop bitching. I swear sometimes it is like a room full of women in here.

[British Baseballer]

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, if everyone in England and other countries where football is hugely popular find baseball as boring as most Americans seem to find Soccer, it won't be surprising.

I wonder just how popular baseball might be to people over there since it shares some (very vague) similarities to cricket. I just love some of those cricket terms. Granted, Monty Python helped with that. "Stump through head - Naught"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The game is growing in popularity over here, however football, cricket and rugby are so ingrained people from such a young age, converting them to a new game especially one as, on the face of it, complicated (when i say complicated, think of all the stats!!) is difficult.

I guess that its pretty much the same as trying to get the USA interested in cricket... it just aint gonna happen over night (or ever???)

To get back on topic though, I would love to see the foreign leagues (japan, cuba etc) implemeted in the next OOTP as the different leagues are in CM

[jnshmoo]

Originally posted by Marc Duffy

The full mag with new articles can be pre ordered from

http://www.gameplay.co.uk/cgi-bin/pr...PAGE&s=RM00968 [/B]

Marc,

Any chance of getting distribution of the mag here in the States in the foreseeable future? Especially now that you'll have two sports that most Americans are interested in. (I'd have bought it with just FM stuff.)

The whole import process can be a pain sometimes.

Joe

[Marc Duffy]

Originally posted by jnshmoo
Marc,

Any chance of getting distribution of the mag here in the States in the foreseeable future? Especially now that you'll have two sports that most Americans are interested in. (I'd have bought it with just FM stuff.)

The whole import process can be a pain sometimes.

Joe

I'd personally love to see this, it all depends on the demand. For the moment, I would suggest pre ordering as the sure fire way of getting the magazine.

Gameplay have a good record since we've been working with them, they do their best to get stuff out on time and even during the problem times (Anthrax stuff) they still had imports going into the US in very timely fashion