*** OOTP joins Sports Interactive! ***

[Jordan]

so whats the deal with .400 Software Studios? Is the "working relationship" still going to last?

[Steve Kuffrey]

Originally posted by Jordan
so whats the deal with .400 Software Studios? Is the "working relationship" still going to last?

Not sure what you are asking?

[Jordan]

once OOTPD is officially "with" SI, will all contact with .400 cease? I know that you guys insisted that you would continue to stand along side .400 after the split. Will that still be?

[Steve Kuffrey]

I don't see that anything should change, there is no "official" tie or connection just the "bond" of making text sports sims.

[Jordan]

mmmkay, "thanks" a "lot"

[almo]

Originally posted by rdklein
As long as my players aren't going on the DL because of tooth decay, I'm cool with it.

Just remember the "pitch" is a thrown ball... not a field of grass.

Your a mean mofo....I like it

Kinda rude...but funny....still rude though......but funny

[Mr.Opinion]

Originally posted by rdklein
As long as my players aren't going on the DL because of tooth decay, I'm cool with it.

Just remember the "pitch" is a thrown ball... not a field of grass.

Man, I thought I was an ass.

[Malleus Dei]

You are.

[Neil Dejyothin]

Originally posted by rdklein
I whip out my VISA, ready to fork you over my hard earned cash, and there is no way to buy it online?????!!!! No way to download the full version and pay and play?????? So I browse your site, looking for a store or something that will carry it and it's all European sites!

Ahh, there is Amazon... good! Errr.... Amazon.uk... which doesn't ship to America????!!!!! So, I try to browse your joke of a forum looking for some way to purchase your game. Good Luck finding anything in that mess. I wait almost 2 hours to get my registration ok'd only to find that I need to register again to use the forum's search feature. I finally find the answer to my question here.... and that answer is "Chips and Bits"? Leave it to a limey to sell his product at some store called Chips and Bits. We have stores here in the States that sell computer games all over the nation... not just in Limeytown, Delaware. In the future, you may want to try to sell your product in stores like: Best Buy, CompUSA, hell... even WALMART sells pc games.

Your not dealing with jolly ole' Brits, chap... in these parts, you've got to be quick or you lose the sale. Americans want their products and they want them now! If you can't cut it, we have too many options here and will spend our money elsewhere. Take me for example... instead of playing your game tonight, I'm taking my $40 to the mall. That 40 bucks could have paid for your dentist appointment or bought you a stick of deodorant.

Hopefully in this little merger, Markus can teach you guys how to sell your product in the good ole US of A.

One of the reasons we have signed a publishing deal with Sega in the first place is we want a more global release for our games and distribution over the internet has been something that continues to interest us too.

With regards to our current games, we work quite closely with an online store called Gameplay and this is probably your best bet for Championship Manager 03-04.

You can find them here:
http://shop.gameplay.co.uk/webstore/...ctCode=RM00749

Hope that helps.

[Springtime_for_Hunter]

This seems worth popping back in briefly for.

I'll speak out in favor of the game being distributed on CD (apart from the rather half-assed way it is now). Sure downloading is convenient, but (a) I don't want my ability to play a game I buy to depend on the health of a completely worthless company, and (b) I don't want to give that company any of my money.

I'd love to upgrade out of STB2K3 at this point. But there hasn't (AFAIK) been any way to do that without going through elicense. The moment there is, I'll happily buy, and this merger makes me optimistic for that. And I'd gladly pay an extra $10, as long as that was going to Best Buy/SI/OOTPD/middlemen/any other company that doesn't try to take away my fair use rights.

One negative prediction: I fear the PBP is going to develop British grammar and spelling.

--SH, who's been caught up in moving, his book, and his damn TBChallenge play-out league, now in Year 11.

[Prober]

Well, congratulations to the principals involved.

Since getting addicted to text sims, I always heard how SI's Soccer Sim was the best. The one to chase. I downloaded the trial, maybe it was a beta. It was a long time ago. I never could figure the game out. I dont know much about soccer, but this was the sim everyone was worshiping...and I still couldn't get what I was supposed to do. I finally gave up.

Then I found Riz's freeware EHM, and have been hooked ever since. In fact, I run a EHM league using his freeware. I added a few rules to make the financials a bit tougher. The league has been running smoothly for a year now. Now, I've been waiting for years for his newer and better hockey game. It is coming out using the same engine and "form?" that Championship Manager used. Gawd! Im going to have to try to learn that SI game model again. I've been hearing that the new EHM will not cater to leagues as well as his much older freeware game did, so I dont think the game was improved just by going to SI. But, that will be determined later after the release. If I can get it here in the states, and if I can figure out how to play it.

I've decided that worst case scenario is I keep my league running with the freeware version and wait for future releases...if I can get them.

Now, OOTP is moving to SI. You would not believe the hours I spend on this game each night. Will this game also have to be re-coded to use a different game format similar to EHM:FE and Championship Manager?

It appears that my assignment now is too dig out that old copy of CM and try to grind my way thru the gameplay once again since all my favorite games are converting to this model.

Now this all sounds very easy, right? Just log onto a new website and ask a lot of questions. From just reading this thread, that sounds like a quick way to catch some abuse. Plus, I cant log onto that website from work. When using one of my personal PC's connected to the internet by cable, the site is still very laggy.
So moving the boards and the game to SI will negatively affect me but I will try to keep an open mind in respect to EHM:FE (this year?) and OOTP7 sometime in the distant future.

I've taken many classes dealing with change. Most people dont deal with change well and it usually generates some discomfort.
So, I will dismiss the stress knowing it is a natural occurance and hope for your success with OOTP7 is what you hope for.

Good Luck!
Les

[Paul Dejyothin]

Originally posted by Prober
Well, congratulations to the principals involved.

Since getting addicted to text sims, I always heard how SI's Soccer Sim was the best. The one to chase. I downloaded the trial, maybe it was a beta. It was a long time ago. I never could figure the game out. I dont know much about soccer, but this was the sim everyone was worshiping...and I still couldn't get what I was supposed to do. I finally gave up.

Then I found Riz's freeware EHM, and have been hooked ever since. In fact, I run a EHM league using his freeware. I added a few rules to make the financials a bit tougher. The league has been running smoothly for a year now. Now, I've been waiting for years for his newer and better hockey game. It is coming out using the same engine and "form?" that Championship Manager used. Gawd! Im going to have to try to learn that SI game model again. I've been hearing that the new EHM will not cater to leagues as well as his much older freeware game did, so I dont think the game was improved just by going to SI. But, that will be determined later after the release. If I can get it here in the states, and if I can figure out how to play it.

I've decided that worst case scenario is I keep my league running with the freeware version and wait for future releases...if I can get them.

Now, OOTP is moving to SI. You would not believe the hours I spend on this game each night. Will this game also have to be re-coded to use a different game format similar to EHM:FE and Championship Manager?

It appears that my assignment now is too dig out that old copy of CM and try to grind my way thru the gameplay once again since all my favorite games are converting to this model.

Now this all sounds very easy, right? Just log onto a new website and ask a lot of questions. From just reading this thread, that sounds like a quick way to catch some abuse. Plus, I cant log onto that website from work. When using one of my personal PC's connected to the internet by cable, the site is still very laggy.
So moving the boards and the game to SI will negatively affect me but I will try to keep an open mind in respect to EHM:FE (this year?) and OOTP7 sometime in the distant future.

I've taken many classes dealing with change. Most people dont deal with change well and it usually generates some discomfort.
So, I will dismiss the stress knowing it is a natural occurance and hope for your success with OOTP7 is what you hope for.

Good Luck!
Les

Prober,

I recommend that you take alook at this thread.......

http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...threadid=63323

The SI Football Manager Magazine will be on sale from May 27th 2004

snippet from the post......

....The magazine will carry two cover-mounted extras: a CD-ROM (containing, amongst other things, the first ever playable beta version demo of Eastside Hockey Manager) and the official Euro 2004 Panini sticker album (complete with a packet of stickers).......

You will then be able to gain a feel for the game via this demo, which may well influenence your decision on the purchase of the game.
(Please note that this is the Beta Demo)

[Prober]

Thanks Paul!

Les

[Marc Duffy]

Originally posted by rdklein
Chips and Bits? What the hell is that? I think we call those French fries here in the states, redcoat. I've never heard of that store.

So I download your CM demo... I'm not a big fan of soccer (and it is "soccer" by the way), but I try to catch the World Cup every four years. Yes that is correct, I watch maybe 3 soccer games every 4 years, so my knowledge of soccer is limited.

Anyway, I play your little game for a half hour, and I am totally impressed!!!! The detail you fellas put into the game, wow! I'm thinking, "Hell yeah! It may be soccer, but I'm buying this game!"

I whip out my VISA, ready to fork you over my hard earned cash, and there is no way to buy it online?????!!!! No way to download the full version and pay and play?????? So I browse your site, looking for a store or something that will carry it and it's all European sites!

Ahh, there is Amazon... good! Errr.... Amazon.uk... which doesn't ship to America????!!!!! So, I try to browse your joke of a forum looking for some way to purchase your game. Good Luck finding anything in that mess. I wait almost 2 hours to get my registration ok'd only to find that I need to register again to use the forum's search feature. I finally find the answer to my question here.... and that answer is "Chips and Bits"? Leave it to a limey to sell his product at some store called Chips and Bits. We have stores here in the States that sell computer games all over the nation... not just in Limeytown, Delaware. In the future, you may want to try to sell your product in stores like: Best Buy, CompUSA, hell... even WALMART sells pc games.

Your not dealing with jolly ole' Brits, chap... in these parts, you've got to be quick or you lose the sale. Americans want their products and they want them now! If you can't cut it, we have too many options here and will spend our money elsewhere. Take me for example... instead of playing your game tonight, I'm taking my $40 to the mall. That 40 bucks could have paid for your dentist appointment or bought you a stick of deodorant.

Hopefully in this little merger, Markus can teach you guys how to sell your product in the good ole US of A.

So. there I was looking at the page about the game, seeing a link to Gameplay who do ship to the US. Then I think, surely rdklein would do a google search for Chips and Bits... so I try it and wow- i find the link http://www.chipsbits.com/cgi-bin/order.cbi_home

So, then I do a search there for the game ... hey really easy this

http://www.chipsbits.com/cgi-bin/ord...MM0304.IR.html

Now, to turn over your not dealing with a company who traditionally have sold digitally, we've had a deal with EIdos for 10 years where we've released mainly to the UK and Europe a boxed copy of our game

It's only in the last 3-4 years that American has woken up to the game, and hopefully with Sega (and Markus) we can look at proper distribution in the US - till then your just going to have to learn to use the internet a little better

[Marc Duffy]

Originally posted by rdklein
And patience is a virtue... a very admirable quality. And I'm sure you make a fine clerk at the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Brother, you may consider yourself patient... and the next guy reading this thread may consider himself patient.... but I garauntee you the majority of Americans are NOT patient. When it comes to finding ways of spending disposable income, we have too many options. Ask youself how many businesses you know rely on their customer's patience?

How many successful companies took the patient approach as opposed to the aggressive approach? NONE!

I'm just saying if this company has any plans of selling products overseas, they need to rethink their business strategy --- BIG TIME!

Not sure if you know much about us from reading your posts, but our game has never been able to secure a distribution deal in the US whilst we worked with Eidos

Hopefully, with Segas help this will now happen and with two American styled sports games now with us this should not be a problem

As I demonstrated in the above thread, ChipsandBits are an American compnay and will send you the game quickly.

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally posted by EscapeF4
Just spent awhile trying to figure it all out, and this is the reason I'm having troubles too.

The reason some accounts are restricted from registering is that with 40,000+ users on the board you always get some trouble makers - free email accounts are too easy to re-register with for that minority of people so we found restricting their usage for registrations an effective way on cutting down on abusive posts.

I do realise this isn't ideal but its a compromise which has worked fairly well so far.

If anyone has hassles with finding an email account which works on the new board then feel free to email me and so long as I can validate that you've been a sensible user here then I'll see what I can do to over-ride the registration system for you (please please don't everyone do this if you do have a usable email addy though as I do have to get FM finished at some point ).

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally posted by Jordan
once OOTPD is officially "with" SI, will all contact with .400 cease? I know that you guys insisted that you would continue to stand along side .400 after the split. Will that still be?

I'm personally on fairly friendly terms with the people at .400 generally and am a big fan of their games so I don't see a problem with Markus retaining friendly links with them myself ....

[jbmagic]

so in the future the hockey game , and football manager, ootp will be sold in the united states stores?

or we going to have to order it thru the internet?



thanks

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally posted by Springtime_for_Hunter
One negative prediction: I fear the PBP is going to develop British grammar and spelling.

Heh - I doubt it, apart from the fact that (repeated for the umpteenth time ) it'll remain Markus's game (ie. he'll call the shots on it) .... I can't spell properly anyway

[Marc Duffy]

Originally posted by jbmagic
so in the future the hockey game , and football manager, ootp will be sold in the united states stores?

or we going to have to order it thru the internet?



thanks

I would like to think in an ideal world the game will be available in stores and also a similar digital set up to what OOTP fans are used to now. Dispite the pessimistic comments from rdklein it is something we are looking into as a viable means and our managing director was involved in meetings yesterday about it and I'm sure he'll be talking about it more at E3 next week.