Is it just me?

[justafan]

There will be an update on release dates early next week.

[Up here in Canada]

Originally Posted by markprior22

There is so much to be improved in the game as it currently exists. AI mgmt (roster, ingame, team building, etc) being the main thing. I know everyone is entitled to their opinion of how they want to see the game progress but I would prefer Markus spend time improving general AI before worrying too much about the other stuff.

What you are stating may be true but that won’t be enough; the paying customer will want more to chew on if they are going to continue to come back to pay for the yearly new release.

Does Markus normally ask the forum members to tell their friends about the game or was this the first time he has asked current OOTP players to do this? If he hasn't asked of this favor before than it is a troubling sign.

An online version of the game will be just around the corner, this will have to happen in order for the game to survive. It can be done in a way that, in order to play, the customer would still have to purchase the program and install it on their computer(s). I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Markus isn’t already in the planning stages of a venture of this nature.

[SandMan]

Originally Posted by Up here in Canada

An online version of the game will be just around the corner, this will have to happen in order for the game to survive. It can be done in a way that, in order to play, the customer would still have to purchase the program and install it on their computer(s). I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Markus isn’t already in the planning stages of a venture of this nature.

Curious. Why do you think an online version is needed for this game to survive? I play sim only and don't see a problem with the game and would not see any advantage to having the game online.

[SandMan]

Originally Posted by Up here in Canada

Does Markus normally ask the forum members to tell their friends about the game or was this the first time he has asked current OOTP players to do this? If he hasn't asked of this favor before than it is a troubling sign.

Why do you think that it is a troubling sign if Markus asks people to tell their friends about the game? It is the cheapest way to get more people interested in the game. Word of mouth is a good way to advertise the game.

[Up here in Canada]

Originally Posted by SandMan

Curious. Why do you think an online version is needed for this game to survive? I play sim only and don't see a problem with the game and would not see any advantage to having the game online.

Online=profit.

14 versions later and besides improving what is already in place, how much more can they offer besides some improved graphics to lure older AND potential newer customers?

[Up here in Canada]

Originally Posted by SandMan

Why do you think that it is a troubling sign if Markus asks people to tell their friends about the game? It is the cheapest way to get more people interested in the game. Word of mouth is a good way to advertise the game.

I think SandMan needs to take his head out of the sand.

[Up here in Canada]

Originally Posted by SandMan

Curious. Why do you think an online version is needed for this game to survive? I play sim only and don't see a problem with the game and would not see any advantage to having the game online.

Originally Posted by SandMan

Why do you think that it is a troubling sign if Markus asks people to tell their friends about the game? It is the cheapest way to get more people interested in the game. Word of mouth is a good way to advertise the game.

I would also go back and read this entire thread over again from square one.

[Cras]

What in the world are you talking about?

and what is with the triple post?


How about not being an alarmist and drumming up panic and feelings of despair on absolutely no evidence? Can we try that for a while and see how it goes?

[Sweed]

Originally Posted by Up here in Canada

An online version of the game will be just around the corner, this will have to happen in order for the game to survive. It can be done in a way that, in order to play, the customer would still have to purchase the program and install it on their computer(s). I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Markus isn’t already in the planning stages of a venture of this nature.

FWIW Football Manger, the top selling sports "text sim" in the world, put out a online game that has already been scrapped. Their top selling conventional computer game is still well, their top selling computer game.

I am assuming you mean Markus and OOTP Dev. will have servers that store "your" game and you will be required to be online? Maybe a draw for multiplayer online leagues not having to maintain their own web hosting space. What are the drawbacks? Markus has to do enough business to be able to afford the servers. I can customize my current OOTP game with real logos and other material. Would these need to be licensed to be used in online leagues (solo or multiplayer) that were officially supported by OOTP Dev and run on their servers? I'm guessing they would which isn't going to happen simply would cost too much. Without real logos, parks, etc. how many guys would participate in this online only semi-fictional OOTP?


I'm just not seeing this happen. FM with hundreds of thousands of sales couldn't pull it off how would OOTP?

I do think OOTP is on the right track going after the I-phone\Android market. Gets the name out there and gives a lot of players a cheaper version to try hopefully leading them to also be buyers of the full game along with the added revenue it brings in.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Up here in Canada

Does Markus normally ask the forum members to tell their friends about the game or was this the first time he has asked current OOTP players to do this? If he hasn't asked of this favor before than it is a troubling sign.

I have seen him ask this in similar ways before. It's merely a sign of him wanting to sell more games, that's all.

Besides, when one says "tell [your] friends" these days, they are talking about social media. We have seen many examples of how powerful word of [virtual] mouth can be.

[Up here in Canada]

Originally Posted by Sweed

FWIW Football Manger, the top selling sports "text sim" in the world, put out a online game that has already been scrapped. Their top selling conventional computer game is still well, their top selling computer game.

Does Football Manager bring a lot more to the table with each new release than OOTP?

[Joe Canadian]

Originally Posted by Up here in Canada

What you are stating may be true but that won’t be enough; the paying customer will want more to chew on if they are going to continue to come back to pay for the yearly new release.

Does Markus normally ask the forum members to tell their friends about the game or was this the first time he has asked current OOTP players to do this? If he hasn't asked of this favor before than it is a troubling sign.

An online version of the game will be just around the corner, this will have to happen in order for the game to survive. It can be done in a way that, in order to play, the customer would still have to purchase the program and install it on their computer(s). I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Markus isn’t already in the planning stages of a venture of this nature.

I don't really understand any of this.

This game has survived for years with a dedicated fan base that is interested in this type of game, the type of game that doesn't have graphics. It would be nice to have something like we've seen in Football Manager, but it's far from necessary. I know over the years the game has started to become popular among people that are more interested in that feature, but I don't think not having it in this version or the next couple is going to have very much of an impact on sales.

The comment about the online version is even more baffling. First, I don't really understand what you mean by "online". The game has online play in the form of leagues, what is it that you feel is missing... or necessary for survival?

[Up here in Canada]

Originally Posted by Sweed

I'm just not seeing this happen. FM with hundreds of thousands of sales couldn't pull it off how would OOTP?

WhatIfSports seems to be pulling it off and they have been for some time now.

I really didn't want to name a competitor on this thread and if the moderator wants to edit this I will understand. It would have been tough for me to continue on with this topic without mentioning the fact that it has been and is being done by another company already.

[Déjà Bru]

One thing both seller and buyer should consider about online gaming is the capability and stability of servers. Thousands of users storing leagues the size of ours online would require terabytes of storage.

And how about what would happen if OOTPD were to be hacked as they were last week and, instead of losing a few posts from forums that had been backed up only 48 hours ago, we lost several seasons from our leagues? Including your star pitcher's perfect game that now becomes a "dream episode" or something?

No thanks. Not for me.

[Cras]

I don't get what is going on here to be honest. The last version of FM didnt have much of anything in terms of new features, it was just really a collection of enhancements to the features already implemented. It just makes the game more in depth.

OOTP is not quite where FM is, and I am not sure if that is necessarily a bad thing. What I mean here is that I think it is by design, OOTP is not FM Baseball edition, it has a different philosophy, a different goal in its representation of the game.

And this online thing is just....odd. I really dont get it. OOTP is online capable. And has been going back well before you joined this forum.

So I guess just get your plug in of the competitors title that you dont seem to want to give out, yet give out anyway.

[Up here in Canada]

Originally Posted by Joe Canadian

This game has survived for years with a dedicated fan base that is interested in this type of game, the type of game that doesn't have graphics. It would be nice to have something like we've seen in Football Manager, but it's far from necessary. I know over the years the game has started to become popular among people that are more interested in that feature, but I don't think not having it in this version or the next couple is going to have very much of an impact on sales.

Then I must be entirely wrong. I was under the impression from the gist of this thread that the game may very well be experiencing some issues. Perhaps I was reading more into things than what is actually happening. I'm still relatively new to the series but the 3 releases that I have don't seem to be that much different from one another. Then again, I don't know all the ins and outs of the game and I am still learning.

[Sweed]

Originally Posted by Up here in Canada

WhatIfSports seems to be pulling it off and they have been for some time now.

I really didn't want to name a competitor on this thread and if the moderator wants to edit this I will understand. It would have been tough for me to continue on with this topic without mentioning the fact that it has been and is being done by another company already.

Well a quick look at those boards shows exactly what I was saying. No real logos, teams, pictures etc. and I'm guessing you can't add them either, correct? $5 a season? I don't see anything there that you can't already do with OOTP (yes online) and do better.

As for me and my style of play I have absolutely no interest in that game at all. Yeah, we are all different so each to their own.

[Up here in Canada]

Originally Posted by Cras

So I guess just get your plug in of the competitors title that you dont seem to want to give out, yet give out anyway.

Sheesh, man, go back a few posts.

I already did.

[Up here in Canada]

Originally Posted by Sweed

Well a quick look at those boards shows exactly what I was saying. No real logos, teams, pictures etc. and I'm guessing you can't add them either, correct? $5 a season? I don't see anything there that you can't already do with OOTP (yes online) and do better.

As for me and my style of play I have absolutely no interest in that game at all. Yeah, we are all different so each to their own.

Oh, for sure...I only mentioned them because a poster couldn't understand how a game of this nature could pull off an online product.

[Up here in Canada]

Originally Posted by Cras

and what is with the triple post?

I don't get it?