Is Space Empires V currently over development?

[japinard]

I sure hope so! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[Fyron]

It is in development...

[japinard]

Whew! I think SE5 is the only MOO2 type game in development right now... anywhere...

[Renegade 13]

Scheduled for completion in summer '05. but don't count on it being done that soon. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

[Spoo]

Yeah, but delays = more goodies http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[Kamog]

Fortunately, it seems like time is going by really fast this year. What, mid-April already? Time is just zipping by. It's OK, the faster time goes, the sooner we get to play SE5.

[Atrocities]

"Do to fiscal concerns, poor sales, and pirating of Space Empires IV, the light that was the shinning beacon for Space Empires V has been turned off. Please direct all questions and comments to those who opted to download the game for free rather than support the development process by buying the game."

This is what could happen if you download SEIV for free. Spend the $, the game is well worth it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Edit, fixed a spelling error.

[ April 15, 2004, 10:45: Message edited by: Atrocities ]

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Even though I knew it was fake, that still panicked me.

[trooper]

AT, its not funny to play with people's nerves...

[Instar]

Originally posted by Atrocities:
"Do to fiscal concerns, poor sales, and pirating of Space Empires IV, the light that was the shinning beacon for Space Empires V has been turned off. Please direct all questions and comments to those who opted to download the game for free rather than support the development process by buying the game."

This is what could happen if you download SEIV for free. Spend the $, the game is well worth it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Edit, fixed a spelling error. <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">A good public service announcement, but I doubt the creeps who would DL the game like that would come here.

[tesco samoa]

and false....

Downloading a game does not kill it.... It is a lie that is stated over and over and over.

Protential sale does not equal loss of sale.

1 download does not equal 1 loss of sale.

At you gotta stop listening to your music lobby Groups in the USA...

[Yimboli]

*WARNING* rant ahead! *WARNING*

void rant()
{

thank you, tesco. it's always good to meet more people that have thought critically about this topic of piracy and its ill effects.

for all you that buy the RIAA's nonsense, take a look at this: Free book on generating functions (http://www.math.upenn.edu/~wilf/gfologyLinked.pdf)

anyone interested in a degree in math will find this book very helpful. Indeed, it was originally published and released as a textbook just like any other. After a while, sales declined (as they usually do once the initial rush of instructors and researchers have bought their copies of any textbook), and the author (Herb Wilf) requested from his publisher that he be allowed to post the book in PDF format on the internet. If you clicked the link, you've probably realized that they said yes. All the people that originally wanted the book already had bought it. After it was posted, more people saw it, decided that they wanted it, and some bought a copy just to have around. Their sales didn't drop, but rather increased.

imagine that!

i, for one, bought se4 after playing from a burned copy from a friend. And then i bought se4gold as well. does that make me less of a person? god i hope not! If that were true, I guess all those CDs i bought after hearing one of the songs on mp3 would simply be metaphors symbolizing my lack of morality.

} //end procedure rant()

sorry, i couldn't resist http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

-Timbo

[ April 18, 2004, 03:59: Message edited by: Yimboli ]

[Atrocities]

Didn't mean to ruffle any feathers.

[ April 18, 2004, 07:43: Message edited by: Atrocities ]

[Captain Kwok]

I disagree with that one pirate copy = one lost sale. Most pirates don't buy games/software to start with. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

That being said, the odd person that does not normally pirate software and happens to come across this game through shady means would likely buy a copy sooner or later. Not always, but I'd guess maybe more than half the time.

[Atrocities]

Good point CK. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif Not all is black and white. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[geoschmo]

Most car thieves have probably bought a car or two legitimatly at some point in their life too. Doesn't make it ok.

[tesco samoa]

I never said it was ok. I was stating that the arguement of protential does not equal actual.

[geoschmo]

Originally posted by Yimboli:
i, for one, bought se4 after playing from a burned copy from a friend. And then i bought se4gold as well. does that make me less of a person? <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">That's great that you bought the game. And no, it doesn't make you less of a person. People who steal are still people. They just are people that have made bad choices. But you could have done the same thing without stealing the game by playing the demo.

[ April 18, 2004, 15:13: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

[wilhil]

Hi

I dont stop by here very often, but i have read this one as it intrests me.

I am not ashamed to say, I downloaded the game. I download loads of games.... simply because:

I dont like demos, when you have a demo you dont often get to see the full features of a game you just get some time limited thing. I like playing a full game so i can get a real feel for the game then if i like it i go down to the shop and buy the full thing or i delete it off my system and dont speak of it again!

I am happy to say i did the above with space empires 4 and starfury, apart from i ordered Online instead of walking to the shop! if anyone is intrested i can show you a picture of my sheld I have hundreds of games!

and i dont agree that 1 downloaded game = 1 lost sale simply because downloading games makes me buy them! reviews are always usually one sided and i think the only true review is playing it yourself. I wouldnt buy a game without downloading it unless i knew it was good from it being a sequel or freinds.

also simply games are expensive and no one wants to buy something if they dont know they will like it! as i said i dont mind saying i download games, but i am happy to say i also buy them!

[ April 18, 2004, 20:07: Message edited by: wilhil ]

[Iansidious]

My 00.02. Personally, I rather buy something than steal it for free. This is something I say to my self, "If I can't buy it or afford it, then live with out it."(although that at times is hard http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif ) I don't like downloading something for free(unless its legal then indulge http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif ) because I would not like it if it was my product I was selling. Well I'm out of money right now so...BYE!

[Kamog]

I played the demo for a long time before I bought the game. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[tesco samoa]

But your not stealing the game Iansidious. you are downloading files. And if you run them you may or maynot be breaking a copyright law. There is a difference.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Originally posted by tesco samoa:
and false....

Downloading a game does not kill it.... It is a lie that is stated over and over and over.

Protential sale does not equal loss of sale.

1 download does not equal 1 loss of sale.

At you gotta stop listening to your music lobby Groups in the USA... <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Might I mention again that www.baen.com (http://www.baen.com) is taking a different tack with the www.baen.com/library? (http://www.baen.com/library?)

[Yef]

Play the Demos, as I do, and if you like them then buy them.

[ April 19, 2004, 17:49: Message edited by: Yef ]

[Iansidious]

Originally posted by tesco samoa:
But your not stealing the game Iansidious. you are downloading files. And if you run them you may or maynot be breaking a copyright law. There is a difference. <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I was think of something different. But you are right, MAY or MAY NOT. I like to buy personally so I don't worry about that kind of thing. But I do enjoy demos! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[Atrocities]

Originally posted by wilhil:
Hi

I dont stop by here very often, but i have read this one as it intrests me.

I am not ashamed to say, I downloaded the game. I download loads of games.... simply because:

I dont like demos, when you have a demo you dont often get to see the full features of a game you just get some time limited thing. I like playing a full game so i can get a real feel for the game then if i like it i go down to the shop and buy the full thing or i delete it off my system and dont speak of it again!

I am happy to say i did the above with space empires 4 and starfury, apart from i ordered Online instead of walking to the shop! if anyone is intrested i can show you a picture of my sheld I have hundreds of games!

and i dont agree that 1 downloaded game = 1 lost sale simply because downloading games makes me buy them! reviews are always usually one sided and i think the only true review is playing it yourself. I wouldnt buy a game without downloading it unless i knew it was good from it being a sequel or freinds.

also simply games are expensive and no one wants to buy something if they dont know they will like it! as i said i dont mind saying i download games, but i am happy to say i also buy them! <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Hey what do I care as long as people who download the game buy it. The game is so nitch that every download that does not result in a sale of the game HURTS the development process for the next game in the series because it hurts the developer.

Malfador is only 1 man and not some mega corp like Activision or Atari.

[Iansidious]

Originally posted by Atrocities:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Originally posted by wilhil:
Hi

I dont stop by here very often, but i have read this one as it intrests me.

I am not ashamed to say, I downloaded the game. I download loads of games.... simply because:

I dont like demos, when you have a demo you dont often get to see the full features of a game you just get some time limited thing. I like playing a full game so i can get a real feel for the game then if i like it i go down to the shop and buy the full thing or i delete it off my system and dont speak of it again!

I am happy to say i did the above with space empires 4 and starfury, apart from i ordered Online instead of walking to the shop! if anyone is intrested i can show you a picture of my sheld I have hundreds of games!

and i dont agree that 1 downloaded game = 1 lost sale simply because downloading games makes me buy them! reviews are always usually one sided and i think the only true review is playing it yourself. I wouldnt buy a game without downloading it unless i knew it was good from it being a sequel or freinds.

also simply games are expensive and no one wants to buy something if they dont know they will like it! as i said i dont mind saying i download games, but i am happy to say i also buy them! <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Hey what do I care as long as people who download the game buy it. The game is so nitch that every download that does not result in a sale of the game HURTS the development process for the next game in the series because it hurts the developer.

Malfador is only 1 man and not some mega corp like Activision or Atari. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">WELL SAID!

[tesco samoa]

I do not see how this happens AT. Please explain it.
For I still believe that this falls into the protential = actual.

I looked at a newspaper today at work put out by a small newspaper company. does this mean that I hurt this newspaper company.

I borrowed a dvd from a friend. Watched it. Gave it back. Who did I hurt there... Rental company or some other company?

I used the next doors riding lawnmover when ever i need to do some heavy moving or lifting in my backyard.

So was I going to purchase that paper. No. Was I going to by that dvd no. Was I going to purchase a riding lawnmower... No.

So if I download SE3 or SE Pregold I am hurting Aaron personaly... I do not think so. Am I going to purchase SE3 or SE Pregold. No. Why would I ? These Versions have ran their shelf life.

What if I purchased the game in a bargin bin. Does this not hurt Aaron as well. Since he does not receive any money from that transaction.

So when a Game company gives away free copies of a game does this not hurt the developer as well ? What if one is given away for free and then sold to a buy and sell store or sold on ebay.

What if I download the game and play it once and hate it. Did I hurt the future of SE ? I do not think so.


IF you look at the infomation that has been given out you could make the arguement that Downloading SEIV has helped the game and not hurt it.

As sales have increased each Version. As as downloads.

Why do you not draw this conclusion.

What if someone downloaded the game and made a kick *** mod that everyone loved... Did this hurt SE ?

Does me backing up SE and storing it at my parents house hurt se ? They do not play the game... But the copy sits there.


Hey a Rant... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif


So in short... At I am just saying that I disagree with that observation you are making... I think those who are going to buy a game or product will reguardless if you can get it for free. For they intend to purchase it and support it with their money. Most people who download it are going to try it... And thats about it. Perhaps a few may buy the next Version.

Also I treat computers as dogs... 1 year equals 7 years in computer life... So SEIV is an old game now. It has had a great life. Someone downloading this game tomorrow is not going to change this fact. Nor is it changing the fact that SEV is being developed. I think that the SE games will continue to be developed until Aaron is sick of developing them. THen it is the developer who hurts the development process not anything else. As you say Malfador is one man. So he alone decides what path the future of SE is...

SEV could sell a 100,000 copies and Aaron could go thats it.I have done what i wanted to do.. Or it could just sell 5000 copies... and he continues on and SEVI is developed.

Who knows.

[ April 19, 2004, 23:08: Message edited by: tesco samoa ]

[tesco samoa]

P.S. AT... I hope I did not tick you off there.. Was not my intent...

Simon

[Puke]

all goods should be disposeable and have a short lifespan. everyone should purchase the goods and services they need. if they only need them for a short time, they should purchase a disposeable or one-time use Version of them.

dont need a rideable mower all the time? rent one when you do. Your friend bought the DVD, why didnt you? you cant keep up with him? going to be left behind?!

I AM A CONSUMER WHORE!

ahhh... im not sure whom i was poking fun at there. Im anti-piracy, but im also anti-consumer-whoreism. as far as this discussion, i really dont know where that leaves me. oh look, what a nice little fence we have here. i think i'll just take a seat.

[Iansidious]

Watch out! Tesco is going to BLOW! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[tesco samoa]

DAR SHE BLOWS ARGGGGHHHH http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif

[Markavian]

If SE5 isn't made, then the illegal downloading/trading of SE4 will have hurt the development of SE
This is a post project judgement.

Of course, if everyone went and and bought SE4 and Starfury regardless of whether they liked it or not, then this would greatly benefit the situation and feul future development of the product range.

[Captain Kwok]

Markavians,

Long time no see. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif