Another game down the drain

tesco samoa · #1 August 9th, 2003, 03:44 PM

IG3 done like Stars supernova

CDV Software Entertainment AG, publisher of computer games and application software, announced today its outlook on the figures for the second quarter of the current year and announced rigorous restructuring measures.

Net sales from April to June at approx. EUR 4 million are expected to be approximately at the level of the previous year.

The second quarter of the previous year closed with a moderate loss of approx. EUR -1 million (total year 2002: EUR -185,000). In the current quarter, a considerably higher loss of approx. EUR -4 million before taxes is expected.

Targeted sales growth for the second quarter was not realized due to several shifts in release dates and below-schedule sales. Personnel levels, which were built up in expectation of much higher growth, will be adjusted to the new situation at short notice. The restructuring measures impact all areas of the company and will be realized by allowing limited work contracts to expire and also by operation-related notices of termination.

With sales lagging behind expectations, a value adjustment of EUR 930,000 was taken on the Heaven & Hell game in the Last quarter. As the prospects for the success of the Galaxy Andromeda project are also not considered to be very high, the project will be ended and a value adjustment made.

Despite the very promising product pipeline for the 2nd half of this year, the Management Board no longer expects a positive result for the whole of the financial year.

The Management Board

General Woundwort · #2 August 9th, 2003, 04:13 PM

So this leaves, basically, just SEIV and GalCiv as the only 4X space games left going? [MOO3 does not even rate mentioning...]

tesco samoa · #3 August 9th, 2003, 06:00 PM

i think our genre is being killed off because they do not make truck loads of money.

Atrocities · #4 August 9th, 2003, 06:14 PM

IIRC didn't they have a combat demo for IG3 out like a year or two ago? I know they did. So WTF is taking them so long? Well I guess I have my answer now. Money.

Everyone needs to be paid so they drag out the programing process for as long as they can bilking the money from the developer or publisher until finally, they are forced to release a bitter POS that receives horrible reviews and poor sales.

What gets me is that they are doing this more and more. In recent times we have seen this with several games, Civ 3, SC 4, UR 2, and MOO 3.

Another thing that chaps my *** is that Gamespot and several other gaming sites gave MOO3 a glowing review despite the truth that the game sucked!

I fear that the genra is dying and the only hope for survival at this point is SE V.

I wonder when the light at the end of the tunnel will be turned off because fiscal cut backs?

Erax · #5 August 9th, 2003, 06:24 PM

The genre is not dying, the model to exploit it is. The market for strategy/war games is still out there. Maybe the 'big name' companies will drop it... but someone will take it up.

Geckomlis · #6 August 11th, 2003, 04:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Erax:
The genre is not dying, the model to exploit it is. The market for strategy/war games is still out there. Maybe the 'big name' companies will drop it... but someone will take it up.

Tabletop/board strategy/war games went through the same lifecycle. Very few people earn a living from publishing those games anymore - yet the genre continues. And the games that exibit craftsmanship and innovation are either one-man efforts or from very small teams.

TerranC · #7 August 11th, 2003, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Erax:
but someone will take it up.

And thank god, "someone" *wink* *wink* did

General Woundwort · #8 August 11th, 2003, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by geckomlis:
Tabletop/board strategy/war games went through the same lifecycle. Very few people earn a living from publishing those games anymore - yet the genre continues. And the games that exibit craftsmanship and innovation are either one-man efforts or from very small teams.

One simply has to note the decline and fall of Avalon Hill to see the truth in gecko's statement.

(EDIT - found this article on the subject... The Fall of Avalon Hill )

[ August 11, 2003, 10:36: Message edited by: General Woundwort ]

tesco samoa · #9 August 11th, 2003, 03:17 PM

that is a sad story indeed

Atrocities · #10 August 11th, 2003, 05:09 PM

That was a very interesting article General. Thanks for posting a link to it.

Quote:

Hasbro bought MicroProse for $70 million. Usenet jokes about Hasborg�s progress seemed to be on target, especially after Habro subsequently absorbed WOTC and TSR.

I know MicroProse published Birth of The Federation, but didn't they also publish Moo and Moo2?

All three of those games were good games. So what happenend with MOO3?