Hypothesis: Ubisoft used Vegas 2 as a marketing study

[neilthecellist]

Reposted from a reply made earlier - (I thought it was topic-worthy after posting it)


I really think Ubisoft was using games like Vegas 2 and Splinter Cell Double Agent to figure out what people want... Basically using these games to find out what people like, what people hate.

I mean, think about it.

Vegas 2 was a cheap add-on to Vegas 1.

Vegas 1 was a potentially good game but got slapped in the *** too fast and shipped out just as quickly without going through rigorous testing.

Double Agent was a cheap imitation of the Jason Bourne storyline to see if people liked Jason Bourne.

Assassin's Creed was a way for Ubisoft to see if people would like another Prince of Persia game. After all, it's been years since the most recent Prince of Persia game.

Far Cry 2 is suddenly making a scene after years and years of hiatus.

===

My point? Ubisoft used games like Vegas 2 and Double Agent as a marketing research study on gamers... And stealing our money in the process.

===

Look at Far Cry 2. It's shipping with a map editor. Some of it is because people ranted about it on the forums. Some of it is because people stopped going on servers. (It doesn't matter if people stop going on servers -- Ubisoft always has a new crowd of Generation X teenagers to get new customer-gamers from)

Look at End War. I received an EndWar beta-test ticket in the mail. All of a sudden Ubisoft BETA-TESTS ITS GAMES?

===

No! Ubisoft isn't stupid, they're just incredibly conservative in their business practices. Every product they ship is to gather research and a sure amount of money. It doesn't matter if Vegas 2's netcode sucks. It matters that people buy $2,000,000.00 worth of Vegas 2.

New people will ALWAYS buy Ubisoft games. And that means more player-data for Ubisoft to use at their free will to figure out how to make "the-next-big-thing."

[neilthecellist]

Reposted from a reply made earlier - (I thought it was topic-worthy after posting it)

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I really think Ubisoft was using games like Vegas 2 and Splinter Cell Double Agent to figure out what people want... Basically using these games to find out what people like, what people hate.

I mean, think about it.

Vegas 2 was a cheap add-on to Vegas 1.

Vegas 1 was a potentially good game but got slapped in the *** too fast and shipped out just as quickly without going through rigorous testing.

Double Agent was a cheap imitation of the Jason Bourne storyline to see if people liked Jason Bourne.

Assassin's Creed was a way for Ubisoft to see if people would like another Prince of Persia game. After all, it's been years since the most recent Prince of Persia game.

Far Cry 2 is suddenly making a scene after years and years of hiatus.

===

My point? Ubisoft used games like Vegas 2 and Double Agent as a marketing research study on gamers... And stealing our money in the process.

===

Look at Far Cry 2. It's shipping with a map editor. Some of it is because people ranted about it on the forums. Some of it is because people stopped going on servers. (It doesn't matter if people stop going on servers -- Ubisoft always has a new crowd of Generation X teenagers to get new customer-gamers from)

Look at End War. I received an EndWar beta-test ticket in the mail. All of a sudden Ubisoft BETA-TESTS ITS GAMES?

===

No! Ubisoft isn't stupid, they're just incredibly conservative in their business practices. Every product they ship is to gather research and a sure amount of money. It doesn't matter if Vegas 2's netcode sucks. It matters that people buy $2,000,000.00 worth of Vegas 2.

New people will ALWAYS buy Ubisoft games. And that means more player-data for Ubisoft to use at their free will to figure out how to make "the-next-big-thing." </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

[Want2Snipe]

Nah, they just stole the money and ran, now they are onto their next scam... FC2

Again, if you can find dumb people to take their money while they praise you for doing it... how bad can you really be?

[neilthecellist]

But if Far Cry 2 is a scam, why include a map editor?

And if EndWar (another Ubisoft title) is a scam, why are they suddenly offering beta test tickets?

[Want2Snipe]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by neilthecellist:
But if Far Cry 2 is a scam, why include a map editor?

And if EndWar (another Ubisoft title) is a scam, why are they suddenly offering beta test tickets? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

AFAIK, the map editor has huge restrictions, meaning, you can only do so much with it. The best way to explain this is... say you don't know much about building a website and you buy a program to help you build it, well that program has presetted templates and that is all you will have to build your website, it won't be even 20% attractive compare to those other sites that people with skill had built. You are always going to be behind the 8 ball sort of speak.

Also, I think they did beta tests for the other games but it wasn't hyped, that would be the only difference now.

They do have a great Marketing Dept and I think that is where the problem lies within UBI, they prefer to market the heck out of a game than put that time, money and effort on making a decent game... I guess that's even a cheaper way to go about it.

[Aj6627]

They did beta tests for PC for GRAW 1 and 2 and SCCT. I think this may be their first for Xbox, but they had to copy off Call of Duty 4/5 and Halo 3 to get people interested in their game with a semi-public beta.http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/16x16_smiley-indifferent.gif

[athenian]

And now they are spending $10,000,000 (http://news.softpedia.com/news/Ubisoft-Prepares-Massive-Ads-Campaign-95498.shtml) to market FC2, EndWar, Shaun White Snowboarding and Prince of Persia. All of those games will be out before Christmas so I wouldn't expect to hear anything on the status of anything Rainbow Six or Ghost Recon until next year.

[ms-kleaneasy]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Want2Snipe:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by neilthecellist:
But if Far Cry 2 is a scam, why include a map editor?

And if EndWar (another Ubisoft title) is a scam, why are they suddenly offering beta test tickets? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

AFAIK, the map editor has huge restrictions, meaning, you can only do so much with it. The best way to explain this is... say you don't know much about building a website and you buy a program to help you build it, well that program has presetted templates and that is all you will have to build your website, it won't be even 20% attractive compare to those other sites that people with skill had built. You are always going to be behind the 8 ball sort of speak. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Want2snipe it's a console map editor, of course it will have some limitations in comparison to a PC one but as far as a console based map editor goes the original Far Cry map editor was not only brilliant but considered by gamers and developers alike the one to match (although as yet no one has), and the maps created by the community were astounding.

This new one is way beyond what the first offered and will no doubt see more astounding work from the community who support it.

As for the 20% you're so way of the mark I don't know where to begin.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Want2Snipe:
Also, I think they did beta tests for the other games but it wasn't hyped, that would be the only difference now.

They do have a great Marketing Dept and I think that is where the problem lies within UBI, they prefer to market the heck out of a game than put that time, money and effort on making a decent game... I guess that's even a cheaper way to go about it. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

For console Endwar was the first Ubisoft beta test

[Want2Snipe]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by ms-kleaneasy:
This new one is way beyond what the first offered and will no doubt see more astounding work from the community who support it.

<span class="ev_code_RED">Uhmmm, let me see, Crytek design the first one and the map editor, this one is made/design by UBI Montreal, same people who made Vegas 1 & 2... sure, yeah, I am going to believe that it will far better than the first one.</span>

As for the 20% you're so way of the mark I don't know where to begin.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I tell you what Ms-K, why don't we make a nice wager here?

Right after the game is out and played for a couple or few weeks, if you are right, I will go ahead an make a Public Apology to UBI, you and the Mods here for all my hate against the Company aside from sending you the price of the game via Pay pal so you can purchase a six pack or 12 pack of your favorite brew or drink.

Now, if I, on the other hand, am right and this thing not only is a dud but not even remotely close as the first map editor, you don't own me any monies but... YOU MUST COME CLEAN AND TELL US WHY UBI IS NOT SUPPORTING THIS GAME ANYMORE!!!


Easy bet and easy money don't you agree? http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/16x16_smiley-wink.gif

[xoops]

Snipey, kleaneasy was talking about the Far Cry Instincts map editor (Xbox) which has been designed by UBI Montreal.

That's the problem with UBI employees, for them, ''original'' has always a console meaning...

Of course, Far Cry 2 will offer a better editor than the Xbox FCI editor.

Of course, Far Cry 2 editor will still be far behind the original CRYEngine 1 editor (PC), and that's why original (in the correct meaning) PC players lose.

[ms-kleaneasy]

Want2snipe as xoops said I was referring to the console version, not however because I presume console before PC as suggested but because this thread was discussing games and beta's predominantly console, this and no specification on platform I took it you were discussing the console version.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by xoops:
Snipey, kleaneasy was talking about the Far Cry Instincts map editor (Xbox) which has been designed by UBI Montreal.

That's the problem with UBI employees, for them, ''original'' has always a console meaning...

Of course, Far Cry 2 will offer a better editor than the Xbox FCI editor.

Of course, Far Cry 2 editor will still be far behind the original CRYEngine 1 editor (PC), and that's why original (in the correct meaning) PC players lose. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Xoops want2snipe didn't use the word original and I was very clear that I was talking about the console version

[WhiteKnight77]

Wasn't FarCry first released on the PC before the console release? I do know that FC for the PC was released with the map editor made by Crytek while FC fans had to wait for FC Instincts. RSE even made a video of them using the map editor for the XBox.

[xoops]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by WhiteKnight77:
Wasn't FarCry first released on the PC before the console release? I do know that FC for the PC was released with the map editor made by Crytek while FC fans had to wait for FC Instincts. RSE even made a video of them using the map editor for the XBox. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Far Cry (PC) was developped by Crytek, published by Ubisoft, and released on March 23, 2004.

Far Cry Instincts (Xbox) was developped by Ubisoft Montreal, published by Ubisoft (of course), and released on September 27, 2005.

I think the development of FCI began soon after the release of Far Cry, if not even before. It is quite clear Ubisoft saw the potential of this franchise for its console market.

It was out of question to port the CRYEngine on the Xbox, or in another words, on a PC with a 733 MHz processor and 64 MBs of RAM (shared between both the system and the GPU). Ubisoft Montreal had no option but to make a new engine of its own, and an entirely new game.

As much as I openly hate this company, I have to admit that I was hugely surprised about the FCI editor at the time. That this studio was able to design a map editor usable with a controller, yet providing rich features (for the time and for the Xbox platform) made me realize that there must be talented engineers among the bunch of people there.

Today, I'm still amazed when I look at the videos showing the console versions of FC2 map editor. However, no matter how feature-rich this editor might be for a console platform (if you compare to the Forge editor of Halo III for instance), it is nevertheless an editor that will be very limited by standard PC map editing. Of course, this editor is not a SDK by any stretch of the imagination, and modding is not part of the equation anymore.

[Aj6627]

Interestingly enough, Martin Caya(the creator of Sam Fisher) worked on FCI initially.

[PLAYWITHME666]

Stop ****ing paranoid


....

Its so funny how many people cry about this game but play again and agaiun and come again on ubi forum of rsv2 ....


OMG U ****ING MAKE MY DAY

[Aj6627]

Someone has anger issues. That or a potty mouth.http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/16x16_smiley-indifferent.gif

[WhiteKnight77]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Aj6627:
Someone has anger issues. That or a potty mouth.http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/16x16_smiley-indifferent.gif </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Or both.

It's amazing that people assume that everyone here plays or even played Vegas or Vegas 2 much less bought either. I know I didn't buy either so I definately couldn't play them (I don't pirate games, even ones that suck).

[Want2Snipe]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by ms-kleaneasy:
Xoops want2snipe didn't use the word original and I was very clear that I was talking about the console version </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Well, I did say "Crytek designed the first one and the map editor" can't be more specific than that now can I? http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/16x16_smiley-wink.gif

All is good then, well, in the sense that even if this map editor is better than the first one (NOT the PC of course) it won't make as much of a change on anything I explained before.