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Star Citizen is the most successful crowd funded game ever and it isn't even out yet, which leaves a lot of room for concern and worry amongst fans when things get delayed. A short while back, Cloud Imperium Games announced that it would be delaying Star Marine, the first person shooter section of Star Citizen after it ran in to issues mainly pertaining to matchmaking and networking.
This news came quite a while after the module had missed its release date. Some took this to mean that the module was “delayed indefinitely”, which has caused some concern amongst backers. Fortunately enough, Star Citizen's director of community engagement, Ben Lesnick, has responded to these concerns, saying that the phrase “delayed indefinitely” does not apply here, Cloud Imperium just doesn't have a release date nailed down just yet for its FPS module, though it has thrown more resources at its development.
“The short story is that Star Marine was not ready for launch when we had hoped and planned. We spent several weeks expecting that resolving a then-current crop of blockers would allow a PTU publish. When this didn't happen, we conducted a full review of the module lead by our top technical folks from around the company. What they determined was what you read in Chris Roberts' letter two weeks ago: we need to rebuild several ‘boring' backend pieces and we need to fix serious animation issues before there would be any benefit to a release”.
The Star Marine delay won't amount to “months/years” we will still see the FPS section of Star Citizen release this year, we just don't know exactly when. In this instance, delays are smart, after all, Cloud Imperium Games has a lot of pressure to make this game right and to make sure it is good, especially after backers pumped $85 million in to the project, a number that is constantly rising on a daily basis.
KitGuru Says: Cloud Imperium Games has been very open throughout the development process of Star Citizen so far, though it seems there are still plenty of doubts over whether or not the developer can pull this game off with all of the announced features. Do any of you happen to own Star Citizen already? Are you holding off until the game is finally done?
Well, it’s better than releasing an unplayable game/module that will require many patches to fix. Anyways, I’m glad that they are adding more resources to the module to make it the best they can.
I backed over a year ago, with no regrets. Things like this should be expected. They are doing things that have not been done before. Arena Commander is as good as some MMOs now, and it just hit alpha. And I’m running it on a pc that barely meet minimum specifications. The real issue imho is no new content for awhile. The next patch will be minor, but it will bring two more ships to AC flight. And it’s coming SOONtm. I expect it in 1 to 2 weeks. But it will not drop until its ready. Most of us don’t want it till it is.
Backed them roughly a year ago. Picked up a couple of ships, and I test fly others when available, but it’s no surprise the natives are getting restless. They and I would like to see some content commensurate to the investments within a reasonable time. I will definitely play it no matter when it comes out. Have a beast x99 rig with a 980 Ti built just for this. I will bide my time with other ventures while I wait, and log in when I see new content.
Good thing is their PR strategy is actually just tell everyone where they at, and what’s coming next, so the explanation given was actually good, which keeps me hopeful the game will either try it’s very damn best, or die trying.
I haven’t yet purchased the game myself, though right now would be the best thing to do considering it’s probably cheaper than a full release when it happens (as long as you don’t mind watching grass grow in the meantime). I’m tempted to do so in the near future.
I’m a backer and from what i’ve played of the dogfighting module it is by far the best flight based combat i have ever played. This developer i have faith in, if they want me to wait, i’ll wait.
I’ve brought it to back them but haven’t played it. In fact it’s not even installed at moment. I’m sure it will be great when it’s ready but there isn’t enough content to warrant instalation of 30ish GB when I can play something else for now.
Sorry but SC smells of a desperate Dev who needed to pay of bills while trying to pay a dev team to make the title.
For the length of time it has been in development and the blatantly obvious cash grab schemes during that time since the original release date as promised on kickstarter, the game isn’t even a game in that regard.
While Elite Dangerous with a smaller budget and smaller dev team, has a decent game ready in a shorter time frame.
I am sure the SC mega backers have faith still in Robert delivering finally, but to be honest near 2 years later and still nothing good…. it is bad, real bad. You may need to realize that you need to stop buying the ships worth hundreds of bucks etc to get the message in Robert’s head that people are getting pissed off and your money making schemes are taking the piss.
“Sorry but SC smells of a desperate Dev who needed to pay of bills while trying to pay a dev team to make the title.”
Except that he’s rich, and a Hollywood producer. He didnt need money.
“For the length of time it has been in development and the blatantly obvious cash grab schemes during that time since the original release date as promised on kickstarter, the game isn’t even a game in that regard.”
Erm…cash grabs are about making profit. Every dollar put into Star Citizen pre-release is going into the development or maintenance of the game.
“While Elite Dangerous with a smaller budget and smaller dev team, has a decent game ready in a shorter time frame.”
Elite has been in development, at some time or another, since 2007. They used an engine, developed in house that was designed specifically with Elite in mind.
“I am sure the SC mega backers have faith still in Robert delivering finally, but to be honest near 2 years later and still nothing good…. it is bad, real bad.”
Nothing good? Dogfighting is awesome. Not sure WTH you’re talking about. And if you think an MMO + a full single player campaign takes 2 years….you’re a moron. WoW took 5+ years, had a full studio already set, and they didn’t have to worry about doing a single player.
You should work for Activision, I hear they like rushing good content out the door without giving it enough time…
Backed this a looong time ago. Happy to wait so that it is right at launch.
I check up on draft that aforesaid 19958$@mt4
bj……
http://www.WorldCareersDevelopersBlue/blog/cold...
Your jimmies sound extra rustled. Hilarious.
I don’t think this is a problem. They’re basically saying it has to be right before they can release it. That’s fine and their PR is good on this one.
On the other hand, considering the amount of cash they’ve milked from people so far, it’s good to see people getting on their back with high expectations at even the smallest hitch. With large investment you get high expectations, and they need to deal with that.
If he was rich he wouldn’t have needed the kickstarter campaign..
Donald Trump is rich, but he has no money, because he views his estate on holdings. He owns billions worth of real estate but he has very little in his bank.
Same for Chris Roberts he has a movie company, and a Dev studio… but before the kickstarter campaign he was basically not rich at all. Unless he sold his companies of course.
As for the cash grabs he was selling useless stuff, ships worth hundreds of dollars – that’s a digital ship not real – and other rubbish, during the time the game was useless, and it is mostly still useless… oh wow an Arena addon was added but what else? Hardly little to nothing.
Elite Dangerous wasn’t in development since 2007, they were looking for backers to help develop it since 2007, big difference, then they started the kickstarter in 2012. And the rest is history.
“Nothing good? Dogfighting is awesome. Not sure WTH you’re talking about. And if you think an MMO + a full single player campaign takes 2 years….you’re a moron. WoW took 5+ years, had a full studio already set, and they didn’t have to worry about doing a single player.”
See you are now grasping straws with that comment, no where did I say it takes an MMO to be done in 2 years, I said after 2 years still nothing good there is a difference, I suggest you read things fully and understand what is being said, instead of assuming.
To be honest with you, the way you have came up with kinda bad excuses it sounds like you are one of those people who have plowed thousands into this title, and you will defend it like mad because ultimately you cannot bring yourself to the truth that RSI are robbing people blind for a useless product that has the slowest dev team on the planet. And you are paying for useless digitial items way over priced.
Here is something else they did recently to shut someone up who was not happy with his $250 investment.
http://www.pcinvasion.com/cig-refunds-derek-smarts-star-citizen-kickstarter-pledge-following-blog-post
Have a good read.
I don’t have much to say about the first few points because I know only very little about them, but there are a couple of things.
First, you can’t really say that the dev team is ‘the slowest on the planet’. Yes, the timeframes they’ve had in the past have been stupidly optimistic, but look at it overall. SC hasn’t even reached its third year of dev time yet, and the work has been spread across 4-5 modules at all times with Arena Commander, FPS, Planetside, Social and then the Squadron 42 standalone and honestly, for that amount of work and scale, I think they’ve progressed pretty well.
Compare it to other ambitious titles: WoW took 4 years dev time before its launch, SWToR and GW2 both took 5 years, Elder Scrolls Online has taken 7, and all of those are using older tech than SC is using.
As for the article, it looks bad when you spin it like that without context. Unfortunately, the fact that it’s Derek Smart erases any credibility it has. He’s been a punchline in the gaming industry for years, with a history of making bad games and then starting flame wars or threatening legal action against people who criticize. CIG wanted nothing to do with him, and fair enough. He’s an incredibly toxic individual, who quite clearly – as you said – wasn’t happy with his $250 investment, but in that case where is the issue with him getting a refund?
Also, it should be noted that in addition to the complaining, the accusations, and the jealousy (if you look at his games, star citizen is almost like the game he wanted to make but never could), he used his gripes with the game and with the company as an advertisement for his previous games and his current/upcoming MMOFPS, Line of Defense. That’s the official reason why CIG refunded him, as well as the simple fact they do not want him associated with their name.
“If he was rich he wouldn’t have needed the kickstarter campaign”
Uhh…I think you’re confused. You don’t use all your assets to sink into a company. You get investors. That being said, he DID use $1 million of his own personal money as the seed money to get the game going.
“but before the kickstarter campaign he was basically not rich at all”
An asset is an asset, regardless of its liquidity. You can’t reinvent the definition of a word to fit your argument. That’s not how it works.
“As for the cash grabs he was selling useless stuff, ships worth hundreds of dollars – that’s a digital ship not real – and other rubbish, during the time the game was useless, and it is mostly still useless… ”
By your argument, a GAME is not real. It’s virtual. The latest Call of Duty is still just 1’s and 0’s sitting on your hard drive. But hey, guess what? Data IS a real thing. In fact, it’s the main asset of many companies. Heck, your money sitting in your bank account is just 1’s and 0’s.
“oh wow an Arena addon was added but what else? Hardly little to nothing.”
That’s all that’s PLAYABLE and released right now. That doesn’t mean that’s all that’s been done. The single player is being developed in relative secrecy so as not to give away the story.
“Elite Dangerous wasn’t in development since 2007, they were looking for backers to help develop it since 2007, big difference, then they started the kickstarter in 2012. And the rest is history.”
You think they didn’t have the entire game planned out since then? Frontier obviously owns the already established IP. They don’t have to create anything new as far as story. And it’s not like they had to do any ship design….I mean geezus, they’re still using ships from the 1980’s… Not to mention it’s all procedurally generated. Considering the story is anemic, all they had to do was create a few assets and hit the “generate universe” button. Voila, an expansive and dull mass produced universe with no heart and no soul.
“See you are now grasping straws with that comment, no where did I say it takes an MMO to be done in 2 years, I said after 2 years still nothing good there is a difference, I suggest you read things fully and understand what is being said, instead of assuming.”
You don’t really seem to understand how software development works, do you? There’s a reason games aren’t shown to the public until they’re less than a year from development. The initial stages are all about building the framework that the game will run on.
“To be honest with you, the way you have came up with kinda bad excuses it sounds like you are one of those people who have plowed thousands into this title”
Nah, I’m just not a moron. It’s not my fault that you’re unable to use logic and reasoning.
“Here is something else they did recently to shut someone up who was not happy with his $250 investment.”
Ahh the cherry on top. You actually referenced Derek Smart. Did you think this would somehow help your argument? Let’s reference a raving hypocritical lunatic who makes terrible games and has a vendetta against Chris Roberts for literally decades.
Oh and by the way, they didn’t do it to “shut him up”. They did it because he was threatening to sue them, and because he was using his crap “articles” to hawk his own trash games. The fact that you would hold a person like this up as some sort of shining example is a great reflection on just how stupid you actually are.
I see you are one of those type of people who try and dismiss everything said.
For example…
“Except that he’s rich, and a Hollywood producer. He didnt need money.”
Then I mentioned if he was rich he wouldn’t need the kickstarter, and kickstarters isn’t the ideal place for “investors” you don’t invest into a kickstarter you are actually donating or buying a product you will receive when finished.
So that alone shows your hypocrite side.
Also your nasty nature shines through also.
A game isn’t real, it is digital, and you even try to sound more intelligent by mentioning it is stored as binary. Wow wish I knew that… oh wait I am fluent in Assembly I actually do.
You then said this..
“Elite has been in development, at some time or another, since 2007. They used an engine, developed in house that was designed specifically with Elite in mind.”
Then you said
“You think they didn’t have the entire game planned out since then? Frontier obviously owns the already established IP. They don’t have to create anything new as far as story. And it’s not like they had to do any ship design….I mean geezus, they’re still using ships from the 1980’s… Not to mention it’s all procedurally generated. Considering the story is anemic, all they had to do was create a few assets and hit the “generate universe” button. Voila, an expansive and dull mass produced universe with no heart and no soul.”
Making yourself look like a hypocrite again there.
Development is not the same as having an idea, they have had an idea for a future elite since the 90s, that doesn’t mean it is in development. You should look up the definition of the word.
“You don’t really seem to understand how software development works, do you? There’s a reason games aren’t shown to the public until they’re less than a year from development. The initial stages are all about building the framework that the game will run on.”
Actually yes I do. I have done work in that sector a number of times, recently on DA:I.
And also you are certainly grasping at straws… you said this
“And if you think an MMO + a full single player campaign takes 2 years….you’re a moron.”
Which firstly I never said anything of that fact, you invented that into your head to suit your own argument, also the childish attack at the end.
So that alone shows you have no idea about game development at all, it is not all the same for all dev studios. Never has and never will.
And the fact you have gotten very upset for myself mentioning one guy who is recently in the news about Star Citizen shows again your childish side, they did ban him — everyone says they will sue people all the time, it wasn’t for that, it was because someone who is in the development industry had the balls to say everything isn’t right and was wanting something done.
He had every right to ask for an independent commission based investigation into where funds went to, as paid by the people who are a part of the money given on the kickstarter.
RSI/CIG did not like this, as his argument was starting to carry weight, so instead of easing fears of people they wen’t childish like yourself, and banned him and gave his money back.
If you think RSI is on top of things, consider this, why are wives and family members being given the top jobs at the company when they have no experience at all? Because they are just cash grabbing that is why, this title will never NEVER be finished it is impossible what they want with today’s tech, it is as simple as that.
As for people who paid money, they will get nothing, as through KS they were not guaranteed a finished product it was listed in the small print that nobody reads. So they could essentially say tomorrow is the last day, and this is all you are getting, and nobody can do anything about it. Except for an independent based investigation, then they could sue the company if the cash flow was not going fully into development.
So I am sure you have put your money into this project and that is why you blindly and hypocritically defend it very much, but in the end…you will be sorry, and no doubt you will still be as childish with your attacks because someone doesn’t agree with your views.
Personally I don’t think he is bad as how CIG/RSI/Fans have made him out to look like.
If you walk up to a bunch of football fans and critically talk about their favourite team they support, how would they view that guy?
A guy with a good argument, debating skills who is using facts? Or. A guy who is just wanting to start a fight, and is toxic, and hateful?
Depends on who the fans were. And unfortunately most (not all) of the SC fan base I have came across, are very very defensive, they never want to hear factual stuff about how you think SC may not happen at all. So they just attack you, with childish insults etc.
Whether people like him or not, he did look into this a lot over time and eventually presented his findings, which shows he isn’t a hot head at all or else he would have started complaining from day 1 of his findings.