G'day,
First of all I would like to say that GameBytes leaves any print magazine for dead, and is also a LOT cheaper :}.
GB: Well, I wouldn't go THAT far. It's pretty hard to read Game Bytes while you're on the bus, or on the crapper, for that matter.
I think that the quality of GameBytes has continued to increase, and I have been getting it since issue 5. The things that makes GameBytes so good are
(1) Screen shots that actually show us what the game looks like! (2) Reviews by people who have actually played the game and actually have an idea what they are talking about. (3) Interviews with game designers/writers. Keep this up, I especially liked the interview with Raymond E. Feist (It convinced me to purchase Betrayal at Krondor).
GB: Wow! I'm truly impressed. You've just described all the major features that I originally intended to differentiate Game Bytes from other e-zines and some print publications.
The following part of the letter may not be entirely appropriate for general publication, but I think it is about time that someone complained about two things that really need fixing in the gaming industry.
GB: Heck, we need more bitch sessions now and then. That's how we get things improved!
1. I am coming to the end of my tether with software companies who produce CDs that are identical to the disk release, and still have to be installed onto an already crammed hard disk.
GB: While I'm sure each software company has their own answer to this and I won't be coming to their rescue, I'll postulate my own answer to this: The simply answer is cost. In these days of 30MB monster games, in quantity, it's cheaper to press 1 CD than to produce 8-10 (or more!) floppy disks to install to your drive. We generally, in my opinion, expect that when a game is on that magical silver disk, we think there should be hours of video, screenplays full of speech, and full-screen hig -res graphics galore. Sometimes, its just plain easier to avoid the floppy-shuffle by installing the game from one disk instead of 13.
A good example is Ultima 8, which comes on CD, has no improvements over the disk version (except that the obligatory speech pack is included, but hey, they charge as much for the CD version as they do for the game and speech pack on disk!), and still takes up 35 meg on the hard disk.
GB: With the exception of the speech pack, this coincides exactly with my premise above, EXCEPT for the price. A modest price break might be in order.
Another example is Great Naval Battles II, which has a huge 10 meg on the CD (the files are compressed!!!), and has to be decompressed onto the hard disk. How about filling up that other ~600 meg with newsreel footage of the era, or even just static .gifs of ships and aircraft of that particular theater.
GB: See above...though I have no argument with your idea.
I have to applaude companies like Microprose for productions like their F15III CD, which had something like a 100 meg demo, an interactive systems tutorial, and a narrated history of the F15 which runs for over 30 minutes. This is what CDs where made for, and if more companies don't start delivering this sort of quality product, then I think we should start doing something about it.
Betrayal at Krondor was another example of a 'value added' CD, with full CD music, a quick time interview with Raymond E. Feist, and the complete hint book online as a windows help file. Although it was necessary to install to disk to get CD, it was also possible to run straight of the CD.
My only other complaint about CD releases is that they often come out three to six months (or more) after the disk release and nobody wants to fork out money twice for the same game. This also leads me into my second complaint.
GB: On that point, I TOTALLY agree. Heck, I'd rather have the CD version come out FIRST, and then delay the disk version a few months, if at all.
2. Software prices in Australia suck!
GB: Now, on this point, I will simply have to defer to you... Let'em have it, friend!
I put off buying Betrayal at Krondor until it came out on CD, and luckily for me it had only just been released here when my friend father was heading to the USA on business.
He purchased Betrayal at Krondor for US$25 (~A$35), as compared to the bargain price of A$100 which we are being asked for here in Australia.
He also purchased Great Naval Battles II for US$45 (~A$65), and we are being asked to pay around A$110 here.
These price differences are ridiculous, and it has to stop. The usual reason quoted for price differences is the cost of importing the software, but nobody can tell me it costs A$50 to ship a game to Australia.
Software companies have to realise that they are losing sales, and most people can't afford to pay $130 for the latest Microprose or Origin release. (Yes you read correctly, Microprose and Origin have some of the most expensive software on the shelves. I can't think of a title that has been released by either company for under $110. And don't even get me started on the cost of Origin's "optional" speech packs which sell for a mere $50, I'll leave that for a later letter.)
I am sorry if this letter is a little longer than normal, but I feel that these problems have to brought to the software houses attention, and if you forward this letter to them then they can hardly claim ignorance, can they?
Thanking you, and getting down of my podium ...
GB: You're very welcome! Now. Don't you feel MUCH better now!?