Vaporware Awards For 2003!

[hukarez]

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,61935,00.html?tw=wn_story_page_prev2

Maybe it's just me, but I thought Half-Life 2 had come out already? Ugh...not that my machine would ever run it anyways.

[ice4277]

Half-Life 2 was supposed to come out in the fall but they had part of the code stolen and that caused some pretty big setbacks. But Duke Nukem is the undisputed vaporware champ until it even remotely looks like it will be released. Does anybody even care about Duke Nukem anymore?

EDIT: Clarifying points

[MikeVic]

It was supposed to come out in the fall but they had part of the code stolen and that caused some pretty big setbacks. But until the new Duke Nukem comes out it will be the undisputed vaporware champ. Does anybody even care about that game anymore?

I hope you mean Duke Nukem.. I still care a lot about Half Life 2.. :)

[hukarez]

Aye, MikeVic.

I'm intrigued with the impending release of Half-Life 2....
...then again, I'm always intrigued with the release of Fable. Still though...to be frankly honest - I didn't even know they were even making a Duke Nukem game.

[Bonegavel]

Favorite quote from the article:


ID lost votes because it hasn't made any unrealistic promises about the title's launch date. In what may prove an important lesson for the rest of the industry, ID has remained vague about its release schedule, a strategy that hasn't raised unrealistic expectations about when its titles will emerge. The company started dropping "early 2004" hints only late last year when it began taking pre-orders. We'll see if it makes next year's Vaporware list.

[hukarez]

I wonder if they'll still release it on multiple floppies, like back in the old school days. It'll probably be only what...a few hundred or so?

[sabotai]

Do the people at Wired even know what the term vaporware means? Apparently not if they think it means it is something that just hasn't shipped yet. Last I heard, Half Life 2 was still being made...

[Bonegavel]

If Duke Nukem Forever is released, it will be the worst title ever. I think back in 1998, they switched from the Quake2 engine to the Unreal engine, which has been dead for years.

The only thing that can save them is if they have been secretly upgrading the engine to the latest Unreal builds and will sneak attack the community with a whiz-bang game. I remember that Boussard (sp?) long ago stopped talking to the game rags and web sites with the thought that "We aren't going to talk about the game again until it is ready."

I laughed as I typed that in, but if this scenario plays out, they will easily recoup their costs because Nukem stuff sells in the millions.

[Bonegavel]

Do the people at Wired even know what the term vaporware means? Apparently not if they think it means it is something that just hasn't shipped yet. Last I heard, Half Life 2 was still being made...
I think the only reason this made the list is due to the promise that was made earlier in the year for a Sept 2003 release.

WIRED is generally good about geek-terms.

[hukarez]

Is that who's developing that game? Boussard?

Don't know who that is, to be honest. Now, apparently this game's engine was "hacked' or something? Did I read that right? I'm not quite as up to date on the whole game developing scene as I used to be...probably because I tend to play more strategy/simulation type games, than your typical FPS and all...

But what exactly is the 'history' behind the whole Nukem project? The last game I honestly keep hearing about is Doom 3. Ironically, it's not a game that I played back in the day, since then I was always playing Wolfenstein 3-D and Duke Nukem on occasion.

[hukarez]

Do the people at Wired even know what the term vaporware means? Apparently not if they think it means it is something that just hasn't shipped yet. Last I heard, Half Life 2 was still being made...
I think maybe they're trying to allude to the possibility of Half-Life 2 venturing into the 'vaporware' genre, in regards to the pushing back of release dates and all. Like most folks were at the .400 boards, armed with torchs and expecting a prompt release of TPF, and threatening to be "done with .400" if the game didn't come out on a specific date.

:o

...what the hell did I just type?! Eh...well. Yes! That's right. Half-Life 2 is in the works. Can't wait! (Nor can I run it!) :D

[Bonegavel]

Is that who's developing that game? Boussard?

Don't know who that is, to be honest. Now, apparently this game's engine was "hacked' or something? Did I read that right? I'm not quite as up to date on the whole game developing scene as I used to be...probably because I tend to play more strategy/simulation type games, than your typical FPS and all...

But what exactly is the 'history' behind the whole Nukem project? The last game I honestly keep hearing about is Doom 3. Ironically, it's not a game that I played back in the day, since then I was always playing Wolfenstein 3-D and Duke Nukem on occasion.Half-Life 2 code was stolen (allegedly).

Boussard is a guy's name, and he was the lead while under 3DRealms (now out of business) and I don't know who is running it now.

DNF (duke nukem forever) was announced ages ago (circa 1997) and, for years, was laughed at for its no-show on store-shelves. Now, people aren't even talking about it anymore; except for now. Well, some people talk about it, but not like the old days.

[edit - strike the 3DRealms out of business info, I think i mixed it up with another company. Sorry.]

[ice4277]

I hope you mean Duke Nukem.. I still care a lot about Half Life 2.. :)
Yep, I mean Duke Nukem. I realized when I wrote it that it looked confusing but was too lazy to change it :D

[sabotai]

I don't want to seem like I'm obsessing over this (I'm not), but vaporware does not mean that it's something that gets released late, or something that missed it's release date. It's something that disappears completely off the radar never to be heard from again.

[ice4277]

I don't want to seem like I'm obsessing over this
Too late ;)

[sabotai]

As a geek, I find it is my duty to correct misuses of geek-terms. :p

[Bonegavel]

I don't want to seem like I'm obsessing over this (I'm not), but vaporware does not mean that it's something that gets released late, or something that missed it's release date. It's something that disappears completely off the radar never to be heard from again.
I see your point, and you are correct. Then, DNF shouldn't be on the list either as they are (according to their site) still working on the game. Maybe 3DRealms should be applauded for their very truthful "Released when done" jargon because they haven't set any particular date AT ALL.

[hukarez]

I see your point, and you are correct. Then, DNF shouldn't be on the list either as they are (according to their site) still working on the game. Maybe 3DRealms should be applauded for their very truthful "Released when done" jargon because they haven't set any particular date AT ALL.
You know, I thought I heard that 3DRealms is out of business? Maybe I'm getting it confused with 3DO...

[Bonegavel]

You know, I thought I heard that 3DRealms is out of business? Maybe I'm getting it confused with 3DO...
Yes! thank you, that is the company I had mixed it up with.

[hukarez]

Come to think of it; I think quite a few companies went out of business in 2003. There was a poll on GameFAQs...let's see:

3DO (of Army Men fame)
Black Isle (Fallout, BG series)
Data East (Didn't these guys make 'Bad Dudes' for the NES?)
Dynamix (Tribes)
Legend (Unreal 2)
MicroProse (Thought these guys closed down before 2003?)
Rage (Have no idea what games they made)
Trecision (Again, no idea what games they made)
Westwood (No more C&C?)

[MikeVic]

Come to think of it; I think quite a few companies went out of business in 2003. There was a poll on GameFAQs...let's see:

3DO (of Army Men fame)
Black Isle (Fallout, BG series)
Data East (Didn't these guys make 'Bad Dudes' for the NES?)
Dynamix (Tribes)
Legend (Unreal 2)
MicroProse (Thought these guys closed down before 2003?)
Rage (Have no idea what games they made)
Trecision (Again, no idea what games they made)
Westwood (No more C&C?)

I'm sure Data East made a few funny NES games, including Bad Dudes. I'm sad about Black Isle... and didn't Dynamix make some decent football game too? And the King's Quest series?

[ice4277]

I'm sure Data East made a few funny NES games, including Bad Dudes.
Bad Dudes; oh the number of quarters I dropped into that shitty arcade game when I was young :D

[hukarez]

I'm sure Data East made a few funny NES games, including Bad Dudes. I'm sad about Black Isle... and didn't Dynamix make some decent football game too? And the King's Quest series?
I think King's Quest was published by Sierra...?

[hukarez]

Bad Dudes; oh the number of quarters I dropped into that shitty arcade game when I was young :D
My quarters went to the O.G. 'Double Dragon' game, when they had the nicknames "Hammer" and "Spike" :D

[MikeVic]

I think King's Quest was published by Sierra...?

I somehow always thought Dynamix was a part of Sierra? I swear I saw Sierra and Dynamix screens flash by while King's Quest V loaded? Am I just imagining things?

[hukarez]

I somehow always thought Dynamix was a part of Sierra? I swear I saw Sierra and Dynamix screens flash by while King's Quest V loaded? Am I just imagining things?
It's been ages since I've played a King's Quest game. Back in the day, I used to confuse King's Quest with Hero's Quest. I'm just glad I didn't get everything confused when Police Quest came out.

[sabotai]

and didn't Dynamix make some decent football game too?

Yes, before Sierra took it over and ripped the soul from it!

[Maple Leafs]

I don't want to seem like I'm obsessing over this (I'm not), but vaporware does not mean that it's something that gets released late, or something that missed it's release date. It's something that disappears completely off the radar never to be heard from again.Actually, I think technically it means something that's been announced but never gets off the ground. Usually it happens when an evil company (i.e. Microsoft) wants to scare competitors and/or customers by pretending they're coming out with something they have no real intention of releasing.

For example, Microsoft's new search engine may be vaporware designed to prevent Google from a successful IPO.

But in general it seems to have been warped to mean any software that hasn't been released.

[astralhaze]

I was very sad about Black Isle since they made the best RPG's on the market by far.

[Calis]

I was very sad about Black Isle since they made the best RPG's on the market by far.

Bioware might argue with you on that one. :D

Honestly though, most of the important folks from Black Isle were gone beforehand, so anything they've made would've been up in the air anyhow.

The good news is a large portion of ex-Black Isle folks started a new company and are working under Bioware, that's gotta be good.

Dynamix was owned by Sierra. King's Quest was made by Sierra, back in their Dev days, before they became the horror they are of recent years.

King's Quest, Space Quest, Police Quest, Quest for Glory...loved all those series...good stuff.

[astralhaze]

Yeah, especially since Bioware has the Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights titles. Damned shame about Fallout, but I have faith that crew will continue to put out great titles in the future.

[hukarez]

Yeah, especially since Bioware has the Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights titles. Damned shame about Fallout, but I have faith that crew will continue to put out great titles in the future.
If I'm not mistaken...the folks who busted out with the Fallout series in the beginning, started a new company by the name of 'Troika'? I always thought Arcanum was an underrated game.