Welp, thus ends the "Text Sim to Console" push.

[SirFozzie]

First two reviews for MLB Front Office Manager are in:

Official XBox Magazine gives it a 5/10. (in the days of the 7-10 scale, that's a not good game)

But Game Informer gives it a 3/10.

Ow.

It'll have it's very small niche, but no one on the bubble will buy it with reviews like that. :/

[Philliesfan980]

I saw the same thing on OS the other day, very disappointing to say the least.

From what I've read, there won't be a new Head Coach either.

[Eaglesfan27]

I'm hoping someone on here takes the plunge and gives a review. I had a feeling most mainstream outlets would not like this game.

[Philliesfan980]

I'm hoping someone on here takes the plunge and gives a review. I had a feeling most mainstream outlets would not like this game.

Also from what I've read there are some very cripping menu interface type issues going on with the game.

All in all, it sounds like a rushed product.

[SirFozzie]

This thread over at Operation Sports is what Philliesfan980 is referring to:

MLB Front Office Manager Price Lowered More? (Pasta Padre) - Operation Sports Forums (http://www.operationsports.com/forums/baseball-other/285402-mlb-front-office-manager-price-lowered-more-pasta-padre.html)

Notes: No-Trade-Clauses ignored, players frequently ignoring orders in manager mode... not good.

[Philliesfan980]

I hope I'm wrong, but I think as long as these games are being made by large Corporations, and not Indie developers, they're going to be mediocre games.

Head Coach appears to be the exception to this rule, but didn't sell well enough to justify a 2010 version accordingly to EA.

[Surtt]

Head Coach appears to be the exception to this rule, but didn't sell well enough to justify a 2010 version accordingly to EA.


It sounds like they are just making up excuses.
They initially only shipped it It with the CE madden,
how can they even tell how many sales they would have had if they treated it like a separate game from the start.

[AgustusM]

the text sim to console is ludicrous idea in the first place.

I liked the last head coach for the most part and I still play it and every time think damn EA this should have been a PC game.

I have no idea how new manager game is but would never give any credence to these reviews. If you ask the "Madden Nation" crowd to review FOF I doubt you would get very good reviews. Kind of like my wife asking my opinion on what she is wearing, my answer will always be based 100% on the amount of cleavage she is showing.

[Young Drachma]

Yeah, these button mashers have no idea how to review a text sim. I'm going to buy this when it comes out, mostly to see how it works in comparison to what we're used to. If it's as good as FPS Baseball 96, then I'll be fine with that. That's a low bar, but given it'll be at least as capable as OOTP of simulating a major league environment and they charge almost as much as these guys do, that's fine with me.

Those reviewers are gonna hate it, the text sim concept goes completely over their heads tho.

[MizzouRah]

If this game was on the pc, I think it would be a hit.. but the biggest thing they needed to do for this type of a game to succeed, was to have a top notch interface.. from the reviews they don't even come close.

I'm still interested to see what you think however, DC and anyone else picking the game up.

EDIT: I keep forgetting it is on the pc this year. I wonder if the modders will be able to do anything with it?

[Marc Vaughan]

the text sim to console is ludicrous idea in the first place.

I disagree with this - not least because the reception for Football Manager Handheld on PSP has been very positive generally, both by users but also via. reviewers.

The game is NOT a straight forward text sim with the complexity of interface and game of FM PC, however it is a realistic and in depth game which was designed specificially for its target medium.

I fully believe a similar product aimed at mainstream consoles via. Xbox-Live / PS3-Network would prove popular with users if presented in a bright and professional manner with a similarly easy to use interface.

The trick is to simplify things without dumbing them down or losing the realism imho - it IS possible to do this imho.

[rowech]

The other thing that I think is these companies expect a text sim to be done on a whim. I first heard about this game in October and it gets released in January? There's no way they put the time/effort into this game to get it right. How long did FOF, OOTP, etc. get playtested, toyed with, and in some cases gutted.

[Big Fo]

I did a search but couldn't find anything, has EA come out and said there won't be a Head Coach 10? The game was listed in this advertisement so it was apparently being made at one point.

http://gonintendo.com/wp-content/photos/easeason.jpg

[Philliesfan980]

I did a search but couldn't find anything, has EA come out and said there won't be a Head Coach 10? The game was listed in this advertisement so it was apparently being made at one point.

http://gonintendo.com/wp-content/photos/easeason.jpg

I think that's just a generic list of games that EA could offer. I'm not sure if it's 100% official.

I'm too lazy to find the thread on OS, but if you go to the Head Coach forum on OS, you'll find a thread there where although they aren't confirming that it's been cancelled, one of the developers can't confirm that there will be a new one.

But I'd also have to agree with Rowech in that this type of game needs a few revisions to be good. It's just that because of lackluster sales, I'm not sure if a game will ever reach that point in the development cycle.

[RainMaker]

Disappointing but I'll hold out for some reviews from non-button mashers first. I'll also wait and see if they get it patched by Opening Day.

I absolutely love being the GM of modern day teams with modern day players. Something about building up a franchise that I know most of the players on. I was an avid OOTP guy, but they shifted away from MLB style sims. Was hoping this could be that game but it looks like another year of disappointment.

I also don't see it as the end of the text to console push. I think if companies were smart, they'd figure out how to do this right. You use many of the same features in these games that you'd use in the main games franchise/dynasty modes. Just give the manager ones more detail and a few more options. But things like the trade AI, contract signings, and so on should not need to be coded differently between the two games.

Also, if games are good, people will buy them. Head Coach had trouble selling it's first year because it was a pile of shit. Don't blame the gamer community for lack of demand, blame your pathetic development team.

[Philliesfan980]

Disappointing but I'll hold out for some reviews from non-button mashers first. I'll also wait and see if they get it patched by Opening Day.

I absolutely love being the GM of modern day teams with modern day players. Something about building up a franchise that I know most of the players on. I was an avid OOTP guy, but they shifted away from MLB style sims. Was hoping this could be that game but it looks like another year of disappointment.

I also don't see it as the end of the text to console push. I think if companies were smart, they'd figure out how to do this right. You use many of the same features in these games that you'd use in the main games franchise/dynasty modes. Just give the manager ones more detail and a few more options. But things like the trade AI, contract signings, and so on should not need to be coded differently between the two games.

Also, if games are good, people will buy them. Head Coach had trouble selling it's first year because it was a pile of shit. Don't blame the gamer community for lack of demand, blame your pathetic development team.

True, the first Head Coach that was released 3 years or so ago was pretty bad, but this last one was pretty good. I think they just need to temper their expectations on sales, and staff the development team accordingly. I think all of us would sacrifice graphics for better stats and AI.

With how bad Front Office Manager is sounding, I wonder if its just better to try and play MLB the Show in GM mode and see what happens.

[RainMaker]

True, the first Head Coach that was released 3 years or so ago was pretty bad, but this last one was pretty good. I think they just need to temper their expectations on sales, and staff the development team accordingly. I think all of us would sacrifice graphics for better stats and AI.

With how bad Front Office Manager is sounding, I wonder if its just better to try and play MLB the Show in GM mode and see what happens.

With unique games like this, it's important to make a first impression on gamers. I can't fathom a soul who would go out and buy HC after the first year's pile of crap. The same will go for FOM. The reputation a series has can stick for a long time, it's why EA has to change the name of a game every few years after they've run the series into the ground.

[Philliesfan980]

With unique games like this, it's important to make a first impression on gamers. I can't fathom a soul who would go out and buy HC after the first year's pile of crap. The same will go for FOM. The reputation a series has can stick for a long time, it's why EA has to change the name of a game every few years after they've run the series into the ground.

I agree with you. I bought both HC's, but only bought the second version after reading a lot of opinions from people on here and OS. For people who don't visit boards like this, first impressions are very lasting.

Has anyone had much luck with playing any of the latest Console games in a GM only type mode? I'm curious to see how the stats hold up as compared to text sims.

[AgustusM]

I disagree with this - not least because the reception for Football Manager Handheld on PSP has been very positive generally, both by users but also via. reviewers.

The game is NOT a straight forward text sim with the complexity of interface and game of FM PC, however it is a realistic and in depth game which was designed specificially for its target medium.

I fully believe a similar product aimed at mainstream consoles via. Xbox-Live / PS3-Network would prove popular with users if presented in a bright and professional manner with a similarly easy to use interface.

The trick is to simplify things without dumbing them down or losing the realism imho - it IS possible to do this imho.


It really all comes down to a matter of perspective - as a developer your primary concern is increasing sales, finding new customers. I am not saying there is one thing wrong with that, that should be your focus.

My focus is entirely different. I have been simming games for 40 years - I don't have the same motivations. sure I want all of you to be successful (and thus able to make more games) but I believe the genre belongs on the PC. In our house we have a 360, a Wii, the kids have PSP's and DS's. All of them have their purposes, but none of them is as powerful or flexible as my PC. I want mods and the ease of full keyboard and mouse.

Head Coach is a great game, but the controls are cumbersome compared to what they could have been on a PC. In the end I want games with more depth, more customization, more immersion.

Console games besides being less in all of these areas also have a large base of users who are looking for a different experience. I believe most (not all) console users don't "get" the sports SIMULATION, in the way that I don't "get" first person shooters.

My kids have grown up with a controller in their hands, I grew up with dice in mine - their is no doubt we are going to have different expectations of our games.

For what it is worth I think the SI interface is brilliant, my favorite ever. If we ever got a FOF in your interface my wife would leave me and I would be penniless because I would play it 18 hours a day.

[Toddzilla]

I just wanted to mention that I greatly approve of the word "welp".

[Marc Vaughan]

My focus is entirely different. I have been simming games for 40 years - I don't have the same motivations. sure I want all of you to be successful (and thus able to make more games) but I believe the genre belongs on the PC. In our house we have a 360, a Wii, the kids have PSP's and DS's. All of them have their purposes, but none of them is as powerful or flexible as my PC. I want mods and the ease of full keyboard and mouse.

I don't think Text Sims will just up and leave the PC any time soon* however I think that its possible to translate things onto a console successfully without losing what you love on the PC.

For instance you can already edit the game database on the Football Manager Handheld (PSP) game, you can upload badges and graphics to the PSP for use in the game, it already has multiple skins available (and eventually I want users to be able to do this themselves) etc.

Just because its a console that doesn't mean any of these things have to drop.

(I will admit though that the keyboard on a PSP isn't perfect, but on consoles like the 360/PS-3 you can get proper qwerty keypad add-ons for your joypad if this bothers you)

My kids have grown up with a controller in their hands, I grew up with dice in mine - their is no doubt we are going to have different expectations of our games.
This is one thing which frustrates me within the games industry many people say "No that games too complicated for kids today" .... ignoring the fact that kids love strategy games just as much today as they ever have, my 9 year old sons just signed up for CHESS club and is loving playing it ... yes he's a huge console junkie but give him the choice of going up against me at chess or playing on the 360 and it'll be a toss up** :D

There WILL be a new generation of text sim addicts coming through, games like FMH will help ease them into the genre - but most of them would come aboard anyway given time ....

*I do think convergence of devices will make the idea of a 'PC' or 'Brand of Console' obsolete with 10-15 years however. You can already see that most consoles can emulate any older consoles and that a Mac can run Windows (and vice versa) ... people aren't so impressed by processing power these days because devices already do everything they want o increases in that side of things will be less exagerrated outside of geek development spheres.
**His favourite game at the moment is actually 'Battle for Wesnoth' and we regularly play this together, its been part of our normal 'bed time routine' for over a year now.

[Dutch]

There WILL be a new generation of text sim addicts coming through, games like FMH will help ease them into the genre - but most of them would come aboard anyway given time ....

*I do think convergence of devices will make the idea of a 'PC' or 'Brand of Console' obsolete with 10-15 years however.


Yes and yes. And also, down the road, when consoles become a users natural starting point for surfing the web, then keyboards and mice will become a standard requirement. And the merging of PC/Mac and Consoles will just about be completed.

[SackAttack]

I did a search but couldn't find anything, has EA come out and said there won't be a Head Coach 10? The game was listed in this advertisement so it was apparently being made at one point.

http://gonintendo.com/wp-content/photos/easeason.jpg

I am actually shocked GameStop hasn't done this sooner.

Think about it. If you buy the season pass with the intention of buying one game - say, Madden - you've broken even. Maybe you buy another game, maybe you don't.

If, on the other hand, you DO buy a second or a third game, that's extra new sales for GameStop/EA, but that's also potential additional trade-ins and used sales for GameStop. Maybe you snag Live, hate it, trade it in towards 2k10. Sweet - business as usual, but that's a game they can resell 2-3 more times to make back the $20 they lost off the new price + whatever the trade-in value was.

Or, if EA is subsidizing this to drive sales of new copies, GameStop is smelling like a rose on that one.

[Young Drachma]

I went ahead and preordered a copy, since its comes out tomorrow. Seems like I couldn't just guinea pig one shitty ass game for the community, I had to do it twice in the same month...when I never, ever buy games anymore unless they're text sims.

Idiot.

My expectations for this one are sparse, though. Basically, I just want it to be a text sim for when OOTP gets boring because I can't see my team on the field.

I'm sure there will be limitations I'll hate, but...so long as it's just an MLB sim, I can be cool with it. If mods show up on the interwebs for it, I'll be stoked, but I have no real expectation of that.

[RedKingGold]

I was probably going to pick this up this upcoming weekend.

However, I fully expect DC to rip through it like Garcia through acid and save me the trouble/cash. ;)

[Big Fo]

I went ahead and preordered a copy, since its comes out tomorrow. Seems like I couldn't just guinea pig one shitty ass game for the community, I had to do it twice in the same month...when I never, ever buy games anymore unless they're text sims.

Idiot.


I'm glad you tried out the other one, it sounded pretty cool but you trashed it well enough that I don't feel the need to try it out and can buy some other (good) game instead.

[Young Drachma]

Gamestop called, said the console version came in today, but not the PC version and that the PC would be there tomorrow, so...I'll pick it up then.