Ion Storm shutting down?

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Archived from groups: alt.games.thief-dark-project (More info?)

http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000633029624

http://www.shacknews.com/ja.zz?comments=35475

 

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Archived from groups: alt.games.thief-dark-project (More info?)

I think that with Ion Storm shutting down and Eidos in talks with the sale
of the company, I think we can probably say goodbye to the idea that the
editor will be released any time soon. Hopefully that won't be the case, but
who can say for sure. Maybe some good will come of this whole situation.
Many fans of the Thief series were anticipating problems or compromises to
the game's flavor or integrity with the release of TDS. Perhaps there will
be some good that does come of these ripples in the gaming industry.

After reading the article about the problems at Eidos, it got me thinking
what publisher would be the most logical choice to take on the various
titles that Eidos has and keep them alive in the gaming industry.
Apparently, leading the potential buyers is EA. I don't know if I would
choose that company for taking over the titles for development. I think that
the Thief, Hitman, and Lara Croft series of games may lose their flavor. For
the non-linear aspect of their game development, perhaps Rockstar Games
would be a better choice. Having played GTA3 and Vice City, I think that
company might do well in developing a forth Thief title. Another company
that might serve the Thief community well is conspiracy games. This company,
if the name isn't recognizable, had the sleeper hit title (IMHO) Enclave
under it's belt, which I thought maintained that dark forboding atmosphere
that is Thief-like.

What ever happens to Eidos or whomever does buy the rights to these games, I
sure hope that if developed, they stay true to the game and honor the fans
that have made these games so memorable without compromising the integrity.
Any company, whether Eidos or someone else, should have learned a lesson
with the recent releases of Eidos titles.

Lord Sin
Lord_Jared_Sin@yahoo.com

"How many times must I wash my hands in blood before they are clean?...."


"Halbermensch" <None@none.com> wrote in message
news:taBLd.15917$d5.132275@newsb.telia.net...
> http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000633029624
>
> http://www.shacknews.com/ja.zz?comments=35475
>
>

 

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Archived from groups: alt.games.thief-dark-project (More info?)

On Tue, 1 Feb 2005 16:28:26 -0500, eltslt <eltslt@cox.net> wrote:

> I think that with Ion Storm shutting down and Eidos in talks with the sale
> of the company, I think we can probably say goodbye to the idea that the
> editor will be released any time soon. Hopefully that won't be the case, but
> who can say for sure. Maybe some good will come of this whole situation.
> Many fans of the Thief series were anticipating problems or compromises to
> the game's flavor or integrity with the release of TDS. Perhaps there will
> be some good that does come of these ripples in the gaming industry.
>
> After reading the article about the problems at Eidos, it got me thinking
> what publisher would be the most logical choice to take on the various
> titles that Eidos has and keep them alive in the gaming industry.
> Apparently, leading the potential buyers is EA. I don't know if I would
> choose that company for taking over the titles for development. I think that
> the Thief, Hitman, and Lara Croft series of games may lose their flavor. For
> the non-linear aspect of their game development, perhaps Rockstar Games
> would be a better choice. Having played GTA3 and Vice City, I think that
> company might do well in developing a forth Thief title. Another company
> that might serve the Thief community well is conspiracy games. This company,
> if the name isn't recognizable, had the sleeper hit title (IMHO) Enclave
> under it's belt, which I thought maintained that dark forboding atmosphere
> that is Thief-like.
>
> What ever happens to Eidos or whomever does buy the rights to these games, I
> sure hope that if developed, they stay true to the game and honor the fans
> that have made these games so memorable without compromising the integrity.
> Any company, whether Eidos or someone else, should have learned a lesson
> with the recent releases of Eidos titles.
>

I was wondering if Eidos have commented about the level of sales of ThiefS?
Were they better/worse than expected and how did the total sales compare to
other games? Does anyone know?

Fred X

 

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Archived from groups: alt.games.thief-dark-project (More info?)

Personally, I haven't read anything about comments from Eidos. However, I
did notice that the PC version was marked down by half within the first 3
months after its release and the Xbox version dropped by about 30% as well.
I think it would probably be fair to say given these statistics that the
overall sale of the latest Thief installment has not done well. This is the
reason why I don't think that it is likely that we will see a level editor
for TDS anytime soon....it just doesn't seem to be worth the effort of
paying someone to prep the editor for release if it isn't doing well anyway.
While have a pessimistic view of the situation, I do hope that I am wrong.
There have been alot of great FMs and it would be a shame if another wave of
would be game designers weren't given the opportunity to shine in the
industry that otherwise wouldn't be discovered.

> I was wondering if Eidos have commented about the level of sales of
ThiefS?
> Were they better/worse than expected and how did the total sales compare
to
> other games? Does anyone know?
>
> Fred X

 

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Archived from groups: alt.games.thief-dark-project (More info?)

On Sun, 6 Feb 2005 17:47:14 -0500, "eltslt" <eltslt@cox.net> wrote:

>Personally, I haven't read anything about comments from Eidos. However, I
>did notice that the PC version was marked down by half within the first 3
>months after its release and the Xbox version dropped by about 30% as well.
>I think it would probably be fair to say given these statistics that the
>overall sale of the latest Thief installment has not done well. This is the
>reason why I don't think that it is likely that we will see a level editor
>for TDS anytime soon....it just doesn't seem to be worth the effort of
>paying someone to prep the editor for release if it isn't doing well anyway.

If they had the level editor out front or lots sooner, maybe the game
would have done better. Part of the draw of Thief has been the fan
missions and probably those missions kept the title going all these
years so that there was incentive to make DS.

 

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Archived from groups: alt.games.thief-dark-project (More info?)

On Sun, 6 Feb 2005 17:47:14 -0500, eltslt <eltslt@cox.net> wrote:

> Personally, I haven't read anything about comments from Eidos. However, I
> did notice that the PC version was marked down by half within the first 3
> months after its release and the Xbox version dropped by about 30% as well.
> I think it would probably be fair to say given these statistics that the
> overall sale of the latest Thief installment has not done well. This is the
> reason why I don't think that it is likely that we will see a level editor
> for TDS anytime soon....it just doesn't seem to be worth the effort of
> paying someone to prep the editor for release if it isn't doing well anyway.
> While have a pessimistic view of the situation, I do hope that I am wrong.
> There have been alot of great FMs and it would be a shame if another wave of
> would be game designers weren't given the opportunity to shine in the
> industry that otherwise wouldn't be discovered.
>

Hmm, that doesn't sound good does it? I must admit I recently bought the game
because it was on sale for less than £10! What are the bets we'll never see
a Thief 4, although if some decent FM's get made I won't really be that
bothered.

Fred X

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.thief-dark-project (More info?)

> Hmm, that doesn't sound good does it? I must admit I recently bought the
game
> because it was on sale for less than £10! What are the bets we'll never
see
> a Thief 4, although if some decent FM's get made I won't really be that
> bothered.
>
> Fred X

While it doesn't sound good for a fourth installment, or look good for Ion
Storm & Eidos. I am pretty confident that whatever company does get the
rights will take a good hard look at the games overall track record in the
fan community.

That being said, as that company holding the license to the game I would
have to ask, what other game has as such a strong fan base? What other
gaming community has the fans writing poetry, making artwork, writing
stories, in addition to designing FMs? Sure there are level editors out
there that allow you to use the tools for a game such as Half-Life. But FPS
game designers essentially design maps...Thief FM designers make so much
more. They design interactive stories, not just maps.

Bearing these things in mind, I actually feel pretty confident about seeing
a fourth installment of the Thief series. After all, look at the recent
release of the Leisure Suit Larry game as an example. It was pretty big back
in the 80s, how many of us thought that it would ever be updated and the
title released.

There is alot of potential for a fourth game that we still haven't seen.
Online playability for one has been brought up in the past. Other thief
tools could be added to Garrett's inventory. One thing that I have thought
was silly was being able to use lock picks on windows....realistically how
many windows actually have a keyhole. But, how would you open them with out
breaking the glass and attracting unwanted attention?...this is where a
glass cutter would come in handy if you were on the outside of a window
opposite the latch.

I am certain though that even if there is a fourth game, it will be several
years before we actually see the game available.

 

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Archived from groups: alt.games.thief-dark-project (More info?)

"eltslt" <eltslt@cox.net> wrote in message
news:R%9Od.41311$B95.1446@lakeread02...
>> Hmm, that doesn't sound good does it? I must admit I recently bought the
> game
>> because it was on sale for less than £10! What are the bets we'll never
> see
>> a Thief 4, although if some decent FM's get made I won't really be that
>> bothered.
>>
>> Fred X
>
> While it doesn't sound good for a fourth installment, or look good for Ion
> Storm & Eidos. I am pretty confident that whatever company does get the
> rights will take a good hard look at the games overall track record in the
> fan community.
>
> That being said, as that company holding the license to the game I would
> have to ask, what other game has as such a strong fan base? What other
> gaming community has the fans writing poetry, making artwork, writing
> stories, in addition to designing FMs? Sure there are level editors out
> there that allow you to use the tools for a game such as Half-Life. But
> FPS
> game designers essentially design maps...Thief FM designers make so much
> more. They design interactive stories, not just maps.
>
> Bearing these things in mind, I actually feel pretty confident about
> seeing
> a fourth installment of the Thief series. After all, look at the recent
> release of the Leisure Suit Larry game as an example. It was pretty big
> back
> in the 80s, how many of us thought that it would ever be updated and the
> title released.
>
> There is alot of potential for a fourth game that we still haven't seen.
> Online playability for one has been brought up in the past. Other thief
> tools could be added to Garrett's inventory. One thing that I have thought
> was silly was being able to use lock picks on windows....realistically how
> many windows actually have a keyhole. But, how would you open them with
> out
> breaking the glass and attracting unwanted attention?...this is where a
> glass cutter would come in handy if you were on the outside of a window
> opposite the latch.
>
> I am certain though that even if there is a fourth game, it will be
> several
> years before we actually see the game available.


Garrett's story is over, I think - he's come full circle, he's fought all of
the three factions, he's become a ninny Keeper Thief 3 may not be
everything everyone hoped for but it was at least a competent resolution to
the arc left unfinished by Looking Glass.

I do want to see the Thief-style gameplay continue to be explored (and
improved upon) in other games, but it doesn't have to be with Garrett as the
main character or exist in the Thief steampunk world.

Let the Garrett series go out with dignity.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.thief-dark-project (More info?)

On the 8 Feb 2005, "eltslt" <eltslt@cox.net> wrote:

> One thing that I have thought was silly was being able to use lock picks on
> windows....realistically how many windows actually have a keyhole.

Actually, quite a lot. However, the locks tend to only be accessible
from the inside.

> But, how would you open them with out
> breaking the glass and attracting unwanted attention?...this is where a
> glass cutter would come in handy if you were on the outside of a window
> opposite the latch.

Good idea, but it wouldn't really be an option for a Thief wanting to
leave no trace of their passing - the neat hole in the glass would be a
bit of a giveaway. ;-)

--
Jades' First Encounters Site - http://www.jades.org/ffe.htm
The best Frontier: First Encounters site on the Web.

nospam@jades.org /is/ a real email address!

 

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Archived from groups: alt.games.thief-dark-project (More info?)

"SpammersDie" <xx@xx.xx> wrote in message
news:3PQOd.187744$w62.150591@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...

> Garrett's story is over, I think - he's come full circle, he's fought all
of
> the three factions, he's become a ninny Keeper Thief 3 may not be
> everything everyone hoped for but it was at least a competent resolution
to
> the arc left unfinished by Looking Glass.
>
> I do want to see the Thief-style gameplay continue to be explored (and
> improved upon) in other games, but it doesn't have to be with Garrett as
the
> main character or exist in the Thief steampunk world.
>
> Let the Garrett series go out with dignity.

Unfortunately, I don't have an adequate computer to run TDS and I don't want
the Xbox version with the difficulty bug permanently written on the disk so
I'll have to pick it up when I get a new computer. From what I have read
however Spammer, I would have to agree with you that Garrett had come full
circle. I do think they could get several more Thief chapters out of the
series...I would very much like to see a forth installment called Thief:
Guildmaster. This could be with Garrett only making cameo appearances in the
game as YOUR guildmaster. Giving you missions to accomplish and and hearing
him with the ingame briefings.

You could then create your own identity whether that be male or female. This
could attract more female players to the game as it seems it is dominated by
male players...IMHO. Additionally, it would be nice to be able to customize
your character's appearance, strengths, and weaknesses, perhaps similar to
Morrowind. New gadgets are always going to be an option to make the game
feel new and fresh.

An online version of the game could be called Thief: Guildwar in which your
character could be part of a guild or a freelance thief. Rather than
kills/knockouts, the success of the character could be measured by the
character's earnings. As maps for the city rotate, the earnings could carry
over, there could be an in game store that you could resupply yourself. I am
sure alot of people would like to see a MMORP version like Everquest, World
of Warcraft, or City of Heroes also.

I think it still has potential, but that is just me.

Lord Sin

 

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Archived from groups: alt.games.thief-dark-project (More info?)

On Tue, 15 Feb 2005 17:11:19 -0500, "eltslt" <eltslt@cox.net> wrote:

>Unfortunately, I don't have an adequate computer to run TDS and I don't want
>the Xbox version with the difficulty bug permanently written on the disk so
>I'll have to pick it up when I get a new computer. From what I have read

What kind of computer do you have? I had believed that mine would not
run TDS, as it was below the minimum specs, but finally decided last
month to try it anyway. I tested the Demo and it ran fine.

Anyway, I've just finished the entire game with no problems at all.
The only thing that I had to do was intall the patch to V1.1 and do
the 98/ME fix.

My system:
Dell P3 1.3Ghz
Windows ME
Ram: 640 Mb
Video: Ti4200, 128mb

I rejected the "required" upgrades to my video drivers and to DirectX.

As I said, I ran the game just fine. Load time between zones was about
30 seconds, I had Bloom on, and ran at 1024 x 768, shadows at 50%,
etc.

Hopefully, it'll work for you too!

Craig

 

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Archived from groups: alt.games.thief-dark-project (More info?)

I am well below your specs. I know I can't run it.
HP P3 500Mhz
Windows 98se
RAM: 192MB
Video: Nvidia Vanta - 8Mb

As you can see...I really need to stop running the Fred Flintstone computer.
The crank key to wind it up just broke on it last week and I have nothing to
turn it anymore (


"Craig Riekena" <craigsngs@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:g207111dvs158sjj1mcshq3gdihcakrlde@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 15 Feb 2005 17:11:19 -0500, "eltslt" <eltslt@cox.net> wrote:
>
> >Unfortunately, I don't have an adequate computer to run TDS and I don't
want
> >the Xbox version with the difficulty bug permanently written on the disk
so
> >I'll have to pick it up when I get a new computer. From what I have read
>
> What kind of computer do you have? I had believed that mine would not
> run TDS, as it was below the minimum specs, but finally decided last
> month to try it anyway. I tested the Demo and it ran fine.
>
> Anyway, I've just finished the entire game with no problems at all.
> The only thing that I had to do was intall the patch to V1.1 and do
> the 98/ME fix.
>
> My system:
> Dell P3 1.3Ghz
> Windows ME
> Ram: 640 Mb
> Video: Ti4200, 128mb
>
> I rejected the "required" upgrades to my video drivers and to DirectX.
>
> As I said, I ran the game just fine. Load time between zones was about
> 30 seconds, I had Bloom on, and ran at 1024 x 768, shadows at 50%,
> etc.
>
> Hopefully, it'll work for you too!
>
> Craig
>
>