When Suits Attack

GadzukoGadzuko Join Date: 2002-12-26 Member: 11556Members, Constellation
<div class="IPBDescription">Blatant copying of game concepts</div> My copy of this month's PC Gamer arrived today, and on the CD was a demo of Armies of Exigo, a new RTS from EA which it proclaimed to be a "MUST PLAY" and "BLEEDING EDGE"... yeah right.

I decided to give it a try and see if there was any justification for the hype, and I'm really glad that I didn't have to pay money to try this piece of trash. Picture this: the demo level opens with a cutscene rendered in-game, in exactly the same style as Warcraft 3, down to the low-level camera angles and the end cinematic upward swoop of the camera. After that, a little "New Quest" window pops up and gives you your next objective, which is to find a good spot to build a new base. It also mentions that your two heroes must survive. Move a short way in the game world, and you're confronted with a creature who gives you an optional sidequest. Groan.

I can't even come up with a single reason for this game to exist. The resource gathering system was ripped straight from a combination of Warcraft and Starcraft, the units are as generic as they come, the researches are conducted in the same fashion and they even had the effrontery to display the building stats, possible researches, and current researches in exactly the same fashion as Warcraft 3. There isn't a single concept in this game that hasn't been ripped from someplace else.

I have two problems with this: First off, this game is crap. It shouldn't even be sold, it has no reason to exist. It's a textbook example of a game designed by someone who has no creative vision whatsoever, and exists only to leech off of other people's successes. The second problem is with PC Gamer, for marketing this trash like it's got some kind of value to the world. Why on earth should I pay for their magazine if I know all along it's just a bunch of overhyped garbage that's not worth the paper it's printed on?

Anyway, has anyone else played this game, or have a similar experience? Am I just overreacting? I know there isn't much love for PC Gamer left in the world, so I'm not even going to bother getting input on <i>that.</i> Suffice to say my subscription is not getting renewed, a long overdue decision.

Comments

  • eedioteediot Join Date: 2003-02-24 Member: 13903Members
    Hey, hey.. Every time a crappy computer game goes belly-up, another crappy company goes bankrupt and there's one less crappy sequel in the mix <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo--> Also, it makes you appreciate the better games more. Tee hee.

    Oh, and free coaster!

    PC Gamer sucks.. most magazines do. Just go sign up to online forums, that's where it's at... no, wait... too late.
  • twoflowtwoflow Singing Drunk Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 1950Members, Constellation
    edited August 2004
    <span style='color:white'>Think of the 56Kers.</span>
  • SkulkBaitSkulkBait Join Date: 2003-02-11 Member: 13423Members
    <!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Why on earth should I pay for their magazine if I know all along it's just a bunch of overhyped garbage that's not worth the paper it's printed on?
    <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    This is exactly the reason I've canceled every game magazine subscription I've ever had, except one. It was called "Game Players" and later "Ultra Game Players", I can't remember if it was ever actually any good, all I can remember is that it was pretty funny at the time (The Jadded Gamer especially, IIRC). Then it eventually became some suit's b***h and got renamed to "Game Buyer", all four issues of which I burned upon their arrival.
  • TequilaTequila Join Date: 2003-08-13 Member: 19660Members
    I miss Keiron Gillen, he made PC Gamer a joy to read. I think he still does freelance for them, but only in a limited capacity. <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo-->
  • QuaunautQuaunaut The longest seven days in history... Join Date: 2003-03-21 Member: 14759Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
    I myself LOVE PCGamer. I love how they inject personality into every story, and now especially, are showing their balls by just blatantly saying "Yeah, this game is probably going to suck." when hundreds of other magazines/websites say its the coolest thing ever(like Ghost Recon 2).

    I <3 PCgamer
  • moultanomoultano Creator of ns_shiva. Join Date: 2002-12-14 Member: 10806Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Gold, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
    <!--QuoteBegin-SkulkBait+Aug 14 2004, 06:16 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (SkulkBait @ Aug 14 2004, 06:16 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Why on earth should I pay for their magazine if I know all along it's just a bunch of overhyped garbage that's not worth the paper it's printed on?
    <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    This is exactly the reason I've canceled every game magazine subscription I've ever had, except one. It was called "Game Players" and later "Ultra Game Players", I can't remember if it was ever actually any good, all I can remember is that it was pretty funny at the time (The Jadded Gamer especially, IIRC). Then it eventually became some suit's b***h and got renamed to "Game Buyer", all four issues of which I burned upon their arrival. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Game players was such an awesome magazine. Absolutely friggin hilarious. I stuck with it through the transition to Ultra Game Players, then to Game Buyer, and then I even kept getting NextGen for several years after Game Players in all its incarnations was discontinued. I still have all my back issues sitting in the basement in a few large stacks. I'm genuinely not sure if I want to get rid of them when we move since I got so much enjoyment out of them.
  • RatonetwothreetwooneRatonetwothreetwoone Join Date: 2004-03-23 Member: 27504Members
    um, i think ill defend this game for a moment... have you played ANY other RTS games besides starcraft and warcraft? theyre ALL rip offs of each other, empire earth for example, "OMG SIDEQUEST!!! RIP OFF RIP OFF!!!" "OMG HEROS!!! RIP OFF RIP OFF!!!" "OMG IN GAME CINEMATICS!!! RRIIIIPPP OOOOFFF!!!"

    the REASON it exists is to get the company money, it may not end up doing that but people dont make games so they can have no reason to exist...

    besides, i just looked at the screen shots on the site, the game looks really good... it has good graphics, looks like it has good battles... AND it looks original, sure some of the ideas may be in other games, but what ideas arent in other games... "OMG THERES PISTOLS IN THIS FPS!!! RIP OFF!!!"
  • DiscoZombieDiscoZombie Join Date: 2003-08-05 Member: 18951Members
    but, think about it -- don't ALL RTS games have the features you say? upgrades, standard unit types, etc? except maybe the WC3 style camera angles...

    I do believe it could be as much of a ripoff as you say -- we'll see what the reviews say when it actually comes out. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    I canceled all my game mag subscriptions too... you can get all your game info online for free now... paper = obsolete...
  • enf0rcerenf0rcer intrigued... Join Date: 2003-03-16 Member: 14584Members
    theinto is pretty much a rip of lord of the rings, even the sound effects from the archer are the same. The units in the game itself are unique, it's got that similar epic feel to it that many of the lord of the rings/ rome total war games have.

    It looks pretty sweet to me, i'm just not really into that type of game.
  • ZaggyZaggy NullPointerException The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-12-10 Member: 24214Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Reinforced - Onos, Subnautica Playtester
    "Better right stolen than made crap"

    But if the game is that bad it isn't worthy to excist indeed, WC3 isn't that great (Sorry to the WC3 lovers), just cloning the game must be horrific...
  • SkulkBaitSkulkBait Join Date: 2003-02-11 Member: 13423Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-moultano+Aug 14 2004, 10:51 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (moultano @ Aug 14 2004, 10:51 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin-SkulkBait+Aug 14 2004, 06:16 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (SkulkBait @ Aug 14 2004, 06:16 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Why on earth should I pay for their magazine if I know all along it's just a bunch of overhyped garbage that's not worth the paper it's printed on?
    <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    This is exactly the reason I've canceled every game magazine subscription I've ever had, except one. It was called "Game Players" and later "Ultra Game Players", I can't remember if it was ever actually any good, all I can remember is that it was pretty funny at the time (The Jadded Gamer especially, IIRC). Then it eventually became some suit's b***h and got renamed to "Game Buyer", all four issues of which I burned upon their arrival. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Game players was such an awesome magazine. Absolutely friggin hilarious. I stuck with it through the transition to Ultra Game Players, then to Game Buyer, and then I even kept getting NextGen for several years after Game Players in all its incarnations was discontinued. I still have all my back issues sitting in the basement in a few large stacks. I'm genuinely not sure if I want to get rid of them when we move since I got so much enjoyment out of them. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Glad to know I'm not imagining things. Actually, I did aparently keep a lot of issues (from about UGP 90 something onward), found them in a water tight container in the basement today, good stuff. I wonder whatever happened to Bill?
  • GeminosityGeminosity :3 Join Date: 2003-09-08 Member: 20667Members
    I miss super play... it was funny, it covered all my fave super nes games and it did japan stuff including anime and games we'd never ever ever see on our shores. ~sigh~

    Uh... as for that new game; it's EA!!! They stopped making games ages ago and became masters of churning out cash cows. Every now and then they publish for a half-decent title (don't ask which ones because I don't know, I just have a vague memory of something with EA stamped on it that didn't suck) but they've still gone totally down the drain bigtime as far as I'm concerned =P
  • moultanomoultano Creator of ns_shiva. Join Date: 2002-12-14 Member: 10806Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Gold, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
    edited August 2004
    <!--QuoteBegin-SkulkBait+Aug 14 2004, 02:04 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (SkulkBait @ Aug 14 2004, 02:04 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Glad to know I'm not imagining things. Actually, I did aparently keep a lot of issues (from about UGP 90 something onward), found them in a water tight container in the basement today, good stuff. I wonder whatever happened to Bill? <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo--> that guy was great. You can tell they had an absolute blast writing that thing.

    That's the only magazine I've ever seen that would actually include information on nudity cheats. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo--> score one for free speech! <!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif' /><!--endemo--> FCC!
  • NecrosisNecrosis The Loquacious Sage Join Date: 2003-08-03 Member: 18828Members, Constellation
    It all went downhill after Your Sinclair and Spectrum User folded.
  • eedioteediot Join Date: 2003-02-24 Member: 13903Members
    I watched the trailer for "armies of exigo", and I have to say it looked quite crap. The first few seconds had me fooled - I thought it was going to have huge armies in Total War type proportions, with proper RTS... but No, it was not to be. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    It's a pity there are game developers out there who can put so much effort [coding, mapping, modelling] into such a crappy game. I wish the producers would be smart enough to say "You know what? Let's go to a modding community and figure out what a good game would actually be like."

    Alas. <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo-->
  • RenegadeRenegade Old school Join Date: 2002-03-29 Member: 361Members
    edited August 2004
    <!--QuoteBegin-eediot+Aug 14 2004, 03:12 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (eediot @ Aug 14 2004, 03:12 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> PC Gamer sucks <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Thou shalt not blaspheme the holiest of gaming magazines!

    Sleep with one eye open eediot. I know where you live 0_o
  • eedioteediot Join Date: 2003-02-24 Member: 13903Members
    I better prepare to defend myself..

    *Buys a gun, and gets it confiscated by the Australian police*

    Hm..

    *buys a knife and gets it confiscated by the Australian police*

    Ahm...

    *Learns kung fu, but accidentally learns honour so he can't use it*

    Gah..

    *Hides in a safe buried 20 metres underground, with the only light coming from his monitor, and the only air from a hole made for the network cable...*
  • SkulkBaitSkulkBait Join Date: 2003-02-11 Member: 13423Members
    edited August 2004
    <!--QuoteBegin-moultano+Aug 14 2004, 03:40 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (moultano @ Aug 14 2004, 03:40 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin-SkulkBait+Aug 14 2004, 02:04 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (SkulkBait @ Aug 14 2004, 02:04 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Glad to know I'm not imagining things. Actually, I did aparently keep a lot of issues (from about UGP 90 something onward), found them in a water tight container in the basement today, good stuff. I wonder whatever happened to Bill? <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo--> that guy was great. You can tell they had an absolute blast writing that thing.

    That's the only magazine I've ever seen that would actually include information on nudity cheats. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo--> score one for free speech! <!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif' /><!--endemo--> FCC! <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Look what I found: <a href='http://ugp.trenchman.com/jaded.html' target='_blank'>http://ugp.trenchman.com/jaded.html</a>
    Now all can enjoy the goodness.

    And heres what happened to Bill: <!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Bill Donohue
    Still working with Chris Slate, these days at PSM, the 100% Unofficial PlayStation Magazine. The fact that he hasn't put Gazuga in the mag yet is a testament to his self-control! <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Not very interesting, I half expected him to be living in a fan made beer shrine awaiting the start of the Cleansing.
  • lolfighterlolfighter Snark, Dire Join Date: 2003-04-20 Member: 15693Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-Geminosity+Aug 14 2004, 09:45 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Geminosity @ Aug 14 2004, 09:45 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> [...]I just have a vague memory of something with EA stamped on it that didn't suck[...] <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    NBA Street 2 is a good game.
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