This is an archive of CompuServe forum messages from 1985 to 1995, as saved in transcripts by John Foust.
Search Results (35 messages)
Mr. Challeron, Hmm. Windoze might qualify as the "high-end" lowest common denominator…that is, it won't run on a *true* lowest common denominator system, it will only *sorta kinda* run on a higher-end system… Never mind, it qualifies!
#Sierra Doesn't Bash Pete
Message #103370
How's this heading instead?
Well, I don't want to let any cats out of any bags, but I've just gotten back from CES and had an interesting chat with the folks at our UK office. There will probably be news to come. 😉 😉
Alan, I checked with our Sales department, and we no longer have any Amiga versions of MIXED-UP MOTHER GOOSE in stock (and apparently never had MIXED-UP FAIRY TALES-Amiga to begin with). I'm sorry, I wish I had better news for you. –Josh
Sierra Games on Amiga
Message #103248
Gayle, I just checked with Corey and Lori Cole, and sad to say, there isn't/wasn't/won't be a MIXED-UP FAIRY TALES-AMIGA. I'm not sure what the rationale was; they DID do an Amiga version of Corey's first educational game, CASTLE OF DR. BRAIN, as well as Amiga versions of the first…
Alan, I'm checking around to see if that title is/was available. I'm almost positive that MIXED-UP MOTHER GOOSE is — or at least was — available for the Amiga, but that MIXED-UP FAIRY TALES probably wasn't released in an Amiga version. I'll be sure to get back to you by…
Brian, Quality of the advertising…yes, that's no doubt a great deal of why some "lowest common denominator" software flourishes while the software that stretches the envelope languishes. I think there are other factors, too — such as a proliferation of "me-too" software that tends to crowd out the good stuff;…
Steve, Aw, that's a shame. There WAS a box for SOFTPORN, at least somewhere along the way (perhaps for a later release, or on a different platform), and a certain computer-game luminary was featured, very poorly clad. –Josh
Steve, Yep, they were substantially the same (hey, if you still have your Softporn box, that's a collector's item…especially given who's picture on the box!). The puzzles are almost identical, as well as the plot. There's a LOT of stuff in LEISURE SUIT LARRY that isn't in SOFTPORN, though –…
Karl, I suppose if software supplies dried up enough for a particular system, peoples' scruples about copying would tend to vanish. Perhaps that's exactly what happened to the ST. And age probably has something to do with it, too — a system that appeals more to children is going to…
Miguel, Haha…no harm done!! You got LEISURE SUIT LARRY all right, you'd never believe some of the names they call it sometimes when they're not sure of the name…(LEISURE TIME LARRY, LEISURE LARRY, LARRY'S LEISURE SUIT…) –Josh
Yowch. So you're depending on TWO technologies to decrease in price, each of which much become popular enough to drive down prices, before Amiga CD-ROM can become affordable enough to become commonplace? Seems like CBM may be putting itself at a disadvantage by preventing competition among third-party peripheral suppliers. Or…
I think you're probably right about the quality of (a couple) of initial Amiga releases, from most companies that were firmly rooted in MS-DOS-style programming. The quality was not what Amiga users expected from true Amiga developers. And I can see where that — what you've called "lazy ports" –…
Marcus, Perhaps that also explains the Amiga's slow decline in the UK as well. I've heard rumors for years that piracy was worse for one platform than another; i.e. that piracy on the Atari ST was worse than piracy on the PC, and that piracy on the Amiga was worse…
Ben, Hmmm, thanks for the (somewhat disappointing) news. As Jeff points out, though, another major problem is the sound, and AGA isn't going to do anything to help with that particular consideration. –Josh
Miguel, Er…I hate to say it, but EOB isn't one of ours. 😉 We *do* have a stable game engine — relatively stable, I guess — but as far as I know, it's never been licensed to an outside source for redevelopment on another platform. I'm sure that, like any…
Jeff, Thinking of it? We can hardly pry the existing Powerbooks around here from the hands of those few who've glommed them (like Al Lowe of LEISURE SUIT LARRY fame). –Josh
Angel, Ah, okay (wasn't sure if they were hardware, software…). Thanks! –Josh
Jonathan, So it would be reasonable to assume that Mac versions of games, provided they adhered to the rules, would run quite nicely with Emplant…? Digitized audio and all? –Josh
Miguel, Actually, the news about dropping Amiga is many weeks old, I'd guess a couple of months. As far as I know, there's nothing at Sierra that's in the works that was in any way about to "make it in under the wire" or anything like that. Dynamix, TSN, and…
Angel, I'm not positive what the upgrade path is from one system to another, but it's definitely worth checking out. If you're interested in following up, Chris/Sierra On-Line 76004,2143 (EMail or GAMAPUB) would be familiar with the details. What did Centuar produce?? –Josh
Sierra Bashes Peter
Message #101993
Bob, Well, I've got my A-10 box right here, and it says 1989 on it. That jibes with what I remember: I reviewed A-10 for THE ELECTRONIC GAMER in 1989, well before I went to work for Sierra, which was also before Sierra bought Dynamix. I'd forgotten about the upgrade,…
Jeff, I don't remember exactly when the decision came to drop Mac support, and then to resurrect it again, but I believe it was between 1-2 years. After the decision was made to support it again, it probably took about 6 months to get product back on the shelves (albeit…
Angel, I was hoping that it was only my local Software ETC. (local, well…50 miles away, but to the area Sierra's in, that's local) that was liquidating its stock of Amiga games, but I guess not, given what you've said. It's a little staggering that CBM has survived this long.…
Wayne, I definitely agree. Much of the difficulty I think publishers have had in the past is CBM's track record of supporting their own machines, from a marketing standpoint. Trouble is, CBM now has a history of blowing smoke, so developers are doubly wary of CBM whenever CBM promises a…
Wayne, Interesting thing, because A-10 is an OLD game by flight sim standards. It was first released in 1988 or 1989, well before Sierra purchased Dynamix. Holds up pretty well, though. Damon Slye has come a long way. –Josho
Erik, FREDDY PHARKAS, FRONTIER PHARMACIST, which is already out on floppy, is a codesign between Al "Leisure Suit Larry" Lowe and myself. It's the first Computer Western, a slightly ribald, definitely silly Old West adventure about a gunslinger from the East who gives it all up for his love of…
Steve, I'll be honest — I've not been here much. It wasn't until Peter and I messaged in the GAMAPUB Forum (and there were quite a few other Amiga-ites who've also left messages there in the past few weeks) that it occurred to me to stop in here (I've been…
Erik, WILLY BEAMISH has gotten both lumps and accolades, depending on which magazines you read. Proceed thusly advised! I'm working on the CD version of FREDDY PHARKAS, FRONTIER PHARMACIST — it should be ready late July or thereabouts, provided we decide not to throw in the kitchen sink like we…
Peter, I know that one's choice of computer is (strangely) a personal and sometimes sensitive matter. I should have been more sensitive to what was, I'm sure, a message motivated by your pride in your system and your desire to see it prosper. And I admit to being bitter(!) about…
Erik, No, no, it's not a "yeah, and monkeys might fly…" situation. Truly, it isn't. As I've mentioned in the last message I just posted, Sierra at one time stopped supporting the Mac because of a lack of consumer sales. We recommenced Mac support a year or two later when…
Richard, This didn't occur to me until this afternoon, but there IS a precedent for Sierra reinstating support for a platform that, at one point or another, looked too unprofitable. At one point, we withdrew support for the Mac. Mac game sales were languishing badly (not just for Sierra, but…
James, Gee, how could you tell I was burned one too many times? We didn't want to drop Amiga support…we kept it going a long, long time. But the stakes in the computer game industry have gotten steeper: there are a lot more companies producing games, and yet the market…
Peter, I'm sorry if you feel I was "bashing" you. I don't think I was, and I don't see anything vindictive in my response. (I am a BIT disturbed that the private response I sent to your letter was posted publically; had I wanted it posted publically, I would have…
Peter, What may look like a poor decision from a user's standpoint may be a good decision from a company's standpoint. Sierra is a public company and has a responsibility to its stockholders to invest time and money intelligently. Publishing Amiga gameware has never been a very profitable business in…