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#Take a shot at EA
25 messages in this thread
Gee, things sure are getting boring for me on this board. Nobody flaming at
me about CP anymore. Nobody bugging me for "when's Marble Madness" coming
out. Nobody complaining that Arctic Fox runs too slow to be a good arcade
game. (yawn) Okay, now all I get is "gee, Instant Music is great", or "how do
I use the three-legged widget device in DVideo?" It's time for new feedback.
I'm asking for your ideas on what we could be doing better, or just what we
could be doing. (and, please, not just more on CP. I'm tired of CP). I'm
feeling masochistic today, so hit me with your best shots. Thanks (ouch).
Jeff J. – EA
The Deluxe Video Construction Set should carry a recommendation of 640K Ram,
rather than 512K. A less-technical friend of mine spent DAYS trying to do a
color cycle and two detailed object animations together and kept bombing out.
The DVCS should have a hard copy of _one_ of the demo files in the manual so
that folks can follow along with their finger a{ stuff happens on screen and
get the hang of it.
In general, DVCS is mucho powerful, but discouraging for the beginner. { It
is obvious that EA put an enormous effort into making DVCS as simple as it
is. But an example spelling out exactly how one of the professional demos
does its magic is called for.
Actually, help is on the way. The advanced users guide, which spells out
exactly how to do those professional demos, will be out in a few months. Call
us back around September to find out about getting your copy. Jeff J. – EA
Actually, help is on the way. The advanced users guide, which spells out
exactly how to do those professional demos, will be out in a few months. Call
us back around September to find out about getting your copy. Jeff J. – EA
The Deluxe Video Construction Set should carry a recommendation of 640K Ram,
rather than 512K. A less-technical friend of mine spent DAYS trying to do a
color cycle and two detailed object animations together and kept bombing out.
The DVCS should have a hard copy of _one_ of the demo files in the manual so
that folks can follow along with their finger a{ stuff happens on screen and
get the hang of it.
In general, DVCS is mucho powerful, but discouraging for the beginner. { It
is obvious that EA put an enormous effort into making DVCS as simple as it
is. But an example spelling out exactly how one of the professional demos
does its magic is called for.
O.K. JEFFY! As a Dealer, the largest complaint, we have with your product is
the Documentation. It has seems odd that with as large a publishing engine
as you folks seem to have, you have never farmed out you Doc. writing. The
amount of support we dealers have to supply for your application products
(Dpaint, Dprint, Dvideo) is has truly become a burden. and the only reason
is that your manuals are poorly written, confused, and jumbled, leaving the
novice user in the dark a great deal of the time, and forcing them back to
us. So There! Stan Kalisher, Online Computers/Base-2
As a consumer I agree with you 100%. Of the three titles you mentioned I
only have DPaint (first piece of software I bought for the Amiga — didn't
have a use for it but had the money burning a hole in my pocket). The doc is
incredibly poor — the software is first rate.
We hear you, and are working hard to remedy the situation. Future Deluxe
products will have much better documentation, (and we are hiring the extra
people to help.) If I might make an explanation, (not an excuse). EA is/was
primarily a game company. Before the Deluxe series, the biggest manual we
had to write was for Adventure Construction Set. Face it, Archon,
One-on-One, Skyfox, etc. don't need big manuals. When we handed our game
manual writers copies of DPaint and DVideo, they weren't capable at the time
to write the manuals these products needed. (Not a criticism of their
capabilities, just that they didn't have the hours in a day to do it). As I
said before, we have always been aware of the problem, and are doing our best
to improve the situation. (Know any good manual writers that would like to
work for us?) Thank your for being our customer. Jeff J. – EA
We hear you, and are working hard to remedy the situation. Future Deluxe
products will have much better documentation, (and we are hiring the extra
people to help.) If I might make an explanation, (not an excuse). EA is/was
primarily a game company. Before the Deluxe series, the biggest manual we
had to write was for Adventure Construction Set. Face it, Archon,
One-on-One, Skyfox, etc. don't need big manuals. When we handed our game
manual writers copies of DPaint and DVideo, they weren't capable at the time
to write the manuals these products needed. (Not a criticism of their
capabilities, just that they didn't have the hours in a day to do it). As I
said before, we have always been aware of the problem, and are doing our best
to improve the situation. (Know any good manual writers that would like to
work for us?) Thank your for being our customer. Jeff J. – EA
As a consumer I agree with you 100%. Of the three titles you mentioned I
only have DPaint (first piece of software I bought for the Amiga — didn't
have a use for it but had the money burning a hole in my pocket). The doc is
incredibly poor — the software is first rate.
O.K. JEFFY! As a Dealer, the largest complaint, we have with your product is
the Documentation. It has seems odd that with as large a publishing engine
as you folks seem to have, you have never farmed out you Doc. writing. The
amount of support we dealers have to supply for your application products
(Dpaint, Dprint, Dvideo) is has truly become a burden. and the only reason
is that your manuals are poorly written, confused, and jumbled, leaving the
novice user in the dark a great deal of the time, and forcing them back to
us. So There! Stan Kalisher, Online Computers/Base-2
You'll probably not like this, but how about dumping your Maxi series
(especially MaxiComm) and comming out with equivalent products more up to the
standards EA is known for. I realize that you folks aren't (or I don' think
you are) responsible for the products in that you only took them over after
the product was on the market, but really….your programmers can do much
better.
You'll probably not like this, but how about dumping your Maxi series
(especially MaxiComm) and comming out with equivalent products more up to the
standards EA is known for. I realize that you folks aren't (or I don' think
you are) responsible for the products in that you only took them over after
the product was on the market, but really….your programmers can do much
better.
Jeff, just keep doing UNIQUE stuff that takes advantage of the Amiga… no more
ports. I'm not going to bug you about CP – but I would like to know why EA is
charging an outrageous $20 for an unprotected copy? Marlene
Actually, we decided that, since Borland charges $30 difference for their
unprotected programs (like Sidekick) vs. protected ones, that $20 for us was
a reasonable number. Yes, it is more than the cost of a blank disk, but it
is reasonable, (I think), for the added cost of shipping, handling, overhead,
and the same profit % as on any other products. We figured those disks
should contribute their fair share toward keeping the lights on and the
employees paid. Is $20 THAT unreasonable? Jeff J. – EA
Jeff, shipping and handling shouldn't be a problem as the customer could
certainly send a stamped self addressed return disk envelope. As a matter of
fact the customer could send you a blank disk too. Yes, I really think that
$20 is unreasonable – If EA did the above I think $5 would be much more
reasonable to cover the charge for duplicating, keeping the lights on and
employee salaries. Marlene
Jeff, shipping and handling shouldn't be a problem as the customer could
certainly send a stamped self addressed return disk envelope. As a matter of
fact the customer could send you a blank disk too. Yes, I really think that
$20 is unreasonable – If EA did the above I think $5 would be much more
reasonable to cover the charge for duplicating, keeping the lights on and
employee salaries. Marlene
I have no porblem with the $20 cost. But then too, I'mm running an
accounting package that lists for over $2000. The only "complaint" I have
is: why does it take 4-6 weeks to get the non-CP version. Surely you have
some idea of the number of responses that you'll receive and have the disks
made up in advance. (At leaset an initial supply).
A couple of comments on Dprint. We've used DP to layout a couple of display
ads for a state wide publication and would have liked to have had a screen
whose x-y aspect ration could have been defined by us. The problem was (is)
that the available formats do not relate to column width vs column length of
ads taken by the publications.
One other feature that is objectionable is the use of "slash zeros". While
this is _the_ way to go in computerize, we actually had to replace our Oki
83A printer several years ago because our customers confused prices like $70
and $78. To them, the slashed zero was an eight. Now DP comes along and
forces all zeros to look like eights. (I know, they don't look like eights,
but have you ever told _your_ customers that they don't know how to read?)
My point is that DP claims to be a program to create exciting posters, cards,
etc for your friends (albiet in our instance customers). Many of our
"friends" aren't computer oriented…
I have no porblem with the $20 cost. But then too, I'mm running an
accounting package that lists for over $2000. The only "complaint" I have
is: why does it take 4-6 weeks to get the non-CP version. Surely you have
some idea of the number of responses that you'll receive and have the disks
made up in advance. (At leaset an initial supply).
A couple of comments on Dprint. We've used DP to layout a couple of display
ads for a state wide publication and would have liked to have had a screen
whose x-y aspect ration could have been defined by us. The problem was (is)
that the available formats do not relate to column width vs column length of
ads taken by the publications.
One other feature that is objectionable is the use of "slash zeros". While
this is _the_ way to go in computerize, we actually had to replace our Oki
83A printer several years ago because our customers confused prices like $70
and $78. To them, the slashed zero was an eight. Now DP comes along and
forces all zeros to look like eights. (I know, they don't look like eights,
but have you ever told _your_ customers that they don't know how to read?)
My point is that DP claims to be a program to create exciting posters, cards,
etc for your friends (albiet in our instance customers). Many of our
"friends" aren't computer oriented…
Actually, we decided that, since Borland charges $30 difference for their
unprotected programs (like Sidekick) vs. protected ones, that $20 for us was
a reasonable number. Yes, it is more than the cost of a blank disk, but it
is reasonable, (I think), for the added cost of shipping, handling, overhead,
and the same profit % as on any other products. We figured those disks
should contribute their fair share toward keeping the lights on and the
employees paid. Is $20 THAT unreasonable? Jeff J. – EA
Jeff, just keep doing UNIQUE stuff that takes advantage of the Amiga… no more
ports. I'm not going to bug you about CP – but I would like to know why EA is
charging an outrageous $20 for an unprotected copy? Marlene
Well, how about a 3-d solid shape graphics program that uses the WHOLE screen
(the max hardware screen), and triggers either a film recorder (animation
camera) or a single frame VCR so you can set it up to do something overnight.
Ray tracing is so elegant an algorithm, n'est pas? Jeric [All this ala
CUBICOMP, you can do it!]
Suggest you send that suggestion to Tom Casey, DVideo author, who also
frequents this Forum. Thanks. Jeff J. – EA
Suggest you send that suggestion to Tom Casey, DVideo author, who also
frequents this Forum. Thanks. Jeff J. – EA
Well, how about a 3-d solid shape graphics program that uses the WHOLE screen
(the max hardware screen), and triggers either a film recorder (animation
camera) or a single frame VCR so you can set it up to do something overnight.
Ray tracing is so elegant an algorithm, n'est pas? Jeric [All this ala
CUBICOMP, you can do it!]