UT3 expansion... does anyone care though?

[cuddly_tomato]

Epic have announced that their dead-as-a-dodo franchise UT3 is getting an expansion.

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/20/epic-confirms-ut3-expansion-in-works/

Last I looked the online playercount was around 350, worldwide. This compared to well over thirty thousand on CoD4 and a few thousand on TF2. The Xbox360 and PS3 versions are faring no better, nobody seems to want to play this game. Anyone actually psyched about this?

I personally believe that this announcement has something to do with Midway lighting a fire around Epics arse [http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/midway-to-cancel-underperforming-licensed-titles], and Epic are trying desperately to recover the franchise. Anyone else have an opinion?

 

[D_987]

I personally believe that this announcement has something to do with Midway lighting a fire around Epics arse [http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/midway-to-cancel-underperforming-licensed-titles], and Epic are trying desperately to recover the franchise. Anyone else have an opinion?

Arn't Midway going broke?

And I've heard good things about the game - but its just not up thee in terms of COD4 as being user - friendly.

 

[hellthins]

I personally believe that this announcement has something to do with Midway lighting a fire around Epics arse [http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/midway-to-cancel-underperforming-licensed-titles], and Epic are trying desperately to recover the franchise. Anyone else have an opinion?

Arn't Midway going broke?

And I've heard good things about the game - but its just not up thee in terms of COD4 as being user - friendly.

However good things you might have heard, it's really not UT. And I especially loathe what they did to my poor flak cannon.

Maybe in this expansion fixes everything and returns to the game its sense of unreality... well, and the tournament storyline and not Gears of War 2.0 in terms of look, story, and feel, maybe they'll have something.

Right now though, I wouldn't be surprised if UT2k4 had more players than UT3.

 

[D_987]

I personally believe that this announcement has something to do with Midway lighting a fire around Epics arse [http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/midway-to-cancel-underperforming-licensed-titles], and Epic are trying desperately to recover the franchise. Anyone else have an opinion?

Arn't Midway going broke?

And I've heard good things about the game - but its just not up thee in terms of COD4 as being user - friendly.

However good things you might have heard, it's really not UT. And I especially loathe what they did to my poor flak cannon.

Maybe in this expansion fixes everything and returns to the game its sense of unreality... well, and the tournament storyline and not Gears of War 2.0 in terms of look, story, and feel, maybe they'll have something.

Right now though, I wouldn't be surprised if UT2k4 had more players than UT3.

Well that depends on your point of view - I am sure people who had not played earlier versions of UT would find this game excellant.

 

[cuddly_tomato]

I personally believe that this announcement has something to do with Midway lighting a fire around Epics arse [http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/midway-to-cancel-underperforming-licensed-titles], and Epic are trying desperately to recover the franchise. Anyone else have an opinion?

Arn't Midway going broke?

And I've heard good things about the game - but its just not up thee in terms of COD4 as being user - friendly.

However good things you might have heard, it's really not UT. And I especially loathe what they did to my poor flak cannon.

Maybe in this expansion fixes everything and returns to the game its sense of unreality... well, and the tournament storyline and not Gears of War 2.0 in terms of look, story, and feel, maybe they'll have something.

Right now though, I wouldn't be surprised if UT2k4 had more players than UT3.

http://www.game-monitor.com/search.php?game=ut3&pg=1

448 UT3 players right now.

http://www.game-monitor.com/search.php?game=ut2004&pg=1&vars=

1,197 UT2004 players.

Ohh and just for the sake of comparison...

http://www.game-monitor.com/search.php?game=cod4&pg=1&vars=

29,106 CoD4 players online right now.

448 against 29,106, for two FPS games released in the same month as each other last year... Something is desperately wrong with the game. I am glad Epic can see that. But what the hell? An expansion? The series either needs a comprehensive reboot along with an aggressive gameplay overhaul or they need to let it die out and concentrate on Gears of War.

I think releasing an expansion pack, ostensibly for 448 players, is absurd beyond reason.

 

[Mariena]

UT99 is the best of the series and I actually still play it, sometimes! However, UT2003 felt.. weird, but was pretty decent. I liked the ballgame.

UT2004 brought in vehicles, and vehicles are lame.

I didn't even bother with UT3.

 

[hellthins]

I personally believe that this announcement has something to do with Midway lighting a fire around Epics arse [http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/midway-to-cancel-underperforming-licensed-titles], and Epic are trying desperately to recover the franchise. Anyone else have an opinion?

Arn't Midway going broke?

And I've heard good things about the game - but its just not up thee in terms of COD4 as being user - friendly.

However good things you might have heard, it's really not UT. And I especially loathe what they did to my poor flak cannon.

Maybe in this expansion fixes everything and returns to the game its sense of unreality... well, and the tournament storyline and not Gears of War 2.0 in terms of look, story, and feel, maybe they'll have something.

Right now though, I wouldn't be surprised if UT2k4 had more players than UT3.

Well that depends on your point of view - I am sure people who had not played earlier versions of UT would find this game excellant.

And if you had never played DMC before DMC 2 you might find DMC 2 to be decent. The problem with that is they're making a franchise, not a game in a vacuum. With franchises come expectations.

If Zelda transformed into a rip off of Fallout, even if it was a decent game, it wouldn't be Zelda.

http://www.game-monitor.com/search.php?game=ut3&pg=1

448 UT3 players right now.

http://www.game-monitor.com/search.php?game=ut2004&pg=1&vars=

1,197 UT2004 players.

Ohh and just for the sake of comparison...

http://www.game-monitor.com/search.php?game=cod4&pg=1&vars=

29,106 CoD4 players online right now.

448 against 29,106, for two FPS games released in the same month as each other last year... Something is desperately wrong with the game. I am glad Epic can see that. But what the hell? An expansion? The series either needs a comprehensive reboot along with an aggressive gameplay overhaul or they need to let it die out and concentrate on Gears of War.

I think releasing an expansion pack, ostensibly for 448 players, is absurd beyond reason.

Ha! I knew it! Hopefully they'll make a genuine sequel to UT 2k4 and kick this back to the original Unreal series with the rest of their other godawful attempts at primarily single player games.

 

[Omnidum]

UT99 is the best of the series and I actually still play it, sometimes! However, UT2003 felt.. weird, but was pretty decent. I liked the ballgame.

UT2004 brought in vehicles, and vehicles are lame.

I didn't even bother with UT3.

Didn't they also bring in the "Invasion" game in UT2K4?

 

[Mariena]

UT99 is the best of the series and I actually still play it, sometimes! However, UT2003 felt.. weird, but was pretty decent. I liked the ballgame.

UT2004 brought in vehicles, and vehicles are lame.

I didn't even bother with UT3.

Didn't they also bring in the "Invasion" game in UT2K4?

Oh. Dunno. UT2K4 involved vehicles and thus I did not like it. Vehicles in FPS games.. gah. Come on.

 

[Omnidum]

Oh. Dunno. UT2K4 involved vehicles and thus I did not like it. Vehicles in FPS games.. gah. Come on.

Even worse were that they made the Scorpion a controllable anti-tank shell by pressing space whilst driving. Or whatever button on the consoles.

 

[Liverandbacon]

I haven't really felt the need to buy this one. I bought 2k4, but good old UT99 is the one I still play regularly.

However good things you might have heard, it's really not UT. And I especially loathe what they did to my poor flak cannon.

Maybe in this expansion fixes everything and returns to the game its sense of unreality... well, and the tournament storyline and not Gears of War 2.0 in terms of look, story, and feel, maybe they'll have something.

What have they done to my Flak Cannon? Have they destroyed the awesomeness of the UT99 sniper as well? (that thing was great at close range too if you were good at headshots). I totally agree on the whole Gears thing. When I saw UT3, the characters and art all looked very Gears-y, and not Unreal-y. For instance, the Juggernauts were meant to be an absurdly ripped steroid team in 2k4, however, they look scrawny compared to the giantbody tinyhead musclestrosities of UT3.

Edit- On topic, no, very few people probably care.

 

[cuddly_tomato]

For UT3 interested parties - the producer of this game, Jeff Morris (AKA 'Wartourist'), was recently "Let go" by Epic Games.

He has resurfaced over on a UT site, defending the game and calling out everyone who took issue with it...

http://forums.beyondunreal.com/showthread.php?p=2232707#post2232707

http://forums.beyondunreal.com/showthread.php?p=2226659#post2226659

Read the whole threads, they are very entertaining. The only other game developer I have ever seen go on such a rampage was Dennis Dyack, and look how that turned out.

 

[TheBlackKnight]

I didn't like the look - like weapons and player models - of UT3 and the game felt slow compared to UT99(Turbo mode?) && UT2k4, but maybe everyone plays instant action with bots \o/;

 

[Woe Is You]

Read the whole threads, they are very entertaining. The only other game developer I have ever seen go on such a rampage was Dennis Dyack, and look how that turned out.

You haven't heard of Derek Smart...sorry, Derek Smart, PhD. [http://www.werewolves.org/~follies/], have you?

 

[Mister Benoit]

It's great how they used to announce GOW with from the makers of Unreal Tournament, now it's probably going to be the other way around.

 

[fix-the-spade]

http://www.game-monitor.com/search.php?game=ut3&pg=1

448 UT3 players right now.

http://www.game-monitor.com/search.php?game=ut2004&pg=1&vars=

1,197 UT2004 players.

Nevermind that. 667 players on Halo Pc.
http://www.game-monitor.com/search.php?game=halo

UT3 has fewer players than a 7 year old shooter, being beaten by your competitors is one thing, but beaten by your predecessor's predecessor's predecessor's competitor is another.

I'm amazed they even admit to making the game...

 

[coldfrog]

OK... If UT2k4 was the one that introduced invasion, I don't remember any vehicles in that at all. I've been meaning to go back and play it some more. (I never played 99, I wasn't into FPS's then which is why I am always one step behind everyone I suspect. Just cause I didn't perfect my railgun awesomeness in Quake 2 or something) What I DO remember is running around with an unscoped rifle popping people in the face while they hurl rockets at me that I easily dodged. C'mon guys, shoot at the feet already!

 

[Aura Guardian]

UT3 isn't that bad. But the expansion (if hitting the 360) should be free