Ok, let''s say they''re one hit wonders....but then again let me see...which companies made 1 hit and milked sequels? ID software ring a bell? If it weren''t for them FPS may be much different today....hmmm who else Origin? Who actually had the gall to make 9! Ultimas? ......Oh maybe others that did it in their time....Interplay, New World Computing, Blizzard (ok 2 hits, but the rest are sequels remember), Sierra (all 1 game engine and gameplay was the same so technically sequels), and on and on and on.

Frankly nothing''s changed man...cept now those startup companies merged and became publishers as well.

PS: on a side note I actually heard the only thing John Romero and Daiktana have in common is his name stamped on the front and that he hardly even worked on it?

What im saying is these companies make a product and then go in hybernation. You dont hear about them unless you go to their website. Other companies, like Maxis, Sierra, etc., you actually HEAR about what they''re working on just by demos in earlier projects.

Anyway, I''m mainly also talkin'' about these small time companies that have like 3 ppl, 2 programmers and an artist or something, that create a company and make a slightly crappy (not trying to offend anyone, even though i might be, i know, im just speaking my mind ) games and thats it since they run outta ideas. They actually create a company for one game, when they shouldn''t. They might be slightly fooling themselves that they''re bigger than they really are.

I dont know, i know i sound naive, i know, i know, i know, maybe im going physco and what to get these thoughts off my mind before i go, i dont know. Its just what i instantly think when i see these "companies".

Some ppl pointed out that some products'' sequels actully were a good idea (Doom, Doom II, Quake, Quake II, Quake III...ID software likes to do this, huh!), and i realize this, but all those companies actually have other franchises than just one game goin'' on at the same time, so thats the difference. AND they''re constantly pumping out products it seems, and you always hear new press realeases and everything, thats the difference.

quote: Original post by Zipster
and i realize this, but all those companies actually have other franchises than just one game goin'' on at the same time, so thats the difference. AND they''re constantly pumping out products it seems, and you always hear new press realeases and everything, thats the difference.

Ok, so all those companies with other franchises aren''t what you are complaining about.

For example, Valve has no other franchise, so why get pissed when a team can only produce one title every 1.5 years??

On that note, all the titles you mentioned are wonderful products, and I am actually glad that they took the time to develop them instead of beating them to death with the advertising stick.

And I am not sitting here waiting for them to make the next sequel or new title that kills the old one, that is lame. Each game should stand on its own, with new features and engrossing stories/action. As to the time spent in the making.... well I can honestly say that if valve took 12 years to dev something starting today, and when it came out it was the best thing ever played, why bitch now? Bitch when the title comes out and it is crap, or if they never produce again, then maybe you have a more solid soap box to preach from.

Zipster, as you can see from my nick, I made a little "company" name for myself to release my games. Now, I don''t believe that it''s a company because I think companies make money It''s more like a game programming "group" with me as the only member. I think it''s perfectly fine to do this, and as Phantasm says, it kinda gives a warm feeling in your heart (Ok, maybe not) when you finally release the game you''ve been working on under that name. BTW, I think after one game, ID software started calling themselves ID software. Maybe even before they wrote their first game. I may be wrong though.

Martin