[AndreaDraco83]

Originally Posted by dekaneas297

And as I recall, Wizardbox doesn't have an adventure game in its schedule release this year in order to assume that they have to "coordinate" their releases.

Wizarbox is the developer of the game, not the producer.

[dekaneas297]

Got confused

dtp then? Not taking into consideration Black Mirror 2 and Ghost Pirates of Vooju Island which are scheduled before the expected release of Gray Matter. 15 Days? But this is planned to be released in summer (so goes the argument for not releasing a game in summer)

[Caliburn]

Originally Posted by dekaneas297

I don't know if you get what I mean, but it's one thing to postpone a release due to your own time schedule, and another thing to postpone due to "fear" of other companies work.

Okay, yes, I do get the distinction that you are making now, although it is a somewhat fuzzy distinction since both factors are likely to come into play when a company decides when to a release a product. I assume, though, from what you've written previously, that you don't have a problem with the fact that competition from other products will secretly be a factor, you just don't feel it should be admitted openly, unless perhaps it is self-competition with your own products. For example, perhaps it was okay for The Weinstein Company to say that they were moving the musical Nine to Christmas to avoid competing with their own movie The Road, but they could not have said they were doing it to avoid competition with another studios' films, yes?

If that's what you're saying, then, sure, I agree that that seems to be the standard among movie studios, at least as far as I know (which is not very far). By that standard, it was a poor choice of words on the part of the PR guy from Mamba (the London distributor partnered with DTP) to say that one of the factors in Gray Matter's release date might be competition (the other factor being the release quarter). However, he didn't name other specific products they were worried about competing with, as you did above, so I don't think it's that severe a gaffe.

Also, I can't help but feel that the reality is that adventure games especially, and perhaps even games in general, remain more of a cottage industry than the movies are, despite the fact that in the literal sense that's not true (products are of course made by corporations, not in the home). So it seems reasonable to me that a PR guy from a small games publisher will be a little looser and more open in his talk than a PR guy from a major movie studio, for good or for ill.

Anyway, I didn't mean to sidetrack the discussion by dragging out the analogy between game industry and movie industry practices. I'm happy to return to just the games industry and just Gray Matter's marketing in particular.

-Luke

[dekaneas297]

Originally Posted by Caliburn

For example, perhaps it was okay for The Weinstein Company to say that they were moving the musical Nine to Christmas to avoid competing with their own movie The Road, but they could not have said they were doing it to avoid competition with another studios' films, yes?

Yes

Originally Posted by Caliburn

Also, I can't help but feel that the reality is that adventure games especially, and perhaps even games in general, remain more of a cottage industry than the movies are, despite the fact that in the literal sense that's not true (products are of course made by corporations, not in the home). So it seems reasonable to me that a PR guy from a small games publisher will be a little looser and more open in his talk than a PR guy from a major movie studio, for good or for ill.

That's what I wrote. Amateurism. Non professionalism. At least, be self-aware that you are a "cottage company" and don't make such statements. In my home country there is the apothegm "better chewing a gum than talking"

Anyway, nice "talking" to you

[Kazmajik]

Does anybody have a theory why Wizarbox, who is developing Gray Matter, makes absolutely no mention of this fact on their website?

[fov]

Release date decisions should always be based in part on what else is going on that could divert your customer's attention. It has nothing to do with fear; it's a desire to maximize the launch. If a smaller game with a small marketing budget launches the same day (or even the same week or month) as a really big game with a huge marketing budget, the smaller game gets drowned out. (And it's not as if this is a revolutionary decision on their part. Publishers make release date decisions like this all the time, even for big games.)

I'm extremely excited about Gray Matter, but let's face it, it's not going to "sell itself" like a Sims or Gears of War (and even high profile games like those don't "sell themselves"; they have huge marketing budgets behind them). Anything the publishers can do to get attention for the Gray Matter launch is a good thing in my opinion.

[Fien]

I consistently get the impression that publisher DTP doesn't have a very good reputation among German gamers.

[AndreaDraco83]

German adventure gamers or gamers tout court? I'm asking because I see many DTP-published games (adventures or not) being usually bashed by Italian dedicated magazines (like Mata Hari, for example, or Drakensang), but Germany has more a wide audience for adventures.

[Fien]

Adventure gamers. But it's more about the lack of info, release dates, marketing etcetera, not simply about the kind of adventures DTP publishes.

[UPtimist]

Have to say, as somebody completely outside this situation, I'm not getting a very good vibe from them either.

Originally Posted by fov

I'm extremely excited about Gray Matter, but let's face it, it's not going to "sell itself" like a Sims or Gears of War (and even high profile games like those don't "sell themselves"; they have huge marketing budgets behind them). Anything the publishers can do to get attention for the Gray Matter launch is a good thing in my opinion.

I agree, I don't really care if they release the game a little later, as long as they can sell the maximum amount of it.

Also, I don't care if they state that that's the reason, to me it's just good that they say that's why (also, some guy saying that on a forum can hardly qualify for an "official statement" in my opinion, but nevermind that), so that I know the game is ready and that it will be released, instead of them making some false excuses (basically: lying about it) or not saying anything and just quietly moving the release date.

To me that's more professional, but I guess it's just my opinion (and it's just so irrelevant to discuss in this thread any further)

Originally Posted by Ascovel

Less so than in other genres though.

Well, that's a relative issue (and certainly genre-specific) and certainly not a matter to be discussed here, so excuse my side-tracking

[Jackal]

Seeing how we've yet to see anything of Gray Matter itself, this should drive everybody nuts, but here's an interesting line tacked onto the end of a press release today from the UK publisher about the game:

A press event is in the process of being arrange to announce further editions to the Gray Matter series. Updates to follow in the coming weeks.

[AndreaDraco83]

I'm speechless.

[mohok]

I really hope this is true. If i may dust off an old chesnut, GK4 now please!

Nah, i think everyone has heard that enough.

Hears hoping it's good news about a near future release of gray matter and hopefully more products from jane

[mgeorge]

Originally Posted by AndreaDraco83

I'm speechless.

Now that's funny!

I'm flabbergasted.

[Roper Klacks]

Great news. I'm getting more and more excited now that the release window is getting closer.

[D.C.]

Originally Posted by AndreaDraco83

I'm speechless.

Right there with you!

[Sughly]

The sequel thing is pretty awesome, but I have to say it doesn't seem too surprising. Didn't Jane mention that this would be a more likely and even definite possibility in those interviews she gave when asked about doing GK4? Either way, very very cool .

[Kazmajik]

Is it possible to be teased to death?

[teme]

The story of the first Gray Matter has been ready for years now, and Jane may have the second story quite completed already. The game engine and character models etc. are ready and they can be re-used in the second game. Because of that the second game budget doesn't have to be as big as in the first game and they can do the second game much faster.

So much depends about the success of the first game. If it's successful, I think we'll see more Gray Matter games which tell different stories but use the same game engine and style.

[flamedrake]

Someone unearthed a 1680x1050 version of one of the first screenshots ever released, and now it's making the rounds.

I don't even know anymore.