[BimboBoy]

Hi!
I just wanted to let you know that I have created a petition for everyone who wants re-released director's cut versions of all "Broken Sword" games. I think it's a good way for Revolution Software to see how many people that are interested in more director's cuts.

Check it out right here:
http://www.petitiononline.com/stobbart/

[Terramax]

No thanks. If anything, I'd start a petition to make sure Revolution never touch the franchise again.

[Marduk]

Originally Posted by Terramax

No thanks. If anything, I'd start a petition to make sure Revolution never touch the franchise again.

It's not like they'd be making broken sword 4, 5 or 6. They'd just be retouching the first games. Maybe even the 3rd game, too. (They could make a version without the controls everybody hated )

Although, being that

Spoiler:

George was made a Knight near the end of the Sleeping Dragon

it's conceivable he can stop getting into those types of situations accidentally and be sent on missions that would cause him to get into them intentionally.

Then I'd happily play a Broken Sword 4, 5 and 6

[Dale Baldwin]

You know BS4 already exists though, right?

[Marduk]

Originally Posted by Dale Baldwin

You know BS4 already exists though, right?

Yeah I thought that but then I actually played it. Today I decided that it was actually a practical joke played on us all.

If Steve Ince works on a new editition of the BS series then I would consider that to be Broken Sword 4.

[mtgmaster]

I wouldn't mind Directors Cut versions of 1 and 2 released for the PC. I don't particularly care about any other formats.

What I really would like to see is new adventures in the same vain as BS 1 & 2 and BASS. With the same graphical style, humour and game play.

[terhardp]

Hi all,

I have registered on these boards quite some time ago, and as a big adventure games fan I'm sorry I haven't been more active as a member so far. However, the crazy (in the good way) situation with adventure games this year -- yes, I've been very busy in that respect -- has motivated me to be more active from now on (I promise).

As for the original topic, I would be very glad if they make a remastered PC versions of the first two Broken Swords. I'm quite nostalgical about these games, as they introduced me in adventure gaming in the mid 90's -- as a matter of fact, I've got my first PC then. I've played BS 1&2 in the beginning this year while I was waiting for this "wave" of great new adventure titles to start "popping out", and they are IMO still great even comparing to new and visually much more advanced titles, when it comes to story, puzzles and general idea. Therefore, I wholeheartedly support the remastered PC versions of the games.

BTW, the situation reminds me on the Tomb Raider: Anniversary -- even though I've played the original game back in '97 and was hooked since then, I feel that game the started with this fantastic remastered version, which IMO showed the full potential of the original concept. I think that the same goes for Broken Sword 1 & 2, so I would be very happy if they happen, even if they don't decide to continue the series (which would be a shame IMO).

[Terramax]

Originally Posted by Marduk

It's not like they'd be making broken sword 4, 5 or 6. They'd just be retouching the first games.

That'd be even worse than making a sequel. At least they'd be trying to do something remotely new instead of cashing in/ milking people's childhood memories.

[Marduk]

Originally Posted by Terramax

That'd be even worse than making a sequel. At least they'd be trying to do something remotely new instead of cashing in/ milking people's childhood memories.

Some people see things like this and automatically look at them as people squeezing the lemon dry. While I have seen cases like of that I just don't look at this as one of them.

Over the years old games won't work on newer operating systems and it's often up to fans to create the software and allow other (less technically skilled) fans to use it. Then when the game is out of print many fans will download it and use that software to make it work. And that's well and good; if the publishers and developers have no wish to release the game for newer operating systems then they have nothing to complain about.

But if a dev. company sees that there is still a demand for their games and that people are downloading it freely they might say "hey, we still own the rights to that and it looks like there's still a demand. Why don't we just release it again?" and I can't see a problem with that at all.

Nobody is forcing you to buy it. If you can get software make your old copy of the game work then by all means do so; you're well within your rights. I know this is what I would do to get my old games to work.

But if these remastered versions do prove popular we're likely to see more and more companies producing AGs and the future of the whole genre will look more certain.

[Terramax]

Originally Posted by Marduk

Some people see things like this and automatically look at them as people squeezing the lemon dry. While I have seen cases like of that I just don't look at this as one of them.

I don't always see it like that. For instance, I love the Resident Evil Remake on the gamecube. That game was worth it. Updated graphics, new puzzles, the story was developed further, the gameplay improved, acting a lot better, scarier by miles, extra modes, etc.

But Revolution have released the broken swords on multiple platforms including to the gameboy advance and then again on DS in terms of a remake that STILL doesn't have voiceovers when it's technically possible. To me that's being lazy AND greedy.

Then there's the fact that Revolution have done next to nothing but make worse and worse sequels to Broken Sword. Had they made a number of other creations alongside it I'd give them the benefit of the doubt. To re-release or remake other Broken Swords would only support the fact that we all already know, Revolution have run out of ideas, and have no talent. I honestly wish the company would just collapse because they're going nowhere.

Over the years old games won't work on newer operating systems and it's often up to fans to create the software and allow other (less technically skilled) fans to use it.

Broken Swords have been re-released on Windows Vista PC, and those with old copies can get them working using SCUMMVM.

But if a dev. company sees that there is still a demand for their games and that people are downloading it freely they might say "hey, we still own the rights to that and it looks like there's still a demand. Why don't we just release it again?" and I can't see a problem with that at all.

Or they can just add the Broken Sword series on things like Xbox live, metaboli, Steam, wii's shopping section, etc.

But, no, this isn't a petition for them to be re-released, but but for a pointless remake. Broken Sword 1 & 2 didn't need improving in the first place.

[kadji-kun]

I disagree with Terramax. Look at BS1 on the DS. It was perfect! They didn't break the game unlike today's 3d sequels of the series.

BS1 didn't need to be improved, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with remaking into a director's cut.

[orient]

Originally Posted by Terramax

Broken Sword 1 & 2 didn't need improving in the first place.

Maybe so, but it's hard to argue that the Director's Cut didn't flesh out and refine the game, or at the very least, add some value to a dated product and make it available to a new audience. I can't really fault Revolution for the re-release of Broken Sword - same with the upcoming remastering of Beneath a Steel Sky for iPhone - it's allowing new people to experience these great games. What I do hope is that the money made is invested in new projects, which I'm fairly confident it will be, even if the project is a largely unneeded / irrelevant sequel to one of their established franchises

[Terramax]

Originally Posted by orient

What I do hope is that the money made is invested in new projects, which I'm fairly confident it will be, even if the project is a largely unneeded / irrelevant sequel to one of their established franchises

Well I wouldn't hold your breath because you'll end up suffocating yourself. I'm certain if Revolution were going to invest in a new franchise they would've by now.

[orient]

Originally Posted by Terramax

Well I wouldn't hold your breath because you'll end up suffocating yourself. I'm certain if Revolution were going to invest in a new franchise they would've by now.

It's not that easy. I've read on their official forums that they want to make BASS 2 and a new Broken Sword, but they can only do it if they make enough money on BS: Director's Cut and BASS Remastered. It makes sense. I mean, the last new game from Rev was BS4 in 2006 and even back then they didn't have the funds to develop it by themselves. And I think it's safe to say that BS4 didn't do terribly well at retail, so how can you expect them to have the cash to make new games, without doing these remakes first? You just can't.

[Henke]

I don't mind sequels although that depends if the franchise in question is open for it, but remakes are rather unnecessary from a consumers point of view if you already have the game and it's not incredibly old. Still, it's better than nothing.

[Terramax]

Originally Posted by orient

And I think it's safe to say that BS4 didn't do terribly well at retail, so how can you expect them to have the cash to make new games, without doing these remakes first? You just can't.

On the contrary, if they'd any good ideas for original franchises then perhaps they’d garner the interest of more investors and publishers? After all, isn't that how developers attain their budgets in the first place?

Look at all these small, indie developers bringing out games like Portal, Braid, etc? They look fantastic. They play fantastic. Some of them are made cheaper. With all the supposed experience Rev has, surely they’ve a head start, a one up on many if not all of these new, smaller, and lesser developers?

All more money to Rev would bring are just more progressively worse Broken Swords. Broken Sword 4 sold poorly because it was BAD. And it wasn't so because of budget constraints. It was because they didn't look back at what made the series so successful in the first place, didn't listen to fans when they requested another original, 2D iteration. In fact, if anything, BS4 was the binary opposite of what people wanted/ enjoyed out of previous games.

A single man project with little to no professional experience can create a game like Whispered World, but a 20-year-old company like Revolution can’t make money without making rehashes of old titles? I think that’s pathetic.

[gray pierce]

Originally Posted by Terramax

All more money to Rev would bring are just more progressively worse Broken Swords. Broken Sword 4 sold poorly because it was BAD. And it wasn't so because of budget constraints. It was because they didn't look back at what made the series so successful in the first place, didn't listen to fans when they requested another original, 2D iteration. In fact, if anything, BS4 was the binary opposite of what people wanted/ enjoyed out of previous games.

Hey, I didn't want 2D graphics ! I didn't want the stale, grayish looking graphics they provided either. If they would've given me the bright colorful looking graphics of BS3 I would've been happy in that respect.

I hated BS4 to but only not because of the graphics. I wanted a good immersive story with a strange but interresting artefact I probably never heard of in the middle, some very neat puzles and a good plot, something all the previous titles had to offer. Instead I got some half baked love story with bad dialogues and an absolutely awful ending. Plus an about a hundred times ripped off plot. I agree BS4 is BAD ! But don't blame it on 3D !

[orient]

Originally Posted by Terramax

All more money to Rev would bring are just more progressively worse Broken Swords. Broken Sword 4 sold poorly because it was BAD.

I agree. Broken Sword 4 was bad and sales reflected that, but I don't think it's fair to label Rev as an incompetent bunch of hacks because of it.

You're probably right about them lacking the ambition of some indie developers. The type of risk-taking you're referring to is what Charles Cecil was doing some 20+ years ago. It doesn't surprise me that these so-called "old timers" don't want to do it all over again and risk everything by making a game that publishers may or may not want to buy. Does that make them talentless? I don't think so. Not all studios need to be cutting-edge innovators. Revolution are clearly a studio devoted to the adventure genre. They seen an opportunity to revitalize the genre and the types of games they want to make through Wii, DS and now downloadable devices. They wanted to make some money first, so later on they could self-publish smaller, downloadable games and finally get to make that BASS sequel.

If that makes them "pathetic" in your eyes then so be it, but I won't be so hasty.

[psycomentos]

this might be interesting, its a new broken sword game, made by fans of the game:

http://www.brokensword25.com/

[taterfyrings]

Originally Posted by Terramax

Well I wouldn't hold your breath because you'll end up suffocating yourself. I'm certain if Revolution were going to invest in a new franchise they would've by now.

Actually, they DID try to invest in a new franchise a few years ago, with the title In Cold Blood, however, it was no big success.

And i agree with other posters here that remarks the fact Charles Cecil, Tony Warriner and the others are not young anymore, they are older, they have families to sustain. The risk that you want them to take is simply not a viable way for responsible family men like they have become. I KNOW that they wanted another not so rushed ending of BS4, but the money dried up, i also know they wanted to make BASS2, but could not do it because of lack of investment from the publishers. Hopefully, the new gaming platforms, the wii, ds and the iphone, can revive the interest in adventure gaming in general and revolutions intellectual properties in particular, and we might be able to see good, new adventure games from them. Until then, i think it will be wise to support them and what they are doing, as it is the only way we might ever see a new BS or BASS. Or even a new adventure IP from this developer at all.