The arrival of episodic video games

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Jason Vines

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Posted 10 January 2006 - 04:27 PM

Cymro, you were anticipating the arrival of episodic games, which would allow you to download and play installments a segment at a time. Your post was prescient, for this appeared on the Gamespy site today: SiN Episodes Preview.

Using the fantastic Source engine, SiN Episodes picks up where the original SiN, from 1998, left off. Instead of developing the game all at once over many months, Ritual will create and release nine episodes.

I'm not sure how I feel about this. I'd rather dive into a long game that will provide satisfaction for a while, instead of playing it in short, disjointed chunks. But then again, if a game sucks, I'd rather pay for a small bit of it than splurge for the whole thing. (Although, I read reviews to make sure I don't buy games that suck!

)

I just hope this way doesn't wind up costing more!

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Cymro

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Posted 10 January 2006 - 06:13 PM

"Cymro The Prophet". YES - That is his name!

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-Oz-

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Posted 10 January 2006 - 08:24 PM

Will players be required to purchase each individual "episode?" Or will the installments be downloaded via the internet?

Think for yourself.
Question authority.
Throughout human history, as our species has faced the frightening, terrorizing fact that we do not know who we are, or where we are going in this ocean of chaos; it has been the authorities- the political, the religious, the educational authorities- who attempt to comfort us by giving us order, rules, regulations. Informing, forming in our minds their view of reality. To think for yourself you must question authority and learn how to put yourself in a state of vulnerable, open-mindedness; chaotic, confused, vulnerability to inform yourself.
Think for yourself.
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Jason Vines

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Posted 11 January 2006 - 05:41 AM

-Oz-, on Jan 10 2006, 07:24 PM, said:

Will players be required to purchase each individual "episode?" Or will the installments be downloaded via the internet?

I presume users will have to purchase and download each episode. That's the impression I got from the article, anyway.

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Jason Vines

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Posted 17 June 2007 - 09:45 AM

Half-Life 2: Episode One came out in May 2006. Its sequel, Episode Two, was supposed to debut in September 2006. Instead, Valve intends to release it more than a year later, in October 2007. This defies the concept of releasing game installments in regular chunks.

Also, the development of SiN Episodes has terminated because its maker, Ritual, was taken over by another company.

The track record of episodic video games doesn't bode well for the future viability of the format.

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Bondo

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Posted 17 June 2007 - 01:40 PM

Jason Vines, on Jun 17 2007, 10:45 AM, said:

Episode Two, was supposed to debut in September 2006. Instead, Valve intends to release it more than a year later, in October 2007. This defies the concept of releasing game installments in regular chunks.

And don't they plan on releasing it in a big box with the previously released games?

At least you got Sam and Max.