12-10-2001 03:07									#1
	No Preview info until Oct 22nd Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

According to Bob Mayer over at cgonline.com, Infogrames is telling those who receive preview copies of Civ3 that they are not to post anything online regarding the game until October 22nd. Don't know why that is the magic date, but it looks like we'll be without any more info until then (unless there are "exclusive" deals with some websites - oh, and excepting the official site of course). I'm sure some guy with a degree in marketing thinks this is the way to go.

The thread:
http://www.cdmag.com/cgi-bin/WebX?1...57@.ee6fcd6/545

edit: fixed link.

Last edited by Stuie on 12-10-2001 at 03:13

	12-10-2001 03:12									#2
	Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

Hmmm... the link you gave seems to have an error when I try to access it....

	12-10-2001 03:13									#3
	Enter the AD-FREE zone

me thinks it's a good time to note that all the previews so far have been based on demos, presentations, etc

"real" reviews will be based on the gold version.

	12-10-2001 03:15									#4
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

quote: Originally posted by MarkG me thinks it's a good time to note that all the previews so far have been based on demos, presentations, etc "real" reviews will be based on the gold version.

Understood - I'm just saying we have to wait until October 22 for even a quick take on the gold version... or screenshots... or any sort of detailed information... even though the gaming press already have their copies.

	12-10-2001 03:21									#5
	Inflate your Upload Space

Conspiracy theory: They want lots of pre-orders to be uninterrupable by the time the poor reviews circulate.

Conspiracy theory 2: The first weeks reviews are bound to be rave ones since no-one dares be the first to slate a commercial blockbuster. Only once people have really played the game a lot will less excited commentaries filter out like for CtP2 or Titanic.

More sensible reason: A flood of reviews and the real screenshots in the week before it hits the shelves will maximise pre-release excitement and first month sales.

	12-10-2001 03:25									#6
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

quote: Originally posted by MarkG me thinks it's a good time to note that all the previews so far have been based on demos, presentations, etc "real" reviews will be based on the gold version.

When will we get those?

	12-10-2001 03:32									#7
	Full PM-box? Change here!

quote: When will we get those?

Didn't you read what Stuie had to say. I mean the whole point of the thread was to state that we won't be seeing reviews of the game until Oct 22.

	12-10-2001 03:51									#8
	no previews until 22 Got spare money?

Well, I guess this pretty much rules out an early release before the 30th.

	12-10-2001 03:56									#9
	Enter the AD-FREE zone

Firaxis must really have to be hiring squads of US Army personnel (hopefully ones interested only in FPS) to keep the swarms at bay while the golden discs are being churned out within.

	12-10-2001 04:03									#10
	Support Apolyton

I don't think the US Army will be needed only the US Judicial system. Firaxis must have made a stipulation with these companies that no reviews of the game are allowed until Oct 22. The game company could physically make a review of the game before Oct 22, but they would likely be taking a trip down to a court shortly afterwards.

	12-10-2001 06:24									#11
	Got spare money?

What makes the gaming press cooperate is the relationship with the company in question - if they jump the gun on a Civ3 review prior to the Oct 22 date, then Infogrames won't be sending them any more pre-release copies of any of their games. Other companies would probably take notice as well, and be hesitant to deal with the offending publication.

Anyway, at least we should see a lot to whet our appetites come the 22nd. That's only 11 days away!

	12-10-2001 06:27									#12
	Get a bigger avatar today!

quote: That's only 11 days away!

Yep, thus no big deal really.

	12-10-2001 06:57									#13
	Get a bigger avatar today!

That was a joke. Though I must admit taht there probably are people whoa re that desperate for a copy of Civ3. Thank goodness I haven't sunken that low yet.......

	12-10-2001 07:32									#14
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

...yet....

	12-10-2001 11:53									#15
	Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

They're getting there ducks in a row for a blitz. Its going to be a long 10 days

	12-10-2001 15:25									#16
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

I'm sure that they would like a blitz of free information in the week before actual release.

However, there's another bit of wisdom in Firaxis's move. It means that rather than a race to get out the earliest reviews, reviewers will take many days to play the game, thus finding more depth to the changes made to the game. And I suspect that it will take some hours of gameplay to see the implications of some of the changes.

I'm thinking that Firaxis knows that the worst thing that can happen is for a lot of rushed reviewers to focus on the new graphics,the Civ tradition, and a list of trivial sounding tweaks. They want discussions of the new, improved gameplay.

	12-10-2001 15:33									#17
	Suffering from ads?

quote: Originally posted by old dog However, there's another bit of wisdom in Firaxis's move. It means that rather than a race to get out the earliest reviews, reviewers will take many days to play the game, thus finding more depth to the changes made to the game. And I suspect that it will take some hours of gameplay to see the implications of some of the changes.

Reviewers have jobs. Just because they can't publish it will not mean that the time they have to devote to writing the review is longer. It might allow some to play a bit more in their spare time, but most will do so after the review is done and dusted and they're working on the next one.