Noooooo! MS to buy Interplay???!!!

[Visceris]

Microsoft does have a solid gaming department and it could have been worse. It could have been Hasbro! I think things will pan out just fine, though there is no BG3 in the works, Bioware themselves said that ToB is the end of the series. NWN is going to be the next big thing, and all the official support will be for that game. Dungeon Siege and NWN, hmmm... I go with NWN.

[Jimbo]

Well, as a player of massive multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPG), Ultima Online-- by EA and origin, Everquest by Sony and Verant, and Asheron's Call by Microsoft and Turbine, I can say that I trust Microsoft better than EA or Sony. Microsoft has some great games they help get going and support. AC may not be for everyone since it isn't based on ADnD and isn't made for people to be extreme by only being online and camping the uber spawn for 12 hours of the day. Age of Empires I and II were with Microsoft, and it is one of the most enjoyable RTS (real time strategy) games. Dungeon Seige looks great and so far the game mags and sites are going gahgah over it.

I'm less worried. Microsoft will probably be a financial backer, and less on a micro manager, they have a killer flight-sim, possible a good fps (with halo possible out...it is one of the worry spots), great rts, a great MMORPG (especially if your a casual gamer), possibly a great RPG with Dungeon Seige, and with the interplay and black isle (I hope its a good package deal, don't get half the team) and more support for what they do (possible meaning more fallout, more BG type, more ADnD adventures etc. etc.).



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Drink and be merry
Jimbo
"Renegade, Rebel, and Rogue"

[Memnoch]

I think it might not necessarily be a bad thing. Hopefully Microsoft will be astute enough to realise that the creative team at Interplay are doing things right and it would be silly for them to kill the goose that is laying the golden egg, and hence adopt a more hands-off approach and channel their energies towards corporate support rather than micromanagement.

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Whats the big deal, there will be no BG3 or follow-on of any sort, Interplay no long has the AD&D licence. I have friends that worked on the MS Starlancer game, and the resources at the disposal were pretty impressive. If Interplay gets more funding, titles like Torn will be better, as more development time can be bought and better staff aquired. PS knowing the sort of people MS hired out of our uni, only the very best students made the grade.

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Holy Avenger of the OHF and part time Pinguindiebjäger

[WOLFGIR]

Heard that there is a Chineese company interested too. Don´t know if this is just rumours or not...

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Yawning lazywolf dreaming about nice little fairies...zzzzz

[Bleys]

Well it could go to some far worse companies (I would hate to see what would happen if Hasbro or 3D0 took it over). Also Microsoft are going to have to relay on the games industry more and more as people refuse to upgrade to Windows EX2001NT Deluxe Edition so they. Also in the last few years they have been releced quite a few good games.

[Harkoliar]

well sony that produced everquest is not bad.. i mean (from my point of view) im playing everyquest right now and i can really wonder how much effort it takes to produce an entire world with over 2000 people online all at the same time... belive me its so addictive even though it cost a little money but i tell you that is is well worth playing the game. i heard about asheron call but everquest seems to rock !!

try it if you dont belive me... its one of the most realistic rpg game ive ever seen. and it is constantly being updated with new quest, fun and tournaments !!!

this is my two cents

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Revived I Am to hunt this world... Banish ye evil or face my wrath...

[WOLFGIR]

Well I would actually like Microsoft to buy Interplay, alots of many, bigger marketing channels tosell more thus better games, hopefully. See dungeoun siege,a game that Microsoft publish but they don´t interfere too much with the gaming company making the games. Also, more games will be released for both PC and fot X-box. X-box got alot of gamemakers signed up already. And with DirecttX compatible games, the make over from console to PC should be easier and better than alot of exisitng games...

Furhtermore, better drivers for graphics cards and peripheral equipment..

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Yawning lazywolf dreaming about nice little fairies...zzzzz

[Neb]

Hey! 3DO is not a bad company, so okay, they made a couple of bad ones with MM7 and 8, and Crusaders of Might and Magic, but still, they made heroes of might and magic which is pretty good, and they also made MM4, 5 and 6 which were pretty good.

[Bleys]

Originally posted by Neb: Hey! 3DO is not a bad company, so okay, they made a couple of bad ones with MM7 and 8, and Crusaders of Might and Magic, but still, they made heroes of might and magic which is pretty good, and they also made MM4, 5 and 6 which were pretty good.

Heroes 3 was there last really good game they produced(M&M7 was fun but I can only rate it as above average) Since then they have done a few M&M games none of them have been any good, I did not like 8, and crusaders is not worth the words I just gave it. And then we have Army men, as a rough guess there has been 10 to 15 different Army Men games released in the last couple of years (And most of them, most have been appalling a few have been average(Then each game converted for every known system) I don't think a months gone by were they have not released at least a couple of them. They are now just rehashing the same old crap again and again and releasing it as quickly as possible with no care for game quality. (Heroes4 might be a turning point but I am not holding my breath).

3D0 was used to produce some of the best games, but in the last couple of years they have produced so much crap its unbelievable. Its a real shame when a company goes down like that...