CivRev The Conspiracy. Aka. Button gate

[Random Fires]

You know, I came to this site looking for an answer. I finally got that answer, but, it was a fairly unusual wait for such a simple question. And I wasn't alone.
While waiting, I read, posted, responded, and waited some more. A gradual picture, and an opinion was developed about the game, and the people who made it.
On this, I maybe alone, but I'll share it anyways.

There's no need to mash wits on what was known, or wasn't know prior to release. There's no need to list the current or ongoing bugs and issues. We know them, they know them. And even they, and some of us tried to dismiss questions and issues for as long as possible.

Try instead to consider the following, whether your a fan, supporter, hater, or complainer. Civ Rev was a quick money grab.

They needed cash, and to stick to the release date. Bring on the patch and play mechanic that worked on pc's prior.

The game was released first in the UK due to currency rates, and someone needed that cash. Plus a smaller market to beta test.

Pre-release reviews were done solely on xbox versions of the game, to hide certain visual issues on the ps3 version and also online features. The leader board order being the most obvious, not connectivity. Unfortunately only once enough ps3 users logged in, connectivity became an issue.

CivRev was pushed out the door for money, and staffing reasons. Both are/were needed for Civ Colonies.

The downloadable content which did not instantly appear, but was free, is DLC beta testing. Hence the delay for actual money spending content. They are still waiting for feedback and your testing. Speaking of testing, perhaps Microsoft, not blind to the PS3's online plight is being more stringent with their given 1.2 patch.

The reason CivRev actually sold out copies initially is because few were made. This gives time to reprint a packaging error and maybe others.

Even though the game is on next gen hardware, the game universally appears to use the same AI engine as the DS. The Ai's were far more complicated, interacting, and logical on the previous Pc Civ4, which required even lower specs then that of the current console hardware. Pick up and play a DS version. Weren't consoles supposed to be a bit on the higher end? BTW, that Ai was kinda a keystone of Civ (IMO). This was a money decision, not streamlining for game play.

This forum forum serves secondary goals. Indeed, it does give players a place to get info, converse, support, advise, share, ect. It also serves as bug collecting, and assists in containing issues to this site, rather than others. I've marveled at how, if the ps3 players really had such online issues, why no media has ever mentioned it.

Many threads, and posts have been locked or deleted. Many for quite understandable reasons. But in the vacuum between now and a fully functional game for all, what kind of reaction was/is expected? Maybe, if a hard critique had been applied during testing, some of issues would have been avoided. Of course if the above money grab theory is true, I guess not.

It's only 60 bucks. If that makes and breaks you, you best sort out priorities. If all programs now come with bugs, and this is acceptable... Programmers as a whole, not just here, also needs to sort out priorities.

Your here because you really enjoyed the game, or hated it, but still likely play it. If you didn't still have it, you probably would have moved on. But while we toil waiting for fixes, this kinda stuff is bound to keep cropping up.

I also believe Cleo is having an affair with Monty, but that's for another day.

[xbman22x]

intresting...... i think that this sort of thing is not too uncommon in the game industry these days. especially for companies like 2K

[Gordoi]

Dont forget the Histgram symbols theyll remove next patch, most likely a bug cover-up. Having only the first 7 events show dont make any sense, and the reason for removing it next patch even less.

[xbman22x]

button gate...hell no. change it to civgate. or glitchgate.
or maybe 2K-is-incompetent-gate

[2K Elizabeth]

hey there,

i'm sorry you feel this way about Civilization Revolution, but as i know for fact some of your theories are untrue, i'll let you know.

first, Civilization Revolution was delayed twice, because we decided it needed more time. the reason it came out in Europe first is because they decided to sell the 360 and PS3 version without the DS alongside, and in the US, we waited until all three versions were complete (in this case, we needed a bit more time to perfect the DS version.) this was not about beta testing, or currency.

second, i personally know that i spent time playing multiplayer games with IGN on the PS3 build of the game. i cannot, of course, speak for all reviewers everywhere, but i can name several who i played PS3 games with pre-release.

third, Colonization has nothing to do with Civilization Revolution. indeed, for a game to come out in September, it had to be well on its way to complete by the time Civilization Revolution came out. their money streams have nothing to do with each other in any way. and this isn't at all how our company works monetarily, although i'm not really going to get into this, except to say this is realistically not feasible. games take a lot of time to make. far more than mere months.

the DLC that was Gift with Purchase was at first going to be only DLC after release, but we made it a Gift with Purchase because the US customers had to wait an extra month for their game. as we never patched this DLC at all, it certainly wasn't a beta!

as for Civilization Revolution selling out so quickly, it became an astounding success that bowled all of us over -- and i'm sure it's a personal opinion of how many copies means "few," but it doesn't make good business sense to let a game sell out! we would want to keep it in stock. this also had nothing to do with that unfortunate misprint, which was only in the UK, and relatively small in number.

as for opinions on the AI, i have explained that the game was designed for the 360 and PS3, and the game core is identical across all three platforms, but was adapted after the fact for the DS.

i take great pride in this game, and the team that created it. i have explained all of these issues numerous times on the forums, but i wanted to make it perfectly clear that these conspiracy theories as the title jokingly calls them are just that: theories, and not at all true.

thanks.

[Gordoi]

this also had nothing to do with that unfortunate misprint, which was only in the UK, and relatively small in number.

Not true, i've bought my game in Denmark, and it has the misprint.
Assuming we are talking about the "1-4 players" that should have been "1 player"

[2K Elizabeth]

Not true, i've bought my game in Denmark, and it has the misprint.
Assuming we are talking about the "1-4 players" that should have been "1 player"

my apologies, and good catch -- i did actually mean Europe (blame me and my American-ness for that, and not enough sleep!)

that missprint happened in June, in a small run of games that were shipped out to Europe, but never happened in the July release, when the game made it to the US and Canada.

[badken]

I've got plenty of tin foil hats for anyone who needs to prevent the 2K Games mind rays from getting in their brain so they enjoy this game.

Just send me a PM if you'd like one.

[xbman22x]

Lol.....

[DrTrouserPlank]

...but it doesn't make good business sense to let a game sell out! we would want to keep it in stock.

In fact, generally it makes good sense to allow a commodity to sell out by only releaseing a limited first supply. Shortage of supply increases demand and this has been used as a ploy in the gaming industry for more years than I can remember, and has been prevailent since the days of the 8 bit consoles.

In the case of civ-rev however, you are correct in saying that it doesn't make sense to short-supply on the initial stocks, especially knowing that the game was unfinished and released with many bugs still present. This potentially could have resulted in bad word-of-mouth from the select few who managed to grab a copy concerning the games faults (this clearly didn't happen, so congratulations on that).

One would have also expected online and documented reviews to have made mention of the games shortcomings; one can only assume that these parties were either offered assurances that these problems were easily and rapidly being addressed, or were threatened with legal action if they made mention of the problems; probably on the charge of misrepresenting the product and damaging sales.

In response to the misprint on the European releases that apparently occured in June I am at a loss. Indeed there was a shortage of games on the shelf, by your own admission due to good sales and not short-stocking. As I managed to get one of the "mis-printed" copies towards the end of July; which seems odd, given the apparent shortage of games, how one managed to hang around on the shelf for this long.

[atotalcivrevfanatic]

Playing the DS version here and willing to give it the numb legs award (which happens when you elect to play it on the toilet and can't resist hitting next turn ).

I feel sorry a bit for the PP3 users, but only a bit (sorry).

Try and be a DS user. You want to see shabby endless streams of oh my god how can they just keep on making this **** grade of quality control, try and willingly buy DS games. And it appears to be a crime committed by many software makers.

Civ Rev is noteworthy in that I actually willingly bought it AFTER I had already tried it as a download and had zero need to buy it at all.

I think to many people are painting Civ Rev a dismal failure, when really, it's more a dismal failure of Sony's edition more than anything else. Sucks to be a PS3 owner some days. Sucks to be a Sony customer some days.

But I have no plans to return for trade in my Civ Rev DS copy.
Still enjoying it.
Still hammering away at my attempts to get wins at higher difficulty levels.
Still experimenting with my play style and other nations.
Still liking that I generally finish my games now rather than get bored before it ends.

[drew5764]

i take great pride in this game, and the team that created it. i have explained all of these issues numerous times on the forums, but i wanted to make it perfectly clear that these conspiracy theories as the title jokingly calls them are just that: theories, and not at all true.

thanks.

Sure, things like gravity and Pythagorean theorems, and cell theory and... right, because labeling something a theory doesn't make it less than true.

I recently read an article (that I since can't find), that outlined how to handle customers (that's us) questions - around the top of the list was being honest with them. I dare say that on behalf of 2K, you've been slightly less than honest (a lie by omission, perhaps) with us. Blaming customer network configurations for the inability of a game to work? If you were Ford, or Comcast, or a telecom I'd expect that. I think the original poster has some good points. Do business in good faith and customers will do the same.