DLC Release Date

[xNiCeGuYx]

This is from FS's facebook site before the release of TPA:
"We were just informed by Microsoft that we made a mistake in our certification docs. Apparently, we entered 2013 for the year of release instead of 2012. Microsoft is being very strict and will not allow any changes since the date has already been officially locked in. We apologize, but we promise to release lots of 360 screenshots of the DLC tables over the next 12 months leading up to the launch on April 4, 2013."

So could we see all the problems coming?

P.S. Don't take it serious, it's from the 1th April.

 

[ClaudeHenrySmoot]

That was actually an April Fool's joke. Seemed funnier then. Not so funny now.

(I still love you Farsight. Might have to Ebay my 360 and buy a PS3 though.)

 

[xNiCeGuYx]

Yeah I know, that's why I've added a "P.S." to my post, cause not everyone know that it was a joke.

 

[Richard B]

That's right! They said "by mid-July", but they didn't give a year.

 

[xNiCeGuYx]

Hmmmm, FarSight always has a backdoor.

 

[Daniel Osborne]

Perhaps they should have gone for the 400 points available for achievements instead, and been more frugal with them, and saved a few for dlc tables.

 

[Daniel Osborne]

And even i'm getting fed up now.

 

[Brandon Debes]

Perhaps they should have gone for the 400 points available for achievements instead, and been more frugal with them, and saved a few for dlc tables.

I considered this yesterday while looking through the 400G worth of Spelunky achievements. But that new XBLA gamerscore limit is fairly recent (I believe Trials Evolution was the first 400G XBLA title), and TPA development was probably begun before it took effect. So I'll give them the benefit of the doubt on that one (though it would've been nice). I'm giving FarSight the benefit of the doubt on anything that could conceivably be Microsoft's fault. But the local high score thing just chaps my bottom. I mean, they needn't have bothered.

 

[Blunt Fish Games]

Is there anything we can do to pressure Microsoft to approve and release the Title Update ASAP?

 

[infernogott]

Nah. I think not even kidnapping Bill Gates would help

 

[laughing_lunatic]

Well at least they're becoming more realistic on the Marketplace page where they now say "Over the next few years, downloadable classics like Monster Bash®, Medieval Madness®, Creature from the Black Lagoon®, Funhouse®, Attack from Mars®, Black Knight®, Space Shuttle®, Pin•Bot®, Circus Voltaire®, Big Shot®, (and many others!)" and done away with this "every month" nonsense.

So hang in there people, sometime in the next few years, it WILL happen.

 

[Franky]

a very interesting thing i came across last week was an interview with the spelunky guys.

We've heard several horror stories from indie devs having to deal with Microsoft's process for XBLA, most notably from Team Meat. What was your reasoning for going to XBLA, rather than starting off on a more developer-friendly platform (i.e. Steam)? And how has the process been?

mossmouth

The XBLA development process varies a lot from project to project and depends a lot on luck and who you're dealing with at Microsoft. We had a pretty smooth ride compared to Team Meat. Don't get me wrong, it was still tough and we worked long days for months/years on end. But that's kind of expected in game development and nothing came up that really wrecked us (like Edmund's health problems or their insane crunch to make the Game Feast promotion).

The reason I went with XBLA to start rather than PC is because Jonathan Blow enjoyed the original enough to put me in touch with Microsoft. I wasn't planning on doing a new version at all until this opportunity came up!

In the end, console development was a double-edged sword for us. On the one hand, certification and patches are frickin' gnarly on consoles, no doubt about it. On the other hand, it really made us want to polish the game up hard before release.

I hope i got it right, but to me it sounds like the contact you have at microsoft is pretty much important of how smoothly and supportive things are running, so maybe Farsight should try to change their contact if possible. Or since there is a contact person, maybe they should get in contact with that person and ask for speeding things up or at least ask for some more information about all this.


Franky

 

[laughing_lunatic]

maybe they should get in contact with that person and ask for speeding things up or at least ask for some more information about all this.

That might get a somewhat frosty response. Any time in business you are reliant upon a 3rd party for the smooth running of that business, the last thing you want to do is to try to muscle them. Anyway I think that Farsight probably already thought of that, if it's a viable tactic. Which it probably isn't. It's Microsoft. They march to the beat of their own drum.

 

[Richard B]

MS's handling of this situation is making me think PS4 next generation.

 

[BonzoGonzo]

yeah, tpa isn't even out in europe for ps

 

[mmmagnetic]

yeah, tpa isn't even out in europe for ps

Really? Wow. So, when the 360 DLC gets release, does it get a worldwide release or do we euro folk have to wait even longer?

I really, really dislike all this region nonsense. No region lock is always such a big plus on game consoles, but when even the current Nintendo handheld is region locked, things don't look rosy in this regard.

 

[Nik Barbour]

Really? Wow. So, when the 360 DLC gets release, does it get a worldwide release or do we euro folk have to wait even longer?

I really, really dislike all this region nonsense. No region lock is always such a big plus on game consoles, but when even the current Nintendo handheld is region locked, things don't look rosy in this regard.

I think it gets worldwide release on xbox.
At least I hope so!

 

[bavelb]

XBLA is one quality control submission process (which is notoriously very strict) and is therefor a worldwide similar release (the current game was released worldwide), with some small differences here and there (I can't get Tetris Splash on my NL-account for instance but I would be able to download with a UK-based account for some odd reason). All the deals of the week and releases have been the same accross the board for ages. If I go to majornelson.com to see whats available this week or coming week, or what deals are coming, I know it will apply to me as well.

PSN has different QA submission processes for SCCE and SCCA store, which causes issues all the f'in time.

 

[Mungoholly]

I'm wondering if Farsight have annoyed someone at MS when TPA was released in the UK it didn't appear as an advertised game on the Dash the only way of knowing it was there was to check the store..

For such a great product and idea,it is a shame there is apparently no support from MS

until DLC drops i will still be bashing Fear Itself on FX2

 

[Brandon Debes]

when TPA was released in the UK it didn't appear as an advertised game on the Dash the only way of knowing it was there was to check the store

Around the time of the US release, MSFT were at least promoting it on the marketplace blog:
http://forums.xbox.com/xbox_forums/...4/enjoy-classic-tables-in-pinball-arcade.aspx