>Just as expected, Sierra/Papyrus needs another way to make a buck or two.
>Instead of releasing a patch that makes the game playable over the internet
>via Kali (http://www.kali.net) they instead choose to charge their players
>per-minute or per-hour to use the Sierra network or some branch of it to
>race. I guess its a marketing thing, do you charge yer current users of the
>game to use it over internet at a per-minute/hour rate or do you encourage
>non-Nascar owners to go buy the game from stores because its playable over the
>internet with unlimited time. Apparently the former method makes more money
>off current owners of the game. BTW, I havent purchased any of Papyrus's
>racing games yet and from the looks of it, probably never will.
To my mind, Hawaii is another product and Papryus is justified in
charging for it. I'm sick of people saying, "Why doesn't Papyrus just
release a patch?" Granted, if a product fails to perform, then a patch
should be released. But Hawaii is an extension of the game. Users are
not _forced_ into dailing the network. Purchasers of the game have
NASCAR Racing and can enjoy it as a complete and entertaining package.
I'm usually the first to criticize the ill effects of capitalism and I
hate marketing. However, Nascar Racing is an independent product in my
mind. Hawaii is another thing completely. The latter does require the
former, but again there is no coercion. I don't understand why you are
upset. Why would Papyrus spend a year or so developing Hawaii and then
give it away free? As an incentive to purchase Nascar Racing? I agree
that it might entice _some_ people. But, a year or so worth of
development resources is pretty expensive marketing. (Especially when
one considers the small size of Papyrus.)
Nascar Racing is a fifty dollar package and is roughly 1.5 years old.
You seem to think that $50 buys perpetual support and rights to
anything that Papyrus develops that is connected with Nascar Racing.
I'm sorry, but you are misguided as to market realities. I have been
using Nascar Racing since it was first realeased. Sure, problems
exist...but, I wish every $50 I spend would give me the same return
that Nascar has.
Furthermore, your post implies that you have no idea how Hawaii is
accessed. If you had read the posts by Ed Martin/Rick Genter, you
would learn the latency of the internet is too great to play the game
effectively, or at all.
Mike.
P.S. Although I would love to use Hawaii, I cannot. I simply do not
have the money. Of course, I would welcome free access, but I realize
the amount of development work and risk that Papyrus has assumed in
developing the Hawaii Multiplayer Service. They have every right to
charge for using it.
