How do you think CA is doing, right now?

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

I think AI problems in RTW were forgiveable, but MIITW didn't improve enough (it did improve tactically), MII also had many other problems (remember the shield bug?)

The game is probably quite playable now with Kingdoms, patched up and a time mod. However, my version of Kingdoms is still in it's plastic wrapper I think. I certainly never bothered to actuably install it.

[Braden]

Firstly, I would not like CA to close down or for another house to take on the Total War franchise (that, historically doesn’t work).

The Total War “style” is fantastic…2nd to none, copied by many but never bested.

However…there is a CLEAR drive (I am not going to even guess or hint where its coming from) for greater and greater enhancements in the graphics which, since Rome, has seemed to be at the expense of general playability of the games.

To me, M:TW was the height of the franchise. 2D graphics sure but…an exceptional soundtrack (Sean Pertwee…I ask you!) and superb gameplay. Yes, there were problems but they were mainly bugs rather than a clear “cutting back” of the Ai’s ability.

Empire, to me, has excellent Graphics. Yes, computer technology has advanced even since February but…why must already decent graphics be further enhanced??

Clearly pandering to the “two braincells” people I think.

I say, use that extra processing power for GAMEPLAY and Ai enhancement!

Unfortunately, I foresee NTW being only of medium success and I am sorry to say that CA are very likely to stop being a factor soon afterwards.

Its sad but they’ve allowed outside influences to control them and have just pushed us too far…we are not going out in droves to by this “game”, it isn’t happening and SEGA will only interpret this as a failure in the franchise when it actually isn’t.

[peacemaker]

NTW will probably be a medium success. I hope that it gets little to no sales, and CA will either quit making TW or start doing a good job. ETW 1.5 was "meh" because while the Campaign AI was doing OK (no rabid diplomacy on normal difficulty) and when it went to war, it usually made SOME attempts to fight. They've achieved maybe a fourth of what they could do, but they need to get over the shiny graphics.

[Elmar Bijlsma]

The value of a software company is in its current project and in it's IP. If with the release of Nappy they are without a project then it'd be a good time to lay off everyone. Especially now that the IP has been devalued with ETW less then stellar reputation.
So I think the fate of CA is pretty much out of their hands. Even if NTW was awesomely well received and brings in a ton of money for SEGA, SEGA might still want to save itself the cost of developing the title after NTW. No programmers to pay looks better on this years books then a successful title in a year or two.

[antisocialmunky]

I don't think its THAT dire. ETW got a fair amount of bad press in the community but sold quite well. Likewise, EA gave the CnC community a big fat middle finger with Tiberian Warzzzzz but that did well to. I think it just hurt the image of Sega and CA more than the value of TW. Heck, the Sonic developers never listen to the fans anymore and just crank out pure poop and Sega hasn't axed them yet...

TW is still a very appealing genre as evidenced by everyone who wants a TW game that works.

Besides they don't really have any studios that cater to the Western Market so I don't think they will nuke all the staff:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...opment_studios

Squeenix has both Eidos and Gas Powered Games to play around with and is direct competition with Sega to expand into the western market.

[Babblearossa]

I think they're doing poorly on a downward trend unfortunately, Played this game the least of any totalwar game so far. Medieval 2 was frustating as well until I added a couple mods and then I more than happy with it, played my usual years months of fun. I don't know much about modding except I see modding people griping about tools promised but not delivered, with mikes blog ( which I like for it's honesty and people take too much exception to ) saying they'll have to stop working on it, it's extra-lame to not help the modders fix things for them.

This is the first totalwar game I've purchased since mtw without waiting till it sounds like most bugs have been fixed, and it's the last I'll purchase until seeing a couple months of feedback.

Also, I want CA to be successful as this is one of only 2 games I play,