When will CA annocunce the next TW game?

[Puzz3D]

Release dates:

STW - June 2000
MI - Sept 2001
MTW - Aug 2002
VI - May 2003
RTW - Sept 2004
BI - Sept 2005

In a recent interview, MikeB did not discount the possibility that the next Total War game in the series could be a fantasy game.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

They have the Spartan project in the pipeline...

As to another, I suspect it will depend on sales of BI and the continuing TW series sales. If they slump, its time to jump shift into another niche.

Seamus

[Spino]

I expect there will be an official annoucement on the next TW game before year's end. I also wouldn't be surprised if CA released two or three teaser screenshots to the press to give everyone some filler for side panel articles in those typically thick holiday issues, something to remind the public of Sega's recent foray into the strategy game genre.

If we're lucky CA will release another teaser movie like they did with Rome a few months after it was annouced.

[The_Doctor]

I wonder why they don't make rugby game any more?

[econ21]

Release dates:

STW - June 2000
MI - Sept 2001
MTW - Aug 2002
VI - May 2003
RTW - Sept 2004
BI - Sept 2005

That's very tantalising information. It suggests we're looking at late 2006 for the next TW game. In which case, shouldn't there be an announcement soon? It seemed like RTW was in preparation for ages - IIRC, it was delayed about a year to make it a bigger project.

I guess it depends partly if they use something very like the current RTW engine (kind of STW=>MTW). If so, they could produce something quickly. If they want to make a leap comparable to MTW=>RTW, it could be a lot longer.

In a recent interview, MikeB did not discount the possibility that the next Total War game in the series could be a fantasy game.

Ugh. I'd probably buy it, but reluctantly. TWs market here at the Org seems to be history buffs/wargamers, but no doubt we're in a minority amongst the full market.

[edyzmedieval]

Fantasy game?! Ughhhh.

I'd probably buy it, but very reluctant, just as Simon.
I dislike all fantasy games. I dislike everything related to fantasy and SF.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

I'd buy it immediately if it was...

MOD FRIENDLY!

[The_Doctor]

It depends on what fanasty story. If it something they made themselves it would be bad and like a lot of other fanasty games. If it Warhammer, or something would be quite good as there is a rich story-line. It was sci-fi, like Battletech:Total War (mmmm, Madcats) it would be great, space battles, giant mechs and the neo-feudalism element would fit in nicely.

If we get Sonic:Total War I think would cry.

[Kraxis]

Fantasy is not so bad.

People wouldn't have to worry about the game being historical or not, so they would be much happier in all.

More seriously the various stuff that often get put into fantasy games could be a huge boost to any modders. We are talking about converting magic to some sort of artillery or something, and odd creatures to soemthing else. The expanded universe of abilities and stuff would be good to modders I take it.

[Beelzebub]

either a fantasy total war or medieval total war 2 (with increased scope, europe & asia).

[KSEG]

Fantasy is not so bad.

People wouldn't have to worry about the game being historical or not, so they would be much happier in all.

If its based on something that allready exists, there will allways be a group of people complaining something like "OMG the eqipment of Rohirrim cavalry is all wrong! how can they do this!"

[BobTheTerrible]

(if) It was sci-fi, like Battletech:Total War (mmmm, Madcats) it would be great, space battles, giant mechs and the neo-feudalism element would fit in nicely.

I would kill for that game. Well maybe not kill, but you get the point.

[KSEG]

Fantasy game?! Ughhhh.

I dislike everything related to fantasy and SF.

That is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo unfortunate......

[Captain Fishpants]

<snip>

In a recent interview, MikeB did not discount the possibility that the next Total War game in the series could be a fantasy game.

Actually, I've been quite careful not to give any hints about the next games (plural), which is why I didn't immediately deny the possibility of a fantasy-based title. I'm now not confirming the possibility of a fantasy-based title, nor the possibility of any other subject either, except to say that slowly and surely, plans are being drawn up, reviewed, mocked, redrawn and generally considered.

I don't think anyone in the larger TW community is going to be disappointed over the next few years. There's some cool stuff to come, people!

But why you should bother with a UNPROFITABLE market instaed of focusing on the PROFITABLE???

Both markets are worthwhile and interesting. And variety adds a certain spice to the life of a developer - we don't want to be one-trick ponies, after all.

[hellenes]

Both markets are worthwhile and interesting. And variety adds a certain spice to the life of a developer - we don't want to be one-trick ponies, after all.

Well thats a nice statement...
What I would suggest is that after reading this article http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr..._id=1001054517 it would be wise to CA/Sega to shift their focus on the MP part of the game (a mp campaign?) thus "convincing" the nice pc games' downloaders to get the original in orther to enjoy the game (warcraft series-DUMP BORING REPETITIVE POINTLESS singleplayer ENTERTAINING ENJOYABLE CHALLENGING multiplayer)...

Hellenes

[ChaosLord]

You really can't listen to their estimates on what piracy costs them. They treat any download as someone who would have bought the game at full price and other such nonsense. Really its the same as its always been. Good games sell well, while bad games/extreme rehashes don't. Just like bad movies not selling, they want to blame it all on piracy.

If you don't believe me, look at primarily singleplayer games that have sold well like Morrowind/Civ3/Mafia/etc..(more recent games don't come to mind at the moment, unless you want to count the TW series as primarily singleplayer too). Also, Warcraft1-2-3/Starcraft and even Dawn of War all have enjoyable singleplayer, not just multiplayer. Now i'm not against a mp campaign, i'd love one. It just bugged me you were using that other stuff as an excuse for one.

That said, I don't really mind what the next TW is so long as it isn't Napoleonic/ACW, I really don't like those themes. I can deal with older historical themes/sci-fi/fantasy(I too, would kill for a Battletech: Total War). The main thing thats important for me isn't the theme though, but the gameplay. Thankfully CA can do that well, even if the AI suffers at times. :P

[hellenes]

You really can't listen to their estimates on what piracy costs them. They treat any download as someone who would have bought the game at full price and other such nonsense. Really its the same as its always been. Good games sell well, while bad games/extreme rehashes don't. Just like bad movies not selling, they want to blame it all on piracy.

If you don't believe me, look at primarily singleplayer games that have sold well like Morrowind/Civ3/Mafia/etc..(more recent games don't come to mind at the moment, unless you want to count the TW series as primarily singleplayer too). Also, Warcraft1-2-3/Starcraft and even Dawn of War all have enjoyable singleplayer, not just multiplayer. Now i'm not against a mp campaign, i'd love one. It just bugged me you were using that other stuff as an excuse for one.

That said, I don't really mind what the next TW is so long as it isn't Napoleonic/ACW, I really don't like those themes. I can deal with older historical themes/sci-fi/fantasy(I too, would kill for a Battletech: Total War). The main thing thats important for me isn't the theme though, but the gameplay. Thankfully CA can do that well, even if the AI suffers at times. :P

In the past people had something like 28kbps with 8mps nowadays only MP games will survive...
Example:
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Ϋ ίίίί ίίί ίί ί ίίί ίίίί ίίί
Age Of Empires III (c) Microsoft
10/2005 :..... RELEASE.DATE .. PROTECTION .......: SmartE/Serial
3 :.......... DISC(S) .. GAME.TYPE ........: Simulation
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ί ί ίί ίίί ί ίίί ίίί ί ίί ίίί ίίίί ίί
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AOEIII a game that hasnt been released yet its already out on warez but luckily for Ensemble once you finish the quick sp campaign your only challenge and interaction lies in the MP field...

Hellenes

[ChaosLord]

You missed my point, if that were true all singleplayer games would have died out along ago. The ability to commit crime does not equal the number of crimes commited. If it did, we'd have all killed each other long ago. Many games(including previous releases of the TW series) have come out before release but have still sold well. This is because not everyone is a thief as you seem to think. I'm not arguing that warez doesn't exist and that it isn't a problem, but you've really overexaggerated its effect.

And even assuming your theory true and you've done nothing to show it being so, the TW series already requires a valid cdkey for online play, which has a strong community going for it. So if somehow on the next TW release everyone with an internet connection pirates the game instea of paying for it, they'd still have to pay if they want to play versus the real "challenge" in multi as you put it.

[hellenes]

You missed my point, if that were true all singleplayer games would have died out along ago. The ability to commit crime does not equal the number of crimes commited. If it did, we'd have all killed each other long ago. Many games(including previous releases of the TW series) have come out before release but have still sold well. This is because not everyone is a thief as you seem to think. I'm not arguing that warez doesn't exist and that it isn't a problem, but you've really overexaggerated its effect.

And even assuming your theory true and you've done nothing to show it being so, the TW series already requires a valid cdkey for online play, which has a strong community going for it. So if somehow on the next TW release everyone with an internet connection pirates the game instea of paying for it, they'd still have to pay if they want to play versus the real "challenge" in multi as you put it.

Well they will with the ongoing increase of internet speeds in UK you can get 8mbs for 17.99£(20$) in the past it was not true.
I ve seen in russian forums warez supporting people and people that NEVER bought ANY original SP game buying ORIGINAL WarcraftIII TFT and WoW and discussing about battlenet tactics and etc.
How many people play RTW online? 400 maximum...You know how many play on the battlenet W3...Isnt that the CLEAR indication of the value of RTW's CD key in the present POINTLESS BORING REPETITIVE deathmatch battles?
A MP campaign wouldnt take SOO long it just has two options:
either as a MMORPG style grand campaign http://www.computerandvideogames.com...p(que)id=99798 (yep CA had thought about it...) where players connect and play whenever they want and the game goes on, or a fourth option (other than autoresolve retreat and fight yourself) that connects you on Gamespy and matches you with a player who gets in charge of the "AI" army...
As you can see the problem is NOT technical its the community of (mostly) PIPEDREAMERS which demands things that even a jonked junky wouldnt even dream (challenging "AI", diplomacy with a CPU... ,etc.)...

Hellenes

[TB666]

Well AOE III is pretty bad.
It is the same with pretty graphics.
Also saying that people will buy games because of MP is not really true since those that download can still play MP.
Nope Total war strength is and always will be SP and everyone knows that.
Focus on a for example MP campaign will actually decrease buyers since people don't have the time for a game like that.
Even if it is just for LAN it isn't worth wasting time on it. It is much better that CA focus on making SP even better then it is now since that is what people want.

[gmjapan]

Dinosaurs:Total War! Where you guide your species to control nesting sites and pay the emerging mammal factions in acorns to bug your rivals!

Er, but on topic, the series has covered specific areas before so I dont see something specific, like the American Civil War, as being neccessarily unsuccessful and of limited appeal. Why did people outside of Japan buy Shogun if that was the case? Or people outside Europe (or Italy for that matter) buy Rome... There are plenty documentaries on TV regarding all these eras so they all have widespread appeal.

Myself, I dont particularly care for an American Civil War setting or even a Napoleonic one. But it sounds like CA are keeping there options wide open which can only lead to good things in my opinion. Why stifle the series by never considering such things as fantasy or sci-fi?

Personally, I am still waiting for a game in the setting like RTW where you can be an archer on the wall during a siege, or the infantryman defending the breach. Involving thousands of soldiers on each side but you dont have "crosshairs" or special powers or mega-combos or be a superhero - just a soldier with a good combat model (not a button masher). You die? No problem, pick a role in the army you want to try and spawn as another soldier on your side and get back in the battle. Climb the ladders in assaults or charge around on a horse. When the battle is over see who won and your stats etc. That screams multiplayer mayhem! Or singleplayer skirmish off the bat. Oops, I'm drifting again....