The publisher of the next TW?

[Bijo]

People, the question I have is up there, and I really like to know, and what people think anyway who should be the TW publisher, as I really have no clue whatsoever on this thing.

Is Sega to continue publishing TW, or is another one to take over? How does it work in this field of gaming business, for instance does CA choose its publisher, or do publishers approach them and they come to some agreement?

Discuss!

[Lusted]

SEGA now own CA, they are not just publishers. So they call the shots on deadlines etc, and also publish the games.

[Bijo]

D'oh! I shoulda known that. Thanks for that, Lusted.

In that case, if anyone's up for debate or discussion, what do you people exactly think of Sega? I know of all the complaints people have (bugs, this and that, etc.) but what about Sega itself, really? Sega as a whole?

And what publisher instead of Sega would you like to see owning CA if you had to pick one you think's really good, if Sega didn't have 'em already?

[General Zhukov]

I will always have a soft spot for SEGA, growing up as I did on so many excellent games for the Genesis. I like their passion for creating or patronising historically-themed games.

[Laconic]

We'll see how Sega does. Their track record in the PC business isn't all that long yet, not long enough to get a sense of their trends. I can only think of a handful of PC games that they've published. So far they've done alright, in apparently giving the developers freedom over their games. Personally I'd love to see them succeed, take a bite out of the market, and give EA some competition (I truely can't stand EA).

[zulukiller]

D'oh! I shoulda known that. Thanks for that, Lusted.

In that case, if anyone's up for debate or discussion, what do you people exactly think of Sega? I know of all the complaints people have (bugs, this and that, etc.) but what about Sega itself, really? Sega as a whole?

And what publisher instead of Sega would you like to see owning CA if you had to pick one you think's really good, if Sega didn't have 'em already?

As long as the evil ones (EA) never get there hands on on total war ill be happy EA have already destroyed 2 of my favourite series of game C&C and Battlefield i just realy hope SEGA dont go do the same route.

[Neoncat]

Can't say much about SEGA itself. Theres only few PC games from sega and 'too' many console games. I really despite consoles, because they are just making gaming world even simplier. Lack of controls, lack of resources... you name it. I have seen so many titles to go down the drain because of simplification caused by restrictions of consoles(To name one, I would say Deus Ex II.). However I would say that my opinion about SEGA is content for now. Of course I don't want to see any TW games from EA or Microsoft. They just spoil nearly everything they get their hands on.

Call me Elitist PC Gamer, thats what I am and I don't shame it.

[antisocialmunky]

Anything but EA. There won't be a Creative Assembly left for long if EA acquired it.

Also @ Neoncat: Didn't Microsoft help publish Shogun?

[Laconic]

EA and Microsoft consolify the franchises they nab. (See: Halo) I and probably everyone else who read the news was terrified that's what was going to happen to TW with the release of Spartan, especially given Sega's history in the console business, but they seem to be putting little pressure on CA to make the games more "accessible." This is arguable with MTW2 (even the box proclaims it to be "the most accessible TW game yet" but I see it as a progression from what the game was in Rome).

The only thing I might disagree with is pushing out MTW2 in what some feel is an unfinished state to hit the shelves before the holidays. As long as Sega allows CA creative freedom, and as long as we don't see any bastard-hybrid console strategy games ("console strategy game," an oxymoron if I've ever heard one), they're fine in my book. A better topic might be, what developer would we want to see take over the franchise if CA (God forbid) goes belly-up.

[Martok]

As long as the evil ones (EA) never get there hands on on total war ill be happy EA have already destroyed 2 of my favourite series of game C&C and Battlefield i just realy hope SEGA dont go do the same route.

What's ironic is that EA pusblished Shogun Total War and its expansion, Mongol Invasion. Fortunately, however, CA parted ways with them after that.

[sapi]

It'd be interesting to see CA go the Valve route and self-fund the development of a game that is then distributed through steam (cutting out the need for a publisher/distributer). Valve's certainly done very well using that method