When will "Beyond the Sword" come out for mac?

[dutchking]

What, do you work for them?

 

[5150]

Yes, it's amazing how quickly a company can put out products by skipping the testing cycle.

 

[Bazzalisk]

Meh, this is kind of ridiculous. You're already berating Aspyr because they haven't brought out a Mac version of an expansion not yet available for windows. Civ IV was fairly slow, but Warlords came out pretty soon after the windows release, so I see no particular reason to panic, moan, and gnash one's teeth just yet.

As far as the testing goes. Well, judging by the wide variety of different problems people using the exact same hardware seem to experience (and the total lack of problems some people experience) I'm not hugely surprised that Aspyr's testing didn't catch them.

 

[AlanH]

My impression is that the number of beta testers may have been very limited - do you know of any? This was even more true on the Intel platform which was only just rolling out when these games first hit the streets. The overlapping set of

[Intel Mac users] ∩ [Civ4 players] ∩ [eligible beta testers]

was probably pretty tiny at that time.

I'm not defending Aspyr on this - if the beta test community wasn't available they should have widened the eligibility criteria and/or done more intensive in-house testing.

 

[5150]

As far as the testing goes. Well, judging by the wide variety of different problems people using the exact same hardware seem to experience (and the total lack of problems some people experience) I'm not hugely surprised that Aspyr's testing didn't catch them.

Heh. Did you have a copy when it was released?

 

[5150]

I'm not defending Aspyr on this - if the beta test community wasn't available they should have widened the eligibility criteria and/or done more intensive in-house testing.

They didn't solicit any outsiders publicly, as was done with the most recent Civ 3.

It wasn't just the Intel users that had considerable problems, however. It was pretty obvious, in my opinion, that it was rushed out the door without being tested. The audio problems and CPU-bogging problems should have been immediately noticeable to any tester.

 

[AlanH]

I agree. I was only citing the Intel case as a more extreme situation they had to deal with. But they didn't deal with testing for either platform any where near adequately.

PS They didn't respond to at least one unsolicited offer to beta test, either

 

[Bazzalisk]

Heh. Did you have a copy when it was released?

I've used the original and patches (beta), A,B, and C (not used warlords). Lacked some sounds on the original (though not many), worked fine with no bugs at all on (beta) and patch A. My sounds all disappeared on patch B, but came back on patch C (which was released almost immediately afterwards).

I know a lot of other people have had much worse problems, I just haven't.

 

[dojoboy]

I wouldn't be surprised if BtS isn't ported to the mac. Second expansions generally do not sell as well as the first expansions. I suppose it depends on how much Take2 is going to want from Aspyr in return. But, since BtS is going to contain the core functionality of Warlords, Aspyr should have a jump on the process and knowledge of bugs that haunted/haunt Civ4 and Warlords.

Warlords PC release date: July 24, 2006
Warlords Mac release date: November 13, 2006

 

[dutchking]

If it isn't released for mac by December 2007 we should starts some riots! Hehe. Seriously. Could we start a petition like the one the poles did ("petition to add poland as a civ")? To get aspyr to do it faster?

 

[AlanH]

Aspyr will do BtS if and when the business case is justifiable. That will need a *lot* of potential sales. A dozen or two petitioners here are not going to change their minds.

Interesting that Electronic Arts has committed to coming back into the Mac games market again today.

 

[dojoboy]

Aspyr will do BtS if and when the business case is justifiable. That will need a *lot* of potential sales. A dozen or two petitioners here are not going to change their minds.

Interesting that Electronic Arts has committed to coming back into the Mac games market again today.

That is wonderful news regarding EA's return. I'll definitely pick up Madden08.

 

[dutchking]

Aspyr will do BtS if and when the business case is justifiable. That will need a *lot* of potential sales. A dozen or two petitioners here are not going to change their minds.

Interesting that Electronic Arts has committed to coming back into the Mac games market again today.

Whatever, I'd still like to do the petition. Hehe.

 

[dutchking]

I asked the guys in the chat about BtS when it'll come out for mac, they said "soon" after the release of pc! I dont know what that means...But its sounds good...

 

[dojoboy]

I asked the guys in the chat about BtS when it'll come out for mac, they said "soon" after the release of pc! I dont know what that means...But its sounds good...

Well, that may spur Aspyr on to make an announcement. I'm wagering Aspyr wants to hold off until they can make an announcement about BtS and release a couple patches for and - a small wager - at the same time.

 

[AlanH]

How much?

 

[dutchking]

How much?

I'm assuming you mean how much time? Thunderfall says around winter, but I'd say that winter isn't very "soon". I'd say around September or August even! But I'm glad they said there will definately be a mac version of BtS.
Scroll down and you'll see me ask them:
Download the chat HERE

 

[AlanH]

No, sorry, I was referring to Dojo's "a small wager"

 

[dutchking]

Oh my god, I'm going to die...Charles De Gaulle is IN!!!! I have to wait and wait and wait and wait :suicide:...

 

[Gatekeeper]

Hmm. Odds are, I'll end up buying the BtS Civ IV expansion pack when it comes out for the Macintosh, if for nothing else other than to say that I own the original Civ IV game plus both expansion packs.

Gatekeeper