I just happened to pull some old games down off my shelves (Older TRUE Sierra games are like that, always coming back to them) and I guess I kind of started to remember the times, the hours, the days and week spent trying to complete just one more game!!! And then Sierra popped back into my mind and I decided to take a look at the current state of things at sierra.com
All I can say is “WHAT IS GOING ON?”
The Sierra site (Vivendi Universal) is almost always ½ completed. Portions of things missing, other sections taken down, or half taken down. Some sections you can get to, only to see pictures gone with little “x” in their places. Even the main screen is missing graphics and looks like someones Web Design Project for School. I also noticed that the whole Hoyle Franchise is now with Encore Entertainment. What happened there??? Is this slowly turning into the final resting place of Sierra? By the current state of thing, it could possibly be…
I’m just disgusted to see what Vivendi has done to everything that Sierra was. It’s a hollow shell of what Sierra On-Line was a one time. Almost a joke, or a nightmare depending on how much you looked up to the place when Ken was minding the store.
It’s a sad shame that they took a name that WAS gaming, and turned it into something horrible to look at. The only thing the is recognizable is the name. Nothing else.
I just feel that a long time ago, the company lost its heart when Ken stepped down. It’s been on life support all this time, but now it just seems like the old life support machine is starting to break down, and there is no one left to fix it.
I think the great old games will live on in our memory and hearts, but will never see the light of day after our generation has passed. The generation that knew what gaming was. Not by today’s standards. So few companies bring anything new or original to the table, something worth the time or money. They all look like repacks of the game before it. Sure the textures have changed, and the names of the characters have changed, but deep down, they are all the same game anymore. Nothing original. That was something you could always rely on with Sierra. Great original games that you wanted to pull your hair out waiting for the next installment.
Oh well. That was my walk down memory lane I guess. It’s just sad to see how things came to be. There used to be a time when I would walk into my local Gaming shop just trying to sniff out the latest Titles, (Sierra games always on my mind) but now I find myself not even stopping in at all anymore. Oh sure, I guess if I want the latest game that looks like the game before it, and the one before that, I guess there is still something to find.
But look harder. There on the bottom shelf. There is a game box or two there. Covered in dust and hardly ever moved or looked at anymore. The last price tag fell off years ago, and I doubt anyone will even remember what it sold for. But pick it up, dust off the Sierra On-Line Logo, and grab your wallet. Buy that game, and prepare yourself for a breath of fresh air!!!
Take Care…